Underground Hatred - My Hero Origins (MHO)

13: Petrified Amber

Word Count: 2120

(Kat)

 The light pollution of the city bounded across the horizon behind Kat's house, but stars hung above Kat and Davis, who sat on the edge of Kat's back porch. Humidity was settling in the chilly air, like a storm was rolling in for the night beyond where the eye could see. The breeze that curved across Kat's roof creaked the dying tree in the backyard, the molding leaves wafting the stench of a changing season. Kat's amber eyes followed the blades of grass as they caught the wind here and there, the leaves dancing in waves and swirls, a ball holding itself in the porchlight of the yard. The music was the whistle of the wind and the creaks of the tree, the elegant apparel colored in autumn.

The couple sat in silence at the ball, swaying with the music of the night. The hoot of an owl was the cymbal of the ensemble, the tweet of the air flutes, the leaves footsteps, wandering the yard to mingle with the other guests; and, yet, Kat and Davis held a silence as the party marched on around them. Kat's heart picked up with the music, brain glancing back to the shocking blue eyes: the warmth, the mystery, the familiarity picked up an emotion in Kat and ran with it—waltzing with the life that hid itself in the gated yard. Her spirit dashed around, her heart to follow. The proximity of the man beside her twitched her fingers to reach out and check if he was real—but he was real. Why was Kat questioning these things, so caught up on the tiniest moment between the two?

"Y—You okay, Kat?"

Kat's head snapped up from the dance, her soul returning to her body. She peered at Davis, who held his slight expression of wariness in his face. Her eyes bashfully looked away towards her legs that stretched out in front of her: the toes clicked together from time to time, but her fingers against her thigh tapped with rapid speed. She silenced the tapping, clearing her throat in the process.

"I'm just on edge I guess—you know, from almost getting caught," she corrected herself, holding in a cringe; she wanted to make it clear it had nothing to do with Davis. "I—It was kinda intense back there."

"Me too: I'm on edge," Davis breathed out, more relief in his tone than the usual stutter of nervousness. "I—I'm just glad you're okay."

"Same here."

"B—But we got the paper!" Davis reached into one of the pockets in his long, indigo jacket. A paper was folded neatly in his hand, hiding the contents within. "W—We have something to work with now."

A small, meek smile crossed Kat's lips. A hand held itself out, Kat asking, "Can I see it?"

No hesitance was given as Davis handed it over. A single fingertip brushed against Kat's hand as she took the paper, his hands warm as always. A tiny shudder ran down her spine, her brain falling back into the touch-starvation mode for a brief second. She shook it off, the time not right to have a breakdown.

The paper now in hand, Kat opened the slip to reveal the contents: a simple spreadsheet with customer information in case if needed to get in touch with. Kat's eyebrows furrowed together when searching the paper, finding numbers and acronyms that held no familiarity to them. Sure, Kat did the bills and such, but customer reports or secretary work? None of it was in her vocabulary.

"216 Echo Road, apartment number 4C," Kat blurted out, eyes settling in on a section of the paper. One hand pointed to the address while the other turned it towards Davis to show him. "That's Sean's address."

"O—Okay, so we have a place to go," Davis nodded to himself, his apathetic tone perking up to the new lead. "B—But I'm not sure w—where exactly that is."

"I know it," Kat said blatantly, shrugging. The paper pulled back towards her and settled on her lap. "I looked in that area for an apartment when I was searching for a place. It's not the... best area around."