From There, we came outside and saw the stars

Fatum ac Libertatem

Brooklyn, New York, 2022 A.D

In a city of 18 million people, random, mostly passing blurs of souls. All just moving about from point A to B. Out of 18 million, she had to tumble upon a location that seemed to be cursed. Rosie supposed it was her fault since she allowed herself to be seduced by the trendy shift of moving to Brooklyn. She was doing well in Seagrove, but she didn't want to be just another small fish in a big pond. She wanted to be ahead of everyone else. So, before she knew it, she was opening her pottery store and workshop at Bedford-Stuyvesant.

She wasn't expecting a rousing welcoming party, but in two weeks, she's had to call some maintenance guys to remove the graffiti off her shop window thrice already. Rosie was beginning to suspect she wasn't welcomed at all.

In between paying those guys who did a marvelous job and cleaning up the broken bottles all over her shop pavement, she felt someone staring at her from behind. There she was, lounged at the driver's seat of a red vintage Chevy with the door open like she owned the Borough.

"Need help?"

The hair on Rosie's nape felt electrocuted by that low, deep voice and a subtle smirk that accentuated her serpentine aura. Or cat. If there was a cross between those two species, that would be her.

The woman didn't wait for an answer and stood towering next to Rosie despite literally being shorter for a good two inches. "You should install a camera," she said, raising an eyebrow before snatching the broom off the potter's hands and started sweeping. Rosie knew she looked like a complete buffoon with her mouth,dry, chapped, and slightly agape, wondering where this woman came from and suddenly showing up.

"Is it always going to be like this?" Rosie finally was able to speak after some moment of appreciating the other girl's long auburn hair that seemed too soft, too pampered, in striking contrast to the menial job of sweeping broken glasses off the pavement.

She looked up after what it felt like an eternity, with a smirk more devious than the last one. "If you're worried it's going to escalate...it won't."

There was no reason for Rosie to feel assuaged or to put any trust on this woman in front of me, but she somehow managed to. For a cool minute.

"I know the person who did this," she said solemnly. "I'll talk to her."

"Her?"

"Yeah, her. Surprised a girl did this?"

Rosie shrugged with pursed lips. "I suppose women's rights come with women's wrongs. So, uhm, who did it?"

"That's not your concern. Just know she won't do that again."

"And this...girl...you know her personally?"

The enigmatic woman swept the last few pieces of glass before looking up again with a Cheshire like smile. "I do," she said before handing the broom back to Rosie and made a beeline back to her car.

Rosie slowly closed the door behind her, barely grappling at the strangest occurrence by far on her short stay in the city of strange things.

Rosie managed to snap out of her sudden stupor and tried to recall the last few minutes. "Jennie Kim," said the other girl before skidding away in her Camaro after Rosie asked for her name. The car ran for a few seconds and then disappeared right before the potter's eyes. Completely vanished including the skid marks left on the road.

"What the fuck?" Rosie finally said, shocked and confused.

–

Roosevelt Island, New York, 2022 A.D

"You really went out of your way to...sweep her fucking sidewalk?!?"

"How about telling me first why the hell you vandalized her shop?!?"