Dream unto Dust

The Meeting

A few days had passed since the incident and hospital trip that followed. My mother and the two girls that practically lived with us decided to care for Amiya when she decided to stay.

Now I passed the nights on the kitchen floor. I did it by choice, tired of all the stupid stares and whispers of false events.

I did it because I was annoyed of people trying to put me in cliché moments with Amiya.

'You two would be cute together' bleh. As much as I want to agree, it's better I do it on my own instead of being forced, Amiya's eyes said the same each time.

It was noon and I was still surprised that Amiya's father hadn't tried to get her back, my entire focus was on getting the boys back to discuss the situation. My step-brother had been busy with work as of late so getting him to agree on a date to meet was difficult.

Shon on the other hand said he was free for a week. I checked my phone again, a map with the most updated position of my step-brother.

"Why are you on Mt Hood this time?" I muttered to myself.

All my step-brother ever said about his off time job was that he took contracts and get paid after reporting his deed, usually accompanied by a sample to prove the worth of his words.

The next thing I noticed was the marker reappeared at the paintball arena, simply named War of Paint, and a message flash onto my screen.

From: Nick: I'm back, this contract took longer than expected

I shook my head, impatience setting in.

To: Nick: About time, willing to have the meeting tonight at your place?

From: Nick: Sure

Quickly sending a text to Shon, I walked out the door. Took me a while but eventually I was standing at the entrance to War of Paint that was built over the old cinema few years ago.

I walked to the side of the building where the unusually empty trash bins sat, looked around for any eyes that my pry into what I am doing, and uncovered the hidden panel.

Nick will eventually regret showing me this, or even leaving it here. Punching in the code, I moved back so that the entrance may open.

The concrete that one trash bin sat upon swivled to the side, presenting a ladder well that went into the dark.

Quickly slid down to avoid getting caught by the entrance closing, I cursed loudly when my hands hit something sharp.

Once at the bottom I checked my hands for any severe damage, only a cut along the inner knuckles, and moved into the light down the tunnel.

I ducked as something whizzed through where my head previously was.

"The fuck!" I yelled out.

"My bad, force of habit from my last contract" Nick yelled out, the sound of a handgun being shoved into it's holster following a second later.

Looking over at Nick I noticed he was still in his armor, designed after the Clone Arc troopers from starwars though a grey hood popped out the top of his back plate. The handgun on his hip was a more refined version of a prototype weapon that I had helped design.

Nick quietly walked over, face still covered by his helm, marked with a color pattern that changed with every blink.

"You're lucky I heard the charge up," I said standing back up, "How's the car?"