Like A Fairytale

Chapter 48

Flo

"Do you think we're going to get into trouble?" Alby clung to Flo's hand. The two sat next to each other on uncomfortable chairs. Chairs, which were probably only intended as decoration. The beautiful decorations pressed unpleasantly into their backs.

It was quiet in the hallway.

One of the light bulbs flickered, then the light burned out. Alby was startled and grabbed Flo's with one hand.

Interrogations were carried out in two rooms. Sometimes they heard quiet voices.

Was someone crying?

"Flo?"

"Why? Are you a criminal?" Flo raised his eyebrows.

"No. You?" the girl replied.

"No. We have nothing to fear." But he was very worried about Silverpaw.

"That's right." She wanted to say more, but the next moment the girl squealed. Flo was startled, while Alby tugged at him insistently. She looked past him. "Flo! Look!"

Two security guards accompanied a group of young men, all between about 17 and 22 years old, past them. The strangers were handsome, wearing heavy makeup, and wore striking, slightly dark, sparkling clothes. They all had something elf-like about them. It was probably due to the makeup. One of them glanced briefly at Alby, who could barely hold on to her chair.

Then they were already gone. They left the corridor.

"What was that?" Flo asked, confused.

"THAT! That was the hottest boy band of all time! And they passed us by!"

"Are you drooling?"

"No!" Alby wasn't drooling, but she looked as if she would start it at any moment. Did these sparkling elves suit her taste? Or was it because of something else? "Flo! That was the GEAR POP BOYS! And one of them looked at me!"

Smiling, Flo shook his head. "Well then."

Alby leaned against him with a sigh. "Were they also questioned?"

"Maybe?" Flo rolled his eyes. Gear Pop Boys. He had never heard of them. They looked really good, in their dark outfits made of fluttery fabric, the gold decorations, leather, lace, the heavy boots... "Yes, we are clearly in the seat of government. Famous people just walk past us... And my self-proclaimed best friend is almost drooling with desire..." He remembered gray-black hair and a sinister mask. Icy. Did the cyborg's hair feel as silky as it looked?

"Idiot!" Alby laughed. Then she held her left wrist in front of Flo's nose. A modern clock adorned her fair skin. "Do you want to look at photos?"

"Photos?"

"Yes... I have a few family photos. Do you want to see them? I..." She shook her head. "I need a distraction."

"Family photos?" Flo had to admit to himself that he felt something like envy when she mentioned family photos. Not a nice feeling. He frowned. "I thought you had photos of these boys."

Alby laughed softly and tiredly. "That would be nice! Yes. I'm so nervous! I have to distract myself. Photos?"

"Yes, of course." Family photos. He didn't have anything like that.

Alby tapped briefly on the slightly shimmering display, under which the hands moved with a gentle ticking. "Show me my photo collection!" she said. The clock, golden and decorated with fine stones, projected a flickering image of two adults, both of whom looked very much like Alby. "My parents," she said.

"Hm."

A series of family pictures appeared one after the other. Old and newer pictures. Alby had something to say about every photo. "Oh! That's my aunt. She was still young then. She looked very different from today, didn't she?"

"True." Flo smiled at the sight of young Aisling Willow. She was a lot thinner, almost all skin and bones, and wore a surprisingly short, festive dress. Next to her stood a pretty, blonde girl in a simple wedding dress. "Who is that?"

"Oh. This is, was, my aunt's favorite cousin. Distant relatives. She got married that day. Abril. She's pretty, isn't she?"

"Another name with an A."

"The A's are strong in my family," Alby joked. "Abril Spring. She also worked here for a short time, but then returned to her homeland to get married. Oke Whitebloom!" She paused for a moment. "Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of him."

"Whitebloom?" Surprised, Flo leaned closer to the flickering hologram. "Did they both live in Burgstadt?" The man... Did he look like Flo? Did Alby have a picture of him? Did he look like the young woman? Was it a coincidence?

"Your last name is also Whitebloom." Alby sighed. She enlarged the picture so that Flo could take a closer look at the bride. The woman had fine features and blue eyes. A classic beauty. She looked like the beauties from old movies, of which Flo only knew short parts.

"End the photo show," Alby finally whispered to her watch. The hologram went out. "Those were all the pictures. Oke and Abril lived in Burgstadt, yes. But Abril died very young. After the birth of her second child. She had a boy and a girl. The two were given up for adoption after Oke was arrested for something. My family doesn't like to talk about it. Flo? Is the surname Whitebloom often used in Burgstadt?"

"I don't know." Whitebloom. Was this a coincidence? "At least I don't know anyone on Level 3 who is also called Whitebloom. Do you know what has become of the children?" That can only be a coincidence. What is the probability that I am distantly related to Alby and that she has just shown me a picture of my mother? Don't be silly, Flo. Don't be a fool.

Alby shook her head. "I don't know, no. I've never met Abril and Oke, and my aunt refuses to talk about Oke. But... It is probably a coincidence. Burgstadt is huge."

Flo nodded.

Samuel

Lena had kissed him.

HIM!

Nervously, he looked at the girl who was sitting at the window of her room. She held a bottle of wine in her hands, which she had smuggled out of the hall. Samuel himself stood nervously next to the door.

He wished she would kiss him again. No. He wanted to hug her, play with her curls, and kiss her himself.

Lena was silent.

Just like him.

Since the kiss, the mood between the two had been more than just strange.

Lena drank directly from the wine bottle. Her cheeks were slightly reddened. Samuel didn't know if it was because of the alcohol or because of him. "Miss?"

"Huh?" Lena smiled. "Do you want a sip too?" She held out the bottle to him.

"I'm on duty."

"So what? We are supposed to stay here for the next few hours. Come, sit down." She pointed to the second chair at her desk. A chair that she had also taken with her on the way, and which was very close to Lena.

Samuel sat down. "All right... But..."

She held out the bottle to him. "Come on. Drinking alone is stupid. Unless you don't drink in general?"

"I do, I do." He took the bottle. "Thank you."

They drank together. Silently. Again and again their eyes met. And then, when two-thirds of the bottle was empty...

Samuel didn't know what had gotten into him. He also didn't know who had started kissing.

They kissed.

Again and again.

(c: sasi)