Hidden Under Perfection

Chapter 2: Doran

I walk down a newly paved road, the dark sky melting with the asphalt. The night air rushes by, leaving goose bumps in its wake. I only have the light of the streetlights to illuminate the ground in front of me. I jump from light patch to light patch until I reach the empty intersection. The city looks like a ghost town at night, dark and deserted. A sudden noise makes me pause, the hair on the back of my neck rising. Footsteps sound behind me; I am being followed. I walk faster but whoever is tailing me is smart, he slips into the shadows, blending in with the darkness. I start to run.

There is someone chasing me down a dark deserted street, the road under my feet is slick with a dark liquid that smells of iron. My feet don't make any purchase on the blood-covered ground. I look back and see that the person chasing me is gaining speed. I can't see their face but I know that whoever it is has about 50 pounds on me and is seven inches taller. He wears all black and there is a belt around his waist dripping with weapons. He has several swords and daggers and thin knives, there is a rope hanging from the leather and a bow and arrow slung across his back. There is an axe strapped across his chest. He is armed from the tooth. In front of me is a tall brick wall with no foot or handholds; there is no escape. I look around for anything that could help, a weapon, a stick, nothing. I have to face him. I turn around and see my captor. He is a nothing but a black shape, a silhouette against the bright street light. He reaches up and removes his hood. His face is young, his hair is jet black and his skin is pail. His eyes are cast in shadows. I have to get out of this, if I don't I will die alone. I will always be alone. I hold up my fists ready to fight.

He reaches for two daggers from his sheath and he rushes at me, I punch him in the cheek and my fist explodes in pain. My hand is bruised and bloody. I look up and the man clips me in the mouth. The sensation of heat flows into my mouth and I taste the metallic flavor of blood. I go for another punch but the stranger backs away. He steps into the light and sheaths his weapons. He moves with catlike agility. He stands so still it is like he isn't even wounded.

He walks closer looking more menacing by the second. His broad shoulders blocking the light, plunging me into darkness, his arm reaches behind his back and takes the axe. He holds it casually by his side. The light glints off the blade as he rotates it by his leg. "The Clandestine wishes for you to be disposed of, any last words?" His voice is deep and raspy making it impossible to distinguish whom it is. His knife plunges towards my chest...

I wake up sputtering and gasping; the details of the nightmare are already fading. The lingering fear making my arms shake. I have had the same terrorizing dream every night for the past month. The room is pitch black and blinds are drawn. Out of the corner of my eye I see a red glow. I look over at the holo-clock, it reads: 1:56 am. The numbers shine bright against the comfortable blackness, shockingly red on the stainless steal bedside table. I still have 3 hours till I have to get ready for work. I sit up slightly and focus on the numbers projecting from my clock. My eyelids are heavy with exhaustion and I have to fight to keep them open.

The weight of my head is too much for my tired neck to hold and it falls onto my chest. It stays there until I realize that I am nodding off and jerk my head up right. I go over the simple multiplication tables in hope that it will calm my agitated nerves. I start with zero times zero and work my way up until twelve times twelve. My mind is filled with nonsense and as I try and work out details they flea from my brain. I need to focus on going to sleep so that I am not too tired for work this morning.

I work for the super secret agency that creates the cutting edge technology – more like technology of the future – and the generator keeping this city alive. They call themselves The Clandestine. None of the employees have ever seen the boss's face. I have no idea why it is so important that he keeps his identity a secret. Everyone thinks that he is some menacing omnipotent demon but I think he is just a man with a secret.