Ascension

Chapter 4

Mick threw his balled up sandwich wrapper at the trash bin in a poor imitation of a basketball shot and made a face when it struck the rim and promptly bounced off. He walked up to it and dropped the greasy paper in with a grumble.

“I can’t even aim anymore,” he complained. Gabe strolled up to stand behind him, dropping his chin onto his shoulder with a thoughtful look at the trash bin.

“You never could aim, Mick,” he remarked, depositing his own wrapper in.

“Yes I could!” he protested.

“Only when it counts.”

Mick chuckled at the double meaning and slung an arm around Gabe’s shoulders as they walked back to where Sasha was parked. Gabe had returned by midnight as promised and had promptly kept him awake for the next two hours, apologizing for his actions outside the Horseshoe in the best way possible. He had kept his word even as the night bled into morning and the daily screams from Arcadia’s clock tower rent the air, not leaving their bed for anything but the bathroom and breakfast. Mick was adequately mollified and when the need for lunch became too much, he dragged Gabe out of the apartment in high spirits.

Mick tossed his helmet to Gabe and wheeled Sasha out of the parking space onto the street. He had swung a leg over the seat of his bike when he heard a rustle of voices and sounds of a low commotion.

“What is that?” Gabe wondered, pulling on the helmet.

“Sounds like Sweets.” He pressed the key in the ignition. “Get on; let’s go see.”

Gabe got on the bike behind him and held on as Mike revved the engine and roared onto the street. They drove for a block and drew to a halt near Arcadia’s City Hall, where a press conference was going on. A small gathering of reporters were shoving each other to get closer to the podium, holding up voice recorders and video cameras. On the platform, a woman stood in front of the microphone, flanked by a stocky man dressed in a dark blue uniform with a star pinned to his lapel.

“Once again, I assure you that you all are in no danger,” said the woman. “It’s Sunday. It’s a time for yourselves and your families. Go out, have fun. None of you have anything to fear whatsoever, not even the person chosen for the Ascension.”

“Miss Mayor! Mayor Sweets!”

She looked over the small crowd and pointed at one person. “Yes, you?”

“Who has been chosen for the Ascension?”

“That information is strictly classified,” she said firmly. “We cannot reveal who will be selected by the Powers for the Ascension, but we will say that they will be in a better place, and that they will be missed.”

“Miss Mayor!”

“Yes. Rebecca.”

“The last Ascension took place over a year ago and before that, there was only a four month gap. Why are the Powers calling for an Ascension now?”

“I run this city, Rebecca. I do not command the Powers. Anyone else?”

“Mayor Sweets! Mayor Sweets!”

“Last question. Yes?”

“Where will the chosen person go after Ascension?”

“You know that I cannot answer that question, Paul,” she told the reporter. “The Powers choose the person and the Watchers take them. And as well as Sheriff Dawson here,” she gestured at the uniformed man, “controls the Watchers, keeping our wonderful city clean and crimeless, they are ultimately servants of the Powers. All we know is that they will be in a better place.