Fragments - Book One of the Missing

Chapter 14 - Rowan

Oh Stars. Where was she? The pounding in her head delayed the clearing of her eyes. Sitting up, she didn't recognize anything. Her eyes came to focus on someone sitting next to her. He was tall with brown shaggy hair that fell to his ears. And his eyes. Those mysteriously warm chocolate eyes. She jumped back, instantly on guard.

"You." Her voice shook. She took another breath to steady herself. It was the boy from the Market. "Where am I? What happened?" Another breath slammed the truth into her. "Are you stalking me?"

She looked around wildly, trying to get her bearings, find a weapon. One of her gloves was tossed near her knee. Her hands. She raised her unshielded hand and scooted back a few inches.

"Ah, no. I'm not." Awkward silence filled the air as he searched for the next words to say. He ran his hand through his hair. His left eye crinkled and he looked up as if the sky would miraculously provide him an excuse out of this. Or to look anywhere but her. "I knew I would find you here at Adams and Garner. You were out cold and it looked like you could use some help."

Embarrassment flushed his cheeks. So she had passed out on the streets? Nice one, Rowan.

"Hang on. How would you know where I would be if you weren't following me?" His cheeks flushed deeper red.

"I... I... sort of... dreamed it..." He looked at her apprehensively, then away as if seeking help.

"He misspoke. He does that when he is nervous." Taniel looked at the new voice, his face a mask of fury. "Deja vu. We were walking nearby and he felt like we should take a swing this way." She turned to the voice. Before he spoke, she had not even realizing someone else was there. He reached his hand down to her, "Need a hand up?"

"Sure, thanks," she mumbled. His eyes were grey blue, so light you almost couldn't see where they ended. In sharp contrast, his black hair was cropped close and defined, pronouncing his rugged face. He was muscular, like his friend, but bulkier. Neither of them wore the uniforms of the Officials, but that didn't mean much.

"Scooter," he offered.

"Rowan," she said as he pulled her up by the gloved hand. "And you are?"

"Taniel," he said, his voice quiet as he stood.

Scooter motioned toward her head, "Want to walk back with us and we'll get you some ice?"

Her hand flew towards her temple, and she felt the angry welt growing. She nodded, and followed them. Foolish. Reckless. Stupid. What was she doing?

****

She slid off the bed to kneel in front of the picture. He had sketched an incredible likeness — she could see the small prints and posters, the clean lines of the buildings and neat rows of windows. And she could see herself. It was frightening, but lovely.

She shivered.

"Rowan," he spoke slowly and softly. "Are you okay?"

She looked at the door of the loft, thinking again that she could make a run for it. But since making it back to Taniel's loft, she felt somewhat safe. At least, for the time being. She still didn't know who he was, or what he wanted, but he certainly wasn't acting like an Official. And if he had been, she would have been long gone. Whisked away to Stars knew where.

But wouldn't that be a small price to pay for her family's safety? Her mind wouldn't shut up about it. There had to be another way.

And then again, she had been burning with curiosity about this boy ever since that day at the Market. He was so angry that day. It was nothing like the boy she saw today - who seemed so earnest, and nervous that she couldn't help but want to get to know him. It was as if there was a part of him that was kind, but he didn't know it was there yet.

"Rowan?"

She didn't answer his question, but motioned to the picture. "How did you do this?"

He fidgeted, pinched his shirt and pulled away from his chest a few times as if trying to give himself more room to breathe. "This is awkward. Can you sit? I think I would feel more comfortable with you sitting..." He trailed off. His nervousness was oddly calming. At least he didn't seem like an axe murderer either. She took a deep breath, and knowing it could be the stupidest decision of her life, she was willing to hear him out.

"For the past several years now, I have been having this dream... or nightmare really... that never made much sense until the day I saw you in the Market. At first the details were hazy, but I would always wake up afraid. There was something just so awful about to happen. Then a few weeks ago I started to recall more detail.

"The day I left St. Andra's—" She couldn't help her sign of annoyance. So he was a criminal! She needed to get out of there.

"Wait, please wait. Just hear me out. Ugh. Before you think I am a lunatic criminal, I was there for defending somebody." Her shoulders relaxed a fraction of an inch. "The day I left St. Andra's," he continued. "I met a man on the bus who cleared my mind. I think. Actually I don't know exactly what he did."

"You're rambling."

"Ah, right. Sorry." His face fell.

Scooter interjected before Taniel could continue. "Like I said, you make him nervous."

Taniel pursed his lips. "I think he let more of the details come through. And he showed me you. You were there in my dream since the beginning, but I couldn't see it. I never meant to find you, but I kept seeing you, dreaming of you. I wanted, no, I needed some answers." She could hear the anxiety in his voice, despite how hard he tried to keep his voice level.

He watched for her reaction. She looked down at her hands instead. "What is the dream about?"

More hesitation.

"I thought we were being honest?"

"We witnessed someone go Missing. We tried to stop it, but we couldn't. Last night was the clearest vision I had."

"Did they freeze in mid air, and slowly melt away?"

She caught him off guard, and he sputtered, trying to right himself. "How did you know? Have you dreamed it to?" His eyebrows raised - incredulous but relieved.

"I saw it happen." She looked down at her hands again and fiddled with the gloves. "In another memory."

He prodded her for more details, but she shook the questions away. She needed to know more about him and what he knew. She wasn't ready to let him in on her secret. She looked back up into those warm eyes that could melt her.

"Do you know who disappeared?"

Again, a hesitation. "No. No, I don't know her."