The Millennial Game

Prologue

Prologue

So much had happened in so short a time. Helena sat back in her cream white chair, snuggling down into it. She fingered the strands of her black hair near her face, shorter than the rest of her hair, looking at them for a moment before tucking them behind her ears. With a sigh, she picked up her laptop and opened it, staring at the darkened screen. She turned it on, set it down, and stood up, going into the kitchen, feeling a little restless. She put the kettle on to boil, before turning and preparing a cup of herbal tea.

As she stood there, surrounded by her few possessions, things that she had collected during the long moons she had spent wandering, she suddenly realized that she had at last found a place that she felt at home again. She’d felt it when her mother was alive, but that sense of home had vanished with her death, only cropping up occasionally. A grin lit up her face as she thought of the companion she had, now and always after.  Of course, she thought, pursing her lips though her eyes continued to sparkle, the only thing that had kept them apart was his infuriating lack of trust in her ability to cope with information, despite what she’d always said. He still treated her like a porcelain doll, but at least he told her everything now. And she enjoyed being coddled. It more than made up for the past.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t hear the tell-tale signs of the water beginning to boil until the kettle began whistling shrilly. Helena jumped, banging her hip on an open cupboard door. Teeth clenched against both the pain the shrilling was causing her ears and the curses she wanted to snarl, she closed the cupboard and then shut off the stove. The whistling died down instantly. Moving efficiently, she poured herself a cup of tea and slipped back into her living room. Setting down the mug on a nearby end table, she picked up her laptop again and settled down into the chair she had previously vacated. She pulled up a new document and stared at it, letting her thoughts settle into place as they had down numerous times before. She began nibbling on her lip, deliberating, before she smiled. This time, however, it was her own story she was telling, one that humans couldn’t imagine existed, and she had to get every word right. This story was only known by a few, since it involved beings that were thought to be only myths, and people, the term used loosely, who were supposed to be dead. Once she’d finished it, Helena knew that she would have to vanish. Others of her kind wouldn’t take too well to have their secrets revealed to the world, but it didn’t matter. Even if the truth weren’t seen for what it was, this story had to be told and this would be the one and only time she would tell it. The problems of the past had vanished and now, despite the need to stay out of the sight of the human governments more than ever, she had a chance to live. Finally.

With a small smile, she felt the music of the words in her head swell and flow, her fingers dancing over the keyboard to their song.

A/N: Well, I'm doing an update to this tired, dusty story. I do apologize to those who read the previous version mostly because I didn't finish it. But that would ruin the surprises I have lying in wait. I am really sorry about that though. On the bright side, I'm actually interested in this version since it's not...completely planned out. I have a little bit of wiggle room this time. So hopefully you'll enjoy it!!