Nevermore (Book One)

Chapter 2: Karma

The London Eye
12 Noon
100 ft. Above the ground
Bullet 003

                        I sat next to the transparent window of the bullet. It's gonna be a long day for me again. For this afternoon, I wore a leather jacket, leather boots and trousers. I brought my backpack as well to hold my stuffs. I am waiting for a phone call. Old Ben is way too busy now a days. It's hard to be a company man. Much more harder is being a father to me. I can barely see my own reflection right now. Sometimes, I ask myself if I am worthy of being a Strauss like him.

                         Outside the bullets and high above, I feel jealous about the ability of birds to fly freely above. Well, I am just a rich young girl. What's bad being one? Well, I don't deserve this. What I deserve is the answer from my dead father on who really murdered him and my mother. 119 years ago, my ancestor Zhao Li was found dead. It was written in the history of the famous Stonehenge.

                          Benedict Strauss helped me in reviving my spirit. Even though both of my parents were dead, he thought me to bring justice on my own. Why? This is a twisted world. A cruel and dying one.

                          As I look upon the tall buildings, I can see how man has dominate over his own world. There's nothing I can do to save it. But there's one actually, save mine.

                          At exact 12:24 in my wrist watch, a phone call disturbs my silence.

                      "Old Ben." It says.

                       I answer the call. "Hello. I've been here waiting for you. I am inside bullet...." I search for a while for any sign of numbers or even words. There above the glass door, written was number 3. "Bullet number 3. Yeah."

                         On the other line, I can hear him cough 3 or 4 times to be exact. "Are you alright?" I ask him.

                         Though he didn't gave his response, I actually know that he's not.

                         "Well, kinda. Not totally to be honest. It's just that I am busy right now. Before this conversation would lock on my personal health, I would like you to know that there will be a masquerade ball later at 7 in the evening. It will be on the Chrysler building. You know how to dress elegant right?" His calm voice echoed to the other line as if the sound waves have been disturb by any waves. I am not that good in science, so I made a wild guess. Anyway, I don't usually dress elegant because what I want is just a simple life.. A simple one where I could live forever like those servants of us. But, that life was taken away from me. By the murderer who took the life of my father and my mother. What I really hated the most is that, they told the public that it was just a car accident. What this damned world doesn't know is that, they've been murdered.

                          "Of course I will. And, can you promise me one thing please? Take your medicines on time. I don't know what to do without you. I cannot finish this fight without you. We both started this one. I will not let you die before I fulfilled this crappy revenge." I encourage him. Old Ben was the one who adopted me. He took me from the Foster home before a couple could take me away and change the course of my life for eternity. Which I cannot live with.