A/N: Inspiration on the inside of the Center :D
***
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Zoe jolted and opened the door for the kid. To her surprise, the girl instantly hugged her leg. She could feel her every muscle shook, justified by her cry that could rival a banshee. She gently patted her yellow-green hair. She was tempted to join her, to sit in the corner and bawl together. But she knew better.
Was that called being an adult?
The hallway behind them was in chaos. Screams were the only sound she could distinguish. It contained the dark shadows of their fear, stained by the crimson work of panic, yet enlightened by the names of their loved ones. It was both contagious and unnerving.
With all her training from the noise of the market, Zoe found herself on a new height. There was a huge difference between the two noises, and although distraction was their common factor, the distress and fright of other people affected her more than the loud voices of vendors. She thought she was prepared, yet here she was, panicking and couldn't focus.
Her mind debated whether to follow Dilinjer or not. Her guts kept telling her that something wrong was about to happen. Still, she couldn't just abandon the little girl. And even though she managed to follow her Sensei, she had no idea how she could be of any help.
Probably throwing some deadly vegetables, she thought.
Zoe gently pulled the kid away from her leg and crouched, meeting her eyes. She held her small face between her hands, wiping her pinkish cheeks with her thumbs.
"We need to find your parents," Zoe shouted with a controlled tone.
The girl opened her mouth but Zoe didn't catch what she said. She leaned closer and listened to the girl's whisper.
"C- can we look for my g- grandma first?" She hiccuped and sniffed. "She's old a- and has a hard time walking."
Zo moved and spoke softly to her ear. "Is she a patient here--"
"Airene?" an old woman said, approaching their direction. "Airene, is that you?"
They turned to the old woman in the aisle, her white gown brushed the tiled floor. Her back was hunched slightly, allowing her gray hair to drape on her shoulders. One of her hand supported her back, while the other one was outstretched in front of her as though she had an invisible guide.
"Grandma!" the kid shouted with glee, quickly running her way.
That was fast, she thought with relief.
BOOM!
The glass behind Zoe shattered as a chain shoot past her, missing her head just a few centimeters. She slammed herself into the wall, raising her arms to cover the side of her face.
Screams erupted, but the most prominent was the voice of a small girl.
"Grandma!"
She slowly peered, her sight landing at the deep red blossoming in the old woman's gown. Zoe gasped and felt her eyes stung. The chain hit the old woman straight in the chest, leaving her face in bewilderment and pain.
Suddenly, her milky, white eyes drifted to her direction, as though asking her why such fate befall her. And like a ghostly image that would haunt her forever, the body of the old woman slowly changed into orbs of white light, but instead of being carried upwards, it was absorbed by the chain.
The metal retracted, its spearhead coated with blood. Even though Zoe wanted to linger there and mourn, she chose to save the little girl. She lifted her, surprised at how light she was despite her somewhat large build. She dashed for the entrance where the other patients and visitors were pushing through the queue for the only portal. The huge circle in front of the door illuminated the hallway in ghastly green.
YOU ARE READING
Presage
Fantasy|Book#1|Chronicles of Mamoria| A story that was forgotten by history. A secret kept for hundreds of millennia. A dark heart sheltered by the light. A young prince who gave up his pride to protect his people. And a teenage girl who was destined to lo...
