Underground

47

Leeciy
I write Cirus Yir, along with a tracking rune on a peice of paper, lighting it up with a tie-die lighter I stole from a gas station.
She stands in a group of people, dirt smudged on her tan cheek.
She wears a dress, dirt stained and torn.
Her white hair was braided and tied with a shoe string.
The group of people, obviously homeless, had taken her in.
She moves to look off a ledge, at a city.
"Still can't believe we found that kid in a cave." A person says behind her.
She reaches behind her and grabs her braid, before turning and looking at the group.
An unmistakable 'HOLLYWOOD' sign stands behind the group.
I snap out of my trance and begin packing.
"What's so important about Cirus?" Logan asks from the doorway of my bedroom.
"She's important, trust me." I say.
My mind whizzes with thoughts on how powerful she is, reaching me with her magic so far away.
"Where is she?"
"Hollywood." I answer.
She scoffs. "You're going to Hollywood for some kid?"
"Yep." I sling a duffelbag over my shoulder. "I am."
"She could be dangerous."
I laugh dryly. "If she's dangerous, Reiba is lethal."
"Speaking of the cat, who's going to watch her?"
"I'll drop her off at Estelle's." I say. "She likes September."
"Well it'll be expensive." She says.
"Once again, she's just that important."
***
The plane lands and I'm clammering to get off and through security.
Hollywood has a sad vibe, where dreams die.
I push through the crowd of people, spotting the 'HOLLYWOOD' sign almost immediately.
I walk to the cab line, waiting for mine.
"Take me as close as you can to the Hollywood sign." I say, stepping in.
He looks back, A scruffy beard a partly bald head. "No hotel?"
I shake my head.
"You better have brought climbing gear." He says, turning to the wheel.
My eyes glow blue and I look down.
"What brings you to Hollywood?" He asks.
"Unfinished business." I say.
He sighs, shaking his head. "Look, kid, my daughter launched herself off that sign years ago, so if that's your plan, I refuse."
"I'm not going to kill myself." I say. "My mom lives in a little group of homeless people between the L's, it's her birthday."
"Oh, well, tell her I said happy birthday."
***
He drops me off at the bottom of the mountain, whistling till I pay him.
I slap $100 in his outstreached palm.
He drives away.
I look around.
The only hiking route wa blocked by a trailer, so I do what any normal person would have done, I climb the mountain.
***
I see Cirus before she sees me.
She stands on a log between a thin woman, and man who was injecting liquid into his arm.
Her eyes land on mine, and she says something I can't hear.
The rest of the group turns to look at me.
Cirus jumps from the log and goes to run to me.
The thin, meth-addict-looking woman grabs the back of her dress.
Cirus's arm flys back and smacks her across the face.
The man, presumably high, grabs Cirus by the hair.
He pulls back a fist.
I run forward, already feeling protective of the small kiwi kid, and shove him.
"Leeciy-Po!" Cirus yells.
The man takes out a knife, and jabs forward.
I move backward before grabbing his arm, and taking his rusty pocket knife.
He knees my stomach, giving my shin a swift kick too.
I fall to my knees, coughing.
Cirus holds her hand up.
The man backs up, fear prominent on his face.
All the other homeless people back up too.
Cirus yanks me up by my shirt collar. "Leeciy-Po."
"It's just Leeciy." I say. "I'm not Leeciy-Po or Leeciy-Ki."
She grins.
"Do you know any English?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "Small."
"You know a small amount of English?" I ask.
She nods. "Understand."
"You can understand it?"
"Little." She reaches up and grabs my hand.
"Where do you want to go?"
"Home."
"Alright. Let's go home."
***
The moment I got home, Cirus found a dictionary and started to read up.
It was difficult getting her on the plane, and when I did, people still stared at us, because nobody has ever seen two people with completely white hair before.
I take out my phone and call Annaliesee.
"Hey." She says as she picks up.
"Hello." I say.
Cirus starts talking aloud, slowly sounding out the words.
"Are you calling for a reason, or just to chat?" Annaliesee says.
"Oh, actually I need a favor." I say.
"What is it?" She asks.
"Can you bring over those clothes that you made for your children's course at school?"
"They won't fit you." She says.
I shake my head, even though she can't see it. "It's not for me."
"Oh, who?" She asks.
"It's a surprise, hurry." I answer, hanging up the phone.
"Leeciy?" Cirus asks, pointing at a word. "This."
"Abbreviate, it means that you shorten a word to make it easier to write."
She nods softly, looking back down at the words.
A few minutes later, there's a knock on the door.
I walk over and open it.
"Who's kid did you steal?" Annaliesee asks.
"I didn't steal it." I say. "Just be gentle."
Annaliesee steps in, her eyes flying to the girl on the couch.
"She's got the mark, and she controls thoughts."
"How do you know?" She asks, setting the mound of clothes on the floor.
"She controlled my dreams all the way from Hollywood." I say.
Cirus looks up. "Who?"
"Annaliesee, she's my friend, she brought you clothes." I say.
"And shoes." Annaliesee adds, eying her bare feet.
"She doesn't speak much English." I say.
"Obvious." She replies.
Cirus and Annaliesee walk to the back of the apartment, to try stuff on and make adjustments. It was all peaceful, until Annaliesee walks out, panic on her face.
"Your little girl, Cirus, right?"
"Yeah, what's up?" I say, standing from the couch.
"She said there's a war coming, faster than we expected."