The EverKnight Chronicles – Book 1, Season 1
The Loneliest Man Alive
Dark grey storm clouds gathered in the sky and a bleak, steady rain blanketed the land. A young girl walking along the sidewalk paused, and stood by the side of the road, staring up at the industrial smoke that was drifting up into the rainy sky. Her eyes were wide open beneath her long brown hair, shining a brilliant blue that was offset by her snow white skin, as delicate as porcelain, and fit perfectly with her flawless features. A long black overcoat poured over her shoulders, lightly tracing her body down to her ankles, sinched around her thin waist with a black leather belt. She sighed, watching the mist escape her mouth as it was grabbed by the wind, twisting and swirling as it disappeared into the sky. She tilted her umbrella, enjoying the sensation of the heavy raindrops falling on her face. She liked the rain. Ever since she was a little girl, winter had been her favourite time of year, and even now, at twenty, she eagerly awaited its arrival each year. A black car passed in front of her and she stepped out onto the road, her boots splashing lightly in the rainwater screening its surface. Reaching the other side, she continued her slow, absent walk home, lost in thoughtful contemplation.
After a few blocks, the back of her mind registered the thumping of hurried footsteps amongst the rainfall behind her. She turned around to see a man running towards her, staring intently at a flashing red device in his hand, and too late went to move out of the way as he ran straight into her. She stumbled, her umbrella flying out of her grasp. A gentle hand flew out, grasping her upper arm to stop her from falling. She looked up, and found herself staring into a pair of dark brown eyes. “Are you alright? I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going and –“ She smiled up at him. “I’m fine, you just bumped into me is all. No worries.” His large eyes showed a genuine concern for her, and yet he seemed almost… Anxious, as if her were expecting something to jump out of the shadows and tear him apart at any moment. “I am glad that you are alright.” He spoke slowly, and his voice was smooth and soft, with a faint hint of an accent she couldn’t recognise. A moment passed, the only sound that of the rain around them, and then his face broke into an easy smile, and all hint of worry and anxiety flew from his face. He released her, stood up straight, and ran off again, as suddenly as he had come. Her eyes went to follow him, but the rain was impairing her vision, and she saw nothing, the only other person in sight her friend Bec from when she was in school. She waved across the road to her, and leant down to pick up her umbrella, but as she did so she noticed red light flashing in the grass – The device that man had been staring at. Throwing a glance to check if a person had appeared who could be watching, she slipped it into her pocket, collected her umbrella, and continued her walk home.
The house was small – Only slightly bigger than an apartment; A little entryway, one bedroom, a joined lounge/kitchen, and a bathroom, but she preferred it that way. It had been built in a modern format; grey walls and roof, large, open windows, and a low, straight cut stone fence around the properties border. She loved it in its elegant simplicity. The inside of the house, however, was the complete opposite of elegant. Star Wars posters adorned the walls and a precarious looking pile of shoes rested in the corner. She moved into the lounge room, threw her wet coat over the back of a chair, and walked into the kitchen. It was separated from the lounge via a long bench, upon which sat a lone vase containing a flower which had long since died. She absently hit boil on the kettle and spooned two heaps of hot chocolate mix into a mug. She added boiling water and milk, stirred it, and brought the steaming mug over to the couch. She settled there, slowly drinking and listening to the rain, and pulled out the device that the man had dropped. She turned it over and over, but couldn’t make any sense of what it’s function could be. It resembled a rectangle, made of a smooth grey metal, cool to the touch, and roughly the size of her mobile phone. One side of it was dominated by what appeared to be a screen, and above that the light that was still pulsing red. Finding no way to interact with the object, she set it down next to her drink, and let her mind wander.
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