Book One.
The world has become a different place since the attack on New York. People have been forced to accept a reality filled with superhumans, machine men, and alien races. Earth has become a playground for the universe with humans getting los...
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The wind blew hard and cold. The gray dreary sky overhead was enough to make Juliette want to turn back to the hotel suite, but she'd made a promise she intended to keep. Her cellphone in one pocket and the small tin canister holding some of her mother's ashes in the other. They both felt like stones, weighing her down.
The silence of the world was interrupted by the distance roll of thunder. The storm was moving inland and she was without an umbrella. Juliette muttered under her breath as she stuffed her hands into her pockets and wrapped her jacket tighter around her body. If she walked fast enough she could probably make it to the cliff-face and back before the storm let loose. Fingers crossed.
If it weren't for the fact that her mind was consumed with dark thoughts, Juliette may have found beauty in the world that currently surrounded her. The hill unfolded with green grass and shrubbery, broken only by large stones – some sat like benches to observe the world, others reached high like pillars toward the heavens. The stillness of the wild made her feel edgy.
Juliette wasn't a fan of the bustling energy of the city but it helped to keep her focused. The noises of grinding machines, raised voices, and the electrical hum – they all helped block out the nagging voices in the back of her mind. Here, in nature, there was nothing to keep them at bay. All of the things she had been swallowing, repressing – they rose with the tide and threatened to drown her.
How was she going to survive what she knew was coming?
Juliette knew she was thinking too much – she needed to relax, breathe. Shelby's future was already written and no matter how hard she fought – some things were unavoidable. Why was it so hard for her to just let go? She hadn't always been this burdened and stressed. Somewhere, buried under the rubble, an older and freer version of herself was screaming for help – waiting to be released.
She closed her eyes, sealing them tight. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly as her feet continued to move her forward. This was something Juliette practiced in the quiet moments, walking without sight. She couldn't explain how or why, but somehow it calmed her. The darkness and the freedom of never actually knowing where her foot would fall next or where she was headed – gave her the peace that she lacked. Even if it was a silly trick – a self-made illusion, it helped.
The smell of the briny sea and the moisture of the approaching storm tickled her nose. In the distance, the waves crashed against the cliff face and the thundered rolled. The seagulls called to one another. A feeling rose in her chest, one she couldn't name. A sense of peace surrounded her as a sudden gust of wind took her by surprise, blowing her hair into her face. Juliette turned away to shield herself, sputtering while strands got caught in her mouth and on her lips. She reached up and cleared it from her face as the wind died down, tucking it tightly behind her ears.
When she turned her attention back to the trail she was surprised to an older man walking ahead of her. He looked sturdy from behind – broad shoulders paired with a taller stature. It was hard to tell his age from the back, though he had a head full of gray hair – bordering white. She would have put him in his mid-seventies. She was soon to find out because she was gaining on him, fast.
