Acropolis

Missing Searchlight

Acacia went missing on a foggy night in search of more of the will. Secretly, she had been tracking the weather patterns for this purpose. When she found the passageway she further descended into earth. The fogginess of the night made it difficult to find and the stiffness of the air was unsettling, but darkness gave way and it became brighter despite going underground.

Acacia had remembered losing track of a turn in the passageway and did not recognize her destination. Daphne's world looked different but felt the same. Acacia had entered this world if only for a few steps, but she closed her eyes and turned back toward Domain. Acacia returned but all from a dream. The tunnel deposited her in a quiet clearing. She remembered from flashes and visions a city of many stairs gleaming in white and nestled by the sea.

"This is how every citizen founded Acropolis," Acacia repeated Daphne's old words.

This how every elder person of Domain must have recognized Acropolis from Daphne's bonfire tales. As a dream...a lucid dream.

She returned home and found out her parents called every parent of her friends, afraid she might wind up like Daphne, so Acacia made up a lie she was studying with her new friend, Conrad, at the library and had to shut her phone off.

Ondrea heard about a trespasser and took heavily to his property the next day, yet he could not see past the orchard or woodland. His old money gave him a 200-year-old double-barreled rifle. He ventured toward the wilderness spying on two moving invaders and raising the rifle. Ondrea almost took a shot at them until a patch of sky cleared his vision. Under the circumstances, he did not want to go noticed. On his side of the ridge, the trees grew sparser, and Ondrea made sure whether someone was trespassing before anyone showed their faces, escaped up a tree, or down a gulley. It was better to make sound and make yourself known than to give up defenses in his philosophy, but not just yet. From the hushed voices of the travelers, it became apparent the voices were Kazimir and Jason.

Ondrea shot his barrel, aiming the Remington at the head of their path, and soon dashed behind a trunk, climbing up the tree as quietly as possible, swinging on a low-lying branch, and hoisting himself up. Kazimir crouched when he heard the barrel, and so did Jason to survey the land. Their leather boots did not hint of one more intrusion.

"What must you be looking for?" Ondrea piped hoarsely.

Jason and Kazimir frantically searched for the direction of his voice. Ondrea shot his barrel once more, and this time, raised his arms to the sky as a warning.

Kazimir quaked at the eminent blast from the rifle Ondrea instead shot into the sky. "Don't hurt us. We are searching for Acacia before a party comes."

Ondrea dropped from the branch's ledge. "And you too, Jason? I know where she is. I know where it is." Ondrea darkened.

Kazimir felt included in their circle but still left in the dark. At least Jason trusts me now, but I am good bait for the both!

Acacia immediately went back to the cellar on the edge of the Fiore property which hung on a rocky cliff while Conrad sat in on Mr. Mallard's class for her and stared out at the falling leaves back-dropping the classroom windows. It was easy to become entranced in English Mythic class, but Conrad wasn't sure if he was zoning out because the professor went off topic about home life or because he was regaining focus. Twilight was fading with the falling leaves. Class hadn't officially started but those who showed up fifteen minutes early were in for a supposed review session. Yet all Conrad could think about was if Acacia would show up to actual class.

She said she would meet me for review or was that about another day? I hope she at least shows up on time because two reviews are what she really needs. I also might need to review some legal jargon with her before the next hearing. It comes in handy having my dad a lawyer, but it doesn't seem to work for this strange town. It comes more in handy having her around to show me life outside the Corn Province. Something feels drearier about this college every time she goes missing.