San Moirae: City of Fate

Chapter 1: Veronica Castillo

  Vee had been trying to figure out where she was for the past hour to no avail. No one would stop to talk to her or answer a question as simple as: "where am I?"

  Around her, everyone was in a rush to do things. Business people in suits carrying coffee and briefcases, politicians practicing speeches and protester opposing everything they had to say; She was in an alternate universe. She was in the wrong place.

  As Veronica's Mom promised, she convinced Mama to let her move to the city, but only under some conditions. 

Firstly, she had to find a job before her savings ran out. She had assured them that she already had her eye on a job, but Vee honestly had no idea where to begin.

Secondly, she had to make some friends. She felt like a child when her moms put this into the terms and conditions of moving out, but she accepted. Looking around at all the people that shoved past her without a second glance, she was starting to think that condition #2 would be harder than previously anticipated. 

Finally, her mothers had to have a say in wherever Vee decided to move. That part delayed the move for nearly a week, but they did end up finding a cute flat; large enough for her, with a rent low enough that she could pay it.

Granted, Vee was 23. She didn't have to comply to any of the conditions if she didn't want too, but she respected her moms. Her family was close, and she followed most of the Cuban traditions her mama raised her with. Her Mama's blessing was customary for a life changing decisions like moving was.

  Surely the apartment her mother chose was in a quieter part of the city. She couldn't imagine her mothers expecting her to go from small, calm, suburb to a loud and busy somewhat pretentious city without some sort of in between. Maybe they were trying to scare her: move her somewhere so bizarre that she had no choice but to come home. Vee was honestly tempted to do just that, but she wasn't too keen on giving up just yet. If only someone would tell her where the hell she was.

  Vee spent a little while longer walking around and trying to start conversations with people, but as late afternoon hit, her morale was feeling pretty low. She was tired of walking and being ignored, but still she tried to see the bright sides. She had expected to get to her apartment by mid-day, but the sun was already starting to fall, and she was no closer to knowing where she was than when she arrived this morning.

She was finally in the city! The buildings were tall and beautiful in their own way, there was so much to look at, and everywhere she looked there were places for food. Just thinking about all the new foods she could eat while here made her stomach growl. She was hungry. 

Veronica spotted a food vendor near the edge of the plaza she was walking towards and she decided to make the most out of her disorientation, and stopped to see what it was serving. There was a chaotic crowd of people surrounding it obviously in a hurry to buy whatever they were selling. Coffee and cupcakes. 

  Veronica got in the mass of people shouting orders at the vendors since there was no recognizable line being formed anywhere. Perhaps the vender would tell her where she was. She almost laughed at that thought, discouraged by all the shoving and yelling of orders, but was quickly sobered when she realized this was probably her best chance of getting any information.

  "Hi! – can I have a strawberry cupcake and-"

  "Coming right up." He was gone before Vee could get the rest of her words out. Vee balled up her fists, letting out and exasperated sigh.

  "I'm invisible. Literally no one can see me or hear me, and the Lord is testing me. Lovely."

  "Crazy right?" Someone beside Vee asked her, tossing the server some cash in exchange for a coffee. The man disappeared into the crowd. Despite not having gotten her cupcake, Vee dashed after him.

  "Hey! Wait up!" It was a mystery how he got so far in three seconds flat. Vee had to run to keep up with him.

  "Can wait. I have a meeting in 10." Vee jogged alongside the man desperate to keep him talking as long as she could. As long as he talked to her, she had a chance of getting information. He looked well kept; cleanly shaven, clothes crisply ironed, wearing appropriate business colors of browns, blues, and greys. Vee felt messy in comparison wearing her bright yellow dress and her tattered brown boots. She found herself flushing just thinking about how much she probably stood out her.

  "I've been here for more than an hour, and no one will stop long enough to tell me where I am." He turned around coolly, walking backwards as Vee struggled to keep up in her clunky boots.

  "Yeah that sounds like up-townies."

  "Up whosies?"

  "You're in Uptown sweetheart." Veronica felt a wave of relief wash over her finally having an answer to her burning question, but still some questions were left unanswered. She knew where she was, but that didn't mean she knew how to get to where she's going. Her apartment was in the Art District, and Uptown certainly wasn't it. She pushed her luck and talked on.

  "I'm new to the city,"

  "Never would have guessed," He teased earning an eye-roll from Vee.

  "Do you know how far the Art District is from here? I'm just trying to find my way to my apartment." 

For a moment the smart-ass grin on his face seemed to falter in pity. Vee could tell she wouldn't like the answer he had for her, and almost wanted to walk the other directions in ignorant bliss.

  "The Art District is quite some ways away."

  "How far is 'a ways'?"

  "On the entire other side of the city." So close yet so far away.

  "Take me then. A taxi fare is pricey, and you seem like you won't kidnap me," Vee took his wrist when they approached a large office building, stopping him before he could reach the door. Vee's morale was low, and all she wanted to do was find her new apartment and make it feel like home. She needed him to help her do that.

  "Look darling," -- with those words all hope fleeted from her eyes. She was never going to get to her flat; Not today anyway she didn't have enough money to taxi all the way across the city tonight. She barely had enough to drive to the next district over. Her mother would be calling her apartment tonight and would freak when she didn't answer and rush to the city to take her home. She might as well save them the heartache and go home now. She was, for lack of better words, screwed.

  "Please!" She begged him, in a feeble attempt to change his heart.

  "Don't mistake me for a good man because I took a second to talk to you. I'm not. Any smart man would stop to a nice-looking lady. A nice one would agree to drive her three districts over before he even knew her name. Good luck getting home. I'll see you around kid."

  Vee let go of his wrist and he took hold of the door handle and yanked. Veronica watched him disappear into the building, immediately striking up conversation with a man dressed much like him. He never did glance back.

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A/N  First Chapter! Done!

Veronica is finally in the city, and I promise, her story picks up from here.  Who's chapter are you looking forward to reading next?

As always,

~Merzie, Addio, Frankie