The Way I Lie

Chapter 6

Kayline McKenzie

Kayline's truck cruises through the old roads. She's only been in the city during the night, where the buildings are bland and the shops are closed and deserted. During the day, the streets are alive. Buildings of all different bright colors, one higher the next due to the inclement of the hill. Decorations are strung everywhere.

People are rushing to the market, a huge alleyway full of vendors selling organic and fresh food, clothing, jewelry or art. Anything you can ever think of.

Kayline waits in traffic, as cars go down the one way road. Everyone must be in town today since the festival is next week. Preparing for the food and the outfits. Her attention gets diverted to the vendors. A whole alleyway and street market full of vendors.

Kayline sees a middle aged women at a vendor stand, selling ribbons for girls dresses and hair. A dirty little girl is standing next to ribbons. Her brown and torn dress makes her stand out from the vibrant silk ribbons. The women gives the little girl a sympathetic look and gives her a jade ribbon.

When the girl turns around she has the biggest smile on her face. People everywhere has smiles on their faces. Kayline never knew what beauty could come out of chaos.

When Kayline's lane of cars is able to go down the street, she moves her stick and shifts it to 2. This is a slow city, but that's okay because Bruce, which is what Kayline named my truck, don't judge, is an old guy. He couldn't go very fast even if he wanted too.

She looks at her paper that tells her where she is going to be staying for the next few days, or however long it's going to take to figure out why people are missing.

She honestly didn't know what to expect. She doesn't expect a huge mansion, but she doesn't expect to live in a shack either.

Caper is a mining city. Meaning the city lives near the mountains and every man ages 16-50 works at the mines, giving them enough money to live in a house and have food on the table enough for a family of 10. Hopefully.

Women of course can choose to work at the mines, but most of the women either are stay home moms, designers, doctors or accountants for the mining business. Everyone has job and a place. At least, that's what the records say. That's part of Kaylin'es job, to see what is going on here.

Kayline turns the corner to a cul-de-sac, the buildings connected with each other but different colors. Her building is a golden yellow, with scraped off wooden white window sills. She parks the car, closes the door and stuffs her keys in her back pocket. Looks nice enough.

Kayline walks around to the trunk and reaches for her duffle bag. As she walks to her new 'home', a man walks out of his house and notices her. He walks her way and she prepares for whatever approach he is going to take.

                He could just be a neighbor. He could be an enemy. Or he could be an ally. Kayline lifts her duffle bag up higher on her shoulder so it doesn't slip off.

" Are you Rosie Windsor?" He asks. Kayline nods her head cautiously. Kayline has always liked the name Rosie and it was her turn to pick her alias. The alias' name is Rosie Windsor. She's 21, just moved away from her parents, mostly because of personal problems. Straight As, yet a trouble child and a hard worker planning on becoming one of Andorai Kingdoms best doctors.