Keeper of the Lost Spies

Interlude pt 4

I'm sooooooo sorry for the long wait. I already have half of Chapter 15 typed up and I should be up within the week. I hope you enjoy this.

        Luci sighed as she wiped the sweat from her brow. She had just finished gardening Mr. and Mrs. Wilson's backyard and it was time for her to head home. Luci stood up and brushed off her work overalls. Before removing her gardening gloves and dumping them in her supplies bucket. She walked over to the old couple's backdoor to meet Mrs. Wilson who handed Luci, her pay.

        "Thank you so much for doing this dear." Mrs. Wilson said. "I'd do it myself, but these old bones aren't what they used to be." She chuckled as she patted her hips.

        "No problem." Luci smiled at the kind woman. "I love to garden. It relaxes me."

        "Me too." Mrs. Wilson agreed. "But now adays all I can do is sit and smell the roses." Her wrinkled face pulled up in a smile. "You do a lovely job Miss. Luci."

        "Thank you. See you next week." Luci waved as she walked away. But before she stepped out onto the sidewalk to head home, she slipped of her overalls and shoved them in her supplies bucket. Leaving her in jeans and a flannel shirt. Then she continued her way.

        Luci soon arrived at her apartment building, which wasn't that far from the Wilsons. She marched up 13 sets of rickety, old stairs towards her small apartment. By the time she reached her floor, Luci was muttering under breath about how leapmasters were more efficient. She quickly caught herself and glanced around to see if anyone heard her. She sagged in relief when she concluded that she was alone.

        Luci swiftly crossed the hallway and rushed into her tiny apartment. She shut the door before slumping against the frame with a breath of relief. Even after three years of living with humans, she still slipped up sometimes. Luci adjusted to living with humans rather quickly, with the help of Dr. Arthur, who showed her how to work a toaster after she almost burned down their house. Twice. But after living with them for a year and a half she moved out on her own.

        Luci dropped her supply bucket on the floor and kicked off her boots. "Verdi." She called out, before making her way over to her little kitchenette. A gray cat with green stripes leapt onto the counter. She gave a little tilt of her head before meowing. Luci giggled, "Hey Verdi. What have you been up to?"

        Verdi rubbed up against the answering machine which had a blinking, red light flashing. "Oh." Luci said. "Well let's see whose leaving me voicemail." Luci smiled at Verdi before pressing the button to listen to messages and started pulling out pans to make supper.

         "You have one voicemail from: 2 6 0 – 7 8 2 – 5 0 8 5. Duration, 1 minute 6 seconds. 'L-luci.'" Luci's head shot up at the sound of Mrs. Wilson's shaky voice in the voicemail. "I-it's Arthur." Mrs. Wilson's voice cut out as sobs replaced her sputtering. "He-he's." Luci dropped the pan she held and dashed over to the answering machine. "The hospital." She finally gasped out between sobs.

        Luci didn't hesitate before running out the door and she barely remembered to lock the door. She flew down the stairs. Almost literally. She used levitation and channeling to go faster. Though she stopped levitating as she dashed out onto the busy sidewalk, but she continued to channel power into her legs to get to the hospital faster.

        Luci dashed into the hospital like a mad woman and just barely managed to stop herself from crashing into the front desk. "Miss? Are you okay?" The receptionist asked cautiously.

        Luci winced, "Sorry. I just got a voicemail about someone a care about being in the hospital and I rushed over as fast as I could."

        The receptionist smiled at me sympathetically, "I'm sorry, Dear. What's this person's name?"

        "Dr. Arthur Wilson." Luci hurriedly blurted out.

        "Are you friend or family?" The receptionist asked, peering over her glasses.

        "Family." Luci told her. "My name is Luci Wilson." Arthur had made sure that when they filled out the papers for her that she was legally a Wilson.

        "Oh, are you the daughter he constantly brags about?" The receptionist asked with a suspicious glance up.

        Luci flushed and corrected, "I'm actually his niece."

        After Luci said that the receptionist grinned, "I know, Dear. Room 612." Luci darted off as soon as she got the number, only vaguely realizing it was a test to see if she was who she said she was.

        Luci soon stood in front of room 612. Fear stole her breath and she fought to regain it as she grasped the doorknob.

        "You'll never know if you don't open it." Luci gave a start and whipped around to face the person who spoke. The man stood about a foot taller than her with dark, brown hair falling into his navy eyes. If she was still in the Lost Cities, he would be able to blend in perfectly.

        "I might." Luci nervously joked. "If I was a Telepath." She internally winced at her slip, but he didn't seem to notice.

        The man laughed, "I guess that's true."

        Luci turned back to the door and took a deep breath. She almost choked on the overpowering sanitizer smell of the hospital. Luci gripped the handle until her knuckles turned white and she pushed open the door.

        Arthur laid unconscious in the hospital bed with a lot of machines hooked up to him. Mrs. Wilson and the doctor treating him stood beside the bed. Tears poured down her face as her and the doctor talked. They hadn't noticed Luci standing in the doorway yet and she listened to what they were saying. "I'm deeply sorry, Mary, but there is nothing we can do. Maybe if he had come in sooner I could..." The doctor's voice faded out as he dropped his head.

        Luci stepped back out of the doorway with tears pricking her eyes. Arthur wasn't going to make it and there was nothing she could do. She rushed down the hall and away from the room were Arthur lay. Luci blindly made her way out of the hospital and into the street. But she didn't notice the car coming for her until it was right in front of her. Running on pure instinct, she raised her arms up and pushed with her mind, stopping the car, and hovering it an inch off the ground.

        Luci's eyes widened as she stared around at all the people watching her. Tears were flowing freely as she heard people whispering, 'freak,' 'unnatural,' 'alien.' She couldn't take it and she ran. Channeling power into her muscles, she easily lost anyone who would've followed her.

        Luci's channeling was rusty and eventually gave out. She glanced around to find herself alone in a familiar alley. It was the one she first appeared in, three years ago. Luci pushed herself into a sitting position, up against the grimy wall.

        Arthur lay dying in a hospital bed and there was noting Luci could do to save him. On top of that, a lot of people saw what happened with the car and people would be looking for her.

        Tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped off her chin onto the cement below her. Luci started to shake and vaguely realized that she was sobbing. This is what would happen for her entire life. She moves somewhere new, make friends, and then loose them, either to death or her elf abilities. That was just a fact. Luci would never age, and people would start realizing it eventually. She pulled her knees up to her chest and laid her head on them, squeezing her eyes shut and praying for this to all be a dream.

        "Hey." Luci's head shot up as someone placed a hand on her shoulder. It was the man from the hospital. "Nice to meet you, Jolie."

        Luci's eyes shot open wide, "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

        The man smiled at her, "I'm River. And I'm an elf too." River grinned and held out a hand to Luci. "Are you ready to come home?"

        Jolie glanced up at River through tears and grinned before grabbing his hand. "I'm ready."