Second Star Into Darkness

Chapter 3

Ethan Braxton shook his head wearily at the pages of taxes that sat ahead of him. He was extremely tired as the night grew near. Sleep would have been a nice thing at a moment like that. Good king or whatever, I guess people like him need money, he thought, huffing at all the work. I just want to go to bed.

Or maybe what Ethan needed was to wake up. If only he hadn't let his paranoia set his greatest form of entertainment on fire, he could be jamming out. Damn old woman. He glared at the wall just with the corresponding thought of his elderly neighbor.

Yet, his fierce glare was strong for only a few short moments until his heavy eyelids began drooping into oblivion. He crossed his arms over the thick pile of work and put his head inside the warm little gap of darkness. "Just a few minutes won't hurt," he whispered to himself as the glowing sun was only a few inches from poking the horizon.

And

f r o m

t h e r e

h e s l o w l y

f e l l a s l e e p.

A deep knock shook the sleep from Ethan's eyes. He awoke, looking around a little confused. Or had it been his imagination? He stood up slowly. The knock rattled in his ears again, this time forcing his attention to the door.

"I swear, lady!" he yelled, instantly expecting his neighbor and not even knowing her name. "I don't have time!" He swung the door open. It wasn't his neighbor.

"Oh," he inhaled, "I'm sorry... I- I thought you were someone else."

The men on his doorstep nodded to each other.

Braxton leaned against his doorframe with one arm and held the door close to him with the other. "How may I help you officers?" He looked past them as a short, white haired woman waddled into his vision on the sidewalk. He huffed. What was she doing here?

"We just have a few questions," one of the masked officers stated in the half darkness, holding his ray gun to his chest firmly. Ethan must not have been asleep very long, for the sun was still peeking over the rooftops.

The woman smirked, watching silently as he stood up from the frame. "Okay? What's this about?"

"We'll be asking the questions, young man."

Oh, Ethan thought. "I just want to know what you're referring to."

The officer didn't answer. "Where were you yesterday?" he got to the point.

"I was at my house." Ethan knit his dark eyebrows as he responded. Is this about the cd. Oh, God... It's about the cd.

"What are some of the activities you did?"

"I-." He froze. Was he going to tell them? If he lied would they know? His face was stone hard. He couldn't move.

"Take him away," the guard nodded to the other. The second officer stepped forward. They couldn't do this, could they? He didn't confess! He didn't say a single thing to lead them on! What gave them a right?!

Ethan stepped back. His heart pounded. "Wait-." He started to turn, but an arm wrapped around his throat from behind, locking him in a choke-hold. "Stop," he gagged, but the hand tightened, ripping him backwards.

"You are being persecuted for the playing of illegal music, under the law of Sin 34," the speaking one said coldly. He then moved his gun to Ethan's head, "Don't say a single thing, son."

Ethan tried scrambling away. He then noticed the old woman behind them. The sun sank, but her eyes glinted brightly in the eerie light. She smiled as they began to drag him from his own home.