Chapter 4

Chapter Four

            She had followed the woman’s directions and was now at the foot of the stairs, anxious to find out what awaited her inside. She held her breath as she knocked on the metal door. Then the eye slot slid open and brown colored eyes appeared there. “Do you wish to enter?”He asked “Yes,” she answered “Then answer this question,” he stated, “Everyday light comes and goes. Light is color; light is shape; light is form. When the sun dies away at the end of each day the Moon rises to prove its worth. There is but only one who resides alongside the moon and rules the night. Though none know who this person is, they still have a name for this dutiful hero. What is that name?” “They call this person Goisogi, which means the black crowned heroine of the night,” the woman said calmly

            Then, the man stepped aside and opened the door. She walked into a large burgundy themed room. It was a quaint little bar for refugees. As she walked further in, more and more people began to glare at her with suspicious eyes. Wondering what some little girl was doing in a place like this. She began to walk a bit more slowly, and then finally she spotted him. He was at a little round table in the back left corner of the bar, at that round table he sat there with his head down drinking shots of scotch. She walked slowly towards him. Then she sat down rather abruptly across from him. Then as he slowly raised his head he looked right into her vexing silver eyes, and asked, “Who are you?” In reply she stated, “That is none of your concern all you need to know is that we share an overall common goal.” At this he gave her a quizzical expression which soon turned complacent as he spoke, “Alright, what do you want?” Once she had heard these words she sat up a little straighter and scooted her chair in a bit more. After which she leaned forward laying her elbows in the middle of the table. Placing her hands one on top of the other and placing them lightly under her chin. As she then said, “I want to know what the soldiers are doing here and why even their own people fear them?!”

            His eyes turned stern as he took another shot of scotch as he said, “Well you see no one saw this war coming. Once it came people were terrified. It turns out that the once diplomatic country that had started this war had turned to tyranny about one year before this war had began and no other country even knew. No one could do anything about it. If you disagreed with anything you were to be tortured from a span of a month to a year. They would torture you to the point where you would feel like you were dying but no one actually did. They would torture you just to the point where it wouldn’t kill you. These people were truly cruel; for once your horrible time was done they would give you a slow painful death. They didn’t care who or what you were once you were deemed this fate you were worse than dead. In fact most of whom who were put on trial for heresy usually kill themselves.” After he said this he took another swig of scotch.

            She looked down pained by what had been happening. Then she looked up, her eyes barely hiding the sadness within them. “What happened to those who tried to run?”She said with a tightened jaw just stopping her voice from cracking. Then the man looked down at his reflection while spinning the liquor within the shot glass as he said, “They were killed immediately. However some did manage to get away. You can find refugee camps all over;” it was then that he looked up. Only this time he was different, this time he had a glisten in his eyes as he then spoke, “That is if you know where to look.” She gave a little smirk as she stood up and quietly whispered, “Thank you for your time.”

            She walked back to the park. Already deciding to search for the base in which the soldiers resided, but first she had to get some rest. When she arrived at the park; she lay there restless imagining countless people being tortured; men, women, and even children were being tortured in the most horrific way possible. Then when the moon was directly over head she instantly fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

            It was six o’clock in the morning when something small and hard hit her in the head. Startled she grabbed a knife e she had hidden underneath one of the roots of the tree. Jumped up onto her feet and was getting ready to throw it when saw it was just a young man who was tossing a rock up and down in his hand.

            Then the boy spoke and said, “Whoa, watch what you’re doing with that thing. You could poke an eye out.” Then she switched her blade into a defensive hold and plopped herself down onto the ground. “Heh, trust me I could do more than just poke an eye out.” He jumped out of the tree and sat on the balls of his feet and looked at her curiously, “So who are you? I’ve never seen you before?” She looked into his eyes and replied rather simply, “Well this is a big city.” He stared at her ominously for a moment before he said, “I grew up in this city and know everyone that goes in and out of here. And I also happen to know that a prison camp a couple of hours from here was recently attacked by some rebels. They even say that a few prisoners might have managed to escape.”

            They stared ominously at each other for what seemed like hours. Until she broke the silence and said, “So what do you want to know?” “Don’t be so dramatic. I’m not going to turn you in or anything. I’m just curious as to who you are. So, tell me, what’s your name?”

            “Heh…It is rather unfortunate that you went through all that trouble just to find out my name.” she said with a smirk on her face. “Oh and why is that?” he asked curiously. “Because I don’t have a name.” Then he plopped himself down onto the ground taken aback by her reply. She was pleased to see this little ginger boy’s reaction. He then stared at her infuriated with curiosity. “How…how can you not have a name? Everyone has a name.” “That’s true enough, however I do not know mine.” “Then what do people call you?” he asked “They don’t call me anything; I don’t talk to anyone, at least not usually.”

            “Well then I’ll give you a name.” he said excitedly. He smiled at the look of surprise on her face. “I think I’ll call you Aoi, Aoi Ren. What do you think?” She smiled as she said “Aoi Ren, the blue water lily. It has a nice ring to it.” He laughed as he scratched his poufy hair. Then he reached out his hand and said, “Hi Aoi I’m Mike.” She smiled quietly to herself and reached out and shook his hand.

            After that they talked to each other all the way until twilight. As they lay under the new found stars in the sky Mike asked, “So Luna, how old are you?” She turned her head in the grass, her hair as dark and blue as the night sky, her skin as beautiful as ivory in the moon light, and her eyes were as big, round and silver as the moon. She truly looked like a goddess. She was so beautiful his heart literally stopped as he smelled her lavender breath as she said,” Well I don’t really know, but I believe I was captured in 2012, and I think I was five then, or at least that’s what they told me anyway. So what year is it now?

            He tried to answer, but he couldn’t speak. He was completely breathless. Then Mike turned his head forward and after he had quietly gasped for breathe, he paused for a moment as he then blankly said, “Its 2022…which means your 15.” As his eyes looked sideways to meet her silvery gaze she asked, “So…um, how old are you?” He looked at her silver like eyes one last moment before his voice cracked saying the number, “14.”

            After that they didn’t talk for the rest of the night. They soon fell asleep side by side. She was the first to fall into slumber. He soon followed but before he did he held her hand in his and then quickly fell into a deep sleep with a large smile on his face.