chapter 1

Though most people would never believe me, the world is filled with various races of infinitely powerful beings. Some do not interfere with the Earth, preferring instead to stay in their own world or dimension and live out their lives peacefully. Others, the longer lives races, try to amuse themselves by toying with the lives of others before discarding them for a new toy. I know this because I’ve met them, and trust me when I tell you that my experience was not one of the better ones. I’ve the scars to prove it.

 

            I rubbed at the thick white scar on the inside of my wrist, tracing the pattern. I knew what it meant, it was his name. Zephir. It was the symbol of everything that belonged to him, his way of marking his toys to keep the other kids away. It wasn’t until I was broken that he no longer wanted me. Broken toys are meant to be thrown out. He still thought I was dead, and I liked it that way.

 

            The sound of glass breaking pulled me from my thoughts. One of the regulars had passed out at the bar, dropping the glass in the process. I sighed and waved the bouncer over. He would be able to at least get the poor man a cab so he could get home.  

            While the bouncer helped the drunk sop out the door, I grabbed a broom and dustpan and began to clean up the loose glass on the floor. It was almost closing time, something that I was glad of. It had been a pretty empty night meaning I sat at the bar cleaning glasses most of my shift.

 

            “Closing time!” I heard my manager yell from the back office. Ryan never came out of the office if he could help it. He didn’t like being around people much, why he owned a bar I never could figure out.

 

            “Sorry guys, time to leave.” I laid the broom down and helped to shoo out the remaining people. There was one man sitting in a corner of the room, probably too drunk to realize what was going on. I went over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Sir, it’s time to leave.” He turned his head to look at me and I saw a face that I hadn’t seen in four years.

 

            His skin was as pale as I remembered, almost luminescent in the dim lighting of the bar. His nose was slightly tilted from being broken too many times and his eyes were sunk a little too deeply into his skull. It was the face I saw while seconds from death. I still see it in my dreams some nights as my mind recreates my greatest fears. He may have saved me from death, but I still didn’t trust him.

 

            “Gavin.” The name came out soft, struggling around the lump of fear lodged in my throat.

 

            “Somehow, I didn’t think you’d be happy to see me.” He smiled. I’d never actually seen him smile before.

 

            “Why should I be?” His smiled disappeared as if it had never been. Without it he looked darker and more dangerous than I remembered him.

 

“I did save your life. That’s something.”

 

            “You did. And I’m forever grateful for it.”

 

“Good, because you need me again.”

 

            “Sophie! Closing time!” Ryan yelled from the back. His voice was more insistent, meaning if I wanted to keep my job I’d better obey.

 

            “I know Ryan! I know!” I yelled back. Ryan was very particular about closing on time. No hanging around, not even for employees. I turned back to Gavin  “Why do I need you? I’m doing just fine on my own.”

 

            “You’ve been found.” The shock on my face made him laugh. “Not Zephir. That fool still thinks you’re dead. I’m talking about Blake.”

 

            “What does he want with me?” I felt my heart begin to pound. I’d remembered hearing about Blake. He was younger than the rest but considered far more dangerous. Even Zephir didn’t want to mess with Blake.

 

            He shrugged. “Don’t know. But I could arrange a meet for you.”

 

             “I just want to be left alone.”

 

            “I’ll make sure he gets that message and let you know what he says.” His expression made me doubt that Blake would care what I wanted.

 

            “Thank you.”

 

            “Don’t worry, I didn’t save you just so that you could die again.” With a snap of his fingers both him and the drink in front of him disappeared, leaving me alone to face Ryan who had finally come out of the back office to yell at me. Luckily he didn’t fire me, though I began to wonder whether I would be needing a job for much longer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

           

Author's Note

please ignore all grammar and spelling problems. ty.