The sun rose in the sky setting a soft tone over the city. It was finally sunrise, and Silla was preparing herself for the day ahead; tonight she'd leave this place. They would abandon everything for a hope at a better life, one where you didn't have to walk on eggshells and look over your shoulder every day. She had saved up enough money and wasn't waiting any longer. Silently she slipped out her bedroom window and dug through her bag, all sorts of clinking sounds following her the objects in her large hand knitted sack as objects bounced off each as she walked along the red sidewalk. Screens with glaringly bright advertisements play on repeat for everyone stalking the streets below, they rotate with your gaze and follow your eyes for optimal promotion. Eye catching outrageous patterns of colored background The imagines of endlessly playing news headlines of the recent attacks.
Finally finding what she desired she flipped open her communication device and casually scanned through her contacts until she spotted a familiar number. First she needed to contact an old friend who specialized in this kind of thing to help her find a place to stay. Dialing the number with impeccable speed, it rang a cheesy song for a few seconds until it picked up. "Hey Zelan it's me. I need your help finding an apartment," She spoke into the small device.
"Oh hey! I've got just the place in mind. I'll text you the location." His voice rang through the phone.
Not even a second later her blue 3D screen lit up with a new notification showcasing coordinates. After work she would have to meet up with Zelan and get everything set up.
Only this morning she had gotten up and decided that today was the day. Possibly one of the most significant in her life. Yet also the most worrisome; if things didn't go the right way then both her mother and her were screwed. Already painful images flashed in her mind. Her father beating her or doing some other emotionally atrocious act. But the worst part was always watching the one she loved most suffer and only be able to do nothing about it; forced to watch was akin to psychological torture.
As the sun set she cleaned up the bar by wiping the counter down a bit then rechecking her phone for the coordinates sent to her earlier.
Apartment 13A on Flamingo Avenue for one thousand and four hundred dollars a month rent. It had one bedroom, one bathroom, a small living room attached to the dining room and a kitchen.
All that was left to do was sign the lease.
"After this we can get a quick drink and catch up. Clovis will come with us!" Zelan suggested wiggling his ginger eyebrows as the blackette finished signing the document. Silla thought about it for awhile before texting her mom who told her she hadn't finished her shift yet so it was a perfect way to kill time.
"Isn't Clovis getting married soon? I'm surprised she would have time?" Silla looked up at him confused.
"When has something like that ever stopped her? Beside her fiancé is doing all the work slaving away and all." He commented.
"Good point. Where do you have in mind?" She asked him.
"Oh just The Gold And Silver," He muttered out as if it was nothing. It was a popular night club closer on the wealthier side of the lower ring.
Spitting out her drink, Silla looked at him as if he were crazy. "Are you insane? A single night there costs at least five months worth of rent money. It's way to high end for even you Zelan," She spoke to him logically.
"That's why I have a VIP ticket!" He said enthusiastically while taking out an oddly shaped glowing card and tossing it in the air. From the card bright holographic wings sprouted and it flew right back into his hand.
"You can be my plus one!" Zelan added in.
"How'd you even get your hands on that?" She questioned him suspiciously.
"Well... I may or may not have flirted with the female manager," he told Silla innocently causing her to roll her eyes; he was as gay as the day was long. However, before she could retort or reject his offer he started dragging her out the door where a holocraft and a paid driver were already waiting.
Without any warning he dragged her inside as they speeded off into the distance. She watched as colors and bright signs flashed by her in a rainbow of colors. Everything was blurred and only lines of color could be seen as they were going at impossible speeds.
Upon reaching the building they were met with a grand intricate entrance with all sorts of gears and mechanisms. From the outside she could already see the lights flashing and loud music playing. But in the very least it didn't disappoint. "Names please," A man at the entrance asked them as he held up a device showcasing certain names of people who had a reservation unlike them; though the names couldn't be read as it had a viewing lock on it. Which meant only the person holding it could see the information on it. To an outsider it looked like a bunch random jumbled or backwards letters and numbers as they rearranged themselves at speeds impossible for the human eye to comprehend.
"No need," Zelan interrupted handing him the glowing VIP card.
"She's my plus one," he added in as he pointed to me. The rope in front of the door quickly unhooked itself and the lever next to them moved down almost like magic. Soon the giant door started moving on its own. The larger and much smaller gears rotating unlatching themselves as everything clicked into place allowing the giant door to squeak open.
Once inside they were blown away. Bright glowing and flashing lights, they had a spinning stage and in the rafters held glowing cages filled with dancers that had all their skin on show. There were too many exotic dancers to count and they either wore nothing or very little. The music just about made her eardrums ring and came out of nowhere. However the most amazing part was the bar which was stacked with every alcoholic beverage you could possibly imagine. Synthetic 3D images came up in the thin air and flashed brightly. All her senses were overwhelmed with what was happening around her.
They even had laser plasma holographs that displayed bright dots to create detailed images. Tiny synchronized drones flew together like fire flies around the dancing crowd. Yet as she entered, she couldn't shake the feeling that she shouldn't be here.
Shortly after they met up with Clovis and she led them along to a booth. The place had all sorts of extravagant furniture and decorations. Only the best for the city's most elite to lavishly enjoy themselves. In reality it was a shame. There were so many orphans begging in the streets and these people just drank away all their money. What a waste.
It seemed that those who deserved money never had any. While those who deserved it the least lived the lives of billionaires. But Silla supposed it's always been that way.
There was nothing she could do about it anyway. She had problems of her own.
"So Silla when are you getting married?" Clovis excitedly skittered with two drinks in her hands.
"Oh I don't really wanna get married. Besides no one's crazy enough to marry me anyways," She joked.
Clovis sighed. "Silla don't be stupid, you're such a pretty girl you'll have guys fighting to get your attention once you put yourself out there."
"Yes, and they'll have to get through me in order to marry you, not that you're getting married till your forty of course, I'll chase those pesky boys away until then," Zelan wrapped his arms around her in the booth.
Grabbing her drink, the sleeves on Silla's turtle neck seemed to ride up a little causing a few purple and blue bruises to come into view. At this Zelan's eyes seemed to flicker to her neck in curiosity. Sadly Silla didn't make it a habit to tell people about her home life. So no one really knew about what happened behind closed doors. All her friends already had problems of their own. She didn't need to make it a big deal. "Doll what happened?" Zelan questioned her softly. He seemed to snap out of his drunken stupor upon the situation.
"..."
Before she could come up with an excuse she suddenly felt herself being pushed back by a such a powerful force that she was flung across the room. Upon hitting the floor ten feet away the air was knocked out of her and her eyes widened as she let out a sharp gasp; her body still being pushed backward into the floor with force from inertia. Her hair and clothes blown back by the blast that seemed to last for an eternal and yet was so short.
The brief seconds she was able to hear sounded like a terrible echo as if it were the anguished cry of the Gods. She couldn't hear or see anything and was terrified beyond belief from the sudden explosion; her heart rapidly beating in her chest. Fire and debris rained down on the bar like a mushroom cloud.
Flesh and blood covered the floor; her entire world went mute. The previously playing music was now undetectable as her vision slowly cleared her eyes widened upon seeing other people with blown off limbs screaming their heads off. The more she looked around, all there was and all she could see was stray limbs and dead creatures - once people but who now are no longer recognizable as human.
Though the ones who were lucky enough to be closer to the blast were incinerated. It seemed explosion seared the air and earth in a way that left everything devoid of life. The acrid smell of burnt flesh enveloped her nasal cavities and stung them.
Soon screaming could be heard through the ringing in her ears and it cut through her like a million shards of glass; the kind of screams that make the hair on your back stand up.
Then the gunfire started.
Everyone's eyes widen with horror when they started to snap out of the aftereffects of the blast. People tried to run out but were stopped or shot through with bullets by a group of white masked men surrounding them. Their forms unidentifiable because of the long black robes that fell all the way to the ground. No one knew what was going on but were frightened, nonetheless.
Silla was naturally scared but looked around the room desperately for her friends hoping they weren't blown to bits.
Thankfully they laid on the ground a few feet behind her. Though a bit cut up by glass and debris as a result of the explosion. By a twist of fate it had missed her and hit them and all she had were bruised ribs from landing harshly.
It wasn't clear what these masked men wanted but everyone stood obediently still and stayed where they laid. However, when one of the masked strangers began to approach her Zelan shot forward and attacked them before they could grabbed her.
In retaliation another one of them snuck up behind him and was about to punch him. "Zelan watch out!" Silla shouted as she ran in front of him taking the brunt of the punch in her stomach.
At his mistake the masked man cursed as she coughed up small specks of blood making the corners of her mouth bright red. More cries of panic surrounded them as the masked men started to weave around the crowd of survivors and kill only random people upon inspection. It seemed they had orders to only eliminate certain people and this thought only spiraled even further when she saw them looking at a device with a viewing lock on it.
Then it hit her. White masks and robes...
Black Sun.
Were they attacking this area of the lower ring? If so Selena was in danger; she needed to get to her right now.
To Be Continued...