Alice made her way along the shadows of the building. At first, she didn’t understand why Tomas had acted so nervously and insistent about her sticking to the shadows. But once she had cleared the main house and reached the beginning of the city, she understood.
Autumn was on fire.
She pressed herself to a wall and clung to the shadows as she looked out into the chaos.
Men and women laughed and drank as they beat others to the ground. As they threw bottles lit on fire into buildings, and watched them burn.
All around she could hear the screams of the people losing their homes, businesses, and their lives.
An image appeared in her mind, it a was girl, no more than ten years old. She had beautiful dark brown skin, and pale green eyes. She was crying.
This girl needed her, she was trapped.
Alice shook her head. No, that wasn’t now, not this version.
