I wanted to see what real courage is,
Instead of getting an idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.
It's when you know you're licked before you begin,
But you begin anyway and see through no matter what.
~ To Kill A Mockingbird
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The Next day:
Evelyn landed in Paris the next day. It was almost dusk, one could see the sun setting in the west and the sky glowing in the hues of orange and purple. She was finally here. She prepared for this since the day she received that letter from Carlisle. She took a cab and went to the hotel where she was supposed to stay.
There was something that she couldn't understand. The journey from the airport to the hotel seemed a bit strange. She couldn't describe, she didn't know whether she was overwhelmed or she was just nervous as this was going to be a new phase of her life. You know that feeling when you go somewhere or start something new but your subconscious mind at the back of your head keeps on nagging you. You don't what that's about or your don't know what that actually is, but you know that it's something and your subconscious mind keep you warning about it.
When she reached the hotel she was too jet lagged to care about anything else. She freshened up, changed into comfortable clothes and then ordered for some food. After having some pasta, she went to bed almost at 10 p.m. After all, she had a lot to do the next day. She had to unpack, take a look around the area, see an apartment and also meet Ms. Lee later in the afternoon.
The next morning, after her usual routine, Evelyn opened her suitcase, started rummaging through it. And like every other girl, she didn't have anything to wear atleast anything that would suit a formal interview. She didn't unpack her suitcase because, first of all she was too lazy and secondly she was only staying there for a few days, utmost a week. Finally after a struggle for thirty minutes that seemed like an eternity to her, she finally found something. She took out a checkered-shorts, a nude coloured turtle neck t-shirt and a black blazor. Black always saves the day. It wasn't the best choice of her clothes, but it would surely do for the day. And she would buy some clothes later. She put on light makeup and left her dark wavy hairs fall on her shoulders. After that, she took her handbag, stuffed her ipad inside and left.
Evelyn looked up few breakfast places online and found one nearby that was at a ten minutes walk from her hotel. This was also the perfect opportunity for her to look around the city. After ten minutes, she reached a restaurant called Anderson's. This place was very lively, there two large circular table at the centre, and smaller ones for two people, at the corners, and a few squares ones by the window side giving you a perfect view of the streets of France.
Evelyn found that one of the window side tables was empty, she quickly made her way over and claimed it as her own. The cozy café was bustling with people, and finding a free spot seemed to be a challenge. As she settled in, she glanced out the window and took in the view of the busy street. She finally picked up the menu and went through it. A young girl in her early twenties just like Evelyn, came upto her. She tall, slim had big hazel eyes and was a pure ginger head."Hello, I am Clarissa. May I have your order." Evelyn replied, "A cappuccino and a ... blueberry pie." The girl nodded in response, "Your order will be served shortly", and with that she left.
Evelyn took out her ipad and opened her website where she was looking for an apartment. She found two places that impressed her and was close to her work. When the waitress came back with her order, Evelyn asked her, "If you don't mind, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, sure." Clarissa replied.
"Are you native to Paris?"
"Well...no. But I've been living here for almost several years now." Clarissa was a bit astonished as why was a foreign tourist asking her such questions.
"Then Can you tell me, between Marais and 2nd Arrondissement which one is a better place to live in?"
A relief washed over Clarissa's face, and she replied,"If you want to enjoy the city life of Paris, with bustling activity amidst historical buildings, then you should choose 2nd Arrondissement but if you want to enjoy the quite Mediaeval period architecture with red bricks and stone facades, then you should choose Marais."
"Well, it's going to be a tough choice then. Thank you, Miss. Clarissa." Clarissa nodded in response and left. But somehow, she understood that this girl wasn't any regular customer, and that she was going to see her more often, as the red stoned vintage necklace hidden beneath Clarissa's shirt kept pulsating with a red glow.
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It was almost 3.30 p.m. now. Evelyn's meeting with Ms. Lee went smoothly. She had already skipped her lunch, and decided to grab a supper at Anderson's. Anderson's was almost a fifteen minutes walk from her work.The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air as she walked in, and Evelyn couldn't help but smile as she sipped her latte and savored the moment. It was a rare moment of tranquility in the midst of a chaotic life, and she was grateful for the opportunity to pause and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
She met Clarissa again and had a little chat with her regarding the city and its people. She also decided that she will buy the apartment in the 2nd Arrondissement.
After grabbing her supper, Evelyn was on her way back to her hotel. The street view of Maps took her through some narrow lanes and alleys, but she followed it anyway, as she was in a hurry to head back and have her beauty sleep.
When she was walking through a dark alley, the only source of light was coming from a few flickering streetlamps that cast eerie shadows on the walls. Every step she took echoed through the narrow space, making her feel exposed and vulnerable. She kept her eyes focused straight ahead, hoping to reach the end of the alley as soon as possible. The air was thick with an unsettling silence, broken only by the distant sounds of cars passing by on the main street. Then, she suddenly stopped.
The street was silent except for the silent screem of pain coming from the person who was being stabbed with a sword, at the moment. A broken jade pendant lay shattered on the street, that was effortlessly visible to me, and was evident of the struggle that had taken place moments before. The victim, a middle-aged man, with blue hairs, and a pair of angelic white wings. He was no mundane man, that was for sure. She couldn't believe her eyes, was that person real or some part of cosplay. He lay motionless on the ground, his lifeless eyes staring up at his murderer. His throat had been slashed open, and there was a deep gash on his abdomen. The killer, who was also no normal human, had a pair of black wings, and a black mask that covered the left of his face including his eye. He had no clues that his sinful deed was just witnessed by her.
"You shouldn't have crossed me." He said, picking up the broken jade pendant, and he finally looked up to me. He smirked then vanished into the thin air. Before Evelyn could process, what she had actually witnessed, there was suddenly an explosion. The building adjacent to the alley collapsed like a house of cards, with debris was scattering all around the street, bricks and boards jutting out at awkward angles. Before she could get hurt a pair strong arms wrapped around her. Then, everything went black.
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Evelyn's POV:
My eyes snapped open as I jolted upright. My heart was racing and my mind was in a fog. My eyes struggled to adjust to the light, and I sat upright to make out the details of my surroundings. The air was cool, and I shivered involuntarily. As I sat there, I slowly began to realize that I was sitting in a corner inside the Anderson's, and that I had the most realistic nightmare of my life. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my racing thoughts, but a sense of unease lingered, as if something wasn't quite right.
"You're finally awake. You fell asleep. I tried to wake you up but you didn't, so I just let you sleep." Clarissa said, walking towards me and handing me a cup of coffee. I looked up at the wall clock and saw that it was already 6.30 p.m.
Was it just a dream? But, how come it was so realistic? I even remember the details. Finally regaining my composure, I asked,"How long was I asleep?"
"Almost two hours. You should get some more sleep, you really look tired."
I looked at Clarissa, straight in the eye, and tried to focus on her. I couldn't read her mind. But I was sure of one thing, she was hiding something from me. Who was she? Is she some kind of saint or something? Then, I looked away, "Thanks...for not waking me up. I really had a good sleep." I taunted. Clearly indicating that her lies do not work on me. I got up and walked out of the restaurant, still feeling uneasy.
Did I really dream all of it? How come it was so vivid? Is this my new talent..... to dream realistically?
Snapping out of my thoughts, I decided to visit that same alley that I saw in my dream. To see if the damages that I dreamt was real, or whether the alley was even real. I opened Maps, just incase I get lost while finding the alley. After fifteen minutes, I reached there.
It was the same alley, narrow and dimly lit by the street lamps, and deserted.
But.
It was clean. Nothing had happened. It just looks like how some other narrow and deserted alleys would look.
So, that was it. I had dreamt all of it.
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