Into The Unknown
We snuggle up on the rooftop as the city streets open out in front of Natalia and me like a battlefield. The sirens' cries meld with the distant yells and screams of the night.
Now what shall we do? Just barely audible above the din below, Natalia asks.
I shake my head, a thousand possibilities whizzing through my mind. Resolved, I add, "We need to figure out what's going on." That includes learning what the thing was.
Resolved eyes, Natalia nods. Glancing out to sea for any danger, she wonders, "But how do we even begin?"
I let our options to sink in. Ultimately, I say, "We start by finding answers," my voice firm. "And to do that, we'll need to find anybody who might know more about what's happening."
Natalia nods her agreement firmly. But who could we believe, she asks, her forehead wrinkled with dread.
Weighing down on me like a stifling blanket, I pause. I answer, "There's only one person I can think of," cautiously, my brain racing with options. "Somebody who might know the answers we need."
To Natalia it occurs. So you get it?
I nod more forcefully every second that passes. Dr. Evelyn Wright has to be found.
Natalia's expression darkens at the mention of the well-known scientist. But years ago, she recalls, her voice tinted with uncertainty. Where she vanished to is unknown to everyone.
With hard jaw set, I nod. I grant that may be the case, but she is the one who can help us figure this out.
Looking at one other, Natalia and I left into the night, our footsteps echoing through the empty streets as we searched for any clue that might take us to Dr. Wright.
As we approach the city core, though, the discomfort only gets worse, a constant reminder of the danger that lurks beyond the shadows.
And I start to wonder as the night wears on what other atrocities lurk in the shadows and if we'll ever uncover the answers we need before it's too late.
Moving through the labyrinthine streets, Natalia and I keep a tight eye out for any warning signs. The city appears to be another place at night, its famous landmarks shrouded in a chilly silence that makes me tremble.
The quiet is sliced like a dagger out of the darkness by a voice. What have we got here, well, well?
Heart hammering, I turn to see a group of mysterious individuals emerging from the alley. Even if darkness covers their features, I can feel the malice seeping out of every pore.
Natalia approaches me and silently puts her hand in mine. "We don't want any trouble," she replies, voice solid even as fear flickers in her eyes.
Playing with the corners of his lips, one of the figures moves forward. "Too late for that, dear," he snarls, " It's been somewhat noisy between you two.
My body coils, the instinctive need to strike back. But I understand it would only make things worse and that right now we cannot afford to make any more news.
"We're just passing through," I add, trying to come across as even-tempered. Problems are not what we seek.
He laughs mockingly as he gets closer. "Well, isn't that just too bad?" he says, his eyes gleaming with resentment. "Because you seem to find trouble," the author said.
A voice like a dagger slashes through the tension from the shadows before I can reply. For boys, that is plenty."
Turning, I see a woman come out of the shadows, her shape just barely visible from a nearby streetlight. The woman demands respect and emanates authority even if her features are hidden by a hooded robe.
The other figures stop speaking as a terrified flutter of eyes passes between her and me. Then who are you? I insist, my voice oddly tinged.
The woman greets by bowing. "I go by the Seeker," she answers in a rich, silky voice. We also, I believe, share a foe.
The words of the Seeker cling, a tempting assurance of answers and potential allies in our quest for the truth. I look at Natalia carefully, uncertainties growing in our eyes as we discuss our next course of action.
What, an adversary in common? Doubt in my voice, I ask.
The Seeker comes, her cloak billowing like a shroud. "I've been tracking the same creature that you encountered," she replies, speaking firmly. And it seems to be a part of a larger issue that puts all of us in danger."
Natalia takes a gaze that blends resolution and fear and holds my hand closer. How much above a whisper does she question, "What kind of threat?"
The Seeker's features get outlined by a shadow that darkens her face. Her anxiously tinged voice, "A danger that might wipe out everything we treasure," she says. "But I think there's still hope—if we're ready to fight for it."
Looking at Natalia, the Seeker's remarks are firmly planted in my mind. Please, need anything from us? My voice steady, I ask, all of the turmoil inside of me.
The Seeker looks determinedly at me. She replies, "I need your help to track down the source of this darkness," her voice resonating with belief. Fighting it jointly might give us a chance."
Natalia nods firmly in the dim alley light. She says, "We'll do whatever it takes," her voice unwavering. "To protect everyone in and our city."
Hope glistening in her eyes, the Seeker smiles. Then let us start, she says in a forceful voice. "Our planet's future is at stake."
Leading the Seeker into the night with unwavering determination, I find myself wondering what's next. All the same, one thing is clear: our journey is far from over and the true battle has barely begun.
Tension rises as we descend further into the maze-like metropolis, shadows whirling about us like evil spirits. Natalia grips my hand more tightly, a silent agreement of support in the face of the approaching night.
The darkness breaks with an audible roar that sends shockwaves tumbling across the streets. Underfoot, the ground quivers as a massive figure with eyes blazing with savage rage appears from the shadows.
"Lead!" Our hearts thumping in time as we run through the mayhem, I yell, adrenaline rushing through my veins.
But when the thing gets closer and its hideous shape looms over us, escape seems pointless.
We stagger through the debris-filled streets, Natalia gasps, dread edging her voice. "We can't outrun it."
My thoughts racing against the approaching darkness, desperation tangles at my breast as I look for a way out.
Then, as all hope appears to be gone, a voice breaks through the mayhem, a lighthouse of hope.
As the Seeker's voice booms out, "Follow me if you want to live," her figure appears out of the shadows like a guardian angel.
We answered her call quickly, racing for the far weak ray of hope with our pulses thumping in tune with our footfall.
But as we go farther into the darkness, driven by the unrelenting wrath of our unidentified foe, one question nags at my mind.
Will the shadows that threaten to swallow us all swallow us, or will we emerge from the darkness unscathed?