HELLO!!
Just a few things I'd like to tell you:
………… a time lapse
, A change of scene
And this line \/ \/ \/ yes, that one below this text, indicates the opening or closing of a chapter.
Alyss sat in the small café located towards the center of Manhattan. Her shoulders were hunched and her yellow windbreaker was pulled around her in a tight embrace. A hat belonging to some local little league team was tilted so people walking by couldn't see her eyes darting at every face in the crowded street. She looked at a person as he entered the café. No one. She thought, turning her attention back to the people outside
That's when she heard it. Oddly enough she visibly relaxed and fixed her cap when the noise reached her ears. The braying and barking of the hounds was still far enough away that she could pay and make it to the edge of town before the battle began. She did so immediately, leaving a ten-dollar tip and a half full glass of hot chocolate on the counter as she walked out the front door. To the south was the Marina, the last place she was going to go towards. So she headed down the alley between the Café and a flower shop, hoping it would take her out of town quickly. It did.
By the time Alyss reached the city limit, the barking was obviously at a closer range. She started northward, the direction the noise was coming from. Over a rise in the distance three large hound's shapes made their way towards the woman. She flexed her hands in anticipation for the coming battle. A ring on her hand glowed momentarily, and then from it sprung a shield of celestial Bronze. The shields edges were sharpened to a deadly point, making it a lethal weapon and a superb shield. The dogs were now close enough she could see them clearly. She threw the shield.
It had a boomerang effect. The two hellhounds following the leader vaporized as soon as the shield hit them. The leader charged on, oblivious to the demise of its companions, and focused on its current task. She smiled. Two down one to go. The shield finished its arc and sailed back into her hand. She threw it once more. This was a strait throw, and it cut right into the side of dog's head. There was startled yelp as the dog disintegrated.
,
"Flora!!" The older boy called to the twelve year old before him. The young brunette came to a stop on her skis; one so slow that by the time she turned around the older boy had caught up to her. "Oh!" she exclaimed at his nearness. He had come to a sudden stop, but had kept perfect balance as he did so. If you looked at them, there together, you would not have realized they were related until someone else told you so. They had the same dark hair, although Flora's had a sort of dark green tint, and the boys had a dark red hue. They had the same nose, one of the features they shared from their father, and his face formation. But all of the features that remained were vastly different. The boy had a smooth complexion, tan and without and blemishes. The girl was paler, and freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks. The boy's hair was strait and maybe about two inches in length. The girl, tall for her age, had long curly hair. She was healthy, and the boy was sort of slim, but with a very fit look.
"I'm sorry Jacob." The girl said. "But you know how I am. If I start to get something, when it clicks, I loose touch with reality." The boy looked at her, then looked away. "Just… be careful, Flora. You never know what's lurking out there." He smiled at her, and patted her on her head. She might have been tall for her age, but he was still a good head and a half taller than her. "You know I would hate to be there and not be able to save my little sister."
Flora nodded, and turned. She got back on her skis, and pushed away. She was going slower, and as she passed a tree the branch she brushed on suddenly seemed a little bit more alive. A brown leaf turned green before her brother's eyes, but he dismissed it as weariness. He followed his sister down the hill and to the large skiing lodge.
………….
sat in the lobby of the lodge. His father was talking to a business associate not to far away, and his sister had decided to stay in their room and take a nap. Jacob himself was mapping out the building in his head. He had been everywhere the guests had been allowed and even a few places they hadn't. Now he was sitting, staring into a seeming nothingness, and mapping the architectural design of the building in his head. Hypothetical blueprint after hypothetical blueprint were being stored in his mind. It was a basic design, matching to 4 of the 6 different lodges they had gone to over the last 6 winters.
"Ah! Mr. Dare!" Jacob heard his father say. He looked up and saw the famous land developer shake his father's hand. Behind the man in the business suit was a girl; maybe a year younger then Jacob himself, bundled in the most random assortment of clothing he had ever seen; she almost reminded him of a peacock. Her jacket was a very bright blue, and her gloves a shocking color of yellow. Her red hair came out from under the sides of an orange baseball cap and her cheeks flushed against the cold weather. And her jeans. They were faded, but markered in every color plus some. All together it was a rather bold look.
He came back to attention as he heard his father introducing himself to Mr. Dare.
Jacob stood up, smiling at the big man in the black suit. He shook his hand and put on a large fake smile. "Mr. Dare! What an honor to meet you!" the boy lied. "I'm sorry to say I was just about to go and check on my sister upstairs. Please excuse my absence." Jacob turned to go.
"Hold on for a moment would you, boy?" Mr. Dare turned to his daughter. He said something and she nodded, not showing any solid emotion. Mr. Dare turned back to Jacob. "My daughter, Rachel, is going to follow you up. I mean, our rooms are already next to each other and all."
Jacob nodded and gestured for Rachel to lead the way forward. She walked off to the hallway he had gestured towards. By the time they reached the hallway, Jacob's longer stride had put him next to Ms. Dare. She stopped in front of the elevator. "You know... If I didn't know my father better I would say he was trying to get you and I together alone." Jacob snorted. "Fat chance." He said as the doors opened and he stepped inside. He turned to face a rather offended Rachel Elizabeth Dare. He caught his mistake. "Oh, no it's not you. Its just well… quite frankly your father disgusts me." He caught the door as it went to close. When it opened he saw Rachel laughing, and making her way into the elevator. He let the doors close as she calmed down. He hit the fourth floor button. "Well, you see…" he started. "My younger sister is in love with all things living, and hates it when something dies or starts to die… She has this…affinity… with living things. And I guess a little of that has rubbed of on me. How he destroys acres of forest in one hour amazes and utterly makes me sick."
Rachel nodded. "Oddly, I feel the same way about it. You would think that since I've grown up with it, I would learn to look the other way. But last year there was this, incident, and it really made me see more. It really opened my eyes…" the elevator dinged and the doors opened. And there in front of them was Flora.
"Flora!" Jacob exclaimed, stepping from the elevator. "What are you doing out of the rooms?"
"I was-" she went to explain before she caught sight of the very colorful Rachel. "-bored." She ended on a flat note. Flora had put her hair in two pigtails and they curled down her back to just about waist level. She pushed one of her pigtails back behind her shoulder and looked up at Rachel. "Colorful." She said, still taking in the odd assortment of clothing.
So do you like it?? Will you post a review? The world may never know!? Well, stay tuned for next time, when sneaking out of a hotel becomes very tricky indeed.