~Prologue~
She was lost. She knew it damn too well and she treated herself with another mental slap. She had lost the count of the days that she has been locked up in the darkness, being left to her own thoughts alone. She was becoming delirious, scared of her own subconscious, the ideas forming out of boredom, inspired by fear, desperation and pain... When a light of hope has shown up as she managed to escape from an eery apartment, it just as quickly disappeared. She realized she didn't know where to go.
She wasn't hundred percent sure how she got here... God, she couldn't even tell if this was a dream or reality. She tried looking casual while wandering on the busy streets of Mombasa but it wasn't easy. She knew she had easily stood out from the crowd, among the black people she seemed paper white, almost like a ghost. And she felt like one, people kept bumping into her as if they couldn't see her and those who did only gave her curious or concerned looks. She knew better than to look at anyone, in case someone was brave enough to stop by and ask "are you okay?" She was far from it but she couldn't let anyone know, she could only depend on herself.
It was getting irritatingly hot, the streets were filling up with more people and it didn't seem like the orchestra of hundreds of noises was going to stop anytime soon. Pair of steel grey eyes has been screening the surroundings, watching out for any danger - that's not what she was used to. She had to quick think, now that she was free she couldn't afford to act like a prey. For now, she just let herself move into the shadows of the city. Trembling hands searching through pockets had found a little pocket knife and few banknotes. Empty stomach forced her to go to a dingy bar and order some food. And only at the end of the day, when she had felt some real warmth inside her, her weak legs decided to bring her to some taxi stand.
A loved-up couple bumped into her, breaking the silence on the street. Only when she apologized absent-mindedly, her unnaturally raspy voice woke her up. She looked up and saw a tall, well-built man who stood out by his orange Hawaiian shit and elegant jacket, hiding his eyes behind the shades of sunglasses. He held close a petite strawberry blonde beauty in cocktail dress who tugged on his arm every now and then. His laughter and her squeal could only irritated but obviously they didn't care, seeming a bit too preoccupied with themselves.
"Eames!" the girl exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, echoing in the street, "I thought you said you don't live too far from the casino!"
The couple had only passed her,and she couldn't help but look back at them. She found the man looking back at her as they were walking away, taking his glasses off. In the light of a street lamp, she thought there was something about his gaze that made her feel uncomfortable - quite an accomplishment! It was just as if in those few seconds he had wanted to find out about her as much as possible, as if he wanted to know the story of her life. She knew this kind of behaviour, she knew she shouldn't be trusting it. That's why she just let her gaze drop, leaving the young man behind her.
Just like the rest of the world.
She got into a cab and passed few notes to the driver, asking to head for the nearest airport. She had no idea how she was going to get out of here without passport or a credit card. But she had to try, she couldn't keep waiting.
Because time waits for no one.