Author's Note:
So, here's the second chapter! I don't have much to say about it except that I hope you enjoy it! :3
Luna's Point of View
Location: Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America, Planet Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
I was a speeding bullet.
The roar of the engine drowned every other vibration that could've possibly reached my ears, keeping my attentions just where they needed to be. Outside the windows, the world looked like a watercolour painting - a blur of colours that made little sense. My eyes could not linger long, though, as their desired subject dashed away within milliseconds. My nails dug into the polyester belt that was my only protection from slamming into the dash if the brakes were slammed.
"You seem jittery, Luna." I looked over to the sound of the velvety smooth, heavily accented voice. The lean blonde there looked exhilarated, his hands contrastingly light on the steering wheel as his eyes practically danced. His shaggy hair was ruffled, barely kissing the bridge of his nose. Still, those sapphire eyes blazed through it like an explosion of gasoline. His lips curved in a smile at my flustered expression, and a laugh rang out of his throat like church bells. Even when I thought he was going to kill me, I still loved that mech.
"N-naturally," I stuttered, trying to maintain some of my dignity, "You're driving like a fucking maniac." He just laughed again; he was so… carefree when it was just the two of us, as if that world where he was required to salute and respectfully look away did not exist. For a moment, I felt so overwhelmingly important, so special, that a bit of pride threatened to make me smile. I fought it. Where would my stern tone be then?
"Relax, love," The blonde mech purred before more than ten seconds passed, "Do you seriously believe I would crash? I've been driving like this for thirty years now."
"And out of how many of those years were you the car?" I questioned just as calmly, my own ocean-coloured eyes glancing to his. He gave a slight frown at that comment, and did not reply. I let my own feminine laugh echo throughout the car's interior, and he smiled again.
It was always so easy to make him smile…
A single tear fell to the metal below my face. I wished to violently that things were still the way they had been back then, with everything so simple and impassioned and wonderful. Back before reality decided to be a bitch and slap us all in the face with the possibility of a war that could, literally and figuratively, rip me in half.
I couldn't cut it as a soldier, or even the daughter of a soldier. That was why I ran. I ran because I realized I couldn't live up to my own expectations, let alone the ones around me. I hadn't inherited the capability from my father, the wonderful mech and commander he was, to be incredible. I was average compared to everyone else…
And so I ran.
But I couldn't run from everything, and that was why I still let myself drift… why I still held onto the dog tags around my neck like they were that damned seat belt in that godforsaken Camaro. I wasn't lucky enough to be able to erase my memory, or even to have amnesia - no, whoever it was that was up there, they had a good sense of cruel humour. They liked to play with my heartstrings, too, nearly sending me back by using the damned things like a slingshot, trying to shoot back into his arms and, coincidently, back to the place I'd tried to avoid. Then I reminded myself what had happened the night I'd left, and the appeal I thought I had for him drifted like cigarette smoke. That didn't stop it from crawling back from the dark corner I had shoved it in every now and then, though.
"He is an asshole," I hissed between clenched teeth, "Remember what he said."
I couldn't forget. I could never forget. It was carved into my soul the same way hearts were carved in oaks. It wouldn't fade. The power those words had possessed was enough to cripple a human. It had nearly crippled me. A sob caught in my esophagus. How easily he'd spat those words, those wretched phrases that flaunted his true character.
Break me, mech! I dare you!
He already had. Who was I kidding? Don't tempt fate, young one; don't play with fire, for it will burn. I was already scathed; flames had licked me to the bone. Fingers dashed across scars up down arms. Oh so broken, oh so broken… He'd made me crazy, made me lose my sanity. I was the vile thing that crouched and slithered in shadows while he basked in the light of the heavens. Just a lantern; give me a damned lantern… It can burn off my blood, no need for oil. Scream my pleas to the sky, watch gods descend and laugh. No light for you, child, no light for those who have brought darkness upon themselves.
Again, I'd effectively boiled my hatred into a foul broth that kept me going. I could pull myself back into that dark apartment to see the real world around me. Pushing myself off of the mattress, I walked in front of the clear mirror. I was made of ebony and ivory; no colour graced this frame. A glance was all I gave, making my way to the kitchen. At least I had no drunken stumble or thunderous gait. I was graced with my feet, gifted with a strange malformation of shortened tendons that made me walk on my toes. Oh, yes, it could be fixed, but I liked it. It made me silent when I walked, like a cat.
I trotted down the stairs quickly, merely stumbling a bit. Despite my wondrous little calamity of phalanges, they had a weakness - they liked to come up from under me quite frequently. This loft apartment was a dream come true for me, and made my life here easier, knowing I could come home to this gorgeous place. Like me, it was the same colours as the piano, so we blended nicely. The refrigerator was my friend, too; its interior held some fine, alcoholic contents. I didn't bother with a glass for the blackberry wine, sipping it from the bottle as I walked past the television which was still playing CNN.I hadn't even watched the evening news, and I wasn't going to watch it now. They were going to whine about politics and economics as always, and I wasn't in the mood for it. I picked up the remote and switched it to a nature documentary, letting myself be temporarily immersed in the exotic tropics. When I'd had my fill of wine, I replaced the bottle, and lay across the couch as I watched Wild Pacific…
Then I blinked, and it was light.
"Shit," I cursed, unenthused with the fact I'd fallen asleep on the couch of all places. The comfort of the aforementioned piece of furniture left something to be desired, as it wasn't broken in yet and the cushions were still very rock-like. I longed for a hand-me-down, and my back screamed for one. Still, I was forced to rise - work would be soon, and knowing me, I'd slept in. I took the remote into my hand to check to time on the television. Oh, yes. I had about thirty minutes to get ready.
Jumping up from the couch, I dashed to the bathroom and took a shower at top speed. Hair dry, make-up applied, I was ready for clothes. I nearly skipped up the stairs, pulling on skinny jeans and a dark t-shirt before throwing on a pair of converse. Within moments, I was out the door unlocking my car. It was a black Chevy Cobalt coupe. The car was a little older, but it worked just fine, so I myself was pleased with it. After all, it had so many modifications that most new cars couldn't pass it up. Hopping inside, I shoved the key in the ignition, gave it a test rev, and then pealed away from the curb.
About five minutes later I pulled into the parking lot of Barnes and Noble, clipping on a name tag before walking in. The name read "Sahara" instead of Luna. I'd done it for safety purposes only: my name was everywhere, while Sahara was not. Besides, the name had the same meaning when translated from ancient languages. Nobody had asked any questions as to why I looked so similar to Luna Prime yet, so I was safe for now.
When I walked in, the first thing I did was get a quick coffee. The manager didn't mind, being quite the laid-back woman. It was, after all, Barnes and Noble; a haven for people like me. I myself was put to work in the central help desk, seeing as people usually came there asking where a book was. I was very familiar with the store, and so I assisted everyone from house wives looking for new cookbooks to preteens trying to find the latest vampire sensation. I was friendly to everyone; in here, we were kin, considering the fact we were all readers. It wasn't long before someone needed help. A woman brought her young daughter up to the desk, looking embarrassed.
"Excuse me, miss," she said, "My daughter here is looking for something to read. She's not sure what to get, though." I smiled politely. I loved helping younger kids find books. I looked to the girl. She had green eyes and curly brown hair. She looked shy, but I looked her right in the eye.
"What kind of things do you usually read?" I asked. She shrugged.
"Animal books," the mother replied, "Jeila loves animals, especially horses. She's already read all of the Horse Friends or whatever they're called."
"You mean the Pony Pals?" I asked, and the little girl nodded. I went through a quick mental list. I loved horses, and I'd had a couple of my own before I-
"Have you read the Saddle Club?" I questioned quickly. She shook her head no, and we were off to find the books.
Few incidents in the first half of the day made me think of my past. I had a few bouts of nostalgia, particularly thinking about my beloved horses back at base. I'd mainly had Arabians, riding them all over the mountain. Now I had nothing. Thankfully, lunch arrived to break up my routine, and I drove to one of my favourite places to eat for some much needed down time. The Chinese restaurant was quite average, but I enjoyed it. I ordered the same thing as always, and pulled an Anne Rice book from my satchel to read as I ate. I almost didn't see the fierce lines of the muscle car as it pulled into view.
Unfortunately, I didn't look down quick enough.
The golden colouration was not standard; it was a custom you couldn't find anywhere else. The black racing stripes weren't so uncommon, and the pinstripes around it were so precise my fingers hurt just at the thought of how horrible it would be to do them by hand. The model itself was something you should have never found on the road; a Z-28 that would never really be released. There was a massive hood scoop and innumerable intakes, making the car look even more malevolent.
I had avoided this Camaro for a year, and here it was, prowling through the parking lot like it was nothing at all. I tried for a moment to peer inside from my vantage point to see the driver, even though I already knew who it was, but I soon gave up as I realized the windows were too darkly tinted. I'd never really noticed from the inside.
But that didn't matter right now. My mind immediately went into survival mode, and I shoved my book back into the satchel, tossed the remnants of my lunch in the trash, and quickly paid the small Asian man behind the counter for the meal.
"Come back soon!" He said cheerily, and all I could do was nod as I ran out the front door.
The rear of the Camaro had already cruised lazily around the front row of the parking lot, but it was easy to tell the car was coming back around in a wide loop. I had mere seconds. My nerves were destroying me, making me fumble, making me mess up. Insanity crept at the edges of my consciousness, tempting me to run in front of the wide pony car and bring a fist down on that gaping intake or kick in a fear-looking headlight. Finally, I felt metal against my hand and grasped it, pulling out my car keys, rapidly pressing the 'unlock' button. Within seconds I was in the seat with the engine on. I only paid as much attention as needed, backing up within seconds and shoving the car back into gear as quickly as possible. The Camaro had just slunk back into my row, and when I pressed the gas pedal, that monster of a machine jumped up to my bumper in seconds. Glancing in the rear view mirror, I finally saw a wisp of blonde and blue flames. I whispered prayers to every deity I could think of, and forced the Cobalt to blitz forward like lightning.
The Camaro barely purred. I nearly screamed.
Thinking fast, I whirled down a side road that was slightly familiar to me. The beast behind me gave a roar as it followed my path, but I'd gotten a bit of a head start. That was all I needed. If I was good at anything, I was good at racing. This was a big race, and it was on the streets - my home field. Again, I whipped down an one-way street and then another. The Camaro was falling farther and farther behind. I focused on getting back to my apartment. Right now, nothing else mattered. I had to pull myself together and make a plan on how to react.
Finally, the car was no where to be seen, and I was home. I parked the car across the street. It wouldn't keep him off my trail long if he found it, even though there was another apartment there - I had an energy signature that humans didn't. Still, I put my Cobalt there, and ran across the street up the stairs. The first thing I did was lock the door.
And then, I slowly began to lose my mind.
I hope you enjoyed this! Please review! :3