{sigh}I wrote this chapter and it didn't turn out how I wanted it to, so I rewrote it and also scrapped that, which left the original version. I thought it'd be better to get something out then sit around debating which ending was better. All I can say is I hope you like it!
Chapter fourteen
"Darien!" Serena said in surprise, immediately wrapping her arms around him. He fervently returned the embrace, as surprised as she and twice as relieved. After a long moment, when people where beginning to stare, they loosened their hold enough to breathe normally. Someone cleared his throat behind them.
"So, Darien, this may be a shot in the dark, but this wouldn't happen to be that girlfriend you're always talking about, now would she?" A guy about Darien's age stepped out of the crowd. He wasn't handsome in the classic sense and one could tell right away that it didn't matter, he had an ebullient air that made it easy to see past his not so perfect hair and extra weight.
"Serena, this is Jake, he's also an intern at the hospital," Darien said. He still had one arm holding onto Serena as though he was afraid she'd disappear. Jake reached out a hand, Serena recalled the American custom and quickly shook it. Darien called the other girls, who were carrying a cell phone, to tell them where Serena was. Greatly relieved, they decided this could be a good vacation and headed out to Taste of Chicago. Darien, Jake, and a few other people from the hospital, had seats in the nose bleed section where the steps were so steep it felt as though one could simple fall forward over the balcony. Jake offered to switch seats with Serena, which she accepted gratefully.
Jake settled down in his new seat, happy to be situated so close to the orchestra. A woman with remarkably black hair tinted green and a young girl with sad, serious eyes moved down the row to sit next to him. The woman looked at him in surprise, then seemed to stare off into space. Her eyes refocused; she nodded in acceptance of this new twist and turned to face the musicians as the symphony began.
Serena tried to pay attention to the concert. It was a lost. She hadn't seen Darien for so long that she spent the first half simply watching him. Darien was just as happy to see Serena, though more restrained. Amara and Michele noticed Serena's absence and began to worry. The moment intermission was called, Amara cornered Jake and demanded to know why he was sitting in Serena's seat and where she was. Setsuna intervened on his behalf. Still, as the symphony resumed, Serena was in her intended seat on stage.
The music was played beautifully. There had already been two standing ovations and even the most captious critic was hard pressed to find fault in this. Serena resigned herself to sitting back and enjoying the performance with the promise of joining Darien afterward. Michele stood to the applause of the audience as she prepared to begin her violin solo. She noticed a flicker of movement above the stage. That was all the warning there was before a bird like creature fell from the ceiling to land, wings spread full revealing its intimidating size and feminine shape. These wings took the place of arms but as the aberration quickly demonstrated, lacked nothing in dexterity.
Serena transformed with celerity, but the aberration was faster. In one swift movement it leapt to Serena's seat and seized her, pulling her arms behind her back so she could not use any of her attacks. That is, except kicking. The creature cried out in pain, never loosening its hold, and took flight. Amara and Michele had slipped off the stage to transform and came back in time to see the creature go to a man floating in the air who opened a portal. All three disappeared, though not before a rose imbedded itself in the bird-woman's shoulder.
Somewhere else in Chicago, five girls were also having a bad night.
Next chapter's going to be better. (finals are this week, I can't believe I'm writing instead of studying : ()