Chapter 5

She rushed over to the dress shop and stopped short just outside the door and looked through the glass. The smokey tint of the glass made in next to impossible to see into the shop. And not seeing any living soul inside the shop she had no choice but to walk in. She opened the door and the sad bell above the door clinked. No one came to the desk. She looked around the dusty shop and wondered how they kept in buisness. She ran her finger down the long shelf of materials sweeping the dust from it and leaving a finger trail in its path. She sneezed softly from the dust and then she heard a rustling from the back room.

"Who... who's there?" came a sleepy voice from behind the curtain. Aurora recognized the voice, it was Eden.

" I'm lookin for a girl named Eden... someone told me she worked here and i came looking. She's short, really stubborn, with long raven black hair, have you seen her?" she said with a slight smirk in her voice.

"Who's looking?" said the voice slightly irritated by the comments.

"Who do you think would come looking for you in this hell hole?"

The rustling sound hit her ears again and a dark, slim figure appeared from behind the curtain. Aurora eyes met those cold eyes of her long lost friend. But it seemed as though Eden didn't recognize her.

"Who are you!"

"Eden, its me... Aurora!"

"Aurora?... It can't be can it." her eyes lit up as see finally recognized Aurora's face. She jumped out from behind the counter and embraced Aurora warmly.

"It's good to see you too sweetheart!" Aurora laughed at Eden's quick actions.

"It's been so long... where have you been?"

"Off on a grand adventure... no... at school... a few different ones to be exact... but thats another story all together."

"Well i'm glad to see you again. Its been real lonely here without you... the only person i ever really talk to is Gauge... and he's usually busy with his band and what not... I've missed talking to a girl."

"Well I'm back now... i don't really know for how long but i'm back and i think i'll be able to visit more often. But Eden, why did you leave your other job?"

"Its a really long story..."

"I have time..." Aurora swung a chair around and sat down in it showing that she wasn't leaving for a while... or until Eden broken down and told her the story.

"All right...A man came in one day and was asking around for you... I don't really know how he knew you. But he looked shady... and somehow he knew who i was... He started stalking me there... he would always come in look around to see if i was there and if anyone was with me then he would leave. So i had to get away from that place. I haven't seen him since. I had my boss over there tell him i was fired and that he didn't know where i ran off to." Eden colapsed into a chair as if just telling the story had taken all the energy out of her.

Aurora looked at her seriously for a moment then began to speak with the utmost carefulness.

"Maybe... i shouldn't have come back here... I think i should leave."

"No Aurora, its all right we haven't seen him around in a month or so, both Gauge and I have been keeping an eye out for him."

"And what if he comes back, we don't know what kind of people we're dealing with here... and i've told you the stories... i should leave."

"No... its fine... we're fine... come on lets head over to the lounge and get something to eat."

"All right..."