Chapter Two

Five's dark, auburn hair blew back against her in the breeze as she soared overheard. The cold wind burned her eyes, but she did not close them for fear of flying head-on into unexpected traffic (namely pigeons). A tear slowly slid down her cheek, both a product of her newly awakened sadness and of her uncomfortable predicament.

Traveling at unbelievable speeds, it was not long before she saw the familiar sights for which she was looking. As she zipped through the air, she saw boats drifting on the waves, others tied to docks, fishermen unloading their bounty from nets teeming with the slimy inhabitants of the sea. This was home.

She loved the salty, fresh smell of spray drifting up from the water, and breathed it in as deeply as she could while she started to slow down her flight and descend into a discreet location. It was not hard to find one in the town of Marseilles, France, as she knew every nook and cranny by heart.

It was here that Five had grown up, and every day until the age of sixteen she had spent running through the streets, causing havoc among the villagers. Some of the fishermen even knew how to spot her by the sight of her light brown flats...they had noticed her footprints leading away from a myriad of unfortunate accidents. But as she only picked on the ones everyone else hated too (due to the fact that they were often blithering idiots or despicable scumbags), she could always count on those in the know to keep their mouths shut.

"Why does she have to be so mean!" One of her victims complained, sitting on an old stool by his boat, drinking from a bottle of old liquor.

"Well I'm not exactly sure why Lina decided to light your nets on fire, but I know I would've given the chance!" Was the general response given to these sorts of inquiries.

Five loved the name she had chosen for Earth – it was Loria's idea, of course, who always had such great vision. She felt it suited her well, but mostly it just reminded her of the old times. When she had someone to guide her forward when she didn't know what to do.

Landing in a back alleyway unbeknownst to anyone but herself, Lina tried to force these thoughts out of her head. They were only distracting at this point – the pain of remembering had long since turned to numbness.

Quickly she ran out, eager to be greeted again by sea spray and the bustle of Marseilles. And looking not that much different at nineteen from the girl she was only three years prior, Lina ended up walking no more than two blocks before being recognized.

"Lina! Hey wait up!"

Her breath caught in her throat when she heard his voice. Jake. Lina tried to avoid eye contact and walk swiftly on her way, hoping that he would suddenly realize that she was just a mirage and walk away the opposite direction. But she had no such luck.

Grabbing her shoulder, he spun her around from behind. "Lina, is that really you?" His face had an expression of earnestness about it, like a puppy-dog begging for a walk.

"Hi Jake."

"Oh my gosh, how is this possible! I thought you left! I thought you were gone! After your mom-"

He stopped short, realizing what he'd almost said. He silently cursed himself for being so careless. "I'm sorry Lina, I- I'm just glad your back."

"It's good to be back."

There was quite the awkward silence at that. Jake and Lina were practically a traffic hazard, standing in the street like a couple of stubborn cows.

` After a few minutes Lina decided it was enough. "Well alright then, I better go. I wouldn't want to miss the rest of this conversation, but I've got to-"

"Wait!" Jake grabbed her arm before she got too far away. There was a look of desperation in his eyes. "Why don't we go to my house. I can get you a hot chocolate or something, like I used to."

Lina had to smile thinking of those old times, gossiping about all the people that made them tick, laughing, sipping hot chocolate, sometimes crying if the laughing became too violent. "Yeah, I guess so, why not." She knew she had somewhere to be, but nostalgia got the best of her.

It was a short ten minute walk to Jake's house – or shack would be a better term. He was about twenty, and with his parents unwilling to finance his music career, it was a struggle even to pay rent on his little one-bedroom. He didn't seem embarrassed by it though. In fact, he was rather proud of his little abode, and took great care to make sure it was always at least comfortable.

"It's umm...cozy," Lina said, ducking a spiderweb.

"Here you go, one hot chocolate," Jake sat down at a little three legged table, putting Lina's mug next to his own, beckoning her to take a seat next to him.

"Thanks." Lina again had to conceal her surprise upon taking a sip of hot chocolate. Apparently his mom had been making it all those years, because Jake obviously had confused chocolate for something much more foul...perhaps duck droppings.

"So how long are you staying for?" Jake said, leaning closer toward Lina.

She now noticed a fire blazing in the hearth behind them, the main accessory in Jake's small, circular living room, which housed only a small brown couch in addition to all of the other features. She hoped there was a bathroom hiding somewhere as well.

"Oh probably just a day or so," she answered. "I just have something quick to take care of, and then I'm off."

"Ohh, I see," Jake replied, a hardly concealed disappointment dripping in his tone.

"Well, here's to today, I guess," he continued, trying to force a cordial smile on his frowning expression. The two clinked glasses awkwardly, both about to die– one of embarrassment and regret, one of boredom and crushed expectations. But, altogether, it is possible that these feelings were shared mutually, and with equal distribution.

"Here's to today," Lina said, quickly gulping down the last of her drink, and getting up from her rickety chair. "And I should probably go now, given the time and all."

It was noon.

"Alright then, will you at least come back to say goodbye."

"Sure, sure, of course"

Lina headed for the door, and was just about to turn the handle when Jake bleated out awkwardly again. "Wait!" She turned around.

He paused for a considerable amount of time before speaking further. "I meant to give this to you before you left town all that time ago, but...you left so soon...I never got the chance."

He left the room for a short second, disappearing into an adjoining chamber before returning with something in his hand.

It was a letter, sealed with red wax, like it was from someone important. "What is it?"

"Well, I'm not sure exactly, but I think it's from Bobby, that family friend of your mother's, he told me to give it to you right after your mom..."

"Oh," Lina reached out and took the letter, even though she was fairly certain she'd never heard of a Bobby in her life. She felt the reluctance in Jake's grip. It must've been hard to let go of that last connection to one another.

As she left through his doorway out into the sunny French day, Jake scowled deeply. She obviously didn't love him anymore. But why would he have expected anything less, with his little ramshackle estate, and, he knew, terrible hot chocolate. He had hope fervently, as soon as he saw her face, for a joyful reunion, but things like that simply don't happen in real life.

He walked slowly into his bedroom, grabbing up an old telephone attached to the wall, and dialed an unknown number.

"Yeah," he said, with the receiver up to his ear. "Don't worry, we got her."