July 9, 2010 (4:10 PM).
Foot before foot, foot over foot, foot in front of foot. However you wish to view it I was still walking forward, not even bothering to glance back towards my home, which was now becoming a structure in the distance along with the rest. The park was just two more blocks ahead, over one street to the right.
The trip didn't take long, just a bit of a distraction of the mind to really speed up time. My thoughts had trailed towards my past before suddenly I was on the edge of the park. I tipped my head low, eyes downcast. I was thinking about my family.. specifically my uncle. I didn't really understand the heated dislike between us or even how it had started. I just remembered that it was present since I was little. It was like a curse, haunting me as if a ghost, following me around like a stringed orchestra to play sorrowful or demonic music to fester into something negative and try to destroy me.
I could already see people rushing past me to join in the fray of the festivities, laughter following along a group of children.
I glanced up, peering out towards the objects of interest. Booths of all sort decorated the areas around trees, while large blown-up air contraptions hung close in places with lesser amounts of trees. They was also a few carnival rides, with the sweet aroma of food wafting around the area.
I glanced around, suddenly hearing a voice call out over the chatter of nearby people and giggling children.
I turned towards the sound's direction, smiling upon seeing two people running towards me; Adela and Dimitri. They caught up to me, stopping just a few feet from me. Adela was bent over, catching her breath, while Dimitri just waved a greeting to me, laughing at Adela's tiredness.
"Man, dude.. You missed the fight! It was so cool!" Once Adela had recovered her air she stood up straight, hands pressed against her hips. Adela was my age, with fair blonde hair to her mid-back, sporting a casual white t-shirt and cargo pants. Her blinking eyes were.. almond, almost copper.
"Who was it between?" I cocked my head to the side in curiosity.
"Those stupid douches at school, Todd and Jeff. They got into it with this tall guy with dark brown hair." Dimitri put in as the answer to my question. I looked towards him, scanning his chosen outfit for the day. He was tall, lean, a Junior at my school. He was paler then Adela and I, wearing a black shirt and jacket, along with matching jeans. The reason he was wearing the jacket, I assumed, was because of the oncoming colder weather said to set in closer to the night time. It was around.. 4 PM currently, I guessed.
He was partial Albino, so instead of the typical hair colors.. his was pure white, snowy almost, with small streaks of green in it. He noticed I was looking at his hair and twitched a smile at me. "Oh, ignore the green. Some kid had the bright idea to shoot me with some green liquid. Got in my hair. I cleaned it, but it left a bit." He chuckled. I knew the green wasn't natural.
"Gotcha." I pursed my lips in thought. "So who was the brown haired guy? What was the fight over? Who won?" I asked.
"Uhhh.." Adela tapped at her jaw. "The man said he was looking for someone here.. and Todd had the bright idea to talk to the guy, getting smart with him. The man didn't seem harmful, but once Todd dashed at him, the man flipped shit. He picked up the kid and tossed him into a wall. Jeff, standing close by, tried to sneak attack the dude, but he was quick. He ducked low, throwing out a leg to trip Jeff. Both were done in just a matter of a minute!"
"It was unbelievable. The dude must have been a soldier or a professional. He had combat clothes on." Dimitri put in.
"Did he say who he was looking for?" I asked.
Suddenly Adela frowned once more, but much deeper.
"Uhhhh... Bob? Richard? Micheal? Wickers? Jason? Hell if I know. Some boring name." Adela went back to tapping at her jaw, in thought.
"I thought he said Whiskers. Wasn't it a cat?" Dimitri questioned, looking towards the blonde.
Adela shook her head. "A cat isn't a person. You should know that, you cat freak."
Something behind them caught my gaze. I zoned in on it while the other's spoke.
Dimitri snapped at Adela. "I'm not a cat freak! You're just a jealous dog lover, Adela."
"So what the fuck is the deal with that? I'm not jealous! Cats are stupid creatures. Man's best friend is the canine, not the feline." Adela pressed as I noticed that the thing moved. It was a person, tall, with long silver hair. He was watching me, studying me with his odd black eyes- or, at least, I thought they were black, but he was too far away to actually tell. He was wearing dark clothes, bordering between deep navy blue and black.
"Hey, guys.. who is that person?" I glanced towards them, pointing in the direction of my watcher.
"Who is who?" Adela looked towards me, following my finger to the man. "What are you talking about?"
I looked back towards the silver haired man and noticed he was no longer there. "You talking about the fat man in the red or the dude with the gaudy cowboy hat beside him in the brown? Or perhaps the grey t-shirted guy?"
I blinked. "No.. what the hell...?" I muttered to myself, squinting as I looked around the area. "He was just there."
"What did he look that?" Dimitri asked, tilting his head.
"Tall.. silver hair, long and straight, kinda lean, fit like a runner, maybe.. with dark eyes and clothes. The eyes might have been black, but he was too far to tell.." I gazed back towards my friends, watching their reactions.
"I don't see anyone that fits that description, Saria. You sure you saw this guy?" Adela barked after scanning the area with her almond eyes.
"Maybe you're seeing things? Black isn't a real eye color." Dimitri chuckled, patting my shoulder. "Don't worry about this man. He might just be a figment of your imagination." He said, trying to cheer me up.
"Yeah.. sure.." I mumbled, nodding.
"Anyway, the fight was great and all, but-.. did you just get here?" Adela paused mid-sentence, flashing me a deadly stare.
I nodded. "Frank was supposed to drive me here, but I walked."
"That fucked up uncle of yours?" Dimitri blinked.
I nodded again, chuckling at this. "Yeah, the very one who loves to torment me for no apparent reason other than possible low self esteem issues."
"Ohhhhh, yeah, right. Anyway! Since you just got here.. Dimitri, if you'd be so kind." Adela had a nasty grin on her face.
I slowly started to back up, eyeing them both cautiously. "What?" I asked as Dimitri tipped his head at Adela, stepping forward towards me.
"You can either come quietly, Saria, or just make it harder on you, but trust me, it'll be worth the trip." The blonde winked at me, giggling, as I slapped Dimitri's hand away, glaring daggers at him.
"Sorry, Saria, but you gotta come.. just come quietly, so I won't have to use force." He snorted as I slowly nodded. "Good!" And thus he grabbed my hand, dragging me forward. Before I knew it I was slung on his shoulder, my face mere inches from his chest. I blinked, my legs flailing against his back.
"Ack! Put me down!" I howled angrily as Dimitri started laughing. He ran with Adela beside him, keeping a good grip on my waist to hold me down and on his shoulder. He was really strong for a Junior.
"Close your eyes, Saria!" Adela called out and so I did.
"Where are you taking me?" I yelped out, almost falling from his shoulder as he turned. I smelled a strong smell...
"You'll see." Dimitri was grinning, I could tell, by how he tried to hold back his further laughter.
"Fine!" I grumbled. A few minutes passed before I was suddenly being placed back onto my feet, Dimitri standing close behind me.
"Keep your eyes closed.." He whispered into my ear and I coughed at his closeness, nodding.
"And.. three.. two.. one.. Ok, open them!" Dimitri said, stepping to the side. I opened my eyes, blinking at our current location. We were at a large area in the center of the park, tables spread out all around us for the people to sit at.
One table, specifically the one in front of me, was covered with wrapped boxes. I blinked again, glancing towards the grinning Adela and laughing Dimitri with arched eyebrows. "What's this?"
Dimitri gestured towards the table. "Sit!" I slowly did, looking at them as they took a seat on either side of me.
"Ok.. we have some news to tell you, Saria." Dimitri started, his laughing now replaced by his gentle voice.
"It's your early birthday party, since I won't be able to make it for your actual one." Adela spoke softly, causing me to look over at her. She was seated on my left while Dimitri was on my right.
"Why not?" I frowned, tilting my head a bit.
A tear rolled down the blonde's tan cheek, leaving a wet trail. She reached up to wipe it clean. "Daddy's sending me away for fall school until early December." She pouted.
"Ohh.." I flailed my left arm, gesturing to the presents. "Why are there so many?!"
The blonde grinned, though another tear had escaped her almond eyes. "I was going to spoil you before I left, because I love you so much, sis." Adela had a habit of calling me 'sis' just as Derick did. It was true. Adela and I were basically like sisters, inseparable.
"Ohhhh... Adela.. I'm so going to miss you!" I threw my arms around her neck, pulling her close for a much needed hug.
"Same." She returned the hug, arms wrapping around my waist. We hugged for a few seconds before we released each other, laughing. "Well? You gonna open them or do we have to do it for you?" She grinned at me.
I returned the warm expression, turning towards the table-
But not before catching sight of something. Someone. That man from before. I looked at Dimitri, who was patting my arm, using his other hand to give me a present from the table's content. I looked back towards the silver haired man, tilting my head. His lips were pulled up into a smile.
He slowly mouthed a few words to me, which I understood clearly, even over the distance that separated us.
Greetings, little observer.
I scrunched my face at his chosen words, knowing that he was chuckling even though he was too far away to actually hear. I quickly shoot up, pointing at him. "There, that man!" I glared at him, blinking-... and he was gone, yet again, fading away into the crowd around him.
Dimitri looked towards my finger's direction, arching an eyebrow. "Still seeing that hallucination, are we?" He asked, concern in his voice.
"Are you alright, sis?" Adela asked, standing up to place a hand on my shoulder. She was examining my expression, looking at my widened eyes, which had now flickered towards her.
"I just saw that man. He's real. He can't just be an illusion. He mouthed something to me." I pressed.
"What'd he mouth?" My blonde best friend asked.
"Well... 'Greetings, little observer' is what he mouthed, but I'm pretty sure he chuckled after that." I scowled at this man's words, confused by them.
"That's not creepy at all." Adela scoffed. Dimitri snorted, shaking his head. "Well, anyway, open your presents!" She started squealing as she pulled me down to sit again. Dimitri shoved the gift into my hand, grinning.
My thoughts and focus was still on my mysterious watcher, but Dimitri was demanding my attention with his voice. I glanced down at the gift in my hands.
"This one is from me." He said as I slowly tugged on the ribbon, tossing it aside before tearing at the golden paper.
"Oh my god!" I squealed too as I pulled out the object inside the package. It was a jewelry-shaped box, with intricate little symbols and shapes, a multitude of colors making up the outer design of the wooden box. Opening it.. I gasped, noticing it was stacked with an envelope. I knew what was inside. The pictures of us over the years. "Thank you so much!" I grinned at him, reaching over to hug him.
He returned the gesture before nodding his head towards the box. "There's more."
I looked back down, lifting up the edge of the envelope.. and noticed a small little box, a few inches long and wide.. so I pulled it out. I opened it slowly, anticipating what was inside.
A startlingly simple, yet pretty necklace. The string holding it together was silver, hand made, with a beautiful diamond-shaped container in the center. Inside the container was a gemstone, as blue as the depths of the ocean. "My birthstone!" I grinned at him, seeing him nod. I was a September baby. "Sapphire.. Thank you, Dimitri..."
"No problem." He smiled.
"It would have totally matched your hair if it'd been an Emerald from May!" Adela playfully reached over me to smack at his locks. He only laughed, shaking his head.
Suddenly I froze, feeling a shiver race up my back. "... Hel... hel.. lo... Hello? Earth to Saria?" A hand was waving in front of my face. I blinked at the sudden loss of time, looking around me.
"Huh?" I asked.
"Dude, you just froze.. for like, 5 minutes. You ok?" Adela had a hand on her hip, lips pursed together.
I nodded. "I'm fine. Sorry." I grabbed a present, gold-trimmed with a silver bow. "Who is this from?" Adela raised her hand like we were in class, causing another snort to arise from Dimitri.
I opened it quickly, easily getting past the wrapping while trying not to damage the pretty bow.
I paused, noticing it was a large box, cardboard. I opened it slowly, reaching inside to retrieve the item inside. It was a smaller cardboard box. I scowled at her use of such a huge box for such a small present, but she just grinned beside me. "Open it!" She squeaked.
"Alright!" I snapped at her with a smile, opening the box. Inside was a pale pink iPod with a touch screen, black headphones connected to the top. I glanced at her with a glare.
"It has your music taste on it, along with those funny videos you showed me awhile back. Figured you'd want to watch them whenever. There's a charger in there too." Adela folded her arms against her chest, beaming proudly.
"Thanks, but pink? Honestl-" A click interrupted me, a loud noise echoing around the area. A gun shot. I quickly stuffed the electronic device into my pocket. Our heads whipped toward the sound and I could only gasp as I saw the source was the silver haired man from earlier, holding a gun and waving it slightly around as people screamed and ran in all directions.
I tossed the empty box onto the table, standing quickly to turn more fully towards the man. Smoke was flowing up from the barrel of the pistol in the man's grasp and he was close enough to see that his eyes were indeed black, but how? "You two need to run!"
"What about you?!" Adela was standing beside me, fear etched onto her tan features.
"I have to find Derick! Go!" I gave her a rough push as Dimitri grabbed her hand, pulling her along with him. I glanced wildly around, searching for signs of my brother, only for my blue orbs to settle on the silver haired man who was striding towards me. I backed into the table, moving around the side of it.
I had to make sure my brother wasn't here, that he was safe. If he got hurt.. No, he wouldn't get hurt. I had to be positive.
The man was coming closer and closer, his gun lowering to level with the ground, the barrel aimed at my face. He was so tall. I realized that the black in his eyes were only contacts. I could see a bit of green peeking out underneath when he beamed a smile.
"Wel-" As he started to talk in a low voice another gun shot rang out, clipping the man in his left shoulder. He yelled out, clenching his gun as he clamped his free right hand over the wound. He whipped around, pointing his gun towards the source. It was just a flesh wound. A warning shot. He lowered his right hand to his side. This allowed him to keep the gun trained on the individual, who had shot him, with his left hand.
There, holding a gun, was a brown haired male, tall as well, with a bigger build then the black eyed man. He was wearing combat clothing, just as Dimitri had said, the typical things that a soldier would wear, holding a magnum in his hand.
I moved back a bit more, but the man jerked his gun towards me, stilling my movements. "Don't move or I'll shoot her!" The tall man called out to the soldier-looking male.
"Ummm...!" I tried to think of what to say, but he was moving towards me, his gun trained on my head.
"Move and I'll shoot." He hissed at me.
"Run!" The brown haired male called out. "He's highly dangerous! Get away!"
"And risk her getting killed? I thought you boys had more sense then that!" The silver haired man barked back, grabbing a hold of my arm and pulling me towards him in a jerk. "If someone points a gun at you and you cannot fight or are defenseless, running is a no-no! Haha!"The man cackled.
Defenseless? My thoughts instantly went to my knife. I kept calm, even as I was being pressed against his chest, the gun being extended towards the soldier. I could see and feel the man's arm around my waist, holding me to him.
I recalled the sparring lessons, though few in count, that Nolan had taught me. I relaxed my body, allowing air to enter through my nose and exit through my lips.
"Let her go. You don't want to do this!" The soldier called out, magnum aimed at the man holding me.
"Oh, but I do." He called back.
The soldier was looking at me now, examining my calm expression. I glanced down towards my chest, then back up at him, mouthing the words;Keep him talking!
The man narrowed his eyes barely, focusing on my captor. "Release the girl." And so I zoned out as they yelled back and forth, my hand slowly reaching up towards my chest. The man's focus was on the soldier, so I kept moving it slowly until finally I pushed my fingers underneath the material of my dress, drawing out the knife and then lowered the hand to my side.
I needed to signal to the soldier.. so I winked. He focused on me, a smile twitching on his features.
"What are you smiling about?" The man holding me yelled to the brown haired man. I shifted a bit in his grasp, testing his hold on me; partially loose. He probably didn't think I would resist. Perfect.
I spun in his hold.. and just as he looked down at me the blade was already twirling open in my hand, my wrist shifting forward to thrust the silver weapon into the man's chest. I quickly followed up with a slap on the hilt to drive it deeper and then pushed him away while he stared at me in shock, confused about what had transpired.
I broke out of his hold, running towards the tables while the soldier's finger on the magnum began to tighten. Just as the man pointed his gun towards me with an angry expression a gun shot rang out. A clatter was heard as I turned, noticing the wound in the man's chest, just a few inches from my butterfly knife.
Smoke was rolling from the magnum and the soldier had a stern expression. The silver haired man collapsed onto his knees before falling onto his side, the life already gone from his body before he hit the ground. I was shaking now, the fear setting in at how close I could have been to getting shot or worse.
"You did good, kid." A voice muttered from above me. I had been glancing down at my hand, where blood was covering my fingers. I looked up at the brown haired man, taking a deep breath. "How'd you do that?"
"My brother taught me how to fight, a bit on knife handling and spots to hit if in danger..." I gazed towards the dead body, blood pooling around it slowly from his shoulder and chest wounds.
"Impressive. How old are you?" I scoffed at his question.
"15. My brother's a soldier in the army." I answered.
"Well.. what's your name, little miss?" He arched an eyebrow at me.
"Saria Wesker. Thank you for saving me, sir.. Just who was that?" I asked, staring at the body.
"Pleasure to meet you, Saria, even under these conditions." He, too, glanced at the body before focusing on me. "Bradly Johnson, second division chief leader of the tracker uni- basically, I work for the government as a tracker. I find bad guys and I bring them down and you, little miss, just helped me to take down an ex-member of a criminal gang causing the government some grief. Rango Hawkins."He slightly bowed his head with a smile.
He moved away from me, towards the body, crouching down to do something to the man's chest, though I couldn't see. His elbow moved several times before he stood, turning to face me. "Here." He extended his hand with my butterfly knife in it, the blood gone. I noticed the red marks on his pants from having wiped the knife clean.
"Thanks.." I mumbled, clutching the knife in my hand, staring deeply at it.
"Hey, you did good ki- Saria." He smiled, placing a hand on my shoulder. I looked towards his face, nodding. "Well, I better call the clean-up crew. The festival will have to be closed for the rest of the night to scan the area for any other signs of danger. You have somewhere to go?"
I remained calm, keeping my fear at bay. "Yeah." I'd head off to go find Dimitri and Adela- Derick! I suddenly remembered him.
I glanced around frantically, searching among the straying people for signs of my brother.
"Saria?" Bradly asked, arching an eyebrow.
"My brother! I have to find him!" I put my knife back underneath the material of my dress, turning to dash away towards the direction of my home before stopping, turning towards the gifts on the table. After so much effort of making them, Adela and Dimitri at least, I couldn't just leave them.
Bradly noticed my gaze flicker back, turning to spot the gifts. "Don't worry, no one will mess with them." He assured me. I nodded, turning to run back towards my house.
I needed to find Dimitri and Adela, but Derick came first. He was my brother, after all.
I had a weird sensation on the run home.. like I was being watched.