Runaway Train
Nico threw herself down on the park bench, setting the grocery bag she was carrying beside her. It was quiet around there at that time of day. Hardly anyone around/ A woman with a baby, a man on a cell phone, a couple of kids pulling tricks on their skateboards, and her. With a sigh, Nico let her head fall back to look at the night sky. She couldn’t see the stars tonight, and that depressed her a little.
Karolina’s bracelet shifted against her wrist as she raised a hand to brush a raven black lock of hair off her forehead. The metal felt cool against her skin.
By her best guess, she had five minutes before the others would meet her here. Five minutes of peace before she had to go back to being the Responsible One.
Times like this, she missed Alex.
Or rather, she missed the person Alex had pretended to be. The perfect leader. The one with all the right answers. The man with the plan.
It would be nice to have some answers. It would be nice to be able to lay down her burden, to stop trying to pay for the sins of her parents for a little while.
“I see her, Master. She’s alone.”
“Good. Bring her in, Eric.”
“As you command, Master.”
Nico raised her head as she head the familiar sounds of sneakers on pavement. Molly was practically dancing around Victor, her hat flopping as the android proceeded at a more sedate pace. She spotted Chase and Gert a bit behind the other two, and she raised her arm to wave as a sickly sweet smelling rag covered her nose and mouth. Nico had time only to let out a startled, muffled scream before the darkness overtook her.
Eric wrapped an arm around the girl’s waist and hauled her closer to him, clutching the talisman Master Kenneth had given him like it was a life preserver. The children had seen him, and he had to get away now. “New York! New York!” he shrieked. It flared with a sickly green light just before the children could reach him.
The park was silent.
Nico was gone.
Karolina’s bracelet shifted against her wrist as she raised a hand to brush a raven black lock of hair off her forehead. The metal felt cool against her skin.
By her best guess, she had five minutes before the others would meet her here. Five minutes of peace before she had to go back to being the Responsible One.
Times like this, she missed Alex.
Or rather, she missed the person Alex had pretended to be. The perfect leader. The one with all the right answers. The man with the plan.
It would be nice to have some answers. It would be nice to be able to lay down her burden, to stop trying to pay for the sins of her parents for a little while.
“I see her, Master. She’s alone.”
“Good. Bring her in, Eric.”
“As you command, Master.”
Nico raised her head as she head the familiar sounds of sneakers on pavement. Molly was practically dancing around Victor, her hat flopping as the android proceeded at a more sedate pace. She spotted Chase and Gert a bit behind the other two, and she raised her arm to wave as a sickly sweet smelling rag covered her nose and mouth. Nico had time only to let out a startled, muffled scream before the darkness overtook her.
Eric wrapped an arm around the girl’s waist and hauled her closer to him, clutching the talisman Master Kenneth had given him like it was a life preserver. The children had seen him, and he had to get away now. “New York! New York!” he shrieked. It flared with a sickly green light just before the children could reach him.
The park was silent.
Nico was gone.