In Our Dreams

As Time Goes By

2013

Alex sat on his beach. He inhaled deeply, filling his chest slowly as it rose to full capacity. The sun drenched his dark muscular skin. He ran his hands through his black wet hair as the sun caught every drop that fell onto his strong shoulders. Alex had kept his promise all this time. He had spent the last six years of his life training to be as strong as he could. He stood at a towering height of 6ft4in. He had studied every martial art known to man. He touched the right side of his chest. Though it was faint, he could still feel her heartbeat. It beat so differently than his. It was sporadic and wild. It had no predictability to it.

But if he tried to feel, really feel, he could tell what she was feeling too, and sometimes she would feel happy, and that made him happy. He wasn't any closer to finding her. He had never seen her again, not once in six years. Sometimes, he would discover a trace of her. Once, he had seen her footprints in the sand. Another time, he had heard her voice on the wind, singing of all things.

The space had never looked the same as it did when she was there with him. The moons were far apart now. It seemed less colorful, and the vibration couldn't be felt surging through everything. But when he heard her sing all the birds took to the sky. It was some silly little American pop song. He was learning all he could. He suspected that was where he would find her. Partly by analyzing what he'd seen and partly by instinct but he would depart for America tomorrow.

He had worked hard in school and received outstanding marks. He was infact a brilliant mind, but ever since he had heard the answers to Aris questions as if the answers had always been with him, he was experiencing the same ability here in the 3d world. He knew the truth no matter the circumstances, and that enabled him to make perfect score after perfect score. He also discovered this gift made him excellent at detective work. He would become an FBI agent or maybe a detective. He first must attend college. He had already been accepted at the University of Kentucky and was prepared to begin his new life in law enforcement. He would move forward. They had excellent courses and opportunity in Kentucky, and in all honesty, it just felt like the right place to be. Afterward, he would fully prepare to uncover the truth of his parents' death. He would save that little girl from whatever horrible fate she was destined to be living. That must be their connection and his purpose. And then he would finally feel fulfilled.. and this insufferable nagging itching compulsive ache to move into action would be sated. Or he hoped so anyway. He hadn't felt at ease since he had met Aris. He couldn't explain it other than it was the feeling of unease, like not having enough water to be fully sated or enough sleep to be completely rested.

He thought of Aris most days, if not all. She was his motivation, after all. All the choices he had made and the complete change of trajectory he was now on were inspired by her. Alex knew from experience not to ignore when life highlights something for you so absolutely. He had spent a few years ignoring things he thought were of no importance, and it had only served to change his perspective and confirm how much time he had really wasted. He should have left that day. He would have spent eight fewer years worrying.

All Alex really ever wanted was to find balance. He was fiercely independent. All his experiences and training had made him so. Even when he did connect with someone, find a common interest or experience chemistry, it was ruined almost immediently. He knew and understood life, and it's working well beyond most. He quickly understood himself to be without peer by the time he had become a teenager. Adults walking around with minds and thoughts that never grow. Large children with even larger egos. He had very little ambitions in life other than to become more. He felt little direction... Free her so that he may be free of this feeling of obligation. Solve the murder. That was it. To what end he didn't know, only that he was preparing for something. Being tugged this way and that way. He felt he had very little control, only ever nagging tugs that wouldn't shut off unless he followed them. He was always grooming, always perfecting, further, faster, stronger. It was his mantra when the path forward was so uneven. He was a lonewolf, with nothing to lose.

He felt annoyance, and the feeling only continued to grow. There was nothing right about what the universe was doing to him. His life was meant to be his own. He was meant to have parents. He was meant to be having fun with other teens instead of growing up at three and becoming a tiny f*****g yogi. Sometimes he wished he could just be ignorant again.

He hung his head and took a deep breath. Then another. He was doubting himself. It wasn't that he didn't want this. He just wasn't sure he was always making the right moves in the right directions. He felt her heart flutter and peace coarsed through his entire body. He didn't understand, but this was the right way.

***

Atlas rang his hands together in an attempt to calm down. He let out an angry roar and then proceeded to punch his desk several times. The house, the children, and the witnesses all reduced to a pile of cinders, ash, and bone. It was good intelligence. They were so close. Someone had to tip them off, and Atlas was beginning to see clearly that someone in their office was dirty. Someone was on the take. Atlas had called to find out who owned the house, a f*****g shell company! Tuxedos for Cheetas Pet boutique.

Atlas had been on the trail of this particular trafficking ring since the disappearance of His brother, his wife, and their child. Artemis Alexi and Atlas had been on the force together since Atlas joined his other brother proudly when he was old enough. They had worked a particularly long and demanding case. Alexi wanted to get away, far away take his wife and kid back to his wife's home country, take some time off to really decompress. A trip they never returned from.

Altas had pursued the trafficking ring all the way from Sri Lanka where their bodies had been found at the resort Arti had booked for his families trip, right off the southern coast of Sri Lanka where Devi, Artemis's wife was originally from. Shot dead to rights in their own suite, Artemis's gun, badge, ID, cards passports cash, and son had been taken. Local authorities had let Atlas ride shot gun, the murders were dead upon apprehension, and Alexander wasn't found. He had followed the leads until it landed him in Kentucky.

Atlas and Arti were Jersey Boys through and through, but Kentucky was the place to be. H wasn't letting his nephew go or letting this crime network go without justice being served. He quit his job and moved to Kentucky. That was that. Now, he worked at the local precinct during the night and hunted leads for Alexander's case during the day. He would find out who really owned the house. He had to find out who had ties to the shell company. He hated to lose the house and all the leads it incased... but he was definently happy about the new lead.