Elevate

Amble

Somewhere in Embreal Market

Soft chatters were heard from the distance, as a group of children whirled themselves with the mass in the wet market. The three of them were wearing some leathered boots, tattered blue jeans and shirts. They were wearing their light grey shoal over their nose. Everyone was busy buying loads of crops and plants. Some were in the middle of negotiations and trading. They moved at the center as their eyes roamed the place.

“Do you see it?” One of them asked.

The woman shook her head and continued to walk. The others followed her silently. The weather is at its peak, perfect for them to troll. They turned left and headed straight to a secluded, obscured alley where no one is passing. They were vigilant as they took their time in making sure that no one had followed them. One of them gave a thumbs up to their leader and everyone nodded and moved in.

“Do you think, he didn’t follow us?” A boy asked when they stopped over a corroded ironed door. The girl looked at her and patted her by the shoulder. “Yes. We’re going to be okay as long as we stick to the plan. I’m quite sure she’ll be here in any time soon. We’ll just wait for her until she arrives. Did you contact the twins?

He nodded his head. “Yes. But they’re not sure if they can make it today. Their parents wanted them to work with them.”

“Now, they’re keeping them busy. That sounded interesting. Don’t you think?”

The boy fiddled his fingers and they became aware when they heard in a sudden those tapping steps from the distance. It was coming in their way. The girl pulled him close and they immediately went inside the black pitched room and closed the door.

The woman moved her ear near the door and listened attentively to what’s outside. Even if she could clearly hear the thumps of her heart, she let herself focused. The sound became louder as it gets nearer, more like someone was pacing down the dark alley. Just when she decided to pull of her ear on the door, the sound just stopped just in front of the door. She glanced over the group and told them to shut their mouths.

It took seconds when the steps began again and went to the other side – a sound of relief for them. The boy took a sigh, touching his chest.

“I-Is it gone?” A young child asked, swirling her curly hair with her fingers. She was standing still beside the old, murky bookshelf.

The boy nodded and rubbed her hair. He gently placed a smile on his face enough to calm her tides. “Yes. It’s gone now, Annie.

The child smiled at him and giggled. The girl turned on the switch and crossed her arms. Scattered pieces of paper, trash and used plates messed the whole room. Books were on the wooden table and couch. Everything is chaotic. She scratched her head and walked to the couch. She gently moved the books and rested on them.

“This surely is a mess. What happened here?” She looked at everything then laid her sight to the boy.

He scratched his head and gauchely laughed. “Well. I was called all of a sudden by Mr. Trench, so I wasn’t able to clean this up.” He answered.

Annie nibbled some of the sugar-coated biscuits that were on the desk. “Why are you calling him Mister, Howard?”

The boy looked at her with a dubious face. “What are you gabbing about? Everyone is calling him like that…or just like how he wanted.”

“Well, Annie is calling him as an uncle.” The older girl said and made her hair into a ponytail.

“Lucky for her then.” He prompted and sat beside her. “Trix, have you seen the old lady lately?”

“No. About that, I think she had already noticed us following her. I guessed we have to stop for now.”

“Are you sure about that?”

She nodded and raised herself from the couch. She hovered to the bookshelf and blew the dust that was fending it. She took one of the folders and moved back to the couch. Breaching it, a long list of names of Embreals was laid. She scanned every as her fingers ran down through them.

“Did you find her?” Howard asked.

She shook her head. “She’s not even in the list, Ward.”

“Did you try to look at it in the other folders?”

“I did. It seemed that she’s also one of those who’re eliminated before, but somehow…she made it through and lived here inside the city and even got a living without getting caught.”

“Perhaps the system isn’t that stable since before.” He commented.

Annie walked to them. Her mouth was still covered with small crumbs. She sat beside Trixie and watched her intently with the documents. The child had been anxious since the day they started the mission. It wasn’t their first time to have a task, but having a different one is somehow elating. She had been wandering around with the two and trying to find the woman who’s connected with the flower. In a sudden graze, a knock was heard on the door.

They looked at each other, while Howard told them to hush their mouths. They kept their silence and waited for another knock – now twice and a beat was there to be recognized as one. Trixie aroused and went to open the door.

A young woman entered the room and collapsed on the floor intently. Her clothes were worn out and her body was trounced. They freaked out and immediately pulled her inside and carried her to the couch. Trixie glanced over on both sides, making sure that no one is there. When she was sure about it, she instantly closed the door and went to help the woman.

She knelt on the floor and grabbed some clean white clothes and gently swathed them around the woman’s arms. She winced as the pain was throbbing. Her blood was fresh, tainting the white cloth. She was breathing hard, closing her eyes as she tried to calm her surges.

Annie looked at her frenziedly, clasping both of her hands.

“W-What happened?” She asked, almost in a whisper.

The woman slowly opened her eyes and glimpsed over her.

“T-They’re coming.