Moondust & Orchids

Introduction

A teenage boy rounded the corner of the building. He was tall, lean, had messy brown hair, and deep brown eyes to match. He wore baggy camo pants and a dirty, black, tight-fitting shirt that contoured to his body. Slung over one shoulder was bandolier filled with pistol ammo. His hands hid behind black leather gloves that stopped at his calloused knuckles. On each side of his belt, gun holsters held pistols.

The boy snuck around the building made of a giant culvert tube. Inside he could hear commotion. He unclipped one of his pistols and held it out in front of him, ready to shoot at anything that moved. He had been tracking the enemy for days, with no luck, it seemed.... Until now.

The boy pressed himself against the wall, like he had seen them do in movies and comic books when he was younger; before the Ruin. Then swiftly, he turned the corner and pointed his gun in several directions, in an attempt to ward off whatever was there.

But what he found was not an enemy. In the corner was a middle-aged man. His feet and hands were tied, and a bandanna was wrapped over his mouth. He struggled and groaned. Quickly, the boy shoved his pistol back into his holster and ran towards the him. The man looked up at him with wild eyes.

The boy pulled out a knife from his pocket and began cutting through the ropes. He pulled the bandanna from the man's mouth. For a while, the man just whined and made far off noises. The boy pulled the ropes from from his legs and tossed them away.

"The girl..." The man murmured.

The boy froze. Slowly, he lifted his head and watched as the man's mouth moved, searching for the right words.

"The girl..." The man repeated. "She will... She will come. You'll find her in a bed of... of orchids, lying beneath the moon... a full moon. She is... Your mission. She will come."

The boy stared at the man, not knowing what to say. "...Sir?" He asked.

For just a moment, the man's eyes focused on him. "You must find her... at the full moon. She is your only... your only... Hope..."

The boy gulped. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, sir."

"After you find her..." The man stuttered, not paying attention to the boy's comment. "You have until... until the crescent moon.... until the crescent moon reaches the top of the mountain... And shines over the valley."

"To do what sir?" The boy asked.

The man's eyes clouded with pain, and his body began jerking with spasms. Then he lay still, his eyes closed. He breathed just three last words. "To kill her."