The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Nine (these events are Ten in the revised scene list)

"Gabriel, my name is Opium, I need you to answer some questions for me, nothing major."

Gabriel laughed then looked at Morpheus. He had no vision, but his other senses told him Morpheus was there.

"This is my son, Morpheus. We're looking for Raven Pelolobo, the other Wolfbreed said you knew her."

"Maybe I know her."

"She is an old friend of mine, of Leanan. That was my name. I need to speak with her."

"Maybe she left the country."

Mother was not impressed. "Tell me."

"All right, I knew her. We lived together, me, and Raven, and her kid. She went to America. These humans, they didn't like the kid much, you know; they thought he was the antichrist." Gabriel laughed.

"You know where in America?"

"Miami. She has cousins there, distant cousins."

And so, they stood at the door of a brightly-colored, dilapidated apartment building, ringing at bell of a seventh floor apartment. "Who's there?" asked a decidedly Jamaican voice through the intercom.

"Tell Raven that Leanan is looking for Baobhan."

Long silence, then, "Could you say that again?"

"Tell Raven that Leanan wants to see her, it's me Opium!"

Mother's eyebrows appeared to rise slightly, as she looked at Morpheus.

A couple of minutes passed. Two figures looked out from behind the glass door, a slim, black man in black tee and three-color beret, and behind his arm, an unreally tall white woman, with thick black braids hanging over her shoulders. The woman rushed at the door. She stood before Opium and Morpheus with open arms, speaking rapidly in Gaelic, and then she drew her hands close to her body and just smiled.

"C'mere," Opium said and curled a finger.

The tall woman bent and Opium stepped up to hug her. Drawing back, afterward, Mother closed her eyes, her eyebrows knit together. Making herself felt was often difficult.

"Give me strength," Morpheus whispered, voicing his mother's sentiment.

She laughed weakly.

Raven switched to Spanish suddenly, "Este es mi primo, Jose." That was about all Morpheus understood, as Raven gestured to the man now behind her.

"Let's get out of sight," Jose said to her.

And still speaking in Spanish, which Morpheus didn't understand without first translating, she invited them upstairs.

It was a very small apartment, a narrow rectangular room, with a tiny kitchen to one side, and a narrow hall leading to bedrooms and bath. There was a small boy sitting in front of a flickering television screen, his hair an unusual burgundy color.

"When did you have this child, Raven?" Opium asked.

Raven looked almost startled. "He has four years," Raven said in something like English.

"Is," said the boy still staring at the screen. Morpheus recognized the program, a cartoon then practically ancient, Josie and the Pussycats.