Outside The Box

Part Two Chapter Nine: Incandescent Lights

May 25th, 2090-11:04 AM.
Regina McAdams.

       I sat at a café's outdoor patio that overlooked the plaza with its grand fountain. Statues depicting men and women climbing over each other to reach a star clasped within one of the men's hands was the center piece of the fountain- water falling from the statue's eyes like tears. I always saw this statue as me being the one holding onto the star and Bex as the one pulling on my leg; desperately trying for me to let go.

       Sighing, I sipped my latte then rested my chin on my propped-up hand as I watched the water gush from the statue's eyes. The only one not crying was the man grasping the star. I wondered if that would eventually be me- trying to hold on to something for too long would be my death. Maybe that was what Bex was trying to tell me?

       "Why haven't you agreed to meet me if you are in Banes?" A voice spoke from behind me. I spun around in my chair to see Fredrick standing there with his arms folded over his chest. He certainly was starting to bald, but not one hair on his head had turned grey unlike mine, which now made my roots salt and pepper. I hadn't seen him in over ten years; yet he still gave me that stern glare like he did the day I abandoned him.

       I waved off his question with my hand. "I am still busy with orders that need fulfilling," not entirely a lie- I just hadn't thought about him at all up until recently.

       "Off course you do," he said with an eye roll as he took a seat next to me at my table, "you always have orders."

       "Not like you never gave me orders when I was living with you," I said back, my chin pointed defiantly to the sky, "the ones I get now actually mean something to me... At least, they used to."

       Fredrick huffed and I felt his arms thud against the tabletop. "You know, you never did show an ounce of love for me when you stayed at home. Some people might say you do not deserve to be married to me."

       "Eventually, you'll realize that not every woman will fall to their knees to cater to your every whim. Not anymore," I said, finally glaring at him through my sunglasses. We stared at each other for a moment- the man I took his name from cocked his head and twisted his lips, dissecting my words before asking; very confused.

       "Now what is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

       "The world is changing, Fredrick, whether we like it or not," I told him before a bullet whizzed pass my head and broke through the café window behind me.

       I immediately threw Fredrick to the floor and overturned the table to use as a shield as we pressed our backs against it. A barrage of bullets and glass littered the patio with people screaming and sounds of bodies thudding onto the floor. Fredrick shrieked before I clamped my hand over his mouth and aggressively whispered to him: "if you want to make it out of this alive you better shut the hell up and listen to my orders for a change."

       When I removed my hand, he did as I said and kept his mouth shut and that allowed me to listen to which way the shots were coming from. The area sounded deserted since the only footsteps I could hear were coming up behind us- no doubt it was the shooter. I motioned for Fredrick to follow me as we crawled behind overturned chairs and tables until we got behind the fountain's stone wall.

       I peeked over to see at least three mercenaries all wielding semi-automatic assault rifles; one near our table at the café, one close to the other end of the fountain, and the other in between them. I turned to Fredrick and mouthed: "you stay right here," before slowly climbing over the stone wall and sliding into the fountain where the water went up to my nose.