A Theft in the Dark

Chapter 2

Jian opened his eyes. The world he dreamt of was gone. She was gone. No matter how many years passed, he would never forget that life. How could he? Every morning, every night, and every time a passerby stared at his metal bastard of an arm, he had a constant reminder of what he'd lost to the war.

He did have one thing to keep him going in this new world though. In the other bed across the room, a small boy lay sleeping. Jian went over to him, gently shaking him awake. "C'mon, if you want breakfast before I go to work then you gotta get up," he said when the boy groaned.

"But Jiaaaannn..." the boy whined.

"Don't eat then, doesn't matter to me," Jian teased.

The boy got up and groggily followed Jian into the kitchen. "Can I go with you today?" He asked.

"You know I can't take you out there. It's too dangerous. I can't watch the gate and you," Jian said.

"You don't have to watch me though! I'm big enough," the boy said, putting his hands on his hips triumphantly.

Jian smiled a bit and tousled the boy's hair. "Well, you've got a job of your own to do. Who else is going to protect Ms. Hale while I'm away?"

"Yeah, you're right! She needs me," Milo said excitedly as he helped Jian clear away the mess from last night's dinner.

After breakfast, they headed out together. It was a beautiful sunny day in their picturesque neighborhood. Every house seemed to beam with pride as they walked by. A few neighbors had taken the good weather as an opportunity to manicure their already perfect lawns. Milo waved to them happily as he passed.

Despite there being no birds in sight, one could always hear their soft tune. The melody seemed to be coming from all around them, yet it was so subtle that it blended easily into the background. Jian found himself humming along to it subconsciously now and then.

At the end of the street, just before the golden arch leading down the hill, was a house that was a little run down compared to the rest. It was by no means shoddy, but it was weathered slightly by age. A few loose shingles, some small chips of paint, and a bit of overgrowth stuck out amongst the immaculate nature that surrounded them.

The stairs creaked as they made their way up to the door. Jian knocked, and moments later it opened to reveal an absolutely stunning figure. Wearing a long sundress that ebbed and flowed with the summer breeze, Ms. Alice Hale stood tall in the doorway, towering slightly over Jian as she smiled brightly at him. "My my~ If it isn't the 2 most handsome men in all of Alexandria," she said, her sweet Southern accent tingling their ears with delight.

Jian tried not to make eye contact with her, so as not to encourage her usual wiles. But, he found it very difficult for his eyes not to wander over her enticingly voluptuous figure. He coughed slightly to clear his throat and his mind. "Milo, please take good care of Ms. Hale today. I'll be back a little after sundown, okay?" he said, looking down at the boy.

"Yes, I need a big strong boy like Milo to help me in the garden today," Ms. Hale chimed in.

Milo nodded and hugged Jian's legs. "I promise I'll keep her safe. You keep everybody else safe," he said.

Jian smiled a bit as he bent down briefly to hug him back, then left the house as Milo went inside.

He made his way down the hill, through the city's slums. Life here was very different compared to up on the hill. There were no houses, gardens, or gorgeous Southern spinsters. The slums reeked of misery from every pore. The streets were lined with crude tents and cardboard complexes. Some were lucky enough to cobble together slightly more sophisticated structures from the ruins of old buildings. Although, they were not much more stable.

It seemed as though the world below recoiled as Jian approached. People swiftly moved aside. Their eyes gazed downward intensely, as though they were afraid he'd turn them to stone. Even the children knew to make themselves scarce in his presence. They could tell by the crunch of his boots that he was a soldier. The fear was evident as their tension only seemed to ease with every step he took to further himself from them.

He let out a long sigh once he had passed through. It felt like he had forgotten to breathe the whole time, too focused on keeping his composure. He had to exude that menacing aura, or else he would open himself to harm. That was the burden of his job, keeping the balance between order and chaos.

At the edge of the city stood a barrier made of scrap metal welded together. The two layers formed a structure in between, a checkpoint through which all travelers would be inspected. Jian entered the structure through a side door in order to access the small partition designated as the guard's quarters. He quickly donned his uniform, secured a respirator over his face, readied his rifle, and then exited through another door leading to the outside.

The atmosphere was much harsher outside of the dome that blanketed Alexandria. Inside, one could hardly tell that anything was amiss. The sun, the rain, the moon, and the stars were all simulated perfectly. But, outside was a world that had been ravaged to ruins. The air was dry and coarse with gusts of debris that whipped around almost endlessly. The land was barren, fruitless for miles in every direction.

Jian didn't mind being outside so much. It was far more preferable to the work he would be made to do inside the city. Out here, not much ever happened. It was rare to have any travelers come their way, since the journey through this terrain could not be survived by many.

For hours, he stood and paced back and forth in front of the gateway. His mind drifted away, daydreaming of her. She was always in his dreams, giving him comfort and wisdom. Although she wasn't physically here, he always felt he could tune in to her presence when needed. He wondered if she could feel his energy too, wherever she was, if she was.

"Oh Joy..." he sighed.