Those Hollow Lies

Things Never Change

6/9/09 lunch I think?

“What are you doing here? Why have you been following me?” I had that many questions that my head was beginning to spin.

“Not here. We have to keep walking.” Roz was as professional as ever and before I could blink she had reached me, took my arm and led me deeper into the cemetery.

“Will you at least answer my questions?” I asked her, pulling my arm free.

“I expected you to have them. You wouldn’t be the same if you quietly obeyed me.” She smirked that infamous smirk that I had missed so much.

“I’m going to assume that means ‘yes’. Why have you been playing mind games with me? Following me, leaving things behind?”

“That was mainly Joe’s idea. We needed to see if you still remembered a few of the skills we taught you three years ago before we approached you for sure.” I looked around and noticed that Roz was leading me to the area of the cemetery filled with crumbling graves that dated back to the early 1600’s. Clearly she didn’t want people to see us together.

“Why did you need to ‘approach me’?” I asked, ducking to avoid a tree branch.

“I can’t tell you. Not yet.”

“Then why show up today?”

She stopped and turned around to face me, shrugging slightly. “You know I’ve been following you and today was to be no different. I happened to open my mouth though.”

“So you should explain this to me!”

“I can’t. Not yet. Tomorrow morning, you’ll understand.”

“I am so confused right now. I thought the Underground Quarter shut down, closed up shop, ended its operation?”

“It did, technically. It’s too risky for us to talk here, but things have changed and we’re a lot deeper than I would have liked to be.”

“You’re doing the cryptic thing that I hate.” I folded my arms and tried to stare her down, failing epically when she arched her perfectly shaped eyebrow and her dark eyes met mine, bringing back so many memories from my past.

“Trust me. Tomorrow morning you’ll understand. Once Bethany has gone to work-and she will go-if you’re interested in what I have to say then meet me here, this exact spot at noon. If you’re not here, then I’ll deal with this alone and you’ll never see me again.” Rosaline moved her dark hair from her face and waited for my response.

I couldn’t explain what I was feeling. When Roz mentioned that I’d never see her again, I thought my heart would implode on itself. I thought I’d never see her again three years ago when the factory exploded and yet she was here in front of me, healthier and looking better than ever. I couldn’t deny it; this girl still made my heart race. I was so curious, so eager to know what this was all about, but I knew Roz better than most people and even I couldn’t get her to explain more once her mind had been made up. This was one of those times.

“I have to go. Like I said, it’s too risky.” She glanced around and then walked away without another word or even another glance.

I watched her go and then looked around. I’d not been this confused in so long. I had a normal life back now and I was making a future for myself but part of me was desperate to know what the Quarter was doing and why Roz wanted me involved so badly. I hadn’t thought about it in the longest of time but I kind of missed the adrenaline rush that came with those nerve wracking missions that I thought would give me an ulcer some day.

I sighed, running my hand through my hair and wondering where the sudden headache had come from. I didn’t know what to do and I kind of didn’t know how to get back to my car from here either...