The Gothic Ballerina Part 2 (standard:science fiction, 1302 words) [2/8] show all parts
Author: kissofthehungry	Added: Jun 15 2005	Views/Reads: 2835/2106	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Calming down after another night on the prowl, Echo is startled to find a man waiting for her in her apartment. His name is Mikey and he needs her to find his sister.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

less likely to accidentally kill you?  You're nuts, though in a way 
right, it wouldn't have been an accident,” she sat on her cushy couch, 
letting him digest that piece of information, then she added, “I'd be 
willing to help on one condition, you follow my command and accept that 
I know what I'm doing.  Don't second guess me, don't questions me, and 
god help you, don't get in my way.  Do you understand?” 

For a moment, he looked as if he were going to protest, then he nodded
and inquired, “Now that you aren't going to kill me, can I ask your 
name?” 

“Echo,” she didn't include it was a name she had given herself.  Her
real name was Dianna Scott but after her parents' deaths, it had seemed 
inappropriate.  It had been a name of happy times and smiling memories, 
now she was a mere echo of that time period thus her name. 

“Why are you going after the bad guys?  I mean, besides they're bad,”
Mikey questioned, sitting on the floor by her couch. 

“Because they're bad,” she replied, taking another sip of her water. 

“Well yeah, but the way you go after them says it's something personal,
what did do to you?” he pushed the issue and her wall went up.  She 
didn't like to talk about it, her parents didn't deserve what they had 
been given and it angered her. 

“You're questioning me.  That was one of our agreements, remember?  No
questioning! If you're already doing it, how can I believe that you're 
going to be able to respect the rest of my rules while we try to save 
your sister,” she bristled and he put his hands up in the air. 

“Look, I was just trying to have a conversation.  Didn't mean to get you
all worked up,” he looked down at her floor, which had an intricate 
design that she had spent hours painting on to it. 

After a moment of silence, she announced, “I'm not worked up.”  There
was no response from him and she stood up, feeling edgy and guilty, 
“Well, I'm done for the night but I'll get you some blankets to sleep 
on the couch.  Unless you're leaving?” 

“If it's not a problem with you, I'd be more than willing to stay,” he
looked up at her finally, his hazel eyes full of too many thoughts for 
her to fathom.  Without saying a word, she nodded, and spun to go get 
the blankets. 

Laying in her bed, she could see her new partner sleeping on the couch,
his chest rising and falling in his dreams.  For some reason, she 
couldn't sleep, it was strange having someone else in her house after 
seven years.  Sighing heavily, she turned on her side so that she 
couldn't see him but then she felt exposed, and had to roll over again 
so she could keep an eye on him.  What was she thinking?  She wasn't a 
people person, this was not needed, but his loss could still be 
regained.  There was a way for her to keep him from feeling the sorrow 
that she would forever feel.  Somehow, she eventually went to sleep, 
her thoughts on her parents and Mikey. 


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