The Chosen Ones: Red Smoke

by Mitchelly Melo

  The first thing I thought when I saw her the next morning was "screw this." Suddenly the orders seemed so stupid that I wondered why I didn’t do this before. I waited for the movement to slow down, crossed the street and entered the diner, suddenly feeling nervous. It was a new feeling to me.

  I walked in and sat down at a table. She looked at me immediately. She seemed to be examining me. I raised my hand, looking at her. She came to the table as soon as I called.

  “Hi, what can I get you?” she asked.

  It was the first time I heard her voice. It was gentle and calm. It matched her delicate face and penetrating green eyes.

  "Just a cup of coffee, please," I said, smiling.

  I thought I had disguised my nervousness well. A short time later she came back with my coffee and left with quick steps and returned to work. It was good to be near her, not needing to hide. I completely lost the notion of time and almost an hour later, with the coffee still untouched, I left the money on the table and left.

  I returned to my normal post across the street until it was dark. I didn’t believe I had done that.

  "I can’t believe you did that." Zal repeated my words, sneaking up.

  I punched him before he sat next to me.

  "I don’t care," I said. "I don’t care what Torim wants. And what about what she wants? Doesn’t she have a right to know where she comes from?”

  "So that's why you're doing this?" He asked laughing.

  "Yes," I said, and it was true. It wasn’t just because I liked her. "You don’t come here every day. Every time I look at her I see a huge loneliness. She lives in a crowd and is still lonely.”

  Zal sighed, closing his eyes.

  “Can you at least keep the contact to a minimum”? He said after a while.

  He wasn’t going to say it openly. That was his way of saying he supported me. I smiled and nodded.

  When I saw the lights being turned off at the diner, I left where I was and waited around the corner. I had to find a way to tell the whole story without her thinking I was crazy. She had to trust me first. A few minutes later, she passed me. I smiled at her expression, as if she could punch me for scaring her. I followed her closely this time, in silence.

  "Are you following me or something?" I asked at last.

  "Or something," I said smiling. "Elizabeth, right?"

  “Just Liz.”

  Liz, I repeated mentally. I looked into her green eyes and something changed. I was sure I wouldn’t let her feel lonely. Never again.