It was a clear and bright day, but rather cold regardless. My eyes were having trouble adjusting to the sun, and I was glad my father had thought of my need for sunglasses beforehand. I followed his instructions and soon found myself in a small park in the town of Davens. From years of eavesdropping on visitors, I knew a little about Davens and that this park was the center of the place. Children played around in the sand while their parents looked on. People were spread out along the grass on blankets, eating food removed from baskets and enjoying conversations with one another. I made my way to the fountain at the center of the park and took a seat on the edge. Trailing my fingers along the top of the water, I began to wonder what I was going to do now that I was here. Back in Underaan, I was always a resourceful kid, but here I hadn't a clue how to survive. Lost in thought, I didn't notice the girl approach until she sat down next to me.
She introduced herself as Amber, I told her I was Jack. I didn't say much at first and I didn't know why I was being so reserved. I had never had a problem speaking to girls in the past. But then again, my mind was elsewhere. I couldn't help but notice she was gorgeous in the girl-next-door sort of way, and her eyes were captivating. I suppose they were a just normal hazel color but there was something holding my gaze to them.
We continued with the normal small talk, but when she began asking questions about me, I wasn't sure what to say. Where did my family live? Where did I go to school? I mumbled something about being new to town, and steered the conversation away. I let her do most of the talking. I was enjoying the sound of her voice, and watching her slight movements. Like the way she crinkled her nose up when she laughed, or how she was constantly pushing strands of her golden brown hair back behind her ears.
We had maneuvered our way to a swing set at the corner of the park, where there weren't many people around. Pushing her on the swing, listening to the excited sound of her laughter, I began to realize I was falling for this girl. A girl I'd only met a few short hours before. As much as that excited me, I couldn't shake the nagging thoughts at the back of my mind. Where was I going to sleep tonight? How would I eat and survive on the small amount of cash my father had given me? And now, what would she do or say when she found out I was from Underaan? When she found out I was essentially homeless and stranded in this world so new to me? My thoughts were scattered, to say the least.
The day progressed into night and Amber informed me that she would have to leave soon. I told her I wanted to see her the next day. She excitedly agreed so we planned a time and a spot in the park to meet. She came in close for a hug but I deftly cupped her chin and brought her lips to mine. It wasn't my first kiss, not by a long shot, but it was definitely the most memorable.
That night, after the park became deserted, I decided I would try to get a few hours of needed sleep on a park bench. It was cold and uncomfortable but I managed. When day broke, I made my way into the nearby supermarket and picked up some food that I could carry around with me in my backpack.
Back at the park, after discovering my small amount of cash had just become significantly smaller, I saw a man playing his guitar for tips. I wished my father would've had the foresight to have grabbed mine. The thought of the guitar caused my mother to pop into my head; I closed my eyes tight and tried to think of something else.
Amber showed up right on time and the day was much like the one before. In fact, we carried on like this for the rest of the week. Every day, I tried to clean up a bit in the public restrooms and not bring attention to the fact that I was cycling through the same two outfits. If she had noticed, she never said anything about it, and I was thankful. Once she brought one of those baskets of food and I tried not to eat too fast, or let on that I was starving. She had just made simple sandwiches and brought frosty cans of soda, but to me it was like ambrosia.
On the last day, she asked me to dinner at her place and I instantly agreed. The thought of an actual home-cooked meal made my stomach grumble and ache. However, unknowingly at the time, that would be a date I would never be able to make.
The day I left Underaan, Micah had instantly begun pestering our father about where I was when I didn't return to our house. He hadn't quite come up with a cover story, and it really needed to be good. Under Micah's constant questioning, our father finally blurted out that I was very sick and had to be quarantined at the hospital and that no one was allowed to visit me. Our father hoped that would be enough to keep Micah's curiosity at bay, and that no one else would notice my disappearance, at least until he could think of something better. But Micah became worried that I would "go away" like our mother. He shared his concern with many of his friends and the lie spread around the community. When the Faction members caught wind of it, they questioned our father. They demanded to see me, to know exactly what was wrong with me and why I needed to be quarantined. The lies our father came up with after that didn't hold them off for very long. Somehow, they finally pieced together what had actually happened.
There was outrage in the Faction. They needed things to be resolved quickly and quietly; they couldn't have people finding out about the breach. They had our father leave Micah with a friend, then they restricted our father to the house. Afterwards, they sent the Faction Leader of the Watch & Ward, Alaric, out for me.
I stepped out of the store, into the blindingly sunny day. I had just purchased a small memento for Amber, one that consumed the remainder of my cash. I had finally decided it was time she knew the truth about me, and where I came from. I was hoping she'd be understanding and she'd be able to help me out. I didn't think I could spend another night in the park, especially when the weather was getting colder and I was broke. Lost in these thoughts, I caught the black sedan parked a few feet away out of the corner of my eye. I wasn't sure why, but I suddenly had a strange feeling. Then I felt someone grab hold of me from behind and start shoving me towards it. Startled, I began thrashing a bit to shake them off. Then when I was able to turn my head slightly to the side, I recognized Alaric. An icy chill came over me, along with a knot in the pit of my stomach. In that one moment, I was fully aware of how bad my situation had become.
Before I knew what was going on, he had me in the car and we were speeding back to Underaan. I hadn't a clue how he found me. I knew who Alaric was and what it meant that the Faction had sent him specifically to come get me. I was worried for my father, and myself. We were really screwed.
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