Smokescreen: A Collection of Vignettes

Chapter 28

This took me three days to refine, and I really like how it turned out. Happy reading!

Sakura jumped awake and sat up. The TV was on and a horror movie was playing. Right. She had been binging on cheesy Halloween films before she fell asleep. She got up from the couch and stretched. The clock shone an eerie red and stated that it was 3:00 AM. Sakura sighed. Great. That was when all of the demons came out.

The young woman decided to burn a candle for protection. She always did this when she woke up at this hour. She took a deep breath and focused her energy upon the candle. It often helped with her meditation and to pass the time along.

All was silent and peaceful. There was nothing really to disturb her. She loved the mystical silence of her home. Sakura let the candle burn a little longer before she finally blew it out for the rest of the night. She could feel a gentle presence in the house and knew that she was being watched over.

Sakura yawned as she dragged herself back to bed, not seeing the strange figure in the smoke. The figure slowly took the form of a man. He was one of the few Enenras from an alternate timeline that escaped into Liu Kang's and without notice.

The Enenra silently followed his charge.

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Smoke had been hunting the young woman for a few months after the war. His Sakura had been taken and killed by Havik. Fortunately for him, the Sakura in this timeline was unattached and yearning for him as she dreamed. It seemed that the Smoke of this timeline had died, based on a small altar he had found. What a shame.

As an Enenra, he would come into her house as she slept. He often listened to the soothing sounds of her breathing. Sometimes, she would talk in her sleep and his name would pass through her lips. If she had only looked into the smoke that came from her candle. She would have known that he had been with her the entire time.

Smoke would sit in a corner and ward off any and all unwanted visitors that came to her. He would let those intruders know that he had claim over her. He was her protector. Her guardian angel. No harm would come to her.

Feeling bold, the young man took on his human form and kneeled at Sakura's side. He knew he would have to reveal himself to her at some point, but not tonight. Tonight, he wanted to make her dreams as sweet and peaceful as possible.

He leaned in and gently kissed her.