White on Black

Chapter 14

 I walk through the marble corridors and knock on the one-way glass. The metal doors slide open and I step into the room.  Ancient bookshelves line the walls. A glass table is set up in the middle of the room.

"Welcome." I whirl around and come face-to-face with the ice eyes of void. Amused, he pulls out a chair.

"Be my guest. Have a seat, please," He says in a firm voice. I sit down and try to keep my cool as Void takes his seat right across from me.  He interlocks his hands and bangs his forehead on his fists. 

"I've seen your scores. I've also seen you as a person. You have the physical ability, as well as the mental techniques. We need someone like you. We haven't found a match in years." He looks up, his eyes sharing a hint of hope. "Kyle Thomas, is it not?" I nod my head enthusiastically. 

"Nice to meet you." I hold out my hand. He simply smiles, but does not shake my hand. I drop my gaze, feeling awkwardly rejected. 

"Hmm. You look like someone that I know. I'm sorry, I knew. He also had a scar down his face like that. Strange." My mind whirrs as I try to think of a response. 

"What a coincidence," I say slowly. Void stands up and I do so too. We exchange a nod, and as I turn to leave, Void says, 

"Come back next week."

I sit on my bunk in my blue pajamas, slowly stroking Shadow. He purrs in a low tone and stretches his limbs.  

"There there, little kitten," I coo. He climbs out of my grip and bundles himself up in a corner. A gentle knock on the door snaps me back into reality and I stare at the figure near the door.

"It's Gray here," he says in his raspy old voice. I sigh in relief, relaxing my shoulders. 

"Come in." 

He steps through the door and settles himself below me on Larry's bunk.  He reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out an ancient picture. He rubs it between his fingers and passes it to me to see. I gaze down at the pretty woman pictured within the frame. Her almond eyes glow with her bronze hair. 

"Rosalie was a wonderful woman," Gray murmurs. "Ever since she left this world, I haven't seen my little girl, ever." His eyes blink slowly, then close, keeping the image inside his brain. He raises his hand to his heart, takes a deep breath, and opens those sad, grey eyes. 

"May I ask what her name is?"

"Oh, oh, of course," Gray replies. "Her name is Nea Trobelo. I'm Mr. Trobelo, of course. She also had a beautiful cousin; Maria Logstan."

This... this... how could this be possible?!