An Assassin's Death Wish

A Change in Wardrobe and A Division of Metal

The rest of the day was uneventful as always, but it eventually ended. I realized that Aspen had skipped when I saw her empty desk in World, and Varian had the second lunch while I had the first so I couldn't have sat with him. So ended up eating lunch in the garage with Mr. Marley. 

Despite not seeing either of them all day, I knew we were still on for meeting up later at The Slip, a ice rink owned by Aspen's family. However, I needed to make a stop before I went over to meet them. 

I waved to Mr. Marley as I sped my Thunderbird out of its parking spot and onto the uneven road. I drove hastily down the road, but not as fast as this morning since there were a lot more cars now. After a five minute drive, I yanked the steering wheel hard to the side and spun into a parking spot labeled "employees only". I peeked out the windows before turning the engine off just to see that I had managed to drive into the space perfectly between the lines. However this was no surprise since if I had screwed up the high speed turn I'd probably be dead... Oh how I wish I had messed up that turn! Damn my driving skills.

After turning off the engine, I slung my black bag over a shoulder and my red skate duffel over the other, and got out of the car only to be surprised by Charlie. "Hi Uncle Charlie!" I said surprised while giving the older man a hug. "Why'd you come out? I was just coming in."

My uncle glanced at my parking and gave it a small smile of approval. "Hm, nice parking," I thanked him then let him continue. "I came out cause a saw an explosion of dust, and I thought it was you, but I couldn't see anything out the window."

"I did kick up more dust then usual... Sorry about that."

"Nah it's fine, the dust is just from some idiots who were driving through town with a shit ton of sand. They stopped in here," he gestured to his diner, "to get a soda, and while they were away from their truck I sent Shirley to slash one of their bags that was piled in the back."

I gave him my did-you-really-have-to-do-that look, and he just looked down at me and patted my bun that was coming undone. "This looks like a lot of sand for one bag."

He smiled guiltily, "I may not have said only slash one." He started walking back towards the door, so I locked my car and trailed after him. "Even if it was more than one, they had plenty to spare, and they were being pushy so it was justified."

I rolled my eyes as we walked into the old-fashioned looking diner. I started to speak but he cut me off, "I already know your order, for heaven's sake you're here every damn day! I'll have Shirley start on it ASAP and it'll be ready once you're down in the bathroom. Did you have a smoothie today for breakfast?" After I nodded, he stuck out his hand. "Give," I pulled the cup out of my school bag and handed it over. "Now off to the bathroom with you!" he shooed me off while yelling orders to the kitchen. 

"Thank you!" I yelled at him, but all he did was nod knowingly over his shoulder. I turned around and started happily walking towards the employees only stall since it was bigger than the customer's bathrooms. 

Once the door was locked, I stripped off my hoodie and shorts, and replaced them with black leggings with white skulls on the knees and a red camisole that showed the criss-cross straps of my black bra. I zipped the red duffel bag back up and opened the two smaller pockets on my black leather school knapsack. From one I pulled out my phone and I pulled out the metal capsule from the other. I closed the pockets then walked over to the sink. I set my phone down on the side of the counter that the sink was built into. I used both hands to inspect the small capsule. It was only an inch or two tall and maybe a half inch wide. However, I noticed something I hadn't before: there was raised design. I ran my hand along it trying to both figure out what the bump was and to wipe away some oil so that I could see it. 

After a minute of rubbing my hands over it, I give up on my current examination method and turn on the water. I run the water over the capsule and almost immediately I feel the metal grow. I drop it out of shock and restrain my self from yelping. Despite the surprise, I watch curiously as it expands while resting on the sink's holed drain. After a few seconds it splits into two different pieces. I stare at it for a moment longer just making sure its done expanding before I turn the faucet off and observe the pieces. One is a coil and the other appears to be a necklace. 

I pick up the necklace first and carefully examine it. It takes me a minute but I realize that it's the design that was on the now separated capsule. It appeared to be some sort of metal, it looks like it might be silver or iron, was forged in to a delicate looking outline pendent of a flower... The same type of flower that was put in my car. 

I examine the long necklace a little longer before toweling it off and deciding to put it on. To my gratitude it doesn't do any other magic tricks and cut my head off or poison me or something else. That would be a bad way to go out. Just imagine Chief Abascal coming into the bathroom of my uncle's diner and finding my head separated from the rest of me. Yuck. But I guess I'd be dead so that's a perk! I slip the pendent into my shirt so that it's secure under the tight fabric and won't jump out while I'm skating.

I return my gaze to the sink where I pick up the second metal piece. I grabbed the coil but was surprised when it bent under my fingers' grip like paper. I unrolled it and when it was uncoiled, it appeared to be the same size as the paper in a fortune cookie. But instead of having a silly fortune on it, it had an engraving of some words that I couldn't read. I dried it with a paper towel and the metal engraving became much easier to read with water no longer flooding the imprinted letters. I read and reread the sentence over and over with both confusion and curiosity. Meet me at the fountain tonight at 10:00. The sentence was simple, yet I wondered if it was truly for me. I know nearly everyone in this small town and I don't think any of them would send me a mysterious message. And I'm sure as hell anyone I know wouldn't dare fuck with my car!

I realized that I was getting angry and took a few deep breaths, and then tucked the message back in my bag. I walked back over to the mirror and looked at my reflection. I looked composed despite being pissed. I looked into my own eyes. Dark purple stared back from one while the other was dark green. Once they had both been that dark green, but after an... accident one had changed. Push it away. Push it down. Don't remember. I looked down for a second and steeled myself. 

I glanced up again after a minute of struggle and realized that my hair was in complete disarray. I may not have cared at school, but Shirley will surely kill me if I come out with this hairstyle. I yanked the elastic band from my dark hair that Shirley had recently dyed thick purple streaks into. Purple that matched my eyes. No. Stop it. I told myself. I did like the streaks though; they added color to an otherwise very boring hair color. I gathered the soft dark curls in my hand and retied them into a messy bun. The only difference between this bun and the previous one was that this one had all my hair in it, and the one before only had half of my hair in it. 

I grabbed my bags and slung them over my shoulders, took one last glance at myself in the mirror, grabbed my phone, and then unlocked and walked out the door with a sigh.