COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)

Chapter 14: The Trial (Part 1/3)

          LOOK WHO'S UPDATING REGULARLY - because I'm procrastinating homework - Wooooo! This chapter wasn't part of my original piece, so pardon any errors (and possible KAEL thingies I forgot to replace with his accented name) and point them out~ 

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          Sora snapped off the last ribbon of tape, completing her storm proof piece with an exhausted sigh. A set of steel grey eyes stared back at her through the window of sticky plastic, its awkward smile settling on thin lips to pull off your typical school photo.

          This particular picture had been blown up to a pixelated mess and stamped on a hundred sheets, 'MISSING' jumping in bold black letters to grab any passerby. 

          She bit her lip, still lingering on the poor word choice.

          Missing was for cats and dogs. 

          Missing was for things that didn't come back due to strange circumstances.

          Kidnapped was for her best friend.

          She squinted at the thick letters, skimming her phone number plastered at the bottom as a second punch at her idiocy. Now everybody in Iridis could blow up her phone. But she didn't exactly have a number for his uncle, and she had to sell her act.

          She slowly peeked over her shoulder. A couple was down the street loitering at the local cafe, one tall and lean built man rigidly holding his partner's gentle hand, her tight wound bun of burgundy hair bobbing as she chatted. 

          As they pretended to look at the menu.

          In reality, that same couple had pretended to look at the books in the library while Sora tacked up a poster on the community board. They had pretended to pass through the school's bounding field just as she left with a warm package of fresh flyers, only glancing at her as the principal's booming voice praised her spirit and offered his condolences. 

          They had pretended as if they hadn't changed their clothes three times that day.

          Paranoia had of course, haunted Sora's conspiracy for the first half of the day. With summer reeling in like a scorching inferno, Iridis' small cluster of estranged and off the beaten path tourists were filing into the streets. But these ones were here for more than the 'UFO landing rock that had unruly visitors trekking through the rear end of Káel's acreage.

          Sora bit at her cheek, keeping from staring at the couple. She wasn't being paranoid.

          She hugged the papers to her chest, schoolbag slung over one shoulder with the contents of her locker emptied into it. Iridis had seen an entire force of well off city folk gawking at their sub-par attractions, the bulk of them lingering with well polished black cars and a few packs of equipment. They'd come along a little after Káel's disappearance, and hadn't left since.

          Thankfully enough she hadn't crossed paths with that eerie woman and her twin guards. but this couple was hardly a better substitute. Sora scraped along the dusty sidewalk, cutting through the stretch of empty road and swiftly passing them. 

          "But they don't have decaf."

          The man grunted, his voice dipping to his partner's before Sora made it around the curb. "Let's look somewhere else then."

          Sora sucked in a breath as a set of casual footsteps tailed her, never passing her composed stroll while she didn't dare to peek over her shoulder. She'd looked up social security after that woman's visit, and although she was renowned as the only person that managed to befriend Káel, they would never go so far as to tail her like secret police.