1 Before

Chapter 1

When did it become like this? A wasteland of carnage and Oh yeah, right... evenings spent watching the sunset with her as she burned the souls she had collected, now in her palm withering away in crimson flames at which she cast a satisfied smile.

Then as the evening's amber turns to a distinct purple the light barely enough to make out any facial feature she'd turn to me and ask, "satisfied yet?"

A question to which an answer I could not place.

For I knew not what could have caused such a question to surface in the first place.

1987

With such a name as Eric you'd expect that I'd be be a normal guy right?

Well you guessed correctly my life has been nothing out of the ordinary.

With no power come no responsibility.

I wish that was the case, if nothing else I've had a gambling problem, see when you're 17 with a name like Eric you tend to end up in bad company and bad company leads to bad habits ergo my current predicament.

______________***___________

I glanced around the room in a mostly futile attempt to seal my focus somewhere else. I was nervous and rightly so.

Wisps of strong cigar smoke lingered in the air, quick tempo jazz which no one and everyone payed any but little attention to. Not simply because it was a music number frequently played but because it was a "mood setter " , back-ground music or the strongest element in setting the ambience for any casino in the 1980's.

Working girls danced with glittering lingerie and almost transparent fur lined tops.

"Call or fold!" Stated one of my acquaintances, in a tone that'd make you question weather they even wanted me around.

"Fold," I answered slowly.

He looked at the others at the small round table and then placed his hand on the small revolver which rested beside his chips most of which he'd collected from me.

I swallowed hard.

Suddenly he started laughing and the others joined in too.

It was the type of laughter that you would hear when a funny joke's been told or someone does something stupidly funny. So naturally I joined in.

Then without warning he raised the pistol to my head cocked it and squeezed.

I felt my heart stop.

Click.

I flinched,

Click.

Click again.

The others laughed harder as if it were the funniest thing one could do.

"That's not funny," I muttered under my breath.

"You say something Eric?" Asked the guy who attempted to shoot me. With an empty gun.

"He said it wasn't funny," stated a woman her voice of liquid gold, caramel flavored honey and a Texan accent. Her bodice cutting a figure so sharp That it was almost impossible not to stare mostly because of (the cut in her dress reaching almost to her hip.)

"And who might you be?" Asked the ring leader trying to act the gentleman he obviously wasn't.

She ignored his query and instead focused all her attention on me,

Her long auburn colored hair swaying gently as she did.

(When I really think about it, that's exactly when it started. )

"Y'know I could hear you calling from all the way in Indonesia." She started.

Slowly everything else became background noise.

"W-what? Don't be ridiculous." I countered trying to tare my gaze from the spell of her allure only to fail.

"Hmm, listen closely cause I'll only tell you once." She leaned close and whispered "when your soul wishes for something it's not always wise to turn the other direction. "

"What do you mean?" I asked genuinely confused.

She reached out to me hinting for me to take her hand.

"Listen lady, you're pretty and all but I don't know you and I'm pretty sure that whatever it is you're going on about isn't really meant for me," I started "cause I really have no idea what you're talking about."

"Y'know if you refuse me then you'll probably never see me again but s that what your soul really wants?" She gazed deeply into my eyes.

A few years later.... -2009-

"Well?" Asked Alice, a stunning beauty whose smile proved irresistible in the evening light. The soft ember glow placed ephemeral and ambient around her frame, striking a chord in memory one I could not place. Only in a word it could be surmised as utterly beautiful.

She pouted a little "you like making me wait don't you." She stated as I held her hand and helped her up. We were at the park.

"You're getting better at this," I stated with a faint smile.

"Flattery will get you no-where," she responded quickly before adding "my French is barely at a level-" she paused. Gazing past me she queried in a semi-hushed tone, "-a friend of yours?"

I followed her gaze and locked eyes with a woman in the distance. She'd been staring right at us as if the very idea that she'd been found out meant nothing to her.

"No," I replied to Alice's earlier question.

Finally I tore my gaze away, the situation had the same effect on Alice who also seemed slightly unnerved by the lady's constant staring. "Come-on lets go" she stated softly as if afraid of being heard.

"Maybe we should see if she needs something-" Alice held my arm "No let's just go." She repeated in a near whisper.

Something about the woman brought about a fear primal and inexplicable to the now trembling Alice.