Happy New Year

Fairy lights of variant vibrate colors decorated the sides of the lake that run through the middle of the city, weaving in irregular paths it flowed peacefully on its track a symbolism for the city, giving the city its name maybe for its presence or its state that represented the city as well. A peaceful place on its own path still figuring it all out on its own, left to rule by the elite's that owned its monopoly.

Lake City, it wasn't just the name of the city but also the name of the business empire that ruled every corner of it. The small empire created by Emily and Evan Dawson who left it too early in the name of their five year old daughter in the hands of their family twenty years ago. The story became the tragically beautiful ending to one of the successful love stories and history of the humble city, told in different shops with unique versions, the tale was spun over and over again like a cliched disney story.

Twenty years had passed by and the world had spurred, the empire had grown and so had the little Evelyn, awed by the locals, a perfect picture of poise and elegance for them. But every picture had a behind story and so did Evelyn, so did the picture perfect family of Emily and Evan Dawson. The twenty five year old sat staring at the mirror in a personal parlor with walls aligned with mirrors, the room filled with strong effervescence of the perfume. Three women worked around her: a brush up her deep brown eyes, a blush on the cheeks, a pearled hairband fixed in the curled auburn hair. The mirror reflected her sitting in a midnight blue dress that flared from the waist and shimmers merging into black near her metallic gold heels but her head was somewhere else away from the music that reached her from three floors below, away from the sounds of feet tapping against the dance floor in rhythm, away from the chatting of new year's resolution and away from the excited heartbeats of the guests gathered in the large hall inside of her mansion.

The crowd hooted in cheers as she stepped down the grandeur marble staircase, her dress tailing behind her; the light from the chandelier refracted upon her dress in different angles and the fireworks exploded on the dress and stayed there like the new year's night. All eyes glued on her, some judged her for being late, some snickered at her arrogance, some sighed in pure awe idolizing her, many wished to be her, in love with her sparkling life.

Evelyn's eyes searched the crowd, some familiar faces, some new faces all dressed from head to toe in expensive branded clothes craving the spotlight even though they all knew she was the star of the night. But one person she wanted to meet wasn't there,standing in his perfectly ironed black suit his blonde hairs styled backwards, he wasn't there to take her hand to escort her to the dance floor nor was he there to suck away her nervousness making her laugh, giving her life in the suffocated hall. He was nowhere to be seen and she would never see him again.

"I have my eyes on them" a whispering male voice echoed through the walkie talkie on the abandoned building rooftop near the side of the lake.

"I have my equipment set" Ethan responded in the walkie talkie searching the locals through his binoculars as they gathered around the lit up lake counting moments until midnight waiting for the covered sky to be lit up in sparkles.

"I never imagined I'd be spending my new year's catching another criminal" the voice appeared again in his device and he let out a hearty laugh carried away by the cool wind conquering the city.

"Should have destroyed all hopes the moment you decided to work for the police force" he walked towards the end of the roof standing on the corner of the ledge he calculated the distance and the risk. "I am getting downstairs, stay in your position" he warned the other male on the opposite side, easily jumping off the roof, landing on the shed of the first floor window. He merged into the darkness covered in his black leather jacket and turtleneck pulled up high enough to cover half of his face. The wet smell of mud mixed with grass reached him as he mingled with the crowd. His jacket abandoned in the mid way hair free of the cap ruffled by the wind a set of rectangular glasses covering the upper half of his face this time. No one suspected him as he reached the barrier of the lake. "I have reached my position" he whispered in a low voice covering the device with his hand.

"He's on your right three people away" the voice returned urgently. Ethan took a step back, mentally counting three people until he reached the designated number. A young boy covered in heavy sweaters looked down on the river. Ethan observed him for a second to find something suspicious. And before he could completely read the boy he had pushed the younger boy beside him with a knife pulled up in the air ready to crash into the younger one with force. Ethan was there in an instant, hand twisting the arm of the boy pushing him away on the ground, the knife fell onto the mud beside him. From his peripheral vision he saw his partner helping the shaken victim up on his feet.

"You are under arrest for attempted murder" Ethan repeated the overused dramatic line confining the boy in handcuffs, ignoring his phone vibrating in his pocket.

The doors were pushed open to the mansion and the guests fled out, the reporters rushed in to get one look at them. To create another story just with a picture. Questions were shot at her flashes blinded her while everyone looked up at the sky counting until the moment.

10

"What is your resolution for this year?"

Million needles worked at once in her head.

9

"There is a new case for you"

His ears perked up in interest, attentive.

8

"What's your next step now that you are a successful lawyer"

People turned into blurred masses.

7

"The case is high profile, viral right now"

6

"Do you think your parents are proud of you now?"

Her heart constricted in her chest/

5

"What's the catch in this case"

4

"Any spoiler for the new race car being launched tomorrow by the ever growing Lake City Empire"

Her eyes pierced with non stop ringing.

3

"The main suspects of this case are….."

2

"What do you have to say about the new rumor surrounding your family?"

The world had tilted around her.

1

"Dawsons"

"Is your family involved in the murder of William Adler"

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

The sky exploded in fireworks, the glittering sparks becoming the part of the night sky that was no longer dark. The sound ricocheting throughout the city and the joyous cheers in the mansion were soon replaced by horror filled screams. Evelyn Dawson had fainted in the middle of the hall.

"I will take the case"