21

A momentary flash of clarity: a black door surrounded by arcane symbols; memories pulled forth, unwillingly. You are elsewhere—another time, another place.

This has all happened before.

Keeping a firm hold on you, she leads you down an alleyway between two stores. The foul rain continues to strike both of you. You see now that, where it touches this woman, it dulls the light from her, leaving a discolored trace upon her form.

"There," she says, indicating a parked black van. She steps up, passing through its rear doors, pulling you up with her.

The van's interior is white, its sides and roof thick, as if with insulation. Its rear compartment is otherwise bare. Its driver's seat is unoccupied.

"Vehicle command," she says, not looking at you. "Lockdown."

A brief hum from the van around you, and then silence. It takes you a few seconds to realize that the red rain does not penetrate the van.

"It can hear us," the woman says, pointing a finger up at the van's roof. "We're safe, though we'll have to wait here until this rain passes. So…my name is Marly. Who are you?"

She has released your arm, and you stare a couple of seconds at the spot where she touched you. She is a being composed of shifting light, just as you are, and yet, up close, you clearly see her features—the curve of her eyebrows, the shape of her jawline. The warmth of her eyes.

"My name is Balbino Edvaldo," you tell her. "At least, that's my name now. If I had a name before, I don't remember it."

"You don't remember your name from your former life? My God, am I the first undead being you've met since you first manifested? You must have questions. Please, ask."