Lalmon: The City of Lost Souls: Walk On By

Walking through the quiet city, Vallery found it odd as she came across the first person she had seen. He wore all black in a had and trench coat.

He held to him a lit white candle, head bowed.

The building he was in front of had rough earthly stones in a chaotic pattern with a calm twinge of bronze colored marble.

The glass of the small window had what looked like cup imprints in neat rows and collums.

The window itself was so dark, Vallery assumed that there was no one inside and that this was the only window!

But as she stared, frozen in the abandoned street, a sliver of light began to appear...

"What the..." She began in a hushed whisper.

Stepping silently closer, she focussed harder on the window and saw the light as a candle and a face began to appear.

Behind the light, a face began to appear!

As she moved even closer, she didn't notice the man next to her inhale deeply.

Seeing as how Vallery was 5 foot 2 inches and the window an inch or two bove her height, she gripped the smooth, cold ledge and peered in.

The only features she could make out was... Nothing.

She couldn't see a damned thing, save for the flame from the candle.

"Walk on by..." Came a voice, causing Vellery to gasp and jump away.

She was now staring at a white eyed man from before.

His face looked like thousands of craters struck it a long time ago.

It was after he repeated his phrase that she realized he had extended the candle towards her, as if to burn her.

Out of fright, she blew it out and the sky clouded.

Looking up at the sky, she spun about in a slight awe and pannic.

When she returned to the man, he was in all white now and his eyes were a bright blue, candle at his feet.

He inhled shortly and shut his eyes, then, when he opened them, his eyes seemed to focus on the girl before him.

"Who are you?" His voice came rough and scratchy.

"Vallery... Who the hell are you?" She asked quickly, afraid.

"Micheal McHenry. Where are we?" He asked, glancing around, then at the ground.

"A town called Lalmon..." Vallery said, watching him look at the ground, then crouch and pick up the candle stick, "Shouldn't you know that?"

He froze a moment, then stood easily.

"Hello? Are you alive in there?" She sassed.

He smirked, "This can't be Lalmon."

"And just why not?" She asked.

That's when he looked her square in the eyes, "Because only lost souls end up here."

"Lost what?" She blinked, clearly unhappy.

"Lost souls. Do you have hard hearing, girl?" He asked as thunder clapped.

"Tch! No!" She exclaimed, as he glanced around nervously.

As he didn't respond to Vallery, she tsked at him, "Are you hard of hearing, old man?"

"I'm 12." He answered.

"12?! I think you are thuroughly messed up in the head, Mr." Vallery said.

"I'm not kidding. The last thing I remember is my backyard camping birthday party, when I turned 12." He said, "Come on!" He called back to her as he moved off.

Vallery gaped at him and crossed her arms, "You're crazy! I'm not following you!" She shouted.

Something scraped against the window, causing Vallery to spin and scream at a twisted face with widened eyes.

It pounded against the glass, then clawed at it with long sharp nails.

"Henry!? Wait for me!" She shreiked and ran after him.

As she turned the corner of a city street, she couldn't find the man any where!

"Henry!?" She called out uncertainly.

"HENRY!? WHERE ARE YOU!?" She screamed.

A loud crash of glass made her jump and bolt off.

As she huffed and puffed past an Ally, she was pulled in with a hand over her mouth and pulled back into the darkness.

"Hush, stupid." Came a harsh voice.

She quivered in fright and as silence flooded her senses, she noticed the sound of rain, but saw and felt nothing wet.

Lightning flashed, then a loud burst of lightning close by, causing Vallery to jump slightly.

Seconds after, a rotten creature, the one with the twisted face came past the corner and looked around, then into the pitch black of the ally.

It moved on, not finding what it was looking for.

A few minutes after the strange occurance, the storm went away and Vallery was released.

She gasped and coughed, stumbling away from her captor.

"Where is Henry?" She asked.

"There is no one-" Began her captor and savior.

"McHenry, you idiot." Came Micheal's voice.

The man that Vallery didn't know frowned down at them, "Who are you both?"

"I'm Micheal McHenry. That moron over there is Vallery." Micheal answered.

Vallery placed her hands on her hips, "I can answer for myself, Old Man." she emphasized the 'Old Man' bit.

"How did you come through to this city of Lost Souls?" Asked he man, prim and propper, stoic and still.

Vallery grimaced at the man's behavior, "You are extremely rude! You ask ournames but don't give us yours?"

The man nodded, "You are right. That was rude of me. I am Gabrial Wichister. Every one calls me Gabe, though."

vallery noded with a confident smile, clearly feeling as if she had won.

Micheal stepped forwards, "I have no recolection of coming here save for when Vallery awoke me."

"She Awoke you?" Gabe asked, startled.

"Awoke? Thaw are you talkng about, Henry?" Vallery asked quickly.

Micheal nodded at Gabe, ignoring vallery, "Perhaps here is not the place to discuss this?"

Gabe paused and nodded, "You are very correct, Micheal."

Vallery ground her teeth, unhappy to be ignored and tapped her foot, offering both males a heated glare.

"I should take you to the Safe Zone..." Gabe said.

Vallery shook her head and turned, walking out of the alley.

It wasn't until she was a block away that Micheal noticed the silence, "Vallery?"

Both looked to where she had stood, but she was not there.

"Stupid girl!" Micheal growled and went to tear off after her.

Gabe caught Micheal before he could pass him and shook his head, "Let me take you the Safety Zone, then I'll go and look for her."

micheal paused a moment, then shook his head, "I share a bond with that girl, now. I am the only one who can find her without difficulty."

Gabe frowned, knowing full well that this boy was right.

When Gabe failed to answer, Micheal began to move out of the alley when Gabe called after him.

"How do you know about this world?"

Micheal looked back at the buff man, "My mother."

With that, Micheal began to run after Vallery.

Gabe remained still, then smirked and vanished.

"Gabrial! You return with nothing?" Came a strong female voice.

Gabe bowed before a woman, tall, lanky, pale, and offered his apologies, "I was forced to protect new comers."

"New comers?" Came the woman's voice.

She stood, black dress hiding all of her.

"Yes, Milady. One awoke the other." Gabe informed.

The woman gasped, "An Awakener?"

Gabe nodded, "Yes. She seems young and foolish. She ran off."

The woman became alarmed, "Ran off?" She moved towards Gabe.

"The one she had awakened went after her, fully aware of their bond and this world!"

"That must mean..." She began, turning around and starig up at an elaborate tapestry of the sun shining upon heaven's golden gates, and flames licking at black and rusted gates of hell.

"The profecy..." Gabe whispered, staring up at the woman before him.

"No, my love... It means freedom is near."