Fire & Flame

Chapter 1 : The Chase

Year 3078

“Get off the walkway!” A piercing yet masculine scream filled the air. Onlookers who were at first, busy with their own thoughts suddenly turned their heads towards the scream.

“Are all of you deaf? Get off the walkway if you wish to live longer!” The same voice roared. A man could be seen running for dear life as a few police officers chased him. 

“Mommy, why is the man running away from the policemen? Is he a bad guy?” An innocent voice asked as she pulled her mother’s dress. “He must be, darling. Remember, never become like him or you’ll end up in prison.”

“What the-” the man rolls his eyes. Okay, yes, he is a bad guy, but he has never stepped foot into a prison before. Not like that’s a flex but he is genuinely concerned about keeping a clean record, which is away from prisons and juvenile centres. Never judge a book by its cover.

The man continues to run. When looked upon closely, the man is quite the looker.  His hair is Achilles-gold and coiffed to perfection. His eyes have the same startling clarity as a mountain stream and the lineaments of his face were in perfect proportion to each other. He seems to be moulded from a different cast as he had an androgynous look uncommon to most people. Lacquered and enamelled by the sun, he radiated energy and brio. His mountain peak cheekbones appeared chiselled into shape by a master craftsman. They are of such sharp contours, it looked as if they were sculpted and paired to perfection. With eyes as bright and spellbinding as lode stars, they bewitched all those who fell under his steady gaze. They were a-sparkle with mirth and shone like two eternity-blue jewels enwrought in snow.

The sound of rubber soles tapping on the dry and lifeless ground continued to echo in the air, a proof of the monstrous stamina the man has. 

“Stop running, Konnor!” A police officer yells. 

“Well stop chasing me!” the man yells back.

And so, with both parties refusing to throw in the towel, the chase continues. Until an alarming beep was heard.

“Fuck!” Konnor yells in frustration. His wristband shows that his body was perspiring more than it should. And if he does not stop, his body would have to suffer severe consequences.

“Getting tired, Konnor?” the police officer yells. 

“No, Sir Louis of Pain-In-The-Ass Town.”

Konnor wiped the sweat trickling down his forehead and started to formulate plans in his head. Red building there. Closest building. If I activate my runners, I should be able to get to the top in less than 4 seconds.

Konnor looks behind. The police officers were nowhere close to him, but given his body condition, they would be able catch up to him very soon. However, if that fails, I would drop to my death. It has been a while since I last sent my runners for maintenance.

Konnor groans. Think, Konnor. Use that motherf*cking majestic brain of yours.

Just then, he saw his possible escape place. A place he could hide, a place he could seek shelter. A place that could possibly save his life this time.

The dumpster. 

Konnor stopped in his tracks and turned around. Grinning, he waited until the police officers were about to approach him. “Not running anymore, dear Konnor?” 

“Well-” Konnor stepped aside as the police officers ran past him. Confused, they tried to stop, but it was no use. They looked at each other as realisation dawned upon them. Konnor pressed the button which sets the direction of people walking. That button, which was supposedly helpful to make traffic less congested, is now causing them to lose their suspect. 

“Sayonara! I hope we never meet again!” Konnor bids. He jogged into the alley, where the dumpster was and easily slipped into it. Although the officers are distracted for now, they can come anytime so running home was not an option.

“Ouch!” A feminine voice is captured by Konnor’s ears.

“Who goes there?” Konnor whisper-yells as his left hand grasps onto the pocket knife he has stored inside his pocket. 

“Get off old man! You’re squishing my leg!” 

Konnor looks around and sees a petite woman to his right. Her pencil-thin eyebrows eased down gently to her black, beetle’s-leg eyelashes. A sculptor could not have fashioned her seraph’s ears and pixie’s nose any better.

“Are you going to move or what? Dumb old man.”

Konnor coughs himself back to reality. “Yeah, um, I’ll move.” He answers as he sits a bit further from the woman.

“Pardon my behaviour, lady. However, I could not help but wonder, what is a lady like you doing in the dumpster?”

“Oh great, not only is he old, he is British.” The woman muttered as she rubbed her leg using her palm.

“Okay, two things; one, I’m not an old man and two, I’m not British. From your statement alone, I am feeling twice as offended. But since first impressions matter, which, by the way, you failed in that, I’m going to let you off if you answer my question.”

“Well, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, you know, just chilling in the dumpster. It’s a trend nowadays.”

The woman chuckles. “I like you, buddy.”

“Feeling is not mutual.”

A pregnant silence passed before the woman spoke again. “Since we’re both ‘chilling’ in the dumpster, how about we do something fun to pass time.”

“No, thank you. My mom said it’s not good to talk to strangers. Especially when the stranger is in the same dumpster you’re in.” Konnor innocently replies.

“Your mom is boring. Obviously you talk to people with the same interests as you, which in our case, ‘chilling’ in the dumpster. How else-”

Konnor cuts her off. “I most definitely did not appreciate your statement about my mom. And since every word which comes out of your pretty little mouth is offensive to me, I suggest you stop talking because I happen to have a knife.”

(A/N : Don't forget to leave your thoughts on this chapter! I hope you enjoyed the story so far :3 )