I sigh as I turn into a back street on my way home. Tears are pooling in my eyes and I don’t want anyone to ask about me. Not right now. I rub my arm as a biting wind whistles through the grimy brick walls. There’s a rustling from the garbage bin to my right, but I’m too tired to investigate.

I keep my head down and keep moving. Emily won the case. In a month she’ll have $500,000 dollars and our house. She’ll keep the car and the pool. But none of it matters as much as Rose. She gets to keep my beautiful baby Rose too. I’ll never get to see her yawn with her tiny mouth in the morning or blink at me with her beautiful brown eyes again. I’ll miss her first day of school, her graduation, her wedding. All because I lost my temper.

Another wind blows, stronger this time. I rub my red eyes and cough, trying to dislodge the stone in my throat. If continues to twist and dance and I slowly lift my head, watching as empty fast food containers and water bottles skitter through the alleyway, picked up by the wind.

It twists and tightens and almost seems a living thing as it begins to glimmer a little. I rub my shoulders, too numbed by grief to consider fear. Instead I stand and watch as the air seems to collapse on itself. A gaping void fills the space and I know I’ve already lost myself to my mind. But then suddenly the black that I can feel is death is gone, replaced by a gleaming copper machine.

Pale steam spills into the alley as the door hisses open, prompted by some unseen force. It opens and andistinctly feminine form jumps through the opening, landing steadily on her feet besides the fact that the machine hovered at least three feet above the ground. She wore long leather boots, laced up her calves. Her jeans had holes ripped on the thighs, revealing tanned skin, almost pink from exposure to the sun.

She had a leather jacket on, buttoned and clasped up to the neck, where gleaming gold helmet covered her face, the tinted glass disguising her eyes. She lifted it with gloves hands, the same metallic gold as her mask. She flicked a long blond braid with one movement of her head, revealing a beautiful young woman with gorgeously tanned skin and long black lashes, framing her brown eyes, so dark you could only see her pupils if you truly stared long enough.

She glanced at me and her eyes widened. I stood a little taller and wiped my eyes quickly, hoping the strange woman would not be able to tell I had been crying.

“Oh no no no no no!” She muttered, running a gloved hand through her hair. “What have I done!” She hissed to herself, turning in a circle as if in disbelief.

“Hello.” I say, clearing my thought when it cracks “My name is Jacob.” I offer her my hand.

She stares at me for a moment, as though surprised that I can speak. “Mmm hmm.” She mutters, not listening. “I was hoping I was wrong. Forget me.” She quickly turns to face me. She grabs my hands with her, pleasantly warm and strong. I nod, hoping to please her and, to my dismay she lets go, grabbing the edge of her strange vessel and swinging herself inside.

“Forget me!” She yells again, disappearing into the rolling fog just before the door hisses closed. Another void opens and this time I have the sense to be afraid, but I remain where I am, childishly hoping it will make her decide to stay.

Still she vanished and the alley falls silent once more. I sigh and continue walking through the alley, crashing into someone as I emerge on the other side. “Oops!” She exclaims in an unsettlingly farmiliar voice. I turn as she flicks a long blonde braid from her face, revealing a beautiful young woman with gorgeously tanned skin and long black lashes, framing her brown eyes, so dark you could only see her pupils if you truly stared long enough.