Snippet #2477646

A slender man stepped along the brick-built sidewalk. There were small shops to his front and back. Each one had the lights on, ready for all the night-time business of Solinus City. A streak of cool sea breeze blew through the quality streets of The Tranq. Every passerby laughed and carried bags full of clothing, trinkets, and steaming hot coffee cups; some were drunk, as they exited the local breweries for an early retreat back home.

“Jim-Jim, ya’gotta get your immunities built up!” A young man belched and tugged the sleeve of his friend. “These guys won’t serve us nothin’, if ya’don’t.”

‘Jim-Jim’, also known as James on less popular days, dragged Toby, the awful belcher, down the sidewalk. “You’re done for the night, I think. You’ll be the DD, next time.” James, preoccupied with a drunken Toby, didn’t notice the figure at his front. “Yeahhhh, fuck that.” Toby declined, and pulled away to head off the sidewalk.

Within the second, a black Cadillac was zooming down the street; Toby wasn’t looking. James quickly maneuvered his hands to grab Toby by the arm, and yank him back. “Shit!” James held the skinny man’s arm in a vise-like grip. “Damn it, Toby! You dumbass!” He suddenly turned to continue walking, when they both bumped into the slender figure of a pale man who wore a sharp, black suit.

A colorful pair of eyes clashed with the shocked, frozen faces of James and Toby. The severe heterochromic swirls of his oculars drove the young men to a moment of daze. The paleness of his skin caused Toby’s mouth to gape; he wanted to exclaim how ‘off’ the man appeared. James could only stare at the odd man. His ghostly pale skin, the messy, yet sophisticated style of his hair, and his eyes- his eyes tainted the soul with curiosity and interest. The man turned away, as if the incident never happened. His slick suit, and shined shoes, were all keen to match his dominance of the situation.

“Careful, boys.” That was all he said. And, the ominous, extravagant feeling that bubbled in their chests had faded away. Toby hung loosely on James’ shoulder, before he fell to his knees and vomited on the brick-built sidewalk. “My immunities, huh?” James stuffed his hands in his pockets, and stood by to support his friend with a light chuckle.

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There was a buzz in the breast-pocket of Hatchet’s jacket. He pulled out the cellular device, reading the recently sent text message. A wide grin extended his satisfaction at the sight of good news. “Just keep swimming…” Hatchet tapped the touch-screen surface of the cell, navigating to the search engine; he typed in ‘Maurana.’ “Swimming with sharks, now.” The woman’s contact number was successfully saved to the phone, before Hatchet called.

He shuffled farther down the suburbs’ main street with the phone pressed to his ear. “Is this Maurana?”