Burn Down The Technicolor Smiles 2/?

 Patrick laughed at his pitiful stash of necessities going into his backpack. No, seriously, you would most likely laugh as well. A few water bottles, about 300 dollars cash, a few sharp knives he had stolen from the college's on campus culinary section (even if you lived in a world controlled by a High Empress, you still needed chefs), along with some various dried food items and a few other useful items. The last thing Patrick threw in was a book entitled Unnatural, it was his book on all things magical and how to deal with them. 
 
 He really didn't know much better. He;d never been out of his school and home. Well, maybe once or twice to visit family, but they were rare occasions that he was allowed to leave. But now, he was finished with school, he was an adult and free to live somewhere else. Well, free is maybe not the best term. 

 But now he could go into the near city of Chicago and join the masses of revolutionaries that were probably thriving there. Patrick was excited. He'd never been into the city, it was doubtlessly full of life and colorful even under the High Empress's rule. There was most likely music and art lining the streets, in spite of The Laws. Patrick flashed his million dollar smile and prepared to leave his dingy on campus dorm room.

 ............

 "We've gotten word from the campus of the college twenty minutes north."
 "ITT Tech? I love that commercial! Can you believe it's still on the t.v. after all these years?"
 "Yeah...so, apparently there's some guy up there. "A" student, quiet, you know one of those types. But, he has a gift-"
 "Oh, that one! Yes, he told me about him."
 "Then why did you make me go on?"
 "Well...I don't really know."
 "Okay then, but he's coming down to Chicago and he's looking to join some group of revolutionaries-"
 "Which one?"
 "He doesn't know. He doesn't know much about this world, but he wants to jump on the bandwagon."
 "So, will Gabe give us a call when he's close by?"
 "Yeah, but God knows when that will be."

............

 Patrick stepped out of the metro train and surveyed the scene around him. It was chaotic. Men and women in suits everywhere, most making clickety clackety noises with their electronic devices. Patrick grimaced, this wasn't exactly the scene he had had in mind. One man whizzed by him pulling along his pocket fairy that looked recently captured considering it was pulling on its metal collar. Most magical beings were already resigned to being enslaved. 

 Patrick shook his head to clear his brain of the angry thoughts. He then started to walk out of the station, ignoring the posters of High Empress Petra promising more things. Most ignored her too, no one believed her lies anymore. 

 However when Patrick was out of the train station he was surprised. There was not one person out on the streets. Nothing was here. Everything was gone. Only cold buldings that glittered in the dying sun. 

 Okay, so something was wrong...

 "Hey, kid! Haven't you ever heard of curfew?!" A shrill voice called from somewhere above. Patrick looked up, and there leaning out of an apartment window was a middle aged woman with bright red hair.
 "Curfew?"
 "You gotta be inside by sunset and stay there all night! Besides, you never know what's out here, all kinds of unnatural things.." She trailed off.
 "Uh, okay! Thanks!" But the window was already shut.

 So Patrick had to be inside somewhere in about...ah, two minutes. And stay there all night. 

Great.

 All he could do was walk around and maybe he could find somewhere to crash. Yeah right, but it was worth a shot. So Patrick started to walk and hoped he wouldn't be caught.

 After five minutes, he started to power walk frantically. Patrick had read the articles about people who had stayed out past curfew and how they were punished.

 "Hey!" Someone called behind him. Patrick panicked and started running, his backpack thumping against his back as he ran aimlessly on the hard sidewalk.
 "Hey, wait right there!" The voice was deep and authorative and Patrick didn't want to find out whom it belonged to, cold as it may seem.
 But Patrick was running out of breath and his legs were aching. He had never been much of a runner. Patrick was slowing down.
 But a figure popped out of an alleyway, Patrick felt a lump rise up in his throat. It was a police officer and he suddenly had a strong urge to throw up.
 "It's okay, I got him," the officer said to Patrick could only presume to the man who'd been chasing him down the street. "Alright, let's go."
 Patrick didn't even try to resist as he was pulled along, he felt like one of the magical.

 They turned a corner and the police officer let his arm go.
 "Let's keep this a secret, okay?" And the police officer walked away, stroking his mustache. He stopped, and turned around. "I hope you get where ever it is you want to go, but there is a convenience store down the road that takes in folks who don't have no where to go for the night."
Patrick gave him a huge, genuine smile.
 "Thank you."

 When Patrick came to the convenience store, he hesitated. The place looked real shady, lots of graffiti and no lights on. But, he was desperate and he had to start somewhere if he was going to find some revolutionaries, maybe these people would know where some were.
 He knocked on the door and waited. He knocked once more and waited. The door finally swung open and Patrick was faced with a tall, dark man with long dreadlocks. 
 "Can I help you?" He asked in a lighter voice than Patrick expected.
 "Uhhh, yeah, someone told me I could stay here? Uh, maybe I should just go-"
 "Come in." 

 Inside was just what Patrick expected of a convenience store. All Empire approved products for low prices.
 "Hey Mark, who's-" A feminine voice asked, but stopped as soon as she came out of the back room. Patrick looked over, amazed, at the girl. She was beautiful, with big green eyes, narrow face, and pouty lips. Her hair had been dyed neon green, but her original color had been a dark blonde judging from her eyebrow. She had many piercings in her ears, but then Patrick noticed she was only around 4'10"and had tiny feet and hands.
 "You're, you're half fairy, aren't you?" He asked. The girl's eye widened.
 "You, you must go. You cannot be here." She told him.
 "But, why? I thought-"
 "Well, you thought wrong, didn't you? You have to leave...now!"
 "What is the matter, Emily?" The tall, dark man named Mark asked the girl. "He's only a college boy."
 "Please. I have no where else to go." Patrick pleaded with the girl, Emily. She narrowed her eyes.
 "Fine, but you must leave as soon as the sun comes up."
 "Thank you."

.............



"I just got  a call from Emily...."
 "What is it?"
 "He's there, with her and Mark."
 "Holy Shit! Emily's going to kill him!"
 "Whoa, she's promised not to hurt him, but you never know with Emily. With Mark there, though, he'll last until morning. And then we'll go wake the boy up, huh?"
 "Alright, well, I'm off!"
 "Just don't die."
 "I promise!"

xyeah, i can't believe it either. leave comments if you love me!