Chapter 2: A Tiring Afternoon
"Watch where you are going, missy !!"
A hoarse angry shout suddenly startled young Helen back into reality. It has been a long day for her, working as a software developer at a recently established startup company founded in her town. The hover bike she rode swerved to the left, almost colliding with another hover bike rider next to her.
With startled look, the two riders saw the rough guy speed away angrily, similarly shouting at other driver to give way.
"Don't mind him, my dear.. everyone is in a rush these days." The elderly lady simply smiled back beneath the visor of her helmet she wore. "Just look he didn't even have time to remember putting his helmet on before driving so fast"
Helen simply smiled back and nodded, before she herself increased speed of her magic powered hover bike. The only thing she wanted most now is to get home quickly and get a long relaxing bath.
Street lights flew by, with the speed of her hover bike, they look almost like a long stretch of white ribbon. Looking up, she only saw a bright white circle of the full moon in the middle of the dark night sky, with no star in sight. With a full visor helmet on, Helen only vaguely feel the cold breeze of the desert wind, however she knew that beyond the edge of the road, lies nothing but endless sand stretching beyond horizon.
She suddenly recalled what her mom told her, how once a princess named Lorgar turned into a mighty werewolf, and run the whole stretch of the vast desert, so mighty that she tore many beasts apart. Even if the road is safe of such beasts thus far, she never actually ventured outside. How many more of such beasts exist out there? There might even be a few standing on the road side watching as she rode by. A sudden chill run through her full covered body, that she cant help shuddering at the thought.
After she shook her head a few times, she tried to concentrate back at driving. The sun has set beyond the horizon, its just past nautical twilight. At such time, only one or two riders are left on the street, since everyone usually has reached home back to their family.
She wasn't prepared to what she saw next.
From afar she suddenly saw a shadow lurking mid-road under a bright spot light, right in the middle of her driving path. She knew that her hover bike flew too fast for her to be able to react in time. Expecting the imminent collision, she closed her eyes tight, turned her face sideways while making a shriek, expecting the oncoming bump.
A few second passed, but nothing happened. By reflex she turned to look behind, but couldn't find whatever it was that she ran over. In fact that lady from before is also no where in sight.
"Lucky this thing levitates" she thought "maybe that thing simply slide beneath my bike"
Hover bikes are a common transportation method now. She remembered how her mom says that once when she was a mere toddler, she was so happy when the thing called bicycle first introduced by his majesty late King Roland was brought to this village, she tried days and nights to balance herself riding it. Anything that lies on the road in her way would get squashed, like ants or frogs.
"If only I had more money, I could've bought the self driving hover cars that people is talking about" Helen uttered to herself.
Nearing residential area, she slow down her hover bike, and come to a complete stop when she reached just below her apartment complex. After tying her helmet securely, she tap in her bracelet to a glowing panel in the dashboard of her hover bike. The soft hum of the engine fades slowly as the bike landed softly on the ground. Two pieces of claw like metal apparatus emerged from the ground beneath the bike and clamp the device securely in place.
Walking away from her bike, she heard a distant bell ring, like what she once heard many years ago, of an old peddler selling ice cream when she took vacation to the east coast beach with mom. (King Roland ended up franchising his ice cream recipe so that general public can enjoy the delicious taste of ice cream, sometimes after the battle of divine will ended)
"That's strange. I've never heard of peddler selling ice cream in the neighborhood before. Besides who wants to buy ice cream this time at night?"
At the thought, she simply shrug, and continues walking her way, and stopped at a stone pole with a small magic stone emitting sky blue color. She then taps her bracelet there, to call for the lift platform to descend. Watching the circular metallic platform descend gently with a blueish light, her tiredness suddenly came back after being forgotten a moment ago because of the rush of adrenaline from expected crash.
Arriving at the 13th floor, she walks out feeling exhausted, dragging her legs all the way to the front door of her apartment unit. She then taps again her bracelet to the gleaming panel of magic stone, and the front door slide open.
"Mooomm, im hooomee.."
Helen walks in, and just casually put her backpack on the sofa.
"Don't forget you have that language class you have to attend tonight, dear" Her mom's reply was heard from the kitchen. "You don't want to be late for your first class now"
"Yes mom..." came a short tired reply, as Helen continued dragging herself to the bathroom.
The sound of water gushing out of the tap is heard, and hot vapor steams out of the quickly filling bathtub.
Her mind keeps on repeating what might have happened earlier, trying to recall the details. She was sure to have seen a pair of eyes in that shadow she ran over. She walks in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at her weary face, slapping both her cheek lightly.
"Snap out of it girl! there was no bump, you didn't kill anything! That shadow is just in your head! You are just tired.. go enjoy your hot bath!"
At that, she took her thick white gloves and boots off, and place it neatly at the sink. She then continues to unzip her thick white one piece jacket off of her slender body, and hung it at the hanger attached to the bathroom door. A smile came across her face when she saw a reflection of a naked young lady with a white long hair, and a healthy perky breast smiling back at her. "Time to relax" she thought.
The warm water makes a very comfortable welcome as she steps into the lukewarm water, and soon all things are forgotten, as she closes her eyes and lie back and enjoyed her bath.
Before long, her bracelet starts to vibrate.
After the invention of telecommunication, queen Anna helped king Roland miniaturized Sigil of Listening into a smaller version, and fashioned it into a bracelet. Apart from being able to receive long distance calling, this bracelet also serve as a personal identifier, replacing an ID card Soraya once made for citizen of Neverwinter. Combined with other magic stones, these bracelet works similar to RFID in modern world where it can activate devices just by slightly tapping.
An image of a pink short haired girl shows up on the bracelet. "Ah.. its Lilly".
She then taps the bracelet lightly, Lilly's image then get projected into the bathroom walls initiating conversations.
"Hey Lilly.."
"Haaa... look who is enjoying our life for once in a while", Lily said with a wide grin on her face.
"Hey.. gimme a break, i just got home.."
"Well I don't want to disturb you if it wasn't important. Mister 'you know who' is participating in the bot fight tonight! you wouldn't want to miss it!" Still with a wide naughty grin, Lilly's eyebrow starts to twitch up and down furiously at the innuendo.
"Why would i not want to miss it?" Helen replied uninterested.
"Aww come on.. its your 17th birthday tomorrow! who knows you get your first kiss from mister 'you know who'!" after the twitch, Lilly now winked, and now made a suggestive smooch
"Lilly, I just got home.. besides i have my language class tonight.."
"Well its your loss.." Lilly said, as she divert her bracelet focus around to show where she was.
The projection shows a crowded live stadium, which looked like its inside an underground cave. A lot of people is cheering loudly when the competition announcement is made.
"Ladies and gentlemen.. Announcing this afternoon's winner, team Battle Star Galacticaaaa.." The announcement sounded distant and vague, almost inaudible, drowned by the instant cheering from the large crowd that come soon after.
In the middle of the stone platform, stood a young handsome guy holding a remote control, with an older muscular middle aged man standing on his side. Behind the two stood a robot, two heads taller than the old man. All of them raising their hands with a wide grin on both of the men faces. (the robot of course only had a straight face, with its metallic arm held up in the air)
"Oh gosh, they made it into the finals???"
Helen failed to conceal her excitement at that knowledge.
"Yeaaa... so are you still going to that language class?"
"I'll give it a thought first.." Suddenly realizing Lilly's piercing look, she taps her bracelet again to end the conversation.
Before the projection came off, she saw Lilly's widest grin so far. She was very confident that Helen will come to watch the last match.. But will she?
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Friendly_Chilly
Friendly_Chilly Dear Readers,
What do you think if I make this novel as an interactive novel of some sort, so it can have a multiple ending. Not sure if the platform supports hyperlinking, however I could add some guide : "If you think that Helen should go to the tournament, continue to chapter 2. Otherwise you should continue to chapter 3."
Please write your feedback in the comment section below. Would really appreciate to hear from you.
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