Urban De Sauveterre: Dance With the City, Eat Your Own Flesh

[Intro & Chapter 1]

*I changed the rating down to 16+. It's really just for language, but it anyone feels like I should put the rating back up, just let me know.*

I crumple up the wrapper and throw it on the ground.

It wasn't a normal wrapper, but one of those shitty foil ones with the stupid inspirational quotes on the inside. I think this one said something about believing in yourself- but seriously?

All of the fuckers say stuff like that.

I reach into the bag in my lap and take out another chocolate, eying the brown and copper foil in disdain. Now what does this one say?

“Life is a painting, cover the entire canvas.”

… Thanks, I'll be sure to get right on it.

I give up frowning at the wrapper and pop the chocolate in my mouth, looking up from my cold hands to the sleepy city below me. It's early in the morning, or late at night- I only care when the sun comes up.

It seems I'm the only one awake.

There are no car alarms, no barking dogs. There are no homeless roaming the streets, no rats crawling from the sewers. The streets are empty of everything but me.

The stop lights quietly change for invisible cars, a subtle click the only sign of mechanical life. The lights paint the streets in green, yellow and red light- the colours absorbed into the dark night sky above the quaint buildings of downtown.

It's moments like these that it feels like time has actually stopped.

Life does not exist- we are not here. The world has moved on without us.

These streetlights will continue to blink and flicker- directing the traffic of ghosts until they are burnt out and rusted.

It's comforting, almost.

I get tired of time rushing by me so often- I blinked and half of what precious life I have is now gone and behind me.

I cannot blink again, but today is the day that I must.

Tonight is the night Urban De Sauveterre will die.

CHAPTER 1: Lighthouse in the Storm

We Sleep in the Day

While this city sleeps for its last night, I sit here on a stone wall in the middle of town.

I watch the skies, I watch the streets.

I watch the darkness, I watch the sunset.

I don't fight- don't mistake me with Batman or some other gallivanting hero in the night. I only watch.

I'm here to remember everything that happens.

That's it.

It doesn't sound like much now, but you'd be surprised how much shit happens when people aren't looking. There's circuses of spirits and traveling troupes of Gods parading down the streets every night-

Phoenixes, with their fiery trails, leaving countless scores across the morning sky.

It's all behind your eyes- behind your back.

It's there, trust me.

Unfortunately, there is nothing right now. Only ghosts of cars, the occasional wandering spirit and a shooting star. I've got time to sit and relax.

I click my teeth.

This usually never happens, mind you. I'm always busy watching things; there's always something going on. I can't say what makes tonight so different, why there's nothing.

Click.

Click- my molars grind together.

I grab another chocolate out of the bag and rip off the wrapper- I can see 'promise yourself a smile today' float down to the ground below me.

I grimace.

The chocolate is rich and creamy, but it's no longer satisfying. I swallow and lick my lips slowly.

I check my watch; 1:46am. A little less than five hours before I must go.

Before I've got to hide again.

“Hey! I hope you were planning on picking these up when you're done.”

...For a second there, it sounded like that was directed at me. I know it's impossible, but this actually seemed pretty promising.

Either way, I look down to the ground below and there's a woman-

a girl, she can't be over 20-

staring up at me from the sidewalk.

She can see me. She's not looking through me, to the side of me, away from me.

She's looking right at me.

That's a first.

I look away from her and close up the bag with the rest of my chocolates with a slow preciseness and jump off my perch on the stone wall, landing softly only a few feet away from my new acquaintance.

She's human.

Reaching down, I collect all of the crumpled foil wrappers in one swift motion, making eye contact as I stand back up.

She's sort of plain, but in an elegant way. Her hair is a sloppy, almost choppy bob and her bangs blow messily around her face. She's frowning- her lips are not thin, but they're not full either- the wind picks up a bit and I can smell traces of her chap-stick. She is not deterred by my staring; her darkly set eyes stare right back at me with a calm confidence.

She doesn't seem like a local.

I crush the lump of foil together in my hand until it is compressed into nothing- showing the girl in front of me my now empty hand. She breaks from her scolding frown to raise an eyebrow out of curiosity.

“How'd you do that?” She asks, her posture relaxing just a bit. Her voice isn't too unpleasant either- it reminds me of the carnivals in summer.

I might be able to forgive her for breaking my silence.

“You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you.”

My voice is a little raspy- I haven't spoken in days. It makes hers sound even better in comparison and I almost flush in an unfamiliar wave of embarrassment.

“Oh- is it one of those rules, then? A magician never tells his secrets?” She smirks and, with cheeky attitude, her hands land on her hips.

“Uh- I-... what?” I stutter in confusion. She raises a hand to silence me and points at the bag in my hand.

“I'll take that as a yes- are you just sitting here eating chocolate?”

I glance down at my hand then back at the girl, “I've got nothing else to do- there's nothing to watch.”

“Nothing to watch? Of course, there's never anything that happens in this stupid city.”

Now it's my turn to smirk; I snort and look down the street. The two of us are attracting a crowd- the ghosts curious as to my new companion. They stare and point- empty eyes and mouths open in surprise as they see me.

The one who no one is supposed to see.

I can feel her questioning gaze switch from me to the streets, trying to find my brief amusement.

“What's so funny?”

I scoff at her question- even if I could explain it, I would not be able to show her.

And besides- all of this attention is no longer bearable.

“You ask far too many questions.”

I end the conversation and turn- walking away. As much as I hate to get the attention of mindless spirits like the ones on the streets, I particularly do not like the attention of a human.

They've never paid any mind to me before,

why start now?

I don't exactly know where I'm going- my wandering is now just as bad as the spirits- but I need to get away from this girl. If I am pleasant to her, she might come back.

I can't have her interrupting my time on a daily basis- what if something exciting happens?

I 'll need to watch it.

I can't pay attention to her, let alone explain what I'm doing.

But of course- I hear her footsteps behind me. I glance over my shoulder and she's looking at me like I'm going to explode or turn into some sort of delicious treat. I'm having difficulties determining if she's afraid of me or interested.

Probably both.

I frown and walk faster. As I get to the edge of the stone wall, I swiftly move around it, running quickly to hide behind one of the towering support columns of the Court House. I hold my breath and listen.

Her footsteps stop for a moment as she makes it around the wall, noting my absence. She takes a hesitant step towards the river- away from the Court House.

Yes! Go that way!

I bite my lip.

She changes her mind and her footfalls start moving towards me.

And continue to move towards me.

At this point, I know she is aware of my location, small clouds of frozen water vapor escape from between my lips and into the air- giving myself away.

If I didn't need to breathe,

I wouldn't.

I just wish it wasn't so cold.

I would have been safe.

She comes to a stop- she's right behind me. She shuffles for a moment and looks around the pillar, coming face to face with me. I don't try to hide my frustration and foul mood- I stare her down and let my breath pass through my lips again with an audible hiss.

“Why are you following me?”

She blinks. Slow and calm. She moves from behind the column to stand in front of me, keeping her eyes locked to mine as she walks. Her steps are calculated and precise- careless and liquid. She's wearing soft soled slippers and I can barely hear her move.

She breaks the calm and smiles- it doesn't reach her eyes.

“I can't sleep and you're the only one awake.”

I frown,

“What would even lead you to think I'm the type of person you'd want to be around? You don't want me as a companion- how do you even know if I'm not some murderer?”

But for some reason, as I speak to her, all of my frustration begins to dissipate.

I look at her and suddenly my loneliness doesn't seem as bad.

To be with people- part of their lives- and still ignored

just might be worse

than only observing people and actually nonexistent.

“You don't seem the type.” She states simply. I can only stare with a disbelieving furrow of my eyebrows. She seems dead-set on staying around me for the time- there's nothing I can do to change her mind.

I break the eye-contact and look down the street. There are still ghosts and spirits wandering around the grounds of the Court House- they're looking at us again.

It seems like they're just trying to prove to be more irritating.

“... Fine. Just don't expect me to amuse you.”

She smiles again- this time it does reach her eyes.

It's beautiful.