Chloe looked at her barren wooden wardrobe that contained her school uniform and a few other pieces of oversized black clothing that she’d borrowed from the older woman.


    Without much thought as to what she should wear, the small orange haired girl grabbed a few garments before checking the clock in her room, seeing that she had about half an hour to the location written upon the note.


    Putting on a pair of sneakers, Chloe descended her apartment complex and walked behind the stale structure, hands in her pockets due to the cold weather.


    Looking towards the large red tower that the apartment donned as if it were a piece of clothing, the girl smiled uncontrollably seeing that it had yet to be cleaned off.


    Then again, she doubted that the owners would ever fork out the money for something as simple as cleaning up graffiti on the side of their property.


    <hr>


    Still slightly out of breath from the twenty or so minute walk that she had just endured, Chloe hummed to herself whilst looking at the inside of the elevator that she currently was on.


    Unbeknownst to her, Nathanial had taken it upon himself to invite her to one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, located near the top of a humungous skyscraper.


    Thankfully, the small girl had saved enough money to buy a rudimentary second-hand phone so she could navigate her way to her destination. As soon as she turned 16, the girl instantly started applying for part-time jobs in order to obtain the money required to survive.


    Peering down at her pale left arm, she reminisced about how thin she had been in her earlier years. Without the money from her job to help buy her food, Chloe doubted she’d be in a good as a state as she was now.


    The inside of the elevator had been coated in what seemed to be gold, finely polished to such an extent that Chloe could see herself in the metal’s reflection.


    Feeling as though what she was wearing was probably not within the dress code of this place, the small girl uncomfortably shifted in place, watching as the counter located above the elevator doors slowly increased.


    One high-pitched ding later, Chloe stood dumbfounded outside of the elevator as its doors slowly closed behind her.


    Gold chandeliers furnished with a large quantity of white jewels hung from the ceiling; waiters dressed in black suits serving tables which seated at most two, others seamlessly gliding around the floor in order to reach their next station.


    Large marble columns supported the polished white ceiling, intricate carvings present on each of them. Every table was covered by a white cloth that had red and gold tapestry embedded into them, two glasses of wine adorning each table.


    What stood out the most to the girl were the crystal-clear windows that showed of the city in all of its glory, the sun slowly setting in the distance. The soft sound of classical music entered Chloe’s ears as she slowly shuffled forward towards what seemed to be a customer service desk.


    It was made entirely of dark red mahogany, two men in tuxedos stationed behind the desk talking to customers who wore dark black suits and dresses, exuding a refined aura.


    Entering the eyesight of one of the workers, they accidentally let out a small laugh before regaining their composure, Chloe remaining unfazed as she began to talk.


    “There should be a reservation under the name Mr. Sparrow?” she questioned, looking towards the man as his expression changed into one of shock, quickly bursting into action as he typed something on a computer stationed upon the desk, letting out a small satisfactory hum after finding something.


    “Indeed, there is. Just a moment. I’ll guide you over to your table.” He responded, exiting from behind the desk and leading her towards a table located next to one of the large windows.


    Nathanial soon came into view, blonde hair slicked back and donned in a matte blue suit which matched his eyes as he showed the small orange haired girl a toothy grin.


    “Thought you wouldn’t show!” he chuckled, eyes gazing over her shabby outfit as his smile widened.


    Chloe sat down opposite the blond after the waiter pulled back her chair, awkwardly looking around the restaurant, noticing how nearly all the tables had one male and one female, before looking back to the man as she responded.


    “Didn’t you say that a friend cancelled on you? This hardly seems like a place you’d go with a friend.” She stated, fiddling around with the multiple sets of stainless cutlery that adorned the embroidered table whilst giving him a questioning look.


    Nathanial let out a quaint chuckle, taking a swig of wine from his glass before jokingly responding.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    “Do I detect some jealousy? That I had planned to come here with another girl?” he questioned, blue orbs staring at her small figure.


    Chloe rolled her eyes in response to his ridiculous conclusion.


    “Ha, of course not. Do as you please, it matters not to me.” Chloe chuckled, looking out of the window towards the falling sun.


    The blonde eyed the small girl’s wine glass as he continued talking, “You should try some. It is quite high quality.“.


    Chloe looked at the glass filled with a blood red liquid before frowning, “I’ve never tried anything alcoholic before. Bad memories.“.


    Nathanial took another sip from his glass whilst continuing to stare at the small girl.


    “Come on, what’s the harm in a small sip.” He coaxed once more, smiling slightly as he took in her the curious expression which she wore, torn between whether to try some or not.


    The black figure walked towards Nathanial, stopping behind him and then using its fuzzy hands to strangle the boy.


    “Scared you’ll become like her? Don’t be. You’ve always been a monster after all.” It chuckled, seemingly slightly disgruntled over the fact Nathanial had been unaffected by his actions.


    Chloe clenched her left hand and took another look at the glass, and then at the blonde before relenting, releasing a soft sigh before speaking.


    “Well, it’s not like I can get any worse... and I am a bit thirsty...” the girl mumbled under her breath.


    The blonde’s smile grew wider in response to her choice of words, interested to see how she would react to the drink.


    If he remembered correctly, the first time he’d tried red wine the blonde had nearly spat it out due to how bitter it had been.


    Suspiciously lifting the glass to her eye level, she swished the liquid around, turning it into what looked like a bloody whirlpool before taking a small sip, her expression contorting from the taste of the liquid.


    “That tastes terrible!” Chloe cried out, causing a bout of laughter from Nathanial as he spiritedly responded in tow.


    “It’s an acquired taste. You’ll get used to it eventually.“.


    A waiter equipped with two thin leather menus appeared before them, the blonde refusing the menus before reciting a French sounding dish, adding that Chloe would have the same as he, the waiter quickly dispersing after his words.


    “Trust me, the dish I’ve ordered for you is certainly the best one here. You’ll like it.” Nathanial said, justifying his abrupt actions.


    Chloe gave a small nod whilst looking over Nathanial’s attire. The inner waistcoat was made up from a silky-smooth white material, his shirt black as the figure who stood behind him.


    “So, tell me about yourself. You hardly talk about anything other than the books you read.”


    Having been caught looking at him, Chloe’s orange orbs flinched upon hearing his voice, quickly moving back up towards his eyes.


    Chloe paused whilst pondering what to say.


    “Born to two loving parents, games and art are probably the two things I enjoy the most.” She summarised, skipping out a few important details along the way.


    The blonde broke out into a series of chuckles before speaking, “All 18 years summarised within such a small sentence.“.


    The orange haired girl shrugged, going for another sip from the wine glass to fill the time.


    “Must be harsh being slowly ditched by those two. What were their names again? Right. Lea and Aaron.” Nathanial smoothly spoke, copying Chloe’s actions by taking a swig from his glass.


    The small girl tensed up from his words, eyes finding themselves wondering around the room, peering at some of the artwork that had been hung upon a large black wall, so as to avoid contact with the boy.


    “Ditched huh? I won’t lie that I’ve been feeling slightly lonely as of recent. Their relationship seems to only progress further as time passes. Hardly any time for us three. Only for the two of them.” Chloe lamented, voice quietening whilst speaking the last sentence.


    The blonde’s countenance distorted, a dirty smirk forming.


    “Well, well, well. Seems like a little someone has been enjoying my company after all.” He teased, staring straight at Chloe and her waist length orange locks.


    Chloe shifted slightly under his gaze before mumbling, “Thanks... For accompanying me the last year and a half. Would have been a lot harder on my own.“.


    She wasn’t lying at all. When they were together as a trio, the black figure seemed to be confined. Spending more and more time alone had resulted in some... unfortunate side effects.


    Even with Nathanial becoming her friend, the time that she spent inside that apartment had increased when compared with before. Nothing good ever came from being in there.


    Perhaps the only good thing that had come with the extra free time she had obtained was the job she has obtained.


    A few hours here and there allowed for Chloe to buy enough food to survive on. After all, the fridge was never stocked by the older woman.


    Nathanial let out a small chuckle before replying with a sombre tone, “You remind me of myself. All alone. At least, that’s how I found myself after the death of my mother.“.


    Chloe opened her mouth, words failing to come out before she closed it.


    “They broke in at night when my father was away on a business trip. Hiding me away, she tried to fight against the intruders but ended up passing away. I... Don’t think my father ever finished grieving. Perhaps... Neither have I.” He continued, looking towards the endless metal city which gleamed under the dying sun.


    The small orange haired girl’s lips firmly pressed into a thin pale red line, eyes staring at the thick crimson liquid that stagnantly sat in the wine glass.


    “I don’t think there is such a thing as “finishing grieving” over a lost one. You may be able to fool yourself into thinking as such, however those lies aren’t the truth. They never will be.” Chloe proclaimed, eyes calm as her gaze looked towards her hands, a crimson substance covered both of them.


    As if there was no end to the liquid, it poured onto the floor, transforming it into a pool of red.


    Nathanial’s voice shook her out of the hallucination, the only crimson within her sight contained within the two glasses of wine which tranquilly sat before her, slightly gleaming from the sun which shone through the panes of glass.


    “Wise words coming from a wise woman.” He praised, taking a large swig from his glass.


    The black figure behind the blonde burst out into a fit of laughter before it spoke with its usual scratchy voice, “He’s just like you. How fitting. Both murderers.”.


    <hr>


    A high-pitched ping cried out, alarming the small girl as her vision turned and twisted. The blonde slowly led her out of the elevator, his own movements stable and consistent.


    Two large black orbs harshly bore into the larger man’s figure, a quiet chuckle filling the small girl’s head.


    “Murderers.”