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The Slate Of Vale - Chapter 2

Published at 4th of October 2019 02:07:40 PM


Chapter 2

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Strange envelope

Annabel climbed up the stairs, with thoughts trying to grip on what the day's event would look like. It was almost sixteen years now, yet she could still hear the cheering and happy screams of her racing crew, as if it were yesterday. She missed that frightful but yet enjoyable feeling of the adrenaline, which always bit her on her stomach whenever she mounted her H-Board. Oh, she just remembered that bright wine red H-Board, RCD-2427, with gold streaming underneath and a lightning bolt streaking its side. Not the most fanciful, but the fastest those days.

Every memory seemed anew.

She sighed when she remembered those days in the night camp with her crew, those nights when the star oceans the heavens and the moon smiled at them. Those rosy days with her husband, who was the greatest racer in the whole of Anadan, though he never won any international title. Annabel couldn't help the smile. Her husband kept telling her that he careless about titles, to him, a good name was better than an expensive ointment. True to his words, people loved him dearly.

She was supposed to be in a hurry, but she ambled up the stairs, struggling to keep the lock of her hair under a tiny rubber band. The brunette hair had been her pride and a source of praise from her husband when she was still in her prime. Annabel bit her under lips when she remembered that the praises of her husband has tested the great beyond. It vexes her to realize that the emptiness which had been bay for years now, were trying to surface.

Today is a day of joy; I won't ruin it for my boy.

Annabel felt something in her stomach lifting, but it stopped when it got to her chest. It was not the lone emotion of hopelessness, it was the confidence she had in her son, her only child.

She turned the knob of the brown wooden door and pushed it slightly.

"My goodness, you are still in bed? It's morning already." Annabel said reluctantly, it was not her intention to disturb him, but she couldn't bear to see his days of tireless training crumble.

The familiarity of the room drifted her thoughts back to her husband. The memories of him were always constant here. This was his niche for ten years, before they got married and Jeff was born nine years later. Nothing had changed much. Everything still had that old woody smell. The picture of the gray hoe was still engraved elegantly on the wall and the book shelf stood neatly, towering half way to the ceiling. Jeff had personalized the room, but the comfort still portrays her husband.

The crease on Annabel's tanned skin deepened, when her copper eyes rested on the rose decorated blanket lying on the polished wooden floor.

"Jeff, get up, have you forgotten what day it is?"

"I know mom". Jeff mumbled and steered lazily with a sleepy frown on his young face. He yawned and sat up reluctantly, with his feet resting on the wooden floor.


"Good morning mom". He greeted, rubbing his eyes but no longer dizzy.

"A beautiful morning it is, don't you think?" Annabel asked. She heard Jeff grumbled something, but paid no mind as she leaned on the window sill of the west wind, allowing the sight of the city carry her away.

The street was alive with people as usual. Horns from the land Tripler were echoing nosily and the mumbo-jumbo, carousing what suppose to be a quite morning often makes her wonder if some people ever go to sleep. The smiling face of Dr. Jakins was on one of the bill boards, advertizing one of his newly designed tech.

"Get dress, today is your day". More wrinkles appeared on Annabel's aging face, as she lifted her gaze to behold the hovering neon signs which were meant to regulate flight. The government had down a good job this time by including directional signs, but some people kept disobeying flight rules. Annabel remembered vividly that she never obeyed one of that flight traffic for once. It was pointless, how can the law try to regulate flight, what is there to regulate? This is air for crying out loud, air means freedom.

"Sure. You are giving me the credit when the race has not even started. I won't argue with you today, not this time."

Jeff's words made her look back into the room. She saw him making the bed. His dark hair dangles behind and his once skinny features; were now growing muscles. He really is turning to a man.

"You are finally learning the ways of the Gray, your father would have been proud" Annabel said

Jeff chuckled. "What has my birth lineage got to do with my manners, I don't even have powers like the others"

"Everything my son, they think we are the weakest but without us they would all die. We the Gray feed the nation through our hard work, and hard work starts with good manners."

Annabel couldn't see what was funny, but she was bemused to see Jeff burst into hot laughter.

"You are funny mom, very funny, but also right. At least we got the speed like everyone else"

"That's why I need you to go out there and prove to them that we are the fastest in the history of Anadan."

"When there are the Reds?" Jeff asked looking straight into her eyes "I doubt, and talking about history, no Gray has ever made it to the fast five -"

"- And I know you will. I believe in you, you should also believe in you."

Jeff paused for a moment then stood to face her. She saw hopeful eyes, yet somewhere behind that glamour was doubt swerving around him like vipers.

"I will mum; I'll give it my best shot." He managed to say. Annabel smiled as if that was the perfect answer she had expected.

"I know you will. Matt is downstairs, should I tell him to come meet you?"

"I don't think you should, I will be downstairs in a jiffy." Jeff said smoothly. Annabel nodded in agreement and strode towards the exit.

"You look perfect in that dress mom; one could easily mistake you for a queen you know." Jeff teased.

"Don't be ridiculous Jeff" Annabel flushed with an aglitter grace, trying to hide the effect of his compliment underneath a smile "this dress was made from cheap materials."

"But that does not abolish its perfection, does it?" Jeff asked.

"Am flattered, you really shouldn't tell a girl your age such words or we would have scores of them lining on our doorstep." Annabel chuckled "Thanks for the compliment anyway." She straightened the blue dress with her hands as if Jeff's words have just brought out its beauty.

"Oh, before I forget, breakfast is ready, don't let it get cold." She said as she shut the wooden door behind.

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