Rogue :: Prologue

Now I cannot say for sure if this will be the exact Prologue you see in Rogue but it is close....

Enjoy this [short] sneak peek!

  Prologue

Luke sat at the edge of the lake, his bare feet barely grazing the moss that carpeted the stagnant water.  He was surrounded by cracked concrete and rusted scrap metal, all part of a world lost long ago.  He looked out over the moss, pinpointing the spot where the water resurfaced and shone in the sunlight.  The green vegetation had created a barrier between the shore and the water, and each year the barrier grew thicker.  He watched as the current caused the water to lap up against the edge of the moss.

                In the same way, strange dreams lapped at the edge of his mind.  More and more they were beginning to feel like memories.  That was the only way he could seem to explain them.  Events from the past few months would resurface in his mind, and each time there was a wisp or passing of a shadow over them.  Sometimes the shadow would take the shape of a person; a girl. Other times it would float idly in the distance, beckoning him to come forward and figure out the meaning behind its existence.

                Luke’s dream the previous night had been the most vivid yet.  He had been at the Warehouse sparring with Tighe; which was nothing new for him.  But this time he had the sense that he was fighting for something more than just pride.  Something more than just a “win” in the books.  He had been fighting for something important.  The wispy shadow floated behind Tighe, taunting his memories.  He had woken up with a start and hadn’t been able to fall back asleep.

                The dreams had to be an addition to his abilities.  He was just beginning to touch the surface of what he could do now that he was going to the Training Center every week.  The shadows had to be premonitions of some sort; there was no other clear explanation.

                A hand fell on Luke’s shoulder and he looked up.  Blonde hair framed her heart shaped face and fell several inches past her shoulder.  Her rose colored lips smiled down at him, but the sentiment didn’t quite reach her icy blue eyes.  She looked worried, and her body language told him she was being cautionary.

                Luke stood slowly and was now the one to look down at the girl.  He stood over a foot taller than her, which was nothing new since she was an Ordinary.  He reached out a hand and brushed a piece of hair from her face, letting his hand travel down her arm and to her hand.  She shuddered slightly at his touch, more out of fascination than nervousness.  He, however, felt nothing.

                “Did you find what you were looking for, Mr. Lukin?” Her voice cracked slightly.

                He nodded, even though he hadn’t. “For now.  We should get back.”

                He laced his fingers through hers and led her back to the bike that had brought them here.  Two Exceptional Guards sat on bikes about one hundred yards back.   With the news of the Rogues, Aden had required that Luke leave the City limits with Guards at all times.  He didn’t mind.  Recently, he found it hard to feel upset or annoyed over anything his father did, which was unusual.

                That was one of the reasons it was so easy to walk into the ORC last week and finally pick a female to bring home.  His mother had been less than thrilled about it than he would have imagined, but he decided it had to do with all their Ordinary helpers quitting on the spot.  Luke hadn’t even seen them leave.  He had come home from hanging out with Pax one night to find their things gone and the next day, new Ordinarys took their places.  His father, however, had been overly thrilled.

                He helped the girl onto the bike and climbed on in front of her, waiting until her delicate hands circled his waist, her fingers grazing his skin under his shirt.  Again, nothing.

                “Hang on.” He said as he pulled out into the afternoon sun.  His words were carried behind him with the wind, and he willed the shadows in his mind to go with them.