Cloaked-Short Story

I love a good villain. So, of course I have two in my story XD. One is the main villain, Zaria Emmer. The other, a more…personal villain. Ellie. She both has conflict with the protagonists and the villain, making a perfect mix I absolutely love, along with the mystery shrouded around her. 

That’s why I had to write a short story when developing characters with her. I hope you enjoy! 

***

Everyone thought that being close to Zaria was a good thing. But Ellie knew it wasn’t. 

Not when that woman’s father had tortured you as a child until you broke. Not when that woman practically treated you like dirt. Not when she was the cause of every pain.

Ellie gritted her teeth as she looked down the dark street, only lit by the glowing light of the moon. A light wind caused her long, black cloak to billow out behind her. 

She always loved the way it did that, but her cloak wasn’t going to cheer her up this time. She had a meeting to attend to. A meeting that could endanger her life. But yet, a meeting that could change everything as she knew it. 

The tall buildings towered over her as her steps echoed eerily off them in a quick rhythm. 

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

Ellie’s hand darted to her belt, where she pulled out her tablet. She punched in the code. The screen lit up. 

She gave a small sigh of relief, not stopping walking. There weren’t any alerts. None of the Shadow Lizard patrols had noticed she was gone. 

She would have at the very least, forty minutes before they noticed and reported she was not at her post, where she should’ve been at the moment. 

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

She was close to the meeting place. The buildings had begun to grow smaller, more collapsed and broken. 

A symbol of what the real Regnum City was like. The towers around the Shadow Lizard headquarters were just a facade that made Zaria feel like she actually did something. 

But only the rich and the Shadow Lizard lived there. Everyone else was ignored, living in rubble like that. 

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

“You made it,” A female’s voice said through the darkness as Ellie slipped behind a broken, brick wall. 

Ellie nodded. “I did. Now what did you want?” 

Her hand slipped in her cloak, where it rested on her gun. She didn’t really think about it. It was just her habit to be on guard. 

Especially with a traitor and leader of a rebellion she could easily arrest and take back with her. But something held her back. 

So she just kept her hand on the gun. 

“I just want to talk to you a bit,” the voice replied. 

“Step forward, out of the shadows,” Ellie said in an even tone. “If you want to talk, I’d like to see you.” 

“Fair request.” A slender woman stepped forward into the faint moonlight. She had long brown hair and gray eyes that glittered as she moved. She wore plain clothing, a simple, baggy T-shirt and a pair of torn jeans. As far as Ellie could tell, she was unarmed.

Her hand loosened on her gun just a bit. “So, what do you want to talk about?” 

“I wanted to ask if you were willing to help us,” The woman said, playing with her hands. 

“Help you?” Ellie narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “I don’t even know your name, why should I help you?” 

The woman’s eyes lifted to gaze towards Ellie’s face. “My name is Stella, if that makes a difference. And I want you to join our rebellion.” 

“Rebellion?” Ellie spat, her hand tightening around the gun once again. “What makes you think I want to become a traitor?” 

Stella twisted a lock of hair between her fingers. “When I met you a few days ago, I knew you had a good heart…I knew you somewhat wanted to join us.” 

Ellie bit her cheek, imagining Zaria’s face if she was betrayed and beaten. It would be a delicious moment. 

But what if it failed and they were caught. No. 

Ellie would never go back to being tortured ever again. And if staying out of the rebellion meant she could be safe, then she would stay out. 

“No. I do not want to join you.” 

“I understand that,” Stella said slowly. “But I believe you know the right option.” 

Ellie gritted her teeth. The right option would be to arrest Stella then and there. Get the stupid conversation over with and make Zaria pleased. 

If Zaria was happy, life wasn’t misery for everyone else. 

“I don’t want to risk my skin to save you and all the other poor scum who think they are strong enough to overthrow the city,” Ellie growled, hoping secretly her tone frightened the woman. 

Stella’s eyes only flashed with amusement. “We don’t want to overthrow the city.” 

“Oh really, so what do you want to do?” 

“We want freedom, like everyone else.” Stella clasped her hands together, now looking at the ground. “Freedom from this prison of a city.” 

Ellie’s memory flashed to a much younger version of herself, trying to climb the wall of Regnum City. Her hands had bled terribly, but she still fought to find her freedom. 

Until she had been caught. 

“Freedom from the evil leaders,” Stella continued. 

Ellie now remembered staring into a tall man’s scarred face as he glowered down at her small form. Her heart had pounded in her chest. Her arms had felt like the skin was melting away. 

“Freedom from the pain.” 

The hot fire came closer to her bare skin. She screamed. Pleaded. But still it grew closer, until it felt like her body was being eaten alive by the flames. 

“Freedom from the brokenness.” 

Ellie remembered the girl collapsed on the prison floor. The girl who was writhing in pain, who was still screaming to be let go. For someone to save her. 

But nobody came. 

Nobody had cared for the little girl who wanted freedom. Nobody thought she was worth saving. 

She was disposable. 

Didn’t need freedom, just something to keep her in submission. 

“There is no such thing as freedom,” Ellie snarled, then she yanked her gun out of her holster. 

An almost-silent thunk. Then Stella’s lifeless form collapsed to the ground. 

Ellie didn’t look back as she spun on her heel and stalked out from behind the wall, her cloak flying behind her. 

She shoved her gun back into her holster, grabbing her tablet. With a few taps, she reported the rebel’s corpse by the wall. 

Zaria would want to know. 

Ellie’s footsteps began echoing again. 

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

“Freedom doesn’t exist. It never did.” 

***

Until next time, 

A.J. Syngraféas