Crimson Alliance by J. A. Hunter

Author:J. A. Hunter [Hunter, J. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, litRPG
Publisher: Shadow Alley Press, Inc.
Published: 2017-02-24T07:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-ONE:

Debuff, Death

Ocean waves lapped at my feet as muddy sand squished up through my toes. I turned my head and smiled, regarding the magnificent sunset as a cool breeze blew in, ruffling my hair. The water glowed in rippling shades of yellow, orange, and pink, and the sky overhead was just as impressive: a patchwork of drifting clouds in a multitude of hues. A gull squawked somewhere out of sight, complementing the soft wash of the water against the sand. It was a perfect moment. Someone squeezed my hand, and I looked down, surprised to find a petite hand interlaced with mine.

I followed the hand up.

Jessica was smiling at me, her perfect white teeth brilliant against her suntanned skin. She reached up and ran her other hand through her blonde locks, absently brushing a wind-tussled strand off her face. She was beautiful. The fading sunlight stained her white tank top with color, turning it into a dreamy tie-dye. I smiled at her, but underneath, confusion surged through me. Everything felt so real, so right, but I knew we’d broken things off over a year ago. Right after she finished her Bachelors in Education at San Diego State. She’d found a job in Colorado. She’d left me to be a middle school teacher.

She’d thrown away three years together for an entry-level 30K a year job in Boulder. A flash of anger burned in my gut, but I quickly doused it, not wanting to ruin the sublime moment.

No, instead I squeezed her hand tight because I missed her so much and I wanted this to be my world, my reality. It felt so good to be back on the beach again, to see the palm trees and taste the salty tang in the air.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, except now it was Abby’s voice.

I glanced over to find my friend walking next to me, and not the perfectly rendered VR Wode version, either. The Real Abby. Dark skin, just a little overweight, beautiful smile and great dimples. She was wearing a nondescript tank top and dark jeans, rolled up at the cuffs so the incoming surf wouldn’t get them wet. “Why didn’t we ever make this work?” she asked, looking out over the water instead of at me. “Us, I mean.”

I shrugged. “Timing was always off. You were with Jordan, then I was with Jessica. The stars just never really lined up, I guess. Besides, our friendship was too good—you weren’t interested in risking that. Your words.”

She looked at me and nodded, her lips pressed into a tight line. “Yeah, but we were good together, you know? I think I was just scared. We could’ve had something, could’ve been something good maybe.” Her words faded, and the conversation was replaced by the slap of waves and the cry of gulls. I glanced away, watching the waves race up the beach ahead, then sprint back toward the ocean. “The stars are aligned now,” she said, though she didn’t sound quite right. There was an unnatural buzz to her words, like the crooning of some giant bug.

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