Lena smiled and nodded. “Haven City is in a very beautiful place. As you found out, it’s just off the coast of Brazil, on a tiny island called Sandista. As I said, it’s always been prosperous. The citizens live in a very close-knit society, our kingdom rules with an iron fist, we try our best to keep the enemy out…and of course…” She said the next statement with a laugh “we can’t forget about the Precursors.”
Chris perked up. “The Precursors? Are these like, the ones who founded Haven City?”
Lena nodded. “Yes. But they’re not who you might think. You see, the Precursors were these creatures called ottsels, which is a combination between a otter and a weasel. They can swim and walk on land, are very intelligent, and basically built Haven City from the ground up. No one really knows how they were able to accumulate so much wealth in the early stages, but ever since they returned to the waters, the people who came over have been very thankful that the ottsels left the city just how they designed it.”
Chris was very intrigued now. He wanted to ask these ottsels so many questions.
“So, these ottsels…are there any of them left?”
Lena shook her head. “The Precursors are rarely seen. Sometimes they’ll make appearances here and there just to check on their city, but otherwise they mostly have their own lives in our waters now. As far as I know, when Steve and I were shelled out, there were none in the city.”
“Aw…bummer.” Chris said. “Now who can I ask all my questions to when I get there?”
Lena gave him a shocking look. “You’re not actually thinking of going there, are you?”
Chris looked in her eyes. “I have to. I have to find a story there that can save the newspaper. I don’t know why, but I think there’s a reason why the dart that I threw took me there.”
Lena also had a moment. Could it be? Could it be that maybe, just maybe, one of the ottsels is signaling for help?
Lena knew she couldn’t talk Chris out of it. She said calmly, “The Thunderbolts may be moving in for their last invasion at any moment. It may be the biggest one of them all. Since they already have the King, they may try to take over Haven City completely.”
Chris swallowed. He didn’t want to be part of a rescue mission; he just wanted to write a great story!
But Lena pulled out something from under the sink. It was a HUGE blasting gun.
“Take this for your own protection. You will likely need it. And if you find an ottsel to help you and answer your questions, you will be one lucky reporter, Mr. Saunders.”
Then, just as Steve was walking back in and yelled out, “Has Chris left yet?” Lena gave Chris a quick kiss on the lips.
“LENA!” shouted Steve.
“STEVE! It’s not what you think! I was telling Chris about Haven City and what he needed to do there. He’s going there to save the paper and maybe even the town!”
Steve stared at Chris. Chris just gave him a little wave.
Steve put his hands on Chris’s shoulders. Instead of getting angry, Steve hugged him and cried.
Man oh man, Chris thought. That city and those people are going through total heck. But how do they manage to live so well then?
Steve then said, “Chris, my friend. I was afraid to tell you my story. That’s why I ran out. I didn’t have the strength nor the heart. But now that you know it, Lena and I will definitely support you and be cheering you on from afar. Good luck, son.”
As Steve and Lena walked out the back way home, Chris just sat there, staring into the last of his coffee, and turned off the tape recorder.
“Dear God, what have I gotten myself into?”
But there was no turning back now. Chris had to head home, pack his bags, and leave. The cruise ship for Haven City was leaving at 9 a.m. the next morning.
“Please, please, let me run into an ottsel to help me,” Chris said as he walked those dark, lonely streets home. “’Cause I know I can’t do this alone.”
(Word Count: 4,558 - a mere 9.1%)
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Chapter 5: The Two Mysterious Individuals
Chris quickly put his computer away. He became intrigued.
“Who are you?”
“My name’s Lena. I work here with Steve, but you rarely see me because I’m so busy. It’s alright, I guess.”
Lena went behind the counter and started making herself a cup. I thought all she did was clean tables, Chris thought.
“So what can you tell me about Haven City? It seemed like Steve was scared crazy when I asked him about it.”
Lena turned and looked Chris deep in the eyes. “Mr. Reporter, there’s so much you can learn, but so little you can share with the public, about Haven City.”
Chris wondered, “Who is this girl?” But he quickly grabbed a tape recorder.
“You don’t mind if I record this, do you? I need as much information as I can get.”
“No, not at all,” Lena said with that infectious smile. “But once you get there, I would be careful…you never know what might happen. Where do you want me to start?” she said as she took a sip of her coffee. “Steve’s story, my story, or background about the city in general?”
“Oh, just go in that order…” Chris said as he sipped. “I didn’t even think that Steve had a story…I figured you did…”
Lena slapped him across the face.
“OW! What the dicken was that for?”
“Why else would Steve run out of his own establishment when you asked him about Haven City? Wake up, Mr. Brilliant Journalist!”
Chris then had an epiphany. “Wait a minute…something happened to him there, didn’t it?”
Lena nodded, then proceeded to tell him their story. Chris hit the record button and listened intently.
“You see, Steve and I…for one thing, we’re kind of…married.”
Chris almost spit out his coffee, but instead barely managed to swallow it down. “Come again? Steve never told me that.”
“Of course he’s not going to tell you that! If he told you, you probably wouldn’t believe it!”
“Very true. Continue.”
“Anyway, also, Steve and I were both born in Haven City.”
Chris couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Then what were they doing in Pittsburgh? He thought.
“You see, Steve and I were living a great life together there. Our king was running the kingdom and city very effectively, and keeping all the intruders at bay. Our city is very prosperous, full of riches. Multiple enemies try and take them from us. Over time, we’ve managed to kill several of them off…except for one…the Thunderbolts.”
“The Thunderbolts?” Chris thought for a minute. “Wait…I did a story one time on them. Aren’t they a bunch of villains who got nowhere in life, so they took out their frustrations by robbing, stealing, and killing?”
“Pretty much.” Lena said as she stared into her coffee. “They are so persistent. Fortunately, though, they’ve cut back to invading only once per season.”
Chris thought to himself – wait a minute, that’s four times a year! But he didn’t want to discuss it; he just continued listening.
“However, one year ago, the Thunderbolts were ready to conduct their winter invasion. We were struggling to keep warm and prices were really going up. It was tough, but we still had to have our defenses intact, and we did…but…” Lena started crying and getting very emotional.
Chris tried to sympathize. “Oh, Lena, it couldn’t have been that bad.”
Lena screamed out, “THEY DID A SNEAK ATTACK! THEY CAPTURED KING QUINN AND TOOK ALMOST ALL THE RICHES FROM THE HOMES!”
Chris said, “Oh…”
Lena sniffled as tears streamed down her face. “We had to get out of Haven City. It was so much destruction. We hardly had anything left. So we just took the next ship that went out, and here we are in Pittsburgh.”
Chris couldn’t believe he had been so blind. He thought his life and his problems were bad, but these two individuals – and so many others – had been through much, much worse.
Chris touched Lena’s cheek. He wanted to cheer her up.
“Lena, I know this is hard for you. But what you tell me could not only help me and the paper, but help the people of Haven City. Can you tell me about the city itself?”
“Who are you?”
“My name’s Lena. I work here with Steve, but you rarely see me because I’m so busy. It’s alright, I guess.”
Lena went behind the counter and started making herself a cup. I thought all she did was clean tables, Chris thought.
“So what can you tell me about Haven City? It seemed like Steve was scared crazy when I asked him about it.”
Lena turned and looked Chris deep in the eyes. “Mr. Reporter, there’s so much you can learn, but so little you can share with the public, about Haven City.”
Chris wondered, “Who is this girl?” But he quickly grabbed a tape recorder.
“You don’t mind if I record this, do you? I need as much information as I can get.”
“No, not at all,” Lena said with that infectious smile. “But once you get there, I would be careful…you never know what might happen. Where do you want me to start?” she said as she took a sip of her coffee. “Steve’s story, my story, or background about the city in general?”
“Oh, just go in that order…” Chris said as he sipped. “I didn’t even think that Steve had a story…I figured you did…”
Lena slapped him across the face.
“OW! What the dicken was that for?”
“Why else would Steve run out of his own establishment when you asked him about Haven City? Wake up, Mr. Brilliant Journalist!”
Chris then had an epiphany. “Wait a minute…something happened to him there, didn’t it?”
Lena nodded, then proceeded to tell him their story. Chris hit the record button and listened intently.
“You see, Steve and I…for one thing, we’re kind of…married.”
Chris almost spit out his coffee, but instead barely managed to swallow it down. “Come again? Steve never told me that.”
“Of course he’s not going to tell you that! If he told you, you probably wouldn’t believe it!”
“Very true. Continue.”
“Anyway, also, Steve and I were both born in Haven City.”
Chris couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Then what were they doing in Pittsburgh? He thought.
“You see, Steve and I were living a great life together there. Our king was running the kingdom and city very effectively, and keeping all the intruders at bay. Our city is very prosperous, full of riches. Multiple enemies try and take them from us. Over time, we’ve managed to kill several of them off…except for one…the Thunderbolts.”
“The Thunderbolts?” Chris thought for a minute. “Wait…I did a story one time on them. Aren’t they a bunch of villains who got nowhere in life, so they took out their frustrations by robbing, stealing, and killing?”
“Pretty much.” Lena said as she stared into her coffee. “They are so persistent. Fortunately, though, they’ve cut back to invading only once per season.”
Chris thought to himself – wait a minute, that’s four times a year! But he didn’t want to discuss it; he just continued listening.
“However, one year ago, the Thunderbolts were ready to conduct their winter invasion. We were struggling to keep warm and prices were really going up. It was tough, but we still had to have our defenses intact, and we did…but…” Lena started crying and getting very emotional.
Chris tried to sympathize. “Oh, Lena, it couldn’t have been that bad.”
Lena screamed out, “THEY DID A SNEAK ATTACK! THEY CAPTURED KING QUINN AND TOOK ALMOST ALL THE RICHES FROM THE HOMES!”
Chris said, “Oh…”
Lena sniffled as tears streamed down her face. “We had to get out of Haven City. It was so much destruction. We hardly had anything left. So we just took the next ship that went out, and here we are in Pittsburgh.”
Chris couldn’t believe he had been so blind. He thought his life and his problems were bad, but these two individuals – and so many others – had been through much, much worse.
Chris touched Lena’s cheek. He wanted to cheer her up.
“Lena, I know this is hard for you. But what you tell me could not only help me and the paper, but help the people of Haven City. Can you tell me about the city itself?”
Chapter 4: The Meeting
Chris walked through the quiet, lonely streets of Pittsburgh that night, thinking out loud to himself.
“There has to be some reason why that dart did what it did,” Chris said. “I think it’s fate that I need to go to this Haven City. There has to be a great story there, just has to be!”
Chris wanted to jump on his laptop right away and start researching this far-away, exotic place, but he desperately needed a cup of coffee first. He was so tired from not only working hard, but drained from working the long hours. He was taking on the role of becoming the paper’s savior, after all.
Hardly anyone was on the streets at night. It was a lonely, empty feeling – a similar feeling that was in Chris’s heart. Could he really do this? Could he somehow rise above all the frustration and disappointment and be seen as a hero?
Chris walked into the Steeltown Café, the only café in Pittsburgh, and the only one open 24 hours. The owner, whom everyone called “Steely Steve”, was surprised to see him as he sat down.
“Chris? Chris Saunders, is that you?”
“Yeah, Steve, it’s me. Give me a tall decaf. I’m struggling here.”
Steve nodded his head and gave Chris a smile as he prepared his coffee. “You look like it. And I know you only come here when there’s something on your mind.”
Chris couldn’t shy from that information. Steve knew him way too well.
“It isn’t about the newspaper situation, is it?”
Yep, Steve knew him.
“Basically. You see, I didn’t want the paper to die, so I decided to step in and be the hero. Now I got to find a big story that’s amazing enough to save the paper.”
Steve sighed and said, “Of course you do. That’s how you are, Chris – you’re the one with all the problems in this town and you think you can fix them all, even the ones that aren’t your own.”
Chris glanced a stern look at Steve. “What do you mean?”
“Think about it. You fight your own personal demons, you deal with the paper’s issues…Whenever there’s something going on, you try to step in and say, ‘I can fix that!’ One person can’t fix everything, Chris.”
Steve set Chris’s coffee on the counter. It was steaming, yet Chris knew it would be tough to wait for it to cool. All he could do was stare into it as he gathered his thoughts.
“Oh, Steve, I know, but…my life has been tough enough. I lose the love of my life as I’m about to take the job of my life, and now the job of my life may be gone unless I do something about it. There was no one else there to help me.”
Steve was starting to get where Chris was coming from, but he wanted to give him one more piece of advice.
“Chris, I wish you nothing but all the luck in the world, but be warned: Sometimes, a savior gets into more opportunities for trouble than for heroism. Remember that. I’m here for you, though, if you need help.”
The coffee had cooled. Chris took a sip. It was pleasantly relaxing. Now remembering where he was and who he was talking to, Chris pulled out his laptop and asked Steve, “You ever hear of a place called Haven City?”
Steve turned to stone. He dropped the plastic cup he was holding and it clattered to the floor.
Steve was starting to shiver. No, not that place! Steve thought. I can’t tell him about what happened to me there…
Steve quickly shot through the back doors and out the exit.
“How weird,” Chris said.
Then, a young female who was cleaning tables was right up against Chris’s chair. Chris turned and looked, flabbergasted.
She smiled and said, “I can tell you about Haven City. You can put that computer away.”
“There has to be some reason why that dart did what it did,” Chris said. “I think it’s fate that I need to go to this Haven City. There has to be a great story there, just has to be!”
Chris wanted to jump on his laptop right away and start researching this far-away, exotic place, but he desperately needed a cup of coffee first. He was so tired from not only working hard, but drained from working the long hours. He was taking on the role of becoming the paper’s savior, after all.
Hardly anyone was on the streets at night. It was a lonely, empty feeling – a similar feeling that was in Chris’s heart. Could he really do this? Could he somehow rise above all the frustration and disappointment and be seen as a hero?
Chris walked into the Steeltown Café, the only café in Pittsburgh, and the only one open 24 hours. The owner, whom everyone called “Steely Steve”, was surprised to see him as he sat down.
“Chris? Chris Saunders, is that you?”
“Yeah, Steve, it’s me. Give me a tall decaf. I’m struggling here.”
Steve nodded his head and gave Chris a smile as he prepared his coffee. “You look like it. And I know you only come here when there’s something on your mind.”
Chris couldn’t shy from that information. Steve knew him way too well.
“It isn’t about the newspaper situation, is it?”
Yep, Steve knew him.
“Basically. You see, I didn’t want the paper to die, so I decided to step in and be the hero. Now I got to find a big story that’s amazing enough to save the paper.”
Steve sighed and said, “Of course you do. That’s how you are, Chris – you’re the one with all the problems in this town and you think you can fix them all, even the ones that aren’t your own.”
Chris glanced a stern look at Steve. “What do you mean?”
“Think about it. You fight your own personal demons, you deal with the paper’s issues…Whenever there’s something going on, you try to step in and say, ‘I can fix that!’ One person can’t fix everything, Chris.”
Steve set Chris’s coffee on the counter. It was steaming, yet Chris knew it would be tough to wait for it to cool. All he could do was stare into it as he gathered his thoughts.
“Oh, Steve, I know, but…my life has been tough enough. I lose the love of my life as I’m about to take the job of my life, and now the job of my life may be gone unless I do something about it. There was no one else there to help me.”
Steve was starting to get where Chris was coming from, but he wanted to give him one more piece of advice.
“Chris, I wish you nothing but all the luck in the world, but be warned: Sometimes, a savior gets into more opportunities for trouble than for heroism. Remember that. I’m here for you, though, if you need help.”
The coffee had cooled. Chris took a sip. It was pleasantly relaxing. Now remembering where he was and who he was talking to, Chris pulled out his laptop and asked Steve, “You ever hear of a place called Haven City?”
Steve turned to stone. He dropped the plastic cup he was holding and it clattered to the floor.
Steve was starting to shiver. No, not that place! Steve thought. I can’t tell him about what happened to me there…
Steve quickly shot through the back doors and out the exit.
“How weird,” Chris said.
Then, a young female who was cleaning tables was right up against Chris’s chair. Chris turned and looked, flabbergasted.
She smiled and said, “I can tell you about Haven City. You can put that computer away.”
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