Galaxy Of Hope

November was coming to an end and it became very chilly. The seasons were all jumbled up on this world but one thing they did have in common with earth. They followed some similar patterns as our seasons did, because it had been more winter than summer in the last few weeks.

I huddled my body closer into my black bomber jacket. My black beanie covering my entire forehead and ears. Andrew was accompanying me and Skylark to the closing bonfire on the beach celebration. They had two a year and I had attended one of them last year.

The one where I got assaulted by Otto.

I did not really want to go tonight, but Jax and Bronn were on the party committee again so I owed my friends my attendance. Besides, it wasn’t summer like last time so the setting would be totally different. Olive told me that they had blankets and marshmallows. So that did sound cosy and fun.

We went through the forest and I stiffened visibly when images of my assault came flashing forward. I had not ventured so far into these woods since that day. I saw Andrew glancing my way curiously. Skylark had no clue and was walking faster, she couldn’t get there any quicker.

‘You okay princess?’ Andrew had stepped closer to my side, his hand barely touching mine but it got my attention. I nodded, avoiding eye contact because he saw too much when it came to me. I was hesitant to admit it but my bodyguard, my friend, actually saw right through me sometimes.

He grabbed my thumb softly. ‘Hey… if there is anything I need to know about this party you tell me okay?’ I grabbed his hand and squeezed back, looking up at him gratefully and softly smiled back. ‘Off course…’ he nodded, seemingly content with my answer and let my hand go. His absence left me feeling cold now.

We heard the chatter and thumbing music from the dark path that led to the clearing. Sky was basically running now and she never ran. ‘Sky, slow down dude.’

I was a little bit out of breath from following her and that said a lot since my condition had been really good lately. I was running and training basically every day now.

I spotted a bonfire even bigger than the summer’ one had been. Small fires had been placed on various locations on the beach and little tippy tents had been set up everywhere. I spotted pillows with lots of furry blankets on top of them, small drinking stations set up everywhere, decorated with little flaming candles and sparkling little lamps. It was amazing. They had truly outdid themselves. Andrew’s breath fogged up the air in front of him and he clapped his hands together, clearly cold. He was in a black training pant and a black hoodie today. Not nearly warm enough, so I had to get my bodyguard to a fire quickly before he froze to death out here. I let out a small laugh.

‘What?’ he blew hot air in his own fists and I grinned again.

‘You couldn’t find anything warmer to wear today, could you?’ I teased.

One of his dimples popped but he tried to be firm with me. ‘I’m fine.’

‘Let’s get you to one of those fires before you freeze to death, grumpy pants.’ I grabbed his arm, corded with muscle and dragged him forward quickly.

‘Grumpy pants, huh.’ He chuckled and I led the way to one of the farthest fires. He didn’t even hide the relief when he got to warm his hands on them. We passed Dexar and Sebastian on the way, I gave my boyfriend a quick kiss and he gave me a warm drink laced with some kind of rum in return. Andrew raised a disapproving eyebrow at that and had to taste it first before I could. He made a face. It was way too sweet for him.

Olive and Sky were closest to the big fire and were joined by Baylor, Jax and Bronn. I would say hi to my friends later.

Andrew saw me staring while he was still warming his hands. ‘Go… Lux…’

‘I can stay here for a while.’ I sipped from my cup.

‘I’m not supposed to mingle here, I’m your bodyguard remember.’ He added firmly, but there was some contempt in his voice.

‘Yeah, and that’s just awkward.’ Thinking about the night we had spent with Yun in the city and how fun that had been to see him outside of his work. He always reminded me we weren’t friends though and that hurts me more than I would like to admit. He would be standing here alone all night and I didn’t like that at all. I liked his company and a part of me wanted to assume that he liked mine too.

‘Fine!’ I dramatically sighed when I felt he wasn’t going to budge. ’…but you stay at this fire. Don’t die on me tonight.’

‘Ha ha ha…’ he raised an eyebrow and switched his eyes towards my friends. ‘Go, Lux.’

So I joined Sky and the others at the fire. Really enjoying that drink Sebastian had given me. Between him and Oak, the only two romantic relationships I had left, I was really enjoying this. Dosch and Ash could stay away, I couldn’t care less. That was a blatant lie, but anyway.

Sebastian joined me for a while but as always he was very busy with his music so he had to dip out early and he had taken Dexar with him. I spotted Jax who had joined Andrew by the fire and that made me happy.

‘There is this legend that each year, at the end of November on the verge of the new moon, a hidden abyss opens at the side of this beach, near Clemence Cay.’ Olive looked ghostly while trying to tell this story like it was scary. The fire dancing over her face and casting strange shadows under her eyes. She sipped from her drink for dramatic pause. ‘It opens and you can see into another world and talk to the dead.’

I snorted. ‘Well… that’s insane.’

Sky’s eyes were huge. ‘Let’s check that out tonight!’

‘Euhm… why would we want to do that?’ I had enough adventure in my life, no thank you.

‘Yeah, let’s just not go to creepy caves tonight.’ Bronn agreed. I gratefully looked in his direction and automatically glanced towards my brooding shadow. Who was casually lounging next to one of the tippy tents, straight looking at me and my group, and had to get rid of the ninth chick attempting to flirt with him. Yeah, I kind of have counted all the desperate girls that tried and will or won’t be remembering them for later references.

If Andrew had heard this ghost story he would have dragged my ass back home.

‘Come on Lulu, don’t be such a downer!’ Olive wined.

I rolled my eyes. ‘It’s fucking freezing here and I’m not going near the ocean.’ I glanced towards Andrew again because another chick was trying her luck. This one didn’t even get more than two words in, Andrew’s gaze focused solely on me. Which he had to do because of his job, but made me feel better anyway.

Sky was getting up though to follow through with this crazy plan. ‘Sky!’ I nearly slushed my liquor out of my cup with the way I was scolding her. ‘Sit down! Don’t be an idiot!’ her twin brothers would kill me if they found out about this.

‘We are just going to see what the fuss is about, Lulu.’ Olive added. ‘It isn’t a big deal.’

Baylor sheepishly glanced towards Jax, who was just about done with his conversation with Andrew, his sixth sense for trouble clearly on point today.

‘I’m not letting you go alone, babe.’ Bronn said before kissing her on the cheek.

‘Alone to what exactly?’ Jax saw Sky and Olive ready to go somewhere and knew something was up.

Also the fact that Baylor was now wide-eyed like she was about to do something bad, was a dead giveaway.

‘They have this crazy plan…’ I sighed while getting protests from my best friends. Bronn had now joined them, ready to go.

‘The ghost story?’ Jax laughed. ‘I’ve heard about it. I think Sebastian was telling me and Dexar about last year’s trip to the cave earlier by the tipi tent.’ He didn’t seem nearly as horrified as I would have thought. The man loved Halloween. So it wasn’t a surprise. I loved Halloween too once upon a time my life didn’t turn out to be a bad horror movie on the daily. I had a feeling I was about to be ditched by my friends or go on a ghost hunt tonight. As I glanced around the other groups still lingering I spotted creepy Mike with his basketball team friends at the farthest firepit, shot gunning beers and freaking Aria Firecrotch at the black tipi tent, the color of her heart, with her evil girlfriends. Other groups were covered in shadows, but just about all my friends were here tonight or had been here tonight so I was fairly certain I would not find any other company here.

‘Fine.’ I sighed and stood up quickly. Wiping the sand of my ass. As if he was summoned by my rising, Andrew appeared at my back. ‘Going somewhere?’

‘Oh you are going to love this.’ I said. He just raised an eyebrow. ‘We’re going ghost hunting.’