Ghost in the Roses

Kai leads me into our flight’s stables.

“What are we doing here?” I whisper.

He stops at a stall door with “Century” engraved into it. With a slow creaking sound, he exposes a sleeping dragon.

“You want to fly our dragons there?”

“Yes. Their stealth will sneak us out and back in. Go wake up September and let’s saddle up.”

But she is already awake. Her nose drags her sleepy self out of her bed of hay towards Kai. The air moves intently and hard through her nostrils as they inspect his shirt and hands. Playfully, Kai tries to push her away, but all he could do is shrug up.

“September, come on. Stop,” he tries not to laugh her name out loud.

“Kai. Shhhhhh. She’s probably smelling the garlic and butter on you,” I smile.

“And that’s not the only reason why you two will get caught,” the voice isn’t mine or Kai’s.

Only after exposing our intentions to sneak out, does the third person's presence comes out from the shadows. I'm relieved that it’s Nina and hope that the benefit of our friendship will bring leniency.

“You two smell like good food and wear good clothes. You are better off wearing a knight’s uniform, then you might have a chance of not having angry people picking a fight with the likes of you.”

“Please don’t be mad at us,” Kai pleas.

“How can I not,” she turns her nose up. “You two were going out there without even inviting me.”

“Sorry, Nina. Come with us.”

“First we need to change,” Nina smiles as her hand digs into her dress pocket.

Between her thumb and index finger, she presents the physical form of her clever idea. It's liquid and bottled in a tiny vessel.

“What is that?” I frown.

“This is chameleon ink,” a smile gives us a sneak peek at her clever plan.

“That’s a good idea. Why didn’t we think of it?” I remember that potion from our lectures.

“That’s because my family is new money and I still remember what it was like growing up poor,” she reminds us.

“Hold still,” the steadiness of her hand fills the dropper to a line, and then, holds it over my head.

Like the rings of a fallen dew drop in a pond, the magic spreads all the way to my toes. As Nina chants, it swallows up my privilege and leaves a trail of poverty behind it.

“I ask this magic entity,

With its ink to rewrite my identity.

Lend me the chameleon’s gift,

To blend in, make my skin shift.”

Just as this short poem ends, our hair finishes overgrowing. I immediately itch for a haircut. Or maybe it’s something else. Kai’s and mine shirts lose the thread count and our pants grow patches. The time’s pace quickens and steals away the leather’s shine as it runs across our riding boots. Nina’s vibrant red hair turns into the same quality of color faded clothing. The brightness of her dress fades. All three of us are dressed in a color palate that, well, lacks color.

“What is that smell? Is that me?” Kai begins to smell the inner side of an old vest that he would never own by choice.

“Quit smelling yourself," getting her Marshmallow ready, Nina shakes her head at him.

“And you smell like stale cinnamon,” his nose catches her scent.

We hurry and at last, our group is ready to take the black sky. I look up and see that there has been some mishap going on in the heavens: some celestial god has been having trouble going to sleep and tonight is the night when it tipped over its glass of cosmic milk. The stars are spilled all over the night and our dragons follow the dripping trails into the city’s heart. I think we are about to find out what has been keeping that god up at night.

It doesn’t look like we have much of a choice; rooftops for landing it is. After we dismount our dragons, we instruct them to hide higher among the tower peaks and keep watch for our signal. Century, September, and Marshmallow roll their eyes at us in a most disapproving way. As the flying trio vanishes, I listen to gossip in their growling language melt away into the darkness.

“Look,” Nina points at the downtown beneath our feet.

Kai and I lean over the stone edge and see people. Lots of people. As numerous as the stars of tonight’s sky. Their purpose is to slither forward like the sky’s spilled milk, but their marching flow is blocked by a dam. A dark green dam hard as bricks. The solid lineup is frozen in place, unmoved by the pushing and yelling of a restless current.

“Who are those guys?” Kai point at the blockade.

“They look like the Royal Guard,” Nina squints.

“There is only one way to be sure. Let’s get down there,” I push away from the border.

“This is close enough,” I’m surprised at Kai’s change of taste for adventure.

“Come on. This was your idea,” finally, I get the chance to return the wink.

The fire escape leads us down into an alleyway, but we can't get much farther than the sidewalk once we enter the open street. Every inch of gravel is taken and the mass of people shifts shoulder to shoulder.

Nina tries telling me something but all I could see is her mouth moving as her voice drowns in the pollution of noise. I try telling her that I can’t hear her, but she looks just as confused as I do when she speaks.

Instead of using our voices, I decided it would be best if we use our hands. Using sign language Nina and Kai agree to try to make our way a little closer to see who is blocking the protesters’ march.

Like thunder, a voice comes from ahead, “Your protest permit has been revoked!!! You must leave now!!!”

The sound is overwhelming and I cover up my ears. Many others around me do the same. I know that the strength of the amplification is no mistake; it’s a tactic. But that only makes the people angrier. They return the attack with shouting of their own and raise their signs up even higher.

“Under whose authority?!” a person behind me yells.

“We are NOT leaving!” another joined her.

The guards keep roaring their commands, like a broken music record.

The protesters lose their temper and the lack of answers only makes them even more agitated. Everyone around me is ‘hangry’ and their appetite shocks the royal guards.

The uniformed wall is losing balance as the current of the march regains its might.

Kai’s hands panic ‘let’s get out of here.’

Nina’s hands understand the severity growing all around us, but remain calm. Her fingers offer the solution to have us link arms and keep moving with the flow while making our way to the next alley. Kai and I obey.

A whistling sound catches our attention, and we stop and look up. Silver trails of smoke trace the launch back to where the guards are. We are such idiots. We should have kept on moving.

Suddenly, the whole world fades. Everything disappears, even my link to Nina’s arm. I can’t find her or Kai no matter how much I reach for them. A strange fog swallows the street and only here and there I can see grey shadows flicker. A herd of ghosts oozes out from the blank canvas, running past me, only to melt into white emptiness once again. Their phantom screams ring in my ears.

“Nina! Kai!” I risk exposing our identities, but it’s not like there are many other options.

“Adrien!” I hear Nina.

“I’m over here!” Kai’s call comes through.

“Where are you?!” my voice grows hoarse. It’s hard yelling with eyes and nose dripping like a broken faucet. My throat and nose burn. My saliva is acid and no matter how much I spit, the bitter taste keeps on biting.

“Head for....the....al....ley!” Nina struggles. “Get...to...roo...roof...tops!”

I have no idea how, but we do find an alley. The poisonous cloud’s presence there is weak and at last, I can make out the faces of the people around me. Kai and Nina are with me now and that’s all that matters, but we need to keep moving. We need to get the hell out of here.

We’re ready to leave and never come back, but the party isn’t done with us. As quick and as sharp as a wasp’s sting, our escape plan turns venomous. One after another, I watch my friends’ minds being unplugged from their bodies and their unconsciousness knocks them down to the filthy ground. A silver needle protrudes out of their necks. My mind begins to trick me into thinking that this is funny.

“Well, hello little honeybee. Does your queen know you’re out of the hive?” I giggle at the dart that I don’t remember plucking out of my skin.

In silence, the sneaky messenger lies in the palm of my hand and I know it means that my friends and I are at someone else’s mercy. If mercy is even in store for us tonight.

“Yes, she does know. Does yours?” the dart finally speaks.

What a strange sleeping spell but nevertheless, it does the trick.