The Starling Vigilante [Watty's 2015 Award Winner]

Chapter 22

Time passed. People came and went. I celebrated my 19th birthday. I completed exams, made new friends, stayed with old ones, and still had those... meetings with Merlyn. But the next significant part of my life, that was on my 20th birthday.

---

'Morning, honey,' Eddie woke me up with a kiss, his smile worth a more than any birthday gift I could possibly be receiving that day. 'And happy birthday!'

'Morning, Eddie,' I smiled back with a yawn, my eyes too tired to open properly. I couldn't concentrate as the consequences from last night's celebration started to kick in. 'Why am I always the one with the hangover?'

Eddie laughed shortly, a twinkle in his eye. 'That's because Matthew always manages to find you the strongest drink he can. And you clearly can't cope with high amounts of alcohol.'

I rolled my eyes and got out of bed, my legs aching but excited all the same.

'I'd better start getting dressed,' I announced. 'I don't want to be late to my own birthday!'

---

Adding the last finishing touches to my face, I checked my reflection and left the bathroom. Just as I was about to leave the apartment, I noticed a figure lurking outside, through the apartment window. Curious, I looked outside and tried to make out who the person was. Probably not one of my best ideas. Now they knew I had seen them.

Shaking off my presumptions and carring on out the door, I joined Eddie in his car, excited for the day proceedings.

'Are you... alright?' Eddie asked, reading me like a book.

'Yeah, I'm fine,' I said brightly, trying to cover up my anxieties.

And then I saw the figure again from the car window, near the apartment block, hidden under the limited supply of shadows. Was I imagining things, or was someone after me? It wasn't Merlyn, that was for sure; he was the wrong shape, and Merlyn only ever met me in person. He was too clever to let his cover down, anyhow.

'Are you sure?' Eddie asked again, yet again reading me like a book. What was I expecting? He knew me more than anyone else; we had been together almost for two years.

'Yeah, I'm just.. lost in thought,' I lied, trying to sound carefree and happy. I really hated lying to him.

Pulling up outside Matthew's apartment, I heard Anna's screams of joy travelling nearer and nearer towards us.

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' she shouted, hugging me the immediate moment I came out the car.

'It good to see you too!' I exclaimed back, feeling slightly awkward as I hugged her back.

'So, how's your birthday morning been?' Anna asked, grinning.

'Really great,' I said, trying to focus on the positives.

'Well, you had him to help you through the morning,' Anna pointed out, referring to Eddie. Well, after last night-' Anna immediately stopped to try to prevent herself from telling me an embarrassing fact from last night. I mean, nothing happened! You were as sober as anything!'

I gave Anna a knowing look and shook my head in laughter.

'I probably shouldn't know how bad I was,' I added.

'You really do NOT wanna know. So, what did Eddie get you?' Anna said, changing the subject. It was clearly boring to Anna, and my frustration at the sound of another account from last night was starting to annoy me.

'He got me this!' I exclaimed, pushing my hair out of the way so she could see the silver necklace around my neck, it's bejewelled key pendant slightly tugging at the bottom of the piece.

'Oh my god, that's so nice!' Anna exclaimed enthusiastically.

I was glad that Anna and Eddie were friends, despite their past at high school. Obviously they just thought of it as an old 'high school drama'.

As Eddie locked up the car, I followed Anna into Matthew's apartment to be met with a 'Happy Birthday' from Matthew, Blake, Anna again, and Anna's boyfriend, Joe.

'Thankyou, Matthew, for doing this,' I thanked Matthew.

'Hey, don't worry about it,' he grinned. 'We're always here every Saturday anyway.'

As Blake started to turn on a film, we all squeezed on the only two seater couch Matthew possessed, Eddie joining us, his usual smile prominent in his expression. However, when he sat next to me, his face told a completely different story.

'Are you alright?' I asked, echoing Eddie's past question.

'Yeah,' he replied, rather anxious. 'I just feel as though I'm being... watched.'

So it wasn't just me who felt the same way.

'Me too,' I reassured Eddie. 'Maybe we are... being watched. But remember, you taught me how to fend for myself, and you know a hell lot more than me. If anything, you'll be the one not in danger.'

---

As the credits stared rolling after the film had finsihed, I went to the kitchen to help Matthew tidy up the remains of the popcorn supplies. However, as I walked into the kitchen, I found I wasn't alone.

'Hello, Aria,' a male voice quietly rung through the room. Looking back for my friends, I found none of them were in the lounge. They had disappeared.

'Who are you, and where are my friends?' I demanded angrily.

'They all saw Eddie's car being 'stolen' by someone,' the man said slyly.

'Why are you doing this?' I pressed, even more annoyed. Why did everyone always have to bring my friends into things? It wasn't like they hadn't done anything; I didn't even know what I'd done yet to deserve this. 'I've never even met you before!'

'You have,' the man said slowly. 'Two, maybe three, years ago. Before your... Accident.'

'So it was you I saw before I mysteriously 'fell'?' I questioned, shouting. 'You really have a knack for hiding in the shadows!'

Not only this man had annoyed me, he never showed his face, both times he talked to me he cleverly hid any recognisable features in the dark so I couldn't see, or tell who he was. All I knew was that he wore that blurry, yellow suit. And his eyes glowed with a strange red light.

'You need to stop working with Merlyn,' the man diverted the conversation from himself gravely. 'Or you will do something, terrible, that you'll regret, for your entire life.'

'And how can you possibly know this?' I demanded further. I wanted answers.

'Because I've seen it happen,' the man declared. Was he suggesting... time travel? He was clearly wrong about that. But whoever he was, at least he was trying to save me from Merlyn.

'I would leave Merlyn,' I started, trying to state the obvious. 'But trust me, I've tried. I've had two years to try to get out of this... mess I'm in. But Merlyn's too good. For some reason, I'm too... important, to him, for him to let me leave him.'

'And I expected you'd want to get away from him,' the man patronisingly laughed. 'You have been warned.'

And then he left.

The Yellow Suit man obviously despised Merlyn, but they acted so... similar. Their mysterious meetings, disguises and dramatic exits certainly made me pair them together, and Yellow Suit's experience with Merlyn showed through his insincere concern for me. Whoever he was, he knew Merlyn, maybe even from working with him, and somehow Merlyn had upset or annoyed him. There was definitely something going on.

And I wanted to know what it was. So I could escape this life.