Free Frozen Flora (The Gene Thief Series Book 2 - Short Story) by Jason Cole

Chapter 1
     
    There was a set of dark brown, almost black, eyes staring at her. The room was dark, a faint smoke pouring in from the side of the room. It wasn't evident where she was but those eyes that were fixated on her were familiar, peering into her, looking right through the open windows and into her soul. That look of expectation, as if she were fulfilling a prophecy. Those eyes showed no sign of surprise; the only person surprised in the room was Kira, surprised by the fact that she didn’t sneak up on anyone, she simply entered a room as an anticipated guest and was greeted by those dark eyes.
    She started to feel a burning sensation and suddenly her insides burst into flames. Ignited by those eyes. Bent over, reeling in pain, her stomach felt like it were turning itself inside out. It felt as if she had swallowed napalm.
    Right below the eyes, appeared a slow and confident smirk.
    The entire room began to shake and, before she knew it, she felt as if she were freefalling.
    The entire room disappeared. The eyes were no longer there and, as she gathered her wits, she realized she was falling from a tree. She grabbed the nearest limb, effortlessly, and hung on. Her bearings continued to return, and her environment became familiar. She was in her favorite park, taking a nap high up in a tree. Those eyes – they must have been the shaman's. Nothing she had ever seen haunted her like those eyes. Someone whose life depends on her ability to go undetected should never have to experience someone so prepared and ready. What made matters worse was how he was seemingly willing to go with the flow. Her entire sense of reality and her perspective on the dangers of each mission was shaken. The shaman was so many steps ahead of her, that she never would have seen it coming if he wanted her captured and killed.
    That thought alone sent shivers down her spine. She climbed back up to the bough where she had been resting and took a few deep breaths.
    She became aware of her surroundings again, and she turned her attention to the voice of the public.
    A young girl’s voice: "Can you believe what Johnny said?"
    Her friend answered, "Yeah I heard back, what an asshole."
    The voice of a businessman in his fancy suit, "All right, at 4 PM we will sell. I will never forgive you if I lose money on this deal.’.”
    A skater passed by, “Okay Mom, I have an appointment at 3 PM with my therapist. I’ll call you after. I love you.”
    One of her favorite things to do was to listen and observe. Lying high up in the tree, above everyone’s line of sight, Kira had found the perfect branch. Contoured around her, it was a match made in heaven. When she wasn’t working out or working on her inner self, this was where she was. Her home away from home. Located right in the middle of central park it was prime real estate for people watching. Fascinating people, some in expensive suits, others making big deals out of trivial events, and others enduring tragedies. All sorts of people in all walks of life.
    Part of her wondered if it was all so intriguing because these were the types of lives that she would never live again. At some point, she had probably been similar to some of them, but she couldn’t remember. Obviously she had parents and if those flashes of memories told her anything, she may have had a sibling or two, but aside from that, she was a blank slate. Some may view this as curse, but this current state granted her an innate ability to always be present in the moment. No past memories or regret haunted her and no concerns for the future frankly, either. Being present in time was a gift and from what she could tell, the vast majority of humanity lacked the ability.
    The wind wisped by, the leaves around her making a sweet symphony, almost a lullaby. Before she knew it, the sun had set above her. The afternoon was almost complete, the traffic of people coming to a halt.
    In a little while, the dinner crowd would appear, and after that