Free Saphora: vol.1 Retention (The Athena Universe) by Jaz Johnson Page A

went looking for her. Because that’s where she always went under large amounts of stress or pressure. She wanted to go there; it calmed her. Of all places. Being at the house where the nightmare began, gave her the most serenity. She didn’t know why, nor did she question it. But for the time being, she couldn’t go to any place Fran knew she visited. That meant no house, no zoo, and no woods.
    Saphora averted the digging eyes of the few people that were in the café, and made her way to a booth in the far corner of the room. There was a faint mumbling going about the room, and a couple of people even went so far as to get up and leave. Saphora didn’t care though. Why would she? With so many other things to think about.
    A few moments after people had made the decision to stay or go, a woman walked over to the booth and placed a menu down in front of Saphora. She looked up, having been lost in her thoughts, at the blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman that approached her . She held the clipboard she carried close to her chest, as if to protect herself from the oddly dressed woman before her.
    “Hi … ” the woman said, her voice hinting at what sounded like a country twang. “Can I get you anything? Some water. Coffee … Tylenol?” she said, looking at Saphora as a whole. And taking in the nature of her appearance. Saphora shook her head, giving a faint smile to be polite.
    “Not right now, thank you.”
    She nodded, her curls swinging against the sides of her face.
    “Alright. Well … Your waiter will be over in a minute. Let us know if you need anything ,” she said, tucking her hair behind her right ear, revealing the gleam of a diamond stud earring, before briskly walking away.
    Saphora had only been left alone for about ten minutes before a young man made his way over to her. He had a look of eagerness on his face that caught her off guard when she lifted her head to look at him. His face was that of a man. But a man with childish qualities, presented in the carefree grin he displayed to her. The grin caused his cheeks to rise, and push ed against his light brown eyes.
    “Hello,” he greeted, bending over slightly to be at more of an eyelevel with her. But she was taken aback by the bluntness of his greeting, and sat back against the back of the booth. She didn’t say anything, as she stared. Here she was looking as she did, and she was looking at this man like he was the one out of place. “Can I get you something?” Saphora shook her head, averting her eyes.
    “No, I’m fine. Thank you ,” she answered, giving the same grin.
    “Need a little more time, then?” he asked, folding his hands in front of him against his stance. She looked up at him once again. At the carefree smile. She felt rude for some reason, sending him away so dismissively. Hesitantly, she nodded, looking down and away from his face again.
    “Uh, yeah … Yeah, thanks.”
    He nodded, his eyes never leaving her face, before he too walked away. Leaving Saphora to dive back into her thoughts. She went to work at trying to remember everything clearly once again, knowing that a clear memory would be vital in defending herself. She couldn’t leave anything to uncertainty if she was to present a valid defense. She forced her mind to reach back, gripping at any fragments that were related to yesterday’s events. And it started with the encounter with Tebias – under the fallen tree. She remembered the tree moving. And for a brief moment, she remembered how it moved. She had moved it, somehow. She didn’t know how. Or maybe she did. She had some very vague idea that there was something she had been doing, or thinking that had gotten it to move. But she was having trouble pin pointing what they may have been.
    That subject was the basis of her thought for the next several hours. She had sat in that booth, raking her brain for the answer to her question with no luck. It was nearly four in the afternoon when the waiter walked over for the