The Red Nights

After Jamal left the house, Lina stayed there looking at the horizon . She was considering about how the city would be doing well during the absence of Jamal as his job was not just fighting the bad people to protect the weak ones. In fact over time spent he became gradually, in the eyes of every people in Stainfall, the figure of the invincible guardian of the city.

The job he had done during those two years after the tragic night caused him to be very well seen by all his citizens . Lina was convinced that if people in Stainfall could sleep on their two ears without feared to be assaulted by a random madman during the night, if they could feel safe by walking along the streets, it was all because they got the certainty that Jamal was guarding them .

That was why she was so worried, she was thinking about how every one would react when they would hear about Jamal's mission in the extern of the city . Even though she had already considered that before he accepted to do the job , she couldn't be able to come out with an idea which would lead to avoid people getting into a panic.

Trying to hide was not even a feasible solution as firstly Lina hated having secrets for others and secondly people would immediately notice it when they wouldn't be able to see him in the town [ he has a too much presence in this town, people like him and I are quickly noticed when we are missing ] she thought [ so what should I do? ] .

More than that, it was not only the people of Stainfall who would feel his absence but Lina too . When he left, she tried her best to keep a placid face but in reality she was all agitated, her heart and her brain were engaged in a conflict, in one part she was convinced that it was the better thing to do for the safety of the city but in the other part she just wanted to run toward, surround him with her arms and to beg him to not let her be alone. It didn't pass 15 minutes after he left but she was already missing him so much.

[ You have to stay strong Lina , just hold it. It's only for one week and there are other problems you have to deal with ] she said to herself to get rid of the bad thoughts which occupied her mind.

She returned back to get ready for the long day that was waiting for her, she went in the bathroom upstairs to brush her teeth and take a shower, then she came back in her room to get dressed . She took a look in her wardrobe and sighed , she picked out just a shirt and a jeans and wore them with a pair of shoes , she then went down and left the house.

Although it was too early in the morning she rolled on the streets of city carelessly as she knew that there was no any risk to be attacked. The outlaws would not come in this side of the city until the next week.

The reason why she was so hurried was that she really wanted to see Natasha and discuss about how they would deal with the citizens about the absence of Jamal, as she was the one who would replace him in the major part of his tasks she might have some ideas to deal with that . So she had to quickly go meeting her before she left for the patrol of the barrier, Lina knew that if she missed her at that moment it would be difficult to find a time to have a talk properly since they would be busy with their daily work and routine and they would not be able to see each other before the evening.

She arrived at Natasha's house opened the door with her keys and entered, she directly went up upstairs toward Natasha's room.

" Woke up cutie ! Stop making e.r.o.t.i.c dreams about you and my boyfriend ! " She shouted once she opened her door .

A sight into the inside of the room and she noticed that it was empty . She didn't to look for her in the other rooms of the house since she already knew that she unfortunately missed her.

" She takes her job a bit too seriously " Lina grunted .

She left the room by slamming the door behind her . She intended to go directly at the barrier in order to have a talk with her, but before she went down the stairs she stopped and wondered " it may bother her if I disturb her training just to talk about something we could discuss at another time " , then she changed her mind and decided to not go, [ the people would not mess up the city just in one day] she convinced herself.

Instead she walked toward Matteo's room and that time when she opened the door she knew that he was there as she saw him clearly still sleeping on his bed, even the sound of the door of Natasha's room when she slammed it didn't awaken him . She walked on the tip of her toes until she reached the foot of his bed , she moved on the side where was his head , kneeled and leant toward his face . Listening to the rhythm of his breath she was sure that he was deeply asleep , so she could go on serenely.

" Hey " she whispered at his ear with a sensual voice.

Matteo grunted and frowned but he didn't wake up as she had been thinking.

" Hey Matteo , don't want to come along with me? I'm feeling so lonely " she kept on with the same voice.

" huh ... who are you? " he mumbled .

Lina smiled as she didn't expect him to be one of those who talked in their dreams , she remembered that it never worked when he tried to make Jamal talking while he was sleeping , now she found someone to play with she would have fun for a little while before waking him up to go working.

" The girl you've always dreamed of " she responded.

" Oh ... it's you ... what are you doing here? " Matteo asked.

" I heard that you have cheated me with your roommate you use to live with " she said.

" It's false ... I never touched her ... or intended to do so " he paused while Lina was holding herself back to not laugh, then he continued " she is even in love with another man ... Jamal... " .

[ So even Matteo noticed it ] she thought [ you are not very good to hide your feelings] .

" But I heard that he has already a girlfriend " , she went on after he grunted to confirm " and what do you think about his girlfriend ? "

She already knew that her s.e.x-appeal had visible effect on him but she just wanted to hear him praising her.

" His girlfriend... ? "

" Yeah , what do you feel toward her ? "

" Honestly... she is too old for me " , after he said that , calmly Lina took a pillow, raised it high and hit hardly Matteo's head with it . In the shock, the boy woke up brutally and started to look around him totally confused, then his sight laid on Lina and he finally recovered his mind. " What did you do? " he asked coldly

" You , what did you do? " Lina countered.

" I'm pretty sure that if someone is wrong here it must be you " he replied " what are you doing in my room? "

" Well, I came to wake you up. Don't forget we have a lot of work today so get up and go prepare yourself I will wait for you in the living room " she said before she left the room.

Matteo sighed " this woman, she is totally crazy. How can Jamal date someone like her "

" I heard you " her voice came from the hallway " and for your information, it's especially because I'm like the way I'm that he loves me so much " .

" He must be as crazy as you are "

" Shut up and go take a bath , you have half an hour to catch up with me downstairs "

As they planned 30 minutes later Matteo was walking down the stairs, they directly left the house without no more discussion and they headed for the city hall. The office was empty as its usual, Lina used to work there all alone before Matteo came, there was no secretary or any co-worker . As there was not so many activities in the city, her job was not as exhausting as it could be thought. However with the arrival of all those new people, there would be more work for her than before so Lina was happy to have someone who could relieve her from a part of this work .

" You must go checking if we receive any response from the people we asked for the recruitment " Lina ordered to Matteo.

He left the office and came back few minutes later with a little pile of letters. " I counted and the great majority has already answered, however I don't know whether they accepted or not " he said to Lina when he put the pile on the desk just in front of her . The latter picked out one among them and said while she was opening it " we shall know it now " .

She put out the paper and started to read, she was a bit stressed about it because all her project to rebuild the city would be decided now whether it was possible or not, if the public opinion of the new citizens was favorable that would mean that they wanted to contribute in the rebuilding of the city by being an active citizen. However in the case that the public opinion was unfavorable that would mean that the refugees wanted just somewhere to stay during the war until it finished, then they would go back to their homes.

If that turned out to be the case, the dream of her friends and her would end up to be just an utopia which might not be feasible only before 70 years, at least, in the future . So she hoped or rather she prayed for the first people whom she asked for the recruitment to accept it .

Matteo didn't open any letter, he just stayed there observing her facial expression to determine whether it would be a good news or not. After she finished reading the first letter, she showed an impassive expression Matteo couldn't read, she took another letter read it in a high speed then she picked out another one again and again still with her emotionless expression until she finished reading them, then she rose up her head and looked at Matteo. He started to think that it didn't work, that everyone refused when he saw a smile appearing on Lina's face.

" They accepted, all of them agreed to work here and to be one of our citizens " she said with satisfaction in her voice.