Page 1 of Shades of Silver City

CHAPTER 1

FANTASIA

“Shit, I’m late!”

I jump up from bed, quickly throwing on my work clothes and slapping on a layer of makeup.

I type out a quick message to Mellie, letting her know I’m on my way to relieve her at the bar. With a grimace, I glance at the time and stuff my phone in my back pocket. I throw my hair into a bun, exit my room, and snatch my keys off the counter. My roommates’ curious eyes follow me, but we say nothing to each other. My boots are barely on my feet before I’m flying out the door and down the steps.

I overslept during my nap—a nap I wouldn’t have even needed if my idiot boyfriend wasn’t up all night—and morning—partying with my damn roommates.

The humid summer air weighs me down, fighting against me as I pick up my pace. The pungent odor of hot garbage assaults my senses. Sweat pricks the back of my neck. I’m rethinking my dark makeup. The cheap shit I buy—the only shit I can afford—is already melting off my face.

Someone bumps into me, making me slam into a wall. My shoulder scrapes against the rough brick, and I hiss in pain.

“Watch it, asshole!” I shout into the mass of people moving along in an anonymous, colorful blur.

A few people retaliate by shooting back vulgar names of their own.

Wincing at the tenderness in my shoulder, I brush the dirt off it.

Around me, people crowd the sidewalk. They’re all in a pointless hurry, assertively pushing ahead as if competing for their place.

But they wouldn't be in this part of the city, in this sweltering temperature, if they were important.

Everyone is on edge because of the heat, which ratchets up the normal, cranky energy a notch. As much as I loathe my job as a bartender, I can’t wait to sneak into the beer cooler for a reprieve when I get to work.

People rush past me, a kaleidoscope of hues, while the sun disappears behind towering buildings and casts long shadows.

As I scan the crowd and wait for a chance to cross the street, the whirl of colors momentarily flusters me. No one else has to deal with this issue, though. The color that radiates from each person—an extension of their essence, the shade of their soul—is visible only to me.

Lucky me.

I hate crowds.

Too many people.

And the darker it gets, the brighter their soul-shades appear. My head begins to ache, growing in intensity and summoning a wave of nausea. I grimace, working to keep the bile down.

Keeping my gaze downward, I try to focus on the pale cobblestone underfoot instead of the swirling fog of colors.

I wish I could turn it off. Although I haven’t found a way to do that, over the years I’ve learned how to repress my ability—keeping my mouth shut about this useless magic.

I harrumph to myself.

Magic—if that’s what it can even be called. It’s magic I didn’t ask for. Something that will only get me killed if the wrong people find out.

It's easier to ignore the colors when there are fewer people, but on a crowded pedestrian street and during the transition from day to night, it all becomes more overwhelming.

Keeping my elbows up as a shield, I jostle through the crowd, making my way toward the alley on the opposite side of the street. Carefully, I step around a pile of shattered glass, then break out into a jog. My skinny jeans are almost too tight to be comfortable, and my combat boots weigh me down, but I push on, swerving around a few pieces of rotting wood, some trash bags, and a couple of sleeping bodies.

I stop at a cross street, listening to the distant honking of car horns and the faint hum of city life. The scent of exhaust lingers in the air. With a quick glance in both directions, I dart across the street.

As I navigate the twists and turns of the narrow alleyways, the shadows cast by the fading light create an eerie atmosphere. The walls, worn and graffitied, tell stories of the city’s lurid history. The ground beneath my feet is uneven, neglected.

The streetlights come alive and illuminate my path, an occasional flickering neon sign adding a splash of vibrant color to the growing darkness. Now that I’ve left the crowds behind, I can breathe a little easier.

My footsteps reverberate through the alley. With every step I take, the city's energy pushes me forward, guiding me through its maze.

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