The Monster's Stratagem (Lesbian Story)

4: Capture

Dawn hated travelling to the cities. They were too far away and too risky for comfort. The Venturer couldn't believe that she had been persuaded into taking this gamble. How utterly stupid of her. Then again, how could she pass up such a monumental opportunity? If all went according to plan, herself, Freya and even Rose would never have to struggle again. Dawn may even be able to quit the Venturers and perhaps join something less life threatening and physically demanding. Being a Watcher sounded pleasant from the stories Dawn had heard from the people closest to her, even easy compared to what she was doing now.

Feeling as though her lungs were on fire, she could've wept with reluctant relief at the sight of the road that led into the lost city. Large roads such as these were difficult to traverse across as they offered no cover, and had large cracks where plants had sprouted from. Slowing to a steady jog, Dawn focused on keeping her breathing even and quiet as she cautiously entered what remained of old human civilisation. She could never be too careful in a place like this. While Dawn hated where she now found herself, she couldn't deny that they must've been oddly beautiful. A once sprawling capital filled with millions of humans going about their lives. Now it lay rotting, the earth reclaiming what remained of old shops, houses, and skyscrapers.

As though she were little more than a ghost, Dawn silently breezed through the side streets, sticking to the shadows for any kind of safety she could get. This particular city seemed as though it was hiding more than just her, and the Venturer could feel her skin prickle the further she went. Luckily, her first destination lay just ahead.

Cautiously entering the apartment complex, Dawn clutched her knife a little closer to her chest. As small as it was, it made her feel protected. A knife was better than nothing after all. In her peripheral vision, Dawn swore she saw something move a little further down the street parallel to the one she was on; a quick flash of silver in the shadows, disappearing as quickly as it had come. Feeling her breathing quicken and heart beginning to race, Dawn dashed as silently as she could up the endless flights of stairs and into a random apartment. Forcing her breath to be quiet, Dawn listened for absolutely any sound that would give her reason to panic. Daring a glance out of the grimy window, everything was still. Almost too still for comfort.

Better not risk it, the Venturer thought as she crouched down, ready to flee at a moment's notice. When twenty minutes had passed without any sound, Dawn deemed it safe enough to start her search. Stray bits of paper and dust littered the floor, nothing worth spending precious time on. The Venturer moved from one room to the next, looking for any item that was listed on the paper she had memorised. She'd be damned if she returned empty handed.

Cautiously moving onto the next room, Dawn was rummaging around the debris when she froze at what she had found. There, hidden among rubble, lay a small, rusty ornate box. Jackpot. Quickly checking the contents, Dawn was overjoyed to see that it was practically full of discoloured metal and sparkling gems. If a member of the Service was able to clean these, then the entire trip was worth it. Hastily shoving the jewellery box into her satchel, she continued her search with renewed vigour. She had acquired what she came for, and that feeling was oddly fulfilling. Silently moving from one apartment to the next, she found several items among the dusty compartments that people had requested. Maybe this trip was worth it after all. However, she couldn't shake the feeling like she was being watched, but every time she looked around, Dawn couldn't see a single thing out of place. She was wiser than to just trust her eyes, as the hairs on the back of her neck, which were standing, told no lies.

It was eerily quiet except for some floorboards creaking under Dawn's weight as she stood on them. Moving to the final apartment on this floor, her attention was caught by something glimmering in the light. Bending down, Dawn picked up the shimmering object and stared at it that though she couldn't believe her luck. It was only a small mirror with a slight crack down the centre which didn't bother Dawn as she was too enamoured by the rest of it. The frame and handle were made from a heavy gold substance, wrapping around the mirror in beautiful swirls and patterns like vines. Perhaps she was a free woman after all.