"You don't say much do you?", a soft voice made Azerax's eyes twitch as he realized someone was talking to him.

"I have no need to." replied Azerax scanning the face to see if it was familiar.

"People want to get to know you."

This voice, it was familiar, or was just a memory Azerax wondered. 'What was I doing?' Azerax thought to himself as he looked around.  'Oh yes', Azeraz realized he was sitting in a hunter green chair with a white napkin in his left hand, it was embroided with three letters:  LBS

"Sorry, I mean you dis-respect." Azerax says to the voice, "My thoughts keep pulling back to that moment."

The familiar figure gracefully slides into the chair next to Azerax, 'What moment?"

Red and white flashing, my eyes are wet, maybe it's raining.  Yes, raining, I can tell because I see the drops pouring from the brim of my hat.  My shoulders feel wet, I must have been out here for quite a while.  What is this red and white flashing, why is the red so wet and not the white?

"The moment that brought me here."

"Go on."

This is not the place, but my thoughts go back.  My toes are wet, that means my shoes are ruined.

"Why am I standing in a puddle?" whispers Azerax.

"You are not" replies the voice.

You aren't speaking, wait, why am I in an alley and who is on the ground?

Azerax shifts in the hunter green chair and scans the faces in the crowd.  Not one of them register.  Someone is talking to me, oh yes, the person beside me is asking questions.

"I lost something there, it was very wet because of the cold rain."

"What did you lose?"

This shape on the ground is so familiar, a long formal even gown, high heels, chestnut brown hair, my reason for breathing is laying in a puddle.

No.

Yes.

The white flashing, the red flashes and is wet.  The puddle is full of blood.

"Azerax, we are done here for now, go home and try to rest" the young officer reaches out to shake Azerax's shoulder.

'I am in that moment again.'

"I can't leave her there.  My reason for living, I can't leave her there."

"Tonight you must." replies the officer.

Bending down, the crease in Azerax's dark grey slacks long faded in the rain stretch a bit more.

A flower, yes, she was wearing a white carnation.  The carnation is cold, floating in a puddle beside the red.  I will take this home.

Footsteps, too many to count, maybe I did count them, but not tonight.

Piercing light thrashes Azerax's head as he turns on the lights to his condo.  No lights tonight, the moon is full, I can see well enough without them.

"That's a good idea" something unkown says.

"Pardon?" asks the sitting voice beside him.

Azerax looks at his chair, yes, still hunter green.  Napkin, no.  'I'm not there anymore.'

Azerax places one toe to one heel and removes his wrecked shoes, one at a time, turning his head left to right, scanning for a face, seeing nothing but darkness.

"It hurts."

I need a drink, Azerax grinds his jaw as he walks over to the liquor cabinent, shedding his wet jacket along the wall.  My shirt, she'll clean it in the morning.  Wait, no she won't.

Azerax feels the burn explode from his nasal passage as he's snapped back to a moment, drinking a bottle of scotch like it's water, a moment of panic sets in, Azerax sprints for the chair falling over the new kitchen island made from barn wood she bought the week before.

Panic, terror, it's gone, no, it's where I left it, the carnation, laying on the small oak table beside the hunter green chair.

Shadows, what happened?

"There was a show." Azerax says to some moment.

"The show tonight?" asks the voices from earlier.

Azerax looks down in confusion, he had taken off his coat, but his shoulders are dry.

"I'm in the wrong moment." Azerax searches for the face of the quiet voice.  "Or I'm in the right moment getting called back to the wrong moment."

"I'm thirsty"

That's not a voice I recognize, there' s no one else in the room.  Blinding light screams through my senses as I run and turn on lights, throwing furniture side in the process.  I run towards the bedroom where it's kept then realize.

It's ok, it's the carnation.

"It's OK" says Azerax as he lets out a long relaxing breath, sinking lower into the chair as his left thumb caresses the monogramed letters.

"Everything is fine here Azerax but perhaps you have drank too much?" the soft voice questioned.

"I only ever drink one now.  The moment does the rest."

Did I say that?  Perhaps I should not have.

The cratered face of the full moon floods the condo, curtains shimmering in a summer breeze, cool air, bright air, harsh memories.

Tomorrow I must go down and talk to the police.

"No." commands the carnation, "Tomorrow you go somewhere and find out who did this."

Azerax picks up the carnation and stares at it.

"You know I'm right.  Start a new life and find who did this."

Azerax closes his eyes, searing pain shoots through his muscles as partial snapshots flash before his eyes.  Red and white flashing, red, so wet, my reason for breath, my reason for living laying there.

"My shoes are ruined"

"No Azerax, they are fine."

A shadow, a slight shadow hugging the brick wall and steel rusted railings in the alley, the back exit of the show, sprinting away....something had happend.  A puddle, a scream, a carnation falling.  Flashing lights, red and white.  Rain, wet shoulders.

"I left her there." Azerax turned his head to stare at the soft voice sitting beside him.

"Who was she?" inquired the voice.

"The reason I don't have much to say anymore."

Morning hurt, not from the scotch but for the lack of reason.

'A shower, a shave, fresh clothes.' Azerax muttered to the carnation.

'Take a bit of money and then go to Philly.  Someone will meet you there.'

A blur of mindless actions, shaving, hot shower, dressing.  People, lots of people, perhaps an airport.

'Welcome to Philly, can I be of assistance?' asks a soft voice.  'My name is Morgan, you look new here?'

Philly?  I must have come here.

'Yes you did' said the carnation, 'talk to her.'

"Greetings Morgan, I am pleased to meet you.  Yes, I am new in town."

Starting my new life.

An incredible saga Azeraxtwo, I'm glad we met and you decided to come to Philly with us.  I sincerely hope to see more work of yours gracing our streets.

Wow, Azerax.  Such an intense and abstract story.  I'm impressed.  Glad you found your way here.

Glad you decided to speak up.  I'll be following your career with great interest.

Very good story.Can't wait to hear more from you.

yes very good story indeed

Arsenal listens carefully to the dramatic words spoken by Azerax.. 

Bravo! What a great story... Beautifully couched! 

Arsenal reflects on the story for a while and runs straight to the phone booth to call his loved one..

Interesting story it would be good to here more