Elizabeth felt her face flush with anger. She gathered the hem of her skirt in her hands and stormed down the stairs. As she yanked the front door open, she began ranting to herself.

I can't believe I trusted him. I knew just by his looks he was a troublemaker. I should have listened. She thought regretfully, breaking into somewhat of a jog. The sudden crispness of the outside air washed through her lungs, and she felt some of her anger subside. The overwhelming size of the nature outside made her take a moment to admire the view. She turned her face to the sky and took a deep breath. The clouds were billowing so beautifully, unlike back home where the weather was dark and dreary. The rainy season had set in, and it almost always appeared depressing. As her thoughts strayed, she suddenly felt her foot collided into one of the stones of the cobblestone street, and she stumbled. She struggled to her feet, her face flushing red, and pulled on the hem of her skirt which had managed to lodge between two of the stones. She pulled harder, but the lacing at the bottom refused to let go. She heard several voices shouting at her, but she was focusing intently on not tearing her dress. When one voice got particularly loud, she was able to understand what they were saying.

"Auto! Automobile!" She glanced up in alarm and gasped. An automobile, just as the crowd had told her, was rumbling towards her, the driver completely unaware. His eyes looked half closed, and he seemed hardly conscious. Several people grabbed her by the arms and pulled, but she fought back. She didn't want her dress torn. As the vehicle rumbled closer, Ella twisted and pulled, forcing it out just a little. She could tell she wouldn't have enough time, but it was all she could manage. As the first set of tires rumbled threatening close to her heels, a pair of arms reached around her middle and pulled her towards the sidewalk. Instantly she was thrust backwards, and found herself falling on top of the person who had grabbed her. A crowd had gathered to watch, and she heard some of them chuckle in amusement. Her face turned beet red and she stumbled to her feet. She whirled around so see who had rescued her, and instantly regretted it.

"You." She hissed. Patrick's eyes widened in recognition, and he scrambled to his feet. He thrust himself into the crowd, trying to disappear, but Ella stayed on his tail. "You who stole my locket!" She cried after him, pushing past several onlookers.

"I don't know what you mean!" He cried over his shoulder, ducking past a kissing couple. He shoved his way out the back of the masses, and managed to get a foothold when his sleeve was snagged and he was yanked back.

"My locket." Elizabeth snapped in his ear. She held out a hand expectantly whilst twisting the sleeve in her hand.

"Won't you at least say thanks?" Patrick tried to smile, but Ella pushed him against a nearby wall.

"The. Locket." She repeated. His hand instinctively shot to his pocket, and he held out the golden necklace. His sky blue eyes studied hers, and she found a strike of amusement in them.

"You think this is funny?" She huffed, snatching her prized possession and thrusting it into her satchel. She let him go and took a step back.

"You're surprisingly strong." He smirked. "It confuses me as to how you couldn't get the dress out."

"My dress!" Ella muttered a curse and picked up her heel. Replacing the perfect hem was a large tear that trailed up almost to her knee. She stared for several seconds in bewilderment. "I... I can't believe you!" She turned to Patrick and gave him the longest glare she could muster. He raised an eyebrow and peered at the damage.

"Interesting." He muttered, whistling in awe. "Tis a shame I can't sew."

"Patrick!" Ella gasped, pushing him by the shoulders. He held up his hands in mock defense.

"I don't know what you expect me to do! Pay for the damages?!" He groaned.

"Precisely." Ella stood on her toes and raised her chin. His expression changed from amusement to sudden discomfort.

"Ain't no way. I practically saved your life twice, and I've got two mouths to feed." He admitted.

"Two?" Ella asked curiously, feeling herself growing soft. He pointed to his mouth, then his stomach. "You-" She reared back and slapped him. He tipped back on his heels and gave her a sly grin.

"Look, I've got to get back to work. If I'm gone too long, he'll think I've scurried off." He looked around as if searching for his employer. He rubbed his cheek and winced.

"You do that often?" Ella glared again.

"No. He just thinks I will. Goodbye." He announced suddenly. He took several steps towards the center of town, but stopped as she followed. "Can I help you?" He peered at her wearily.

"You owe me at least a tour. I don't know anyone here." She gestured as if to sum up the entire town with one swing of her arm.

"You should rest." Patrick said hurriedly. "You're probably tired."

"I have no intention to leave." Elizabeth insisted.

"Okay... fine. Although you may want to get that fixed first." He pointed out, pointing to her ankles. She murmured a curse and turned her attention to her damaged clothing. His eyebrows raised in amusement.

"I-I'll be right back." She hissed, folding her arms across her chest and taking off towards her aunt's home. Patrick scoffed behind her and adjusted his hat.

"Typical." He muttered.
——————————————————
"Finally." Ella huffed, taking in deep gulps of air. "I... found you." She had changed as quickly as possible into a pink dress with a higher hem... just in case. It had taken over an hour of drilling countless citizens to find out exactly where Patrick worked.

"Congratulations." Patrick gave her a look of amusement as he lifted a crate from the ground to an awaiting automobile.

"You owe me a... a tour." Elizabeth breathed.

"Catch your breath first while I finish up. Then I'll take you around." He promised, hauling another box.

"Alright." She nodded in agreement and collapsed onto a tower of empty, upside-down crates. Patrick worked in silence and hardly gave her a glance. "Thank you." She mentioned suddenly after waiting several minutes to gather her breath. He stiffened.

"For what?"

"Helping me earlier." He paused.

"When?" He tried to keep a straight face, but a smirk broke through.

"Don't rub it in. It was hard enough to say." She grumbled.

"Alright." He caved and returned to his chore. Ella bit her lip and swung her legs like a child. She peered into the building Patrick was working in front of and stared. "You work there?" She attempted conversation. He followed her gaze and nodded.

"Yeah. Jimmy's Trinks and Things. Jimmy, my employer, is over there. Behind the counter." He hefted another box and nodded towards the owner through the window. "You can look around, if you'd like. Maybe something with strike your fancy." He ended that sentence in a grunt as he roughly dropped a crate. Elizabeth took his advice and hopped down.

"Get me when you're ready." She confirmed, leaving only when he nodded. A small bell jingled when she pushed the door to the small thrift store open, and she hated to admit it, but it surprised her. Just as she was overcoming the scare, the cashier waved at her from his desk.

"Welcome to Jimmy's Trinks and Things! Is there anything specific you're looking for?" He asked cheerily. Ella gave him a smile in return.

"No, I'm just here to look around. I'm a friend of..." She trailed off. Was he her friend? "Patrick's." She finished to make things easier. He nodded in acknowledgment.

"I see. Well, any friend of Patrick's is a friend of mine!" He beamed. "Feel free to browse." He gestured to the tiny shop's many shelves. She smiled again and took off as he greeted another costumer. As she looked up and down a shelf, she couldn't help but study Patrick's employer. She had a bad habit of doing that. His face almost always wore a smile, and it showed off his brown-green eyes a little more each time. He wore a brown vest and coat, not unlike most other men Ella had seen, and his right hand was almost always in the outside pocket. Every now and again he would reach into his breast pocket to check the time on a rusty old pocket watch, which was strange. Most people carried it in their outside pockets. After he checked the time he would slick his brown hair back by licking his hand and spreading it over his hair in a combing motion. Ella stuck her tongue out in disgust. She forced herself to return her attention to the tiny figurines on the shelf in front of her. Each was etched with beautiful detail, and it reminded her of the ones in her aunt's home. She side-stepped to view some other items beside them. Tiny ceramic figures holding little harps made her smile, and she found herself particularly drawn to one with a little halo. As she reached out to touch it, the sound of the door's bell startled her, and her hand quivered. Her index finger brushed against the little angel, and it soon found itself in pieces on the hardwood floor.

"Bloody-" She caught herself and clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Are you alright?" Patrick was instantly by her side, his face masked in sudden genuine concern. He must have been the one to have opened the door.

"Y-Yes. The bell only startled me." She admitted truthfully as the store owner rushed to their side. "I can pay for it." She explained hurriedly, reaching for her satchel. Jimmy shooed her away and knelt to asses the damages.

"It's alright. I've never really been able to sell them, anyways." He gave her a reassuring smile as he swept the shattered pieces into a pile with his hand. "Now please step away while I clean this up." He excused himself and disappeared in the back room. Patrick grabbed Ella's elbow and gently pulled her to the side.

"The bell startled you, huh?" He grinned.

"Oh, shut up." She groaned, folding her arms across her chest. "It caught me off guard, is all." She admitted truthfully. He nodded and straightened his overalls.

"Well then, I'm sure I must fulfill my duties and take you on a tour?" He rolled his eyes. She smiled. "Jimmy! I'm going to take the gal for a walk!" He called to his employer.

"Alright, but don't get to carried away!" Jimmy yelled back. Patrick gave her a lopsided grin and held the door open for her.

"I know exactly what I'll show you first."
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"This is what... you wanted to show... me?" Elizabeth gasped. Patrick didn't much better, and she found herself comforted in the fact she wasn't the only one suffering.

"Not... quite." He huffed beside her, wiping away beads of sweat. "It's a long climb, but I promise you... it's worth it." He assured her, dragging his feet. He glanced up and squinted at the lowering sun. "Perfect timing." He whispered, turning in front of her and leading her underneath a nearby tree. "Vwala." He waved an arm towards the entire city of Albany dramatically and studied her reaction. Ella sucked in air suddenly.

"It's... beautiful." She breathed.

"Makes you appreciate the city a little more." Patrick added with a chuckle. "It might change your view a bit before you see the darker side of the city." He pointed out.

"Shh." Ella hushed him, soaking in the beauty and silence with wide eyes. He adjusted his hat beside her, and the only sound that remained was their breathing. "It's lovely." She whispered. Patrick beamed and looked down the hill. She followed his gaze and arched an eyebrow.

"Who's that?" She inquired. Patrick squinted.

"I'm not sure... they're too far to see."

"Shall we greet them?" Ella took a step down the hill, but Patrick caught her arm.

"I don't think they're in the mood." He snapped suddenly. Elizabeth stiffened at his change in tone.

"What are you-" She stilled herself as she noticed one of the figures holding something at an awkward angle. "Is that a-" Patrick clamped a hand over her mouth and pulled them both back against the tree. She tried to struggle out of his grip, but he held her firmly.

"If they get a whiff of our existence, it may spell trouble." He whispered, calming her. He released her mouth a little to hear her reply.

"Was that a gun?" He nodded grimly, released her, held a finger to his lips, and crept towards the duo further down. Ella crouched down and followed him, making sure she stayed directly behind him. They huddled behind a bush and watched as one of the men held the barrel of the gun towards the other man's temple.

"I... kill..." They strained their ears to hear, but most of the words got carried by the wind. "He... die."

"Accident...!" The other man protested in earnest. He seemed to plead with the armed man, but the latter didn't seem convinced. Several other words were exchanged that the teenagers couldn't hear, but it didn't seem to help the victim. Patrick's eyes widened suddenly, and he pulled Ella into somewhat of a shielding hug.

"Patrick! What the h-" A searing crack echoed in the air, reminiscing off the hill and around in the children's ears. Elizabeth's eyes widened in Patrick's coat, and her eyes began to water.

"Whatever you do, don't look." Patrick told her, a little louder than he had spoken before. He tilted Ella back onto her knees, but she couldn't help but let her eyes return to where the two men once stood. She gasped suddenly, and Patrick slapped a hand over her mouth. The gunman jerked and quickly scanned the mountain. Seeing nothing, he pocketed the gun and fled down into the city. Patrick released his grip on Ella and wiped his brow.

"H-He's dead... isn't he?" Elizabeth stuttered. After confirming the coast was clear, Patrick helped her to her feet.

"Yes. That crack was a gunshot." He explained, supporting her with his arm. Normally Ella would have protested the support, but she couldn't help but find it reassuring. "We have to leave now." He emphasized, grabbing her elbow and leading her down the hill. As they approached the body, Patrick released her arm.

"Run to your aunt's house, Jimmy's, or the city. Don't turn around." He instructed.

"Where are you going?!" Ella gasped.

"It doesn't matter. Run and don't turn." He repeated, shoving her gently to get her started. She almost tripped, but managed to stay on her feet as the ground at the bottom of the hill loomed closer. Her breath came out in short, ragged gasps as she collected her dress in her arms and made a beeline for the closest building... her aunt's home. She stumbled into the dining room and struggled to shut the door behind her.

"Ella? What's wrong? You look as if you've seen a ghost!" Her aunt cried, leaping up suddenly from her lounge chair by the window.

"Can I... where's the lavatory?" She demanded a little too quickly. Her aunt gestured to the back of the house, and Ella fled. She shut the door behind her and sat up against it to catch her breath. Someone had just been murdered... and she was a witness.