“I need you.”
“So, is this what you’ve become now?” Elise asked as she kicked Arno’s shoe. He ignored her by taking another long swig from the bottle. Once again she found him sitting on the filthy streets of Paris, ragged, red-eyed and drunk. It was such a common occurrence throughout the city that no one seemed to bat an eye anymore but she knew he was better than this. “Is this all you do now? You just abandon the Creed altogether so you can drink yourself to death.” She crouched down to his level, hoping to make eye contact but he still avoided her gaze. “Your father would be so proud,” She spat, “as would mine.” Anger flashed across his face. “Did I hit a nerve?” Elise stood up with her arms crossed against her chest, her shadow looming over him. He rose abruptly before storming off down the street, still clutching the glass bottle in his hand. His shoulders were ridged under his shirt and his free hand clenched. “You’re just going to stalk off now!” She yelled after him, her voice echoing in his head. “Run away from your problems, like you always do!” She stood there for a moment; her frustration festering in her chest. “Face me you coward!” Her voice bounced slightly as she ran after him “Why won’t you even look at me!?” She asked when he rounded a corner. “Because you’re not even real!” He screamed, throwing his booze bottle at her. It passed through where she had been standing, hitting the ground and smashing into hundreds of pieces. Some of the local townsfolk looked at him shocked or perhaps it had been fear in their eyes but to them, he was just another drunken, delusional man. Arno watched as the last few shards skipped across the cobblestone. Green. Just like her eyes had been. The image of her flashed across his mind before he fell to his knees. His shoulders shook as sobs quaked through his body. I can’t live like this anymore! He thought to himself ask he dropped his face into his hands. I need you. “I need you Elise.”