Prompt #3

    "You're still here. . . and you're making pancakes?" She murmured sleepily

". . . I couldn't find your waffle iron." Alex answered still looking after his cooking.

Jacqueline shook dreams from her head. "What are you doing here, I told you to leave me alone?"

"And I told you that I can't do that." Alex replied.

"I'll call the police!"

Alex chuckled. "You did that yesterday. Didn't work then, won't work now."

With a moan, Jacqueline rolled her eyes across her messy studio apartment and plopped down on her bed. It was then that the gravity of the situation sunk in. "HOW THE H*** DID YOU GET IN HERE?!?" Jacqueline yelled, her eyes wide and focused on Alex.

"Don't shout," He ordered. "As I explained yesterday, for five hours mind you, I am a mage. I worked for your late father." For the first time that morning he faced her. "No need to look so mistrusting, you knew your father was a mage."

"BUT WHY ARE YOU HERE?!?"

"What did I say about yelling." Alex scolded. "Now, do you have maple syrup or do I need to melt chocolate onto these?" Jacqueline was too much confused by the events of last night and the morning to continue fighting. Instead she contented herself with glaring silently and pointing toward her fridge.

Alex moved past a sink of dirty dishes and opened the age yellowed refrigerator. He hummed a lilting tune as he brought out the syrup and emptied it's meager contents onto the two plates of fresh pancakes. He continued in his little melody as he adroitly negotiated the mix of underwear, books, and trash which covered the floor.  When he was near enough, he reached out with one of the plates, including cutlery, to give it to the still glaring lady of the flat. Against better judgement, she accepted the fluffy, buttery, maple glazed breakfast.

As there were no tables or chairs, Alex pivoted where he stood and squatted down atop of a pile of unwashed clothes. He began to eat, his humming silenced by the chewing of food. Jacqueline looked down at the plate she had been given. There was an extra pancake on it, and it smelled fantastic. The primal desire to eat overcame good judgement; she took a bite, and then another, and then several more. Before long she devoured her food before her intruder was even half done. It was good, and very filling.

Then she remembered that she had been glaring. Having eaten, she was more alert. Alert enough to notice that the strange man had changed his clothes since last night. He now wore a dark brown sports coat set overtop a crisp white shirt. His collar was high, and bound by a stripped, yellow bowtie. The intruder's pants were equally immaculate. Clean khaki with center creases so sharp they looked dangerous. Jacqueline almost couldn't see his shoes, but the shine of polished leather peaked out from the debris on the carpet.

Almost against her will Jacqueline looked down at her own clothes. Sweat pants and a baggy t-shirt were fine for sleeping, but in the presence of this dapper man they seemed downright inappropriate. Though, not as inappropriate as trespassing. Jacqueline sharply returned to glaring at Alex.  He was almost finished eating his pancakes.

"What are you doing here?" she venomously growled,

He cleared his throat with a small cough. "As I thought I had made clear yesterday, I'm here at the behest of your late father to protect you from a calamitous event which your father gave his life to unleash upon the world."

"My father died three years ago." Jacqueline stated flattly.

"I know, I was at the funeral. As a matter of fact I organized the catering." He stood up, his knees popping as he did. "Now, will you allow me to collect that plate, or will you misconstrue that as an attempt on your life?"

Taken aback by the unexpected sharpness of his tone, Jacqueline extended her plate. "How could he have told you to protect me if he's dead?"

"He told me before he died. I thought that would be obvious."

"This doesn't make any sense," she groaned.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Okay, summary of yesterday. Your father was a very bad man. He created a spell to release chaos into the world. I worked for him as he did this. When it came time for him to give his life force to the spell, he asked me to look after you." He paused for clarity and received a nod. "Now, three years later, the latency period is almost over and the spell is about to be completed. And so I came to find you and keep you safe."

Jacqueline sat in silence. Not getting any reaction, Alex resumed his rhythmic humming and began to wash the dishes in the sink. Minutes passed like hours for Jacqueline. Before long there was a noisy buzzing from somewhere on the floor. This snapped Jacqueline out of her dazed thoughts as she rooted around for her phone. It was her alarm, going off at six o'clock on the dot.

"I recommend you get cleaned up." Alex voiced. "I have a gut feeling it's going to be a long day for both of us."

"I'll do what I'd like," she retorted.

Alex shrugged in indifference. "If you want to smell like body odor all day be my guest. However, I doubt that will help you in any way."

She wanted to refuse him, but even in her shocked and angered state she knew he was right. It wouldn't do her any good to go through the day unwashed. So, she made her way to her drawers and pulled out whatever was clean. Finding only undergarments, she hunted down and smelled a few shirts and shorts until she found a match which didn't smell bad. She made her way to the bathroom, cursing when she kicked a random shoe. Then with some comfort, closed the door separating her and Alex.

When the light was on and her bed clothes removed, she gave herself a close look. She hated the perpetual dark circles under her eyes. She disliked her course black hair. She detested her short statue and light frame. She loathed her unchanging scrawniness. The only thing she didn't degrade about her appearance where her eyes, one deep green and the other dark brown. Those she merely disliked.

Her disdain for her body had grown gradually. The more she grew the less she liked her body. Until now at twenty years old, she hated just about every bit of her appearance. As she stood there loathing her appearance, she recalled what her mother would say. Appreciate what you have! It's not like it's ever going to change. Jacqueline grimaced at the memory and tore her eyes off of her reflection and turned on the shower.

Once cleaned and dressed, she reentered her studio to find it looking very different. In the absence of the flat's owner. Alex had turned on the lights and tidied up. The sink was free of dishes and had been wiped clean. The same for the counter top and cabinet doors. All of the floor was visible. The clothes had been pilled up neatly in a corner. The books were returned to shelves or stacked on the nightstand. All else was organized into drawers, or tucked away into the closet. Near the door was a full trash bag, ready to be removed. Alex himself was futilely trying to fluff Jacqueline's pillow to complete the image of a well-made bed.

Jacqueline couldn't decide if she felt impressed, violated, flattered or insulted. Perhaps it was a mixture of each.

"How can you sleep with such a lumpy pillow?" Alex inquired. "I'd have just as soon gone without one rather than this thing."

Insulted was definitely in the mix.

"You cleaned my apartment." She said blandly.

He looked around at his work. "I'm not sure I'd call this cleaned. Certainly picked up. But I haven't had the chance to dust or vacuum." He gave up on the pillow and allowed to to sag on the headboard.

In the new light Jacqueline gave him a long look-over. He had short blonde hair, held in place by some type of gel. His face was angular, with a proud, cleft chin. He stood with his back straight, revealing all of his six feet of height. His clothes were still perfect in the light, not a wrinkle or stain to be seen. Jacqueline decided he would be out of her league, even if he wasn't some ten years older than her.

"Why did you do that?" She inquired.

"Do what?" He asked, his eyebrows arching up.

"Clean my apartment."

He blinked for a space before responding. "It was messy. I didn't really put much thought into it."

"Well," she paused. Alex took a moment to look guilty. "Thanks."

Alex quickly relaxed. "You're welcome."

"I still don't want you here." Jacqueline added.

An annoyed look flashed across his face. "I'm not really giving you that option."

"Oh I know," Jacqueline admitted. "I've realized that. But I'm not about to give up my day just because you want to follow me around."

"Fair enough. So long as you don't try to run off on me."

"Just don't think I'm going to drop my guard."

"Of course not. Actually I'd prefer you to stay on guard. Makes my job easier." He flashed a smile of white, straight teeth.

"Uh-huh," she said rolling her eyes. "Well then stalker, you gonna follow follow me outside now?" She asked as she grabbed her purse and went for the door.

"Now you're getting it," he chortled.

They left the apartment and made for the street. As they went Jacqueline produced a cigarette and lighter from her purse. As soon as the cool morning air met her face, she lit it and began her stroll around the block.

"It'll be hard enough protecting you without you poisoning yourself," Alex chidded.

Jacqueline ignored him.

The two walked in silence for a few minutes when they heard fast footsteps headed in their direction. Alex wheeled around to face the sound. Jacqueline was a little slower to see a man in a warm-up suit running across the street toward them. Then she noticed the protective circle moving along the ground, staying centered around the runner. A fireball rushed from Alex's hand, it dissipated as it crossed the edged of the circle.

"RUN JACQUELINE!" Alex bellowed as he sent streams of fire at the runner, who had not even slowed. Panicking, Jacqueline froze. Then Alex gave her a shove in the back. She ran a fast as she could. Before she reached the corner, she felt he like a furnace behind her. Turning to look, she saw Alex completely surrounded by flames which were responding to his every gesture. It didn't surprise her at all that her strapping protector was a fire mage.

Amid the flame, neither the runner nor his circle could be seen. Jacqueline stopped a moment thinking it, whatever it is, was over. It wasn't. From out of the flames the runner emerged the air around his hands glowing with the glyphs and pentacles of celestial magic. He launched arrows of light at Alex. Alex consumed them with hungry flames. Smoke billowed up from the edge of the protective circle. Alex loosed a massive torrent of flame. Jacqueline shielded her eyes with her forearm.

When she lowered her arm the flames were diminishing. Alex, picked her up as he dashed by at full sprint. They rounded corner after corner, Alex's flames following them as they went, consuming the glowing projectiles as they came. Soon they reached an open stretch of road which Alex rocketed down, aided by his fire magic.

Then there was a flash. Jacqueline loosed a scream. The celestial mage, now in front of them, lunged with a glistering blade of magic. Alex dropped Jacqueline and rushed their attacker. Flames obscured Jacqueline's vision as she got to her feet and ran, ran as fast as she could past the attacker. She heard sirens, ahead of her she saw flashing lights. But she kept running.

When she could run no more, she collapsed coughing. Turning, she saw the battle still commencing. The police car was blocking the road, surely more were on the way.

Alex was winning. He launched attack after attack. With ease he rebuffed the strikes made against him. Even at a distance Jacqueline could see a smile of impending victory on his lips.

Then there was a flash. The runner was before Alex, with his hand on Alex's chest. A word was said. Alex's face contorted into a soundless scream. Chains of letters glowed on Alex's skin, shining through his shirt and hair. All the flames were snuffed out. Alex's corpse fell and crumbled into dust.

From a distance there came the sound of an implosion. More police arrived. They drew guns and chanted wards. Then there was a flash.

And Jacqueline cried.