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Chapter 1: The First Night

- Oh my... such a boring night..

The man appearing to be around fourty years old pulled a cigarette from the pocket of his white pure linen shirt. Stood from the chair leaned beside the iron gates of the factory and dusted off his black linen trousers. Maybe it was the 6 o'clock beard or the hair, starting to project itself into long dark locks, be he was feeling uneasy tonight. Night looked long while you spent all dawn looking the empty factory's street.

Took a zippo lighter from his trouser's pocket and lit his cigarette when he heard a hoarse voice coming from the shadows. Even hoarse, the voice didn't appear to be more than twenty-five yars old. Looked to the side the voice came from and forced his sight to distinguish the image of a lad of gray hair and smooth face, not really old. The gray-haired man walked in a few steps to the light bathing the factory's outpost with a hand extended:

- Could you lend me your lighter brother?

The nightguard got a little shocked, after all it was two in the morning yet and that man didn't look like any beggar from the streets around.

Indeed, the man who mixed traces of youngster and ancient was dressed in a very exquisite manner, with a knee-lenghet coat and social pants, glazed shoes matching. For a moment, the guard surprised the other man's eyes. Was he getting mad, or that man's eyes really looked like having more of a shine? Like a silvery tone even, amongst the deep black of his pupils.

At last, the guard extended his lighter to the man who was already pulling a silver cigarette case from the inner pocket of his coat, opening it and pulling from inside a black, perfumed cigarette. He lit his cigarette and turned the lighter back, leaning at the iron gate and looking to the guard:

- Long nite?

The guard gave a little chuckle. He wasn't supposed to really talk to anyone, but the night was so boring.

- As always. Hard to spend time at dawn.

- I know how it is. I live four blocks from here and I never get to sleep well, so I take a stroll in the neighbourhood to spend the time until morning, when I finally get sleepy.

The guard nodded, but looked to the man with a strange stare:

- you know, I think you should keep going with your stroll then. I'm on duty and if my boss catches me chatting, I'm roasted.

The stranger nodded and waved briefly:

- Aight. If I need a lighter again any other night, I already know I can count on you. See you soon Roger.

The guard opened his eyes widened, in a frightened expression. How did that man know my name? The other man, on the other hand, let go a pleased laughter, as if he had made a fantastic pun:

- Your badge friend.

Roger looked downwards to see his badge with his picture, tranquilized. Looked to the man with a reliefed expression and even gave a smile:

- You got me in this one bro. Go on now.

Night has passed by at its morose pace as always, but the happening of the charming man with silvery eyes and hair was still in his mind. At the end of the shift, as Roger went to give back his badge, suddenly something came back at haunting him. Just now he realized, but the card consisted solely of a picture and a magnetic stripe. There was no name in it.