by Nikki Landis
We finished dinner and he paid the check, leaving a nice tip for the waitress. I noticed with humor she kept trying to flirt with him but he never seemed to notice. His full attention was on me the entire meal. I realized he must like me and it made my stomach start fluttering again.
The gymnasium was hot and crowded, just as I predicted. We had to stand in the doorway for several minutes until I spotted Emily. She stood up and started waving her hands. We made our way up to her on the bleachers, thankful she had saved us a spot. Jarrod was sitting next to her and Mariah and Chad were there. This was their first date tonight too.
I looked at her and smiled a huge grin, just so she knew the night was going great. She flashed back the same grin. So, things must be going well with Chad.
The Pinehurst Falcons played a great game. It was close, but we finally beat our rival with a sixty two to sixty nine win. Kellen cheered loudly along with the rest of us. After the game, a bunch of people were going out to the point and hang out. Kellen and I decided to check it out for a while since it was still fairly early.
I left him to go freshen up in the ladies room with Emily and Mariah. Talking and laughing on the way, we didn’t notice Brittany until we bumped into her in the bathroom doorway.
“So Rhiannon, how’s your date with Kellen?” She asked me icily.
“Um, really good actually. We are having a great night,” I told her, slightly apprehensive.
She smiled, but it wasn’t sincere. “How wonderful. I guess he won that bet after all.”
I looked at her, frowning. What did she mean?
“Don’t listen to her Rhia. Some people don’t know how to react when they are jealous…and left out.” Emily said defensively.
“Rhia should know…Kellen isn’t into her.”
Emily gave Brittany a dirty look. “Whatever.”
Mariah glared at her. “I guess you think he is into you.”
“I know he is. We have a date next week,” she retorted.
I refused to comment. She wanted a reaction from me and I wasn’t going to give it to her. The three of us stood there staring her down.
“You’ll see. See ya at the point,” she replied sarcastically.
Brittany left and Emily put her arm around me. “Don’t worry Rhia. She’s lying. You are always so nice. Don’t let her walk all over you.” Emily said softly.
“I don’t know what pissed her off but she is totally just trying to get to you. Don’t let her, ok?” Mariah told me concerned.
“I know. You are both right. You know I hate confrontations and have a hard time sticking up for myself sometimes. She knows too. Let’s just go join the guys,” I told them lightly, changing the mood.
I was quiet on the way to The Point, thinking about what Brittany had said. I didn’t mean to dwell on it but I couldn’t let it go either. Was she just jealous or was there some element of truth to her words? Was Kellen taking her out? Did he like her? If so, I wasn’t going to date him.
Kellen glanced at me often, but didn’t say anything. When we arrived at the point he turned off the engine and looked at me. Frowning, he took my hand in his.
“Did I do something Rhiannon? Are you all right?” He asked me with hesitation.
“Oh no Kellen. I have had a great time tonight, really. I ran into Brittany…and she said something…about you…it bothered me,” I told him truthfully.
He raised his eyebrow. “What was it?”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I looked down at the seatbelt and started to fidget with the release. “Well…she asked me how my date was with you…and then she told me…that you must have won that bet after all.” My voice was low and quiet.
“She did? What else did she say?”
“Well…that you were taking her out on a date. That you like her and…and not me,” I suddenly felt like a fool. My face was bright red.
I heard Kellen bang the steering wheel with his hand and then he tilted my face up to his so I could see into his eyes.
“Rhiannon…I would never…there is no bet. I have no idea why she would have said that. My first guess would be jealousy. I know she likes me,” he admitted softly.
“So…are you taking her on a date?” I asked, afraid of the answer.
“No…not next week, not ever. Sorry Hun…but she is no competition compared to you.”
My heart soared with his words.
“Thank you Kellen…for telling me the truth. It means a lot to me. I am embarrassed that I even considered it,” I admitted.
“Don’t be embarrassed Rhiannon. I’m glad you asked. I wouldn’t want you thinking that all of that is true.”
The Point, as everyone called it, was a huge flat area, with hard dirt packed ground, surrounded by trees. It had a cliff face on one side, overlooking the city. It was a popular spot for the teen and young adult crowd. Every major party this year was at The Point. The cops tended to stay away as long as the drinking was minimal and the music wasn’t too loud. It was always wild around here though, so I didn’t come often unless I was with the girls.
Kellen slipped his hand in mine and we went for a walk. The night was cool but nice, with thin wispy clouds in the sky. The stars hadn’t made their appearance yet so it wasn’t very bright. After a few minutes we stopped walking and Kellen looked at me.
Slowly, his arms surrounded me, tightening on my waist. I noticed his eyes looking at my lips. He leaned closer and I was sure he was going to kiss me but we were suddenly interrupted.
Brittany and another girl from school came around the corner and almost bumped right into us.
“Hey.” Kellen greeted them as he pulled me closer and pressed his lips to my neck. The intimate gesture made me tremble all over.
She immediately looked furious, screeched something unintelligible, and stopped off, muttering under her breath. Kellen leaned his head back and laughed heartily. I giggled and shook my head.
“Well I guess we can confirm the jealousy idea. I bet she won’t be easy to be around for a while,” he told me with humor.
“She’s going to be impossible…but I don’t care. The whole thing is just ridiculous anyway,” I responded, smiling widely.
The moment had been broken. He looked almost disappointed. The intimacy diminished but he still held me, holding me in a hug before he let go.
Taking my hand, he led me back to the group. We stayed for another hour or so and then he took me home. Just like on my birthday, Kellen brushed his fingertips against my cheek and told me good night. His eyes had been soft and searching. It seemed he had a hard time leaving, and I was just as reluctant to let him go.
My stomach had been doing flip flops again. I knew I was starting to like him, way more than I should. From what I knew, it seemed he returned the feeling. Later, in bed, I fell asleep thinking about those green eyes and his hand holding mine, dreaming of our first kiss and imagining him as my boyfriend. Sighing contentedly, I drifted off peacefully…
Saturday was my favorite day of the week. I loved to sleep in. Gran always kept her distance letting me linger in bed as long as I wanted. I stayed in bed longer than usual thinking of my birthday, last night, and Kellen.
Saturdays were usually the day I went to my reading spot in the forest. I was headed there now with my backpack on my back and humming along to a mix on my iPhone. I was dancing along the sidewalk, enjoying the music. I’m sure if anyone stopped and looked they probably would have laughed. I didn’t care though, I was having fun.
After a few minutes I turned off the street and into the forest edge following the familiar path. I only stuck to it for a few minutes before heading northwest to my reading spot. About three quarters of a mile or so off of the path, was a very pretty little glade. There were many trees here, along with wildflowers and butterflies. Several large stumps were scattered around like chairs along the ground. My favorite part was a big willow tree that had long hanging branches almost touching the ground. This was where I spread out the blanket to relax
.
I pulled out the book I had brought to read. It was a book required for school. I had been putting it off since it was about a giant bug or something. I looked at the title again. It was called The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. I decided to give it a chance and lay down on my blanket in the shade. I was on my stomach, legs crossed in the air as I opened the book, totally relaxed.
As I began reading the story, the main character Gregor was not very interesting. I found the whole idea of transforming into a huge insect a little bizarre. His family was ridiculous and the story was kind of gross. I got about half way through and put it down. I would have to finish it later. Eventually I was going to have to write a paper on it. I had a long time before it was due, and deciding to put it off, I rolled over.
Watching the clouds, I began daydreaming. Two birds were swirling above my head, way up in the sky. They seemed to be playing a game with each other as they climbed and dove, always keeping just out of reach. I was fascinated by the lighthearted way they played.
Darn. I was wishing I had brought my camera. I loved to take spontaneous nature photographs. There were several scrapbooks I had made on the living room coffee table for Gran.
My mind continued to wander. I sighed happily, thinking of Kellen and those green eyes of his. I noticed the birds flew off quickly as if startled. I pulled the headphones off and listened. Weird, it was so quiet for the forest. Too quiet. Only a few minutes ago you could hear the birds and small scurrying animals on the forest floor. It was eerily quiet now. The silence made me very uncomfortable.
I got up and put everything away in the backpack. The strange, weird feeling of being watched came back. I trembled slightly. Standing up, I glanced around at the trees. Nothing was there. Not a soul. But it felt off.
Suddenly the sun came bursting out from behind a cloud and bathed the glade in bright light. It was very bright. The brightest I had ever seen this place before. It cast a golden glow all around me. It was intensely bright, just like…my dream. Exactly like my dream.
I started to shake uncontrollably as the realization of it dawned on me. I was not alone. I knew even before I heard the sounds that confirmed it. There was a snapping of small twigs on the ground and…breathing. A menacing, deep breathing that sounded unearthly and…inhuman.
The disconcerting part was the sense of deep evil that pervaded my mind. I felt caught, not physically, but mentally, clawed after, held immobile, as if something was reaching for me and trying to hurt me. A dark shadow darted quickly in front of my eyes and was gone. I felt the shadow trying to enter my subconscious, looking for some way to unhinge me. Bizarre…
I glanced nervously around me as I tried to focus my eyes against the glare of the sun. A tiny movement out of the corner of my eye made me freeze. Something waited for me. I say something because it was not a person. I could make out a large shape in the distance, just inside the trees. It was almost completely out of my view. I blinked again, straining my eyes in the light to get a better look. I couldn’t tell what it was.
Terror suddenly gripped me and I started shaking harder. It didn’t help that the blinding brightness in front of my trembling hand suddenly seemed to dance violently in front of my eyes. I bit my lip to keep from screaming. I was certain that wouldn’t help.
Then I heard another sound. A growl. It was unlike any sound I had ever heard. It was animalistic and low and utterly frightening. It only lasted a few seconds, but long enough. It gave me goose bumps, heightening the shivering to my already trembling body.
My knees started shaking harder. I was vaguely aware that my breathing was accelerating at an alarming rate. If I wasn’t careful I was going to hyperventilate, just like in my dream. The terror escalated inside me building toward hysteria.
The growl came again. It sounded…big. I was so frightened that I stopped breathing. I only noticed because suddenly my chest felt like it was going to explode and I sucked in a shaky breath. Horrified, I saw spots of light flicker and dance in front of me. I could not faint, not now. Oh God. What was that thing?
My eyes tried to refocus. I wish they hadn’t. That’s when I saw it. It came slowly out of the forest edge, a dark shadow hovering on the edge of its body. Hunched over in a crouching position, it leered at me. I froze dead to the spot and looked into the menacing face of the assassin.
Chapter Five
My eyes were frozen open in terror. I couldn’t remember how to blink. I’m not sure if I was even breathing. The shaking was so bad that my vision was blurred. I saw through my hazy eyesight what that evil thing was. Up until now, I wouldn’t have believed in mythology. It was a little hard to ignore it right now while it was staring me in the face. I recognized the creature from an old storybook of fairy tales from my childhood. It was large, imposing, and frightening. A demonic creature that reminded me of a Minotaur.
The creature was made of black shadow, twisting and turning in a foggy haze that seemed to pulse in the air. The murky black substance was unnerving. An evil presence pervaded my thoughts again. I sensed a presence, so vile, so disgusting, that I felt the need to rub my skin and push it away. In my mind I felt it searching, looking, and invading my conscious thought. The storybook filled my mind again. Suddenly the shape in front of me switched from a shadow to flesh and blood.
My thoughts got that far when I saw it take a step forward. My eyes widened in total and complete horror. Panic gripped my chest and made my heart rate accelerate even more. My fight or flight response kicked in and I started to pivot on my left foot. I was going to run for it. There was no other choice. I had to get away from here now.
I turned around and took off running as fast as my legs could carry me. I could hear my pursuer behind me, getting closer. The sound of the ground shaking under my feet was deafening to my ears. I ran through the forest, passed trees and everything else. Branches tore through my skin causing crimson scrapes of thin blood to run along my exposed arms and cheeks. I heard the shred of fabric as one ripped into my shirt in multiple places. I had no idea where I was and didn’t care. It was gaining…faster and faster it ran after me.
I saw more bright light ahead of me and burst through a line of trees. I panicked when I saw the cliff face in front of me. It was a straight drop down, probably about fifty feet. I ran to the edge and spun around, knowing it was behind me. The creature stopped about twenty feet away from where I stood. It resumed the same crouching, hunched position as before. It slowly circled around in front of me, taking its time. I was cornered and we both knew it.
I stepped back against the edge of the cliff. I felt small rocks give way beneath my feet and tumbled down below. I was still so scared that I suddenly couldn’t move. The Minotaur started circling forward again, slowly stalking me. He growled again and I tried not to cry out in fear.
The evil presence filled the air around me, like icy fingers of torturous agony. I could feel the shadow pressing in, pushing at me, and forcing me against my will. I felt its hunger, its desire. It wanted me, my surrender, and my acquiescence. My soul. It wanted my death.
As his prey, I had nowhere to go. I faced certain death, either by this demon or at the sharp drop below. I was considering actually jumping when the ground gave out beneath me. I started falling, my hands waving in the air above me, clawing at the nothing that surrounded me. I screamed as I suddenly realized I was going to fall to my death. My body grasped at the air, reaching, but nothing would rescue me. I heard the evil chuckle of the creature as it realized victory was near.
Time seemed to stand still all around me. I had to be dreaming. My body felt so light and weightless. Wind blew my hair all around me in swirls of brown silk. My clothes were billowing softly against my skin, the ripples gliding across, gently brushing.
All around me the air felt different and new. My eyes started watering and became slightly unfocused. I was vaguely aware of my arms extended out around me, like I was paused in the middle of a glorious swan dive. Then I felt the whoosh of the wind blowing
passed me quickly.
The wind filled me with exhilaration. I was lifted on the breeze, riding a wave, the current of flowing air, nothing but amazement filling my mind. It felt like one of those rare summer days riding in a convertible with the top down at seventy miles per hour on the freeway as the wind gently carried you in a current of bliss. I felt carefree, light, and happy. The sensation was invigorating.
Sunlight was streaming down on my body and bathed me in a warm blanket. The heat seemed to penetrate all the way to my bones, spreading to my fingers and toes. I wiggled them, enjoying the radiating waves as they rippled across my skin. I felt so energetic. It was peaceful…tranquil. I was enjoying the freedom my body felt. Without restriction. Without limits.
Sudden fear gripped me as I realized at any moment I could hit the ground. I should have been falling. I should be scared. I should be concerned. But I just felt…graceful. What was the matter with me? I really should be terrified. I had to be crashing to the earth. Except that I wasn’t falling. And I hadn’t crashed. Or had I? I was uncertain.
Was I floating? No. I was definitely moving forward. The ground underneath me was moving slowly too. There was only one explanation. I was flying. This is not possible. I had to be dreaming, I told myself. Or, I was dead. I had to be. I must have hit the ground and died instantly.
I looked around me and noticed I was moving forward slowly, hovering would be more accurate. I saw my shadow on the ground. I wasn’t sure at first. Then I realized that it had to be me since I was the only one here. My shadow had something hazy surrounding it. I tried to see what it was but I couldn’t tell.
I glanced around again. The demon creature stood at the cliff face about thirty feet away from me. Its expression was murderous. It raised a fist at me and shook it before running off into the forest edge but not before diminishing from flesh into black shadow. The dark evil darting into the trees in defeat.