Half an hour passed and she finally turned down the alley only two streets from her destination. Caught up in her own world she didn’t notice the shadowy figures approaching her, and all of a sudden she was surrounded by three frightening strangers.
She stopped dead in her tracks. She had been lucky enough to avoid the drug-riddled men who lived throughout this end of town, until this point. All three wore tattered, dirty clothes, their hair was unkempt and they smelled horrific. Kara found herself completely unprepared for the situation that was about to unfold.
“Where are you heading, sweetheart?” asked the man directly to her right. She opened her mouth to respond but her fear had gotten the better of her and she found herself speechless. The men began to come closer grabbing at her. She tried to dodge their advances but suddenly the glint of silver caught her eye as one of the men pulled out a small knife. All hope she had of escaping vanished. Before she knew it they had both her arms restrained and she felt overwhelmed and helpless.
The man facing her laughed menacingly, but her gaze was drawn to a bright light behind. As the blinding light neared the men softened their grip enough for her to break free, but in the confusion she ran straight into the arms of one of the strangers. This time he grabbed her around the neck, choking her. As she struggled for breath she couldn’t believe what she saw. It appeared to be a... dragon.
A dragon towered above the men. Surely this was her imagination. But an inferno that engulfed two of her attackers quickly confirmed her vision. They screamed and ran, completely alight, down the alleyway in the direction from which they came. The orange-red flames trailed behind them as they sped away. Kara could not believe her eyes.
The last man, who still had Kara by the throat, threw her forcefully to the ground and sped off in the other direction. Kara hit her head on the pavement. She lifted herself up put a hand to her head, where it had hit the ground. Forgetting about the mythical creature standing right before her, she brought her hand back down. It was covered in blood. She was hurt badly. She looked up and remembered. The scaly, purple beast made its way towards her as she blacked out, falling back down onto the cool concrete below.
*****
When she awoke she immediately realized this was not her bed, nor her room or anywhere that she had ever been before. It took her a moment, but feeling the bandages atop her head she remembered the events that had unfolded. Had she really seen a dragon?
Regardless, she was relieved she had not been mugged, or worse. But who, or what, had saved her? This still remained a mystery. It could not have been a dragon. She pulled down the soft, woolen sheets of the bed and lowered her feet to the dirt floor; the room she found herself in was quite old and very simple. The walls were covered in peeling, floral wallpaper while the cracked wooden door was situated only feet from the end of the single bed. She saw that her clothes from the day before folded over the bed head. Whoever had brought her here had also given her a change of clothes; an old fashioned cotton night gown, one befitting her grandmother.
One of her many questions was answered seconds later when she heard a knock at the bedroom door.
“Come in,” she called cautiously, and a tall, handsome man peeked his head around through the door frame,
“How are you feeling?” he questioned.
Confused, Kara replied to whom could only be her rescuer, “I feel a little faint, but other than that I’m fine.”
“May I ask who you are? And what happened?” she blurted, eager to find out more about this handsome stranger before her.
“My name is Blaine, I was heading home and saw those men attacking you. I couldn’t just walk by, I had to do something...” he trailed off.
“I really can’t thank you enough, I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there,” she gushed. He took a few steps toward her and sat down on the bed,
“I couldn’t let those horrible guys hurt such a beautiful young woman,” he said, smiling. She put her hands to her face, attempting to hide her blushing cheeks, embarrassed by his unexpected compliment.
“Thank you again,” she muttered. “But where am I?”
He looked a little uneasy and thought for a minute before wording his reply.
“Since you passed out before I got to you I couldn’t take you home, so I thought the safest thing to do was bring you back here. This is where I live with my... family.”
“Your family?” she inquired,
“Yes,” he replied. His abruptness alerted her that she should not push the subject any further, at least not yet. She didn’t know what it was but something about him drew her to him. She couldn’t explain it but it was as if their meeting did not occur by chance at all; as if it was destiny.
“You can’t stay here long, but I can take you back into the city with me tonight,” he said. His voice shook Kara from entering the impending daydream state she found her slipping into, while staring into his mesmerizing hazel eyes. She was a little disappointed that their encounter would be cut so short, but she suddenly realized she would need to be back for work the following day. If she showed up even a minute late again she would surely be fired. Begrudgingly she accepted the offer and just hours later they left the room and began their journey back to Chicago.
It seemed strange to her that they had to hurry off in the dead of night,
“Please, try to be quiet as we leave. I really don’t want to wake anyone,” Blaine said. Why was he so afraid of someone seeing them? She had not seen a single person other than him all day, was she even allowed to be here?
She was suddenly ushered through a door into what appeared to be a garage. Inside was one lonely, rusted Corvette, it looked to be about 40 years old and the years had not been kind to it. Like a true gentleman, Blaine strode ahead, clearing a path to the car before opening the door for her to climb in.
Kara stepped gingerly into the passenger seat and once positioned the door clicked shut to her left. As they both strapped in, the car struggled to start, but after several turns of the key they were motoring down the dirt road that led away from Blaine’s home. She peered back over her shoulder to take her first look at the place from the outside.
It was derelict, with vines covering almost every entrance to the building. The house was not huge, but appeared to have at least two stories, made up of crumbling red brick walls and half-tiled roof. It had not been the most luxurious of accommodation, though Kara could not have anticipated the dilapidated state of the exterior. Quickly she turned back and focused on the road ahead.
She slept for the majority of the journey, but she was awoken by the car coming to an abrupt halt outside her apartment block. Still slightly drowsy, Kara began her goodbyes.
“Thank you for everything,” she started. But would they see each other again? She longed to ask. Blaine came around to her side of the door and, taking her hand in his, helped her from the car to the asphalt below. They made their way over to the sidewalk, outside the door to the lobby of her building. Blaine still had hold of her hand as they stood for a moment, each waiting for the other to break the lengthening silence. Finally he spoke,
“I guess this is goodbye,” he said. She couldn’t help but sense the sadness in his voice. Quickly his tone changed to one that was a little more upbeat and cheerful as he continued,
“It was lovely to meet you Kara, I really enjoyed your company today. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to talk to anyone outside the family, and I couldn’t have asked for someone more beautiful than you,” he gushed.
She was touched again by his kind words, it had been so long since any man had given her this kind of attention, and she was flattered. She had to find out if they would again meet.
“Will I see you again?” she asked, unable to hold it in any longer. She had to find out if their paths would cross once more.
“Perhaps,” he smiled.
And with that he hastily jumped back into the car and was gone.
*****
Each night for the next few months Kara experienced the same recurring dream, and it began in the alley where she had been rescued from attack that fateful night. In the dream, every time she found herself walking alone, but instead of the men emerging from the shadows ahead she found herself face to face with the dragon she thought she had seen. Close up she could see the individual purple scales that shone crimson as they moved into the moonlight. Its eyes were earthy and danced between shades of green and brown. She couldn’t help feeling that, looking at the creature close up, it seemed familiar somehow. The nostrils of the beast flared as it breathed deeply, taking in her scent, analyzing her almost. She stared back, unmoving, with the dragon’s face just inches from her own. Without any fear, she reached forward and caressed the creature before her. Its scales were surprisingly warm to the touch, and as smooth as silk. It moved further forward until their faces were touching. She closed her eyes for a moment as she lost herself in the claws of a dragon.
But just as quickly as their meeting had begun, the dragon pushed her back and began to run in the opposite direction.
“Wait!” she called. Its tail lashed around, trailing behind like a snake, slithering through the alley. The dragon beckoned for her to join it as its gigantic wings spread wide, catching the wind beneath them. Looking back towards her, the dragon lifted from the pavement and took off across the Chicago skyline.
Kara continued to run along behind, arms reaching for him, wanting so badly for this majestic being to whisk her away; wherever it was going she wanted to go too. Slowly the dragon grew smaller and smaller until it was lost in the night sky. She was left alone again in the dank alley, wondering what could have been. Just as she felt that all was lost, a weight suddenly pushed down from around her neck. Upon looking down she saw one of the most exquisite pieces of jewelry she could have imagined. Attached to a delicate golden chain a pendant shimmered, with a purple gem the size of a golf ball. As she lost herself in the gem’s haunting beauty, she saw that it too shone with a crimson glow in the moonlight, mimicking the scales of the dragon.
At this point in the dream she always awoke; startled she peered down at her chest to find it bare, the necklace she had dreamt was just that, a dream. She shook herself awake and began getting ready for the day, pulling one of her waitressing uniforms out of her wardrobe. She pulled the blue, knee length dress over her head and tied her mustard yellow apron around her waist.
For the entire walk to work her head seemed to be filled with thoughts of dragons and her mysterious dream. It was on this particular morning, caught up in her own world, she walked straight into a familiar young man. She was pushed to the ground by the force of his shoulder and as she looked up she recognized him as Blaine.
“I’m so sorry, Kara,” he apologized, extending a friendly hand to help her from the ground where she sat, stunned at his sudden appearance. She had been sure after that fateful day that they would not meet again, yet here he was, holding her hand firmly to pull her up from the pavement.
“How have you been?” she asked. Generic pleasantries were all she could muster in her current state of minor shock.
“Fine,” he replied. He looked down toward her unflattering outfit beneath the huge winter coat she wore. “Are you heading to work?”
“Yes actually. It has been so long since I saw you. What brings you back to Chicago?” Hopefully he would be in town long enough to for them to get together one night.
“Just...business. What are you up to after your shift? Could I possibly buy you a drink?”
Kara quickly thought over the offer in her head before answering.
“I’d love to,” she said.
“Here.” He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and ball point pen, scribbling hastily an address across it. “This is the bar I’ll be at tonight; I can’t wait to see you there. It will nice to be able to catch up, especially after I rescued you and all.” He laughed at his apparent sarcasm.
“I will definitely be there,” she said as she grabbed the paper from his hand.
“I’ll see you tonight then.” He winked at her and with that he continued down the street.
Now at least during her 10 hour shift ahead she had something to look forward to. But what had been the chances of running into to Blaine again? Pretty slim, surely, in a city the size Chicago. She continued on her way to work, happily counting down the minutes until she could see him again.
*****
For the last five minutes of her shift her eyes barely left the old analog clock that was hung slightly tilted on the wall of the diner. She finished cleaning her section quickly and collected her tips before rushing out the door, into the street, on her way to meet him.
It was a cold night and the thick winter coat she wore barely kept the harsh wind from nipping at her face. She looked at the address on the scrap of paper Blaine had handed her earlier that day. ‘Rad Bar’ was the place that she was heading. Although Kara had lived in this city for many years, she had never heard of this place. Trudging down the street she looked to each street sign, making her way slowly to where Blaine was waiting for her. Surprisingly, she showed up outside the large wooden doors that read ‘Rad Bar’ in only a matter of minutes.
She followed a large group of young men and women who had just arrived and scanned the area for the one familiar face she wanted to see. Finally, their eyes met as she located him sitting alone in a booth, situated in a shadowy corner of the bustling social hub.
Kara made her way over. She realized now that she was slightly nervous to be around him again, as if they hadn’t already met before.
“Kara!” he said. He stood for her to sit down before he took his seat again at the opposite side of the booth.
“I was really hoping that I would run into you again,” he said. “I’m so glad you made it tonight.”
She smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it,” she said.
They proceeded to order a couple of drinks and soon the conversation was flowing. Any hint of nerves that remained were masked by the alcohol they had consumed.
“So, what’s your favorite color?” she asked, continuing with the cascade of random questions they had started when they had first begun to feel tipsy. She wanted to know as much about him as possible, and he had been so vague about his job and home life, so she decided to ask about trivial things instead.
“Purple and maybe red,” he replied. “What about yours?”
She had to think about it for a moment before coming to a decision. “I like green,” she said.
She was having so much fun just chatting to him that she didn’t realize the time fly past. Their banter continued for hours until they were forced to leave as the bar was about to close. They were the only ones left in the tiny space, that had just hours before been so crowded that it was difficult to move. The bartender wandered up to them at quarter to four in the early morning,
“Sorry kids but we’re closing now. You’re going to have to take this elsewhere,” he said. He strode back to the counter, proceeding to wipe it down of the night’s spills.
Kara and Blaine looked at each other stunned for a second. Had they really been there for three hours? She was a little disheartened when she realized that this would surely bring an end to their night. But then Blaine spoke again.
“I think I should walk you home,” he said. She was overjoyed; she still had at least another twenty minutes to spend with him.
He picked up her coat from the seat beside them and gestured to her to turn around while he pulled it over her arms and shoulders. They waved to the bartender. As they made their way back onto the street, the sun was beginning to rise over the skyline. This night had been perfect, and unbeknown to Kara it wasn’t over yet and it was going to get even better.
He held her hand as he walked her back to her apartment building.
“I couldn’t let you walk back by yourself, not after what happened last time I saw you,” he said. She definitely didn’t mind spending more time with
him, in fact she wanted nothing more. They arrived at the door to the building all too soon.
“I guess this is goodbye again,” he said. His tone was distant. She wished he didn’t have to leave. This time she would take it upon herself to make a move. She moved toward him, taking his hand. She stood on her tip toes, leaning into him and kissed him lightly on the lips. As she lowered her body back to the ground she opened her eyes to see his expression. Had she overstepped the boundaries? Quickly she found out that he wanted exactly what she did, as he held her firmly around the waist and pressed his lips back to hers passionately. They were locked in a romantic embrace on the side of the street on this cold winters night. For several minutes they kissed, comfortably wrapped in each other’s arms. Her passion increased. She felt his tongue and lips travel down her chin toward her neck.
“Would you like to come inside?” she breathed heavily into his ear as he bit gently at her neck, sending shivers down her spine. It had been so long since she had been intimate with a man. She was long overdue for a night of passion. There was no one she would rather share it with than Blaine, and she hoped that he felt the same.
*****
Blaine scooped Kara up in his strong arms and carried her up the couple of flights of stairs to her tiny, one-bedroom apartment. As they made their way into her living room, he gently placed her on the couch and positioned himself on top of her. He leaned forward and kissed her, continuing where they left off on the sidewalk downstairs.
As their lips pushed together, she brought her hand to his chest and held it there for a moment, feeling his tight, firm muscles below the thick sweater. She didn’t even notice his own hand slip sneakily beneath the hem of her uniform. By the time she noticed he had reached her upper thigh, but she didn’t mind, in fact she found it extremely hot.
They continued to kiss passionately as she reached below his sweater to feel his bare chest. He was smooth and his abs were glorious from what she felt. His hand continued up her body, past her stomach and to her breasts, cupping them gently. It felt so good to have him caressing every inch of her body. She let out a stifled moan while he tugged tenderly at her nipple.
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