by W.J. May
Chapter 8: Inevitable
In the faint distance, Natalie heard people chattering. The indistinct voices told her it had to be the television or the radio. She woke gradually, the black behind her eyes lids turning lighter, to the point that she had to squint from the sun’s bright rays.
“Is she okay?” a male voice asked.
“I don’t know. I think she’s breathing,” a female voice replied.
“Hey, wake up.” Natalie felt a nudge on her arm. When she moved, every muscle and joint ached. Sleep and tiredness weighed her down. It felt like her eyes were coated with lead.
“Maybe we should get a cop. She probably partied too hard last night. I mean look at the way she’s dressed,” the female commented.
Partied too hard…what?
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Are you okay?”
Natalie felt someone touch her face and shake her head. Her eyes popped open and instinctively she grabbed the hand in front of her face and twisted it, pulling it away.
“Hey, let go,” the guy yelled. A dog next to her barked several times and he ordered it to stop.
She released the guy’s hand and jumped to her feet. “Leave me alone. What do you want?” Her vision blurred and her eyes burned from the light.
The dog barked a few more times and then sniffed her, licking her foot. The wet, sandpaper stroke from the dog’s tongue caught her attention. Why did she only have one shoe on?
“Hey, take it easy.” The guy backed up, pulling his dog with him.
“Yeah, we’re trying to help you.” The woman got up quickly and took a few steps back.
Natalie looked around for a moment, blinking her eyes rapidly. Where in the world was she?
“Do you need us to call someone for you?” The woman pulled out her cell phone from the band around her arm.
She stared at her for a second. Did she know her? The woman had to be a few years older than her, say early-twenties. She wore a tank top, shorts, and running shoes. Maybe she knew her from the gym.
Natalie took a deep breath and ran her hand across her forehead. She had the most excruciating headache ever. Once her vision stabilized she recognized her surroundings. She was on The Drag, the main strip along the edge of the UT campus, in front of an empty building. How did she end up here?
“Do you need our help or not?” the guy probed one more time.
“Oh, ummm…. I think I’m fine. I fell asleep, that’s all.” She brushed the hair away from her face and noticed her wristlet, dangling from her hand. “I’ve got my phone.” She opened her purse and took it out.
The woman and guy looked at each other. Natalie knew what they were thinking. They probably thought she got drunk at a party and passed out. How embarrassing.
“Okay.” The woman shot her a sardonic look and then slid her phone back into her arm band.
The guy shrugged his shoulders and yanked on the dog’s leash, instructing him to follow. The dog sniffed her foot one more time and then turned to follow his owner and the lady.
“Thanks.” Natalie blurted out, feeling bad for the way she acted. They didn’t bother to acknowledge her gratitude and kept walking down the street.
She checked her phone wondering what time it was. It showed 8:42 a.m. Saturday morning. A list of several missed calls flashed on her screen, all from Ryan and Lise. What would she tell them? She started to dial Ryan’s number, but stopped. She had to figure out what happened before she called him. However, the throbbing in her head made it nearly impossible to think.
A horn sounded and startled her. “Hey there baby? How much?”
She looked up and saw a car passing by with a guy hanging out the window yelling. She turned around, wondering who he was screaming at when she realized it was her. She wanted to run and hide. To make matters worse, a few people walked by her, staring at her and making sly comments under their breath. She had to get off The Drag and out of this dress.
She knew she couldn’t go back to the dorm. Lise would have too many questions for her. The safest place was the condo.
She limped her way down the sidewalk, stopping midway to remove the one shoe she had on. Going barefoot would be easier and her feet ached from wearing the stacked heels. She flagged the next taxi cab passing by and got into the car.
“Where to ma’am?” the driver asked.
“Ummm, 300 Bowie Street.” It took her a minute to remember her aunt’s address. Everything seemed so foggy and faint in her mind. She leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. Images flashed through her mind, recalling how she changed and transformed. She opened her eyes and looked at her hands. Did all that really happen?
“Rough night? Frat party?” the cab driver asked, looking at her through his rear view mirror.
Natalie crinkled her nose. She didn’t owe him an explanation, but she didn’t want to be rude. “Yeah, I guess you can say that.” She didn’t like to lie or make up stories, even if she didn’t want to tell others her business. In reality she didn’t lie to him. She had a rough night and she did go to a party. Maybe not a frat party but a party nonetheless. How would she explain this to Ryan?
It didn’t take long for her mind to drift back off, recollecting the events that took place inside the bathroom of the mansion. A shudder quickened through her body, recalling the excruciating pain her body went through. It made her feel sick and weary. She didn’t want to think about that right now. She had to figure out how she blacked out and ended up on The Drag.
She smiled when she remembered how exhilarating it felt flying through the air. Flying had to be one of the best things she had ever experienced. Nothing compared to it.
When they passed through downtown Austin, she recalled soaring around the buildings, and zipping by the bright neon lights glowing against the dark night sky. Being nearly invisible had to have been the best part of all. It had allowed her to fly without being seen by anyone.
“We’re here. Spring Condos, right?” The cab driver interrupted her thoughts.
“Oh. Yes, thanks.” Natalie sat up quickly. She looked at the meter and then paid the cab driver.
She walked into the four-hundred and fifty-five feet tower, sliding past the front desk security guard. The newspaper kept his undivided attention, preventing any further embarrassment. Luckily, the lobby was empty and the elevator opened immediately when she hit the button.
She went straight to the guest bedroom and fell back on to the bed. This did happen, I’m not going crazy, or am I? She ran her hand over the intricate ribbon design on her dress. It did happen, otherwise why did she wake up on The Drag, still wearing her clothes from the night before? She would have awakened in her pajamas at the dorm or the condo if nothing had happened.
Her cell phone rang and she flinched. Ryan’s name flashed across the screen. She let out a huge sigh. What would she tell him? She couldn’t avoid him any longer.
She answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Natalie. Thank God you finally answered. What happened? Where are you?”
“I ummm… took a cab to my aunt’s condo.” She picked at the nail polish on her thumb, thinking of the right thing to say.
“I was so worried about you. Why didn’t you let me take you home?”
“I don’t know,” she muttered. She got up and started pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what to tell him. Should she say that she had turned into some type of freak-a-zoid and flew home instead? No, she definitely couldn’t tell him that.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was leaving. I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Natalie, c’mon. You were sick. Besides, you could have at least told me you were at the condo. I worried about you all night. I didn’t know if something bad happened to you.”
“I know. I’m sorry I didn’t text or call you. When I got to the condo I ran to the bathroom and couldn’t leave. I must have fallen asleep because I woke up next to the toilet.” Natalie pressed her lips together. She couldn’t b
elieve that she lied to him. What choice did she have? He would never believe her.
“You poor thing. I wish you would have let me drive you home. I would’ve taken care of you.” Ryan’s voice turned from upset to soothing and caring.
Natalie sat back down on the bed. “Thanks. I didn’t know if I caught a bug or if being overheated caused me to get so sick. I’m still not feeling that well.” She hated this continual lying but didn’t know what else to say.
“I’m sorry, beautiful. Do you want me to come over and take care of you?”
“No!” She stopped and changed the tone of her voice. “I mean, thanks. I think I’ll sleep the rest of the day.” She swallowed hard and tried to fight off the tears. It broke her heart. She needed Ryan more than anything and wanted to see him. However, she knew seeing him would be dangerous. She couldn’t risk changing in front of him. She had to wait until she knew exactly what had happened to her.
“Okay. Is there anything I can do for ya?”
“Yes, can you let Lise know I’m okay? She’s been texting and calling me too.”
“Of course I will.”
“Thanks. I’ll call you later this evening,” Natalie said in a low voice. It killed her inside to lie and pretend that she didn’t want him to come over.
“Okay. Call me if you need anything.”
“Alright, I will.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, I promise. Ryan…” her lip quivered and the tears welled up in her eyes.
“Yes, beautiful?”
“I love you. I love you more than anything.” Tears streamed down her face and her breaths shortened.
“I love you too, Natalie.”
She hung up the phone, not wanting Ryan to hear her tears turn to sobbing. Her heart ached. This is not what she wanted. She wanted to be with Ryan, her love. Staying in a relationship seemed to be impossible for her. Why was it every time she fell in love with a guy something bad happened? Maybe she wasn’t meant to love anyone. She turned and buried her head into the pillow, weeping and crying, wishing she could wake from this horrible nightmare.