I needed to sit down and I contemplated just plopping right down on the curb when something caught my attention.
I heard what sounded like a “Psst.” I looked around. Everyone was chatting among themselves as normal. Huh.
“Psst.” There it was again, louder and more urgent this time. It still seemed a million miles away.
It was coming from somewhere down the street. I looked in between rows of cars. Nothing was out of place. A group of girls laughing about getting kicked out of a bar walked by. They were dragging their drunk friend behind them. Did she psst for help? As they passed, I saw that her eyes were barely open
I moved further down the street and further from the crowd outside of the club. Nina hadn’t followed yet. I knew that when she panicked it made it harder for her to focus.
“Psst.” I saw her this time. It was a girl with long dark hair which hung in front of her face. She was dressed in a plain black tank top and dark pants.
She was out of place just standing there, off in the distance. Her slim body was leaning towards a nearby tree, but not quite touching it. Her porcelain skin seemed to light up the night like a human streetlight.
I locked eyes with her and knew immediately that she was the one who had called me. She reached one arm out and wiggled her finger to beckon me. I started towards her when I felt something grab my arm.
I jumped, but it was just Nina catching up with me.
I looked at Nina and back to the mysterious girl—but the girl was gone.
I made a mental note that drinking mystery shots out of Shelby’s purse ended right then.
Nina linked her arm through mine and pulled me towards the area where the girl had been standing. “Let’s retrace our steps.” She was on the brink of tears. “I told the girls to go on without us. Hope that’s okay?”
“Of course. Nina, don’t worry. It’ll turn up.” Hopefully it would before another mystery girl did.
Back to the mission at hand, we searched. Nina was inspecting a bush.
Did Vorcit slip it from her wrist when she wasn’t looking? Did it fall out of the van when she was hanging out the window? There were so many possibilities.
A sparkle caught my eye. It couldn’t be the bracelet, could it? A trick of the mind, perhaps, but I still needed to find out. I sped up, grabbing Nina’s hand and practically dragging her behind me towards it.
“Hey,” she said in protest. I had saved her from sticking her head into a city trash can.
We stopped right next to the tree where I had seen the girl. Dangling from one of its skinny branches was the gold bracelet. It looked frailer than ever before. I reached out, gently slipping it off the branch as if it would break into a thousand pieces if touched too roughly.
Nina widened her eyes as she slowly extended her arm. I slipped it back on where it belonged. She looked down in disbelief. It wasn’t until she brushed her fingers over it that she accepted it was real.
“Good eye!” She exclaimed as she twirled it around on her arm. “No scratches either.” She brought her wrist right up to her eyes to inspect.
I gave her a quick hug. “Shall we go back?” We were a good distance away.
Nina took a deep breath as the loud growl of a car’s engine passed us by. “Will you just sit with me for one minute?” She pulled my wrist towards the curb. “I could use a cigarette.”
Her hands reached into a zipped compartment of her purse where I knew she kept an emergency pack.
We found a quiet spot, near the four-way stop where we had gotten out of Vorcit’s van.
Nina stretched her long dark legs out straight in front of her, lighting up her cigarette with a quick flick before offering me a puff. I thought of Sam’s disapproval of me smoking. I didn’t know if he and I would ever be fully back to normal.
I opened my mouth to ask Nina, to hear from her that it was all going to be okay when it didn’t feel like it.
A scream escaped her lips, interrupting not only my concerns about Sam but also every last thought I had in my brain.
The hair on my arms stood straight up as I lifted my gaze up. A small black car was barreling full speed towards us, its headlights were blinding. It wasn’t stopping and had made its way through the intersection now. No one was around to hear our screams as fight or flight mode took over.
I hopped up, yanking Nina with me so hard that I was certain I had ripped her arm out of its socket.
In a split second decision, I pushed Nina away from me with every last ounce of strength that I had.
I hoped it was enough. The last thing I saw was Nina’s eyes, so wide with fear that they suddenly seemed as if they were just pupils.
I heard the screams again. They came from Nina, from the mystery girl, and from the depths of my very own soul.
And then everything went black.
CHAPTER 4
I rolled over on my side and heard a light crunching sound right below my ear, like the noise of boots on freshly fallen snow.
I didn’t know what I was actually hearing, because my eyes weren’t cooperating to find out. They were stuck shut. Just beyond my lids, I could sense that it was daylight. There was a warm orange glow that I knew awaited me whenever I found the strength to open them.
Where was I and what time was it?
I reached all around me in an attempt to grab hold of something tangible. There was nothing except what felt like powder. I grabbed two handfuls. It was warm, and it sifted easily through my fingers when I spread them apart.
The bed I was on felt soft, and I was at peace. Keeping my eyes closed, I rolled so that I was lying flat on my back once more.
Think. I had to think.
I’m Dylan Dwyer, I told myself. I’m 24-years-old. I’m 5’3. My driver’s license says I weigh 121 pounds, which is mostly true. I like dogs and acoustic versions of any song. That's who I am. I didn't, at least, lose my mind.
Things, however, were starting to get fuzzy when it came to minor details.
I live on my own with Dozer. I graduated with an advertising degree. Sam.
That’s right, Sam. I had recently been fighting with Sam. I lifted my hands and placed them over my eyelids to help keep out the orange glow, which was shining brighter.
“Look at me!” the light seemed to demand of me. I took a deep breath in and out. I have nothing to give you, light. A tiny voice in my brain told me to keep my eyes shut for just a little bit longer anyways.
Think, Dylan, think.
We were out. It was the first night after a breakup. Nina. Simply Nina.
My thoughts were starting to scramble.
“Nina.” This time I said her name out loud. I knew I should crawl in an attempt to find her. She had been just next to me. How long ago was that? We had been sitting on the curb. I began to crawl.
“Nina?” This time I yelled it in more of a question form. She had to be there. She was only an arm’s length away.
“The car,” I again said out loud. “There was a car?” I was now questioning my own thoughts. Who was I talking to?
Exhaustion took over. I had crawled a few feet. With every inch I took, it felt like I was sinking deeper into the strange powder surrounding me.
Once again, I picked up some in each hand and felt a satisfying crunch as my fingers closed around it until there was nothing left except the feeling of my fingernails digging into the palms of my hands.
It was as if I was holding snow, except it wasn’t cold or wet. Rather, it was a soft material I wanted to make a blanket with.
I remembered the car again, the screams, the flash of light.
Was I dead? I can’t be dead. Can I?
“Nina?” This time I screamed it with all the energy I could muster. There wasn't a single sound in response, not even the chirping of a bird or someone asking me to keep my voice down. What the hell happened?
Memories were flooding back. I heard voices, shrill voices. I had felt hands touching me, cold hands. Someone had ripped my shirt open in
the front. My new shirt. My beloved screw you Sam shirt. I wasn’t able to speak. My mouth wouldn’t open despite being bombarded with a hundred questions.
The hospital. That’s where I am, thank God. The bed and sheets just feel strange. I grabbed a handful of the strange substance again and spread apart my fingers as it sifted through once more. Well, maybe that’s not a sheet. It’s something real, though.
A beeping noise filled the air. Aha, I was hooked up to a monitor. Was I badly injured? There were no cords on my chest, no IV’s. All good signs.
My eyes were still shut but I knew I had to move forward, and the soft powder would be there to catch me if I fell.
The beeping noise was growing louder. This time it was accompanied by the whirring of what sounded like a chainsaw. It was still off in the distance. Construction at the hospital? That didn't seem like the best idea with patients trying to recover, but stranger things had happened.
My head was pounding. I rubbed my temples and took a deep breath. It was like a hangover, made worse by all the loud noises.
I needed to open my eyes. I needed to figure out what the hell was going on. I was ready. The bright orange light just beyond my lids had reached its brightest potential; it felt like I was being blinded in reverse.
I kneeled, sitting back on my feet for support. The noises were growing faint now. They were the only sign that I wasn’t alone.
“Come back,” I whispered. My eyes fluttered open.
The orange glow blinded me at first, overpowering every fiber of my being. Eventually, it began to clear and I could make out shapes. They were blurry shapes, but still proof that things were all around me.
I widened my eyes as far as they would go, letting in all the colors around me. I was surrounded by trees, tall evergreen trees that towered over everything else. I took a deep breath and for what seemed like the first time, I could smell again. It was a strong scent of pine with a hint of cinnamon that filled the air and tickled the inside of my nose. I sat for a moment, gasping for breath until I calmed down. It felt like the first breath I had taken in months.
I had to be dreaming--except something told me I wasn’t. My thoughts were starting to become clearer. I pinched my arm and slapped my face a few times. Nothing changed.
I was right about one thing. I seemed to be surrounded by snow. Not just any snow. It was perfect and fresh as though it had just fallen. The snow had a sparkly tint to it as it clung to the needles of the evergreens. It was just like the synthetic kind you find in craft stores.
Yet here it was. I picked up another handful, blowing it into the wind. As it fell down around me like sparkles, I laughed. I was in a beautiful dream.
I was able to crawl to one of the nearest trees and pull myself up, the rough bark scratching against the palm of my hands. I walked around the tree and was face to face with a path which wound down between more trees as far as I could see.
I squinted at my surroundings. It was starting to get dark again already. How strange. Was I getting ready to black out once more?
Further down, there was a light post glowing softly. I knew I needed to get there. I was ready. I rubbed my palms down the sides of my...dress? I was wearing a dress. It was black velvet, and had small red poinsettia flowers sewn all over the front. I traced my fingers around the embroidery as a memory surfaced.
This was just like the dress I had worn to a first-grade Christmas concert. I had loved that dress so much. It was the first time I went shopping with my parents and was able to pick out what I wanted to wear. It was the dress that made me feel like an adult. The one that would epitomize Christmas and growing up for years to come.
This dress was different this time. Instead of having shoulder pads and a poofy bottom, it was more form-fitting. It was as though the dress had grown up with me.
“Strange again,” I said out loud again.
This time, the squirrel who was sitting on the side of the path turned to look at me, as if listening.
“I swear to god if you talk--” I pointed a finger at it. It held my gaze briefly before skipping down the path, its tail straight up in the air as if it couldn't be bothered by me and my silly ramblings.
I decided to follow it. I was following a squirrel. I walked along the path, my bare feet crunching into the snow. The trees eventually became sparser. I was near a small river dotted with miniature icebergs.
I kneeled on the edge and stuck my hand in. It was cool but not unpleasant. I picked up two handfuls of snow and dropped them in. They floated briefly before disappearing underneath the stillness of the water.
It was getting even darker. Time was rapidly changing. The moon was reflecting on the water, casting a soft glow which illuminated a few deer which had gathered to drink.
Looking down again, I caught my reflection. I looked exactly the same as I always did. My long blonde hair brushed against my shoulders. I still had what resembled mascara coating my eyelashes. It was just the dress I didn’t remember wearing. That and my surroundings. I was still me. It was a comforting thought amidst the uncertainty.
Now that the trees were spread out, I could see red brick houses in the distance. I could make out the yellow glow in their windows and the smoke coming from their chimneys.
I felt an immediate warmth come over my body. It was as if I was meant to be there the whole time. I began walking towards the closest one. It wouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
My body was beginning to feel a little achy. I definitely remembered a car coming towards us. Was I hit by a car? I must have been. Every time I tried to collect my thoughts, I felt a shooting pain. I had to close my eyes again. There was a bench coming up to my right. I stumbled towards it, my legs painfully colliding with the rough wooden edge. My eyes were stuck shut again.
I rubbed them to no avail.
“Great,” I said to no one in particular. “Great!” I screamed it as loud as I could manage this time.
My eyes were able to open quicker this time.
The house was right beyond the bench, no more than a few feet away.
I took a moment to breathe before approaching. What should I tell the people who lived there? Would they call the cops? Or maybe, just maybe, they knew where Nina was and what happened. I couldn't have ended up that far from the bars we were at. I reached the one-story home. Each window in the front had that same soft glowing light. I looked around one last time. The trees seemed to lean in towards the home. I spotted several squirrels all around the bases of the trees. I couldn't explain it, but it felt as if this whole strange area was listening to me, following my every move, and encouraging me to keep moving forward.
The home had a large wrap-around porch. There were several rocking chairs, each with a woven white blanket folded neatly on the seat. The curtains on either side of the large windows were tied back, and there was no sign of movement inside.
There was a fireplace burning and two couches on either side that seemed well-loved but comfortable. I suddenly felt very tired.
A large Christmas tree filled one corner of the room. It had twinkling white lights. I stared for a while. Before I even moved my eyes to the top of the tree, in my heart I knew what I would see. It would be an angel wearing a velvet purple dress with gold foil at the bottom. Tiny specks of glitter would be woven throughout. She would have copper wings, a solid single wire halo, and a pleasant face with bright red lips that would be curled up in a smile.
I forced my gaze upward and there she was, looking down at me.
This house was there for me. Before I had time to question my choice, my feet were walking to the front door and my arm was reaching for the handle. The door creaked open slowly. The scents of peppermint and burning logs filled my nostrils.
My feet knew where to go. Off to the left of the living room, I knew I'd find a small bedroom. There was nothing remarkable about it when I entered. The bed was twin-sized with a heavy woven comforter on top. It was made of red and white patchwork with stars throughout. There
was a simple white circular rug off to the side. A plump gray striped cat was sleeping on top of it. Its tail seemed to move back and forth with every breath it took. I studied the cat until it opened one eye to look at me.
I crawled underneath the comforter. There were names etched into it. Although the names weren’t familiar, they made me feel as if I was less alone. I was so busy picturing the fictitious family’s life that I didn’t even notice that the cat had moved to the bed. Its purrs alerted me to the fact that it was now stretched out near my feet.
It was then that I knew exactly where I was. I was inside a Christmas card. What I didn’t know was that I was already dead.
CHAPTER 5
The sun was just beginning to creep through the windows, although I had no idea what time that made it--or if time even existed in that place. At some point in the night, the cat had left my side and returned to its original corner.
I stretched, and the cat did the same, mimicking my actions.
It took me a moment to collect my thoughts and remember exactly where I was. Although, I had no idea where exactly that was.
A smell that I would recognize anywhere hit my nostrils. Cinnamon rolls. My mom had always made the best ones from scratch, with a frosting containing her secret ingredient of orange zest.
My stomach grumbled. When was the last time I had eaten something?
“Hello?” I called out tentatively.
The cat in the corner gave a small meow in response.
“Think anyone’s here, or is it just us?” I figured I might as well talk to the only other living thing around.
The wide green eyes of the cat held my gaze for a moment just as they had before.
“You understand me. I know you do.”
I looked around the room for anything I could take with me as a weapon to explore the house. There wasn’t anything, not even an umbrella. I suppose that was a good thing-- I shouldn’t attack anyone when I was the intruder.
I turned my focus back to the cat. “Think I’m still in a dream from last night?”
If Heaven Had Cheese Fries Page 4