Daisy Sun: Chapter One- Bitten.

Chapter One: Bitten1

I gazed out the window with little anticipation. My shoulders slumped, and I felt a spasm of pain following, as if I had been stiff for hours at a time. My mind was in a fog, and my eyes stared ahead, towards the fields and the rolling hills that passed by speedily in the cab. 2

It was awfully hot. My black thin sweater clung to my skin, dampening it, as the smell of sweat and perfume blended together, tightening my nose in grimacing detest. 3

Perhaps, I thought momentarily, if I hadn’t ran so hastily I would not have been so bent out of shape. 4

Yet who could blame me for a queasy stomach, and a weak heart when it came to the dead? I could barely stand in the church, and to have done so in a graveyard with nothing remotely to hold onto was calling towards havoc itself. 5

I let out an uneasy sigh as the image burned through me repeatedly, yearning for the need to contemplate all that happened this morning. My heart squeezed as her face shone vividly for all eyes to see. Her skin, almost a powdery white, seemed to sink into the coffin, as if becoming apart of it, as her bones swam to the surface, unwillingly able to slink away. She looked so delicate, so at peace, only I was at war with myself. Her image, brutally tearing apart the little sanity I had left, bore a hole through my mind, triggering a sense of panic each time I closed my eyes only to see the image over and over again. 6

I was too scared to close them. Even blinking required a moment of thought, leaving me with nothing to do but keep my eyes open as much as possible until the stinging surfaced and the water withdrew. I knew as I was standing over her rigid corpse that I regretted coming there in the first place. I still regretted it now, sitting in the back of a taxicab, awaiting the long drive to be over. Only it felt as if it had just begun. The wheels, although turning very quickly along the bumpy road, seemed to delay its ability to continue faster, as if it were tormenting me. 7

I couldn’t help but look angrily towards the man driving, a man I barely talked to throughout the entire way. I felt a sickening repulsion towards his unimportance in being in my presence, in him driving me all the way back to Little Cross.8

Why was he taking me in the first place?!9

My heart riotously thumped against my chest, but my mind took advantage of the little generosity I had left in me this day. 10

You can’t force Dad to be apart of a tragedy you’ve involved yourself in, I thought bitterly to myself. It’s not his fault he couldn’t take you there in the first place. 11

Her face returned to me again, piercing me coldly as I hugged my chest almost to comfort myself. It did little good, because I realized that no matter what I did physically outside my body, it could not conceal the thoughts that were plaguing within it. Such as her somehow soft, gentle expression; a wrinkled face with former laugh lines attached on each side of her lips looked like deepened roads, crossing into one another madly. And her hair, how it appeared so much longer than I had remembered it before. It actually looked healthier, more thicker, not white and thin as before, but strong and shiny against her lifeless body. 12

I shuddered once more, feeling a burning sensation rush to my cheeks. I knew any minute I would be sick with a fever, one caused by inner nausea towards the afterlife. It all felt so unfair; it was like we were living in a cage, forced to breathe until fate intervened and decided to drive away our souls from that which we attached ourselves to: our bodies. And the thought of leaving my body for good sent goose bumps down my strangely, cold arms. 13

We all die, I told myself. 14

I reluctantly envisioned myself on a deathbed in a random hospital most likely situated in Little Cross itself. Small good bye flowers would be on a table next to me, being the only colour in the white room that seemed to swallow me from all sides. I imagined looking old, feverish, faint and pained-- all the emotions that one connected to when death was involved. I could see myself staring at a younger generation, perhaps an offspring of my own, and I could even feel the heavy burden of trying to keep my own eyelids from shutting. My breathing would dim, maybe even quicken to begin with, but it would eventually slow, strangling my tight, saggy throat, and I would be gone. Just like that. Gone away from the room, the presence, the pain, and a suddenly unwelcome world that mocked my death and aimed to invite more cursed born babies into its embrace. 15

What was the point, I pondered, in all of this? Why try to aim high when everything will be taken away eventually? 16

My questions would go unanswered, and when I hit these corners, it helped me let go of my depression. But only for a moment. My head dropped down, to my fiddling fingers, yet my eyes looked up, and out the window once more, to a suddenly darkened sky. The blue had been interrupted by pillows of cumulating clouds, threatening to unleash its powerful fury for the late afternoon. 17

“Looks like it’s going to rain.” The driver suddenly said, practically reading my mind. 18

His eyes looked at me for a split second, and then towards the empty road ahead. It made me wonder what he saw in me for that brief moment, and whether he saw anything at all. Perhaps all teenage girls looked the same to an old driver like him though; maybe we were all confused, overly dramatic and weak as I knew I was. That wouldn’t account for anything interesting at all, so I no longer gave it anymore thought. 19

The road dragged on endlessly, and it slightly startled me when other cars became visible. It wasn’t long before we were on a busy highway, and the signs were disappearing before us. I felt a short feeling of relief wash over me, keeping focused on the amount of time that passed. 20

To keep my mind off of the unpleasant issues that boggled me, I grabbed my large, brown purse and opened it, peering through its contents, seeing what could possibly distract me. I pushed away my light grey, hooded jacket, and lifted open my wallet which revealed a few twenty dollar bills wrapped around a few fives. There was loose change in its hidden pocket, but a small hole in its corner caused most of it to fall into the purse itself. I threw it back down noisily, and fumbled through combs, make up and endless amounts of receipts I never seemed to throw away. 21

I randomly opened my phone book, the one I forgot I had with me, and took notice of the dozens of numbers listed on each alphabetical page. For a second I thought of calling up a friend just to occupy my time, but after knowing that they would most likely ask questions about my whereabouts, I decided I didn’t have the heart to explain anything. I threw it back down, and skimmed through more notebooks; some were my horrid sketch books, revealing my random doodling. I thought of writing a poem in my red leather notebook, but after seeing so many depressing titles, I didn’t have the patience to spill my emotions. 22

The wind began picking up, and I heard the beginning of rain drops splattering against the windshield. As it drifted through my window, I put my notebooks down and rolled the glass back up, leaving only an inch or so open. The sky was darkening now, the sun barely showing itself behind the clouds, and the rain continued to progress for a few minutes. 23

I thought about putting my purse to the side, but a quick glimpse of my small, pocket photo album caught my attention beneath the pens and key chains. I dug my hand in and took out the metallic coloured cover, taking notice of newer scratches surrounding the bolded title, “Memories.” My heart accelerated a bit against the anxiety of concentrating on something different. I opened the front page and stared warmly at the pictures before me. 24

The first were ones of me, as a child, but I quickly passed those, feeling reluctant to reel back to events from my childhood. When several more family photos I had already drilled into my mind passed, I stopped and took my time towards the recent ones. There were pictures of my friends, some I had been close to, and some I had drifted far apart from. I barely bothered to study my face in each scene; they all consisted of me making some form of ridiculous expression on my face, and so I studied more intently on my friends, whose faces were more humorous to me today. 25

Aubrey was in almost every one of them, her blonde hair looking always entirely different in each photo. She looked wacky, perhaps more so than me, with her gigantic over exaggerated eyes, and wide opened mouth. I couldn’t help but chuckle lightly, recalling the days these images were snapped. By the end of the photo album, my mouth surprisingly widened further, as my chest heaved down in order to suppress an unwanted laugh. 26

Ben looked delightful next to me; his eyes were so piercing, so filled with thought and emotion. There was nothing in them that suggested troubles, or sadness. I envied his gleeful expressions, as mine were more along the lines of fake cheerfulness. I couldn’t help but notice his close proximity to me in each moment, and his arms were always half raised to my back, as if suggesting he was contemplating whether to hold onto me or not. I would have preferred he had, for it looked almost like I was untouchable, and that I was going to electrocute him if he came any closer. 27

I sighed as I got nearer to the end, feeling regretful for not adding more of the millions of photos I had back home in my bedroom. Why was I so lazy? Why hadn’t I gotten around to these things? They certainly proved to be helpful in moments of downright melancholy, and the feeling continued to provoke discomfort in me. 28

The last picture was a normal one, surprisingly. Of me. It was evidently rampaged, looking closely to the brink of tattered ruins. I couldn’t help but stare at it more than I wanted to. My hair was shorter than it was now, a few inches below my shoulder. My face had more colour, like I had been in the sun for a long time that day, and my brown eyes were staring towards something on my left. There was a short smile on my face, but I couldn’t remember whether it was a real one or a forced one, and my eyebrows were raised just a bit, perhaps out of surprise. 29

I rolled my eyes and gave up trying to remember when it was taken. I closed the photo album and threw it back into my purse just as the cab came to a stop outside a gas station.30

“I need to fill up. You can take a bathroom break if you’d like, just make sure to be back in ten minutes.”31

His voice caught me off guard. I hadn’t even thought about leaving. He climbed out before I could speak in return, leaving me fidgeting in my seat. Now that he had mentioned it, I did feel tingles running up and down my legs, telling me how restless they were. Although it was raining, it was lightly, and the wind that came from the east was warm and inviting. 32

I opened the door and got out, turning my head in all directions, as if I was looking for something. There was nothing much to see anyways besides a swarming road, and a vacant looking gas station. I didn’t like the feeling of the water coming down on me, but I didn’t want to return to the small, congested backseat of the car. I turned and walked towards the store, keeping my eyes to my feet, making sure each step wouldn’t result in a stumble. I crossed another car, and a large man filling up the tank. I could feel his body turn towards me, and his eyes boring into me all the way into the gas station. 33

My discomfort didn’t end there. The cashier looked up to see me from behind the counter. He seemed to be more focused on my movements than the newspaper he had been previously engaged in. I felt a wave of irritation wash over me, causing me to walk quicker towards the bathrooms on the other side. 34

Why were people so intrusive, I wondered. 35

I walked into the ladies bathroom and nearly turned and headed back out. The smell was a cluster of revolting things, instantly invading my body with numerous shudders crawling up and down my spine. I took as many small breaths as possible before I stepped in front of the middle mirror, for the other ones were foggy and splattered with dried water drops. 36

My face looked strangely unfamiliar to me, but given the circumstances, I understood what caused such a weather beaten look. Despite such a dry, and pale skin, my eyes looked watery, like I was on the verge of tears. There was absolutely no colour in my cheeks, not its usual pink flush that took its place there everyday. It looked almost translucent, and dead, like the face in the coffin I had peered into with terror a few hours before. 37

Another wave of nausea settled into the pit of my stomach, pushing me a step back. The smell wasn’t responsible for this though, it was the inner workings of my troubled mind. I bent down, resting my hands on my knees, though I trembled out of its grip a few times. Despite the dreadful, intoxicating smell, I took in a few deep breaths, aiming to calm my bubbling nerves and painful heart. 38

Was it ever going to end, this feeling of tension? 39

I spent a considerable amount of time practicing how to breathe correctly. My eyes stared straight into the floor, concentrating firmly on a white, cracked tile--the more I stared into it, the more the details of its broken state sprang, appearing more and more foreign to my eyes. Eventually, this helped tremendously in calming the jitters that pounced about my chest, and so I rose, slowly but at ease. I stood as tall as my small frame could allow, but there was little confidence to muster. 40

I took another glimpse at my discombobulated face and headed back out the door, not quite sure how long I had been in there. The eyes of the cashier at once followed me again, this time with a hint of curiosity engulfing his long face, as I darted forth a set of angry eyes towards him. It barely intimidated him, rather it gave him reason to smile humorously against my agitation. 41

What a rude man, I thought to myself. 42

I departed the store, and was lucky to find that the large man was already gone. Up ahead, I noticed my driver already inside, behind the wheel, looking towards me for a brief moment. I wondered how long it was I must have taken, and hoped I hadn’t made him wait very long. 43

The rain was coming down harder, hitting my cheeks like a bucket of steel nails would. Strangely, I felt a short opportunity to cry, knowing he would not tell the difference between the rain and the tears. It seemed like the perfect way to relieve the ache that infuriated my insides, clawing its way to the surface. As I got to the door though, the opportunity became a silly suggestion, one that I took to be a vivid sign of my weakness.44

I sat back inside, closing the door harshly, already feeling warped up into the small crowd of space I was in. Discomfort seemed to be one of the primary emotions I was enduring for the day. 45

“I bought some food, if you’d like.” I heard the driver say.46

I barely paid attention to him when he handed me a small bag of items. I looked inside only to find a handful of little candies, a Hershey’s chocolate bar, and a salt n’ vinegar bag of chips. 47

If this is what you call food…I scoffed, half finishing my thought before I threw the bag beside me. 48

I rested my elbow below the window of the car, feeling my hands brush through my hair and tired eyes. They pained when I rubbed them, and the sudden desire to sleep crept into me. I would not sleep though, not until I came home. I would save every ounce of exhaustion for the bed, so that it would rob me of any potential conversation anyone at home had to offer. If I slept now, I would find it hard to sleep later.49

I stared at the time, watching the number change to an even 5:30pm. As the car began moving and accelerating each moment of its way onto the highway again, I could not help but feel anxious to get it over with.50

“How much longer before we get to Little Cross?” I asked, surprised to be hearing my voice sound so muffled and mushy in my throat. It was like I hadn’t spoken a word in years.51

“Another three or four hours.” He answered, as politely as he could, but I could still sense the boredom in his mouth. “It all depends on the traffic, and the weather of course.”52

Before I could give him or the sky a distressful look, my cell phone beeped loudly within my purse. I turned and rushed to get it out, only to find it showing me that I missed a call while I was in the bathroom. 53

I flipped open my cell phone and checked my caller ID, although I was not sure why I was being so eager in the first place. When I figured the number to be my home phone, I deliberated whether I should respond or hold it off. It felt unfair for me to be so inconceivable as to not call and declare that I was feeling okay. Then again, I had a knack for lying through my teeth, and with this clear fact woven into my family’s minds, I doubted whether they would believe anything I had to say. 54

Still.55

I couldn’t be so heartless as this. I wouldn’t allow myself to fall between the cracks of my darkened abyss. I had to fight the despair clinging into me, threatening to tear myself into shreds. I didn’t want to completely break away from all reality and linger in sadness. I wanted all of this to pass. 56

I flipped open my cell and took my time dialling the numbers, trying very hard to firm the fingers that trembled against each button. I put the phone to my ear and waited, breathing uneasily. 57

The connection crackled, as the signal wavered to and fro with the weather’s uncertain demise. It still rang though, despite it sounding so distant and barely audible. I bit my lip, digging into the flesh that focused my brain towards a newer pain. 58

I sat up straighter, as if it would make the connection any better, and felt my back stiffen against the tightened, Popsicle posture I forced myself into. The rings passed on, insincerely. No one was picking up. I continued though, feeling suddenly impatient towards the home I had first been reluctant to communicate with. 59

Why wasn’t anyone answering? 60

After ten or so rings, the answering machine blared into my ears. 61

“We’re sorry we’re not in at the moment.” sounded the family in unison. “We’ll call you right back when we get in! Leave a nice descriptive” ---muffled laughter--- “message right after the beep.” 62

When it sounded, I paused for a few seconds, unsure of what to say exactly. 63

“Um.” I stuttered, forcing firmness into the jaw of my mouth. “It’s me, guys. You called, but I wasn’t at the car. Sorry about that. I just wanted you to know that I’m okay, and that I’ll be home in a few hours. It’s raining a lot so it might take a while. Um… I guess that’s all I wanted to say. I’m fine though, really. Anyways, I’ll see you tonight, bye.”64

I shut the phone and tossed it back into the purse. I felt knots of fear envelope my chest, but I wasn’t sure why. There was a dread that weighed me down once more, and I rested my head against the cool window; a tiresome gesture against the hurricane of emotions I was bottling with all my might. I could feel the frown pin my lips down, and already the distance in my eyes were enough to make me look ill. I shut them, and focused in on the blackness before me. 65

“Are you alright?” I heard the driver ask, with a note of worry oozing from his tongue. 66

His voice already sounded faint and far away. I didn’t bother to reply as I fell into an inevitable deep sleep.67

------
The sudden jerk of the car was enough to shove me forward, out of my quiet, discomforting slumber. My eyes shot open, but it felt both the same as keeping them shut. The darkness was all around me, giving me a frightening chill up and down my arms and legs. 68

I looked around me, almost unsure of where I was. When I relied on my hearing, I took note of the raindrops still splashing onto the windshield, only less as violent as before. 69

Lights came from my side, and I turned and backed away, thinking something was going to hit me. It was just a car though, passing along an almost deserted street. My hands combed the ceiling of the car, eagerly searching for the rounded light. When I felt it against my palm, I pushed it up, like a button, and the dim light splashed into the centre of the car. 70

Dead ahead I could see the lid of the car opened. It took a moment for me to fully adjust to the darkness, but the figures soon appeared before me. I saw two men accompany my driver at the front of the car. I raised my neck to see if I could look into the gaps and detail what was going on, only it did little good. 71

I slumped back down in confusion, feeling a sudden lightning bolt of pain crash through my head. I put my hand up to my forehead, despite it doing very little to ease my headache. My eyes opened and shut wildly, no longer weighed down by the exhaustion it once was afflicted to. 72

My mouth felt dry and my tongue felt rubbery. I opened it barely, enough to let the muffled air fall into the crease between my lips. I turned to the window and rolled it down, in hopes of some moisture flowing in. When it was done, I heard unfamiliar voices in the front, and something about a loose part stalling the engine. Nothing made sense to me; car language was another league much different to my little knowledge and understanding in how these machines worked. 73

Again, the darkness around me startled me like before. However it was less so much than last time, as I noticed the streetlights not too far down the road from where we were. A few more cars passed, sloshing the water to the side. The street looked familiar to me, but there wasn’t enough clarity in me yet to detail our exact location. 74

The door of the car then opened, and the driver’s head peered in. He seemed to reach for something at the floor of the passenger seat in front. When he grabbed what he was looking for, he moved back to get out until our eyes met. 75

“Oh.” He sounded, caught by surprise. “You’re awake.”76

I blankly stared ahead at him, feeling impatience throttle me instantly. This was enough to make him give a nod.77

“The car’s suddenly stopped working. Out of the blue. I left to the restaurant to grab a quick snack before I continued back, and when I returned, not even the engine would start.”78

I gave him another mistrustful glare before I turned to the two men in the front, clearly looking stumped. 79

“There was a quick movement.” I said, knowing it really didn’t matter what caused the car to push forward so randomly.80

He looked at me, with a confused face.81

“A movement?”82

“It felt like the car was being shoved forward.” I replied, hearing my voice scratch and squeak.83

“Uh…” He shrugged. “There was no such thing, but…maybe when I shut the door, it felt like that. Sorry anyways. Don’t worry though. I’ll get you home in no time. We’re not that far as it is, so sit tight.”84

“And if it doesn’t work?”85

He heaved another shrug. “Maybe you should call your father, and he might come and pick you up. I’m sure I’ll get it fixed in no time though. I don’t want him to have wasted his money on this. I want to bring you back home as soon as possible.”86

I barely paid attention to what he said, and kept my eyes wandering about the area around me.87

“Where are we exactly?” I asked.88

“Milton Avenue.” He answered, clearly aware of where I was headed. “Sit tight, Miss. I don’t want you leaving at this hour.”89

When I didn’t reply, he turned back and left the car, giving it a gentle close, as if trying not to give me the impression that I was being jerked forward. Only I knew it wasn’t the door closing that gave me that impression, but I didn’t bother to wonder about it any longer.90

What he had grabbed turned on, revealing a ray of light from the black flashlight in his hands. He held it tightly before his frame disappeared behind the lid of the car. The light separated, showing itself from the sides and from above. It moved about several times, sometimes getting brighter and sometimes dimmer. 91

I exhaled, feeling irritated once more. I looked to my purse and once again produced my cell phone from within. When I opened it, I saw the time was remarkably later than I anticipated. 92

9:52pm.93

I imagined myself already home by this time. This sent me more frustrated jitters throughout my body. I tapped the top of the phone against my chin, questioning whether I should make the suggested call or not. 94

I figured it was worth a try, but somehow I had already comprehended the outcome of nobody answering. Knowing my family through and through, if someone had gotten my call, they would have called me back as soon as possible. 95

I mechanically dialled the numbers and put the phone to my ear once again. The rings sounded much more louder than before, clearer with direct signal and connection. After ten annoying rings, the answering machine picked up once again. 96

“…right after the beep.”97

When it beeped, I let out a long sigh.98

“It’s me again.” I found myself saying, the impatience was skewing from my mouth very obviously. “Look, uh, something seems to be wrong with the car. We’ve halted in front of…” I snapped my fingers, suddenly forgetting. “uh…Milton Avenue. I don’t know why no one’s called me back. Where are you guys? It’s not really important though. If you get this message, please call me back. I don’t want to be stranded here all night.”99

I quickly shut it, roughly, as a means to clear away the rolling anger I was producing. The longer I stayed on the line, I was afraid of letting slip unintentional words that would most likely injure my parent’s feelings. I had anger issues, I already identified well with that quality about myself. There was always an edge to my voice in frustrating circumstances, and I was barely tolerable through them.100

I fidgeted some more in my seat, finding the car lid to be a far from entertaining view. The more time that passed, the more evident it appeared we weren’t going to be moving anywhere successfully. I didn’t want to wait for the car to be working; I opposed the need to feel patient towards this.101

I decided to fix my mind on exactly where we were. Milton Avenue. This was the same route I took to my high school. This was the road that stretched on forever, revealing darkened houses, plenty of dark corners, and a chain of fast food restaurants on the other end.102

I frowned at the driver for feeling the importance in buying food at this time of the night when I was only a 20 minute ride away from home. How could Dad leave me with such a moron? His choice in drivers had never improved throughout the years, considering our last one had been a half blind senile, prone to crashes and hitting mail boxes. 103

I was tired of watching the drops slow, and the clouds disperse. I was tired of following the path in which the drops trickled down the window, crossing between other drops before they settled at the bottom. My lips were probably bleeding by the biting, and my fingers weren’t doing so well, fiddling with one another in frustration. 104

I decided I wasn’t going to sit around and watch these three men do nothing but sulk and stump themselves into more corners. I reached for the door handle and threw the door open. Stepping out sent my tense muscles into a state of nerves and pains. They didn’t bother me so much as the hollow feeling I felt at the pit of my stomach. Hunger was a problem I wasn’t in the mood for fixing at the moment. 105

The moisture in the air helped cool my mouth down from its thirst. I felt the depth of the road’s water settle into my shoes and around the rim of my pants as I walked to the front of the car. It was a pointless thing to do really. No one bothered to pay me attention, their heads were all glued towards the complex car before me. I didn’t bother to try to see what use I could do. My head was already turning towards the street again, digging through my mind for an idea that was likely to be clinging onto a lost thought. 106

When I heard the roar, I felt the light bulb glow above me. I turned and took notice of the giant bus, taking its time down the street, splashing forth the waters that drove away from under the wheels. I felt silly for not thinking of it before.107

I turned back and quickly approached my driver, who was already a few feet away from the working men, dialling a number from his own cell phone. When he put the cell to his ears, he turned to me, with a look of slight annoyance on his face.108

“It’s alright.” he said, as if I was in need of reassurance. “I’m calling for help now. They’ll be here within a half hour, depending on the weather of course.”109

Depending on the weather of course, I repeated him in my head, rolling my eyes with carelessness.110

“Actually, it’s alright. You don’t have to be in a hurry. I think I’ll just end up taking the bus. Really, it’s not a big deal at all.”111

He was quick to disagree.112

“No, Miss, it’s fine. You’ll be home in no time.” And then he added, in understanding to his urgent need to keep me by, “I don’t think your father would appreciate you taking the bus home at this hour.”113

“Look, he already paid you, right?”114

He hesitated to answer, but it was obviously read in his face.115

“I’ll be home much sooner than you.” I continued. “In fact, they’re not even home right now, so by the time I get there, they’ll come and think that you drove me. Not only that, but my father will probably keep you on the job as there wasn’t any tip involved in any of this.”116

My deceitfulness was not at all reassuring to him. He was not convinced, but a person had suddenly answered on the other side of the line, causing him to turn away to talk. 117

“I’m going to go whether you like it or not.” I told him, making sure I spoke loud enough for him to hear. 118

The two men who were engrossed in the mystery of the inoperative car turned their heads towards me. I could feel their stares boring through me, and I had just had enough of these rude people who never seemed to look away. 119

“I’m going now!” I sounded loudly again.120

I saw the driver’s side flinch suddenly, but he was too focused to the speaker on the other line. 121

I turned back and headed to the backseat of the car. When I opened the door, I leaned in and gathered my things. I was quick about it, but attentive enough to grab everything. I was surprised as to how easy it was in getting away from the three men who I knew would greatly disagree with me on leaving. Yet they were all busy doing their work, and even the loud sound of the closed door didn’t cause a stir in them. 122

I hurried away, towards the other side of the street and onto the sidewalk. I walked quickly, taking long strides, keeping track of my surroundings so that I could notice the bus stop. The only light that I had was the distant streetlight as well as the few passing cars, slow in their movement. 123

I sniffed back the moisture stinging the air, and felt each distant rain drop settle into my hair and face. There was hardly any sound coming from the footsteps, save for a light heel echoing every once in a while. All in all it was very peaceful, and much more welcoming than the tight, cramped space of the car that now sparked a potential phobia in me to small spaces in general. 124

Still, I was very impatient in getting home. Although I had slept through a long ride back --- I don’t know how that happened --- I continued to feel an inner exhaustion that yearned for the darkness of my dreams. I was desperate to rid reality, to rid her from my thoughts. 125

Relief rushed towards me when I caught the sight of a wet bench and a bus sign a few feet away from it. I hurried over, until I was only inches away. I stopped finally, and stood as tall as I could under the menacing dark sky, and the quietness of the sidewalk around me. I held the handles of my purse tightly in my right hand, as a few shivers crawled up and down me. My eyes turned towards my purse, and the grey sleeve caught my attention immediately. I was very complacent now at the reminder of Dad’s nagging in my memory, telling me to bring along a jacket. 126

I placed the purse down and took out my light sweater-jacket. I settled my arms into each hole, feeling the warmth against my cool, water downed skin. I adjusted it rightly against my neck, and threw over the hood above me, covering my dark, long hair, that puffed from under the protection of the rain. No doubt it was turning back into its frenzied wavy state.127

I didn’t zip it up, rather I enjoyed the cool air blended with the moisture and its rush into the opening of my jacket. I bent back down and picked up my purse, closing it tightly from the water. When I was steady and straight, and there was nothing else to do, my eyes scanned the dark street. The street light did little good in improving the vague outlines of closed stores and empty looking houses. I had to squint several of times towards some places, trying to recognize them through such a dim perspective. 128

I took notice of a few figures walking along the side of the street, talking in low murmurs as they passed me, giving me not one ounce of attention. A few more cars passed, hurting my eyes with their bright headlights. I began to wonder whether the bus would ever come, and even questioned going back to the cab. The distance seemed too far now, and the motivation to turn back was diminished into a fog of nothing. 129

My eyes turned to the side of the street, and I leaned forward, as if expecting a giant bus to stroll its way into view. There was nothing though, and I hated feeling the driving exasperation in me grow. When I stood up straighter again, my eyes danced about the other side of the street.130

I felt very rigid to a growing suspicion towards something that caught my attention. Across the street, I could see a figure. It was merely an outline of a tall person, but by the frozen state it was in, I figured it was a statue. Yet I could not help but continue staring, directly ahead, at the mysterious shape. My eyes would not turn away, as if I was struck with some profound feeling to continue my edgy gaze. Strangely, I did not feel fear. I felt an immediate calmness throughout my body, running its course like a steady stream. Why couldn’t I move away? 131

Despite my fixed posture, and the calmness that leaked such feelings, my brain seemed to be the only thing operating in my body. I began questioning myself, even though my inner voice sounded far and faint, as to why I was not feeling frightened. It was strange to know what I should be feeling, because it was giving me completely different outcomes.132

When I took notice of the littlest movement it drew off, my ease became interrupted momentarily by a wave of inexplicable nausea. Before I could battle with these inner thoughts, the loud roar of the bus and splashing water threw me off. I nearly took a step back to feel like myself again.133

My head turned as the bus approached, screeching to a full stop in front of me, looking like a bright, dragon ready to swallow me whole. It blocked off all view of what I had just witnessed, and the doors flew open, revealing an overweight bus driver, staring me down with little tolerance.134

I pushed myself forward, shocked at my lack of ability to keep balance. I stumbled up the steps, standing in front of the coin collector, and, with trembling fingers, I dug through my purse and deposited a crowd load of loose change, exceeding the amount of what I should have put in by a long shot.135

The bus driver looked at me with peculiar eyes, almost as if I had just fallen off a building and was still alive. He didn’t bother to continue his drive, until I crept down the aisle of the nearly empty bus and took a seat on the side of it. My eyes instantly scoured the opposite sidewalk, looking hastily for the figure I had been so entranced in. To my shock, I saw nothing but an empty sidewalk, and certainly no hint of a tall, hypnotic figure. 136

The bus began to move, and my thoughts shattered into me like rolling tides on a vicious ocean. Was what I had seen a figment of my imagination? It did make sense to me, how I could have easily been losing my mind. All day I was despairing over the afterlife, her face and death combining riddles into my mind about the meaning of existence and so forth. Somewhere along the way, my fear must have somehow triggered me into seeing something I knew was not there. Maybe the brief calmness that swallowed me was a sign to move on, to battle the pain and continue breathing as if today never happened. 137

I still felt uneasy either way. My brain was a mess, and perhaps I underestimated my true tiredness. I looked out the window the entire way, staring at every stop sign, car, and person that crossed the bus path. Finally, my closest stop arrived. I pulled down the ringer and the bus came to a quick halt. I hurried out, not wanting to leave the light of the bus, as the darkness took forth once more, surrounding me when the bus disappeared around the other corner. 138

I was only a few blocks away from the apartment. I told myself this many times, feeling panic in the midst of all confusion. The streets were completely deserted, not one car even passed to relieve me of some fear. I didn’t know where it was coming from. I didn’t know why I was so shaken up and in agony over something I didn’t even understand. 139

Each apartment building that passed gave me warmth and reassurance. The alleyways were intimidating, but my quick pace was enough to give me some hope in arriving at the apartment as soon as possible.140

Half way there I had the sudden impulse to turn around and look behind me. This feeling I could not contend with, it was simply too overwhelming to avoid. I decided to do so quickly, out of curiosity towards my instincts more than anything else. I slowed my pace and casually turned my head back, only to feel a traumatizing fear cripple the core of my body. 141

A figure was seen easily from my quick view, and a split second of it was enough to replay through my brain over and over again as I turned away. The shape, the height, the unbelievable feeling of being pulled back… 142

I could barely breathe right. Was this truly happening to me? Perhaps on a normal day I would easily reason with myself that it was just a random person, walking down the sidewalks like me. Only this wasn’t a normal day, this was one that seemed to offer no explanation, no ease to my brain. Somehow I felt the crushing realization that there was something very different, something not right…143

Before I could further my pace and untie the knots of curiousity and fear, my whole body disconnected from me as I soared off the sidewalk and into the closest alley to my side. 144

Everything seemed vague and dreamlike. It took me a while to register that I had not been on the ground for a few seconds now, and that I was soaring at an incredible rate towards a darkened space, in between two apartment buildings just two blocks away from my own. 145

What I felt next, rather than the previous hysteria, was a jolting pain on the entire side of my body, as I crashed into a wall. I was still wrapped up in a tight embrace though, as if the collision was that of the creature’s purpose. I felt squeezed, like all air was being forced out of me, and my bones crashed against my skin, feeling as if they were going to pop out of me any moment. The pain was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. My eyes stung with its strain, as I helplessly tried forcing the tightened arms to pull away. They were of superior strength, of unnatural strength. Whatever was killing me was not human, that was something I already conceived before being thrown into the air. I already knew this was going to be my end. 146

I still fought though, despite the obvious outcome. I was going to die right here, and I would not even know the reason, much less, I would not even know who my attacker was. 147

What a perfect killer. What a smart way to die. Depending on the creature’s motives, it could easily hide me away forever. I would never be found. I would always be a mystery.148

My head felt light, like it was going to float away from my body. Or maybe this was just my spirit, giving me a signal before it up and flew away. 149

Gone. Just like that. My life would be over.150

Sudden sharp knives dug into my right arm, causing me to scream silently. The darkness all around spun, as the sound of a hiss broke loose, killing my ears before killing me internally. 151

The embrace was no longer tightened. There were no more arms around me. The creature was not there. I figured it was my spirit disconnecting from me, from the pain. I felt relieved, and in hope of a promising afterlife. Only the darkness continued to spin, and no light burst forth.152

The pain in my arm continued to accelerate, like prickly thorns thrusted deep into my veins. I turned my eyes around, smelling a familiar scent of blood- my own blood. I felt the fluid around me, around my neck and my arms. Was I really bleeding this much? 153

Another hiss broke loose, but I was not sure from where. It sounded distant. 154

My eyes wavered in sound, almost falling into unconsciousness. I wasn’t willing to die though. I felt a need to remain, to continue breathing. With whatever strength I had from my crushed body, I raised my pained arm and stared at it through the darkness. I saw nothing but an outline of my arm, and a piece torn off in the middle. 155

A piece torn off, I suddenly thought to myself. 156

I opened my mouth to scream once more, but there was still nothing coming out. The pain sizzled in my arm and into my blood, running throughout my body like I was floating in a pool of lava. 157

A louder hiss reached my ears, as unfinished thoughts circled my mind. I didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t know what was keeping the creature from continuing its kill. 158

A silence followed for a long moment. My breathing slowed, and my heart ached in cramped ways. I heard the sound of metal to my side, but I was too weak to turn. There were a few footsteps, very light ones, and then I heard a series of short breaths a few inches from my ears. 159

My arm raised again, only I was not raising it. A sharp cool feeling dug into my wound, hurting me even more than before. 160

Have I been bitten?161

I shuddered in pain, as my body shook uncontrollably. My lungs closed, and my lips quivered. I could not breathe, nor think, nor fight. Whatever had taken a hold of me was going to have its way. The embrace, although not as tight as the previous one, gave me a final pinch of fear before I slipped away from reality. 162

The last thing that I saw was an outline of a face a few inches from mine. The last thing I felt were the knives digging further into my arm. The last thing I heard was the wind passing by my ears as I departed the ground and soared through the air and into the sky.