Chapter 1- Friday Flash

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Caribbean

Caribbean (Photo credit: Moyan_Brenn)

Here is the first chapter of the upcoming Maxie Duncan Novel.  Enjoy. :)  

 

***

 

I raised my arms over my head, stretching as the warm tropical sun shone down over my body. My pink rhinestone bikini sparkled brightly as I reclined in my mahogany chaise lounge. My skin had a deliciously golden sheen and was perfectly unmarred. Absolutely no sign of scars or black swirls on this beach babe. 

The beach stretched around me as the ocean sparkled a deep, rich blue that only the Caribbean could provide.

“Here you go, Miss,” a tall, dark god of a man said, leaning down to offer me some kind of pink fruity drink. His well-oiled chest glistened in the afternoon sun and I murmured my thanks as I took the glass. I was thankful for many things here in my paradise.

I sipped at my pink concoction and sighed, adjusting my black Dior shades. This was exactly what the doctor ordered. There was nothing a tropical vacation couldn’t fix. 

Even if it was the stress of almost dying. Several times.

Time sure flew when you were trying to keep your hide in one piece. I couldn’t believe it was already the beginning of February. A new year, a new me. One I wished I had found much, much sooner.

I was a witch and darn proud of it. I was holding my own in the magical world. I had even taken down an old God. 

Then again, maybe I shouldn’t count that one as a personal victory. After all, I did summon him in the first place.

However, to get back to the point, I had been a busy witch. And I desperately needed this time to myself. Even if it only lasted a few minutes.

I closed my eyes, taking in the peace that was flowing freely from my little piece of heaven. It felt better than a stroll down Fifth Avenue. No worry. No troubles. Just my bliss and me.

“Maxie,” a voice said softly as a shadow fell over me. Okay. So much for my bliss.

I cracked an eye opened and stared up at the man before me, my heart fluttering at the sight of him. I didn’t know why I felt the way I did about the bookstore owner. It was a complete mystery to me.

I mean the only other guys I’ve fallen for were either a corporate lawyer wanna-be from old money, or a movie star from even older money. You could see where I was going with this. I didn’t normally fall for some guy-next-door, bookish type, but here I was, trying to calm the stirring of my soul just because he pops in. 
He had that much of an effect on me and we weren’t even dating. I know. Sometimes I can be such an idiot.

“Jensen?” I said, feeling a little perturbed by his intrusion. I mean, I came here to unwind, not to have a coronary just because his soulful green eyes were focused on me.

He glanced around the beach, his eyes lingering for a moment on the surf. “Nice place.”

I sat up, placing my glass on the stand next to my lounge. Well, so much for relaxing. It looked like my vacation was officially over.

The well-oiled god hurried back over as he spotted the empty glass. “Would you care for another, Miss?”

Jensen looked at him, and then back at me, his eyebrows rising in a question. “Ah, so that’s how it is, huh?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. He was going to enjoy watching me squirm.

I glanced back up at the cabana boy. “No, Roberto. I think it’s time for me to be leaving now. Thank you.”

He flashed me a dazzling white smile before retreating, taking my empty glass with him. Yeah, I was bad.

“What?” I asked innocently as I turned back to the guy who never failed to make my heart beat faster. So what if I was indulging in a little eye candy? This was my paradise. 

He shook his head, a hint of a smile on his perfect lips as he sat down on the edge of the chair next to me. “Nothing,” he said, letting me off the hook.

I felt my cheeks heat up as I glanced away. “What are you doing here?” I asked, eager to distract my thoughts.

“Van’s trying to get a hold of you. She needs you to cover the rest of her shift for her.”

I glanced back at him. That was odd. Van was just as responsible as Jensen when it came to work. She never played hooky. “Is everything okay?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know. Her sister showed up and I think she wants to spend some time with her.”

I frowned slightly. Double odd. Van’s sister lived in Seattle. That was an awful long way to come just to chat over coffee. Plus, she would have told me if it was a planned trip, wouldn’t she?
I sighed. Yep. This little piece of found paradise had most definitely reached its end. Time to get back to the real world. “Okay. I’m leaving,” I told him as I stretched. It had been fun while it lasted.

Jensen watched me with amused eyes. “I should have never taught you how to meditate like this,” he said. “You’ll always be off on some kind of mind adventure now…with shirtless cabana boys.”

Ah, so he was jealous. “Don’t worry,” I told him with a grin. “My real life is way more of an adventure than anything I could come up with. I just needed a few minutes here to recharge my batteries.” I looked pointedly over at him. “Next time, knock first.”

He grinned. “Yes, dear,” he said before standing up from the chair. “See you later?”

“You know it,” I told him and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before reopening them. 

I was back in my room, lying on my fabulous sleigh bed. I sat up slowly, stretching out all my muscles. I felt as if I had honestly spent a relaxing day at the beach. I could still even feel the sun’s caresses against my skin. 

These mini meditation breaks Jensen had taught me were quickly becoming one of my favorite things in the whole world. How did I not know about these sooner?

A witch could close their eyes, turn a bit of focus on calming their mind, and end up just about anywhere their imagination wanted them. 

And it was cheaper than going to the movies.

I reluctantly stood up, fluffing my bed-head mess in the mirror. The dark black swirls that marred my body showed plainly through the straps of my tank top. I frowned, my fingers sliding over the white puckered flesh that covered my left shoulder.

The bite that the  Byangorma had given me had left several changes to my body. No longer was I as flawless as I once had been. They were my reminder that I was no longer Maxie Marie Duncan, rich man’s daughter from New Haven, Maine. That Maxie was gone. Fallen in a battle to keep her head in the clouds. 

I was the new Maxie. The stronger Maxie. I was awake now. I had earned these marks. They were as much me as my magic was. 

But…that didn’t mean I had to live with them.

I turned sideways, my eyes roaming over the marks. I whispered words, letting them flow free, coating over my body into an invisible armor. The swirly tribal tattoos and the horrid scar disappeared from sight, leaving my skin as fresh as it once was. It was only an illusion, but it worked every time. I told you. It was good to have magic.

With a final appreciative glance in the mirror, I padded my way into the bathroom. It looked like my day off had been cancelled. It was time to go to work.

© 2013 Melissa L. Webb

 

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As long as I’m living, my Mommy you’ll be…

by in Life | Permalink

Mom's hair cut

 

Four days ago, the worst thing I could ever possibly imagine happening, happened. In a blink of an eye, I lost my mother and my best friend. It still seems so impossible. I feel like any minute she’s going to walk through that door and everything will be alright. But she’s not. And I have to find a way to learn to live with that.

But Mom taught me that everything happens for a reason, even if we can’t see the big picture right now. And because of that I will take the strength she instilled in me and live each day in her honor, keeping the magic she brought to this world alive with every breath I take.

Even If I become only half the woman she was, I will still feel blessed to be anything close to what she was.

I love you, Mommy. Now and forever.

 

 

Creeping Beauty- Friday Flash

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Sleeping Beauty painting by Edward Burne-Jones

Sleeping Beauty painting by Edward Burne-Jones (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

CREEPING BEAUTY
By Melissa L. Webb

 

 

The Prince stood in the overgrown woods. Weeds and roots had taken over, coating everything with a dark, slimy feel. He moved through it the best he could, but the plants seamed to squirm under his feet, creeping around his ankles every now or then.

He used the glowing white sword in his hand to hack through them, freeing himself once again. It was slow going and he never expected any less, but at least his destination was now in sight.

A castle loomed in front of him. Its dark shape illuminated by the moon above. The Prince shivered at the sight of it. Its aura was thick with the evil that had taken place inside so many years ago.

He heard a horse neighing in the distance and cringed when he realized it was his. He prayed to God Charger was alright. He hadn’t wanted to leave his stead alone when evil lurked so close, but it was all he could do to get through this overgrown hell. The horse would have never stood a chance this close to the castle.

Taking a deep breath, he chopped another root as it moved towards his feet. The closer he got to the place, the more he could feel it trying to keep him out.

As he neared the castle walls, thick with dark rotten vines, the ground shuddered beneath him, throwing him off his feet. His hands groped across the cloying dirt, ripe with mildew and age, looking for his sword. If he lost that, it would be all over.

The sword was the only thing that could ensure his triumph. Without it, he would become just another set of bleached bones tangled in the vines on the castle walls.

His fingers finally touched cold steel as a vine wrapped around his body. It squeezed him tight, trying to crush the very life out of him.

“Oh no you don’t,” the Prince growled as he swung the sword. It once again shone bright in the darkness, taking strength from his life force. He brought it down, hacking clean through the vine. It screamed like a living thing, shrinking away from him. The cleaved edges smoking where the blessed blade had touched it.

Getting to his feet, the Prince hurried through the opened portcullis as fast as he could. He was so close now. He didn’t want to give anything else a chance to slow him down.

She was in there.

He needed to get to her. Awaken her from her dark slumber. The fate of his world depended on it.

The Prince raced across the shadowed courtyard. Skeletons grinned at him as he went. He turned away from them, setting his jaw, determination steadying him.

He couldn’t let himself think about all the lives that had been claimed here because of this evil. Sadness and grief would only distract him. There would be plenty of time to mourn for them later.

If he stayed alive.

Something scurried behind him and he quickened his pace. It didn’t matter what lay behind him, only in front of him. Ignoring the movement, he entered the castle, the light from the sword leading the way.

The stench wafting off the walls was enough to make the Prince gag and he shuddered to think what might be the cause of it. What secrets did the shadows keep around here? He wasn’t sure he really wanted to know the answer. It didn’t matter though. Once he awoken the girl, this would all be nothing but a distant nightmare. Everybody could live happily ever after. Including him.

“Oh, look. Dear sweet Prince thinks he can save everyone.”

The Prince stopped, trying to find the source of the mockery, but there was nothing around him but cobwebs and rot. He let it go. It was only a distraction anyway. Digging at his fears was just another game. And he refused to play it this time.

“You can’t save anyone. Not even yourself,” the voice said with a chuckle. “Either flee or cower before me. Those are your only options.”

The Prince didn’t stop. Words would not get to him. Not when he had purity and truth on his side. The foul thing could dribble lies all it wanted, he would never fall for them.

Ascending a long staircase, he rushed down a hallway towards a chamber at the end. Candlelight flickered behind the door, spilling out through the cracks in the wood. The girl was in there. The ones who entrusted him with the sword had confirmed that. His quest was almost at an end.

A growled erupted from behind. Before the Prince could turn around, something slammed into him, pinning him to the ground. He squirmed underneath it, trying to free the sword from underneath himself. He managed to roll over and found himself face to face with a very large demon.

It snapped at him, its jaw only inches from his face. Its rough grey skin dripped a black substance which burned as it came in contact with any uncovered skin.

The Prince groaned in frustration and in pain. He didn’t have time for this. Not now that he was this close. He could practically hear her breathing from behind the door. This could be over in only a matter of minutes if the damned thing would just get off him.

He could only imagine what was going on in his kingdom right now. Or in other kingdoms. Hell, in all the lands. The demons and monsters which roamed the countryside because of this curse were destroying everything. He had lost so much already. He refused to lose anything more.

Pulling his free hand back, he punched the demon square in the face. It snarled and reared back, giving the Prince the chance he needed.

Lifting the sword, he drove it deep into the demon’s neck. It wailed loudly, shaking the walls around them, then pitched to the side, falling lifelessly to the floor.

The Prince got to his feet, wiping the gore from his clothes. Enough was enough. It was time to finish this.

He strode down the hallway, sword raised as his blood hummed for the victory.

More growling sounded behind him. It caused his step to waiver, but he kept the sword raised. If it was a fight they wanted, they could bring it.

Turning back to the chamber door, he met the first rushing body with a swipe of the massive sword. It fell harmlessly at his feet, the entire body cleaved cleanly in half.

“Who’s next?” he called as more demons rushed him. He cleanly laid them out next to their friend on the floor. They were no match for the sword of glory. As long as it was in his hand, nothing would stop him.

The Prince pushed against the door. It didn’t budge. He lifted a booted foot and kicked out, knocking the thin door from its hinges. He stepped through, looking around the room.

Candles lit the darkness, making the room glow in a way the rest of the castle could never. A huge bed sat center, its carved wooden frame and plush bedding making it look more like a throne and less like a place to sleep. And he supposed in a way it was a throne.

For there before him, slumbering peacefully, was the Princess. Her long dark hair was fanned out around her head like a halo and her milky white skin gleamed in the candlelight. She was breathtakingly beautiful and the Prince yearned to reach out and touch her.

He moved closer to the bed and staring down at her. She looked so peaceful, so content in her sleep, it was hard to imagine she was the key to the curse. All he had to do was wake the Princess and it would be over. The world would be safe from the evil consuming it.

Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for what was to come. His heart raced in a way it never had before as he stared down at this beautiful creature. He was responsible for her now. He must free her from her slumber.

“Are you really ready for what it means if you do this?” a voice called out to him.

The Prince moved from the bed, locking eyes with creature on the other side of the room. It sat in a chair, watching him with curious red eyes. Its long dark robe hid the rest of his face. A black rusty sword sat across its lap.

“I suppose you are the Guardian? You’re here to stop me from doing what I must do.”

It rose from the chair, taking the sword into its hand. “I must prevent you from breaking the curse. That is my duty. I will kill you, unless…you turn around and walk away. Forget about this castle and the darkness it contains inside.”

“I can’t. People are dying out there. The world is falling apart. I can’t turn my back on that. I can’t give up everything I love.”

The Guardian raised its sword. “Very well. The castle will have a new set of bones when I am done with you.”

The Prince raised his sword as well. “This sword will have its triumph. But not from you.” He spun around, turning his back to the Guardian and stepped towards the bed.

“Are you too much of a coward to face me,” the Guardian called.

“No, I just know fighting you is pointless,” the Prince told him calmly, staring down at the beautiful girl in the bed. “You’re not the real threat here.” Lifting the sword of glory high above his head, he brought it down, straight into the heart of the girl.

She screamed, awaking suddenly. Her dark crimson eyes locked onto the Prince as her hands groped uselessly at the sword in her chest. “You stupid mortal. How dare you slay me. Most men couldn’t have resisted my allure. They would have kissed me and burned to death for their forwardness,” she hissed. “But you, you knew the truth and you went right for the heart of it.” She glanced down as blood pooled around her. “My heart.”

The sword glowed brighter in her flesh, spilling fire into her veins. It consumed her, eating her body from existence.

The Prince stepped back, smiling as the Guardian faded as well. The castle was returning to what it had been before the evil Princess had invaded this kingdom and murdered his betrothed.

Justice had prevailed where it had failed before. The elders thought it would be enough to curse her into a never-ending sleep. But their compassion had been the world’s downfall.

The demon Princess had been more powerful than anyone could have imagined. She continued to plague the world through sleep, dreaming into reality monsters and demons to take over the world.

Her death was the only thing that could save them; and the Prince’s heart already belonged to someone else, even if she was dead. That love was armor enough to protect him where others had failed.

© 2013 Melissa L. Webb

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Empty Houses- Friday Flash

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Empty house

Empty house (Photo credit: xiangxi)

 

EMPTY HOUSES
By Melissa L. Webb

I don’t like empty houses. It seems like a weird thing to confess, but it’s true. I never have. They feel different than other houses.

Darker, colder, and unnatural, empty houses sit there like a festered sore you don’t want to talk about.

There’s a heaviness oozing out of every crack I can feel when I’m too close. That seems impossible for such a hollow place. Emptiness should be nothing but emptiness. But it isn’t so in empty dwellings.

They say ‘Nature abhors a vacuum,’ and maybe that’s the reason the buildings feel this way. The idea of an empty space goes against the laws of physics. And to have a dwelling something must dwell in it.

What it is that takes over these places I can’t even begin to understand. Maybe it’s some dark entity jumping from place to place like a hermit crab. It stays in some vacant house absorbing energy around it until its evil has outgrown the walls. Then it leaves, looking for a new emptiness to nurture its development.

Or has the thought of something creeping in while no one was left to drive it out been enough to create it? Is it our fears becoming reality?

I can see the things that slink through the rooms of the house vivid in my mind. I know what I fear will stare out a window if I stare too long at it. Is that projection enough to create something? I don’t know the answer to that. What I do know is that empty houses hold a presence that is as real as anything else. And it is something that should be feared.

So…let me ask you this: What are you filling the empty house near you with?

 

© 2013 Melissa L. Webb

 

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Pick Your Poison- Friday Flash

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PICK YOUR POISON

By Melissa L. Webb

English: A shot glass filled with alcohol and ...

English: A shot glass filled with alcohol and fishermans friends taste Svenska: Ett shotglas fyllt med fishermans friends-smakande alkohol (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Teetering on the edge of my bar stool  I tried to decide whether I should call it a night or not. It had been one of those days at work. Sometimes I wondered why I ever bothered becoming a cop. No matter how hard I worked, the bad guy always seemed to get away with it. There were too many rules I had to follow.

And when I did they always protected the criminals.

I didn’t understand any of it. If we knew someone was bad we should be able to punish them. Even the bible thought we should. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.

But no. The guilty had more rights than we did. It didn’t seem fair. Not in the least.

With a sigh, I slid back on my stool. This wasn’t a night to stop at one drink. I needed several to dull the ache in my soul. The world was falling apart and I couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it.

The bartender slid a shot in front of me before I could even say a word. Wow. I must have looked worse than I thought. “Thanks,” I told him, glancing longingly at the brown liquid.

“Oh, it’s not from me.” He motioned down the bar. “It’s from her.”

A petite brunette smiled at me, her dark red lips drawing up in the most sexy way.

Well, now. Maybe this night wouldn’t end so bad after all.

Raising the glass, I saluted her with a grin of my own, bringing the booze to my lips. I tossed the liquid back, feeling it burn all the way down. I gasped from the pain. It was exactly what I needed. A cathartic blaze that cleansed the bitterness from within.

I sat the glass on the bar with a thud and glanced back down the bar. I believe I owed the lady a thank you. I frowned when I realized she was gone. Scanning the bar, I hoped to see some sign of my mystery woman; but she was gone. She had disappeared as quickly as she came.

So much for a night of brief happiness.

I stared down at the empty shot glass. It sat there, bleak and empty, like my life. Nothing to look forward to but more useless days on the force. It all seemed so pointless. Meaningless actions upon meaningless words.

It was too much to think about at the moment. I needed to go home.

Scooting the shot glass away, I rose from the stool. “Good night, Joe,” I mumbled to the bartender.

“Are you sure you want call it a night? You just got here.”

I glanced over at him, a witty remark on my lips. My thoughts fell silent as I realized the man was no longer there. Only a tall shadow loomed beyond the bar. It watched me with curiosity.

I shook my head, backing away. I was weary to the bone. My brain held too much fog in it. I just needed to go home and sleep this day off. That’s all it was.

I turn around, and froze. A black shape moved across the ceiling. It skittered down the wall and stopped, looking at me with black shiny eyes. It looked like a giant scorpion but with a human face.

It watched me as I started moving, a knowing grin spreading across its face.

Everywhere I looked, strange things looked back at me. People were no longer people and unnatural creatures lurked in corners. I started running. I didn’t understand what was going on, but I knew it wasn’t safe in there for me. Not anymore.

Pushing open the door, I raced out of the bar into the cool night air. What was the matter with me? Had I lost my mind from all the despair I’d been living through?

”You okay?”

I spun around, frightened by what I might see this time. The brunette stood there, looking up at me. She looked perfectly normal. As good as when she bought me that drink.

That drink. She had bought me a drink.

”You put something in the drink, didn’t you?” I demanded. “What did you give me?”

She smiled. “A gift. Something special to make your world better.”

I couldn’t believe it. She had drugged me. “What did you give me?”

“You know something is wrong with the world. You struggle with that day after day,” she said, her painted smile never fading. “You want to make it better but you don’t know how. What I gave you was the answer.”

None of this was making any sense. “Answer?”

”Yes. Now you can see. I have removed the blinders from your eyes. You can see what is wrong with the world. The dark things that linger behind. And if you can see them, then you fight them.”

I smiled slowly, suddenly understanding her. The world was corrupted. That’s why I couldn’t make anything better. But now I knew. I could see the poison. And I could destroy it.

Tomorrow was going to be a much better day.

© 2013 Melissa L. Webb

 

 

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If You Can Dream It, You Can Achieve It- Friday Flash

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Smile 12 a

Smile 12 a (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT
By Melissa L. Webb

The power of the human mind is an awesome thing. Chloe couldn’t help but think that as she toured her new home, slipping in and out of each room as if floating on cloud nine.

Six months ago, she never dreamed this could be hers. She was a young woman with no job, no friends or family, no roof to put over her head. That’s all she had been.

Broken and alone.

She thought it would be the end of her; she would die, cold and alone, in some back alley.

That idea scared her to death. She didn’t want to die like that. She couldn’t have her life mean nothing in the end. Just because the world had ripped everything she loved away from her didn’t mean she had to accept it. It was her time. It was up to her to change her fate.

Chloe decided to create a new life for herself. A life she could be proud of. She thought long and hard about what she truly wanted and when she had her answers, she went about shaping that life. Using any means possible to find her outcome.

If you can dream it, you can achieve it. That’s what her father had always told her. She knew now it was possible. She had done it.

She flitted through the house, straightening a curtain here, fluffing a pillow there. This was her prize for all the sacrificing she had done. A normal life. Her Valhalla at the end of a long and rough journey.

When she had stumbled into that office and found herself with an assistant’s job, she thought they had made a horrible mistake. When she learned how much it paid, she thought the cosmos was playing some kind of joke on her.

Any minute the ax would drop and her new found luck would be severed away.

But when she realized she was good at the job and that the management couldn’t be happier, she began to breathe a little easier. This was her life now.

It was the life she deserved.

Chloe rented a small studio apartment. It was rundown and dingy, but at least it kept her warm and allowed her a place to call her own.

As paycheck after paycheck rolled in, she managed to save enough to find a house. One she could rent with an option to buy. The minute she set eyes on the it, she knew it was her dream home. She signed the paperwork on the spot.

She floated through that house now, a song in her heart as she stopped to check herself in the hallway mirror.

Sean was on his way over.

They had reservations at the newest, trendiest restaurant in the city. They hadn’t been there yet, but Chloe had heard nothing but rave reviews. Anybody who was anyone absolutely loved the place.

Humming to herself, she reapplied her Berry Fantastic lipstick. It had become her signature color and Sean loved it on her.

She couldn’t believe how lucky she was to find him. She met him through her boss. Sean was the new protégé at the law firm her company used. He was tall, blond, good looking, and a lawyer. You couldn’t get better than that.

Sean was exactly what she’d been dreaming of all her life. Her prince charming. And now he was hers. Life couldn’t get any better.

Chloe couldn’t help but smile as she plopped her lipstick back in her bag. There were whispers of something big happening tonight. Their friends had assured her this was the night Sean would ask her to marry him.

That thought absolutely thrilled her. She would be his forever. A lawyer’s wife with her own successful career. Her future looked perfect.

The doorbell rang. Running across the room, she giggled. He was right on time.

Sean stood in her doorway, a twinkle in his eye as he stared down at her. “Hello, sweetheart. You look absolutely amazing.”

She smiled, glancing down at her new dress. “Thank you.”

Pulling her into his arms, he held her close. “I missed you,” he spoke softly against her hair.

“I missed you, too.” She always missed him when they were apart.

He stepped back, but his eyes still caressed her. “Are you ready? I have a magical night planned for you.”

She smiled up at him. “I was born ready.”

He returned her smile with a mischievous grin. “Let’s go show the world what true love looks like.” Slipping his arm around her, they headed down the hall on the way to their new beginning. Life was perfect.

***

Two people watched the young woman on the bed through the monitor. She sat there motionless, her thin, pale body reminding them of a refugee from a concentration camp. But it was the look in her eyes which worried them. They were lifeless. Completely void of any emotion.

“What’s wrong with her, doctor?” the woman watching the monitor asked the man next to her.

He glanced down at the chart in his hands, silently thinking before he answered. “She malnourished and suffering from hypothermia. They found her this morning on a park bench. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s been living on the streets for at least six months.”

“Will she be alright?”

“We can treat her body, but her mind…She’s unresponsive, maybe even showing early stages of catatonia. Except every once in a while she whispers the name Sean.”

The woman frowned, saddened by the girl’s condition. “Do you know who she is?”

The doctor shook his head. “No. They’re running her fingerprints, but right now she’s just another Jane Doe. And unfortunately this one is living in her own world. Some place where I doubt anyone can reach her.”

© 2013 Melissa L. Webb

 

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Waiting Room- Friday Flash

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WAITING ROOM

 

By Melissa L. Webb

Day Services Unit waiting room

Day Services Unit waiting room (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

The rain clicked heavily against the windshield, my eyes fluttering open at the sound. I stared at the darkness of the parking lot as it pushed at the windows surrounding me.

 

It was cold in the car as I tried to lure sleep in, but I had nowhere else to go. I had to check into the hospital in a few hours anyway. And I had driven so far. My nice warm bed was over a hundred miles away. Sleeping in the car was my best choice at the moment.

 

Who was I kidding? It was my only choice.

 

Leaning back against the seat, I shifted slightly to get comfortable. My injured leg throbbed as I moved it, the brace holding it straight digging painfully into my skin. I sighed as I stared around the empty car. Maybe if I had torn my ACL in my driving leg someone would have taken the time to come down with me. It’s not as if I could have driven myself then.

 

But, no. My left knee was the bum one and I could handle my automatic car. That conveniently got my friends and family off the hook.

 

So here I was, hours away from having orthopedic outpatient surgery, and I had no one to lean on. Except for the cold, uncomfortable car seat.

 

Closing my eyes, I tried once again to fall asleep. My teeth chattered softly as I pulled my jacket tighter around me. I lay there listening to the rain dance lightly across my car. I let my breathing slow; trying to convince myself I was almost asleep.

 

A thumping sound at the back of the car caused me to bolt up in my seat. What was that?

 

I turned, squinting in the darkness. A shadow moved outside the back window. Someone was messing with my car.

 

Boy, had they picked the wrong guy. Flinging open the door, I slid out, glaring as the rain coated my skin, soaking my clothes. There was no one there. I was the only one in this section of the parking lot. The faint neon sign on the hospital threw phosphoresce-green splotches in the puddles around me and I squinted, avoiding their glare.

 

Nothing was out there but the rain and me.

 

I slowly got back in the car, my leg protesting slightly. Leaning back against the seat, I wiggled miserably, my wet clothes stuck to my body uncomfortably.

 

I knew I had seen something, but what? What had got me out of the car so fast and left me standing there like an idiot, without the sense to get out of the rain?

 

I sat there, my eyes watching the windows on the huge building in front of me. Lights went on and off in different rooms as the nurses made their rounds. It gave the impression the hospital was winking at me with its hundreds of eyes. An eerie feeling slid down into the pit of my stomach. I felt like a goldfish in a bowl and the cat was watching.

 

I leaned back, tired from the drive there. My weariness was getting to me. That’s all this was. Taking a deep breath, I expelled the doubt with my used air. I needed to relax. Tomorrow would be stressful enough.

 

I let my eyes flutter, hoping sleep would soon be mine. Movement caught my eye before my lids could drop. My head jerked, eyes wide, as I stared out the driver’s window.

 

There was a face pressed against the glass. The fat raindrops sliding down the window distorted its milky white flesh.

 

I yanked myself away from the door, moving a mere inches as the seat kept me confined, a gut-wrenching noise coming out of my parted lips.  I turned, gasping through the sound and stared where I had seen the face glaring in at me.

 

Nothing was there.

 

The rain poured down the glass, the parking lot looked bleak and deserted behind it. Nothing blocked my view.

 

Scooting back over in my seat, I slowly opened the door. I slid my brace-covered leg out and stood like an idiot once again. The stress was becoming too much. I couldn’t sit in the car anymore and wait for sleep that would never come. I needed a diversion. Something to take my mind off the coming morning. Anything to help pass the time.

 

I got back in, shaking raindrops from my face. I started the car, the engine springing to life with an eagerness that echoed throughout my bones.

 

I left the parking lot and drove through the unfamiliar city. I pulled into an all night diner and went in, seeking solace from the things haunting my mind.

 

As I slid into a booth as a slight chill ran up my spine having nothing to do with the rain. A hot breeze crept across my neck, washing over me like the breath of hell, causing armies of goose bumps to rise across my flesh.

 

I turned, expecting someone to be leaning over the back of the seat, but the booth behind me was empty. Chalking it up to the tired state my mind was in, I scooped up the menu, looking forward to the distraction this place would bring.

 

I couldn’t have any food. It was past the curfew my doctor had set for solid consumption. But I needed something and water just wasn’t going to cut it.

 

I asked for a cup of coffee when the waitress came over. She smiled politely and left to go get some. I knew I shouldn’t, but I needed something to help combat the offending chill in my bones.

 

My gaze wandered around the diner as I waited, wondering what was putting me so ill at ease. I noticed a man sitting on the other side of the place, his back to the window. He was openly staring at me; as if waiting for something.

 

He smiled as I looked at him. It was nothing more than a slight twist of the lips, but he was acknowledging I knew he was staring at me.

 

Shifting in my booth, I turned my back to the man. I didn’t know what his problem was, but I didn’t want to be any part of it.

 

I sipped my coffee when the waitress delivered it, savoring the heat as I let my attention fall to my wounded knee. I just needed to get through the night. The early morning would bring my check-in time and then the doctors could take it from there. I would have a place to be. I would be warm and free from pain for a little while.

 

It was a little after midnight and my check-in time was at 5am. I only had to make it through a few more hours.

 

The front door opened, the bell tinkling merrily above it, and a man and woman came in. Their eyes swept over the place in one swift movement, landing on me in an instant. Their mouths twitched up in the same small grin.

 

The chill in me grew deeper as I watched them walk to a table and sit down. Their eyes never left me, not even for a moment.

 

I took another draw of my coffee, my eyes on the street outside. Who were these people and why did they smile at me as if I was the punch line of some cruel joke?

 

“Did you want some more coffee, mister?” the waitresses asked, startling me out of my thoughts.

 

“No, thank you,” I immediately said. After all, the first cup was probably more than I should have had. “Just the check,” I said, looking up at her.

 

“No problem,” she said, her own lips twisting up in the same grin. “I can see you’re in a hurry.” She turned around quickly, walking behind the counter.

 

I shoved my cup away, forgoing the last of my coffee. Queasiness was beginning to wash over me, but I couldn’t tell you if it was fear of the surgery or fear of the night I had found myself stuck in.

 

The waitress was in on it, too. I was a walking joke to these people and I didn’t know why.

 

“Here you go, darlin’,” she said, smacking the check down in front of me.

 

I paid quickly, leaving her a nice tip. I wanted to make sure she felt I had treated her well for her time. I got the feeling if I didn’t she might pounce on me before I could even get to the car. I shook my head at that insane thought, but didn’t slow down as I forced my injured leg to the door.

 

“You have a good night, hun,” she called as I ploughed my way through the door. I could swear the laughter of everyone in the diner floated out to me as the door swung shut.

 

What had I gotten myself into, I wondered as I shuffled to the car. Had I come across some warped diner where everyone was wasted out of their minds?

 

I got in the car, starting it as fast as my cold fingers would let me, and raced back to the hospital.  I had had enough wandering the night like a lost soul. My surgery was in less than 5 hours. I was spending that time in a warm waiting room. And I wasn’t taking no for an answer.

 

The front doors of the hospital were locked and I went in through emergency services. I explained my predicament to the woman on duty.

 

“Oh, no problem. We have a waiting room you can stay in,” she told me reassuringly. Finally, something was going right,

 

I was escorted to a room on the third floor. It was warm, empty, and best of all, had plump leather recliners. I let out an audible sigh at the sight of those.

 

The night guard smiled at that. “Enjoy your stay,” the man said before leaving.

 

Settling into one of the recliners, I raised the footrest, and closed my eyes. A few hours sleep and then I’d be ready to face the doctor’s scalpel.

 

 

 

“Sir. You need to wake up, sir,” a voice said, settling into my brain. My eyes fluttered open. Had I slept too late? Had I missed my surgery?

 

I glanced down at my watch and sighed in relief. It was only 3:30. I still had plenty of time.

 

Then why were they waking me up?

 

I blinked at the people in front of me. I didn’t know any of them.

 

“What do you want?” I asked, my voice husky with sleep. “It’s not time for my surgery yet.”

 

“You need to come with us,” a man said and stepped closer, a grin forming on his lips.

 

I bolted up in the chair, dropping the footrest. I was wide-awake now. That sly, horrible grin had found me again. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said, standing up. My hurt knee protested from the sudden movement and I wobbled unsteadily on my feet.

 

“Yes, you are.” Several of the men moved closer, grabbing me. Their strength was unimaginable and they lifted me up off the floor like a rag doll.

 

I tried to squirm, but they held me still in their vice grips. “What are you doing?” I yelled.

 

“We are taking you. It’s what we do.”

 

“Are you crazy? Put me down,” I demanded.

 

“No,” a woman beside me spoke. “You won’t be missed. That’s what we do here. We use the people who have no one. The ones who are all alone.” She looked at me with that horrid grin. “That’s what you get for being a nobody.”

 

“I’m not a nobody!” I screamed as they carried me out of the room.

 

The woman tsked. “I don’t see anyone here with you. They didn’t care enough to come with you. No one will care enough to look for you.” She smiled delightedly at the others. “Looks like you gentlemen will have your hands full for the next few hours. Be sure he goes to good use.” She turned, looking at me once more. “Our patients here do hate wastefulness.”

 

I hung my head as we moved, helpless to stop the fate that was fast approaching. It looked like the joke was on me after all.

 

 

 

© 2013 Melissa L. Webb

 

 

 

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