I gave a slight roll of my eyes before closing them and drifting off into a dream.
I was out hiking in the woods with my parents, as we always would every summer. As a six year old, the forest was where all the imagination could become anything and everything. I would climb up the rocks with the help of my father, holding my hand the entire way up. It wasn't long into my dream until I sat on top of a large boulder. The sun was setting, barely peeking through the trees. It was beautiful, I saw all the colors fade from the bright blue day, to purples and pinks. My favorite was the gold strips of the sun fading away behind the trees. The gold swiftly faded into the darker blues of a nearby rain cloud off in the distance. I was amazed, my eyes wide open taking every last drop of sunshine in. My parents have numerous pictures of me sitting on the same or similar high points watching the sun set and drift away into the night sky.
Before it was nearly too dark to find my way down the hill, I would begin my descent to the bottom to rejoin my parents. I was a very agile child, and I don't think I could ever get stuck in something too hard to get out of. With that in mind, I also took a route that most people wouldn't dare to do, for fear they would get stuck or have no way to get back around.
I dipped under large fallen trees, or climbed over broken half bits of large boulders, some growing new trees from them as well. It wasn't until I got to a small clearing that I remember hearing a noise in the trees. I wasn't ever scared, for the wildlife around here consisted mostly of prey like animals instead of big predators. I knew for a fact that there shouldn't have been any predators around me. So due to my instincts, I thought for sure it was maybe a deer. I paid it no mind and continued to climb around. I remember my mom calling my name asking me to hurry. I know it was getting dark out, and I had to hurry before all my light ran out. I definitely did not want to be fumbling around in the pitch black of the night. There was a bit of moonlight shining through the trees overhead, but that wasn't enough to navigate around this terrain.
There it was again.
The rustling was closer and made me stop, I remembered looking up and actually trying to peer through the trees. I was ready to climb up the tree I was nearest to, only in case it turned out to be a cougar instead of a deer.
My skin nearly fled from my body before my body could even realize what was going on. All I saw was a hand on my shoulder that then engulfed me into a hug. My dad carried me the rest of the way down on his back. I clung to him with my arms wrapped around his neck. He held onto my legs, giving me support the rest of the way down the trail to my mother.
I looked over my shoulder and saw the trees shuffle close to where I was at, and only a quick glance I saw the gold shimmer eyes. I felt relief shimmy down my bones when I saw them. An animal's eyes shine a yellow tone in the dark once my father's flashlight was shown on him. It stared back, signaling it was a prey like animal. Normally, any predatory animal would run at the moment of being caught in a bright light that reveals their spot. Prey sort of freeze up.
Jayne shook my shoulder and I woke up nearly swinging. "I'm awake!"
"Good morning Swan Lake Princess." Ian looked over his shoulder with his arm wrapped around the headrest. We were parked outside of a small, used to be town. A large semi-open area that once was the grounds of an olden day mining town, Nahant. I had to have been out for about an hour.
I peered around confused, "This is where the club is?"
Ian chuckled a bit, "This is why all those years we tried getting you to go with us. It's cool out here right?"
"Yeah, but there's no more buildings around here anymore." I noticed a group of cars around the bend as well. Everyone was parked near the entrance to an old mineshaft building that was made into a museum. It was since removed and cleaned out, but the building was bought by someone and made into a night club. Also, during the fall months, they make profit on it being a haunted house.
I was here when I was younger for the museum, but that was about it for the extent of me going to see the place before it was a club. I like Halloween, but I never go out unless it's to only watch the Halloween movies with Jayne. After, I grew out of the dressing up for Halloween stage and I was friends with Jayne, that's all we would do. Stay up all night watching horror movies and such.
Some people started walking in and out, everyone dressed in blacks. If you didn't know, someone would've thought it was a funeral service occurring.
Instantly, I became insecure over what I was wearing. I covered up with the blanket, "You guys sure? I shouldn't be out. Besides how long are we going to stay out?"
Jayne hugged me around the shoulders a bit, "Oh, relax. No one will care. No one will notice you. No one will judge. Okay? It'll be fine. We'll only be out for a bit, then maybe go get a bite to eat and come back if we want to. I mean we can wander around too."
Ian snickered and helped Jayne out. Ian bowed and kissed her hand then pulled her close to his side. I hopped out careful not to snag the dress on anything. I patted down the dress and rubbed my cheek that I laid on. "I don't know you guys. You sure it's fine if I go? I'm not really gothic at heart like you two."
Jayne shook her head while grabbing her small bag to search for her phone and any extra money. "I'm not going to argue with you, Lilly. You're coming with us either way. I'm not leaving you alone outside. The shadow guy might come after you. We can eat inside if we get hungry."
We started our way in and I looked around more at the art of the building rather than watching the partiers inside dancing to heavy techno music. It wasn't loud, but enough for people to still dance and zone out. I admired their outfits, for being in all black, no one looked the same. Some people waved at Ian and Jayne. Some guys came up to Ian and did some secret hand shake then chest bumped each other. Jayne took me to the bar area and got us three each a drink.
I tugged on Jayne's arm, "Woah. I can't drink any of this."
Handing over the money to the waitress, Jayne smiled at me, "All of it's non-alcoholic. Just fancy names. They actually make really good drinks here, you will never notice there isn't any alcohol in any of this."
We sat down at a high top table, keeping an eye out for the now missing Ian. The waitress came up to our table with my cranberry lemonade, Jayne's pina colada, and Ian's orange creamsicle Shirley temple. I gave a shy look around as some people came to the table to talk to Jayne. I recognized a few from school who graduated last year or the years before.
We sat at the table for almost an hour talking over pictures from online. We went back and forth showing each other pictures together. It wasn't long until someone finally recognized Jayne and came rushing over.
"Tasha? Oh my gosh! Hi! I love the new class!"
I looked up to see the new Yoga instructor a few towns away. Jayne went to see her every two weeks on Friday. Tasha had beautiful cheekbones and a golden brown skin that made her chocolate eyes stand out. She had a whole bohemian vibe going on as well.
"Lillian, right? No, that's not it."
"It's Lilith. Like Adam's first wife in the biblical universe." I stopped talking as my voice softened at the end. I looked at the center of my drink and stirred it a bit.
"Oh! I'm so, so sorry. I never really got to know you during school. You should really come join my sessions down in Spearfish. Your first time is always free. Just come join Jayne once." She flicked her hair behind her shoulder, the braids that made up her hair had purple intertwined towards the ends. "Well, I better get back to the girls. Come hang with us if you want to. I heard that they're actually gonna show up today."
I was amazed at the confidence that radiated off of Tasha. She winked at Jayne then waltzed away leaving her card with me. I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear before starting to nibble on my lip. "Who was she talking about? I don't think I've heard anything of anyone showing up and-"
"Lilly, relax. Just pay 'them' no mind. It's not really important." Jayne finished her drink and started on Ian's. "Where is this man?"
As they say, 'speak of the devil and he shall show' Ian came bolting over to the table. "Jayne. Jayne. Jayne!" Ian patted his palms on the table excitedly. "Jayne! The news is that 'they' are coming! It's like a miracle."
I gave a confused and intrigued look to Jayne who held her hands over her face, "Ian… Really this again? 'They' are not real. It's just a gag that 'they' do." She was leaning into the table trying to stay quiet. "It's fake Ian. Science can't prove that 'they' are even real."
I got fed up with this and put my hands in the air, "Okay. Enough! Who are 'they' and why are 'they' so special?"
Most of the people in the room quieted down. Some covered their mouths, and others giggled at my outburst. Even in the goth life, there are cliques as well. Some girls across the way pointed at me only to laugh. I ruined my new chance to be someone different at this place this time.
I instantly slumped into my seat and groaned trying to hide.
The one girl that looked like their leader shook her head at me as if I was a disappointment to the whole human race. I gave a tap on the table slightly, "I'll be right back… I need to use the bathroom."
Ian and Jayne nodded at me letting me escape without much commotion. Hastily I made my way past dancing people, and through a cloud of tobacco smoke on my way outside. After a minute of coughing out the damage I made my way over to the back entrance. The wall seemed inviting, so I made my way to the corner. I felt like a failure all over again. That's when the voices deep in my head came back out. I tried all day to suppress them, but it doesn't take much for a newly sharpened blade to pass through tissue paper.