"Why didn't he come to school?" I screamed. Leila and Mickey were watching me as if I were an alien. I didn't tell them about the ring. Obviously. I didn't want to get into
trouble.
"Maybe he got in some work." Leila said in order to calm me down.
Adrenaline was rushing inside me and I stormed out of the school, without even taking any permission. I knew I would get into trouble. I rushed inside my car for some air. Mark didn't come to school. Did he get caught, I thought. Was it his fault? Did he actually steal the ring from a museum? Thousands of questions leaped in my mind and all nerves shut down when I stopped in front of the familiar dark house of the Hannigals.
Mark had told me not to come to his house again. But I needed answers and I was
certainly impatient. I ran towards the door and knocked harshly, yet again there was no bell. No answer. I knocked more violently but nobody came to open the door. The hair in my neck stood up. He might have got caught.
Finally, I decided to climb up to his room's balcony. Guessing the balcony was easy. All the things in Mark's balcony were lively and non-gothic unlike his brother. But the only problem was height. Mark's room was on the second floor and I wasn't a climber.
I tried to get on the pipes but I couldn't continue after a certain level. But I was
stubborn enough. I saw around and saw a ladder inclined towards the backyard tree.
I took the ladder and climbed inside the balcony. As if, it was that easy. On the way up, my hormones pushed a bit and accidentally slid one leg down. But fortunately, my balance got back and I was back in business.
It took me 15 minutes to actually reach the balcony. Cuts and bruises covered my whole body and soon tears came out. But I didn't let relief take control of me. The balcony gate was open which led me to the insides of the room. I was surprised by a sudden gush of energy. The cuts and bruises faded away. I gasped when I looked around the room. The walls, the ceiling, even the cupboard had my pictures on them. Most of them were not even familiar. Some in a weird floral pink dress which I never wore in my entire life of 17 years. Some in cardinal pants and some in even a boy cut. I never had a boy cut. And then there was Mark; his hand around me while a blush covered my face. A familiar feeling but no remembrance. I wanted to touch the pictures and feel them on my cold fingers. But then I heard the door unbolting and I ran for the balcony. Owning to my reflexes, I ended up unlocking his bedroom's door and reaching to the big corridor. There were chandeliers and rouge carpets and some vintage windows. But only two rooms on the first floor. I knew Mark will go to his room (in case if he's back) so I hastened for the other room. I realized it was a mouth of darkness after I closed the door behind me. I heard some footsteps, so I slid behind some hard surface and tried to calm down. It would be good if it would be Mark. I was not ready to face his horrifying brother. I decided to wait. The steps started drawing closer and closer and closer.
The door slammed open. I couldn't see but seeing the silhouette of the person, I
deduced it was Mark. The lights switched on and my heart stopped beating.
"What are you doing here?" he asked in a soothing voice. I broke down and ran
towards him. He hugged me back, calming me down while I was glued to him. I
couldn't stop crying and he couldn't stop patting me. We stood there for many minutes until he said,
"Come on."
He slid his hand inside mine and gripped it hard. He was angry; I could see it on his
face. He seemed that the veins on his face will burst out in no time at all. Mark took
hold of the door knob of the white room and closed it.
But before he could close completely, I got a glimpse of the hard wooden surface I hid behind.
Coffins…
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
"Alright, now I need a good explanation of why you sneaked into my house."
No words reached my throat. I just wanted to scream loudly. Mark had coffins in his
house. Perhaps he did a bad business. But I didn't ask him about it. I didn't want to
make him angrier. I was clearly afraid of death and had no wish to join his coffin club. I decided to ask him that later and gained courage to say,
"Well, I … I thought you would be home. I wanted to ask why you weren't coming to
school. And… and the ring." I was sounding so feeble all of a sudden.
"The ring! Oh, I thought you would say that. Saw the news, didn't you? Well, I assure
you mademoiselle that it's not the same ring. The structure can be, but the ring is a
duplicate for that." And then he added with a pout, "I never thought you think so low
of me."
"I…" I was going to say something but he cut me off by an 'I love you'. And before I
could say anything, he cupped my face with his flaming hands and kissed me. As
always, I got electrocuted by his mesmerizing kiss and my knees gave in. Mark held me with his big hands all the way down and lifted me up and carried me to the bed. It was cozy and I already felt like home in the heat of those arms. I could, without a doubt claim him as a soul mate. His kiss started becoming intense and suddenly, his hands were inside my top. I didn't want to stop him. We craved for each other. But still, Mark was like a stranger to me. Familiar, but still a stranger.
I pulled apart signally him to stop. He looked at me, shock on his face.
"What? Did I do something wrong?"
"No, it's just that… we are going too fast. I met you only a week ago." He muttered
something inaudible and let go of me.
"Are you angry?" I asked as I five-year-old might ask her dad.
"No, no. I understand that you wanna go slowly and I am totally ready for that."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. You do not know how much patient I am with love." And he kissed me again.
I saw the back of his hand and his arms then. There were bleeding cuts and heavy
bruises on them. I gasped and he traced the line of my sight. He was covering that with the helm of his sleeve when I put a hand on it.
"Did you get into a fight?" I asked him with great concern.
He grinned maturely and told me,
"No. I was in the woods and some animal attacked me. It's nothing. I have overcome
worse things."
I didn't ask him why he was in the woods in a city where urban life is heavenly or even which animal attacked him. I wanted to cherish some moments with him. Not to wage an argument. I hugged him very tightly and he just stood there. Without moving.
Without hugging me back. Without hugging me back. The last thing I remember was
my thighs on his, my hands playing with his hair and I kissing him.
And then darkness took control.