DAWN'S POV
Yup, it's me again and my decision-making skills I should never have trusted. I didn't even know what to trust right now, it got shattered everywhere. Earlier today, Selene asked for my key, saying she misplaced hers with the promise of being at home by eight pm. That was the longest thing I've heard her say since our stay together since she was barely around. My roommate was like the wind, a fleeting mood that lingered with a promise of inconsistency. But I believed her, foolishly handing it to her, only to come back to a locked door after taking a stroll.
Was this her idea of fun? Did she go out knowing I'd be stranded?
I brushed off my thoughts, and the situation I found myself in was far more pressing. I was walking on a dark, cold street with a guy I barely knew. Well, he told me his name, that should count for something, right? Not only was I walking the street with him, but I also had his jacket around my waist and I was headed to his house, to sleep over! The ridiculousness of the situation hit me in waves, what was I doing?
Dim lights illuminated the avenue—and our figures as we walked by in utter silence. It was awfully cold out here and exceptionally quiet. Half the world was asleep, except for a few—including mean looking stray cats that appeared out of the thin air— probably in unfortunate situations like mine even though I was sure I was the most unlucky at the moment.
I didn't know why I felt like I could trust him, my first instinct had been to trust him despite our horrible encounters. That same instinct that made me haul a bag at him and called him narcissistic, yeah that one. Besides, I had nowhere else to go, if I was going to die, I should probably see a movie first.
"Do you like movies?" I broke the silence that haunted the atmosphere. You could hear a pin drop on this road.
"Yeah, a little, I guess," he answered quietly as cold air made its way out his mouth and nostrils. I was freezing too, and...dirty.
"I'd love to see a movie before I go..." My voice trailed off. A part of me was really preparing to die or worse, I should just back out right now.
And what? The thin, mean voice in my head questioned
.
"Uh?"
"Nothing... I meant before tomorrow, when I'd be leaving, safe and sound and healthy," sentence that stumbled out my quivering lips, an awkward laugh followed, hoping it made it less weird.
I could see the corner of his lips pull into a smile, one blink and it wasn't there anymore.
"Here," his voice rang out pulling me to a sudden stop. "This is the place."
My soul walked in and out of my body when I raised my head to see the building that stood erect before me, my jaw dropped against my will. It wasn't a typical college student "place." This was a mansion! A building massive enough to accommodate eight to twelve people and it was his? I eyed the golden gates that made my diminutive self even dinkier, they roared and blustered at his push as he swung them open causing panic to rise from the depth of my stomach.
Gates, big ones, just great. Perfect enough for when he decides to slit my throat in the middle of the night, no one would hear my piteous cries then. I leaned against the pillars staring in horror as the gates revealed what they hid from the outside world. I scanned for markings or any indication on the floor that suggested I just crossed the border of the USA into a country that wasn't registered on the world map yet.
"Come on in," he took his hands out of his pockets and motioned towards the house, no, the manor.
"Yes, thank you."
The stillness of the wind transformed unanticipatedly into a gust, uproar of gushing breeze that brought along with it a faint wail, another skittish vibration worked its way down my spine, it looked like it could rain any minute soon.
What could I say? Great, just great, an early funeral rain too, how much better could this night get?
He anchored my movements by taking slow, steady steps, I took the exact steps he took, what if I step on something and this turns out to be a remake of "The Mummy"? I tottered quietly. Anything could ignite his will to snap my neck and I still wanted that movie before death beckoned.
I wasn't this terrified when I accepted his help, why was my brain making a mess of my thoughts?
Get it together, Dawn.
Right, there are so many ways this night could go. The Ming vases that sat in pairs beside every pillar of the house flaunted beautiful varieties of flowers. I couldn't tell which they were but their pleasure did a number on the building. Alluring carvings of extinct animals stood erect at the main entrance of the building, and on the other end, beside a brown, ancient-looking entrance which I took to be a store. Do rich people have stores? Or could that be the room where he locked up his unfortunate victims before gutting them?
I swallowed hard.
All of this and not a single car in sight, it's worth the suspicion. He inputted his password and the door clicked open. Of course, people like this wouldn't use keys, he wouldn't want to risk his victims escaping.
Calm yourself down, Dawn.
This internal decor was nothing compared to the outside, it looked as though we walked through a past century on the outside but inside! It reeked of high technology and everything nice.
My eyes moved at a thousand seconds per hour; faster than even I could comprehend, ranging from the velvet single panel that covered the full length of the windows, to the beige cabriole that sat next to its oil painted brown walls, to the Cordelia Baluster coffee table that was placed a beige, rectangular rug at the centre of the room.
He flicked the light switch, changing it from a fluorescent one that shone a sharp silver glow to milder orange one, this gave a new feeling to the room.
"You can stay there," he pointed to a room opposite where we stood. "Uh, there's everything you need in there. I'd bring you something you can change into."
"Thank you," I muttered back, walking to the room.
He made for the swirling stairs at the corner of the living room and I walked into the room, if this was a hotel, I'd rate it seven stars. I threw myself on the bed, living in my existential funk till I heard a knock. It was Alexis, he handed me a blue tee and grey sweatpants, I took they were his, the big size confirmed that. I accepted them and closed the door, flicking the lock as he left, hopeless action, by the way. Every killer in the movies always had a spare key, or better still, a hammer that rendered all locks useless.
I took a shower and changed into the clothes he offered. The sweatpant was longer and a little wider than my waist, but it was nothing a fold or two couldn't solve. The bathroom was the best I had seen, fully tiled floor and a marble tub—big enough for three that sparkled brighter than my room at home ever would. Don't get me started on the shower, I wished I had a calm mind that gave room for savouring the moment, but unfortunately not.
Making my way to the living room, I looked like a homeless child who had stolen clothes off someone's hanger. Alexis was still out of sight, it made me even uneasier. Keep your friends close, but enemy closer, they always say and that, apparently, had a good reason behind it. I heard him approaching, his footstep louder with every move, he appeared, completely freshened too.
His face was clearer in the bright lights. This man, whoever he was, looked good, good enough for me to feel the heat rise on my cheeks. I shook it off, now wasn't the time to check out a person who may or may not be my killer, incase I needed to stab him first.
"So, is there something you'd like?" He asked pleasantly, his wet, dark hair bubbled at every slight movement, causing tendrils to hang down his forehead, and he put them in place with a rub of his palm.
He had nice fingers too, I couldn't help but notice.
Yes, I'd like to see a movie with this ginormous tv! "No, I'm fine, thank you. I'd rather just go to bed now." I lied.
A deep furrow appeared in between his brows before his lips curved into a light smile, they were red, his lips. Red, thin and pretty, I couldn't help but notice the rigid slope of his nose that separated those pretty green eyes from his lips.
"I'd be upstairs then, let me know if you need something," his voice pierced through my observations.
Right, upstairs, he would be.
He was halfway through the stairs when I called out to him.
"Alexis, thanks for tonight," I said with a little bow of courtesy. A little too much?
He merely nodded and made his way upstairs. I, too, made my way to the room.
It would take a while to register all that happened tonight, so I let my mind wander lost, travelling through different topics till I hit the one I was interested in.
UndA. A person that I had unintentionally permitted to slip into my life. Subconsciously, I was finding time to think about him, like right now. I frowned at how little I knew about him, then smiled at how familiar he felt even though he could be a thousand miles away. There wasn't much to think off but it was more than my mind could wave off.
I close my eyes, forcing sleep to lay its bare hands on me. The earlier I slept, the faster all of this would be over. I doubt I was going to get any.
Unde, if the stars could carry my thoughts and breeze them into your beautiful mind, I hope to see you someday, if not now. I can wait.