The Parakari countryside was nice and warm under the afternoon sun. There were endless hills on either side of the one-way road, where deer and wild bovids grazed. Birds of various sizes flew through the cloudless blue sky. Not a car was in sight, save for the beige 7-seater van, playing loud Soulful R&B music that spooked some of the fauna. The four teens were oblivious to this; they were too busy jamming and singing along,
" 🎶 I'm in the spirit when you say hello
I'm in the spirit when you call my phone
I really love it when you come close
I'm in the spirit when you say hello, hello 🎶"
Driving the van was Mr Cool, who had a blond comb-over that a pair of blue shades rested on, green eyes, a strong jawline covered in nice, even stubble, and fairly broad shoulders. He wore an open denim button-up shirt, showing off his well-developed pecs, red pants and brown boots that kept the van moving. His voice was warm and baritone, the tapping of his hands on the steering wheel matching the rhythm of the song,
"🎶 I love it when you call me
Got me less lonely
Can I take you with me 🎶"
To his left was the Pretty Boy, whose thin lips mouthed the words in a high-pitched lyric tenor as he bobbed his head back and forth, shaking his brown curtains going down to his long neck. He had on a baggy white T-shirt and black pants, contrasted sharply by a white shoe over his knee. His deep brown monolid eyes were focused on the self-portrait he was drawing, from memory,
"🎶 I hate it when you leaving
So I've been waiting patiently
Waiting for my smartphone to get a ring 🎶"
Behind him was That Guy, leaning his chair all the way back, eyes closed and hands in the air. His light brown skin would have blended in with the interior of the vehicle if not for his long black hair, orange beanie, yellow t-shirt, green plaid long-sleeved shirt and torn faded jeans all working together to keep him seen as he sang in moderate falsetto tones,
"🎶 You're the only thing on my mind
I can't even sleep
'Cause your memories got me high 🎶"
To his right sat the Marshmallow, the biggest boy on the bus, well, van. His dark skin and even darker hair were contrasted by his eyes, which matched Mr Cool's shirt, a lavender T-shirt that was his own, purple shorts that matched That Guy's beanie, and white shoes that matched the Pretty Boy's. He sat upright looking down at his phone playing an endless runner game, moving his head and singing with a deep breathy bass,
"🎶 Got me in the spirit, of love
Feeling the best of emotions 🎶"
Further back, occupying the space held by the last two seats, was their luggage, which shifted and bounced a little as they went on their way,
"🎶 I'm in the spirit when you say hello
I'm in the spirit when you call my phone
I really love it when you come close
I'm in the spirit when you say hello 🎶"
The good vibes fueled their travel past the open plains. There were other roads they could have taken, but they would have been congested in both directions. Their destination was the Medica region, specifically the beautiful beach-side city of Port. A reward for graduating high school and a last chance to hang out before they all went to separate colleges.
The road stretched on, continuing to cut through this world of green and blue. As the song ended, Mr Cool noticed a black spot. The next song started, but he wasn't paying attention. The spot just stood so much and given that he had to keep his eyes on the road, it was hard to ignore. Especially when it began to sway from side to side.
Time and distance passed. The spot was getting bigger, while the animals, on the ground and in the air, were becoming more scarce. No one in the van noticed though. Not even the driver, who was still looking at the spot which continued to grow, sway and take shape.
"Woah, check it out!" Mr Cool exclaimed.
The Pretty Boy's eyes rose from his sketchpad onto the road and widened, a whistle passing his lips.
The Marshmallow leaned to the side so he could see as well. A single word slipped passed his, "Damn,"
That Guy didn't move, "What? What are we looking at?"
"You've got to see her for yourself, man," The Marshmallow implored.
That Guy sighed loudly and sat up slowly, as if doing so required immense effort, "This girl better be a goddess,"
The black spot had actually been the silhouette of a young woman. One who was wearing a lot of black…
Perhaps "a lot" was too strong a phrase, but there was black on every part of her curvy body, contrasting with her smooth creamy skin and bleached bob hair. Her leather high-heeled boots and the thin fishnets that dug into the skin of her long legs; The skirt and the sleeveless crop top were more accessories than clothing. Not unlike her fingerless gloves on her hands, the studded belt which accentuated her swaying hips, the choker around her neck and the oversized headphones on her head.
"Wow…" said That Guy with raised eyebrows, "... She is just begging the mosquitoes to bite her,"
"Something tells me she bites back," Remarked the Pretty Boy.
Mr Cool stroked his chin causing That Guy to roll his eyes and fall back on his chair. The Pretty Boy raised an eyebrow and half-smiled, "You want to give her a ride, don't you?"
Mr Cool tried to play it off, "I mean, she's out here by herself and we're clearly going in the same direction, so…,"
"I… really don't think that's a good idea," The Marshmallow expressed.
"Why?" Mr Cool asked.
"Something just feels off," The Marshmallow said, "Why's she out here by herself?"
"Well, let's find out," Mr Cool sped the van up just slightly.
"What if it's a… carjacking trap or something?" The Marshmallow murmured.
The Pretty Boy cut in and gestured at the open grasslands on both sides of the road, which had become flat and were now devoid of animals, "Unless the other guys are invisible, I'm pretty sure the four of us will be fine,"
"Three…" Called That Guy, holding up that exact number of fingers, "Anything happens, I'm switching teams,"
The Marshmallow sighed and gave up as they slowed down beside her. The Goth Girl didn't even notice them at first, or maybe she was trying to ignore them. Mr Cool rolled down his window and hung his elbow out, "Hey,"
She just kept walking, head down and lost in her music, so he spoke again louder as the Pretty Boy stifled a chuckle, "Hey!"
The Goth Girl still hadn't heard him or was still ignoring him, either way, The Marshmallow suggested, "Hey, maybe we should just leave her alone,"
Mr Cool gestured for him to quiet down and called to her a third time, even louder, "HEY!"
The Goth Girl raised and then turned her head to look at him while lowering her headphones, which were playing a sort of Lo-fi Rock song with a lot of piano.
For a split second, her visible eye looked almost red, at least from where the Marshmallow was sitting. He blinked and shook his head as Mr Cool chatted with her,
"How's it going?" He asked with a smile.
"It's going," She replied without one. Her voice was deep and husky.
The Pretty Boy stifled another chuckle, earning a side-eye from Mr Cool, whose confidence didn't falter as he turned back to the Goth Girl, "Where you headed?"
"Nowhere important,"
Her expression didn't change, but his faltered slightly.
Mr Cool recovered slightly and asked, "You know it's a… long way to the next town. Like a LONG way. You, uh, need a lift?"
She didn't say anything at first. Instead, she looked around at the open, empty grasslands to her right, then looked past Mr Cool to scan the interior of the car, catching sight of That Guy, still lying back in his chair and the Marshmallow who awkwardly waved. She then looked at Mr Cool again, her expression staying the same throughout, "You guys look harmless enough,"
Mr Cool's smile widened with confidence, "Total gentlemen. Hand to God,"
Her expression shifted, ever so briefly and she turned her face away, "Whatever,"
Mr Cool stopped the van to let her board. He dropped his shades and turned to That Guy and the Marshmallow behind him, putting on his most convincing 90s cop voice,
"I'm gonna need one of you gentlemen to step out of the car," He instructed.
The Marshmallow looked to That Guy, "Do you want to…"
"Nope," Said That Guy with his eyes shut and his hands behind his head.
"Come on, man. You're killing me here," Mr Cool quietly urged the Marshmallow, who was hesitating to open his door.
The Pretty Boy looked at him with drooped eyelids and then looked at the Goth Girl, who was still waiting outside, "Excuse me, Miss. Do you bite by any chance?"
"Not my thing," She responded, matter-of-factly.
The Pretty Boy then looked back at the Marshmallow again with one corner of his mouth pulled back, while Mr Cool tilted his head repeatedly. The Marshshmallow took a deep breath, opened his door and stepped out. The Goth Girl was right outside, looking directly at him. Her bleached, textured hair nearly covered the entire right side of her angular face, leaving only her left eye visible. The same eye that he thought was red, but it was actually a sort of greenish-brown with bits of gold in it. She wore dark eyeliner and lipstick to match. Her skin was smooth, flawless even. A contrast to his own acne-ridden face.
"Are you gonna let me in or…?" She asked.
"Uh… s-sorry," He quickly moved out of the way so she could enter and take her seat next to That Guy. The Marshmallow took another deep breath and re-entered the van. Once the door was shut, they were on their way.
Song: In The Spirit feat Count Mode by Double-F the King from Free Music Archive (CC BY-SA)