One - Dante
December 1, 2010
I saw him before I entered the building.
My eyes were originally searching for the boring old McDonalds menu, not out of interest, but because there was nothing else to do, and they found a pair of wide black ones instead. They belonged to an unfamiliar face, to someone who I had never met before. However, in that instant, I happened to know one thing about this stranger, and it wasn’t good.
A shiver automatically ran down my spine and I felt my whole body stiffen in less than a second. I threw my gaze off of him, like the way a hand would snap back from touching a hot burner. Though my eyes found their relief, his face was still ingrained into my mind, the cold, penetrating stare blinding my vision.
I realize now, looking back at that day, that this was the moment – the instant where everything in my life turned around completely. I understand now, that because I had looked into his eyes, and he into mine, my whole future had changed right then and there.
I wish I had known that then.
Originally, I was traveling in a packed fifteen-passenger van with a large group of fourteen people, all of whom I know very well. It was dark outside, common for the early evening in the winter, and we finally gave into our grumbling stomachs and stopped by the nearest McDonalds.
I was in the front of everyone – I couldn’t stand being out in the cold for that long, besides everyone else was taking their good old time – and I was walking at a good pace, trying to contain the only heat in my body that I had left. I was walking on the sidewalk, and I was close enough to the glass door that I could see my vague, undefined reflection. If I looked hard enough, I could make out the dark shapes of the others behind me.
I had looked up only out of pure curiosity at the glass, when it unexpectedly happened.
He was farther away, on the other side of the restaurant, but he was perfectly planted in my line of sight. Even though his back was facing my direction, he had his head perfectly turned backwards at me. I’ve always tried to convince myself that I couldn’t help but see him…because he was practically right there anyways.
In that instant, when my gaze met his, something snapped inside of me. I knew right then that he wasn’t normal, that he was dangerous. I knew that his eyes were black for a reason, and that it wasn’t by accident that he was alone, and that it wasn’t a coincidence that he happened to look at me when I looked at him…
My body imitated a cardboard box, mostly as a common reflex, and I heard the intake of my breath. I kept my fists clenched inside my coat pockets, my two front teeth automatically biting down hard on my lip.
Breathe.
It was seasonably cold outside tonight, cold enough for a few frozen flakes to fall from the moonless sky. There was ice on the edges of the sidewalk I was walking on, and I had noticed that some had formed on the outer edges of the car windows. The cold didn’t help the fact that my feet hesitantly stopped on the sidewalk, not sure if I should turn around and go back, or somehow convince the others that there was another McDonalds to go to.
However, I knew that I was trapped. He’d seen me now, and running away would give him proof that I knew what was going on. I shuddered at the thought. Even if I were miles away by the time he got out of this door, he would have no problem catching up or finding me for that matter.
He couldn’t know about my ability. He just couldn’t.
I tried to act calm, faking the whole deal, as if it was a coincidence. Nevertheless, it was hard too, because I sensed his stare as I stood there hesitantly on the sidewalk. I’d swear I was shaking, too. I tried to make it look like I was waiting for the others, and I had to bite my lip harder in order for me not to scream.
Luis opened the door for me when I hesitated. I casually tried to look up and walk through the restaurant, though my body was far to stiff to be considered casual. I looked directly ahead at the menu, even though I already knew what I was getting. Still, I tried to act normal for once.
Ha. I almost snorted at the thought.
The others shuffled in behind me, and while they did, my eyes flickered back to the spot where he was. I met his dark eyes, which were still trained on me. I flinched inside and returned my eyes to the menu, perhaps a little too fast. I exhaled quickly. I was so terrible at this.
The worst thing about them is that they know when someone rare like me recognizes them. No matter how hard I try to pretend it. I shivered.
I’m not sure what part of me can differentiate them from ordinary people, because in all my life, I’ve never met or heard of anyone who can point them out so effortlessly. It’s more of a feeling – intuition, perhaps. But it’s really all a mystery to me. Then again, I don’t have time to ponder on that now. There was an edge to the air, and I didn’t have enough time to point it out to the others.
Still, I have to try, right? I kept my clenched fists in my pockets, trying to relieve my stress by squeezing them as hard as humanly possible.
“Ari?” Kelly asked me from behind, noticing my stiff position. I turned my head slightly behind my shoulder to look at her face, and I noticed that his body was partially in my view now. Her light eyebrows caved in on her narrowed eyes in worry. “You okay?”
“Fine,” I repeated, a little to fast. “I’m just really cold.”
Kelly nodded, shuffling her legs together to keep her legs warm.
“Yeah, no kidding,” she responded. “It’s like below zero out there.”
I kept looking at her, trying to talk to her with my eyes, pleading. She, or anyone with me, needed and wanted me to tell them when I saw one of them, but how could I with him right there?
Hmmm, we definitely needed a back up plan.
“You’re bleeding,” she noted.
“What?” I said, my voice an octave higher than usual. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw him adjust his position so that he could have a better look at me.
“Your lip,” she replied, pointing to her own as she tried to explain.
“Oh,” I muttered, embarrassed.
“They’re just dry, I’m guessing,” she told me. “Trust me, it’s not that bad. The cold weather probably doesn’t help with it all.”
“You’re right,” I told her. “My skin – and lips – get extremely dry in the winter. I have to put lotion on my legs every morning and evening, and I also put on lip balm whenever I can and I still get it bad.” I blabbered on, trying to think up of things so I could go deeper into the conversation. “The only time it’s actually healthy is during the summer.”
“That must be terrible,” Kelly commented. “Summer is so short around here, when winter is practically half a year long.”
“No kidding,” I replied.
They started the giving their orders now, but I didn’t pay much attention to that. The suspense was killing me…I was never one for surprises.
And because of that, I couldn’t bear not to look.
He looked like he was maybe seventeen or eighteen years old. At the moment, he was hunched over in a black and red jacket. I got a good view of the back of his head, which was covered in shaggy, dark blonde hair. It was long enough to cover up half of his ears and a good majority of his neck. I noticed that he was twirling something in his long, bony fingers. A cell phone.
I kept my eyes trained on his movements while he wasn’t looking, trying to take in the details of his defined cheekbones, the small, barely noticeable shadows growing beneath his black eyes, the slight twitch of his jaw…
“Hey, Donovan,” I said, hurrying over to the leader of our group. “I’ll be right back, I’m going to the restroom.”
“Of course,” Donovan said, not seeming to notice the edginess in my face or the urgency of my words. “Can I get you something?”
“Fries are fine,” I said quickly, hurrying over to the bathroom so I could get some air. I almost died inside, having to walk to the large brown door slowly and calmly.
Luckily, no one was in there. I walked up to the mirror and pouted out my lip, seeing two perfectly carved gashes engraved into the delicate pink interior of my lip. It wasn’t bleeding hard or anything, but it was leaking out at a good pace.
Wow, did I really bite my lip that hard?
I noticed now, looking at my face, that I was as white as a sheet. Besides the blood, my lips hardly had any color to them. I brushed my ice-cold fingertips against the dips beneath my eyes where shadows were suddenly visible. I was so pale it was hard to make out my freckles.
My gray eyes looked much too large for a face of my size, but that was mostly because of the expression I was wearing. I tried to narrow them, to squeeze them shut, but they stubbornly stayed as wide as possible.
With my shaky hands, I threw my long, auburn colored hair up into a neat ponytail, and focused on breathing. I could feel the sweat beginning to gather around my hairline and the back of my neck. I suddenly wasn’t so cold anymore.
I walked into a stall and bolted the door. I sat down and laid my head in my hands, brainstorming as quickly as I could. Wow, I was a mess. Usually, I could handle encounters like these much better, but there was something about this one that made everything ten times worse.
An odd sickly taste entered my mouth and I swallowed in response. He was out there right now, probably staring at the bathroom door, waiting for me to come out.
To distract myself from the thought, I took in the details of the boring white bathroom, focusing on my breathing, my heart rate. I felt so helpless, hiding in here, trying to get control of myself. I wiped my forehead with my sleeve, in attempt to make the sweat go away.
I knew that I was shaking, and I took two deep breaths to calm myself down. I felt a spark of annoyance enter my chest at my reaction.
Sure, there were some worse than others, but I had to figure out a better way to react to something like this. I knew as a fact that I would encounter them for the rest of my life – and chances are, there will be some as worse as this one – as a part of my life long curse.
Still, the ones like him were rare. The ones that were more potent than the others, creepier, more aware of everything, darker…probably even more powerful…
I wiped the sweat from my brow, held my breath until I could get control of myself, and flushed the toilet to make it look like I went. He was probably listening, for all I knew. I turned on the faucet and made my way out of the bathroom. I knew that I couldn’t stay in there too long without catching the stranger’s attention.
I walked out of the bathroom in a somewhat better state then what I had entered in and I instantly found the faces of the people I recognized. I kept my eyes trained on the crowd, though I was aware of the exact position of where the stranger was sitting.
They were standing in a large cluster, and I guessed that we were easily the biggest group in the restaurant. They were already at the check out counter and I noticed that a few trays full of our meals were already set out.
I was nearing them now, when I felt my feet suddenly plant straight into the ground. I felt my eyes widen in panic.
He was with them.
It was more than I had feared. I knew that sometimes they made contact with people…but not one like him, who was one of the worst. I couldn’t imagine the look on my face, and I tried not to think about the fact that I had probably just exposed myself with my expression. People always did say that I wear my emotions on my sleeve.
Standing up now, I noticed that he was taller than I had realized at first. His shaggy, dark blonde hair was now hidden underneath a cap that he wore, but his dark eyes looked oddly familiar as they met mine. Everyone else seemed so casual about the whole thing, like they didn’t realize who was standing with them.
I knew this was typical, for this stranger had many odd, but dangerous talents. He could affect people’s emotions, and make them see things differently from what they really were…only I could see him for what he was. Only I could feel any spark of danger within a mile of him…
“Ariel!” Donovan said, inviting me over. “C’mon over here, our order is just about ready.”
I unwillingly walked towards him, the smell of McDonalds grease entering my nostrils. Stepping closer to Donovan only caused the atmosphere around me to slow down, and my body quickly felt much more pressured. His dark eyes never left my face as I walked over and stood in their line. The distance between us suddenly got much closer, and in response, everything became ten times more intense.
Did they even notice him?
He stood with us as if he were in our group. Even though I could see a significant difference between him and us, I could bet my life that everyone else in the restaurant wouldn’t even have noticed. He was behind me now, and the tension grew. It felt as though there was a live wire between us, electrocuting me in pain. I gritted my teeth, because it was the only thing I could do without going crazy.
“Oh please, Dante. Don’t tell me you’re going to drive again! Ari, Ari! Listen to this!”
I turned around, surprised at the new name mentioned and the calling of my own. I was expecting to see Carrie, because that was the voice I had heard…and took in a breath of horror when I found myself face to face with the stranger.
“Oh,” I shuddered, the air knocked out of my lungs. I felt the blood drain from my face. His eyes were so dark, almost coal black, looking into mine as if he were staring into my soul. They looked oddly large on his face.
“He’s driving again, can you believe it?” Carrie exclaimed. I saw that she was talking to me. “I can’t believe Donovan is letting him! After we almost got killed in Chicago…I don’t know how you got your drivers license. You’re much better off in the backseat away from that steering wheel.”
“Yeah, but then I’d be near you,” he added, his voice deeper than I had expected it to be. He was talking to her like they were life long friends, joking around.
“Wait, what?” my voice broke. I felt a sudden wave of immense fear crowd inside my chest. I could barely breathe.
“Ha, very funny, Ari,” Carrie said, like it was a joke.
“No, really,” I insisted.
“Don’t be stupid,” she muttered, rolling her eyes.
I shut my mouth, shocked.
I knew that people like him had strange affects on other people, like my friends. Like I mentioned before, they could make people feel comfortable; make them see things differently from what they are. They even could plant memories in their minds effortlessly, memories that never happened. I knew for a fact that Carrie had never met Dante before…that he never drove with us…that he was never a part of our group.
And even though I knew this stuff by heart, I could barely grasp the concept that they acted this way towards them. I had seen situations like this happen to others, but never actually to me. I felt as though I was going to snap.
“Sheesh, Ari, you look like you’re going to pass out,” Carrie commented, looking at me oddly.
Did she have to comment on my appearance?
“She probably needs fresh air, you know how stuffy that van is,” I heard him say. I didn’t respond.
“What do you expect?” Carrie muttered to him. “There are fifteen people crammed in there…”
“Ari,” Dante said, now actually talking to me. I lost the feeling in my legs. I knew that he didn’t need an introduction. He knew my name the first time I looked into his eyes.
I looked at him, as if expecting a slap in the face.
“Let’s go wait out by the van, it’s going to be awhile,” he said hurriedly. Before I could even respond, he grabbed my elbow tightly and steered me towards the door.
I numbly followed, my brain trying to catch up with what was happening. My left shoulder uncomfortably scraped against the wall when we both squeezed through the glass door on the way out. However, once the cold, wintry air hit my face, I woke up from my momentary trance.
I tugged my elbow with force, suddenly fighting with him, but he had his hand securely fastened around it. I winced as he pulled me closer, towards the vehicle that my friends and I had arrived in. Man, he was strong.
I shouldn’t be surprised.
“Let go!” I hissed. A puff of air escaped from my lips as I spoke. I was about to kick him, when he finally let go. I felt my breathing accelerate, as I put my arm back to my side. There was no one out in the parking lot, but there were people in the drive through.
He wouldn’t want to cause a scene.
“Kelly was right,” he murmured softly, as he stood next to the white van. I kept my distance, preferably standing next to a red car two parking spaces away. “It is quite chilly tonight.”
I knew that he overheard us, but how he knew her name…Why couldn’t he just leave them alone? Wasn’t I the problem? Wasn’t I the reason he decided to mess with their heads?
I had to do something.
“Look,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest, both because of the cold and because I wanted to look tougher. I laughed inside at my weak attempt. He turned to look at me, his dark eyes matching the night sky. “I know what you’re doing to my friends, and I want you to leave them out of this.” I tried to keep my voice strong, but it got shakier near the end.
“Hmm, I’m not sure about that,” he muttered darkly, leaning casually against our fifteen passenger van. Out in the dark, he looked different. Shadows clung to his face, his form looked longer, leaner, and slightly more muscular. I knew that his long legs would outrun me anytime.
“Look,” I repeated, feeling surprisingly frustrated. I talked through my gritted teeth. “What do you want?”
He looked down at his hand, and slowly back up at me. He kept his answer simple.
“You.”
I inhaled sharply. That wasn’t what I was expecting. I hesitated for a second, before answering.
“What?”
“I’m Dante by the way,” he said, totally throwing me off topic. Wow, he wasn’t random at all. He held out his hand, waiting for me to shake it. I didn’t budge an inch. He nodded and somehow accepted my refusal.
“What do you really want?” I asked. “And don’t try to throw me off topic…it won’t work.”
“Ari, you know exactly what I want,” he said, and I shivered when he said my name. “I said it before.”
“What?”
“Don’t be stupid,” he said, and surprisingly smiled as if it were an inside joke. “Just kidding,” he muttered, a second to late. I recognized the words from Carrie’s mouth a couple of minutes ago…he couldn’t have possibly…
“I don’t understand,” I said, my words slower.
He readjusted himself.
“You will soon.”
I swallowed hard, my throat oddly dry. I didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t want to.
My answer came a second later.
I turned around and saw that the others had piled out of McDonalds, hands full of our meals. My stomach twisted uncomfortably. The last thing I wanted was to eat.
After spending a minute in the silent air, with nothing but Dante’s voice, I realized how loud of a group they were. There were fifteen of us now, including Dante. I looked back at him and saw that he had the car keys in his hand. He clicked the unlock button and the lights flashed.
“Get in the passenger seat,” he said, now on the drivers’ side. “I’ll explain things on the way.”
The way to where?
I didn’t stay put. Out of pure fear, I followed his instruction and nervously walked to the other side of the van. My fingers numbly stumbled across the handle and climbed inside. Dante already had the key in the ignition, and the engine roared to life. I snapped my seat belt on tight, aware of Carrie’s remark about his “crazy” driving.
I listened as I heard everyone climb into the car, talking normally, joking around, as if everything were the same. I heard familiar laughs and giggles, torments and arguments.
I felt sick knowing that they were unaware that this stranger was holding me hostage, holding us hostage, taking us to some unknown location…
Someone threw the fries in my lap, along with a napkin, and it shook me awake. I noticed that Dante had a sandwich as well, but I didn’t pay much attention to that.
Everyone settled in his or her seats. I briefly looked over my shoulder, and saw that Donovan, Luis, and Joelle were directly behind me. I bit down on my lip again, but not as hard this time.
What was I going to do? What plan of action could I possibly think up of now? Most of the roadways around here were interstates and highways – I couldn’t imagine throwing myself out of a vehicle going a good fifty to sixty miles per hour – I wasn’t that desperate.
Still…
Several conversations were going on at once, people chattered about crazy random topics, and everyone spoke so loud that it left communicating to one another a very hard thing to do.
We pulled out of the parking lot. Even though Dante started off at a lower pace, I kept my hands securely fastened around the bottom sides of my seat. I pretended to be a rock, trying to be as still as possible.
It was the best I could do.
(Our lunch menu and
