Encounter WIP Excerpt

EXCERPT

I didn’t know how long I sat in the café. When the thought, I’d be better off dead,streaked through my mind, time ceased its relentless march toward the future. On some level, awareness of the noise and bustle surrounding me registered, but I didn’t care. No matter how many people circled around me in the cramped, brightly-lit café, I still sat alone in body and spirit.

I will always be alone. Even in death.

Maybe that’s what I wanted. I pushed my family away. I alienated my professors. I refused to jump through their asinine hoops just to get my name printed on a diploma, signifying my proficiency in following orders. I wasn’t even interested in talking to Max who, for the past three months, had literally been my lifeline.

So far, all these people expressed their want to “help” me. Like they could live my life for me. I was the one who had to feel like shit every day. I was the one who had to force myself to go through the motions when all I wanted to do was decay in bed. I was the one who had to “work on things” to “get better.” Did that possibility even exist? Getting better. What did it mean? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

All this swirled in my mind as I sat there, ignoring the sound of a hundred conversations, the sound of espresso machines frothing and blenders clanging, the pungent scent of coffee beans as they were ground, and the fact that my foot had fallen asleep ages ago as I kept my leg right leg tucked under my left. I felt nothing.

Until I felt him.

A presence, at first small, then growing ever larger in my mind forced me out of my stupor. Coming to my senses, I realized a tall figure, dressed in black, stood only a few feet away.

I looked up to see who it was.

Tall, dark, and handsome stood a few feet away. He squinted and gave a brief smile, as if in greeting. Mouth slack, I just stared.

Our eyes locked for what felt like an eternity. In his gaze, I could tell fate connected us. Mesmerized, I lost awareness of all that surrounded me. He filled my vision.

As tall, dark, and handsome approached, he glided through the air. Or better yet, it seemed as though the air parted for him, as did the patrons who either waited for their coffee or sipped at a cup they’d just purchased. He showed as much disinterest in everyone else as I did.

When he spoke I thought my heart was going to stop. “May I sit here?” He glanced at the empty chair opposite me. His deep voice sounded smooth and calm.

Tension instantly drained from my body. All I could manage was a slight nod.

He sat down and smiled, showing his pristine white teeth. His eyes crinkled at the edges, giving his otherwise stoic countenance the appearance of warmth. Something cruel and predatory settled behind his eyes, yet I felt no fear.

My instincts told me his purpose—he represented my angel of death. Without exchanging words, I knew he would deliver me from the void of my existence. In that moment, I thought of nothing else.

“Take me from this place,” I whispered.

In silence, he rose and extended his hand to me, never breaking eye contact. Trembling, I accepted his hand and he led us outside into the darkness.

***

With one glance, he’d mesmerized her and she’d given herself to him, no questions asked. Gabriel understood she sensed his predatory nature–the dilation of her pupils indicated as much–yet she did not falter or shy from him. Instead, she’d asked him to take her away.

He was all too willing to oblige.

Walking hand in hand along the darkened streets, he did not have a destination in mind. This kind of contentment had eluded him for centuries and he did not want it to end. Having her at his side satisfied his wanderlust. There was no need to consider the next step, no need to strategize the next kill, no need to fear exposure. She appeased his anger, calmed his tortured soul. She represented the missing piece that made him whole. Though foolish to allow such deluded thoughts, he let his vigilance fade.