I'd never given much thought as to how I'd die. But dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go.
I had just started watching the movie when the doorbell rang. I glanced at the old analogue clock hanging on the wall.
10:30 pm
It was not that late, but undoubtedly very late for someone to come to an isolated house amongst the woods with no other houses around. Lisa was not supposed to be home because she was spending the night with Max, and there is no one else who is supposed to be standing outside my door at this time of the night. So I did what everyone should do.
I peeped through the peephole.
It was quite difficult to see who was on the other side because of the darkness, but I could see a silhouette.
The silhouette of a man.
There was something just not right about the situation as a heavy feeling settled in my stomach, or maybe it was just the cold and dark and fog that creeped me out. This person was lean but not lanky, and I don't know why, but I think he knew I was peeping. They must have understood that I was being suspicious as I didn't make any noise from the other side nor did I make any move to let him in.
"Hey uhm I am sorry to disturb you, but my car is not working. Can you please help me? My phone... it's dead. I promise I won't take too long. I just need to make a call, that's it. It will be quick I promise, and I swear I am not a serial killer or any threat. I just need a little bit of help"
It must have been a very hard day for him because he sounded tired and exhausted. It was snowing outside and extremely cold too, and so I felt sorry for him and opened the door to a total stranger. He sounded desperate and at a loss for words, saying things which were not exactly convincing, but it would have been heartless of me to leave them outside in such a weather. It was beautiful, but not so much to a person struggling to survive the night.
"I am sorry for not opening the door sooner...it's just hard to trust people. Come on in."
He walked in with his snow-covered boots and greased hand, clearly showing the struggle he has been through and confirming his previous statements. He looked not too older than me, maybe in his early twenties, with shaggy strawberry blond hair and light lavender eyes. Lean built, but it made him look more handsome. He was wearing a denim jacket with dark jeans and boots, with a print t-shirt of Bruno Mars's Lazy Song. All in all, he looked tired.
"I think it will be better if you go just wash your hands and get a bit fresh. I will make some tea or do you prefer coffee?" I asked him with a concerned voice. He had a black smudge on his left cheek, which he might've not noticed.
"Anything hot is fine, and thanks for helping." He said with a kind smile.
I showed him the way to the bathroom and returned to the kitchen to make some tea. After a while, he entered the kitchen minus his denim jacket, which totally shocked me. His arms were inked like a canvas with intricate designs and doodles of things that weren't easy to decipher at a single glance.
"Hey, do you play the piano? I saw an old piano on my way back. Hope you don't mind." He scratched his neck nervously.
"No, it's fine. Yeah, I play the piano. Actually, it's one of my subjects in school. I just bought it off from an elderly person. You said you needed to make a call? Here, you can use my phone." I gave him my phone, and he quietly thanked me while excusing himself to go in the living room to talk.
I started preparing dinner because it was already very late and although it was Saturday, tomorrow I had to wake up early to go to my shift. My job at the supermarket did not pay much, but it paid enough to manage my bills.
It didn't take him long to come back into the kitchen as he made a quick call to whoever it was and walked in with a warm smile on his face.
"Thanks for the call. Here you go, your phone. My friend lives nearby, and he said he will pick me up. Actually, I was headed to his place, but somehow I got lost." His casual laugh made me feel better, warming me up to him and his friendly personality.
"Yeah, that happens sometimes. I used to get lost too. So where do you live?" I wasn't good with talking to strangers, but I was surprised at how easy it seemed this time as I smiled back at him and tried to be polite with a small conversation.
"Oh! I am so sorry I didn't introduce myself. I am Ivan Lancaster." He raised his hand in a way of a handshake.
"Well, I am Rose, Rose Dawson. I know it's cliché, but it's stuck with me." I said while shaking his hand. He gave me a small smile and I returned it.
"Well, I think it's very pretty. It suits you." Not prepared for the wink he sent my way, I blushed a little and looked away. Feeling awkward and unable to decide how to react.
"Thank you." I am sure I was very red at that point.
"Do you know that my friend loves playing music too? Actually, he is a teacher. A music teacher. I would like to introduce you to him. He is a total charmer" he said with a smirk.
The friendly personality he had was nice, but a little too quick, as I decided to keep quiet and sipped tea from the warm mug after handing him one for his own.
When I used to live with my family, I always used to find myself very lonely. I did not have any friends who I could trust enough to tell everything. I did try once, and it ended up very badly. After moving out of my parent's house, I thought things will be better, and I will be able to open up, but boy was I wrong. I guess I would have stayed alone for the rest of my life if I haven't met Liza at the club where I worked that day.
Have you ever been frozen or paralyzed with shock? Have you ever in your wildest dream imagined that your teacher would come to your home? If no, then you are lucky. If yes, then you'll understand what happened to me. "You guys know each other?" He had a confused look on his face, like he didn't know what to say. It helped me to break out of my trance. "Yes, miss Dawson is my student. We met today at school." He was staring right at me like he didn't expect this himself, but there was no surprise in his voice. His stare was very eerily creepy, and I couldn't shake off the weird feeling. "Awesome dude! You never told me that teaching has so many perks! After all, you get to meet such pretty ladies." Ivan winked at me, which earned him a glare from my teacher and blush from me. The silence that followed made the situation more awkward as I went mute and Mr. Dimitri was speaking in monosyllabic words when suddenly one of the windows in the living
There are very rare moments in my life when I have truly felt lucky. I remember the day when I got an envelope with my name on it. It was the first time I received a letter, and that happened to be my scholarship invitation. I was so happy that day. I felt very lucky when I met Liza who helped me to get out of that shag where I used to live after I left home. I guess it's the third time I truly felt lucky when my phone started ringing. I excused myself from the dinner table, picked up my phone, and went to my room. Ivan was not bothered by the interruption, but my teacher on the other side of the table narrowed his eyes. "Rose! Guess what? Max's parents are not returning home for the weekend! We've got the whole house to ourselves! So Max asked me to stay back for the weekend...You know I can't say no to him, and it's my golden opportunity to get closer to him. We've also decided to throw a party, but we are not sure yet. So I was thinking-" Liza just kept on
I have this odd habit of stretching and yawning when I wake up in the morning, and the worst part of it all is that it's contagious. Anyone around in two feet distance can easily get infected, and the symptoms mostly consists of well, yawning and stretching. That's exactly what happened to Ivan when he came to the kitchen. "Rose, I am in love with your bed, I slept like a baby. It's so comfortable. What do I need to do to make it mine?" Ivan rubbed his eyes like a baby and stifled another yawn. "I don't think it's the bed. It has something to do with the tree in the backyard. I don't remember the name, but the previous owner said that its flowers release a certain kind of scent with a strong, potent drug that can knock out anyone if highly consumed or smelled. So I am assuming it was the scent of the flowers..." It was kinda funny how Ivan's eyes turned wide with shock and his mouth was left hanging open. "Where is Mr. Dimitri? Is he still sleeping?" Th
I looked in front of me and stared into the eyes of a stranger. Her brown eyes with a perfect eyeliner stared at me. Her raven hair cascading in waves framed her face in a perfectly beautiful way. Her dress which was quite short against her liking touched her thighs in neat pleats. Her chest looked more fuller in the heart-shaped neckline, and she was wearing the one thing she never used to wear. Heels. Her makeup is minimal to avoid looking too desperate. As I looked at the mirror, I couldn't believe it was my reflection staring back at me. I never thought I could look pretty like other girls. I never even tried to look pretty to avoid unnecessary attention and even though I was looking pretty right now, I was not happy with the change. I've always been a closed book, hiding in sweatshirts and converses, but today it seemed like I was more vulnerable and bare than ever. I didn't even want to go to that party, but Liza would kill me if I ditched her. So I gra
Green was everywhere,Green every time.Green was hypnotizing me,Green pulling me towards it, like darkness towards light.Green was close to meAndGreen was staring at me. Sheisgoingtodie. ***** Endless pain. That's what I felt when I opened my eyes. Someone was beating a hammer on my head. I held my head in between my hands, trying to clutch it away from the severe pain. I sat up and leaned on the headboard of the bed, trying to find some support. Needless to say, I was having my first hangover, and it was not thrilling at all. I tried to see where I was, and it relieved me to see that I was in my room. Let me rephrase it. In my messy room. It seems like a war cut loose in my room which ended up with casualties such as a broken vase, a toppled chair, books on the desk somehow scattered on the floor, and my clothes from last night including my bra and underwear. Wait, what am I wearing now?
The bell rang indicating the end of the sixth period and the beginning of the seventh period also known as hell or PE. I dragged myself towards the changing room with a heavy heart, while others were relieved to get some time out of the boring theoretical classes. While changing, I saw the marks again and shuddered at the thought of someone having fun with me while I was unconscious. The fact that I did not even know who the guy was scared me most.I had to take special precautions while choosing my dress, and a turtleneck sweater with skinny jeans and boots provided just the protection I needed. The PE uniform was a little tricky, so I bought a sweatshirt and leggings with me. The coach did not like my disobedience, but it was freezing outside, so I had the perfect alibi. "Come on, you lazy hooligans! I want everyone in the field. Start running ten laps, and whoever is the last one to complete will have to do five more!" Mr. Stone shouted at us with his rough and
The streaks of mossy greens caged in his eyes stared at me with an unfamiliar emotion that I could not decipher. He got up from his chair and came to the front of his desk to lean on it. His fingers of the right hand clenched the end of the desk and made eerie drumming sounds which made me shudder. His face was stoic, with no emotion on display, and his hair as brown and as perfect as ever framed his face in an oddly unique way that intimidated me. A loud thunder roared in the distance, welcoming the rain with it. Drops of rainwater splashed on the windowpane and small, yet recognizable pieces of snow stuck to it, making a beautiful canvas. The room had turned colder and there was pin-drop silence. I sat on the bench near the piano and slowly glided my fingers on the top of it. I did not know what to play, but the atmosphere controlled me and I started softly, playing a tune I have never heard. I realized I was playing an original song. Myfirst