Kristen Day - Awaken

The familiar call of seagulls diving for fish amongst the crashing waves pulled him from his restless slumber. His tired, bloodshot eyes opened and gazed upon that same weathered stone ceiling looming above. As they roamed down the sloped wall where he kept count, he pushed back the agonizing hopelessness encasing his heart. Another long night behind him simply meant another long day before him. He swung his legs over the side of his cot and gently placed his worn feet on the stone floor. It was always bitterly cold in the morning. He shivered as he glanced down at his too-skinny legs and the dirt that clung to his calloused feet. His ragged, cotton shorts now hung low around his emaciated waist and his faded blue shirt had been discarded long ago; traded for a sunken-in, bare chest. He smoothed down his gray hair and thick beard; wondering if today would be the day.

Sighing, he stood and collected the conch shell he kept hidden within a crack in his counting wall. He found the last mark and bent down to add yet another. He never counted days; only nights.

The darkness always brought out his worst nightmares and he was continually amazed he had made it through so many. Thousands of marks littered the wall before him; a diary of solitude and sheer will captured forever in stone.

As he did every morning, he padded over to the window and looked out over the rolling sea.

The lone window of his small room faced east, allowing him one pleasure amidst the hell that had become his life. Sunrise. At first, each sunrise brought only tears to his eyes while the slow ache in his chest grew, threatening to rack his body with a sadness no man should bear. What those brilliant colors dancing across the sky stood for only served as a reminder to his unending loss. Another night bereft of her loving arms. Another day without her magical presence. Over the years the pain had receded, but her memory never faded. Neither did the seed of hope she had planted so long ago. It grew every day, branching out and becoming the only thing that kept him alive. Many nights he had peered out of his window at the white sand far below. He thought of how easy it would be to end this torture and return to her. But he knew he had a bigger purpose and he would not let her down. He would endure and wait until his heart beat no more.

Once a week he was allowed to stroll along the beach and speak to the others. But it was only a brief illusion of freedom. They could feel the eyes that watched their every move. The others had become his only companions. For years there had only been seven. But a couple of months ago, a newcomer had arrived. He could hear her anguished cries at night and her deep despair was evident in the scratches along her arms; the victims of her own fingernails. She, too, finally succumbed to the seclusion and hopelessness; becoming void of emotion and as hollow as the rest of them. His thoughts moved back to the present and to the brilliant ball of light inching its way above the horizon. This was when he felt closest to her. He closed his eyes and called upon the memory of her ever gentle, loving eyes.

“My love, I have lived to see yet another dawn cast its light upon this retched spit of land.

Thankfully, this dawn brings new hope for my weary soul. You appeared to me in my dreams once again last night, but for the first time I heard the sweet melody of your voice. You spoke to me and breathed life back into my withered heart. You told me to be patient; to remain steadfast. You assured me the hour is growing near and I know the words you speak are true. Indeed, it is almost time.”

I felt her suffocating presence before she ever appeared. A silent, bitter darkness slithered its way into my heart; eclipsing the light in my soul and chilling me to the bone. The hair on the back of my neck rose as the air surrounding me turned frigid. I wrapped my arms around myself and glanced at my classmates to see if anyone else had noticed the sudden climate change. That was the moment she walked through the door.

The incessant clicking of her black stiletto heels against linoleum announced her entrance, and I could have sworn I heard a collective gasp of shock and awe. The black leather mini skirt hugging her hips had been strategically ripped on the sides, showing an inordinate amount of skin; her white tank top stopping just short of a diamond studded belly button ring. Flowing golden brown hair cascaded down her bare shoulders as she strode the rest of the way in to the room with a slight swagger. The impatient, manicured hand she placed on her hip oozed of arrogance and even the large stone pendant dangling from her necklace couldn’t compete with her overwhelming beauty. A tiny diamond stud adorned the side of her nose and when my eyes travelled up to hers, the icy darkness began to envelope me once again. My entire body shivered as her rich, caramel-colored eyes caught mine for a brief instant, before looking expectantly at the teacher. Mrs. Leone cleared her throat and shook her head, suggesting that she was just as taken by Nadia as her students were.

“Class, this is Lorelei’s newest transfer, Nadia Trice. She has travelled all the way from California to be here. Please make her feel welcome.” Apparently satisfied with Mrs. Leone’s introduction, Nadia raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows at her audience; daring anyone to question her arrival. She dramatically brushed the hair off of her shoulder, sauntered down the middle aisle, and made herself at home in an empty desk diagonal to mine. While the rest of the class remained captivated by her dark, sexy style, I noted the sarcastic smirk playing across her glossy lips and the calculating gleam in her eye. I squinted as I caught a glimpse of something I’d never seen before.

Not only could I still feel the darkness emanating from her, I could actually make out light gray tendrils swirling in the air around her. They had a smoke-like quality as they curled around her and floated out from her body. When her heavily lashed eyes met mine, the smoky tendrils suddenly disappeared and she turned back around abruptly. Her long, slender fingers began carving something in to the top of her desk. With her fingernail. As I followed her finger, I noticed that she wasn’t carving the wood as much as she was burning it. As she dragged her nail across the desk, the wood beneath immediately smoldered and darkened; leaving a slight smell of burning embers.

“As usual, for the last fifteen minutes of class you will meet with your research groups.”

After we divided up into our groups, her eyes flitted toward Nadia and then slid in my direction momentarily. “Nadia will be joining….” She inspected some papers on her desk while I sent up a silent plea she wouldn’t pick ours.

“Lexi, Stasia, Maya, and Lyric,” she announced. Damn.

Nadia inclined her head ever so slightly as Mrs. Leone steered her towards our group. As she breezily pranced across the room with a smirk, Maya groaned inwardly and I concentrated on not staring at the gray tendrils that had reappeared around her body.

“ Lexi. Stasia, Maya, and Lyric ,” Nadia mimicked Mrs. Leone’s shrill voice and contemplated our outfits before taking a seat; clearly unimpressed. As we all stared back at her, shocked into silence by her obvious disrespect, I felt the already suffocating tension in the air thicken. Oblivious to Nadia’s adverse effect on everyone, Lexi had been gloating at her with pure adoration wrapped securely in unmistakable envy.

“Hey Nadia! I’m Lexi! I am so excited you get to be in our group!” she gushed; not taking a breath before launching into a hundred questions. “So, where did you come from in California? Was it near the beach, too? What were the guys like? I love your shoes - Where’d you get them?”