Blinking

Something about the room was off. The walls all seemed to be in the same position and the same color as usual, so it surely couldn’t be the walls Mark thought to himself. He shifted uneasily in his chair. The desk was covered in a familiar white powder that he knew for a fact was some prescription drug….”Or is it?” a whisper asked. He jerked his head to the left and caught a glimpse of something slithering under his bed. He leaned down to get a closer look. Nothing. Only the white of the wall stared back and a few dust bunnies. He shifted returned to his chair and closed his eyes, trying to will himself to relax. He opened one eye then the other and now he wasn’t in the room. Panic spiraled up from his stomach threatening to make chucks. He glanced quickly from side to side, he was inside the old tree house. “Oh no, not this..” he said almost breathlessly. He tried to get up from where he was sitting on the floor, but he couldn’t move, in fact it was as if he was a giant rock and nothing on this planet could move him. That’s when the tip of the tentacle began to worm its way into the threshold of the tree house. The effort to close his eyes seemed so immense that he thought it would never come, and just as the black and pulsing tentacle snaked close to his left leg his eye slammed shut. “Why does he keep blinking?” asked one of the interns. “We aren’t entirely sure. He was brought here two weeks ago with a diagnosis of drug overdose and suicidal attempts. Ever since his arrival he has been blinking.” The nurse on duty said lazily. “Maybe he just needs something better to look at.” The intern said as she began towards the wheel chair. Mark felt a cool breeze on his face and the smell of the sea seemed to permeate the very air around him. He slowly opened his eyes and the glaring light of the sun danced on an endless sea of turquoise. He was standing waste deep in warm ocean water. Overhead the sky was the most majestic blue with not a cloud insight. He breathed a sigh of relief and waded a little further out; just enough feel a temperature change migrate up his legs. Mark turned back towards the shore and began to trudge back. Once he was ankle deep in the water he allowed himself to look down. A face was forming in the water very near to his left foot. He began to scream and splash to the shore. Before he made it a thick black tentacle sprung from the now deathly gray water and wrapped around Mark’s left leg and began to drag him slowly back towards the gaping maw. Mark sat motionless in the chair as the nurse tried to wheel him over to the window. She placed the wheel chair facing towards the darkening sky and that’s when he began to scream. He thrashed at the window and fell out of the wheelchair still screaming in that ear splitting high pitch. The nurse rushed over with a syringe in her hand. Mark was being dragged back to the ocean and with each jerk of the terrible leviathan’s tentacle he felt a new rush of water crash over his head and the taste of salt filled his mouth. Each time he resurfaced from the plunging depths he let loose a high pitched scream and clawed desperately at the shifting sand. The tentacle jerked again and this time sea water rushed into his nose and mouth making his lungs burn and causing him to gag. The water was starting to get deeper now, and Mark knew that soon he wouldn’t resurface at all. His head bobbed just above the water on his last attempt to scream for help. The nurse plunged the needle into Mark’s left buttocks and the boy went motionless. His pupils dilated and his muscles relaxed. The intern helped the nurse return Mark to the wheelchair and as she positioned him comfortably in the chair she noticed a puddle of water where Mark’s body had been and in the puddle were clumps of sand.

Outside the North Lane (a short poem)

I hear them...those that you can't or won't listen to. We smile in the glistening spoon of night as the moon slings low. The light on the street, the shocked face of those that stroll on by. The hat makes you nod in false recoginiton, and it's then that you see the gleam in our eyes. We don't say anything, nor do we falter...that burger smells much better than your alternative. Belly full, mind on edge, we wander. In the midst of night the mentors echo....I'm sure you don't know what I mean. Try, try to understand this is a magic man! As that rings out in our head...well can you blame us? Once we lose our instrument...well now this becomes simple. Arg, we say into the wind. Feelings...I have some, but sometimes I wonder or contemplate "To what end?"

Lost Love on a Snowy Night

The night time snow filled the air silently as Justin pulled the bloody bundle up from his basement. The smell of smoke filled his nostrils and his mind wandered back briefly to his youth. Justin chuckled as he recalled the way his father had taught him to skin a deer. “It was one of those lessons you never really forget, like riding a bicycle, ya know?” Justin said turning to the darkening bed sheets. He wiped the snot from his nose with the sleeve of his battered sweater and spoke again to the mess. “You’re not very talkative now Charice…was it something I did?” The bundle sat in gristly silence as the tiny flakes of fresh snow drifted down; Justin chuckled again and resumed dragging his load. Ahead of him, barely visible in the falling snow, was a tiny shed. The smoke that had made Justin nostalgic poured from a small chimney and the closer Justin got to the shed, the more the smell reminded him of something else. “I never could stand the smell of burning hair. I threw up once when Jinni Hodstodter singed her beautiful blonde hair in chemistry class.” He stopped dragging the bundle again and stared blankly at the trail he had left behind him. The majestic snow had a black and unsteady streak in it leading from the back door to his current position. The trail reminded him of a virgin’s first encounter with the beast with two backs. Despite the cold Justin could feel himself warming up with anticipation. He began to drag the load faster towards the shed. “This time Charice, this time you’ll finally do it right. But first I’m going to have a snack; you won’t miss one of your toes would you?” He had brought the bloody mess just inside the dimly lit shed. “I didn’t think so.” He said positioning the bundle so that he could shut the door. Outside the snow fell silently and the smoke rose to the heavens as Justin had his girl and as he finished this depraved act of fiendishness he noticed a red eye peering out at him from under the work bench. The eye blinked once as Justin cocked his head to the side, puzzled and that was when he saw the tentacles begin to writhe out from the darkness. Justin stared with growing horror as the tentacle slithered toward him. The tip of the tentacle had just reached the tip of his shoe when he let out a blood curdling shriek and tried to bolt for the door. Turning so sharply on his heels that he fell right next to his bloody Charice and the tentacle had started its ascent up his leg. Justin was lying next to Charice and noticed that the sheet he had carefully wrapped around her head had come undone and he was staring into her dull and life less eye. He screamed again and the sheets shifted and her hand came up out of the bundle. The smell of urine filled the room as Justin wet himself, and still the tentacle climbed higher; it was on his thigh now. Her hand was still caked in her own blood and bile and she pressed her index finger against her lips and said: “shhhhh”. As the sound of her whispered word faded away a thin smile formed on her lips, and that was when Justin blacked out. The cops would find Justin and Charice four days later. The official report would be that Justin had murdered his long-time girlfriend in a fit of rage and then dragged her here to the shed. The report would go on to say that Justin had had a massive heart attack from over exertion and too much excitement, and that in his last moments he had realized what he had done and that was why he had draped his former lover’s arm over him. The reality is that something much more sinister than Justin had been waiting and watching in that dark place under the work bench and it had finally caught up with him.

Forgotten Nightmares (Collectors)

Darkness had settled over Ducatsville, North Carolina and the sound of june bugs filled the air. A car lazily rolled down Hummingbird street and the one bar in town had started to come to life. The car, a solid black Lincoln, pulled into the parking lot and came to a stop. The driver side door opened and Killian stepped out into the southern summer night. His red hair blew in the night breeze and his boots made a soft crunch on the gravel as he made his way to the door of Hank’s. His hand rested a moment on the door handle before he pulled open the door, the muffled sound of Thunderstuck by AC/DC vibrated from the other side of the door. A growing smile spread across Killian’s face; he was going to like this place. Killian opened the door and stepped into the neon light of the bar. Hank had been behind the bar laying whiskey down when the door opened and the stranger came in. Hank was used to the occasional stranger coming in and paid the man no real attention as he made his way to a barstool at the very end of the bar. Hank flipped his towel onto his shoulder and placed his biggest smile on his face as he made his way down to the red-haired man at the end of the bar. The closer he got to the man though the more uneasy he became, and to Hank this seemed extremely odd. Killian had taken his seat on the barstool and the man started to make his way over to him. Killian glanced around the bar and smiled slightly to himself as the song changed from Thunderstruck to White Wedding by Billy Idol. The man was closer now and his smile had faltered a little and Killian new exactly why. His aura had breached the man’s mind. Killian smiled bigger and once the man was right across from him he spoke. By the time Hank had gotten to the other man his mind had begun to swim with incoherent thoughts and he struggled to keep his smile in place. Hank shook his head to clear the jumbled thoughts and once they subsided a little he heard the man say: “You alright there buddy?” Hank smiled weakly and said, “Yessir, right as rain. What can I getcha?” The man on the other side of the bar smiled and ordered… “I’ll have a Johnnie Walker black label, on the rocks.” He had locked eyes with the man across from him and then casually asked, “What’s your name buddy?” Killian’s smile grew a little bit bigger and he patiently waited for the man to answer. Hank extended his hand across the bar, “Name’s Hank, Hank Hillsbern.” The man across the bar took Hank’s hand and shook it, “And my name sir, is Killian, Killian Karver.” The moment Killian had taken Hank’s hand it was like a jolt of electricity had hit the center of Hank’s brain and Hank almost jerked his hand away from Killian. Killian shook the man’s hand and as he did he latched onto Hank’s brain waves. He rode them right into the center of Hank’s brain and once inside he let himself sprawl throughout the neural network. The first thing that Killian registered was Hank’s pain and fear at his invasion and he could sense the human’s feeble shields trying to come up. Killian smashed the shields easily and went on with his exploration. As with most humans there was nothing interesting inside his memory vault and aside from the fact this human, “Hank” he called himself, ran a bar in a one caution light town he was utterly useless. Killian pulled himself back into the form he had stolen and let go of Hank’s hand. Hank pulled his hand to him once Killian had let go and rubbed it gingerly. “Let me get you that drink sir.” Hank turned away from Killian and began to make the drink. He placed the drink in front of the stranger and said, “That’ll be four dollars. “ He watched as the man produced the money and downed the drink in one gulp. Killian let the whiskey warm up his insides and closed his eyes as he smiled. Oh, yes, he was going to love this town.

3AM, the magic hour.

The sting of vodka filled my nostrils again as the potent venom filled my mouth. Each time the harsh-gut wrenching liquid touched my lips I wanted to puke. I had never been a fan of Vodka, but in this late hour it seemed it was a fan of me. Filling my head with visions and sights I had never before thought about it enticed me to wonder what dreams may come, if only for the brief and fleeting moments before the dawn. The liquid fire moved down my throat and set me ablaze with a longing and desire that I had only read about in carnal novels, or maybe once in Dante's travels through the Inferno. Could this one thing be the rise and fall of so many men or nations? Could this clear and stinging liquor be the undoing of civilizations? Could this elixir lead to dreams and worlds untold? As the magic hour sat in and I reeled from the haze of drunkeness I couldn't help but think "Yes, perhaps, someday the bright shining ocean of an island in the sun would once again entertain such a sodden excuse for a man. And on that day, I will sing with a voice so loud: Wheel in the sky keeps on turning!"

Under the Summer Moon

Under the Harvest Moon

The sun was setting on Porter’s Hollow on that summer night when Killian Karver first noticed the thick fog that had began to roll in over his pond. The sound of crickets filled the night air and the unyielding humidity still clung to his clothes as he made his way to his front porch. The summer time always brought strange things with it, he thought to himself. The smell of fried chicken and fresh cornbread excited his nostrils as he opened the door and hung his beat up leather Barmah hat on the peg next to the door. He smiled slightly to himself and began to hum quietly under his breath. The hallway leading to the kitchen was narrow and barely accommodated Killian’s six-foot-five height. The sound of his Durangos thumping on the oak wood floors announced his arrival into the kitchen, at which point his wife turned around with a warm southern smile on her face. Killian leaned forward, still humming and smiling, and kissed his wife lightly on the cheek. Chelsea lowered her head blushing a little and said, “Dinner’ll be ready in a bit dear, you’d better go see about Lee. He hadn’t come outta that room for at least 2 hour.”
Killian took a step back rubbed his wife’s arm and nodded. Lee’s room was on the opposite end of the house and on this end of the house the ceiling fans barely circulated air to keep it cool. Beads of sweat began to pop out on Killian’s forehead as he reached Lee’s doorway. He knocked lightly on the door and waited for his son’s response. Lee answered, “Come in.” His father had a way of being patient, and best not to try and test it by keeping his father waiting. The door opened easily without a sound and Lee got a good look at his father, silhouetted in the doorway. He stood at six-foot-five, had a lanky build that deceived his strength. The dark hair that hung down to his shoulders looked as if he had been in stables all day; his tanned skin had an even darker hue to it because of the dust he had been in all day. His spidery hands were stuffed into his pockets and his storm gray eyes focused uninterestingly on Lee.
“What’cha been up to boy? Your momma says you ain’t been out of the room for over two hour?” Killian’s slow, thick, gravelly voice filled the expanse of Lee’s room. His son stared back unflinchingly and said, “I ain’t been doin’ nothin’ papa, just restin’ a bit. I went down to the hollers with buck, but the sun started gettin’ to me so I came back and rested a spell.” Killian nodded, “That ole sun’ll get to you if’n you let it.” Killian’s brother Luke had died of heat stroke one summer in their childhood. “If’n you feel up to it, I reckon supper is about done.” Killian said as he made his way back to the kitchen.
Lee stared at the doorway for a few minutes before putting his shoes on and getting up from his bed. Something seemed off about this particular night. He couldn’t quite place his finger on exactly what it was but he was sure that it had something to do with the huge paw prints he found near the river. He hadn’t mentioned it to his father because he could barely believe it himself. The paw prints had looked like wolf prints but they were far too large to be any wolf he had ever seen. Lee emerged from the hallway that led to the kitchen and put on his best “nothing is wrong in the world” smile and said, “Smells good mama, I could eat a whole cow right about now. That sun did a number on me today.”
Chelsea had always been good at telling when one of her boys was telling tall tales, and tonight both of them seemed to be trying to play poker with her. She would normally drag whatever it was out into the open, but something in her told her that tonight to just let it lie. She handed the plate to Lee and said, “Well, I hope you don’t stay that hungry. You’d like to eat us out of house and home.” She gave him a wide grin and Killian ruffled his hair, “I think the boy is just going through the pains. Go ahead on over to the table son and wait for me and your mama.”
Lee trundled off to the big pine wood table and took his place. He could hear his parents talking lowly and laughing slightly. In that moment in time Lee felt good, like everything was right in the world and the paw prints were forgotten. The rest of the night went as usual; they finished their dinner, cleaned up the dishes and sat out on the front porch for a little bit shooting the breeze. Far off in the distance the half-moon slowly made its way over the trees.
Julius had been nervous when he saw the boy in the holler this morning. He obviously had seen the prints, and was apt to tell his parents about them at the drop of a hat. He ran his hand through his mangy brown hair and decided it was time to wake up Jared. He walked over to where the rest of the pack were sound asleep. The bramble had him them from the kid, but how long until the boy decided to start poking his nose where it didn’t belong? Julius ducked into the bramble and made his way over to a hulking mass that was Jared.
Jared was large according to tribal standards. He stood at six foot even and looked more like a shaved bear than a man. His brow still held the primitive slope that was the norm for the tribes near the pole. His skin held a pale color that gave his coat the white color he was known for and even his ears were large. Jared’s upper lip trembled in his sleep and rose a little bit to reveal the incisors that were always deployed. Julius leaned down and shook Jared’s hulking shoulder. A stifled growl began to rise from the depths of Jared’s sleeping body. Slowly, his eyes opened and when he saw Julius he relaxed a little. “What is it old friend?” he asked quietly. Julius rested on his haunches and told his leader about the boy. The alpha wolf had taken up a sitting position and scratched at his thick, tangled beard. “I suppose we should rustle up the rest and move on then.” He said yawning.
The rest of the wolves woke with little more than a whine and once they were all up and moving they left the bramble. The blinding midday sun beat down on them and in the back of his mind Jared cursed himself for not waiting until nightfall to move. He raised a hand over his eyes and let his eyes shift to get a better view of the horizon. The lush green Carolina country side seemed to thrum with life and the blazing sun coupled with the thick humidity made him irritable. Far off in the distance he saw a blacktop road and on either side the kudzu was so dense that it threatened to take over the civilized world.
“We’re gonna lie in wait for a car. Julius, Mac, and Bernie you take the left side of the road. Gwen, Harold and myself will take the right. You know the drill.” The pack split into their groups and made their way to either side of the road. Jared glanced around once then let out a high pitched whine and a slight yelp and the pack replied back with a yelp. They began to shift into their respective forms and hid in the kudzu. Jared padded out to the middle of the road and laid down, he was their leader and if anyone had to bear the heat of the asphalt or danger of being hit by a speeding car, it ought to be him. He closed his eyes and sprawled out as if he had been hit by a car.
The ford pickup was traveling down I-85 at a smooth speed of seventy-five and the driver saw the white fur in the middle of the road just in time to slam on his breaks. He hopped out of his truck with the baseball bat he kept under the seat and walked cautiously up to the motionless body. He had heard of dogs that got dazed by a car and when they came too sometimes they attacked people. He was about two feet away from the body when he poked it with the thick end of the bat. The last thing the driver heard was the chorus of growls as the pack emerged from the kudzu coupled with his own high-pitched scream.
Kent Montoya ran the little gas station on the outskirts of Porter’s Hollow as his father had before him. When the red pickup pulled in to one of the pumps he couldn’t help but stare. The whole lot of them looked like they had been wrestling around in the mud and not one of them seemed to be talking. He placed the auto-trader magazine on the counter and walked out to greet them. Kent ran one of the only existing attendant serve gas stations in the country, a fact he told every stranger that came through. The trouble was Kent not only ran it but was also the only attendant. The economy had taken that nasty down turn and he couldn’t afford to keep the help. The only thing that kept his business from sinking was the small town of Porter’s Hollow and even that was starting to seem dismal. The man driving the truck stepped out and grabbed the pumps handle. He was about to start filling up the car when Kent spoke, “Howdy there ya’ll, here sir let me get that for ya.” Kent reached for the pump but when the man turned around there was something wrong in this man’s face, something that said “back off mister.” Kent’s smile faltered a little bit then quickly added, “See this here is my store and I’m one of the only existing stations left that pumps the gas for you.”
Julius seemed to relax a little but not enough to set the man’s mind at ease. He tried on a smile and glanced down at the name tag embroidered onto the man’s work shirt. “Well, Kent if that’s the way you run your store then far be it from me to change that.” He handed the handle to Kent and two twenties. Kent relaxed and his smile flickered back to life. He took the money and began to pump the gas. Julius got back in the truck and sat quietly like the rest. A female voice spoke up from the back of the truck, “Hey mister, do you got any of that deer jerky? I hear it’s to die for.” Kent hadn’t noticed the female in the back and now that he got a good look at her he noticed she had the same mud-wrestler look the rest of them had, and her unkempt and dreadlocked hair hung down across her back and spilled over her shoulders. He smiled and nodded, “You bet I do. Went huntin’ last week and got me three of them big ole bucks. See my stuff is homemade, best in the world.” The woman’s eyes seemed to sparkle a little and she looked over her left shoulder at a young man who was bald-headed. He jumped down out of the truck without a single word and started for the store.
Kent finished the gas and went inside to get the jerky for the man. He wiped his hands off on his work shirt and put the two twenties in his shirt pocket. The man stood on the other side of the counter not saying a word. Kent smiled at him and asked, “How much of the jerky you want there sir?” The man didn’t drop his gaze from Kent’s and said, “All of it.” Kent’s smile started to go out and when he spoke he had a crack in his voice. “How…how much?” The man didn’t blink and now he seemed to be getting impatient, and when he spoke he sounded like he was growling a little. “All..of..it.”
Kent didn’t hesitate again, he reached around the right side of the counter and grabbed all fifteen bags of his jerky and gave it to the man. “That’ll be thirty-five dollars.” Kent said quickly placing the bags far enough away that he couldn’t be grabbed if the fella tried anything funny. The other man pulled out a fifty dollar bill and placed it on the counter, and picked up the bags. “Keep the change.” The man said walking out the door.

The Subway

This story is going to end at the same place it began, but you’ll see that in time. Standing on the subway platform I remember thinking to myself that the day had been abnormally cold. I pulled my coat tighter as the draft from the open stair well swirled in fresh snow. On most days the subway tunnel was one of the warmest places in the city, but today it was just as biting cold as the surface streets. The screech of the train made me smile; the train was always on time. I boarded the train along with the other passengers and grabbed onto one of the swinging “ape-handles”.
My name is Ray Conway. I’m a hopeless romantic, and I work at the deli on 72nd and Broadway. I live in an apartment on the Upper Westside of Manhattan and I have a dog named Lucious. Most days I’m too busy to hear my own thoughts, and other days I can’t even make a cheese sandwich; today was one of those days. The guy standing on the other side of the counter had a square jaw that got squarer each time my adversarial slices decided to cling together. I wiped my forehead with the back of my left hand and that’s when Mr. Jaw let loose on me.
“Wadda ya think ya doin’ you fuckin’ deli punk, I mean how hard can it be to make a fuckin’ cheese sandwhich!?” he screamed at me. I looked around nervously and tried to stammer out an apology. The other forty-three customers stared at me in shock and amusement. My face felt like it was on fire and my boss came from the back of the deli.
“What’s the screamin’ for Lou? Can’t you see the boy’s tryin’ to make your damn sandwich?” my boss Mac said. He nudged me aside and told me to ring up the lady with the bagel. “You gonna scream at me Lou? I didn’t think so. What else you want on this?” The rest of the conversation was said in a normal tone and I tuned it out as I rang up the woman. “That’ll be two-fifty.” I said to the smiling lady. She handed me the money and before she left the shop she whispered, “Some people are assholes, ain’t they?” She turned away from me and walked to the door, but the smile never left her face.
I finished up my shift and went to Rigolettos between 69th and 70th streets. The cool thing about Rigolettos was the fact that I could sit outside when the weather was warm. I went inside, got a table and ordered a beer and a slice of pizza. As I waited for the pizza I thought back to the woman that had the bagel. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her green eyes had a mischievous glint to them. Her slightly tanned skin had a soft glow to it and her robust shape made her all the more attractive. Smiling slightly I took a sip from my beer. I would probably never see her again, but it was nice to entertain the thought of exchanging numbers.
Glancing down at my watch I noticed that it was already eight o’clock. I finished up my beer and paid for my meal. The subway train was fifteen minutes out and I was dead tired. I sat down on a bench in the middle of the platform and closed my eyes for a moment. That’s when I heard her voice.
“Following me I see?” she said with a hint of amusement. I opened one eye and half looked at her. “I wouldn’t be doing a good job of following you with my eyes closed now would I?” I said closing my eye again. She sat down next to me and I was overwhelmed with the scent of Warm Vanilla Sugar from Bath and Body Works. She positioned herself so that she was looking at me, and I opened my eyes to look at her. Her smile was still there. “Aren’t you going to introduce yourself Mr. Stalker?” She flipped a loose strand of hair off of her face. “Shouldn’t you introduce yourself first Ms. Stalker? You did sit down next to me.” I said half smiling.
She extended her hand out “I’m Alexandra, and you are?” She smiled bigger as I took her hand. I felt a sudden wave of heat wash over my body. “My name’s Ray and I’m not a stalker.” I said smiling and blushing. We let each other’s hands go and the train came screeching into the station. I looked at it and got up. “This is me. Which one you waitin’ on?” I asked. “I’m getting on this one to.” Alex said getting up and moving into the oncoming crowd.I followed her onto the train and as it rocketed away I felt the first tingle of love.
We talked all the way to her stop and when she got up to leave she called over her shoulder “See you tomorrow Mr. Stalker.” I smiled and yelled after her “Not if I see you first Ms. Stalker!” The rest of the train ride home was uneventful, and I mulled the encounter over in my head. I had never really felt this strongly for a female after a first encounter, and I couldn’t stop myself from blushing every time I thought of her.
When the train screeched to my stop I shambled out of the train with the other subway zombies and made my way to the surface streets. The penetrating cold was waiting for me and I wrapped my arms around me to protect my body. I quickly made my way to my apartment building and waved at Beatrice, the desk clerk. She waved back and I grabbed the next elevator up to my room.
I could hear Lucious already scratching at the door and whining as I got my key out. When I opened the door he pounced on me and started licking my face. I laughed as I tried to calm him down. He loved me unconditionally and it was always nice to have a warm welcome when the weather outside was threatening to freeze you in place. I walked over to the kitchen and got out his food, and he almost went crazy. I chuckled to myself and poured him two helpings. He darted in and began to chow down on his dinner, wagging his tail the whole time. I told him about Alexandra as he ate, even though he could care less about what I was talking about. When he finished I told him to kennel up and I went to sleep.
My alarm clock blasted me out of my dream world at seven-a.m. I shut off the alarm and got ready for work. When I got to the platform I wishfully hoped that I would run into Alex. I kept looking around and anxiously playing with my key ring. I was startled when the train pulled into the station and a little downhearted when I didn’t see Alex. I spent the rest of the day going through the motions at work and right before my shift was over she came through the door covered in fresh snow.
The tiny white flakes in her hair seemed to shimmer as the fluorescent lights shone down on her. Her green eyes pierced into my blue ones. I felt the tingle again and had to look away as my cheeks betrayed me with their red color. She approached the counter and I asked her what she would like. This time it was her cheeks that gave her away. “I’ll take you and a Danish to go.” She said not looking directly at me but her ever present smile grew bigger. I have to admit that I was taken aback by this response. The tingling that I had only began to feel turned into a jolt of pure electricity and I felt the red color spread all over me. I yelled for Mac to come close up for me. He came up to the front as I was grabbing a danish for Alex and taking off my apron. “Ray what’s the matter with you boy…take two.” Mac said grinning at Alex. “I got the shop boyo, you go have your fun with the lass there.” He said turning to go into the back.
We stepped out on the dusk streets of New York and for once in my life I felt right. We ate danish and talked all the way to the stairs leading down to the subway. She stopped me by grabbing my arm. “Let’s not go home just yet. I know this little place that has poetry readings over by Lincoln Center.” I hesitated only for a moment then grabbed her hand. We practically ran all the way to Lincoln Center, laughing the whole way. At the poetry reading I pretended to listen intently to the abstract poems being presented but what I really was doing was sneaking glances at Alex. On the last attempt at sneaking a glance she caught me. I tried to turn quickly back to the performer but when I looked out of the corner of my eye she was still looking at me, smiling. I slowly turned my head to meet her gaze and that’s when it happened. I could feel the attraction like a huge magnet pulling me to her. I could smell the coffee being brewed mingled with her Warm Vanilla Sugar and when our lips touched I could feel tension melt away. The world seemed to stand still and if I could have frozen that moment I would have. When reality finally caught back up to us, there was a slow song playing and I picked it out immediately. As the song played I decided to sing, so I picked up the chorus. “See the stars, see how they shine for you, and everything you do…they were all yellow.” She locked eyes with me and I could see the warmth coming from them, and before I could serenade her again she kissed me again.
They say that love can hit you like a ton of bricks when you least expect it. Well, whoever “they” are, are right. After that night in the coffee shop I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of Alex every waking minute. I would walk by a flower stand and wonder “What type of flowers does she like? Or does she even like flowers?” I couldn’t help but hear the love songs floating out of a passing car and start humming along. As the winter slowly melted into spring and the trees in Central Park started to bloom I had this over powering urge to proclaim my love to her. I knew the very spot that would be perfect. I had always loved the angel fountain, and what better place to confess love to an angel than in front of one?
Friday after my shift at the deli I met Alex at my apartment and over dinner I brought up the idea of taking a walk around Central Park. She took a sip of her wine and glanced sideways at me. “There are usually only two reasons to go to Central Park, one is to get to the East Side and the other reason is something mischievous.” She took another sip and her lips curled into a sly smile. “Which are you planning sir?” I took a bite of my pasta and smiled as I chewed my food. Once I swallowed I said “You’ll just have to see.” Once we both finished our fill I scraped the scraps into Lucious’s bowl and put the dishes in the sink. I took Alex’s hand and told her to grab her coat. She did so with a mild bit of hesitation. “It’s already six-thirty at night Ray, can it wait til tomorrow?” She whined half-heartedly. “I think it’s just enough time to take a quick walk, besides it’s kinda stuffy in here don’t you think?” I said dragging her to the door.
We went down the Bethesda Stairs as the sun was setting below the skyline of the city and in those last moments of daylight the rays reflected mystically off of the angel and the water that poured beneath it. I heard Alex gasp, and when I felt her freeze in place I smiled slightly. I let her walk to the edge of the fountain before I spoke. “Beautiful isn’t it?” I whispered into her ear. She stared in awe at it a moment longer then answered “It’s the most captivating thing I’ve ever seen.” I hugged her from behind and nuzzled her neck, taking in a deep breath of her. “I brought you here because I had something to tell you.” She turned her head slightly so that her ear was pointed right at me. “I love you Alexandra. I brought you here to this spot because it is called the Heart of the Park. I wanted you to know that you have my heart.”