I was watching the storm again. I first saw it a few nights ago, it was weird enough then, but now it was happening again; in broad daylight this time. I don't know what drew me to it, maybe my sense of adventure, an obsessive curiosity for all things new and unusual. It wasn't a storm I have ever seen before, and New Mexico has had some pretty weird electrical storms before; I could see every color of the rainbow shimmering in the electrified clouds, the sound of thunder enveloping my senses. My heartbeat pumped faster as my sense of excitement grew. There was something special with this storm, something wonderful yet frightening at the same time.
The wind picked up, blowing dust through my long, candy apple red hair. 'I probably should head back into town' I thought, thought the sheer thought made me a little sad, what if I missed something even more beautiful? I shook my head; no I needed to get back, I would be late for work otherwise. I climbed off the roof of my worn-out truck and turned the engine over. I sighed to myself and drove away from the storm. Maybe if it was still going on after my shift was over, I'd go back. My heart sank deeply as I headed away from the outskirts and back into society.
Work was as dull as ever, full of bickering work mates and unsatisfied customers. I never envisioned myself in this position, working for minimum wage as a hostess in a old diner, barely surviving, not really living. I always thought I'd be someone special and do something great with my life; but like my childhood my dreams faded away the moment I knew adulthood had reached me. I settled and found a small apartment and a degrading job to keep the rent, though my heart ached for something more. I was sent home early today, business was slow and there was no need for me. As I walked out the front doors, staring at my feet like the space-case I am, I bumped into someone.
"Fuck! Oh I'm so sorry, I need pay more attention to where I'm g…" I looked up at who I crashed into and felt my face heat up with embarrassment. I didn't recognize him, but he was absolutely beautiful. Clad in a crisp black suite, and a green wool scarf, slick black hair and the most piercing green eyes I have ever seen. His skin was fair and flawless, frame slender and tall; I blushed and couldn't find my words "g…going…" I was babbling and started hyperventilating; I was never very smooth when around handsome men, and he was the most handsome I have ever seen in my life. His face was that in which all the poetry and art in the world couldn't compare. His eyes stared right into mine, and all I could do was stand there gaping like a fish; I'm pathetic.
The stranger stared at me for what seem liked forever, his green eyes burning a feverish hole into my very soul. His lips finally cracked into a small smirk, or was it a smile? I couldn't tell, I was too dumbstruck to think properly, or speak like a normal person; I knew my shyness would get the best of me someday, I couldn't even introduce myself to this stranger. Before I could find my words, he turned and walked down the dusty street. Why did he make me so utterly frazzled, he was just a man, albeit a very beautiful, sensual man. Oh such thoughts weren't helping me at all.
"Scarlett?" I snapped out of my trance and looked over to see one of my co-workers couldn't remember her name for the life of me, tap me on the shoulder. "You okay, Scarlett?" I shook my head nonchalantly, shaking the visions of the stranger away.
"Yeah I'm fine; I just bumped into someone on accident…careless me huh!" Confusion crossed my co-workers face at mention of the stranger
"Honey are you sure you're okay? Don't have a fever or anything? There wasn't anyone there, maybe you should go home and get some rest." My heart skipped a beat. That couldn't be, I saw him as clear as day and felt my body bump against his. If I was hallucinating that was one damn good hallucination; maybe my sexually frustrated body and mind decided to play a cruel prank on me. Maybe I did need rest, maybe I was just losing my sanity to my dull lifestyle. Well if I were to go crazy at least I'd have such a wonderful hallucination to turn to; oh who am I kidding, I couldn't even be smooth with a hallucination. As for rest, I didn't want to go back to my stifling apartment and sleep. I wanted to go back to the storm, where, for whatever reason, I felt most alive.
My mind was elsewhere as I sped along the quiet back roads, my thoughts were racing from one thing to another. Thankfully I knew these roads like the back of my hand and not many ever really went this way, otherwise I'd be more worried about my spacing off. I just couldn't get that hallucination out of my head, or that storm. Call it instinct or gut feeling, or even insanity; but somehow they felt the same. Something about both seemed awfully familiar to each other. People have always laughed at this little ability of mine, this weird sixth sense of mine. I'm what many would call an empath, and a strong one at that. Though I didn't know what to believe about myself anymore, one thing I knew for certain is the feeling I got from that stranger.
I slammed on my breaks, dust billowing behind my truck; the storm was gone. I hung my head sadly and prepared to go home until I saw it again. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him again; the stranger, the hallucination, he was here out in the outskirts of town where the storm was not long ago. My heart pounded wildly, I was going absolutely insane. I yanked my keys out of the ignition and bolted out of the cab. "Hey! Sir, wait!" I started running and yelled out at the top of my lungs, though I honestly didn't think he'd reply if he was a figment of my imagination. To my surprise, he turned and looked right at me, stopping me dead in my tracks only a few feet away from him. My chest hurt as I tried to get air into my lungs. Sprinting was never my forte, though to be honest I don't think it was helping me that this beautiful creature stood in front of me.
"W…who are you? No one else saw you when I ran into you, they only saw me. If I'm crazy and your only a hallucination I might as well accept that, just tell me, who are you?" Listen to me, essentially talking to myself. Do hallucinations even have voices, personalities? Perhaps he was just a quiet shadow. After nothing but the whistle of the wind, painful silence, and his gaze burning into my mind; he spoke to me.
"If I am a hallucination as you say, I must be a very strange one to you then. I do not know how you see me, though it is of little importance right now. I have other things to attend to. Forget what you saw today" His voice was like velvet to my ears, a fine silk against my skin; it gave me goose bumps. I shivered even though it was hotter than ever outside. He uttered one last whisper before turning his gaze away "Go"
I drew a sharp breath and begrudgingly did as he wished. I turned back towards my car only to feel the wind pick up violently, keys jingling in my hands. Following on the heels of the wind came possibly the loudest thunderclap I've heard before. My ears rang at the sound, and the flash of light flooding the surrounding area hazed my vision. I squinted and glanced over my shoulder to see the lightning striking behind me, only to witness a strange and scary sight. The storm had returned alright, right on top of the stranger; He stood in the center drenched in the blinding light and before I could even gather my thoughts, he vanished right before my eyes.
I panicked and ran to my truck as fast as my feet would allow. 'What the hell did I get myself into?' I wondered. As utterly frightened as I was of what I just saw, I was at the same time dangerously fascinated. I wanted to know exactly what that was, and who he was; I needed to know. Though deep down I knew I would likely never get my answers, he said to forget all I saw today, forget him. How could I just forget something like this? Find something exciting for once in my life and just move on, go back to the dull and mundane? Maybe I could, maybe I couldn't; all I knew was I had to get the hell out of here otherwise I'd be standing around all night gaping at the sky like a turkey in a storm.
I went home, tossed my keys aside on the kitchen counter and immediately flopped on the bed. Screw changing clothes, it was of little importance with how mentally and physically exhausted I felt. Drifting off to sleep seemed to come so easily, anything to quiet the nagging thoughts churning in my head…..or not. I don't usually dream, ever, tonight seemed to be quite the opposite. Rather than going away with sleep, the thoughts spinning in my head prior chose to manifest in a full out wet dream, or nightmare; either way, why? That stranger frightened me to no extent; disappearing out of thin air like that, and yet, attracted me. That voice echoed and haunted me, his eyes still burned in my visage. His hands reached out and touched my skin; slowly sliding under my clothes…I woke up suddenly in a sweat, gasping for air and crying out. I needed to cool off and drink a glass of water. I hoisted my body and froze halfway, desperately trying not to have a heart attack. In the darkness, only a few feet away from the foot of my bed, shone a pair of violently green eyes; his eyes.