The Secret of the Mystery
Everyone has secrets. There are those we share with the people closest to using whispered conversations, deep and personal ones that make us feel, and those we have to keep, in fear of losing those we care about. I'd say the latter led me to the rooftop that day.
All those lies…
I couldn't do it anymore. The people that I had hurt to satisfy myself. As I looked down at the road below me I thought about how sacred life was. People working and driving, everyday things which we take for granted. I missed those days when life was so simple. That roof made me look back to when things were normal. Blaine Devon Anderson, the school joke who worked as a photographer instead of following his dreams. That's when I met him, in the dark streets of New York. That's when my life became complete. It's also why it ended.
Chapter 1- Looking for a Mystery.
New York was a great place for city snaps. As I awoke in my Queen's apartment to the smell of eggs and bacon I couldn't help but smile. Becky was a girl I worked with, and she could really cook. I joined her in the kitchen/diner with my bare chest on show to remind her of last night. She was okay but she had points that she could improve on. My reputation at the Fox newspaper was only that I'd been with every girl in the office, and they worshiped me. My only problem was that, no matter who I seemed to be with, I'd never found that special person. The one who makes me laugh, feel, cry. No matter how many girls I've been with, I've never been in a relationship. I just never looked for her. As Becky and I ate the eggs and talked about people at work I glanced at our rival newspaper- The Hare. There he was again, the Mystery. The hero who had been the highlight for days now ever since his sudden appearance last week.
"The boss is really pissed." Becky said.
"Still?" I asked, tearing my eyes away from the image pictured in the sky.
"Well we're the only newspaper that hasn't covered The Mystery yet." She told me as she quickly devoured her breakfast.
"What's the matter?" I asked. "Somewhere to be?"
She looked at me like I was stupid.
"I'm not turning up to work with you!" She scoffed.
"Why not?" I asked, offended.
"Well, you know." She shrugged her shoulders, pinkness sliding its way up her face.
"I don't want to just seem like another useless tart."
"Another? What the hell are you talking about?" I put down my knife and fork and crossed my arms.
"All the girls come in after shagging you and feel worthless. You really should start treating women with respect."
"I'll treat women with respect when they earn it." I snapped. She huffed and slammed down her cutlery, shoving her chair back.
"You're unbelievable." With that, she stormed out, grabbing her coat, bag and shoes as she left. I shrugged and threw the food in the trash.
"What a joke!" I cursed her. I dressed in a cheap suit and walked to the tube to go to work. I was wedged between an old man who had fallen asleep and a woman nursing a bump. Why people still have kids I'll never know. I'd stop the human race in its tracks and let the Earth die with our generation. People- ha, how petty and selfish we've become over the years, all take and no give. I hate this planet and every stinking human who's ever existed upon it.
As I sway with the movement of the tube I feel eyes looking at me. I see a man with sandy coloured hair and a cheap suit similar to mine, sitting across from me and looking at me over a copy of The Hare. The Mysteries image in the sky is the only thing blocking the rest of his face. A pair of deep blue eyes look curiously at me. I raise one eyebrow and give him a look that says 'what?' He simply flashes me a smile and looks back at his newspaper. I frowned, what was he staring at? As I made my way to the exit I found myself squashed in the door.
"Watch it!" I exclaimed. I turned to look at the sorry face of the newspaper guy.
"Forgive me." He smiled, nodding his head and allowing me to go first. I huffed angrily and walked out into the busy streets of Manhattan. The Fox building stood tall and proud in the jungle of skyscrapers and yellow cabs. Camera in hand I caught the view of the Empire State building and the buildings that surrounded her. I entered through the main door and into the lift. It was only when the doors closed that I panicked. I was in the lift full of all the girls I had shagged from the office. They all shot me looks of disgust. I was glad when we got out on floor seven where I raced to my office that I shared with my friend and college, Sam. He was the writer and I was the photographer.
"Hey Dude." He said, looking up from his computer.
"Hey, how's it goin'?" I joined him at the desk.
"You'll never guess what the boss has got us doing." Sam said with excitement in his voice.
"What?"
"The Mystery." He squeaked. I looked at the title of the article.
THE REAL MYSTERY
"How are you gonna get anything for that?" I asked.
"I'm not." He said. "But you are." It took me a while to read what his blue eyes were saying. But at eight o'clock that night, I was getting fake mugged by my best friend.
"When I pull out the gun- shout. Okay?" I gave him the thumbs up and backed into the alleyway. He walked into the shadows and pushed me against the wall.
"Give me your wallet!" He shouted dramatically. I handed it over. "Dude, that's not what we agreed!" He sighed and threw his arms to the sky.
"We don't need the theatricality." I said.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm right here." A voice came from the mouth of the alleyway. We looked and saw a tall figure with dark black hair, about six foot tall and built like an athlete.
"You realise that I could be saving someone who actually deserves to be saved." He said harshly, stepping forward.
"We're sorry." I said quickly before Sam could retaliate. "We'll just… go." I tried to pull Sam to the exit of the alleyway but The Mystery was blocking my path.
"There must have been a reason for you to summon me this way." He said in a deep voice that seemed to melt everything in the world.
"Umm-" Sam began but I cut across him.
"We wanted to get the full story."
"Ah." The Mystery sighed. "You're Journalist."
"Not both of us, I'm a photographer." I told him. He tensed up, face unreadable in the shadows. I panicked. This guy could hurt us at any second.
"Go home Sam." I said to my best friend. Not to be cruel to him but he was a dumb kid. He tended to say stupid things that got us into trouble. Surprisingly The Mystery let him go, leaving just the two of us in the alleyway.
"What are you gonna do?" I asked. "Kill me?"
"Don't be stupid!" He said, relaxing out of his hard statue and leaning against the wall. "I was outmatched by testosterone levels so I had to be intimidating." He admired his fingernails lazily.
"What happened to saving someone who deserves it?" I spat, not dropping my tough side.
"Tonight's actually really slow." He said. "Just a drunk driver but he's home now." He said this like he was commenting on football scores. As a car drove past I got a glimpse of his face. Sharp and tough but with kind blue eyes that x-rayed me curiously. The light vanished and he was plunged into darkness once more.
"Are you okay?" He asked. I wasn't sure what was wrong with me, but I felt… strange. My head filled with clouds and my vision blurred.
"Whoa, watch yourself!" He said as I felt myself falling. I was suddenly held up by two strong arms and the world snapped back into focus. A car flashed past. Then another. As they drove by his eyes looked into mine and I felt myself falling deeply into them.
"Whoa." He repeated in a quieter voice. Those same blue eyes moved to my lips and I felt him coming closer. He was inches from my face. Heart pounding, I did the only thing that seemed reasonable- I punched him in the face.
"What was that for?" He yelled. Stepping back and holding his jaw.
"I don't know, I freaked out." I said. "Sorry." I added as an afterthought.
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't try that on straight guys." He looked so… human. Even with his red skin-tight suit, black boots and matching cape.
"Wh-" I was still confused. My mind felt like it was being turned on a spit.
"C'mon." He said lightly. "Let's get you home." I felt his warm hand take mine and suddenly my feet were lifted from the floor. I shut my eyes tightly and felt my weight shifting from left to right. Unable to balance myself.
"Here." Came that same melting voice. He shifted my hand to his left and moved me across his body, stabling my right side with his.
"Open your eyes." He whispered. I did. The entire of Manhattan was beneath me. I saw the buildings that I could only capture from ground level due to my strange fear of heights. But there I was. Holding on to a person who could not possible be real.
"This is amazing." I sighed when my voice returned to me.
"I know." He said nothing more until we reached my apartment building. He dropped me onto the roof and made to take off.
"Wait!" I yelled after him. He landed back onto the ground.
"What is it?" He asked. His perfect eyebrows furrowed.
"Who are you?"
"It's a mystery." He smiled and took off.
"I'm Blaine!" I called after him. "Blaine Anderson!" He turned in mid-air.
"See you around Blaine Anderson." And he flew away into the night.