"Mom?" Sylvia timidly approached her mother, who was turned towards the sink of dishes, "Can you take me shopping sometime this week before Friday."
Her mother, Rose, slid the final salad plate onto the drying rack beside the sink and reached for a towel to dry her water wrinkled hands, "I don't see why not. What's the occasion?"
Sylvia spoke as she began grabbing dry dishes in the rack to put them away, "Well, there's going to be a dance on Friday, and I wanted a nice outfit to wear. And I really want to go to this one. You remember what happened last time."
Rose nodded her head to the side, indicating that she hadn't forgotten, "Yes, I remember. But we'll wrap you up in sanitation plastic all week so you don't have to worry about catching the spring flu again."
Sylvia laughed at her mother's witty remark. To her, Rose was the most beautiful woman in the world. Her mother always had a kind face, even in her old pictures. Her hair had grown a bit to where it was now down her back. Even though the dark chestnut color had faded a meager bit with age, it was still smooth and shiny, much like her own. But Rose's face had become older. Wrinkles began curving around her facial features and her figure had bolded a bit. But still. Rose was a lovely woman. This was most true to Sylvia when she discovered the photos taken at her parent's wedding. Her mother was a radiant woman who looked more like an angel in her creamy white dress. Her father was the complete opposite. He was ghostly thin and as pale as ice. His hair was deep black and not too tame. But those eyes of him were so sunken, it gave the impression that her mother married a smiling corpse. She never knew him past that. Rose told her that he passed away a year after her birth.
As Sylvia faded back into reality, her mother's voice cut into the fogginess, "But the problem is, I am working all week. You will have to find someone to take you instead."
Sylvia nodded and closed the dish cabinet doors, "Okay."
The wind gushed over their heads as Sylvia sat in the passenger seat of Caroline's White convertible. They zoomed down the expressway, looking out for their oncoming exit. Their hair flew wildly as they sped along. The radio was blaring old 60's song that you just can't ignore. Sylvia and Caroline were singing along.
I can't see me loving nobody but you
For all my life.
When you're with me, all of our skies will be blue
For all my life...
Caroline struck into conversation. The black hood began shielding over the car as they pulled onto their exit ramp.
"So, Sylvia. Do you have any idea who you want to take to the dance?" her voice was in a teasing tone.
She just smiled and looked out the window to the passing houses and playground, "Not really. I just like it when there's no dates and it's just you, me and Erin. Besides, it's not like no one ever dances with me. I have plenty of friends that are guys."
Caroline shook her head and sighed, "That's going to get old eventually. There will come a day where both me and Erin will have dates and you'll still be alone. And for your information, Erin was asked to the dance by that one Jerry guy."
Sylvia gave a rather wide-eyed look of disbelief, "Erin and Jerry? Are you talking about the Jerry that wears all black and chains, hackie sacks, and is in that Remedial class?"
Caroline smiled and nodded, "Yep. But she defended him. Plus, she thinks he's cute. I don't know what she sees. But now, she can't stop smiling."
Caroline turned into the parking lot of the West Gate Shopping Center. It was rather difficult finding a spot though. The place was packed! Exactly why, the two girls were bewildered. But in time, they filed into a vacant space between two mini vans.
Sylvia was busying herself by picking through a rack of neatly hung and color assorted skirts, all of which were pleated. She removed a bright pink one and examined it before returning it to its place on the row. Caroline on the other hand was trying on a collection of at least seven different halter tops. Ones that had thin straps, thick straps, covered all, showed her stomach, and different colors and patterns.
Sylvia now had a skirt in each hand, observing as if she was scale weighing each of them of their pros and cons, "Hey Caroline, do you think I should go with the black skirt or the denim one?"
Caroline heard her call from across the small shop and shouted back from within the narrow dressing room, "Um. I would prefer denim, but the black is more your style."
Compromising with the opinion of her shopping partner, Sylvia slipped the denim skirt back on the rack. But then, a particular garment caught her from the corner of her eye. Soon, the black skirt returned to the rack as well, amongst the yellow ones.
The two girls left the mall shop with plump shopping bags (Sylvia with one and Caroline with three!) and smiles on their faces. The clock on Caroline's cell phone and both their stomachs made it well evident that it was lunch time. Their following itinerary destination was the food court towards the center of the mall. With growling bellies, they left for their favorite vendor stall and agreed to meet at the table by the potted palm tree. Sylvia walked over to the Taco Bell while Caroline dragged her heavy shopping bags with her to the pizza place. It was a miracle how thin she was with the factor of how much pizza she could eat at a time! When they met back up at their favorite table, Sylvia had a tray containing a bean burrito with a diet Pepsi while Caroline had two slices of pepperoni pizza, French fries, and a water bottle. With food being eaten and shopping bags under the table, the girls riled up with talking. How great their outfits were, how much fun the dance will be, how Erin seems to be the more mature of the three being the only one with a date, and hoping that their little stuck up rival, Leann Laine, doesn't show. But the conversation was interrupted with something crossing into Caroline's vision.
"Look at that guy over there." she tilted her head to the left, without taking her eyes away from Sylvia.
In response, she did so, "What, the guy with blonde hair and the pink shirt?"
Caroline shook her head, "No, stupid. The guy walking out of the Hot Topic."
Sylvia narrowed her vision to see this. Across the hall, a very peculiar looking young man was exiting from the dark attire store. He appeared to be very solemn and serious. Plus, he was in between ghostly pale and perfectly normal. What would catch one's attention was his clothing. He wore a black-as-night long coat and his jeans were wrung with chains. His hair was just as black as the rest of his outfit, only it was slightly tidier. The T-shirt he wore couldn't help but force a giggle out of her.
You laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at you because YOU'RE UGLY!
Caroline gave her a confused look, "Why are you giggling?"
Sylvia reached for her soda, "I like his shirt. I think it's funny."
Her friend however, didn't see the humor, "I think he's a bit scary."
After a filling yet not very healthy lunch, girls just decided to walk around. They had plenty of calories to burn off after that meal. Other people seemed to be doing the same thing. The two filed past several game stores, jewelry shops, and book nooks. At about six o'clock, Caroline and Sylvia were weighed down with shopping bags, courtesy of Caroline's gloriously generous and wealthy parents. Whenever Caroline takes Erin and Sylvia shopping, they are forced not to spend a dime of their own money. As they exited through the spinning glass doors of the West Gate Mall, a brisk chill of evening air met them. The appearing night stars were never really spotted that well on behalf of the bright lights of the busy urban area. But no matter, the stars are far easier to see back in the quiet suburbs of Whitmore Lake. There was a very faint police siren blaring in the distance, but the whoosh of passing cars was never more obvious. Without warning, Caroline dropped all her bags on the left side of a bench set near the lit entrance of the mall.
She began digging into her trendy tweed purse, "Sorry, but I promised I'd call my mom once we were done shopping."
Taking the opportunity to rest, Sylvia gently set her two shopping bags on the cement on both sides of her feet. Her shoulders instantly felt relief. She could her the tones of cell phone buttons beeping behind her.
After only ten seconds, the phone clicked shut, "Darn it! The phone's busy at home."
With that last remark, the only thing that seemed logical at the moment was to just go the car and try a little later. This didn't happen immediately.
"Well, well, well..." a slightly raspy but still smoothly spoken voice slithered by.
Caroline and Sylvia turned to the source of the voice. Four figures emerged from the unlit shadow. All of them were young men, appearing to be at least nineteen or so. It appears that the one who spoke had slickly spiked brown hair and a silver ring above his eyebrow. The girls knew this once he spoke again.
"I hope we didn't scare you pretty ladies, but we couldn't help but notice how lonely you two looked." She spot as he and his companions seemed to be encircling Sylvia and Caroline. Neither of them like the fact that they were getting closer. Deep within Sylvia's gut, she felt a dark, cold feeling welling up at the pit of her stomach. It was fear. Four against two. Four strong and rather hungry looking men against two teenage girls. The situation wasn't at all pleasant.
One guy with a leather jacket and a white bandana headband plucked at the spaghetti strap of Caroline's tank top, "I like this one. She knows how to dress fine."
Two others seemed to agree as they looked her up and down from her fancy silver sandals and her short denim skirt to her pink top and black choker necklace. Did Caroline snap, did she retaliate, did she cry. No, she blushed. Which at least was better than Sylvia's reaction of shivering. At least Caroline didn't look as fearful. Sylvia's face and hands were turning very white and her lips trembled.
"I want little angel cakes over here."
The spokesman brushed his fingers intrusively along her bare arm, making the fine hairs on it stand up. He whispered in her ear, but made it loud enough so everyone could hear, "I like it when they're scared."
Sylvia clenched her eyes shut, wishing that if she couldn't see them, they wouldn't be there. But they did not disappear. She could still feel his cold fingers dancing along her arm. She could even feel the beading of tears swelling up at her eye lashes. Sylvia opened her eyes, trying not to cry.
Another voice intruded, "I don't think the young lady requests for such rude attention."
Everyone turned. All eyes fell to the shadowy figure standing at the edge of the unlit territory. Whomever it was, he was very thin and lanky, but stood quite tall. There were dark depressions under his bright eyes and his black hair swayed slightly with the crisp breeze. It was the rippling of the long black coat that gave Sylvia and Caroline the answer to his identity. It was the young man from the mall. It appeared he was playing the role of hero at the moment.
The snake-tongued leader spat his words to the dark man, "And who do you think you are, Marilyn Mason?"
His friends laughed, one of them with his hand on Caroline's shoulder. She was beginning to look a little frightened too. The dark young man approached them, the steel of his boots clicking when he took their steps. He passed into the light. It was here that Sylvia got a true look at him. His face was very defined with slender curve at his jaw. His nose had an almost delicate angle to it. His cheeks were sunk in but he didn't look like he was starving, only dieing. He had amazing green eyes that could hook your gaze until you forgot where you were, like a jewelry store's most valueable emeralds that you seemed to be unable to pull away from the glass case over them. When he stopped moving, he was only three feet away from the leader.
"She looks far too frightened to be enjoying this. Just let them go." His cold voice spoke with little force.
The only relief Sylvia saw to the following event was that the boys were no longer surrounding her and Caroline. But now they resembled sharks, the ones that circle around their prey before they kill it. They ganged up on the young man, some of them digging into their coat pocket for something, most likely a weapon.
"You shut the hell up you little fag!" The leader threw his fist towards his opponents head. Sylvia lost her breath in a gasp as she put her hands to her face. But he was far too slow. Sylvia opened her eyes. The dark man was not struck. He was completely missed. Not only that, before the two girls could see what had happened, the snake-like gang bully was in the air and fly over their heads. He screamed as he hit the ground with heavy force. His hair was messed up and his face was red with discomfort. With their leader down, the other three boys all charged at the silent knight. But it was over when a single swing a leather and steal foot collided with three faces. Then they all fell down like bowling pins. The three goons all grabbed their faces where they were struck to ease the fell of pain.
By the time the leader was standing once more, "Come on! Get up you losers!"
The loyalty the gang showed to their leader had a line, and it was drawn here. Instead of standing to fight alongside their leader, they abandoned him. With the chance they had, the three stuffled to their feet and took off into the parking lot.
Standing their with no crew and already behind in the score, the snake-like leader pointed ominously to the dark young man and spoke with his words dripping in threat, "I'll get you. I swear to god, I will get you!"
He turned his back and fled into the direction his gang had went. Sylvia had finally returned back to reality. For a short while, she had felt like one of those Naruto cartoons had come to life right in front of her eyes. All was still again. Caroline had moved back a bit during the fight, a look of fear scratched across her face. But the dark hero had been silent. When Caroline and her looked to him, he merely nodded softly and turned his back to them. He began walked away towards the shadows he emerged from down the unlit side of the building.
Sylvia turned to Caroline, "Go get the car and bring it up front. I'll be right there."
With those words, Caroline departed for the parking lot, and Sylvia to persue her hero.
She followed into the path were he took into disappearance. But with every step she took away from the lit parking lot and signs, it grew much darker.
Sylvia called out, "Hello. Excuse me. I...um...I wanted..."
"Yes."
She instantly jumped into the air with his sudden response, behind her. Sylvia whirled around to see the tall thin figure with his hands buried in the pockets of his long black coat. Sylvia looked into his eyes. They looked almost inhuman, like cats eyes when you are in a dark room but there is a tiny bit of lit. They reflect the same mysterious glow as a night bound nocturnal animal. It gave her a moment of shudders.
She swallowed her fear and spoke unsteadily, "I, well, I wanted to thank you..f,for what you did. It was a,a,amazing."
The side of his lips curved upward a bit, to give a welcoming smile, "It wasn't any trouble."
Sylvia looked down to her feet. A question was summoned to her throat, "I know there isn't much I can do to repay you, but, um, I...can take you to a...dance this Friday. If that's okay with you."
The silence was awkward. He didn't even move, letting the invitation sink in for a moment. Sylvia held her hands together, feeling a little more ashamed and embarrassed than hopeful. The man reached out and took one of her shaken hands.
"I would be honored, miss." He knelted down and kissed her hand in a most civalrous manner, "And may I ask your name?"
A slight rosiness tinted her cheeks, "Sylvia Colt."
His eyes narrowed meagerly, but he smiled kindly, "Well, Sylvia, I will graciously escort you to your dance. When shall I meet you?"
Sylvia brought her hand back to her side, a small smile fighting to come to her own lips, "Can you meet me at the entrance of Whitmore Lake Highschool at 7 o'clock?"
He nodded his head, "I will meet you there."
Then, he turned his back and headed away.
Sylvia turned as well and began walking, but she suddenly stopped and turned around, "Wait, what is your name!"
He was gone from her sight, but she heard his voice. It was like he was speaking from right in front of her, behind her, and to every side.
"Todd."
The Maiden of Light: For all those who read "A Light within the Darkness" you should know that I'm a sucker for rescues. I can't get enough of them! It had been plaguing my mind when I was done with the other story. I kept think I never told them what became of Rose, Johnny, Squee, Ayie, and everyone else after the adventure. It was making my brain explode! So I made a sequel!
