Cherry Ann

Chapter 2.2 The Mist

Tuesday October 18, 1999

Okay, so walking alone in the dark is never a good idea. But walking alone in the dark on a deserted street, lost on the wrong part of town, wearing my very cute black Cherry dress, my patch sweater, fishnet stockings and my platform Mary Jane's is even worse. Yes I should have checked the gas gage before I left; yes I shouldn't have come here in the first place. But I just wanted to see him and no, I can't call the Triple A, because technically I shouldn't have been driving in the first place because I just turned 16 and I don't have my license yet. But that's my parents fault they got me the car early so they didn't have to drive me back and forth to all the places I have to be. School, piano, dance, yoga, archery, gymnastics, ... Okay okay I get it I see why they got me a car. Dang, I do a lot. But now I'm lost, cold and my car is out of gas. Great.

I didn't see him until after school so I followed him out here. I had worn my dress because I was determined to meet him and since he somehow knew I had it and since I had decided that it would be the dress I would wear to meet him I wore it. But I lost him in the dark and started to drive around. I kind of knew where I was and what made things worse was the fact that I wasn't in a good part of town. So I sat in my car about to cry. I didn't know what I should do.

I saw the mist ahead slowly creeping out of nowhere it wasn't like fog but it was like a mirage that  you might see on a hot sunny day. I got out of the car and walked towards it. That was stupid of me. I mean, who knows what is out there or what the mist was. When I reached the mist it still looked like a mirage. I slowly reached out to touch it. I could put my hand in it. I ran my hand over the surface. It felt like running your hand in the water of a pool or fountain. But you didn't get wet. I was hesitant but decided to go through it. I stood there for a moment debating with myself. I pushed my hand in and then began walking through the mirage. It was like entering into another world. Everything changed colors and there was a type of calm that wrapped around me with it. There was a door I hadn't seen it before I don't think it was there before the mist showed up. Had it been there before? I'm sure if it has I would have seen it. I walked up to the door and there was a man standing there. He looked at me and then opened the door so I could walk in. He had a smile hidden in his face but the light was dim I could have imagined it.

It was a club, or maybe a bar or something. There were tables of people eating, some people dancing and others at the bar drinking. A very pretty dark haired petite girl came up to me.

"We were expecting you. I will show you to your table."

"You were expecting me?" I asked, totally confused. She just smiled. We walked through the room to a door on the other side. I looked over my shoulder at the restaurant, club, bar whatever, we had just walked through. Everyone was looking at me some were smiling and one was crying while smiling. I totally didn't get it. What was going on? I was about to ask the petite girl when she opened the door.

I walked through to another room it was a private dinning room with a big fireplace on one wall a beautiful wooden table with two chairs and a small seating area.

"May I take your sweater?" She asked. It was warmer in there so I gave it to her.

"Thank you." I said slipping it off.

"It will just be a moment." She said. But before I could ask her 'a moment for what?' she had left.

I was standing in the middle of the room suddenly a chill ran up my spine. Where was I? What was I doing? I walked over to the fireplace and let the warm heat hit my face.

I heard a voice behind me. "You are truly beautiful."

Scared out of my mind I froze there. I didn't even know if my body would let me turn around. It was not a scary voice it was actually soothing and had an admiring tone to it. Then the voice spoke again.