Melancholy (Book I)

Abashed

I honestly was expecting twenty people

Not the entire city

I took my seat nervously  in a cushioned blue and white chair and looked up on the eager faces of  teens and adults. I smiled, amazed at how much people actually liked my work and suddenly for some reason I felt more self conscious.  I felt myself flush with embarrassment knowing I should of worn something better. Even heels would of been better

                           
The first person to come up to me was a young girl, around 16. She was plump and short, cheeks still round with baby fat. She had short cropped red hair and pretty brown eyes that seemed to gleam as she jumped up and down energetically. She was dressed in a short white dress and a black sweater. She wasn't cute, she was adorable

" Miss Avella, its such an honor to meet you" she said happily, handing me the book.

                    
For a brief moment I admired my book, amazed at the fact that I actually had gone through with it. It had my name, IN BOLD PRINT, AVELLA MORCHINO printed on both sides. I knew I could do it, but it still feels nice to praise myself every once in a while.

                      
I smiled and wrote my signature in the front of the book along with a short thank you note beside it. She took it back gratefully and shook my hand.

" My name's Elle by the way" she whispered to me before quickly turning away and happily skipping off.

                        
  People came and went like fireflies while time just floated away. It was dusk when I came down to the last few people in the line.

                            
The last was a young male dressed in a purple v neck shirt and black pants. He had sharp features, but big soulful green  eyes. He stood well over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and a sharp tapered face. His hair was jet black and straight, right above his shoulders covering one of his eyes.

                     
We stared at each other for a moment before he broke the silence by saying in a low, deep voice

" I really like your book"

                        
I wanted to say something like-" I really like you" or "Oh my gosh, you're so hot" but I would sound so incredibly corny and in the process creep the hell out of him. In my mind contemplated possibly kidnapping him and keeping as my lover forever but brushed that silly childish thought away, those things only ever worked out in books and movies and in the end either the kidnapper gets killed or arrested and anyway I thought of doing that to every hot guy I met. Sadly they NEVER looked at me that way. Instead they considered more as a buddy or a best friend. I mean that isn't bad and all but Jeesh, for once can someone love me back.

                     
I took the book from him and I signed  my name trembling feeling his eyes on me the entire time.  My hands shook so violently when handing him back the book that I swear I was gonna drop it. He took it from me  and I sunk back deeper into my chair.

Stop acting so stupid Avella I scolded myself mentally then crossed my legs. He obviously noticed my discomfort and when I looked back at him again, he gave me a warm, welcoming smile.

"Thank you Ms. Morchino. I appreciate this very much" he said with a slight accent I hadn't noticed before.

                     
He turned around and chuckled then  made his way out quickly, as if in a hurry. Within seconds I saw him disappear into the coming night.

                             
I sat there for a minute, going through all my thoughts then pulled out my cell phone and dialed my sister's number to come pick me up.  I had a car when I had lived with her but her boyfriend decided to crash that while driving on a highway. I didn't really feel bad about it because I hated him so much that just seeing him in tremendous pain that one time made me get over losing my car. He deserved it anyway. After 8 failed call attempts and the annoying voicemail that I begged her to change for almost a year now, I decided for the sake of my poor sanity I'd just walk to her apartment myself .

          
I tucked my chair back under and picked up my bag and keys off the table. I waved goodbye to the employees and made my way outside. I quickly tried my sister again, to no avail.   I rolled my eyes and began my journey to her apartment.

                             
The apartment was 10 minutes away but it felt like I'd been walking forever. I couldn't remember a time in my life when my parents allowed me to walk on the road, alone and especially at home. As I walked along the sidewalk my eyes darted everywhere for any signs of danger. I fiddled with the apartment key in my hand, trying my best to stay calm. I should of kept trying damn it

                             
The night air was chilly and instinctively I wrapped my arms around myself to keep warm.  There were fewer people on the street now and soon I found myself alone. I sped up, feeling an ominous feeling hovering over me. Like someone was following me.

"Always be on your toes, no matter where you are and who you're around. You don't know who is the friend from who is the foe" my mother once told me and strangely for the first time in my life I found myself actually applying what she told me.  Then that's when something strange happened, I broke off into a run.

                    
Honestly I didn't know why I was running.  It was like my brain just told my body to go into Ballistic sprinter mode.  I kept running like a madwoman down the street in zigzags, panting so hard I felt as if my lungs were about to burst. I finally started slowing down and tried to catch my breath when someone pulled my hair back and I hit the ground . I let out a high pitched scream, so loud that it hurt my ears.  I found myself being dragged into a dark alley and I started kicking and lashing out everywhere. Then  we came to a halt and I made my first attempt of getting away but I couldn't move. I kept screaming at myself to get up but I wouldn't budge. I wouldn't move. I was stuck there.

"Stupid  human" I heard my attacker say in a husky voice. I opened my mouth to say something but only air came out. I was totally defenseless, and I felt tears welling up in my eyes.  Then I felt a pain, a sharp pain in my side, like someone had just stabbed me. 

"Don't bother to fight Human. Its useless" 

Why the fuck was he calling me human?

       
Warm blood trickled out my wound as I clutched on to my side, crying. Again, something stabbed me but this In my lower back. I let out a bloodcurdling as hot tears rolled down my cheeks

                           
Black and red dots danced in my vision as I started to slip out of consciousness. Soon my screams and pleas turned into quiet sobs. I tried to imagine myself in a better place, a paradise, but the pain of being stabbed over and over was all too unbearable.

                      
Just before I passed out, to the corner of my eye, I saw burning amber eyes.