Friendly Encounter

Chapter 1 - Bloody Encounter

"Sleep, those little slices of death - how I loathe them."

― Edgar Allan Poe

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When flowers bloom, they bloom away leaving all their scattered haunting memories of the past behind them as they blossom onto the bright blue sky shining upon them as they are filled with endless hope but when I bloomed, I never expected to turn this way.

Studying all the way here in Oklahoma far away from Dubai made me change in lots of aspects. Starting with the way I dress and eat, to the way I style my red hair, and brush my white teeth. Studying here never seemed easy but I was bound to do my best in all my classes to make my family back home proud of me as their weight still confuses my weak shoulders each time that I'd venture into the city, or the caffe, or the movie theatre or the bookstore when I want to find a new book that interested me.

I'd never thought that I would make friends here in the fancy college I go to. Most of the classes I go to is when people are quiet and rusty, or shy and clumsy but for me I'd always mind my own business and write down my notes in my notebook as I listen to the doctor carefully until the moment that Riley the girl who always greeted but never engaged in a long conversation with me spoke to me.

"I like your hair," she said with a gentle smile on her flushed face.

"Thank you,"

"Are you new here perhaps," said the boy behind her with the silver lilac hair.

"I am, I mean...I been here for like a month, but I am still new, and I only have a bunch of friends to hang out with really,"

"Really," said the boy as he sat next to me, taking out literature books from his backpack onto the table. "are your friends here?"

"are they here?" said Riley. "I'd like to meet them,"

"they're not...,"

"where are they?" said the silver boy "ghosts perhaps?"

"no," I mumbled "they're in different majors, and their building is a bit far away from here,"

And as we were talking about the most mundane stuff, the doctor walked in knocking on the board twice for our attention.

"today we're going to discuss, and analyze a very fascinating book," the doctor said. "it's one of my favorites actually and you all know what book that is so take out your books and keep your eyes on me,"

I hadn't thought that Caroline is a fascinating book because to me it looked like another story book for kids with dangerous hidden themes in it but studying here with our doctor made me see things in different perspectives as I never thought for one second that Caroline was that important or interesting but really isn't it hard to find interesting people. People that once walked around us, stared at us, smiled to us, comforted us, denied us from our rights, or perhaps neglected us.

After the class I put my book back into my purse and as soon as I reached the door, I felt a hand on my back tugging slowly.

"We're going to a book club, not far away from here," said the silver haired boy as the light shone on his icy blue eyes "you should join us,"

"I don't think so," I said. "I don't really know your name, or anything about you so why would I go with you?"

"not just him," said Riley "me as well, and it could be something good for a change because you barely do anything other than attending classes correct?"

"true," I said

"then come with us," she said. "you won't regret it, trust!"

Without further complications I accepted their offer and went outside of college as the rain drops hit my face and reminded me of the ugly scars of my childhood. I remained by the fence looking at the water below me that separated the walls of this beautiful town while Riley and the silver haired boy went to grab coffee from a nearby store.

And when they came back there was someone else with them, a blonde-haired guy with a grunge snake designed tattoo on his left arm but a warming welcoming smile on his face, and he was holding two cups of coffee, one in each hand.

"here you go," said the boy "and for a second I thought you'd look way too different than what I imagined you to be, but you look magnificent,"

I smiled "so what is your name and his name"

"my name's Kurt," he said. "I am in the second year of college, and I also study literature, but I am assuming we're in different classes, so I barely see you, and this silver haired gentleman over here is Zayn, he studies photography,"

Zayn punched Kurt with a friendly blow "Ah, yes I do love me some photography, but I won't deny that I also love reading books but taking pictures of strangers is really what gets me going,"

"then you should take a picture of her," said Riley as she wiped her mouth

"Yes," said Zayn. "Perfect, just stay the way that you are and do not move,"

One, two, three seconds later I heard the crackling sound of his camera that sniped a picture of me.

"here you go," he handed me the photo. "I hope you like it,"

"thank you,"

"no problem," he said

"let's get going then, the book club isn't far from here," Kurt informed us.

And as we crossed the road, the rain drops filled my hair, and the whispering words of the people around us alarmed my ears as the soft wind blew in our faces. Bones cracked, and cries chimed.

I lifted my head slowly as strands of hair covered my view. I saw him on the floor as the blood filled the delicate edges of the broken corners in the concrete ground.

Dead in place as his soul escaped his body once his steady breathing stopped. It was Samu Onions. A classmate from my literature classes. A man that was always calm...silent as the quiet wind during an autumn afternoon.