The Dark Side of Introversion and other stories.

THE LOST GIRL

The sky was dark and gloomy, and the breeze blew with a calm tenderness that caressed my skin. Just perfect, I thought, and gently sat down on a long bench placed a few metres beside the relatively quiet road. At least, it was quiet on most days.

I come here often, same time on weekdays, to relax and get away from the ever busy world, as well as to keep myself sane. It was a peaceful road, situated in the middle of a small town, and this particular spot where I currently sat was the most tranquil there was. It was located a few hundred metres from the town center, and surrounded by tall evergreen trees. I cherished the spot, and always came here at six o'clock in the evenings, as I had been doing for the past three years, ever since I moved to this little town.

But today, the atmosphere felt quite different. For one, the road wasn't as calm as I expected it to be. A few kilometers down the road where there was a roundabout, a diversion had been made, as a major road was under construction. Therefore, every vehicle heading from the city of Crownsville to the neighboring town of Cornwood began to ply this previously noiseless road, and I was afraid my getaway spot had been compromised.

No, that wasn't the reason why I felt so uneasy. There was something particularly ominous in the air. I could sense it, but I just couldn't place my finger on it. It bothered me immensely, but soon I dismissed the thought, because I wasn't going to let anything ruin my relaxation time. So I reclined my back on the bench, took a sip of the warm coffee I held in my left hand, and began to read through a fantasy novel on my pad.

Not too long after I had sat down did a little girl of about nine years of age slowly appear before me. Her hair was quite thick and wavy, and tied into a ponytail at the back of her head. She stared at me for a while, perhaps analyzing me to decipher if I was friend or foe, then she slowly approached me and placed herself on the bench, just a few inches away from me.

"Ugh... Not again", I remarked disappointingly. I wasn't prepared to interact with any being during my relaxation period, but the universe could be quite unpredictable, so I wore my prettiest smile and turned toward the girl.

"Are you lost, little one?"

She nodded. "I can't find my father."

"Well, that's quite unfortunate."

"Have you seen my father?"

"Not yet dear."

"I want to go home. Can you take me home?"

"I can't take you home child. Not today."

The little girl suddenly became despondent. She lowered her head and began to pout.

"Don't fret little one." I turned to my left and stared far into the distance. "Your dad will soon be here, and when he comes, he'll take you home."

"Really?"

"Definitely."

The girl quickly cheered up and began to walk around, but not going too far from me. She then came back and sat beside me again.

"What's this?", she asked curiously, pointing at my neglected cup.

"Coffee."

"Can I have some?"

"No. You can't drink coffee."

"What are you reading?"

"A novel."

"What is it about?"

Her questions began to annoy me, but I knew I only had to wait till her father arrived, so I decided to entertain her a little.

"It's a story about a young boy who got separated from his family, and spends his whole life trying to get back to them."

"Does he succeed?"

"I don't know dear. I'm not done yet."

"What if he fails? What if he never sees his family again?"

The little girl fell sad and soon began to shed silent tears. I could tell her question wasn't really about the novel I was reading, but the only thing I could do was comfort her with my words.

"Your dad will soon be here to take you. Trust me when I say, that no matter how long it takes, you will definitely see your family again."

She stopped crying and stared at me.

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me."

She wiped her face with her hands and smiled again. Then, to my utmost surprise, she began singing the lyrics of a popular song I was quite familiar with. The melody was indeed catchy and soon enough, I began to sing along with her.

Not long after, a second figure appeared beside me. It gave me a shudder, because I had been so absorbed in the song I was singing to notice when he arrived.

"Daddy", the little girl screamed, and ran to the taller, bearded figure. He too was overjoyed to see his daughter again and shed tears as he lifted her up in an embrace.

"I thought I had lost you forever", said the man, all the while hugging his daughter tightly. It was a beautiful sight, which was more than enough to touch my cold, lonely heart. I felt a tear escape from my right eye.

"Daddy, when are we going to see Mommy and Jacob?", the little girl asked her father, as she wrapped her arms firmly around his neck.

"Soon sweetie, very soon", he replied calmly.

I could tell he wasn't being sincere. As if reading my thoughts, he suddenly turned to me and stared me in the eye.

"Which way do we go?"

I pointed right ahead of me.

"Just go straight, you'll get there."

The man nodded at me in gratitude. "Thank you for watching my daughter."

I nodded back.

The man smiled once again, and with his daughter calmly perched on his arm, he began to walk down a narrow path opposite me that led deep into the forest.

A large, black gateway suddenly materialized in the middle of the path, and the man and his daughter, with beautiful smiles on their faces, calmly walked through the gateway, and soon disappeared behind it. I stared again in awe, like I always did, hoping to have a glimpse of what was behind the gate. But despite my ability to interact with ghosts and also see the events leading up to their respective deaths, I could never see what lay beyond the gate that separates the land of the living from the dead, lest I go insane.

Minutes later, a large ambulance sped past me, it's sirens blaring loudly, towards the site of an accident, where a man had unknowingly rammed his car into an oncoming truck while he and his daughter were singing aloud to their favorite song on the radio.

"Too late", I thought, as I took another sip of my cold, bitter coffee.