Night Guardian

Chapter 1 Part 1

Chapter ONE

Kayla looked out the window into the cloudy night. Looks like rain. She thought. Shrugging her shoulders, she gathered her purse and keys and headed out the door. Rain didn't bother her. Besides, she wanted to get this grocery shopping out of the way; she was tired and irritable. A gentle wind greeted her as she stepped outside, tugging at her dark shoulder-length curls. Kayla smiled; she always loved breezy nights. The air was thick with the smell of oncoming rain. She pulled up to a Whole Foods store and quickly walked inside to avoid it. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and jumped a little as her cell phone buzzed in her purse:

VICTORIA: Hey, what's up?

KAYLA: Nothing, just doing some random shopping nothing in the fridge at home, how about you?

VICTORIA: Nothing much. Watching TV :/

KAYLA: Oh. K. Well I'll call u when I get back to the house.

VICTORIA: OK. ily bye be careful.

KAYLA: <3 bye

Kayla was so occupied with her phone while shopping, she didn't look up to see someone coming around the corner. She bumped right into a young man, and both managed to drop all the contents of the mini baskets they were carrying.

"Oh! I'm so sorry sir! " she apologized.

"No no, pardon me, miss. I should have been paying attention to where I was going. " the man said, " here, let me help you with this..."

They both knelt down at the same time to put the items back into their baskets. That is when they first made eye contact. Kayla paused for a moment to study him. His eyes were the first thing she really noticed. They shined out at her from under his dark grey hoodie like mesmerizing stars that shone with many secrets. His eyes were a rich dark brown. A single, long curl of ebony hair had escaped its hair tie and draped itself across his face. The second thing that she noticed was that he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Kayla wondered fleetingly if she were in a dream. She nervously tucked a strand of her own hair behind her ear. "Thanks. I'm really sorry about crashing into you. I was on my phone, after all. "

"That makes two of us then, " the man chuckled, holding up his own phone. Kayla's heart skipped a beat. His smile was so lovely and bright. Good lord, she thought. They stood together after putting the items away.

"Are you from around here?" He asked, his large curious eyes scanning her face. All of a sudden, she felt self-conscious. Her fingers absently played with a lock of hair again. "No, actually I just moved here from Florida a month ago." He nodded in understanding. "So have I, except I have been here for three months now...and I'm from Los Angeles."

"Looks like we have something in common then. I'm Kayla." She extended her hand towards him with a warm smile.

The man bowed slightly as they shook hands, which caused her to swoon on the inside. "Nice to meet you madame, my name is Michael." Kayla couldn't help but notice how warm and large his hand was. His voice was mellifluous and had a musical sound to it. Every time he spoke, it sounded like a delicate rain falling.

Could you get any more perfect?

They both walked slowly towards the checkout line to prolong the conversation. Michael had this strange aura about him. He spoke first, as a semi-awkward silence had settled between the two. "May I ask you something?" A small smile graced his features.

"Sure,"

"Are you doing anything this weekend? I know this may sound forward, but I couldn't help but want to know more about you. You seem like a very intriguing person. "

"Oh!" Kayla said, stopping where they were. She thought it over. She couldn't really trust this man, could she?

"No I'm free this weekend, we can both become more acquainted with this town."

Michael flashed another dazzling smile. They finally arrived at the checkout line and Kayla couldn't help but notice the strange looks the cashier was giving them. As soon as she made eye contact with her, the cashier looked down immediately. She wanted to ask the girl what her problem was.

"Does Saturday night sound good? I'm booked tomorrow."

"Saturday is perfect," he said. "There's a new Italian restaurant opening on Caldwell, I hear they are excellent."

"Hopefully, it doesn't rain," she said, looking out at the sky.
"I'm sure it'll be fine, " Michael reassured her. The cashier began checking out his few items with obvious distaste. Kayla shot her an icy glare, glancing back at Michael apologetically. He didn't seem to notice or care. "Maybe after that, we can go for a walk in the park?" He suggested, raising his long eyebrows. "That sounds nice!" She replied, flashing him a flirtatious smile. By then, they had reached her silver Audi A4. She put her bags in the trunk. They quickly exchanged numbers. "I'm waaay down there," Michael said. He pointed to a far off black car in the distance. A moment passed between the two. Michael looked at his feet, and back to Kayla.

"It was nice meeting you Kayla, " he said softly.

"Likewise," despite herself, she giggled, I'll see you Saturday night at 6:30?"

"6:30. Farewell madame, " he took her hand and kissed it. She blushed. "See you then Michael, goodnight. "

"Goodnight. "

They waved at each other before walking in opposite directions.

When Kayla got home, she fell asleep with a smile as the rain that had been held back especially for her finally began to pour. When she heard the rain, she thought of his voice.

************

Michael smiled as he thought of Kayla. Most people in the small town had avoided him or given dirty looks. "Maybe fate has joined our souls. Maybe god has finally sought to soothe my lonely heart." He thought. He performed a spin about his ballroom, ecstatic.

"Someone is happy," a teasing voice echoed through the large room.

"Be quiet." He said, with crimson cheeks.

The voice continued to snicker.

I wonder what she'll say when I reveal who I really am, he thought. I hope I do not drive her away.

"Don't worry Maestro, I'm sure she will accept you just the way you are,"

"Let us hope so," he mumbled. He walked over to the grand piano by the window and began to play a soft tune, looking out into the moonlight as his long elegant fingers glided along the smooth ivory keys. This is how he spent most of his time: reading, walking aimlessly around the woods that surrounded his home or playing an instrument. He only went into the city on rare occasions. The townspeople there were quite judgmental and rude. He only went to the library, or on occasions when really bored, he would become invisible and sneak into the movie theater and irritate moviegoers by laughing very loudly. No one could pinpoint the source of the noise because it would be too dark. He chuckled to himself at this thought. One thing that he actually enjoyed doing was pulling pranks on the townspeople. As he played, his thoughts drifted back to Kayla, the thick, honey-skinned woman he'd met earlier at the store.

"God, she's beautiful," he whispered under his breath. He began to dote on her lovely brown eyes, full lips, and full figure, her soft, delicate hands when they introduced themselves, and her gentle voice. Her powerful aura had washed over him completely.

Michael was snapped out of his reverie by a distant voice calling to get his attention.

"You have a visitor, sir."...