Ray of Light

Chapter 5- Skin

Jason hadn't seen it yet. I didn't know how I could kindly point it out without making the situation worse. This girl, Anita, seemed strange, but was she dangerous? I had no way of telling. Hoping she only had it for self-defence, I quietly spoke up, 'A-Anita. We come in peace. Please don't hurt us.' 

'Oh, this knife? It's just a gift I got from a certain someone special. I carry it everywhere. It's like my lucky charm.' Wow. I didn't know what to say. 

'So... you have a boyfriend?' 

'Yes. Why do you care?' She was leaning in closer with a smile licking her lips. No. Don't even think about it. 

'Well- I don't. You mentioned him first.' 

'Oh, yeah. Haha.'

I could only imagine what sort of guy would give his girlfriend a knife as a gift. Perhaps she was involved in some sort of crime. I shuddered.

Jason had been quiet for some time, and instead of some input into the conversation, he simply unraveled a scrap of paper from his pocket. It was the 'into the light' message the skinny guy had given us. He showed it to Anita, and she smiled and said, 'Ah. You too? I got something like that as well.'

She opened her paper scrap and read out, into the cold night, 'Cherry Park, this Friday, 11:30pm. You must go.' Her message was the same except for the cryptic bit at the end, three words that didn't really seem necessary. Well, at least hers made sense. Ours didn't. I read out our message and her head bowed down in deep thought.

We were interrupted as soon as this happened. Our rather loud voices had attracted another figure, who we saw in the distance waving its hand at us. I waved back and gestured to come closer. I made out the details of a young woman as she approached us. It was too dark to make much out of the situation, so Anita shone the torch directly at the woman's face.

The light glistened off her face, revealing deep, lustrous, healthy skin. She was dressed well from head to toe, and only her face was exposed. But I just couldn't stop staring at her beautiful skin. I felt  very much like a freak (which, let's not forget, I am) as she squinted against the harsh torch light and I simply gawked. My voice, for the second time that week, was thrown about inside me and couldn't get out.

She glanced briefly at me, and I smiled. It wasn't often that I was left speechless, but this was one of those rare moments. Her lips parted, and she began to speak. 'He-'

BANG. A gunshot rang through our little gathering, breaking past the confines of the park.

Silence.