A Demon's Kiss

Chapter 3

A Demon's Kiss ©

Chapter 3

I couldn’t breathe. The oxygen just wasn’t being accepted in my body. Slowly, I tried to calm myself down as we left the parking lot. As minutes passed by, the buildings around us began to lessen. Within ten minutes, we’d be out of the city and closer to the Assembly.

The Jeep started to make a humming noise, and the dashboard began to shake. We weren’t driving on pavement anymore, and judging by the GPS’s red sign reading out of range, we were almost there. Drew shut the GPS off. It was obviously adding to his stress.

I flinched when I felt soft fingers on my hand. My heart was still beating in my ears when I realized it was only April. She had a pained look on her face, and I couldn’t decide if it was from her strain or from mine. She pulled my hand so that I would scoot closer to her, and I complied with her move, feeling the stiffness of her touch. She needed comfort. 

“At least we’re going to be in the same room,” I reminded April. She calmed a little under my hold.

“Yeah,” she agreed, and judging by her pause, I could tell she was mentally contemplating possibilities of the room’s size. Years ago when I’d first met her in seventh grade, our principal had invited our sister school over for a day of fun and games. There’d been a dunking game, whereas a student would sit on a plank and fall into the container of water beneath him or her once a rock was thrown directly at the target beside the tank.

While I’d been impatiently waiting in line, April had been standing tensely behind me, and from the look on her face, I knew she didn’t want to play. From behind her, I’d seen her friends snickering. It had taken me a moment and several times of watching April wince every time someone would fall into the tank to realize her situation.

“Claustrophobia is a common phobia,” I’d said from in front of her.

“Excuse me?” she had spoken politely with a crack of fear behind her words.

“I have the exact statistics if you want to hear them.” I remembered how proud I was of my successful project my teacher had assigned me about claustrophobia. I’d been ready to state exact numbers before April had shaken her head.

“No thank you.”

We hadn’t spoken for a while after that short conversation, but later when I’d been getting cotton candy, I found her at the popcorn stand beside me. I’d studied her wet clothes and her teasing friends. It hadn’t taken long for me to pull her to the side.

“My name is Joanna,” I’d said, not getting too close to the girl. She hadn’t replied as water continued to drip from her hair. “Your turn.”

She’d cringed at my audacity at the time, and I knew that was the reason we were friends. Our opposite personas were what made us complete.

“April.” She’d revealed a grin. “April Walker.” 

We reached complete wilderness, and I was taken aback that there was such greenery outside of the city. The guard’s black Mercedes stopped, and he stepped out of his car. With some hand motions and whispers, the Assembly was unsheathed before our eyes.

At first, all I could see were colored chrysanthemums as well as an artificial river flowing down a ways. The grass was neatly trimmed, and the color it withheld was faded and green. Drew ignited the car and followed the guard silently. The pathway towards the building of the Assembly was a continuation of bursting flowers and rushing water. I was so focused on the nature, I didn’t even notice what was right in front of me.