Forgotten

Chapter 1 (Leslie)

Once again, my iPhone begins to vibrate again in my right jean pocket. I pull it out with great hesistance, and see that my mother is calling me. I roll my light gray eyes and touch the 'Answer" icon on the screen.

"What is it mother?" I hear myself say with great annoyance. I already know what she's going to say.

"I called you five minutes ago," she tells me. "Why haven't you gotten home yet?"

I sigh loudly, letting her hear how annoyed I am. "I told you that I was going to be late, didn't I? I'm walking as fast as I can."

"Fine," she says. "Just get home quickly. Anything can happen at this time at night."

I click and shove my phone into my bag this time. I make note that it's 11:46 pm.

My mother has always been this worried and strict since my father died. He passed away in an accident on the freeway. He liked to drink, especially when driving. Mother always told him that it'd be the death of him, and as always, she was right. SInce then, she's been on my case about everything, like the way I dress, who I call my friends, where I go, you name it.

Tonight, I went out with the girls and some guys tagged along. I don't drive so I asked my friend Jaime to give me a ride to the party and he did. Jenesis sat in the front seat, and I sat in the back, wearing some light-blue skinny jeans with a gray and black flannel, size XS. I wore my gray Chuck Taylors to match.

When we got to the party, I found Ekira and the girls and we just starting swaying our hips to the music. You could see the boys lined up along the wall watching us, and when they got a little loud, you could hear them saying who they'd tap and what-not. Boys will be boys. We were at least three hours into the party when my mom starts calling and calling. That was my cue to leave.

I couldn't find Jaime or Jenesis, so I just started walking home, since it wasn't that far away.

 So that's what I'm doing, walking home, with my 5'2 slim but curvy body. My light brown curls bounce with every step I take, so I just tie my hair up into a ponytail, and try to get a move on. Anything can happen this late at night.

I start to jog a little past the mouth of an alley when I notice a puppy lying there, motionless. My affection for animals causes me to stop and kneel down toward it, and pet it. I shook it a little and that's when I noticed that it's body was as cold as ice and as hard as stone. It's a boy, and I can easily tell that he was young too, poor fella.

I hear a noise, sort of like a groan from deeper in the alley. Part of me is telling me to run while the other is full of curiosity.

I muster up enough courage and go deeper into the darkness.

"Is anyone there?" I meant to ask it louder, but it came out like a whisper to me. "You don't have to be afraid if that's what you're thinking! I'm here to help.." At least I thought I was.

And that's when I saw him. He was slumped against the brick wall, the black long hair obscuring his face, not enough though. His left cheek had a deep cut, and blood came pouring down. His right leg was twisted and all the joints were turning out in sickening direction.

I'm in shock, afraid of what or who might have done this to him, could still be here.

He moans again, this name-less stranger, and I come back to my senses. I run and kneel beside him, and assess the damage and take the time to see what's under all the hair. His eyes are a light green with a hint of brown around the irises. His nose is small, and kind of close to his face, and his lips are not too big and not too small; just right. RIght now, they are exposing his white, perfect teeth because of the pain he's in. His skin is a light peach, but is contrasted with the crimson. He's lost a lot of blood from that gash.

"Are you alright?" I ask, and move the hair out of his face. "Answer me!"

At that moment, he slapped my hand away, and said "Don't touch me. You need to get out of here, now!"

"You obviously need my help!" I snap.

"Listen, you don't know what or who I am, you don't need to worry about a 'name-less' stranger. There isn't much time before it comes back, so leave while you still can!" he yelled, and with that, he shoved me farther from him.

He can read my mind, I thought. What is he?

Afraid, I turn to leave and start running. I don't get very far when I run into someone and fall backward.

"Hey! Watch where you're--" I stop.

His face, half of it's red with blood. His eyes are red with black rings around the irises, and his smile is the worst of all, it makes me stop in my tracks. He stands at about 6'1 and towers over my fallen body.

"Hello little girl," he grins. "Care to join the boy's condition?"

Am I going to die?  I thought.

Not on my watch, says another voice.

At that instant, time seems to have fast forwarded. The name-less stranger from before attacks the creepy guy I ran into. He has no broken leg, and only a faint scar of the wound he had on his cheek. 

Surely, I must be dreaming.. I thought.

"Leslie, you need to run!" The name-less stranger yells. "Get out of here now!"

How does he know my name?

I didn't need to be told twice. I ran, harder than I ever ran in my life. Faster than I ever ran in my P.E class. If my teachers were to see me now.. 

Home is a few feet away when I look behind me,

and I'm greeted

with nothing. Just the same old neighborhood I grew up in.

 I keep running till I get inside my house, and lock the door behind me. I let my breath out like I've been holding it in.

What just happened? I thought.

"Leslie?" I hear my mom call from the living room. "Leslie hunny, is that you?"

This woman. "Yeah, mom, who else has a key but me?" I tell her.

I walk into the living room, and give her a kiss on the forehead. "I'm going to bed, kay? See you in the morning." With that, I make my way upstairs, do my nightly ritual, and let myself fall into bed.

This night was unreal. The party was amazing, but all the contents after, makes me question if this is reality or not. He just got up like he was never hurt and started fighting that guy. I just don't know what to make of it..

I start to doze off, letting the sleep take over me when I hear something in my mind.

Goodnight Leslie. Sleep till the sun has made it's way back to us, he said.

With that, I dreamt of that beautiful voice all night long.