Shards of Black Glass

A Visitor Comes

Breakfast that morning is spent at Golden Corral. The boys look at me strangely when I bring three platefuls of food to the table, and eat them all. Even went back for dessert.

    "What? Am I not allowed to eat?" I ask as Alex and Jae stare at me. I see Mark and Alex shake hands under the table. Zak isn't looking at me; smartly, he's looking at his food. Jae laughs and says, "No, you are. It's just..." He looks at the other guys for help. They all look like deer in the headlights. Zak's voice speaks up, saying, "We didn't expect someone as skinny as you to eat so much."

    I stare at them, wondering what planet they came from. "I always eat this much. Have since I was a teenager. I have a high metabolism." Trying to avoid their gaze, I duck my head, pretending to have dropped my napkin on the floor. As I rise, I see the three guys looking at Zak. "What? Am I not allowed to be truthful?" Zak says irritably, stabbing his fork into a piece of lettuce. Ew. Rabbit food.

    Alex looks around at me, then back at Zak. "No, you are. It's just that you normally aren't. At least not this early in the morning." I see Mark and Jae smile, but notice the darkness in Zak's eyes, which reflect the stormy sky outside. "I'm always truthful. Tired or not," he says shortly, turning towards the window, clearly ending the conversation.

    After breakfast we pile into the van. I have to sit in the very back with Jae. Mark drives while Zak sits in shotgun, staring out the window, deep in thought. Alex tries to make jokes, but they all fall flat, so he stops.

    We arrive at the hotel, where the rest of the Paranormeon crew are staying. We grab some of the cameras to download the video onto Mark and Jae's laptops, then head inside.

    The large lobby reflects the wealth of the owner. I ignore the huge crystal chandelier, and the glass sculptures dotted around the lobby, and even refuse to smell the real-life flowering plants in the corners. I grab my key from the receptionist, a handsome guy with dark hair and light brown eyes. He winks at me, but my tiredness makes me irritable. I glare back and march away towards the elevators. I sense his disappointment, and feel his eyes on my back.

    We all drop off our cameras in Jae and Mark's room, then head off to find our own. I'm right next to Alex and Zak, a fact Alex points out. I roll my eyes and open my door with the keycard. "Remember, Saira. We meet up to review evidence at noon," Zak says. I nod to show him I understood, then enter my room and close the door.

    I throw my keycard on the dresser, and collapse onto the bed. I sink into the soft blankets and comfy pillows, and am soon asleep.

    My dreams plague me all morning as I sleep. Voices whisper out of the darkness of twisting hallways that never end. A horned beast with glowing eyes and sharp fangs hisses at me, saying in a language forgotten to man, "Try as you might, Saira. I will have a soul by the end of your journey." The beast disappears into scarlet smoke, and the dream is replaced with one of my all-to-familiar nightmares.

    A bonfire roars behind me. Shadows dance around it, people being morons and goofing around. The smell of alcohol permits the air, making my nose crinkle up in annoyance. A cup of beer is in my hand, yet I don't drink it.

    A guy stumbles up to me. His dark gray eyes and wavy black hair makes all the girls fall for him. But not me. And that's what made him walk up to me.

    "Hey, Saira. You enjoying the party?" His words are slightly slurred, but I barely notice. I shake my head, saying, "No. It's boring." The boy smiles stupidly and says, "I can make it more interesting. And besides, your parents aren't around to stop us from having some fun."

    A shiver runs down my spine at the mention of my parents. I stand straight from leaning against the downed bed of my truck. "Take that back," I say, quietly. I don't think he hears me over the loud, obnoxious music, because he says, "I'm lucky that fire took them. Now, I can have you all to myself. No stupid dad trying to get in the way of my fun."