The Unknown

Chapter 15

I was sitting in the living room, when Mikal came in the house, brushing the snow from his hair. Alister had left earlier, allowing Mikal and I to have the house to let us have our Christmas. I had hot chocolate and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies on the coffee table.

"Merry Christmas," he said with a smile. I gave him a soft smile, "Merry Christmas dork." He handed me the bag of gifts, and I pointed to the ones I had for him on the couch. "So tell me," He said while picking up one of the gifts. "What's going on between you and Alister?" I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, "I'm not entirely sure but I'm not against the direction we're headed in." I truly wasn't. I keep thinking back to our date and the kiss we shared. When he continued the date after we had captured Chad, I knew it was more than just a trap, for both of us. As far as first dates go, that was the best ever. The best part was the kiss. I felt alive for the first time in a while that night. That feeling will forever stay with me because right now, it seems that every time I am happy, even if it's for a second, things go south for me and I'm getting tired of it. 

Mikal looked at the shirt I had gotten him, and looked at me with a raised eyebrow, "You don't expect me to wear this do you?" I smiled, "Of course I do, or I wouldn't have gotten it for you." Mikal rolled his eyes, "Makes me wish I hadn't been so thoughtful with my gifts for you." I rolled my eyes this time before opening the rectangular present that was in my lap. When I opened it, it was like a stab to the heart. It was a framed photo of us with our parents. "When packing your things, I had noticed you didn't have any recent pictures of our parents," He told me. In the photo mom was sitting on a lounge chair her ridiculous yellow sun hat, that she loved so much, wearing a white one piece, a soft yellow see-thru swim suit cover over it. Dad stood off to the side of her chair, tongs in hand, the grill behind him. He was wearing the apron that Mikal had gotten him for father's day a while back. It said 'Quickest flip in the west' with a spatula flipping a burger patty on it. Mikal and I were off to the side. Mikal was smiling at the camera, as one of his hands, caught me off guard and pushed me, so in the photo I'm frozen mid fall, arms flying out in panic, and my face horrified. The picture had been taken by one of Mikal's football buddies from High School. 

Seeing our parents looking so happy, turned the knife in my heart. My eyes burned as they filled up with tears. "The day they died, dad was going to surprise mom with a romantic date. He had ordered flowers to her work, with a card asking if she was free that night," I told him, smiling softly while the tears fell. "Mom had called him on her lunch break and she declared he was the cheesiest dork on the planet. He told her he didn't know what she was talking about while smiling like a love struck idiot. After his phone call I had left to go for my jog. It was when I had gotten back is when I saw that unknown at our dinner table. It thanked dad for the coffee, then left shortly after. Most of the day was fine after that. When mom got home dad helped her out of her jacket like he always does before getting down to help her take off her heels. He kissed her and told her to get ready while he put them away. I was laying on the couch scrolling through Hulu when they came down ready for their date. That was when it showed up." I shared, remembering every detail. "Even though they were oblivious to the danger that was around us, and they died in a horrific way, I am thankful they couldn't see them for what they truly were. Life would have been so much different for them, and for us if they had been able too." 

I then moved my eyes from the photo to look at my brother, "Thank you for this Mikal." "Looks like I when the title of best gift giver this year," He declared, trying to lighten the mood. Taking the bait, I scoffed while rolling my eyes, "Maybe in your dreams." "I would much rather have that dream instead of having the nightmare where this abomination is the world's greatest gift," He said while shaking the shirt. I stuck my tongue out at him childishly, "You know you love it, now shut up." He chuckled and shook his head. 

We then opened the rest of our presents while talking crap about each other's tastes and such. When he left I took them up to my room and saw a small present in black wrapper sitting on my bed. 

Merry Christmas Stormy -A 

I removed the paper and saw a bottle of perfume in the small box. The bottle was shaped like a bloomed rose. The glass was a soft pink color. I had to admit, I too had gotten him a present. It was a bottle of cologne that reminded me of him the instant I had smelled it. It wasn't a present I had planned to buy, it just sort of happened. I pulled his present out of my nightstand. It was wrapped in bright pink paper with a white glittery bow. I knew I wasn't allowed on his floor so I went only half way up the stairs then left the present there before slipping back to my room. I placed the gift he had given me on my nightstand, beside the picture Mikal had gotten me. The rest of my gifts I put away before going into my bathroom. I turned on my shower, the steam filling the room almost instantly. After undressing, I stepped under the spray. While under the spray my muscles relaxed. Today I celebrated Christmas, who knows what awaits for me tomorrow. That was the scariest thing about my life. I know what's going to happen in the not so far future, but yet I have no clue what's going to happen to lead up to that point. 

Before this point, had someone asked me, if I would like the gift to be able to see the future, I would tell them no, because my nightmares were enough of a premonition, I didn't want to know more than that. Now I would kill for a full detail viewing of the future that will show me what we need to do to make sure what I am able to see, doesn't become our reality. Unfortunately, we're flying blind, praying we don't fly face first into a mountain, then drop into a vat of acid. I shook my head, trying to clear it of the doom and gloom. 

When I stepped out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around myself before leaving the bathroom. I threw on some clothes to sleep in before crawling under the covers. I looked at the photo on my nightstand. Back then, my only worries were, making sure to avoid the unknown at all costs, and to make my parents proud of me. I still want to make them proud. This time, by saving the world from the unknown.