Bitter

eight - lydia

It was almost one in the morning and I was at CVS in the medicine aisle, searching for something that would knock my mom out. She hasn't been able to sleep very well since I was in kindergarten, and to be honest, neither have I.

   I scanned the shelves, top to bottom, and finally, right under the cold medicine, I found a purple box. It looked to be tablets that make you tired within fifteen minutes of taking them. If it worked, it was good to me. I picked it up off the shelf and made my way to the front of the store, walking under the blinding lights. It should be a crime for the lights to be that bright at one in the morning.

   The man working at the register said nothing to me as I handed the medicine over to him, and I was completely fine with that. If I could get home quicker, the better I would feel. I paid, he put the item in the bag and handed it to me, and I was out of there in no time. I mumbled my thanks, he simply nodded, and I left silently, stepping out into the chilly night. I thanked myself for wearing a bigger sweatshirt than usual.

   My car waited for me in the dark parking lot. It wasn't far away, but for some reason, at nighttime, everything seemed bigger, like the lot had stretched when the moon rose. It could've looked that way because my car and just four others were the only things I could see in the lot. They definitely weren't the only things though, because I heard laughing coming from somewhere to my left. Voices carried over to me, talking to each other. More laughing. "Hey!" One of the voices called, a deep and husky.

   I didn't know anyone well enough for them to want to talk to me. Unless my mom had driven to CVS for some reason and had turned into a man, I couldn't think of anybody that that voice belonged to which made me walk faster to my car. Avoiding looking left, I kept my eyes trained on my escape. Please, please let me make it. The voice interrupted my thoughts. "Hey! Come here!" There was more cackling and whistling and a new voice shouted. "Come back!"

I was now full on running and I could hear shoes hitting the pavement behind me, as if the men had started to chase me. Good thing I had just reached my car and was unlocking it hurriedly, heart pounding in my chest, hands shaking. I didn't even risk a look back as I swung the door open and practically jumped in the seat, quick to shut the door again and lock it, fast. With the key in the ignition, it didn't take me long to peel out of the parking space. The radio was playing "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin, but I didn't bother turning it off because that wasn't my main concern. My breath was definitely "taken away" after running for my life.

What really made me lose all of the air in my lungs was when I was so close to exiting the lot. Four shadowy figures ran out in front of my car and I slammed on the brakes, my head hitting the headrest hard. I was breathing deeply, trying to stay in control. The headlights of my car were shining on very familiar faces and I thought for a split second that I might be dreaming. Three of them were idling, but Cal was the only one striding closer so I could see him better through my windshield. He was a ghost, the white beams of light drowning out everything around him, but of course, he was anything but invisible. His brown eyes, which appeared almost gold in the illumination, met mine, just as the chorus of "Take My Breath Away" enveloped me inside the quiet car.

Cal smiled. After making me fear for my life, Cal had the nerve to smile. I gripped the steering wheel tight, knuckles white, and hoped he could see the anger burning in my eyes.