Aurora : Temptress Of The Dusk

Chapter 9

My eyes open to the sound of my alarm that I don't quite remember setting in the first place. These are the times when I regret my decision of keeping my phone away from me on the dresser. I have two options, either I wake up and shut that god awful noise, or I try to ignore it and go back to sleep. I thought I had an option here, but really I don't. I choose the former because if I have to listen to that loud drum roll one more time, I'm going to get crazy. As soon as I shut it off, I realise that this is why I set the alarm tune to a series of junky drum rolls and keep my phone far away. Smart. Cruel, but smart. I walk downstairs and see Evelyn walking from the kitchen cabinet to the dining table with two dishes full of eggs and bread. She seems cheerful.

"How'd you know I was up?" I ask her as I sit in the chair.

"I heard drum rolls" She winks at me.

I roll my eyes as she smirks in silence and dig into my breakfast. I spread a thick layer of butter on my bread and evenly place the eggs on a slice. I spread mayonnaise on another slice and place it on top. That's how I like my egg sandwich. I know lettuce and pickle are missing here but I am feeling a little lazy and I don't want to trouble Evelyn. We both eat in absolute silence, which is a comfortable silence. After we're done, I take our plates and put it in the sink and get the orange juice carton out of the refrigerator. I offer a glass to Evelyn and she refuses saying she's full.

After breakfast, I go back to my room to bath and get ready for the bonfire. But I just recall that I need to remind Evelyn first. So I run towards her old room where she used to stay before she moved away to the University. Before I realise that I opened the door I remember I didn't knock.

"What the hell Aurora?" She jumps off of the bed and covers her bare back with a blanket and I see not two but four legs on the bed. Evelyn's face is red and she's hiding someone's face. What? Oh no. Oh no!  I stand there dumbfounded and awkward, not knowing what to do next. I didn't see the guys face, but I didn't have to see his face to know it. I silently close the door and sprint back to my room. I didn't know she had a boyfriend. Evelyn has always been open to me about her relationships and it's not like her to hide something. Then why didn't she tell me this time? I'm absolutely embarrassed and I feel bad because I know Evelyn is going to be uneasy. Evelyn is not someone who is shy, but this was really awkward. I go to bath and try not to think about the mess I just made.

The bath is exactly what I needed. Warm water runs over my back and the smell of lavender fills my olfactory senses. Lavenders remind me of him and our walks on the lavender farms. My eyes burn and I bite the inside of my cheeks to avoid the stinging of possible tears. That's my cue. I wrap a towel around my chest and walk out of the bathroom into my room. I wince, aghast at the presence of the person in front of me. To my absolute terror and relief, I see Daven sitting on the edge of my bed. It's him but not quite so much like him. He is lean and feeble. He looks worn out and too enervated. I see faint dark circles and his skin is dull. Is he sick? I walk towards him when he suddenly stands up on his puny feet and gives  me an evil, devil-like twisted grin. No. He's not my Daven. He can't be!  In one single step, he covers the distance between us and I can't breathe. I am prepared for pain. I don't know why, but I'm prepared to take alot of pain.

He comes close to my face, really close, and opens his mouth to say something. It's wierd how his face looks so familiar but also so unrecognisable at the same time. The dark circles under his eye are prominent from this distance and his skin looks scaly, like flakes or scabs. His breath is short and swift on my face, like a puppy. I don't make eye contact with him for what seems like a lifetime. I'm staring at his chapped lips and all my senses have gone for a vacation. A moment ago I was prepared for pain. It never arrived. And now Daven is standing in front of me but he's so distant and different. He's not your Daven! My subconscious bangs the door at my brain to remind me. I have to know what is going on and for that, I need to make eye contact. As soon as our eyes match, I see red. His eyes are bloodshot, as if he drank too much or didn't sleep enough. You'd have to 'not sleep' for a month to get your eyes that red. My subconscious remarks.

"Moecha Putida", he says with a malicious grin, in a husky, gravelly voice and it sends a string of electric, dire goosebump all over my body. In that moment, I feel nothing. Absolute zilch. And it feels good. As if I'm fading into nihility. Annihilated.