Down End Road

Velvet. Smooth, black, velvet made up the entirety of my dress. My dress was a sheath dress with seven different coloured threads embroidering two dragons on the waist of my dress, their heads starting at my waist and their tails snaking around my body to end at my tailbone. My obsidian earrings hung from my ears in teardrops. Another set of obsidian jewels circled my neck. A breath of air left my lungs in a heavy exhale as I stared at my reflection.

The cuts on my arms had healed into white jagged scars, hardly noticeable if you weren’t looking. The same could have been said about my legs, except the one gash on my thigh. It was taking the longest to heal and as a result still needed a bandage.

We had returned to Bramborough, Florida three days earlier, explaining our sudden disappearance to the pupils as a covert rescue mission and that more details would be revealed at the annual Summer Society Ball.

Ever since the announcement, the whole student body had been clamouring around the four of us, begging for answers to their mundane questions. None of us were feeling particularly energetic nor ready to integrate ourselves back into student life and had been allowed three days off school.

I gripped the polished bronze knob in my hands, exhaling and imagining all my nerves dissipating into the air along with my breath. Ally stood on the other side of the door, a sympathetic smile on her face. Lately, her and Maverick had been inseparable. So seeing her alone was a shocking occurrence.

She wore a purple and black gown, the purple tulle wrapped around her and pooled around her ankles, the front just short enough to allow a peak at her silver heels. Black tulle had been placed over the purple, darkening the shade of it considerably. The dress had a sweetheart neckline, with a string of black beads connected to the centre dip, holding the dress up.

I smiled, seeing her long brown hair laying in curled waves across her shoulders, the two front pieces held up by a black obsidian jewel clip. “You look absolutely regal Myra.” Ally said, taking my hand with hers and swinging them back and forth.

“And you, Missy, look positively elegant.” I said, laughing at our dramatics and how normal it felt. “I’m really nervous.” I breathed, letting a slip of my true anxiety show on my face. Ally’s face fell, her face showing a sad but understanding countenance.

“Look Myra, you seem different, in some ways good and in others you’re just different. But, I just need to know if you’re happy.” Ally expressed. I held her doe eyes, mulling over her question. I hadn’t really thought about it like that. Thinking back on all that had happened over the summer. All the things I discovered, all the people I met, the new me that had come out of it. I could say with absolute resolution that I wasn’t sad.

I knew that some of the things that had happened made me sad and angry and confused, but above all… I had my family and I had him. I smiled faintly. “I’m happy, amongst other things, but I am definitely happy.” I answered.

She returned my smile with her own bright one. “Well then, if you can take on a whole army of Shifters all by yourself, what’s a few old Society members?” Ally encouraged in a low voice, a mischievous smile on her face.

Purple and black tulle rustled loudly as we walked along the corridor. My dress’ fabric, however, remained silent, gliding effortlessly along the floor. Two bodies stood a few metres away, their backs turned and their head bent towards each other conspiratorially.

My lips parted to speak, but all that left me was silence upon seeing Alex. He was wearing a black suit that fit him perfectly. It must be tailored, I thought. “Ahem,” Ally cleared her throat loudly. Eyes wide with excitement she stared at Maverick as he slowly turned to face us.

Stunned into paralysed silence, Maverick was left to stare at Ally with bewilderment, green orbs drinking in the beautiful sight of her. I laughed, the only thing I could think to do. My gaze gently moved to Alex.

He looked breathtaking, in every capacity of the word. I almost gasped when he smiled, revealing his pearly white teeth. Brown eyes danced with joy when his gaze met mine. Tongue heavy and dry, my body betrayed me as I stepped forward, closer towards him. Tilting my neck higher up, I drank in the sight of him.

His alluring masculine features were all that clouded my muddled mind. My hands no longer shook with nerves when I reached up to grasp at the medallion around my neck. Rubbing the worn metal between my forefinger and thumb.

I had all my usual jewellery on, my family ring, my medallion and lastly the friendship bracelet that me, Kaylee and Marriane had bought. It was the only piece on my that made my heart feel heavy. A reminiscent reminder of my past, and all the potential for my future.

“You look wonderful.” Alex said quietly, taking my wrist as he gently guided me away from Maverick and Ally, both too enamoured with each other to notice our slight distance.

“Now that is definitely better than nice.” I complimented jokingly, reminding him of what he had said to me at the last ball. Alex scoffed and rolled his eyes. A silly smile still stuck on his handsome face.

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?” He questioned teasingly. I shook my head, my mass of curls piled behind my head bobbing with the movement.

“Nope I’m going to tell your grandkids that story, it shall forever be your shame to bear.” I joked, our easy air was something I truly appreciated in the moment. It was something I loved about us, our dynamic was so fluid, so easy, that I never felt like I had to try with him. It was in these precious moments that I found true joy and tranquillity.

“Guess it is.” He murmured distractedly. Alex tilted his head minisculely, his intense stare finding my lips. I felt them part automatically, a natural reaction, before my hazy head finally regained control of itself.

“We need to talk about what happens after the summer.” I declared with finality. A jolt spiked through our ease, causing Alex’s smile to be replaced by a thick line of lips. “If all goes well tonight, I’m going to be writing to the college of Jay, about your admittance.” I revealed.

He sucked in a sharp breath, his nostrils flaring at the sudden revelation. “What if I don’t want to go to California?” He asked quietly, cautiously taking my hand in his. I eyed our conjoined hands warily.

“You, don’t mean that. It’s been your dream since forever.” I argued weakly. “What happened this summer shouldn’t change that. You should go… Live your life.” I insisted, tone feeble and unsure.

This is better, I lied to myself, this way Alex will be safe and far away from me. My inner monologue captured my attention so much that I didn’t notice Roger, Noah, Rosemary and Cassandra, strutt to our group.

Roger and Noah, both now groomed and trimmed properly, eyed me strangely. Their narrowed eyes studied me scrupulously. “Myra, Ally, you too look wonderful.” Cassandra said in her angelic tone.

For the most part, she looked like her normal self; bright hair, radiant smile, maternal kindness oozing from her pores. However, her eyes would dull just a little, every time she wasn’t right next to Noah. I assumed it was because she was thinking about Ben.

His face haunted us all. Over the past few days, I had found my nightmares no longer featured Shifters, but had instead been replaced by Ben’s crazed maniacal look right as he aimed the gun at me and Maverick. The same picture, my new number one torment. Even in death, he was trying to tear me away into nothing.

The only good thing that came out of my sleepless nights was Alex. Each and every time he’d be at my door, twizzlers and popcorn in hand. We no longer needed a movie to distract us from the world and its peculiar problems.

Sometimes we would sit in silence for hours at a time. Others we would read, jog, talk. Our routine was slowly evolving and maturing into a natural habit that I had come to appreciate and… love.

Such a simple thing was now the reason I could get a few hours of sleep at night. Agatha ethereally graced us with her omniscient presence. She wore a black, decked in silver rhinestones. The cut was simple and modest, but the fabric itself demanded attention and screamed authority.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Well I say, we all look fantastic.” Agatha stated bluntly, a roguish smile shaping her wide mouth. She stared at the door in front of us with a determined scowl, knowing and hating exactly where it led.

“Well, let’s make history and rock everyone’s world.” Agatha announced with exuberant confidence.

I laughed nervously, instinctively leaning toward Alex, who in turn held out his arm for me to take. I gripped onto it for dear life. “Here goes nothing.” I said, my last show of my true apprehension, before a mask of cool calm settled over my features. Freezing their soft joy into stone. I felt the blue power thrum beneath my skin, waiting for release. I shook my head at it, telling myself I could do this on my own, but it stayed anyway.

Chin up.

Back straight.

Eyes high.

I steeled myself for the onslaught of events to come, as Roger and Rosemary followed behind Agatha, Noah and Cassandra on their tail with Ally and Maverick stepping into the blinding light of the chandeliers glow.

That was when we immersed ourselves into the ballroom completely. My heart thumping in my throat, and my stomach twisted in tight knots of dread.