Life Starts After Dark

I wasn’t sure what to expect in the morning. I had hoped that I would find it was all just a bad dream. Well, not a bad dream…completely. I mentally kicked myself for even thinking that.

It was as if I could still taste him on my lips. The memory of him was so vivid; tat flashes of it all flooded my brain at the strangest times.

I registered that today was Sunday, and that I still had no work. This meant I had nothing to keep me busy. So I decided that I would drive somewhere. I didn’t really know where, I just knew that I had to have something to distract me from Eric. Maybe I would go to bowling or go see a movie. That was a good idea, I thought.

So I showered, dressed, and drove to Shreveport, all the while trying to keep my mind solely on my driving, and nothing else.

I sat in a dark movie theater, and was annoyed with the movie I had picked. It was a romantic comedy, and the male lead was a tall, blonde man with blue eyes. For the second time in only one day, I kicked myself.

I left the theater halfway through the movie. Those kinds of films were always so predictable anyway. Everyone knew that the couple ended up resolving their differences and making up, usually with a particularly wet kiss.

I wandered the streets of Shreveport until I came across a particularly sketchy looking bar. I knew it was a bad idea, especially with the clientele I could see through the window. None of them looked very friendly, or very clean. But I needed a drink. I needed to forget.

I ordered tequila, the whole bottle. I kept pouring it into a shot glass repeatedly until my head felt thoroughly fuzzy. Afterwards, I ordered some French fries and hung out in the bar for what I thought was only a couple of hours. But when my brain worked its way around some of the tequila, I realized that it was actually quite dark outside, and a more rowdy crowd had started to occupy the bar.

I needed to call someone before I got myself into big trouble.

I soon discovered it was a bit too late for that.

Two bikers walked into the bar, sitting on either side of me. I trembled involuntarily. One of them brushed up against me as he ordered a beer, and I forced myself not to gasp as I found myself sucked into a vision.

I could see myself in a secluded area of the bar’s parking lot. I was lying behind a big white van right next to a thick patch of trees. The sound did not carry here. No one heard my screams as they beat me into submission. Once I was too hurt to be able to get up and run away, the bigger of the two bikers undid his belt and leaned over me, a sick smile playing on his lips.

I nearly cried out when I cam back into the real world. I remained as silent as possible, trying not to let myself look appealing them. I hoped I could change the future. I had never before succeeded in doing so, but this was my life I had to save this time. It was much more frantic now. Before, I had come to terms with the fact that I would never be able to save the people who died in my visions. I had warned them, hoping they would take my advice, but they never did. So, what if I took my own advice and ran out of there as soon as possible?

I knew I was about to be sick, so I got up and went to the small dingy bathroom in the back of the bar. I flung myself into an empty stall just in time to heave up all my tequila into the toilet.

I have to get out of here I have to get out of here I have to get out of here, I repeated to myself over and over again in my head. My legs didn’t seem to want to move as fast as my brain, and the lag caused me to stumble out of the stall clumsily. I doused my face with water in the sink, and looked at my reflection in the mirror. All I saw was an unconcealed mask of fear.

I headed for the exit in what I thought was an inconspicuous manner, but then again, I was drunk. I was sure someone saw me walk out of the bar. I heard footsteps behind me, so I sped up, only to stumble and end up with gravel stuck in my knees and hands. I scrambled to my feet noisily and ran blindly toward the parking lot. I cursed myself for parking at the back of the lot.

That was when I realized I parked behind the white van. That was also when I decided sprinting for the car would be the better option, if I wanted to survive.

But just as I had almost made it to my car, a black booted foot rose from behind the van and tripped me before I had a chance to react.

I hit the pavement with a pathetic thud, and I felt my jaw crack as it hit the ground. I cried out in pain, and then the beatings began.

The other guy must have joined in, because I felt it from both sides. I lashed out blindly, kicking and scratching at thin air, never seeming to make contact. I tried to crawl, but that just seemed to make them angry. One of them kicked me over so I was lying face up, and I received a sharp blow to the stomach. I felt a boot kick me hard in the face and felt my cheekbone shatter on impact. I screamed again, but only bubbles came out. My eyes fluttered just as the beatings stopped and I saw the man undo his belt and lean over me, a sick smile playing on his lips. He got on his knees and dragged me to him on the pavement, ripping at my shorts.

I tried to scream for help. I tried to hit him. But my limbs were limp with exhaustion. I felt like every bone in my body was broken, and I was fading out. It was a strange out of body experience, as if I were floating just above the scene.

But before I could die…before the man could rape me and leave me out here like a used wrapper, I heard a voice. It was the most beautiful, dangerous voice I had ever heard. The voice brought me slamming back into my body, the pain returning with sharper clarity than before.

The voice spoke calmly, but with undeniable anger. “Get away from her.”