Love from, Hell

EARTH

Julie’s head swam, plugged with cheap beer and vodka.

“The bar. The bar is closing Julie.” Calvin slurred loudly at her.

Julie blinked. Around her drunken youths were scraping chairs and laughing loudly as they heaved their way out the doors. Julie stuck her arm out for Calvin to help her up. He gripped her elbow and clumsily pulled her to her feet. Julie fell into his chest and Calvin stumbled backward, making her feel more unstable and nauseous.

“I’m so drunk. I need a ride. Can you drive me? Back to Leah’s.” Julie inquired, looking up at Calvin with glazed eyes.

“Yeah. Yeah sure.” Calvin said, puffing up his masculinity, pretending to have a high resistance to alcohol.

“Thank you Calvin.” She cheered darkly.

Calvin and Julie heaved their way outside. Julie paused at the curb, swaying slightly, but Calvin pulled her forward. A car swerved violently around them. Calvin caught Julie’s waist.

“Whoa, whoa," he said to her like he was protecting her from herself.

“Thanks," she mumbled up at him, partially aware that he had actually been the one at fault.

Calvin and Julie hauled across the street to Calvin’s pickup truck. He leaned Julie against the passenger door and walked around to unlock the driver’s side.

Julie rolled on her back and pushed her hair from her face. She looked up at the clear night sky.

The stars were distant and made no reasonable constellations or patterns. To the southern horizon was the dim glow of city lights. To the west, the sky was the darkest- like the sun had been swallowed up by the far off pacific. Julie felt at peace as the alcohol sedated her and she became sleepy.

“Phew. Hey pretty girl.”

Julie snapped out of her dream. Across the street a group of about three men were eying her unwaveringly. Even completely drunk, Julie’s intuition fired up and began sending red alarms to her brain. She turned around to look at Calvin. He was busy fumbling around in his car. She swallowed and looked back. The men were already crossing the street, their hands in their pockets, casually talking to each other. Julie was terrified of them. She turned around and tugged helplessly on the locked door.

“Hey babe,” said one of the men.

Julie spun around, her arms up in a defensive position. The men were crowded around her. Julie backed up instinctively and bumped into the car door. One of the men reached out to hold one of her wrists. Julie jerked away.

“Don’t be that way honey,” said another man.

Julie found her voice. “G-get away from me!” she demanded, her voice getting louder with each word.

They swarmed her.

“Hey!” Calvin came stumbling angrily around the front of the car. “Get off of her!” he demanded- his voice slurring.

“Oh look. Is this the boyfriend? You can watch boyfriend.” The men chuckled and pulled at Julie.

She fought for herself, scratching and twisting out of their grasp. Calvin intervened then and punched one man squarely in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. One of his friends released Julie and punched Calvin in the stomach. Calvin doubled over and the man sucker punched Calvin’s cheek, hitting his nose. Calvin slumped to the ground.

“Oh my god!” Julie gasped.

The two men turned back to her. The man who had hit Calvin took a step toward Julie, and the gravel crunched ominously under his feet. Julie’s heart pounded like it would explode and she pulled away suddenly and darted into the street.

A flash of light came from no where, and Julie jumped desperately back to the side of the road. The car slammed to a halt and the two men chasing Julie were in its way. One man was knocked violently off the corner of the car over the headlight and the other rolled right up the windshield and off the car.

Julie stared in shock. The sleekest, shiniest, silver bullet of a car was completely still and undamaged in the road. It was the kind of car that looked like it was moving fast even when it was still, like it was now, the powerful engine purring and the headlights making cutting beams of light in front of it. The driver’s door opened and someone stepped out.

“Are you ok?” he asked in an almost uncaring manner.

“Um… uh… uhm…” Julie struggled, trying to say she was fine. But she looked around at Calvin lying on the ground and the two men who had probably just been killed by some futuristic race car driver. Julie blinked as her stomach of alcohol flipped over. And she threw up.

“Whoa,” The driver grunted, surprised and disgusted.

Julie began to keel over in a faint swoon. Reluctantly, he came forward to hold her up from falling to the ground. Julie pushed her hair from her eyes.

“Um, do you need a ride?” he offered, sounding more than hesitant.

Julie shook her head and began to walk away. She opened her eyes a bit and saw Calvin lying on the ground and her knees buckled.

“Get in,” he decided, resigned, holding her up and guiding her to the car. He opened the passenger side and let Julie slump in. She leaned back on the strange material covering the seats and closed her eyes.

He got in without a sound and took the car out of ‘park’. He paused and looked over at Julie, who was having difficulty keeping her shoulders up as she was falling asleep. He grumbled in his throat quietly as he reached over and put on her seat belt in one smooth movement. Julie passed out as her dark rescuer sped off down the road.

~

Malcolm stepped out on to the balcony and took a deep breath. The air was crisp and fresh in the night. It was so open and above ground. Free and endless. Malcolm leaned forward on his elbows on the railing. He liked it out here, so he’d stay.