Dance With the Devil

Tiny white specks of ice hit my windshield faster than I could deflect them. As I drove, it began to snow harder and harder. The park wasn’t far away but it wasn’t close either. The sun had just set, and driving in the dark wouldn’t make this snow any easier. I worried myself a few times if I should pull over or not, but each time I always made up an excuse in my head as to why I should just keep going.

My car was freezing. The heat worked, but not well. I could still see my breath every time I breathed into my hands to try and warm them at the red lights. I could feel that every part of me was cold, especially my face. Every time my expression changed I could feel little pricks of coldness rearrange their position on my face. It almost felt like it was snowing directly on top of me rather than outside of my car.

Through the spots of snow and the fog the coldness had created, I finally saw the familiar shape of the playground up on my left. I turned into the parking lot; I was the only car here. There was only one light that worked around the entire playground, and it was right by the swings, and as far as I could tell, no one was there. I felt my face droop without me knowing it, only thanks to the cold on my face. I sighed slightly and pulled into one of the empty spots anyway. I turned the car off but I didn’t get out yet. I had never seen the park at night when it snowed. It covered all the graffiti, all the rust, all the bad things about it. It almost looked beautiful like this, like its former glory. It was so pretty, but so painful to look at. I quickly wiped my eyes away from the past and got out of my car and began to meander my way over to the swing set.

The cold air blew through me as I walked, sending chills up my spine. I hadn’t straightened my hair today, leaving it to be wavy instead of pin needle straight. It was nice though, it added a little more volume and padding against the wind and snow against my face and neck. I curled my hands into the ends of my sweater and hugged myself at an attempt to keep in some heat.

I walked into the circle of light that the lamppost provided, and made my way over to the only swing that was in good condition. I stared at the seat, lightly drizzled with snow coating the worn leather under it. I reached out and touched the chains that held it up. They were like ice under my fingers, and they rattled at my touch. I slowly wiped off the snow that was taking my spot on the swing, and turned myself around and sat down. I felt the coldness of sitting down shiver through my entire body as the snow slightly blurred my vision. I could see nearly nothing outside of this little circle of light, except for the lights from cars that passed by. Something about being here now, in the snow and while the sun sleeps, there is something melancholy about it. It wasn’t quite an eerie feeling, but a feeling that made me sad for no particular reason.

I looked down and saw my footprints in the snow; I kicked some of the snow around as I swung myself lightly. A wind shivered by me, and I shuddered as it passed through me. I looked back up, all the way up this time at the sky. One of the great things about this park was that it was farther from the city, so the stars could be seen more clearly at night. Everything up there was so simple, so easy to know, unlike down here where everything seemed to be a mess. I took a small sigh as I brought my eyes back to earth.

I swung myself a little harder, despite the snow that came at me faster because of it. The air was cold on my face, but I didn’t mind all that much. It reminded me of when I was a kid. I used to love to swing; it would be the first thing I would run to when I got to the park. However I was snapped away from my memories when I heard a snap come from above me, and the next thing I knew I was on the ground.

I felt pain, but it was bearable. I opened my eyes after closing them on impact, and looked around to try and examine what happened. I sat myself up slightly in the snow, and saw that the swing was only hanging by one chain now. The other lay in the snow as part of it still dangled off the swing. I raised a hand to my head, it hurt slightly. I must have hit my head on the ground when I fell. I went to place my hand back in the snow when something from outside the circle of light I was in caught my eye. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I saw something moving. I squinted my eyes, trying to make sight of it when it stood on the edge of light and shadow. I wasn’t sure where my air was as I looked at it.

It was the wolf; the same wolf that I had seen in the woods. Air flew back into my lungs, if only for a second when it began to move toward me. It still had those gold amber eyes, nearly on fire in the darkness. It’s dark fur catching nearly every snowflake that fell near it. It was walking slowly, like it was just as hesitant of me as I was of it. Its head was lowered, and I knew that that meant it wanted to do no harm. I felt my airways begin to work normally again as the bitter air traveled inside me.

It didn’t come up to me all the way, but much closer than last time. The wolf was in reaching distance if I so chose to touch it. I noticed its paws; just as before they had a red tint to them, like they were the dried blood of another animal that stained its white paws. I then looked up into its eyes. Deep lakes of gold and amber sent waves back and forth in its eyes.

I was scared, but not for my safety. What I had seen in those wolf’s eyes the night I ran into the forest was terrifying. And I didn’t want to have to see it again. But I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the wolf’s. It’s eyes were like mirrors, and I could see myself perfectly. But the me I saw in those eyes, was not laying in the snow.

It was a girl sitting on her bed, crying her eyes out. Her wails and moans were so loud, that they echoed in my ears. The moon outside her window morphed into the sun, until she finally stopped crying at sunlight.

The image changed itself. The girl was in school, walking the halls alone, hugging her books tightly to her chest. Her eyes were bloodshot, everything about her looked weak. Everyone who passed her didn’t have a face; no eyes or mouth, ears or nose. She was the odd one out.

Then it was the girl and a boy. She was yelling at him, but nothing came out. He then hugged her as she was yelling. She pushed him away. The boy got down onto his knees and hugged her legs, she pushed him off, and something fell out of his pocket.

The girl and a boy, but it was a different boy this time. The girl was calm now and the boy was holding her hand. They both looked happy until two other people saw them, and then…then everything gets fuzzy. Everything begins to mix together, and blur until the only thing I can see is the wolf’s amber eyes. Without a second’s hesitation, the wolf shoots off into the darkness once again. I reached for it, but it was already a million miles away it seemed.

I laid back down in the snow and stared at the sky, the falling snow making more and more dots in the sky. It was blissful almost, to be covered by the snow. I closed my eyes for a moment, when I heard someone screaming. I opened them again slightly, and suddenly someone was standing over me.

“Karlee? Karlee are you ok?” I didn’t have to wait for my eyes to adjust before I knew who it was. His voice was now so deeply carved in my head that I would know it from a mile away. Eventually my eyes came fully though, and I saw Axel’s face above mine. He was on his knees beside me, and he had put his arm under my head to lift me up slightly. I blinked at him a few times, confused beyond compare. His lips curved a small grin. “We have to stop meeting like this.” He helped me sit up completely, and I grabbed at my head. I had a splitting headache. I must have bumped my head on the ground when I fell. “What happened?” I heard Axel stand up next to me, and he reached a hand down to my level to help me up as well. I grabbed it, and once again, he pulled me up with ease, though with a little too much ease. I hadn’t quite gotten my footing when I first stood up, and I fell onto his chest slightly. Blood sped to my cheeks, and I quickly pushed myself back once I could stand. I looked around for a moment. There were no signs of the wolf; I looked down at the snow. There weren’t even any tracks. “Karlee? Can you speak?” I looked back at him, his eyes glowing like the sun under the light, and the snow as his background made them glow like an emerald on fire. I shook my thoughts.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry.” He giggled slightly.

“Then tell me what happened.” I tried to remember myself. I know that I had fallen, that the swing broke. But I have no idea why. Maybe it was just too old, and the snow didn’t help it.

“I was swinging, and it broke. It fell out from right under me, and I collapsed and I guess I hit my head or something.” I was still trying to gather my thoughts. He furrowed his brows slightly.

“What were you even doing here? You’d have to be stupid to come here at this hour. This isn’t exactly a safe part of town.” I scowled at him.

“I can go wherever I want.” He raised an eyebrow at me, and looked like he was about to say something, when he stopped himself. A very sly smile slithered onto his face.

“You wanted to see me, didn’t you?” I stared at him, trying to think of words. His being here might have had a slight part in why I wanted to come, but I hardly wanted to admit that to myself, let alone him. I tried to look at him confused.

“Uh no, I came here because I love this park.” He put his hands in his pockets, but that wry smile never left his face.

“And you decided to come here when you knew I’d be here.” He looked around himself, then back at me. “It’s snowing, isn’t it? You know I come here when it snows.” He stepped slightly closer to me. His breath and mine collided in the air we were so close. His eyes were poking out from under stands of hair, that was littered with specks of snow. I then began getting that feeling that I had before; that feeling where I just wanted to hug him, touch his arm, do something. His eyes weren’t making it any easier to turn it down, since they were drilling into mine.

“I have to go.” I didn’t know what else to do but leave. I turned and went to go walk past him when something caught my arm and held me back. His hand was wrapped around my small wrist. I turned and looked back at him; that smile still haunting his face. He pulled on my wrist slightly, and I turned myself so I was facing him again. His hand was on my wrist, so I couldn’t go anywhere, I didn’t know what to do but stare into his eyes. He took a step forward, again so close that our breath danced together, except this time they didn’t dance.

His lips barely touched mine, nearly only lingering on them. I could feel his hot breath on my face, though he wasn’t breathing hard. He then got closer, his lips making full contact with mine. I felt his hand release my wrist, and turn around to the small of my back, his other hand on my waist. Before I had time to react to anything, I closed my eyes and moved my arms up to around his neck, my hand resting where his hair ended. He stepped closer to me, deepening the kiss only slightly; his lips were very gentle on mine. I could still feel the snow falling around me, resting on my cheeks.

He pulled his lips away from mine after only a minute. His hands didn’t move, nor did mine. His eyes were blazing, making his small smile look all that more glistening. “Sorry, you were leaving?” I heard him say, though he spoke softly. I slid my hands down to rest on his arms, and his grip on me loosened slightly. I didn’t know whether to leave or stay, but I could see something in his eyes and smile that wanted me here with him. I felt a smile creep onto my face.

“Not anymore.”