Eternal Test of Time

The Eternal Test of Time

Sarah Vistica

Copyright © 2012 by Sarah Vistica

All rights reserved.

Kindle
Edition

Cover Design by Judy Bullard

For anyone who has an imagination

The feel of his cold hand pressed against my lips, stung. He was keeping me quiet to prevent them from finding me. We hid in the alleyway next to the old abandoned brick building that used to be a pharmacy. The darkness seemed to overpower the alley making it the best place to hide.

When he finally took his hand away from my mouth, letting me turn to see his silhouette I could barely see his dark denim jeans and black t-shirt. His stance showed a long lean muscular body. I wondered if maybe he works out regularly, the way his biceps slightly bulge out of his shirt.

I hadn’t yet found out his name. Strangely
,
I found myself drawn to him in ways I hadn’t been drawn to any other guy before. Poking his head out onto the street, he looked both ways. Slowly turning around, there was a dimmed street light close enough I could see his straight blond hair.

“I think the coast is clear.” He says.

Turning to face me, I am met with the most breath ta
king blue eyes imaginable. Intense ocean color
blue
eyes
. My breath caught before I found my voice to speak to him.

“Thank you so much.”

His smirk turned into a lopsided grin.

It was then I noticed his pale skin. The color of an ice blue covered lake.

“You’re very welcome. It isn’t everyday a damsel in distress needs to be rescued.”

“I am not a damsel in distress.”

He arched his eyebrow the perfect bow shape. “Very well then I guess I shall be on my way.”

He turned the corner. Before I could hesitate further I ran after him. A better term, I almost ran right into him. Waiting for me against the f
ront facing of our local barber
shop
,
he had a
cocky grin as though he knew I woul
d follow him.

“I must be irresistible for you to want to follow me.”

“I was not following you. We simply are headed in the same direction.”

He let out a hardy laugh.

“Okay so I got spooked and figured it is safer to stay with you.”

“What makes you think I am any safer?”

His question caught me off guard. We were standing under a street lamp. Nobody was out this late at night, on this road. The next street over has an old movie theater where they show movies up until midnight. I could hear the sounds of people talking. Either sitting around drinking lattes and beers at the local cafes or waiting to see a movie.

“What is your name?” I ask.

While I waited for his answer
,
I pulled a hair tie out of my pocket placing my hair in a quick sloppy
twisted
bun. The air started to get chilly. Pulling my sweater tighter to me, I look
ed
up and notice
d
he is staring at me strangely. His eyes are fix
at
ed on me and a wicked smirk forms on his lips.

In the blink of an eye it was gone.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“What is your name?”

“Oh right, Rome.”

We started to walk down the street. Stopping at the park. At night
,
the stillness alarmed me. At the same time being with Rome
,
I felt safe. He helped me sit on the park bench. I stared at the water fountain with a statue in the middle.

“What are you doing out this late anyway Aly?”

“I was at a party with some friends. Next thing I know these three guys show up uninvited. One had a small scar above his eye with black hair, black eyes and a full on black outfit. The other two guys looked like twins. Both had brown hair with one hazel eye and one gray eye. They both wore black outfits as well.”

“The one with the scar is not someone you should be messing with.”

He kept searching around the park as though talking about the guy with the scar would summon him here. On full alert
,
it caused me to look around too hoping they would not find me.

“Go on.”

His intense gaze made me nervous. Something about being with him felt very familiar as though my memories were being blocked. Rome blended into the night easily. Relaxed I leaned back against the bench.

“The one with the scar wouldn’t leave me alone. My friend Kevin punched him in the face and he shoved Kevin and suddenly had a raging temper. His eyes locked on mine with hunger and greed so I took off running and they followed me.”

In the middle of my explaining how Rome and I crossed paths, he put his c
old finger to my lips. H
is neck
arched
on high alert. He looked at me and mouthed, “be quiet.”

Rome stood scanning the area.

Holding his hand out to me he said, “we have to get you home now.”

The urgency in his voice scared me. Someone was out there watching me. I could feel their gaze on me yet the direction was unknown to me. Rome gripped my hand tightly in his. I stay
ed
close to him with my sweater bundled around me. He is so cold it made me shiver being huddled next to him.

I led Rome through the park until we reached the cottage style custom homes lining the other side of the park. Clone homes I like to call them. My house two streets away from the re
sidential side of the park looked
like any ot
her typical home. A garage,
four walls and
a window. Nothing special
. It is a plain white home with a dull cream colored trimming. It stands alone away from the other houses. The privacy gives me security though it has sat there for over a century unattended.

“Thanks for walking me home.”

Rome gave me the same intense gaze he had earlier in the night. I thought he might have been staring at my neck though I could have been wrong. The darkness played trick
s on my eyes and my mind played
tricks with my thoughts. I smiled at him before I turned and headed inside.

In the morning after a shower and going through my daily routine
,
the events of the night before came rushing back to me. The guy with the scar had been awkwardly staring at me the moment he showed up at the party. At first
,
he was nice to me. Until his gaze shifted into one of recognition. With an astonishment he said, “no it can’t be.” I remember he would not leave me alone. He kept coming to me asking me strange questions. Whether I remember him from some foreign place
,
I haven’t been before. Kevin punching him in the face.

He became agitated once that happened shoving Kevin. I froze in place momentarily.

“Why are you pretending we haven’t met before? That won’t get you out of paying again for what you did to me.”

The night was mostly a blur. I remember scar guy shouting at me as I ran from the house. He and his friends followed at a slow yet steady pace. His laughter hauntingly echoed in the streets.

“I will find you. Your precious love can’t save you this time. Oh wait, he couldn’t save you then either. Too bad he doesn’t know you are here that would be a treat for me. He could watch me take your life again. I don’t know how you are here, but you should not be here.”

Running for my life I found a hiding spot. He found me grabbing at me my wrist. I pushed him away from me; I lost my footing and fell to the ground. Scar guy grabbed at my ankle as I rushed to get to my feet. I kicked him in the face breaking free. I ran through the neighborhood until the dim streetlights in old downtown came into view.

I screamed for somebody to come help me. Knocking on a few doors with no answer. I found my way to where the theater and late night cafes were still open for business.

Seeking refuge in one of the cafes
,
I thought my safety rank went up. I tried to hide in the back corner where it was more secluded. Crossing my fingers
,
the darkness would hide me from view. Scar guy and his friends cornered me. It startled me when he grabbed me tossing me effortless into a chair close by.

“Aly you can’t run from us. Though if you persist we will let you try. All I want to do is talk. After I will make you pay; first I want to know how
you are
here. You no longer exist.”

Shoving past him I found myself at the end of the street in an area with no street lamps. His laughter continued. He shouted to me, “we can smell your blood Aly.”

Terrified at what he insinuated I kept my guard up.

Running down an alley I came out on a deserted street on the main road downtown. Continuing to scream
for
help, that is when I met Rome.

He grabbed me pulling me into the alleyway. I had almost screamed when he pulled me thinking this was where it all ended for me. Instead
,
he halted me from making any noise. Whispering in my ear to calm me down, he reassured me he was only helping me. Hiding me from view. Somehow
,
he managed to throw them off my trail. I’m not sure how he was able to do so.

It ran through my mind. No matter what thoughts crossed my path, I couldn’t come to any logical explanation as to how Rome was able to shield me from being seen.

I poured myself a cup of self-made iced latte. Picked up my buttered toast and sat at the table. Now that my memory was once again on track
,
I realized they already knew my name.

How did scar guy know my name? Though the logic there is
,
he heard someone at the party call me by my name. Yet with Rome, he knew my name too.

An overwhelming sensation over took me.

Had I met them before?

After work
,
I met
up
with my friend Brandie. She waved me over to her table. Brandie wore her wavy subtle red locks partly up with a hair clip and has on a blouse with designer jeans.

“What happened to you last night? Can you believe
Kevin getting shoved down so roughly by that guy? Kevin should have punched him again.” Brandie was as shocked as I had been in the moment.

I have a feeling Kevin might be dead right now had he punched scar guy
a second time. I swear
I heard a low growl come from his mouth after being punched. Kevin was only trying to be a protector.

“Long story, I don’t want to talk about it okay. I know it was crazy bad. He okay at least? I’m sorry I ran out, just those guys there was something off about them.” Brandie gave me the signal for say no more.

We ate some food, then hung out at her place for a bit. By the time I reached home the sun was beginning to set. Brandie wanted to check out a bar, though we aren’t yet twenty-one so the risk was more than I wanted to take. I wouldn’t put it past her to have some kind of connection in this town to get us in.

When Brandie called back begging me to go back out, I hesitated. My mind wandered to thoughts of Rome. The intimate way his eyes gazed at me. His brooding physique sent a tremor down my spine. My mind kept sending images of Rome and I together walking arm in arm. A day dream I could get lost in anytime.

It took an hour for my friend to convince me not to stay home. The darkness outside seemed never ending. A blanket of darkness covered our town. The stars barely casted enough light and the moon hid itself.

We managed to find an under twenty-one club on the outskirts of town. Sitting in a dark corner, people watching I noticed a familiar face, Rome. Something was different about him. Leaning back in his seat his eyes almost glowed in the dimly lit club. Black lights made his shiny white teeth brighter. A snarky confidence displayed across his face.

“Hi.”

Casually looking up at me he asks, “do I know you?”

I felt hurt instantly wash all over coursing through me like a never ending roller coaster ride. Taking a deep breath, I smile, “you don’t remember me fro
m last night? The lone girl runn
ing in the dark.”

Rome relaxed, “Aly of course. I didn’t recognize you with all that make up.”

“I get it you were teasing me.”

He half smirked.

The question still lingered. Even a hint of hurt remained. How does he know my name? If possible I would have brought it up, now was not the time or place for a conversation so personal.