"The Dark Stranger"
© VeGirl 2014

The minute I walk in through my door, I hear the desperate calls from my plants. Yeah, not literally but still...

I drop my Samsonite by the door and tend to the poor neglected plants that are slouching. "I'm coming, I'm coming; you don't have to scream so loud," I mutter to them. "I wasn't gone that long. You have to at least try to manage without me." I realize that I am in fact talking to my plants and roll my eyes at myself.

Talking to plants, is that in any of the degrees of going out of your mind?

While scurrying out to the kitchen to fill the watercan, my eyes flicker out the window above the sink. In the wreck of a house I spot a man standing in the window.

The weirdest feeling is running through me and the grip on the jug slips as I am frozen to the spot.

The man in the house retreat and back away until I can no longer see him and I lean closer to get another glance of him. Has somebody moved in while I was visiting my parents or is it a burglar? Next second, I realize that if it was a burglar, why would he have picked that shack of a house?

My curiosity is awakened, that's for sure.

The rest of the evening I spend unpacking and doing laundry. Tomorrow is a workday, and I get to bed in a reasonable hour to have a clear head for work. I can't stop my mind from wonder about the weird stuff that has been going on in my life. First I find out that I'm adopted, and then I meet a vampire in the flesh!

Or was it my flesh that met him?

Can I tell Eddie about this, or will she have me shipped off again? Why couldn't she be the one that met him, she's the one who likes vampires! I'd rather meet Nicholas Cage.

* * *

I am in an upbeat mood next morning. Albeit some dark weird dreams, I had a good night. The radio is playing several of my favorite tunes, and I sing along while I drive to work. A wide smile grazed my face as I meet Eddie on my way to the changing room. "Eddie!" I exclaim loud.

"Sam, how good to see you again." She hugs me.

"Yes, and it's amazing to be back," I snicker. "But let's not get overexcited, it's just a job!"

"It is the best job!"

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," I snicker as I leave to get changed into my work-attire. When I return, Eddie meets me with a Latte Macchiato from the new coffee-machine. "Why thank you, miss," I joke and take a swig of it. "But you don't have to ease me into the job; I haven't been gone that long."

She gives me a sincere face. "I'm so glad you're feeling better," she says and I can hear in her voice that she is all choked up.

Had I been that far off? What happened?

"Sure I am." I smile wide and pretend to ignore that thought.

"I'm glad to hear." She gives me another hug. "Now, get some work done," she chastises me, but I know this is just our normal joke.

"Okay, then you better go roll your thumbs in the office," I tease back and retrieve a tongue stuck out from her mouth, but I just laugh.

Throughout the day I am determined to ignore the worried looks my colleagues cast when they think I don't notice, and I platter about my brother and how my cousin got plastered when we went out dancing.

I respectfully leave out the dark, biting part of the story.

When my shift is over, I head to the supermarket to bunk up on some food before I head home again. The fruit-section I absolutely relish in; determined to make this a change into a healthier life.

Oh, who am I kidding?

I decide to postpone dinner a while and head out into the beautiful nature for a run. For a long time I have neglected to appreciate the dry and rough landscape, and I am determined to appreciatively watch the cactuses and the rock-formations as I pass them. An unexplainable longing for damp moss, foliage and mushroom runs through me and I can't figure out where that craving originates from. I've lived in this part of the States all my life, and this is an unnatural craving.

After a shower and then dinner, which I enjoy in front of my TV, I turn in early. The weeks before and especially the partying is taking its toll on me.

Exhausted, I fall asleep quickly.

I am in the middle of my important rem-sleep when I suddenly hear a voice whispering my name; I jerk upright, instantly awake and look frantic around. "Samira..." it sighs once more when I just managed to convince myself it was my imagination.

It can't be a dream; I am wide awake!

I look anxious around. Did I just imagine my name being whispered, or is my house being haunted? Do I have ghosts here? People in general are more inclined to believe in ghosts than in vampires, I am sure.

Even if my name was uttered with a tired voice, it still gives me goosebumps. I debacle with myself if it is in a good or bad way. I am still indecisive when I fall back to sleep again.

* * *

The following Friday I am scheduled to help Eddie in the catering business again. Well she asked if I wanted to and I could hardly blame a demanding boyfriend, could I?

This time Mark and Eddie has coordinated and we end up at a fabulous mansion in the outcast of town at the same time. Mark is actually missing one of his staff, and I end up working double to cover up, with Jada who is the youngest of Mark's waitresses. The girl is unfortunately a little inexperienced and I end up taking charge of things.

We work efficiently and soon starters are over and the main course is served. I've been on the lookout for someone familiar in this crowd of guests; there always seem to be a few that I know, but this crowd is new to me.

I sneak out on the patio while the guests are digging into another of Mark's awesome combined dishes. His reputation is getting widely spread, which on my end means a better cash-flow. I have to earn it though and secretly I suppress the dream of something else than work.

I let my mind wander where I stand in a dim corner. The neatly trimmed garden dissolve as my inner sight produces picturesque images of a Hansel and Gretl inspired setting. Not of the witch-hunting variety. I close my eyes where I lean up against the wall.

"I thought I smelled something really delicious here." The voice that snaps me out of my dreamworld with a flinch is familiar and I can't believe it when this guy turns up in yet another place. The reasonable fear is totally masked by ire.

"Damian, are you stalking me?" I scowl at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I just stopped by for a quick bite." He smirks, but I notice humor lacing that statement. Oh yes; his redeeming quality.

"Pun intended, I'm sure."

He laugh. "Of course." He flashes off a smile that could rock the socks off any girl. "No, I'm just socializing."

"Sorry, not interested," I growl. "I'm doing my best to study up on staking-techniques!" Not interested in another edgy connection with this guy, I do my best to sidestep to get around him, but he moves quickly to cut off my every move with a smirk in his face.

I am just about to get annoyed when something happens that makes both him and me flinch. As if a minor bomb explodes silently, a pressure-wave reverberate between us.

I stare up at Damian with wide eyes as he study me with a wrinkled forehead.

"What the h.e.l.l. was that? Did you do that?" I glare at Damian who is giving me a tired look and press his lips in a thin line.

"No, that was not me." With the grumpy face he looks around into the dark garden. "As I thought," he mutters and walk away without any more explanation.

Surprised I turn to watch his retreating back. I have no idea what happened or why he just up and left. Seriously, that man is puzzling.

Eddie sticks her head out through the door and hiss my name. "A little help here?"

"Of course!" I hurry inside where I do my best to refocus and keep removing the dishes, but something is off. With my brows knit in a tight line I raise my head again and look puzzled around.

Something is out of order, I can feel it!

Shortly thereafter, a movement out in the patio catches my eye and I notice a darkhaired man that is watching me with eyes almost shining silver blue. Shudders tingle down my spine and the air is thrumming. The image is through the window and I have no clear view of the man, but he is rattling my bones. How can you feel that intense about a man you have never met?

I can feel my heart skitter and jump and for my inner sight, I picture a fish on dry land.

A woman approaches him; she lays a hand on his arm and he is temporarily distracted. With a rage I have never felt before, I want to rip her hand off of him, possibly even rip that arm off her body altogether.

Why?

I jerk as Jada is nudging me softly. "We have to get this out," she hiss and I resume my clearing of the tables with shaking hands. "Are you okay?"

I turn to watch the young girl. Shall I tell her about vampires? Nah!

* * *

Shortly thereafter the dinner party is chatting away again, back in their seats as their fabulous chocolate dream-creation is waiting to be devoured.

Hesitantly I sneak outside again after having put the dishes in the back of Marks van. I look around to avoid being exposed to the sharpedged Damian and notice relieved that I seemed to have rid myself from him.

Not a minute too soon.

I take a deep calming breath and close my eyes as I stand there alone in a remote corner of this mansion. Hoping Eddie won't be angry with me for sneaking off, I wonder if non-smokers have the same right to these short breaks as smokers have? There should be some rule about that.

I smile as the thoughts cross my mind and try to draw up some guidelines; how about a five minute break each hour?

'Samira...'

I snap my eyes open. There was that voice again; that warm honeylike voice that whispered my name in the night. Wide-eyed with surprise I look around; imagining my personal ghost to look like Patrick Swayze, floating towards me.

What I don't expect is a guy in black leather-jacket sauntering my way.

I blink to see if he is a mead figment of my imagination as he seems to evolve from the darkness and slowly approach me.

My body starts to tingle expectantly.

"Samira..."

My breath hitches as he caresses my name through his lips. Slowly his features are clearer as he walk right up to me. His hair is jet-black; an unruly mess he rakes his fingers through and his eyes are beacons that I can't look away from.

My heart is playing a tatto in my chest.

"I know I promised to stay away, but I can't." He is now right in front of me and I watch his clenched jaw as he press the words out, and his eyes are just hypnotizing. A scent of jasmine is clouding my brain. "I can't go through this again and again." His eyes beg me now, but I'm not sure of what. I want for him to wrap those arms around me and hold me close.

"Then don't." I hear myself say.

"Really?" is the only word that comes though his lips before his arms are just where I wished them to be; snaking around me, pressing me hard against him. "My Samira." I can't describe how good that feels, and I can't explain how it can feel like I just found my way out of the darkness.

"Sam!" Eddie's voice snaps me from this reality and as fast as a fingersnap, the dream guy has disappeared again.

I exhale sharply and look around bewildered. Where did he go?

"Are you coming?" Eddie snap her impatient voice out, anxious to get out of here. "They are done, we have to collect the last pieces and get the H out if here."

On unsteady legs I walk inside, after one last look around.

Where did he go?

.