THE ORBS

His footsteps echoed as he made his way down the steel walkway.  Lit only by an orange sun and a hazy moon shining through glass walls, the corridor seemed empty and endless.  But he continued without hesitation, and without glancing at the view outside.  for he was too high up above the earth, and he was terribly afraid of heights.

            A terrible task was at hand.  He cursed under his breath at the thought of these ignorant people he had to visit once every few months because they couldn’t get their magic right.  Failed magic—and the poor tiny souls experimented on were stuck in an eternal prison, an orb of metal and—the Gods know what other horrendous things they were put through!

            He shook his head and sighed as he approached the door to the room.  He hated this place for it stunk like sulfur, and his feet always stuck to the floor like he walked on a thin layer of tar.

“Lauren,” the man in the doorway greeted him when he finally arrived.  “You’re here just in time to receive my latest invention.  A few days earlier and you might have come too soon.”

“I am curious, Mr. Lee,” he replied with a quaint grin as he followed him inside the room.

Chi Lee always welcomed him in the same place and in the same manner every time he came.  With his large bifocal glasses, and drab brown hair tasseled in every direction as if he’d stuck a finger in a socket, he couldn’t pass as anyone other than an inventor and scientist.

Lauren always admired his gadgets strung out on the counters, wondering what each one did, though he dared not touch them.  He’d made this mistake once during one of his first trips.  By pushing one of the various buttons on what looked to be a simple dinner plate, he unknowingly sent a scatter of nanobots into the air to gather for an entire meal.

It would have been fine if he hadn’t kept pressing the button swearing whatever Mr. Lee had invented didn’t work.  And so they feasted that night, but the leftovers could have fed the entire city, and quite possibly the small world he lived on.

Chi was known throughout many worlds, including his own, for his brilliance in harnessing ancient magic, and could alter any substance into a masterful work of art.  Or in this specific matter, he’d created a tool for the lost.

 “Your city must be run over with these failures by now,” Chi said breathing out a disappointed sigh.  “If only the idiots were intelligent enough to quit conducting experiments on these little bodies.  Lucky for you, we’re running out of them.  But unfortunately these bastards are going to destroy every last one of these gentle creatures.”

Lauren followed him into his simple looking office, but amazing light beamed from the ceiling cast by small metal orbs, humming like a symphony of bumble bees.

“This is new,” Lauren said, bewildered by the astounding display.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?”

Both men gazed at the floating lights for a moment until Chi cleared his throat, returning to the task at hand as he picked up a small pair of pliers from his desk.  He reached up and pulled one radiant orb from the air and held it carefully in his palm.  With the small instrument, he pulled the metal tie from its place, carefully twisted the container loose, and then gently opened it.

Lauren had never seen the inside of one, so this was a real treat to see this newly constructed globe.  Chi obviously took much pride in his work as he breathed out with a hearty grin, and then his eyes lit up in delight.

“The soul of a faerie,” he spoke softly as he gazed down at the small light inside what looked to be a thick glass ball.  “There’s a control inside the glass that operates a tiny engine, so they no longer have to wear themselves out from using their own will to keep afloat.”  He touched the small propeller and gently twirled it, careful not to run his finger over the glass.  “It runs only on magic from the person, or creature, or whatever else it’s instructed to follow and changes colors with each enchantment.  Whether it’s good or evil, all the emotions inside is let out through the exhaust system.  That’s the light you see.”

“Astounding,” Lauren announced as he watched Chi carefully put the orb back together.

“I’m sorry to say there’s a large amount of them this time.”  He sighed as he opened the door to his gardening room behind the office and let out hundreds of them.

He turned to face Lauren, oddly with a half-grin.  “I’ve heard their whispers,” he said, chuckling lightly.  “They believe you’re some sort of angel that’s come to guide them to the heavens.”

Lauren watched the amazing display of color with tears in his eyes.  Whites, pinks, teals, and even a shade of blue glowed magnificently as they danced around him excitedly.  And for the first time in the many, many trips he’d made to this stagnant futuristic world, he was honored to guide them to their new home.

Eva believed him incapable of love, though his affectionate whispers always found her ears.  They haunted her.  His last gentle touch, soft on her warm skin, still made her tremble.  And the one passionate kiss they shared lingered on her lips, never to be forgotten.

            She despised him for preying on her mind this night.  Though it’d been months since their last meeting, he was still in her heart imploring her not to leave.  Candles spread throughout the room, soft music playing in her ears, and he’d knelt down on his knees with pleading eyes—pathetically beautiful.

            For the first time in the months they’d been apart, tears welled in her eyes.  Mingling with the downpour of rain, it became difficult to see where she was going.  Lightning sporadically streaking across the dark sky lit her way to a small shelter at the edge of the park.

“I picked a wonderful night to go out walking,” she cried as she sat down on the dry bench and watched the torrential rain through solemn eyes, unaware of another set watching her.

“Good evening.”

The deep, intoxicating voice startled her, sending a dance of fingers grimly across her skin and up her spine.  She stood fast wiping her eyes with her trembling hand so she could see the man who spoke to her.

“William?” she whispered in an apprehensive voice.

“It’s me,” he replied softly.

He grinned, though his lips remained motionless.  Concealed in dark clothes as if he wore the night, his appearance played the part perfectly—a man of darkness, wicked intentions of stealing the essence from his human foes.  She again remembered why she left him.  And though he oddly showed kindness in him, they could never be together.

The light at the end of the park reflected dimly on the pale skin of his face chiseled flawless, strong and absolutely striking.  And the wet curls of his hair, tucked beautifully around his ears, showed he hadn’t been there for very long.

 “What are you doing here?” she asked, finding her confident voice, though she hid the weakness in her knees.

“I had to see you.”  His voice lightened as he moved closer to her.  “Yet, I can sense your fear of me now.”

“Just don’t,” she said as she took a step back.  “Don’t come any closer.”

Lightning flashed.  In the fraction of the moment, his appearance was clear.  And the weakness in her knees became unbearable.

“I’ve missed you,” he spoke softly as he stopped just before her.  He gently palmed her uncertain face.  “Three years you were by my side suppressing my loneliness for a friend.  You were the light in my darkness.”

“Don’t say such things,” she insisted, shaking her head in disappointment.  “If I was your friend, you would have told me what you are from the beginning.”

He dropped his hand from her face and stood rigid.  “You wouldn’t have believed me,” he retorted.  “Vampires don’t exist, and neither do I.”  He turned away from her regretful eyes.  “Isn’t that what you told me before you left?”

Remembering her last words to him, she sighed in remorse, but the memory still pained her, lingering fresh in her mind.

“I was so confused when I saw you with that woman, the way you held her in your arms.  And when I saw what you were doing to her…”

She closed her eyes, trying desperately to get the image out of her head.  His sharp canines had quickly left the woman’s neck as he turned his vicious eyes on her.  Blood dripped down his chin onto his muscular chest, bare and against hers.  And the woman gnashed her fangs.

The gentle touch of William’s hand brought her back to the shelter, and she opened her eyes to find him kneeling before her.  Tears streamed her cheeks, but it wasn’t fear of him making her cry.  These were tears of heartbreak.

“I didn’t mean for you to see…” he pleaded in a soothing voice.  “Only pure breeds are the true undead with a need for human blood.  But there are many like me, half-breeds, part vampire and part human.  We can live off each other without taking innocent lives.  That was all you were seeing, but you left before I could explain.”

He stood up and walked to the edge of the shelter.  And as he leaned against the banister, he sighed in shame.

“I love you, Ava, more than anything,” he confessed, emphasizing his voice over the thunder.  “It broke my heart when you left me.”

“Don’t talk to me about a broken heart,” she demanded, quickly standing on her feet, ready to run away into the pouring rain, but instead she found herself walking toward him.  “It took six months to get you out of my mind!  But I can’t seem to get you out of my heart.”  Tears streamed her cheeks when he turned his somber eyes to hers.  “That night I came to your house, I wanted to tell you.  But when I found you in her arms, baring this new look I had never seen, I was horrified.”

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, daring to continue his apology, but was silenced by the soft touch of her finger against his lips.

She tucked a stray curl behind his ear and then palmed his cheek.  “You gave me time I needed to realize that it wasn’t you I was afraid of.”  She slid her arms around his neck and pulled him down to meet her eyes.  “I was afraid of losing you to someone else.”

He slid his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet, and for a moment gazed into her eyes.  His lips curved upward into a generous grin as he slowly parted his lips over hers, embracing the moment in their second electrifying kiss, and one she hoped would lead to more.

Marcy’s heels echoed as she walked across the room.  Alone in the dark, her eyes continually tried to focus on something—anything, but there wasn’t a shred of light to be found.

Scared?  Never!  Frightened?  Profoundly!  What was she to do but walk blindly through until she found her way out of this mess she’d gotten herself into.  It was his fault, the man that led her inside.  The beautiful dark-headed, broad-bodied, and naked man had led her through the doorway to this forsaken place.

What a predicament! She thought miserably as she held her arms in front of her, touching the emptiness with her fingers for something solid.  Yes, definitely his fault for giving her a shy moment, a dumb moment.

She couldn’t help it though.  Not with his gorgeous washboard stomach holding his Godly statuesque that, what she thought, stood up for her.  It was the only reason she’d followed him into this dark prison.

“Hey mister,” she whispered.  “Are you in here?”

A light breeze, frigid but soft, made her skin rise.  The short blond hair on the back of her neck stood. 

Her heart pounded in her ears as red eyes glowed, staring at her with wicked intent.  A soft light formed above her.  His marvelous appearance gave way as he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her against him, hard.

“Oh my,” she breathed as she gazed upward into his eyes.  The prominent red now showed of black diamond.  And if she could bottle the look he gave her it’d probably be worth just as much as the precious stone.

“I love you,” he said, his voice deep with emotion.  “I will always love you.”

She swallowed down the lump in her throat.  How could he love her always, when she’d just met him a few moments ago?

“Let me show you how much,” he said.

She closed her eyes, strangely ready to let him take her into ecstasy.  But a voice faintly called out to her, catching her attention.

“Wait,” she told him, opening her eyes.  “I hear someone calling for me.”

She tried to break away from his gentle hands that massaged her hips, sensually, causing her to swoon slightly.  His lips on her neck, nuzzling, pulling at her skin wasn’t helping matters either.

“Marcy!”

It was a woman’s voice, heavy in her ears, muffled to an extent, and oddly familiar.  The worried outreach of the call made her pull away from his arms.

“No,” he pleaded.  “Don’t go.”

She gazed at him with sullen eyes.  “I’m sorry.  I want to stay with you, but I can’t.”

“Please,” he begged as he outstretched his arm, wanting her to take his hand.

Stuck between the gorgeous man and the voice that called her name, she sighed.  This was a strange situation.  She didn’t know what to think or who to follow.

“Marcy!  Come back!” the woman’s voice called out to her again, urgent and desperate.

“I have to go,” she said as she backed away from his outstretched hand.  “But tell me what your name is so I can find you later.”

“My name?” he tilted his head to the side for a moment, and then gave her a short grin as if remembering it.  “My name is Ethan.”

“Ethan,” she smiled.  “You don’t have to stay here.  Why don’t you come with me?”

She reached out to grab hold of his hand, but his appearance faded.  The dark room, black as the night, invaded her eyes again.

With his image gone, she backed away trying to focus.  She suddenly found herself standing outside.  It was night.  The only light shone from the full moon above her as her friend stood beside her, shaking her slightly.  It was her voice that had pulled her from the trance.

“Marcy,” she exclaimed, “What happened to you?”

“I…” Marcy stammered, trying to gather her thoughts.  And then she remembered.

It was Halloween night.  Her friend had convinced her to go into the graveyard with her.  As they walked, her heels suddenly sunk into the ground.  She couldn’t remove them from the soft soil, as if something was keeping her there.

She’d fallen into a trance, a vision of the party where she met him, Ethan.  Naked, perfect, she only wished she’d had more time with him.

“I guess I just spaced out,” Marcy incoherently mumbled as she stared at the gravestone before her.  “I think I’d like to go home though,” she continued as she read the name on the grave she stood in.

It was his grave—Ethan Cole.  His lonely soul was buried beneath her heels.  He’d held her there, longing for her to stay with him.  Tears crept into her eyes. 

Able to finally remove them from the ground, she left the graveyard with a solemn heart.  Salty tears fell from her eyes as she said goodbye to Ethan’s grave and her puzzled friend and made her way to her apartment.

As she turned to lock the door, a chill hit her with a mighty surge.  But this time, a warm body engulfed her from behind.

She turned around to find Ethan standing before her.  The black eyes turned blue and sparkled in the light of her living room.  He was alive.  The grin he wore showed how undeniably happy he was.

Wiping tears with the back of her hand, she smiled.  Stunned by his impossible presence before her, she opened her mouth to ask him what was going on, but he silenced her with his lips.

His kiss, she’d never before felt one so deep with passion, so longing for her touch.  And she knew she’d never feel one like this again as he pulled away and gazed deeply into her eyes.

“I thought you were,” she stammered slightly, trying to capture the breath he stole from her, “dead.”

“I was, but now I’m alive,” he replied excitedly.

“I’m not sure I understand how that’s possible,” she said curiously.  “Why are you here?”

He glanced at her, tilting his head slightly with a glimmer in his eye as if she should already know the answer.  “Isn’t it obvious?”

“No,” she answered, trying to control the desire for his sensual lips again.

“Marcy,” he smiled abundantly as he pulled her into his arms, “I have been alone for years.  I’ve asked for the attention of many that has passed my grave, but you are the only one that invited me to come out.  And now I am yours forever.”

*******************************************************************************

HE ALWAYS TOOK THE STAIRS

2008

            He always took the stairs, never the elevator, giving her the joy of watching him through the crack in her slightly open door as he passed her apartment.  It was perfect.  Every time he left his dwelling upstairs, she would hear him close his door.  And when he got home from his long day of running his motorcycle shop down the street, she could hear the engine of his blue and white street bike pull into its place at the bottom of the winding staircase.

But this time, he’d caught her watching, and as he stood before her, smiling beautifully, she tried not to stare at the white t-shirt clinging to his well-built chest.  She tried desperately not to run her eyes down to the way he perfectly filled out his blue jeans.  And it was all she could do to swallow down the heat in her blushing face.

“You’re Tara, right?” he asked in a deep soothing voice, making her swoon.

Flattered and surprised that he knew her name, she nodded.  Hoping the nervous twitch in her eye wouldn’t show its ugliness, she grinned and straightened out the black frame glasses on her nose with a push of her index finger.

“What’s wrong with your eye?” he asked leaning close, inspecting.

Damn.  You’re such a nerd, Tara, she thought, covering her eye with her hand.  “It must be an eyelash.”

“I was on my way up to the apartment,” he said grinning at all the big curlers in her hair.  “Would you like to join me for dinner?”

“Dinner?” she repeated, cursing under her breath for not immediately saying yes.  “Moron, say yes,” she spoke through clenched teeth.

“Excuse me?” he asked, drawing back slightly with a confused glance.

“Yes!” she blurted.

He relaxed again, snickering at her frustrated guise.  “Maybe you can conduct an interview for your article.”  He turned around to leave.  “See you upstairs then.”

She closed her door, ran to her bedroom, and stared at herself in the mirror.  Their first meeting and she had huge curlers in her hair.  Her big flannel pajamas were like something an elderly woman would wear in a nursing home.  And topped by her big black reading glasses, she couldn’t help but wonder why he’d want to invite her looking like this.

“No!” she yelled at herself, standing on her feet.

She pulled from the closet her slinky yellow dress she’d been saving for date night.  It was still brand new, never taken out of the bag, but excitement loomed as she placed it on the bed.

She took off her reading glasses and pulled all the curlers out of her hair.  In a flash, she disrobed her big pajamas and slipped on the dress.  And with her black bejeweled comb, she pulled her curled golden locks to the back of her head.

 “This has to be a world record,” she said with an out of breath giggle. 

It took her only five minutes to get ready, and another two just for a quick brush of mascara through her long lashes.  She’d be batting those a few times throughout dinner, hoping he’d notice.

A vacuuming noise came from his apartment upstairs.  Vacuuming again, she thought as she left her apartment.  He always ran that thing, and although it was noisy, she never really minded.  And as he answered his door with his beautiful grin, she immediately forgave him for being a clean freak.

His deep blue eyes grew bright when he looked at her.  “Wow!”

She smiled as she walked inside.  The nervous twitch came back, but it eased as she glanced around his apartment.

“You look beautiful,” he said as he led her into the small open-bar kitchen.

“Thanks,” she smiled, curious of why he had three large cappuccino machines on the kitchen counter.

“I want you to meet Joe, Bean, and Frothy,” he said as he introduced the machines.  “I’m thinking about turning the motorcycle shop into a coffee shop.  So I bought these to teach myself how to make a good cup.”

“So you haven’t been vacuuming all this time,” she said, terribly intrigued by all the cups of coffee sitting on his small kitchen table.  They all had intricate designs in the froth, from a beautiful leaf to a shape of a cat, and even a rose.

“No,” he said with a chuckle as he offered her his latest cup.  “Care to try?”

She carefully took the warm cup from his grasp and gazed into the froth.  She blushed profusely when she found he’d decorated it in the shape of a heart.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you watching me,” he said as he pulled the cup from her hands.  He set it down and caressed her arm.  “For months I’ve wanted to stop in and say hi, but I’m not good with words, not like you are.”

“I’m good with words?” she asked nervously as he reached behind her head and unclasped her comb.  Her hair fell down around her shoulders.

He palmed her face gently. “I love the way you write your articles on the dessert shops around the city.  I especially liked the one about the cupcakes.”

“I didn’t mean anything…”

He smiled heartily as he began to recite the article.  “These tasty cupcakes are an aphrodisiac,” he said as he leaned down and grazed her neck with his lips.  “…If only I could find the nerve to take one to the man in the upstairs apartment.”

“I didn’t …” she said, a passionate sigh rolling from her mouth.  “Well, I did use that line, but…I didn’t mean…” she rolled her eyes again, but this time in pleasure as his warm tongue caught her skin.  “I totally meant it.”

He lifted his head and gazed down into her eyes, and after a light brush of his hand across her cheek, he said, “Who needs cupcakes?—when you are sweeter than any dessert.”