Time passed, and both Lyle and Magena were ready. He knelt down at the entrance and tied his black sneakers, doing one last check in the foyer mirror. A grin of satisfaction dressed his face, as he eyed his blue shirt with white Mandarin characters '結束然後開始', turning to see how it matched his slim black jeans, success. Satisfied, he opened the door and stepped outside, where he was greeted by the fresh evening air. A stray breeze shuffled his shirt, and he felt it, in his depth, that tonight would be the night that everything would change, and thoughts of Samantha filled his mind. It, too, filled his steps with new confidence, making him strut down the walkway in a Broadway Musical fashion, the best he could manage, all while not noticing a ball the twins left on the path. Sure enough, he found himself gazing at the evening sky, before getting on his knees to grip his rear, just in time to lock eyes with Magena. Doing her best to hold in her giggles, her right hand curled in front of her mouth, saying,
"Falling for me already, Lyle."
"No, just my butt."
She giggled with a disappointed frown, but stopped when Lyle stared at her.
"W-What is it?"
"Nothing, it's just...you look great Magena," he said.
Lost for words, she danced nervously on her peep toe stilettos, and lifted her left foot, pretending to check her ankle boot in hopes of hiding her blush. It was then Lyle looked at his phone to check the time, saying,
"We better hurry, or we are going to be late."
"Oh, okay," Magena said, still dazed by the complement.
Lyle, already heading down the dimly lit road, said,
"I'll bring the car round, just stay close to the light."
He then ran off with great speed leaving her at the entrance, her blue mini dress glowing in the light. However, seeing him run with such enthusiasm for another, dulled the daze, as she turned away slightly and hugged her black crop leather jacket for comfort. The coolness of night soon set in, and the darkened cabin was lit by phone screen and dashboard lights. Glow by glow, the street lights lit up the interior, revealing more of their faces. Magena turned to Lyle, saying,
"So, what is she like?"
"Who?"
"Sam."
"Oh, she's super fun, and has a big personality," he said, his blush hidden by passing shadows.
"Oh? How so?"
"I think we should be reaching her house soon."
"Why are you dodging?"
Lyle turned and parked his car in front of a house, Magena noting the area,
"Wow, she stays close to campus, huh."
"Yeah, just give me one second."
He turned on his phone and the call dialled, a voice greeted gleefully and Lyle said in a darling debonair tone,
"Hey, I'm here."
The voice sounded happy to hear, then hung up. Magena mocked his choice of words saying,
"Hay, em ear, da man jew call papi."
"You eating scrap again, Magena?"
"Rude, I was just teasing you, jerk."
"Sorry, I'm just nervous."
"You'll do fine, besides, if she has a big personality, I'm sure she'll be-"
The sliding gate opened, and a pair of plain spliced flare leg slim fit stretch jeans danced out the gate hiding their white sneakers, and Lyle climbed out the car to greet her. When she turned to look, she wore a bright smile, her run a bounce as she approached him, but Magena's mouth could only drop, her eyes falling on what her white bell sleeve off shoulder crop top was holding. Time slowed down, as the words of her physics lecturer reached her from the past, saying,
"...any particle of matter in the universe attracts any other with a force varying directly as the product of the masses and inversely as the square of the distance between them. In symbols, the magnitude of the attractive force F is equal to G, this is Newton's law of gravitation."
Bounce and bounce, up and down, so her eyes followed her till she embraced Lyle. She then looked at him, his face goofed, and she recalled his words from earlier,
"Oh, she's super fun, and has a big personality."
She bit down, wearing an annoyed grin as she mumbled to herself,
"A big personality, huh. I see now. No wonder you were in such a rush. You, ashtray."
She found herself getting out of the car, and walking over to Lyle, still goofed, which annoyed her greatly, getting close enough for their conversation to be heard.
"-'m so glad you made it, Lyle."
"Hewhew, wouldn't miss it," Lyle said, enjoying the soft embrace.
"Looks like you're having a good time, Lyle," a voice said, snapping him back to reality.
It was then Sam looked over his shoulder, and cocked her head saying,
"Lyle, who is that?"
"Oh, she is my-"
"I'm his sister," Magena said, reaching out her hand to greet, removing stray dreads out of her face.
However, when she revealed her face, Sam pushed her way past Lyle and ran over to Magena, who was just as surprised, and intimidated, her eyes understanding just how large her-
"Are you Magena? The Magena?"
"Huh? T-The?"
"Yes, the famed Magena Cunningham from Science weekly?"
"Wow, that was ages ago, I'm actually Magena Vermont now."
"What?" She said turning to Lyle, who had been staring daggers at the ground, "Lyle, you didn't tell me you were a married man."
"What?" both said, Magena trying not to smile.
"N-No, I'm his sister."
"I don't understand, but you are Cunningham, and he is Vermont, so."
After sometime explaining, she scratched the back of her head, saying,
"Oh, so that's how it is, Lyle you should have told me you had a sister."
"Yeah," he said through pinched eyes, scratching his head.
Magena, noticing the awkwardness, walked around the car to the back door, saying,
"Well, we better hurry, or we are going to be late."
"Oh, no need to rush, but it would be nice to get there while everyone is still sober," Sam said, fixing her hair, making him blush, while another turned away.
Lyle hurriedly going to the passenger side to open the door, only to have Sam greeting him from the backseat, saying,
"Hey, Lyle, what are you doing?"
Embarrassed, he thought quickly before saying,
"Oh, I was just checking something."
"Oh, okay."
After checking nothing, he walked in cringe to the driver's side, a muffled discussion continuing in the car, the crickets his ambiance, before opening his door. The engine started and Sam turned to Lyle saying,
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
He turned around with the best smile he could manage, then looked at Magena, who mouthed apologies with sincere eyes, before turning forward with a self-soothing laugh, saying,
"No, I did not."
"Oh, that's too bad. I hope you find it."
"Me too, Sam," he said, "me too."
They drove to the main road of the campus, the chatter never ending, the driver silently listening to the interview, till they heard the music booming from the waiting car in front of them. It was then they saw the traffic leading to the north campus boom gates, the street flooded with red lights as cars tried to find parking.
"I didn't expect this event to be so big."
"I bet half of these cars aren't even students"
"Not that it's a big deal. Ever since the university implemented the Student Card/National ID system I helped develop, events like this one will need everyone to have their student ID or National ID scanned. A copy of the record is then sent to the police that is attached to a case number, and if anything should take place that is criminal, a case can already be opened up. That's probably why it is taking so long," Magena said.
"Brilliant as always," Sam said with a bright smile.
"I forgot you were a developer before you became a lawyer," Lyle said.
"Really?" Sam exclaimed, beaming, "You are a lawyer now? So cool!"
"It's not that big of a deal," she said, a shy blush growing on her face.
She then turned to Lyle, who looked at her with smiling eyes in the review mirror, making her blush further.
"That reminds me, guys, apparently there's going to be a drink promoted at this event, it's going to be a big deal."
"Really?" both said.
"Yeah, I heard about it from one of my friends. She said it's a foreign company that has partnered with GU for the last three years, and this event is their thank you to GU."
"So what is it, a thank you, or a promotion."
"Both I think.."
"So confusing" Magena frowned.
"Yeah, I just hope that it was worth coming to this party tonight."
All three agreed, making it past security. As expected, the nearby parking lot was full, leaving only the parking on the other side.
"You two hop out, I'll find parking somewhere."
"Are you sure, Lyle?" Magena said.
"Really, thank you so much Lyle," Sam said, giving him a kiss on the cheek, shocking Magena.
Goofed Lyle waved at both of them before leaving, and only found parking on the other side of North campus.
'I found parking, sending you the location.' Lyle texted Magena.
'Awesome, thank you Lyle'
Lyle texted Sam the same thing, but she left him on read, which stung him a bit. Finally making it to the hall entrance, he saw Magena waiting by one of the trees.
"Have you seen Sam, Mag?"
"No, she disappeared into the hall. Why?"
"I couldn't get a hold of her. Was just concerned."
"I'll look around."
"Yeah, sure," Magena said, slightly disappointed.
He walked off toward the dorms nearby, before stopping at a nearby bus stop. In the midst of emotional turmoil, a conversation with his father came to mind:
'Dad I really like this girl, but I don't know if she likes me.'
'Oh, Lyle, that's an easy one to fix, simply pray this prayer, and Jesus will answer you.'
He folded his hands, and looked up with closed eyes, praying in silence,
'Heavenly Father, if she is for me, may our relationship grow. If she is not, may she be taken away from me, and I from her, in Jesus name, Amen.'
"Yho, O'boy, are you praying to get lucky, times must be tough," a familiar voice stirred behind him.
"..." Lyle stood, as an arm coiled over his shoulder.
"Listen, ah, sorry about this afternoon. You know me, I try to impress the ladies, then I say things, do things, that's not me."
He remained silent, and the talking continued,
"Come on, O'boy, I'm trying to make amends, ah. Forgive me, please."
Hearing this, Lyle sighed, lifting the big arm from off his shoulder, saying,
"It's fine Vuyo, let's just drop it, and move on."
However, the arm pulled him back inside, and gripped him close, saying,
"Eh, that's the way, man. You alone?"
"No, I'm not," Lyle said.
He then realised that Vuyo did not have any girls with him, and a feeling of overwhelming smugness developed within him, as he smirked, saying,
"In fact, I am here with two lovely ladies tonight."
"WHAT! No way, you!"
He nodded with confidence, and was applauded,
"Lyle you really have grown…where are they now?"
"I'll show you when we get to the party," Lyle said, with a chipper step, not noticing a grin behind him.
"Lead the way, O'boy…"
Walking with swag in his step, he looked on and waved at Magena with a beaming smile, saying,
"Over here!"
She looked up and saw his smile, making her wave back, but when she noticed another behind him, she grew curious, then disgusted when she found out who, saying,
"What are you doing here, Vuyo?"
"Just looking for a bit of fun, Ice Queen. My, don't you look stunning tonight."
"Lyle..." Magena murmured, pulling him closer.
"It's fine," Lyle said with a cheerful smile, "He said he was sorry for this afternoon, so let's enjoy the evening."
"Yeah, what he said."
She looked at Vuyo with piercing eyes, and he looked as sympathetic as he could, making her turn back to Lyle, saying,
"If you say so, Lyle."
It was then that Vuyo noticed a bodacious body approach, her fluttering golden hair catching the corner of Lyle's eyes, while the clinking sound of cans made all stare at her bouncing ones, saying,
"Hey you guys, I wanted to thank you for the ride, so I decided to get you all soda."
It was then she noticed the big guy, his large muscular frame captivating her, seeing that his bullet grey vest could barely contain it. He then widened his stance making her see his Kgosi sandals that showed rough toes. However, she noticed his eyes were firmly on her chest making her feel nervous, saying,
"W-Who is this?"
Lyle, noticing her change in attitude, reluctantly began to introduce Vuyo, saying,
"Oh, uh, this is-"
"My name is Vuyo, and yours?" he said, pushing past Lyle.
He reached for her hand, not taking his eyes off her, a blush filling her cheeks. He moved in closer to her, pushing against her chest, and moving his legs between her thighs, making her feel else, his closeness making her stammer and buckle at the knees, saying,
"S-Samantha."
"S-Samantha, oh what a beautiful name," he said, taking the drinks from her and giving them to Lyle, who accepted with trembling hands.
"N-No, it's just Samantha," she said, laughing while trying to catch her breath.
"Would you like to come inside Samantha," he gestured, his frame now hiding Lyle.
"S-Sure," she said, walking next to Vuyo who put his arm around her..
Magena, seeing all of this, gritted her teeth in frustration, saying,
"That glitch."
"N-No, no, s-she probably had her reasons."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE-" Magena shouted, but stopped herself when she saw Lyle.
With hands still shaking, his eyes began to zone out. She then reached for his arm and grabbed it, saying,
"Lyle?"
He snapped out of it, and put on his best smile, saying,
"Y-Yeah Mag? D-Do you want t-to go in-in-in t-t-too."
She took his hand and pulled him away from the entrance to the bus stop further down the road where they sat, Magena holding Lyle close as he began to convulse, saying,
"Why? Why? Everytime? Why?"
Magena kept quiet, only gritting her teeth in anger, as her memory went back to a closed door, and Lyle's muffled voice on the other side saying the same thing, only learning later why he reacted the way he did, which made her even more furious. She learned that there was a party, and at said party one of the girls had an unsolicited video made of her and a tall dark guy. This video was then leaked to the internet, and the link was shared throughout the school. It was also learnt that she had a boyfriend, who only discovered when everyone else did. He forgave her, but a week later, she broke up with him anyway to be with that same man. She remembered her public declaration, online and at school, saying,
"I cannot stand weak men. You just were not enough for me."
She remembered her walking into the arms of the same guy, in front of her now ex boyfriend, the words of that guy visibly piercing his heart,
"O'boy, it is what it is."
'You Ulcer!' Magena remembered crying out, 'Lyle, get up, we have to go home. Lyle?'
His body listened and obeyed, but she could tell his mind and spirit stayed down, and has so till this day. Her hands too began to tremble with sadness, remembering how in her final year, along with preparing for finals, she wrought hell upon the entire faculty and student body, the likes of which was never seen, nor ever since. She went after the holding companies of the jobs their (those who attended that party) parents worked at, destroying the core business. Government officials were given enough evidence to do an inquiry into the whole school, and several others when they were sent screenshots of groupchats, students' social lives being ruined by having their internet search histories posted online through an anonymous account. Many cried out 'AI', but the metadata said otherwise. Lyle stumbled upon her notebook and saw her plans, how far they stretch, and it was him alone who stopped her from completing her rampage, him alone who pleaded for her to stop. She was only able to merely force many of the senior staff, including the principal into retirement. She remembered yelling at him, throwing that notebook against the wall, and sweeping her hand across her desk, saying,
'Why, Lyle, why did you stop me, you could have been free from them. I would have buried them, I could have dragged them in the mud and made them suffer for years. I could have made them all experience what you went through. They would have been gone, and no one would have to go through what you went through. So why stop me? Why!? '
She recalled his words vividly, saying
'They are not to blame, neither is Vuyo or Tamsin, or anyone else.'
'Then who?'
She remembered him turning and walking away saying,
'It is the evil in their hearts, not them, who is to be blamed.'
'What do you mean Lyle? Lyle?! Lyle!'
"Lyle!" a familiar voice called out, her golden hair flicking as she walked.
"O'boy," said another.
Hearing these voices Magena stood up,wiping her tears with clenched fists, but Lyle stood up faster, saying,
"We're here guys."
Magena pulled Lyle back and looked at him sternly, before mumbling under her breath, saying,
"What are you doing?"
"It's okay, Magena."
"It's no-"
"Ah, there you guys are," Sam said, bubbly, "Aren't you going inside?"
"Uhm, Lyle, uh, did not feel so well, so he needed some air," Magena chuckled in excuse.
"Oh, looks like I made the right call to get cold drinks," Samantha laughed, Vuyo chuckling close behind her, making her flinch slightly, "C-Come on, guys, l-let's go inside."
"I think we should head back home," Magena said, tugging at Lyle.
"Oh," Samantha said, puzzled, "but then how will I be going back?"
With peering eyes, Magena looked at her, then at Vuyo before chuckling, saying,
"I think you already have that sorted out."
Samantha cocked her head in disbelief at the remark, and she turned to Vuyo who shrugged saying,
"I came here with someone else."
She then turned pitifully to Lyle, and pouted, saying,
"Lyle?"
All eyes turned to him and he put on his best smile, saying,
"L-Let's enjoy the rest of the evening, all of us together."
Her eyes lit up, and she hugged Lyle, saying,
"Awe, thank you so much Lyle."
"Great stuff O'boy," Vuyo said, his hand slithering across Samantha's back, before making her jolt slightly.
"We-We'll go ahead, see you inside Lyle," she said.
The two went off, and Magena gritted her teeth in frustration, and when Lyle noticed he reached out for her, but she flicked his hand away, saying,
"I need some time alone."
Lyle pulled his hand away, and walked toward the beat, leaving Magena at the stop. She curled her fingers into a balled fist, which soon relaxed in sadness, before hugging herself, saying in a mumble,
"Why is it always some other girl, and not me, Lyle?"
***
The music raved and the beat danced on their chest, as smells of musk and perfume mingled, everyone in their groove, and everyone in the beat. When Lyle looked into the hall, he was first blinded by a passing light, rubbing his eyes before seeing the dancing LEDs walk across the floor, the walls and the ceiling, bathing the hall in colours, and lighting that flickered with the beat. He saw some shadows dancing on the floor, while others clotted together. Loud music glazed even louder hollers and muted most speech, a noise that filled the room and backed the beat. He walked into it, seeing the clots up close, girls brushing their extensions back to lend an ear to forked tongues, while guys masked motives in their dance. He then joined them, and allowed the music in, his steps guided by its beat. It was there he finally found Sam, but she did not, being embraced by another, the back of her head leaning against his dark chest. The sight pierced his heart, but the pain soon healed when their eyes met, her bright smile welcoming his arrival. However, when she turned to Vuyo, the pain returned, as he bowed down to lend an ear, his annoyed eyes meeting with Lyles. He then reached in his pocket handing Lyle a few notes, saying against the music,
"Two drinks. Get yourself, too."
Lyle nodded with a smile, and walked off to the bar. It was only once away from the crowd, and the dying beat, that his chest grew hollow, and when he turned back to look, it was Vuyo resuming his intimate groove, and her golden hair hiding her grin. The music grew loud again, and a crowd had already formed at the bar, seeing the promos Samantha was talking about. He looked at the canned drink and saw the name, mumbling to himself,
"Gladi-o, huh, interesting name."
He pushed and shoved, till he finally reached the cramp bar, the notes already crumpled in his hand. Drinks were passed and arms were raised as their owners vacated, their pits exposing their stench, while others tried to hide theirs with deodorant. Some girls murmured secret compliments toward the bar, and when Lyle followed their eyes, it was indeed for the tall handsome bartender who passed them their drinks, and not him. The blushing beauties chatted on their way out, making their way back to the dance floor, trying to make their last glances subtle, not succeeding. The same guy then turned his attention to him, his words being stolen by the music, saying,
"Ay, wh-t c-n I g-t f- oo (Hey, what can I get for you)."
"To b-rs(Two beers)," Lyle said, gesturing with his fingers.
"Wh-ch wons? (Which one's?)"
"To R-ks, pease. (Two Rooks please)"
"Wh-t? (What?)"
"Two C-stles (Two Castles)"
"O, g-t y-u (Oh, got you)"
"Lager."
The man gave a thumbs up, but when he reached for the fridge, he was called aside. At the same time, the crowded counter suddenly thinned out, and when Lyle looked over, he saw that more hands came to help. Relief came as space grew, allowing him to breathe. However, in his small win, he caught a whiff of a mild amber scent, and before he could turn, a tall, older woman, walked up to the counter and stood next to him, her white sleeveless cotton gabardine trench coat glowing under the bar's fluorescence. She leaned on the counter, her maroon ribbed fitted knit long sleeve contouring her elegant wrists and forearm, Lyle could only marvel before turning forward to catch his breath.
"One Gladi-O and a 'Special'," she said, her velvet throaty voice seducing his ears even with the booming music.
Seeing her tempting figure hinting out of the corner of his eye dulled his mind in sensual panic, barely able to finish internally critiquing the bottles on display.
The same barman nodded in reply, and reached under the counter, and she turned to Lyle, who too turned away from her, both now looking in the same direction, inner thoughts screaming:
'WHY? Why did she turn this way? Okay, relax, relax. She's probably not even looking at you. Yeah. Just, look at the wall, isn't it beautiful? So robust and refined. Look how elegant it is, how stable, h-'
However, a single tap of her finger on his shoulder was enough to give him a jolt of surprise, his inner dialogue melting, and replaced with a puddle that reflected the now. He turned slowly, seeing her fully, her eyes fixed on him while wearing a playful grin. She shifted her thick locks of luscious brunette hair, before leaning in, making Lyle freeze up. Seeing this, she bit her lip, leaning closer, the corners of her lips curling, and her cupids bow furling, saying,
"You know, it never hurts to say hello."
Lyle burst into manic laughter, shaking slightly as her scent filled his nose, but she tilted her head saucily, saying with a puzzled look,
"What's so funny? Are you nervous?"
"I-I-I, uhm, haha."
She leaned on her palm, while curling her hair coquettishly with the other hand.
"Your, ahem…Your drinks, sir," the bartender said, trying to hold in his laughter
"Th-Thank you, so, so much," Lyle said, taking the bottles before turning to the lady,"I-I, uh, I, ha, I've got to, uh. It was nice to you."
Lyle left the counter speedily, missing the discrete chuckle of the bartender, who was met with a stare only he could see, his smile evaporating to business. She leaned closer, giving a command under her breath, saying,
"Get ready, we are entering phase two."
The bartender nodded, proceeding with the drink order, his gaze falling on Lyle, as he disappeared onto the dance floor. Weaving through the crowd, Lyle tried those two, but his mind kept drifting to that encounter, his thoughts buzzing,
'Wow, what a woman. That was the first time an older woman spoke to me like that. Was I seduced? Do I like it? Y-. N-. Yes, yes I do. Who would have ever picked me for a cougar-lover. Okay, that sounds weird. Or does it?'
He shook his head in dismissal, and finally made it to the core of the dance floor, where he found Samantha grooving deeply into Vuyo, and Vuyo into her. His nose caught a whiff of her perfume, now mixing with his musk, which nearly made him throw up. When Vuyo saw him, a look of annoyance crept on his face, as he took the two beers from him before shooing him away, grabbing Samantha in front of him. Lyle pushed himself out of the crowd, he had to leave there, he felt sick, he needed refuge, but where? The bar, he needed the bar, so he went, as fast as he could, catching his breath at the counter.
"Back so soon," said a velvet throaty voice.
Lyle froze before lifting his head enough to smell the same scent of mild amber. A tray with an empty shot glass on it led him to a hand that played with another empty shot glass.
"Hello?" the same voice said, confirming that it was her.
He jumped back with a surprised yelp, making her laugh as she greeted him with wagging fingers, saying,
"What was that, haha, but seriously you must really love your drink if you're back so soon."
Lyle scratched the back of his head, saying,
"Yeah, if only they were mine."
"What do you mean?"
He looked into her eyes, and she saw sadness, he then turned to the dance floor, her eyes following, and both saw two bodies mingling.
She sighed with understanding, placing one can of Gladi-O in front of him, but Lyle put his hands up saying,
"Oh, uh, no thank you."
"Come on-ah, give it a try."
"I'd rather not-ah."
The lady laughed friskily, and downed her can, before biting a lime, which made Lyle giggle nervously.
"See, it's that bad, you've got to eat it with a lime," she said with an aah.
"I see, it's that bad?"
She laughed, realizing what she said, saying,
"Haha, I meant good. It tastes better with a lime."
She leaned forward, pounding her temple with the ball of her fingers, embarrassed by the mix up. Seeing this, Lyle gave a sympathetic smile, though still in his nerves, saying,
"M-My mother loved spices."
"Pardon?"
"Oh, uh, well you see…"
"Mmm?"
"She used to always tell me, we have our own flavour in this life, and, um, well…"
"I'm listening," she said with a mischievous grin, "So you think I'm spicy? Huh?"
"No."
"I'm not?"
"That's not-"
When Lyle turned to face her, her face was so close to his, he let out a yelp, making her rear back in laughter, saying,
"Oh aren't you just the sweetest, you are so cute."
"Um, thank you?"
She let out another laugh again before, calling out to the bartender, saying,
"Barkeep, another round of the 'Special' and two cans of Gladi-O, this one is having trouble looking at me."
"You got it," he said, reaching at the bottom of the counter.
It was then that Lyle realised that she was sitting on a barstool.
"They had those?"
"Would you care to join me," she said, pulling one up for him.
Flattered by the gesture, he took it, turning to face her. However, his eyes began to wander again, falling on her crossed legs, making him blush. She saw this, and her confidence returned, as she recrossed her legs with a grin. He looked up again and saw her elegant posture, the opening of her coat exposing her hidden bust. Trying to avert his eyes, he caught a glimpse of her wide sit upon, captured by her ribbed knitted dress that ended at her white knee high boots. He was captivated, snared even, and she noticed, saying,
"Someone's eyes are wondering."
"Yeh-wa-sori-ai. (Yeah, well sorry I-)"
He couldn't even speak right, the poor lad. Even she saw this, and placed her hand gently on his shoulder, caressing him with nurture, saying,
"It's okay, it's oh-kay, breathe. You did nothing wrong. You just admired me, and that's okay. You don't need to be scared, I am not offended."
"You really know your way to a man's heart," Lyle said, sighing in relief.
She giggle before pouting her lip, saying,
"Aw, aren't you the sweetest."
"Yeah?"
"I can't believe you are still single."
"Neither can I," Lyle said with a snicker, making her giggle.
"You really are a charmer aren't you," she said, reaching for his hand.
"Y-Yeah?"
"What?" she said, stopping her hand midway.
"No, nothing, it's just that, I feel like something bad is going to happen. This kind of thing usually doesn't end well for me-"
"Your Special and Gladi-O's, ma'am," the bartender interrupted, and a quick glance of fury made the man correct himself, saying,"...miss"
"Thank you so much," she said, with a smile of pleasure, her fury now weathered, turning her attention back to Lyle, "Don't be ridiculous, you are plenty charming, and someday, you will find that special someone."
She passed him his shot, before picking up hers, saying,
"A toast to 'New beginnings'."
"Y-Yeah, to new beginnings," Lyle said reluctantly.
They both threw back their shot, the liquor afflicting his throat, the subtle smell of a herb filling his nose. When he turned to see her state, she was already cracking her can of Gladi-O, so he did likewise, his scratchy cough making her giggle. She downed hers, and he did the same, the fizz burning his throat as the smell of a herb danced with the tangy-floral-note of the Gladi-O, creating a pleasant aroma. However, the discomfort of his throat overshadowed the pain, and he glanced at her hoping to see struggle, but he did not, so he pushed through. The desire to dominate compelled him to endure, so he did, and both finished their can, biting into their own lime slice. The zesty combination intensified both the aroma and fizz, making both clear their throats, Lyle covering his mouth as he dipped his head. It was then he felt a warm blanket cover him, and his troubles melted away. Bliss. Better than, he felt free. She then reached out for his hand, clasping it, her gentle warmth weakening his balled fist. He slowly opened up, and her fingers slid in between his one by one. She leaned in, her thigh grazing his knee, and he pushed into her thigh, a feeling of warmth filled his heart as she drew closer to his ear. He lent it, her whisper crisp, saying,
"I can see why she left you."
Hasp! His wings were clipped, and chains wrapped around his heart, pulling him down to drown. It was there in that abyss he found it, anger forgotten to the years. His heart pounded, and he called for the bartender, saying,
"Another round."
She nodded and he fulfilled the request almost immediately, placing a board with two shot glasses of 'The Special' and one can of Gladi-O. He downed both shots, and cracked open the can downing most of it too, before eating the whole provided lime slice. He did this all while keeping his eyes on her, eyes of rage, eyes of arousal. This combination seemed to satisfy her, her grin deepening in delight, making his heart pound all the more, his teeth beginning to gnash.
"There you are, Lyle, I found you," Magena said, "Who is this?"
But the woman rose swiftly from her seat, her trench coat whipping behind her as she left, Magena calling after her, but Lyle stopped her, saying,
"Leave her."
"Did she do something?"
"Only tiss me off at the end," his words bubbling blatantly with agitation, his ears throbbing.
"Come on, let's go," she said, pulling him out of the hall with concern.
Once they were outside, however, Lyle pulled his arm away from Magena, saying,
"Why are you dragging me around? Do you think I'm weak too?"
"Wha-? What are you talking about?"
"I know she would not do that, she would not leave me for him!"
"Lyle, what is going on with you?"
"I'll prove it, I'll find her and confess to her, I'll tell Sam how I feel and-"
"Just. Calm. Down. She'll be fine, just leave her. Let's go home."
"No. You said it yourself, I'm a weak guy, I cannot stand up for myself."
"That's a lie. I have never said that. And, even if you were to confess to her, she was already drooling all over Vuyo, she probably already left with him somewhere. They certainly were not in the hall, that's for sure."
"Shut it! Shut it! Just shut it!"
His words struck her, and she clenched her fists, hard. Then, her hands relaxed, and so did her shoulders, her expression dulling before shrugging, saying,
"You know what, I'm tired of this whole boo-hoo fest."
"What?"
"Yeah, you keep doing this to yourself, you keep hanging around Vuyo, you keep choosing girls who don't love you. Only you, Lyle. Perhaps they weren't the problem, you know, perhaps it was you, all along."
She bit down as she felt her frustration curdle into venom, the same coating her words as she continued, saying, "You know, Mom might have been onto something, because now again you chose a girl, and again she leaves you, for the same guy mind you. And, you know what? Maybe you are not cut out for the dating scene. Heck, maybe you should just stay single, embrace it. I mean, you allowed him to steal your girl away before, what makes this time or any other different."
She huffed with satisfaction, catching her breath. However, clarity soon returned, and her hand slowly covering her mouth in horror, saying,
"Lyle, I didn't me-"
Molten tears flowed down his face, making her step back while shaking her head in regret, as the realization of what she had said set in. However, though the tears kept flowing, not one whimper was heard, no, not even a sobbing sigh, only eyes fixed ahead of him. In her direction, yes, but his sight was beyond her, as he declared through gnashing teeth, saying,
"You'll see."
Her heart skipped with guilt, tears slowly welling up, saying,
"No. No, Lyle, please, I-"
"Catch," he said.
She saw a glint and caught it, revealing itself to be the car keys, but when she looked up again, Lyle was already walking away. She cried after him, saying,
"Where are you going?"
He did not respond and she called out again,
"Lyle."
And again,
"Lyle?!"
And again,
"Lyle!"
He kept walking, leaving her where she stood. Gripping the keys in her fist, she slowly brought it to her forehead, knocking against it in shame, as tears began to flow, saying,
"Lyle…please. Don't leave me."
Her fist fell to her chest, her heart hounding in woe, with tears that could no longer be contained, her words mingling with mumbling sobs, saying,
"I…love…you."
***
He walked up the road that ran alongside the hall, with the main building on the opposite side, and passed a group of students who were deviously snickering, only catching a few words said,
"... did you see that chick."
He continued forward not thinking much of it, then more students passed by him, these ones giddy and snickering like the last, saying,
"Dude, seriously, in the staff parking."
"Nah, dude that was wild."
An unknown discomfort soon crept on him, and his gut began churning anxiously, making him stop. Looking ahead he saw the turning road that would eventually lead him to the staff parking lot.
'Do not go further.'
A message that kept blaring in his mind each time he wanted to take a step forward, and the music of the party made his head turn back to the hall. As he was about to turn around, more snickering students slithered past him, and curiosity took hold, leading his steps. However, when he stepped forward, and the message stopped. An eerie silence surrounded him, only the sound of his footsteps dared fill it, as he approached a crowd that gathered at the entrance of the staff parking lot entrance, their muffled voices becoming audible as he came closer. One guy suddenly broke from the crowd, rushing passed Lyle, laughing in disbelief, saying,
"Yho hayi, hayi, hayi. (*Strong feeling of surprise* No way, No way, No way)"
Then a guy ran past from behind Lyle, looking hot and bothered, then another, and another struggling to grab his phone from his pocket, all heading towards the crowd. When Lyle finally made it to the entrance of the lot, the crowd hollered, but beyond them, the distinct rhythmic slaps of flesh followed, accompanied by the groans of a woman. Another called out to one pushing from the crowd, saying,
"You got the clip?"
"Yoh, check here, check here. That blonde chick was crazy, an hourglass figure, the chest and ash like ahh. Just check it out."
The clear audio of a woman moaning and flesh slapping was heard, and Lyle peeked over a shoulder to see the video. He saw familiar faces, and their bare bodies mingling, his eyes widening in shock, seeing her gasping as he moved. When the camera turned to her exposed chest, he looked away, and heard someone say,
"Yeah dude, with a figure like that, of course she would go black, lol."
"Dude, shush it man."
"What?"
The conversation continued, but Lyle stepped back, turning around and retracing his steps slowly, thoughtfully, their giggles still audible. His thoughts turned to memories, and memories turned to emotion, his heartbeat bleating in pain, as he began to cough aggressively, each bringing rising sobs. For the first time, he felt…lost,
Nowhere,
The end,
He ran. Following the road. He ran. Passing the hall. He ran. Passing the bus stop, and following the road to the next intersection. He Ran.
'Why? Always this pain.'
He remembered the images, and shook his head, but they would not leave his mind, neither would her words,
"I can see why she left you."
"Bammit!" He grunted, turning down the broad road, "Bammit all!"
***
"That was a great bible study, girls."
"Yes it was, Philippians 4:13 really hit home for me. His strength is everything."
They all agreed, another saying,
"It was an interesting choice to do it on the soccer field. I wish we drove there, though, it got dark very quickly."
"Don't worry ladies, the Lord is with us."
"Yes, He is, thank you Jesus!"
"Still it was irresponsible to do this, Amanda, what if-"
She was suddenly knocked to the ground, the others screaming in shock.
"Are you, okay Gcobisa."
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Hey man, what's your pr-"
However, when Amanda looked into his eyes, her words vanished. Rage. Envy. Sadness. Treachery. The man then turned, bowing his head slightly, and muttered, saying,
"S-Sorry," he said.
He then ran off, Amanda calling out for him, but he was long gone.
"Who was that?" Gcobisa said.
"I don't know but," Amanda said, looking in the direction he ran, "He looked lost."
"Let's pray for him when we get back." Gcobisa said.
They all agreed, and helped her pick up her things, one noticing that her bible fell open on the ground and told Gcobisa. When she picked it up , a rain drop fell on a verse, which read:
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me."
Gcobisa smiled, showing her friends and giving thanks before continuing back together , quickening their pace as the drops of rain began to pour.
And so it did, Lyle now lying alone in a soccer field clenching his chest, his heart beating rapidly as he struggled to breathe. He did not know how he was able to run so far, only that his sickness was catching up to him. He coughed violently, heaving even, tossing and turning on this wet soccer field, rain beginning to drench his jeans and shirt.
'Something is strange.'
Worried, knowing that this episode was different, the way his body was reacting, it was more violent, more spastic.
'Am I going to die?'
He thought, but slowly relented to the episode.
'I don't care anymore.'
'Maybe this was my purpose. To become fertilizer for this grass.'
'Why not just die already?'
'Why go on living?'
'Just die'
He saw his vision begin to fade, the sound of his breath his comfort, and smiled to himself, thinking,
'I'm sure this world will be better without someone like me'
As the world turned to blackness, a pair of bronze feet stepped close to him. Then a loud voice, one of truth and authority, filled his ears, saying,
'AWAY FROM HIM, SERPENT'
And again, He said,
'LIVE, SAYS THE LORD'
A sudden surge of life filled his chest, making him gasp and convulse uncontrollably, his body growing hotter and hotter, as steam rose from his body. Memories began to fill his mind again. However, those same memories felt like they were being washed away, their weight being lifted off of him, and being replaced instead with memories of his father speaking while walking next to him and his mother on the beach.
'The Lord will not leave you nor forsake you, Lyle, - "
The wind picked up and rain bit him, as transparent shards began to grow from his skin.
"He will be with you in times of trouble,-"
Their shape then changed into needles, as thin as, and some thicker than nails, while others were even thicker, growing out of him, and around him.
'He will be with you. Covering you in the fires of your life, in troubling times, in the deep waters, He will be your boat, you will not sink.'
They began to sprout from the earth like shoots, moving outward round about, destroying nearby structures and roads, and growing faster, and faster.
'Nothing is too far from the love of Christ, and nothing can remove you from Him. He will always be with you, even until the end.'
He cried out loud, loud enough for all the years, before he was encased in a pillar, the shards nearby fusing to it as it grew outward and skyward. It was then that the shards began to sprout even more sporadically, and uncontrollably. Their shape became more thorn-like, now branching from one another, piercing everything it came in contact with, radiating outward from the ever growing pillar that began to emit a greenish hue.
"Any eyes on the target?" a familiar woman's voice said through an ear piece.
A hand reached up to its piece, confirming with a familiar charming voice,
"No eyes, yet, Controller. Only rai-. WHOA!!!"
His car screeched to a halt as three meter spikes suddenly grew out of the road. He shifted stick to reverse, swerving just in time to miss another spike,
"Fighter confirmed," he said in haste.
Driving out of the side roads leading to the sports field, he confirmed again, his call being cut off.
A lady with luscious locks of brunette hair, changed coms, saying,
"Commence extraction, I repeat, commence extraction. Fighter has been confirmed, I repeat, fighter has been confirmed."
"Roger, inputting co-ordinates. Extraction is a go."
A siren blared across the campus, and a number of black buses entered the premises, and parked outside the surrounding residences. People who heard turned off other sounds to listen closely, even the DJ turned off the music, allowing the students to hear the faint wail. Then a notification began to override all smartphones in the area, saying,
"ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND SURROUNDING RESIDENCE - THIS IS NOT A DRILL - A BOMB THREAT HAS BEEN DETECTED - EVACUATION VEHICLES EN ROUTE. PLEASE REMAIN CALM, AND WAIT FOR OFFICIAL INSTRUCTION."
In the dark, confused students turned to each other for answers, when suddenly the hall lights were turned on and men in uniform surrounded the students making some scream in terror, but a man in military uniform yelled out louder in an American accent, saying,
"Do not worry, we are here to help you. We'd appreciate your cooperation."
Then another person came rushing in, and, out of breath, she cried out, saying,
"We have confirmed that these gentlemen are official, do not be alarmed students,"
Some students nearby were relieved seeing her face, others noting her lapel, with a name tag that read 'Prof. Mkwanazi'. Others, however, were still bewildered, listening to the man, saying,
"Another notification will be sent to your phones, please follow the instructions provided for a smooth evacuation. Any who do not follow said instruction will be treated as a suspect, and dealt with extreme prejudice."
Another notification appeared on their phones, and seeing the AK-47s, the students abided, forming a line leading to the exit. However, those who were already outside tried to escape, but were detained by assault teams. Those who tried to leave their dorms alone met with the same. Others tried their luck with their cars, but had their wheels slashed before being detained. Each official using the same lines one after the other, saying,
"Do not resist. You will be compensated. Remain calm."
Radio chatter confirmed that most students, faculty and residents were secured, and ready to be transported. The same woman grinned and turned on her coms, saying,
"Make those who fled disappear, and detain those who are uncooperative by force. Proceed with, Phase three."
"Rodger."
Over the churning bay, a Chinook HC2 chopped through the wind and rain, a pilot confirming the order, saying
"Rodger, phase three is a go."
"Phase three is a go," the co-pilot repeated, adjusting the instruments.
The craft began to ascend into the clouds, the turbulence battering the cabin and cockpit, the pilot gritting his teeth, saying,
"Man, they don't call this place the 'Windy City' for nothing. Turbulence is kicking me here. "
"Still, of all the days for a Fighter to Outbreak," the co-pilot said, before turning to look into the cabin, "You ready, Captain?"
A silhouette of a tall figure that sat cramped in a seat, gave a thumbs up, his mouth covered by an oxygen mask, his face in shadow, smiling eyes his only emotion. Then he turned his gaze to the cockpit, outside the wet windshield to the growing green monolith, and an alarm went off.
"What was that?"
"Pressure's dropping sir. We cannot go any further."
"WHAT!"
"Perfect," a grinning voice said.
The pilot grunted, saying,
"Controller, this is A1-Shadow-1, we are unable to approach target, repeat, we are unable to approach target."
"A1-Shadow-1, please stand by."
"Standing by, what...Captain?...Captain, what are you doing? We haven't reached the drop off. Captain!"
"Report! What is happening?" a lady's voice demanded.
"Controller, he...he's going to jump!"
"He's what!"
"Leave him be," another voice said.
"Who is that?"
"Manifesta," Controller yelled, "you have no authorization to be on this channel."
"I'm already on site with Baho, Sis. What do you want us to do?"
"Proceed with the barrier, quickly, write out only what was given in the dossier, especially on Baho's back. Cannot risk eye witnesses"
"Roger that.."
"A1-Shadow-1, status."
"HE JUMPED!"
"Bammit! Manifesta, how far are you."
"Already done, Sis."
"Activate both now."
An illuminated line, the width of a brick(9cm), drew itself at light speed around an area of 3 km, where a thick dark curtain grew from it. The ground began to rumble sporadically, and all boarding the buses began to panic, even Magena felt frightened as she boarded taking her seat while looking round about the passengers. The bus doors finally closed and departed with great speed. Another notification was sent to the students' phones, it was a register based on the attendance of the event, and sure enough, all students were accounted for, except for Lyle. Her heart broke as she desperately looked around for him, saying,
"Excuse me, have you seen my brother, his name is Lyle Vermont."
Row by row, she received the same response: 'No, sorry'.
Even seeing Vuyo with Sam, made her bitter, but her sadness was greater and she approached them, saying,
"Ha…Have either of you seen Lyle?"
Both were surprised, but it was Samatha who turned away, Vuyo answering in her place, saying,
"No, we haven't, Ice Queen. He'z not with you?"
Forlorn filled her as she shook her head, and an official made her sit down across from them. It was in her sadness, she saw it, a light falling from the sky toward the university. Its light growing brighter and brighter, before vanishing behind darkness. The time was 00:00, and the whole bay shook, night becoming noon day. Many turning in the direction of the light, but only one cried out, as her vision turned to blackness,
"LYLE!!!"
Blue skies soon turned to velvet reds and purples, then violet, then indigo, until the starry night was seen once again. The dark curtain dropped and the buildings within it were rendered to magma, the surrounding vegetation vapourised.
"Keep that curtain up. The crew still needs to evacuate citizens," Controller said, visibly annoyed.
A tall figure approached from within the curtain, carrying Lyle over his shoulder, Controller furiously approaching him saying,
"Are you out of your mind, Captain?! We barely had reaction time."
However, her words were silenced when his eyes fell sternly on her. He then turned to Baho, who was now visible, and shrinking down to his original human size.
"What is it Captain," he said, his octavist voice catching some of the female staff off-guard.
"Carry him," Captain said, and the three meter man did so, "Good job holding Manifesta's barrier."
Personnel then beckoned nervously for the body from Baho, but they received a deep guttural growl.
"It's fine, Baho, give him to them."
So he did, and they carried the body away, loading him into a van. A girl then walked nonchalantly toward Captain and Baho, her black robe swinging side to side revealing her black attire underneath. She unveiled her hood, and straight locks of raven hair fell down, lifting with a passing breeze, saying,
"So what now, Vanessa?"
Controller turned to face her revealing herself to be the same woman Lyle met at the bar. She brushed her luscious hair aside and looked at Manifesta with a grin, saying,
"We head back to Terminal Geno."