4. Melissa’s run in
They stood at the edge of the town and lingered around the border. The lake's water lapped at the shore line pushing weeds and plastic bottles up onto the smooth sand. Thirty feet up from the shoreline was the road which curved around the forest tree line and disappeared into the woodlands. Two large men dressed in brown leather jackets and ripped jeans stood behind a tall lanky female. She wore black boots with bootcut jeans both of which were muddied at the bottoms. Her long black coat flowed in the cool lake breeze as she inspected the border.
"What do you think?" The man on her left asked as he looked up at the tree line.
"I think we will have to find a different way in." She replied.
"Why?" The man on her right asked as he walked forward.
The other man moved to stop him but she shot out her arm, halting his advance. They watched as he stormed forward unaware of what they had observed. The man walked forward and as his foot left the sandy shore and stepped onto the concrete his body erupted into flames. The leather on his jacket boiled and his jeans blackened as the fire ate away until his skin charred. His screams echoed across the lake as his body dissolved into blackened flakes of ash.
"The city is protected by a boundary spell. We need to find another way around." She said again and they both turned away and headed along the shoreline of the lake.
*******
By the time Melissa unpacked all her boxes and rearranged her furniture, half of the day had gone by. The orange light of the fading sun glowed through the window turning the room a dark yellow. Her bedroom sat furthest from the descending stairs. Her black bed stood in the center of the room pressed against the wall. Her black bedding had red flowers stitched into the cover.
On either side of her bed were square night tables. On the nightstand closest to the door sat a lamp with a triple headed skull handle and a black shade. Each skull had a slightly different eye socket shape. Across from her bed stood a three tiered black dresser with a flat screen television. On either side of the room were two, five tiered bookshelves. Each shelf was filled with books.
Melissa enjoyed reading more than she enjoyed watching television or hanging out with friends. Books never judged her or betrayed her. She had whole collections of romance, fantasy, paranormal and some erotica novels. Tucked between some books were small trinkets; a skull snow globe sat between the beginning of a paranormal romance series and the ending of a dark fantasy trilogy.
On a different shelf sat a silvery skull with etched flourishes that started at the wide eye sockets and curled around to the back of the cranium. Adjacent to the front door was the closet door. A ten foot deep six foot wide closet. Melissa enjoyed being very meticulous about things. Hanging and sorting her clothes was one of those things. On the left side of the closet she had all her shorts, blouses, dress shirts and dresses hanging.
On the right side hung all her pants, skirts and leggings. All of her clothes were black. Some had patterns or pictures on them but the majority were all solid black. At the back of the closet sat a black wooden chest with a small steel lock on it. She looked at the chest for a moment longer before closing the closet door and looking back at her room. She nodded once more before walking out and into the second room.
The second room was almost identical to Haley's. It had a fridge, a stove/oven, a set of cupboards and a sink with a small counter top. A stack of three boxes and a deconstructed table sat in the far corner. Setting up her kitchen was her next task. Just then she felt her stomach rumble and she glanced at the fridge.
"I hear you stomach. Alright, maybe some food and then back to work."
She closed her doors, grabbed her black purse with a cute kawaii vampire bat on the front and headed down the stairs. Her six pairs of shoes were neatly arranged in the cubbies across from the front door. She had two pairs of platform boots, one pair of black and red sneakers; two pairs of heels and one pair of sandals. She slipped into her black sneakers, tied the laces, opened the front door and shrieked.
Her eyes went wide with shock as she found herself staring at a massive wall of black. She nearly slammed the door before she came to her senses. Melissa took a few breaths to calm her stunned mind and as she looked at the person in the doorway, her heart rate quickened. She saw the dark black studded pants with thick chains that crossed in the back.
Her eyes lifted up to the waistline and saw the black leather belt which had a black wolf's head buckle which snarled angrily. The black shirt was stretched tight over thick toned muscles and then her mouth fell open as she saw his face. His chiseled chin and angular jaw were clean shaven and strong looking. His cheekbones were tight and his eyes...his eyes burned like embers in the light of a dying fire.
Never had she seen such a man in her life. Haley had called him eye candy but through the eyes of a gothic woman such as Melissa, he looked extraordinarily exquisite. She looked up at him and took a step back.
Damian looked down at her and furrowed his brows. He felt his muscles tense when she had shrieked and he started to relax after he looked more closely at her. She wore dark black wide legged pants and a black shirt that stretched taught over her large breasts. Her hair was flopped to one side and her other side was bare leaving her smooth neck exposed.
Damian stepped forward as she stepped back. He had seen many women, tall, lean, short and every variety in between, but the woman before him now made his heart skip a beat. His chest surged with passion as he looked down upon Melissa who looked back up at him. She was beautiful beyond words. A masterpiece of dark artistry. Damian nearly took another step towards her but caught himself.
"I apologize for startling you." He said.
Melissa's eyes went wide at the sound of his deep and smooth voice.
"I...uh...it's okay. I just…didn't expect anyone there." She replied and looked him up and down once more. "You're Damian right?"
"I am. You must be Ms. Galloway?" He replied and bowed slightly at the waist.
Melissa's mouth dropped open slightly wider, then shut tight. 'It's all an act. He is being a gentleman right now but I'm sure it's just an act.' She thought to herself.
"Call me Melissa please. Haley is inside." She replied and just as she was about to step back to let him in, he stepped back and held the door open. Melissa frowned and nodded her thanks as she walked through.
"You used to live here, is that correct?" He asked as she walked past him.
"Yeah." She replied without stopping and headed to her car. She couldn't look back. If she did, she knew his looks and gentleman demeanor would suck her in. Melissa was a sucker for three things, two of them were gothic men and gentlemen. Put those two together and she knew she would not be able to resist.