Tragedy

The sky is dark, with stars twinkling and the crescent proudly shining its light to the ground. This road-silent with few cars driving by-Elsie knows it too well and she likes it for the silence and absence of a lot of cars. The woods on both sides of the road add the beauty to it-a plus to something that Elsie also loves. Elsie drums the steering wheel to the music in her radio. She sways her head rhythmically to the music beats while she drives down the road.

She drives home from the book store where she works part time after her classes in college. She smiles at the thought of the new books she has bought to read while in college-something she does to avoid talking to people.

In her mind, tomorrow's schedule draws itself up. Going for classes half the day then driving to the book store. Something suddenly hits her mind-someone actually. Today's event at the book store replays in her mind-the noises surrounding her dying down as if she is going back to that place-to that time.

***

She is reading her favorite book slower as she senses that she is almost done with the book. From the corner of her eye, she sees a boy walking in the store. She drops her book the second her eyes shift to him. The boy turns and Elsie bends to pick up the book. She sits up to find the boy standing at the counter. She moves back on her seat-shock stricken. The boy does not react-at least he tries to hide his rising lips in amazement.

Elsie notices his spectacular features- his tanned complexion, his icy blue eyes and his deep set black hair that covers half his face. His black attire makes his surrounding cold and dark-Elsie swallows then quickly recollects herself.

"Hi." she wants to say but is rudely interrupted by her colleague.

"Hi there." her colleague -Tasha-says smiling. "How can I help you?" she does it again- pushes her black hair from her shoulder all so seductively. She leans towards the counter and grins at the boy.

The boy does not respond-he ignores her actually-but looks at Elsie who is looking at Tasha in shock and disappointment.

"I think I'm okay. Got someone who was helping me, thanks." the boy speaks and Elsie realises how deep his voice is. Elsie looks at him and the boy raises a brow.

She gets the message and stands. "Aaah! Yes." she turns to Tasha who looks at her with disgust. She shrugs it off and walks over to where the boy is. "Let me show you around, maybe a book or two will catch your eye." Elsie walks to the shelves, the boy following behind.

Behind them, Tasha grunts angrily-hitting the counter with her fisted hand.

"So we have all genres here; fiction, romance, thrillers, horror, you name it." Elsie says confidently-the introduction dancing from her lips. "You are lucky sir." she smiles heartily and the boy does not fail to see the dimples planting on her cheeks-something he finds striking alongside her beautiful brown complexion. "We are offering a fifty percent discount on the cost of the books here and if you buy five books you get a chance to go with one free book."

"Which book are you reading?" the boy ignores all the things she was saying-he was not paying attention.

Elsie frowns as she turns but immediately wears a smile when she looks at the boy. "Pardon?"

The boy looks at the book in Elsie's hand. Elsie follows his gaze. "Oh! I'm reading Flowers by Melancholy."

The boy smiles and looks away. Elsie peers as she tries to read his expression but fails.

"I think I will take that." the boy says.

"S-sure." Elsie says then walks to the fiction books' shelf. She places the book she was reading on the ground as she slides the mobile ladder towards her and starts her way up to reach the book up in the shelf. The boy looks at Elsie, shock stricken.

She looks different right now to the girl she is back in school, he says to himself.

He shakes his head and chases the thought away. Elsie makes her last steps on the ladder before her feet touch the ground then exhales deeply, satisfied that that climb went well-remembering that the last time she did that, she fell, spraining her ankle. She dusts her sweater and walks back to the boy- the book he wanted in her arms, picking up her book from the ground while doing so.

They walk back to the counter where Tasha stands ready to write the receipt for the boy but yet again, the boy ignores her and waits for Elsie to go round and behind the counter. Tasha grunts angrily and shoves the book to Elsie who non-caring of Tasha's attitude, picks the receipt book and starts scribbling the details.

"Umm...sir,what is your name?" Elsie asks.

"Marcus." the boy answers and Elsie resumes scribbling. She tears the page and hands the receipt paper and the book to Marcus.

Marcus studies the receipt before reaching to his pocket and takes out his wallet and removes some notes. He places them on the counter and Elsie notices the silver rings in his fingers- his thumb, index and middle fingers-and a black rose tattoo on the back of his hand and let's not get started on his veiny hands. "Keep the change." Marcus says.

Elsie nods with a polite smile and Tasha takes the money then puts in the safe below the counter.

Marcus walks out of the store and Elsie takes her seat.

"That boy was rude." Tasha says rudely while watching Marcus taking a right turn to disappear to the town after walking out of the store.

Elsie scoffs. "I did not see a hint of rudeness coming from him Tasha." she says.

Tasha rolls her eyes. "He was kind to you. He treated me like I was invisible."

"It's all in your head Tash. Let it go." Elsie says taking 'her' book when she realises that it lacks her bookmark. "Shit!" she snaps rushing out of the store.

She looks both sides, disappointed that she has missed him. That book is not hers, it's Marcus'. She sighs as she walks back in.

How stupid am I? Just a single, fucking simple detail Elsie? Is it that fucking hard? She curses herself.

"What was that all about?" Tasha asks. Elsie lifts the book lazily. "It- I don't understand."

"I switched books. He wanted the same book I was reading and I mistook his with mine." Elsie mumbles softly.

Tasha shrugs.

***

Elsie shakes her head, everything coming back to life like it was at a stop.

What will Marcus think when he sees my notes and how I have been fangirling over Adrias from the book? Elsie asks herself. She grunts in frustration then shakes her head. He will have to bear with it. Elsie says, spirited. I wish I could know his whereabouts. She sighs.

Her phone- on the seat next to her-rings. She leans towards it keeping her eyes on the road and her hands on the steering wheel.

When she finally takes her phone she exhales triumphantly while she sits up and faces the road only to see a truck speeding her way. She turns the wheel sharply to the right. The car sharply turns, hitting the barrier sending the car spinning in air. The truck dashes to the left, hitting a tree ahead of it.

Elsie's car lands, the top on the ground. Elsie is unconscious, blood oozing out from her forehead and her mouth and dripping to the car top. She hears fading voices but cannot comprehend who is speaking and who the person is speaking to. Everything is in a blur and her vision is failing her as well as her breaths. She hears the door jerked open and someone struggling to unbuckle her seat belt.

"Sir... Car... Explode... Hurry..." these are the words Elsie hears.

She feels arms pull her out of the and she hisses in pain as her whole body is in pain. Her eyes struggle to register a man in black and with amazing hair.

"You are cute." she says as one who is drunk before she collapses and everything goes black.