Drawn

Saymore Barauta

Published by Saymore Barauta

Nyssa

I sat outside my favorite restaurant in Athol, watching the passing parade.

Yeah, people fascinated me…something about their normalcy and blissful ignorance, I think.

Tapiwa, my favorite waiter, had received me and led me to a vacant table at the edge of the dining area before I could ask if there was one available. He knew me well and knew my preferred spot. When my food arrived, I quickly took a bite, my eyes shuttering as I savored the taste.

“Thank you,” I said opening my eyes and smiling up at Tapiwa.

With a radiantly white smile that brightened his dark face, Tapiwa said, “you are welcome sis,” then he turned to leave with my gaze following him. Tapiwa was grass-blade thin and as dark as a panther. With a nice manner about him and a terribly faltered walk, he didn’t match the magnificent beast.

A couple sitting on my left caught my gaze. Squashing a sad sensation that had started to bloom in my chest, I averted my eyes looking for a distraction. What they had was something I could only dream of, so it was pointless dwelling on what I could never have. I let out a sigh fighting envy. Then my eyes landed on another table where a man sat having supper with his daughter.

Pain assaulted me with a force I couldn’t counteract. That kind of relationship, I had experienced but it had ended too soon in my opinion, which made it even more agonizing to think of.

Thunder rumbled in a distance, stopping the melancholy mood that was just coming over me. Everyone looked at the cloudless darkening skies with confusion etched on their faces and then let it slide. As they always do.

Watching people with their families always conjured up unbearable memories. I tried to shut my mind down before it went deeper into the memory lane. It was a road filled with an impossible sadness, unimaginable pain and a devastating hollowness…

°°°°°°

“Hey Nys.” Siya greeted taking a seat opposite me and halting my thoughts.

I smiled. “Hey you,” he was a welcome distraction. Siya was the closest thing I had to a friend. One of his cousins worked in the offices upstairs, so he came by Athol often.

“I have been trying to hang out all week and you have been dodging.” He accused eyeing my plate and grimacing at what he found there. He always complained that I never ordered anything different.

“Not dodging, just busy going around doing interviews, I had a major article that was due today. You knew that.” In the past few days, I’d gone around interviewing designers in preparation for fashion week. I wrote part-time for Mone’ Magazine just to get extra cash.

“Excuses as always,” he complained.

I sighed at his doubt, though he wasn’t entirely wrong. I did my best to avoid forming relationships but Siya had been hard to shake off. “So what have you been up to…” I arched an eyebrow, “breaking more hearts?”

He flashed me a smile that would have been dazzling if I wasn’t so immune to him. Siya had a body to die for, a face that would give inspiration to any sculptor, cropped hair, brown eyes and a rich dark yellow-brown skin. He was simply gorgeous. “You know me so well.” His voice dripped with too much confidence.

The guy was a playboy and the title suited him well because of a string of broken hearts he left in his wake. He had a girl at every port. I didn’t blame him though. Some girls allowed him to treat them like walking vaginas because they were helpless against his charms and looks.

“Come with me Saturday evening, I feel like watching a movie.”

I considered that for a moment. It was a good way of making it up to him for avoiding him all week. “Yeah sure, will you pick me up or am I meeting you there?”

“I will come get you,” he replied, elated that I agreed so easily. Often, he had to coax me into doing stuff with him. Whenever I willingly agreed, it pleased him and he thought he was getting closer to his goal. He looked at his wrist watch. “Got to run,” he got up, “I will pick you up at four thirty. We’ll eat before the movie.” And he was off.

Siya tried getting into my panties, since my first year of varsity, without success. Believing that if he pursued me long enough I’d finally give in; he never gave up.

Graced with too much confidence, Siya went after what he wanted until he got it. Most women practically dropped their panties at the sight of him. He was used to it and took it as his due. While I, on the other hand, had never shown any interest. I was ever a mystery to him. I suspected that was another reason why he never gave up. He wanted to conquer me. But I kept him at arm’s length. Forming strong attachments was a tragedy in the making. Siya rather forced his presence in my life and I guess I allowed it as a way of staying in touch with humanity and staying sane. I sighed wondering what I was going to do with him.

°°°°°°

I was on my way home and my apartment building had just come into view when massive wing shaped shadows glided on the ground in front of me. The shadows disappeared behind me, stopping me in my path.

I dropped my shield, unleashing my sensing ability.

Immense power battered me, almost levelling me to the ground. Suddenly that power was reined in as I rocked on my feet to catch my balance. A strange compelling aura saturated the air, which immediately had me feeling…complete. It was as if a piece had been missing from a puzzle that was my soul and had finally lodged itself into place. As if I had been cold, dead and now…I was alive. A vitality I had only ever felt under the influence of my power was charging in my veins; the feeling so exquisite…so divine. For a moment, I stood there basking in the feeling.

The aura became magnetic.

An urge to go to it’s source gripped me with a desperation that shocked me. But whatever it was behind me, giving off that aura was less human and powerful. I considered the wisdom of just standing there instead of running.

The urge grew intensely with each second, taking away my willpower.

Without volition, I turned feeling like a puppet with strings attached to it and controlled by the forceful aura rolling off the strange entity.

My breath caught at the scene that greeted me…I was awe-struck.

A majestic-looking creature spotting flaxen wings spread upward stood before me. A jumble

of blond hair skimmed the tops of his shoulders framing a severely masculine but gorgeous face. He was striking with a kingly nose, radiant blue eyes and a perfectly carved mouth.

An aureate angel, I thought…enthralled. Truly, he was a seraph.

With feline-like graceful movements, he walked towards me, his eyes holding mine captive. His aura sent a warm sensation through me that fluttered my insides as he got closer. His impressive height causing my head to upturn as I strive to maintain eye contact. “Don’t be frightened, I won’t harm you.” His voice was low but persuasive. It slithered into me scattering my brains.

I just stared, mesmerized.

His eyes turned crimson, his mouth opened, lateral incisors and canines elongated while his head bowed towards my neck.

Overwhelmed by the unusual force he exuded and the gush of emotion he induced in me, my mind didn’t quite register what was happening. I should have been running, screaming my lungs out. But I stood there, basking in the sensations he evoked inside me. His arms encircled me as if embracing a lover. All my common-sense vanished the moment his lips touched my skin. I distantly felt the sting from his fangs that only lasted a second and the warm sensation that bloomed around my eyes.

Then he sucked, drawing blood from my carotid artery.

I gasped; the feeling caused by his sucking ignited a sweet ache at the apex of my thighs.

The sensation—astonishing.

A rumble sounded in his chest while he shifted on his feet pressing fully into my front, rubbing his thick bulge against my belly. My body quivered echoing the rumble. I heated with each pull on my neck, the sweet ache intensifying. Drifting in the pleasure his embrace and sucking roused, I held on to his waist as an anchor, afraid I would scatter.

The connection settled me.

He felt like home and I’d finally arrived after wandering a long and desolate road. It was ecstasy and I wanted to stay in his arms forever.

When he was done, he licked the punctures he’d put in my neck. The laps of his tongue, warm and wet had me moaning with pleasure.

Then he looked into my eyes again. For a second, he seemed taken aback…surprised.

I noticed his eyes reflected an internal struggle that I felt pounding against me while his muscles bunched up as if he was restraining himself.

A massive need emanated from him.

He practically heaved himself away from me, taking a step back and released me. “Forget what happened. When you get home, have something to drink.” He ordered in a gruff voice.

My mind was muddled, so I just nodded, staring at him.

“You can go now,” he said.

I continued to stare at him, stock-still then frowned tilting my head gently to the side wondering how an angel could drink blood.

A frown appeared on his brow as if he was confused. “You can go now,” he repeated staring deep into my eyes.

The more he stared, the more I felt a tug on my brain. It was a strange and an uncomfortable feeling. My body went into self-defense mode and my shield went up. In a flash, my mind cleared; the angel-like creature had just tried to tamper with my memory.

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