Recently, myself and two other writers embarked on a collaboration adventure and started writing Pursuit of Darkness, book one of Unearthing Sarkoczy series. We were part of a real life vampire community, and prospected to a house to learn more of the lore pertaining to origins of vampires for occult research. As opposed to legitimately based researched, we were met with a religious society based…
Unearthing Unearthing Sarkoczy
Recently, myself and two other writers embarked on a collaboration adventure and started writing Pursuit of Darkness, book one of Unearthing Sarkoczy series. We were part of a real life vampire community, and prospected to a house to learn more of the lore pertaining to origins of vampires for occult research. As opposed to legitimately based researched, we were met with a religious society based vampire house. On top of the disappointment of not finding the legitimate research we were looking for, we were also met with opposition from many members of this select group. Our beliefs were tore from limb to limb and opposed when it came to a “Middle Pillar/Twilight” way of life. Heinous acts were implemented in threats to us. We were told we didn’t belong and to leave. This was not the most delectable experience we thought we were to have. Instead, it was a horrible experience.
From this experience, we gained an aim for a new fiction series called Unearthing Sarkoczy Saga. It is a vampire saga and revolves around the many things we learned while in this society of greed, power, politics, sex, and drama. Although personalities and some traits of the real people of this society were used, the book is purely fiction. We molded what we experienced into a new dramatic view, kind of like Anne Rice meets Vampire Diaries. None of the scenes portrayed in the book literally happened. The names of the people in the book are purely fiction and pulled from generators for pre-1800 Hungarian baby names. All conversations are fiction and all actions portrayed are fiction.
We recently acquired a name for ourselves as “author bullies” as one of the members of this community is an author. We are in no way abusing her name in the book or portraying any real conversations we had with the author. We have not campaigned about her aside from retorting the claims and allegations of “author bullying,” plagiarism (which I will get to in a moment), hijacking a page that we ourselves had created in the beginning under our accounts, and have been accused of being drug heads and smeared in passive-aggressive fiction posts posted to said author’s walls. I myself was called “Spacey” and was said to have been as big as a bus, which was a stab at my weight issue, which is low for anyone. Yet, we seem to be the ones deemed as “author bullies” when in respect to the story the only thing we put in the book was arrogant attitudes that I must say most vampire novels have.
As many of you can see in my posts on here, I am far from being an author bully. I have a number of author spotlights for up and coming indie authors who have self-published on all types of platforms. One of my goals has been to help other indie authors achieve fandom, including said author as I shared her books to my personal Facebook page and profile for free promotion to her and asked for nothing in return.
We are 30,000 words into this novel when people started remarking that is was apparently plagiarized and stolen intellectual property. That is not true, as said series remarked as being what was copied is way before my age and I had never heard of it until told what the proposed plagiarism was. The three main characters known as the Karpati sisters are born vampires that have been pushed from countless homes after being hunted down by vampire hunters. None of their descriptions, nor the descriptions of other characters match any other material out on the market. As a matter of fact, the only resemblance that they have in the BEGINNING of the book are the way the members reacted to us when we were initiated into this community. There are blossoming romances between all three of the Karpati sisters with different members of the clan. In real life, I am married and hardly ever talk to the members of this established house unless they are females. Our first four chapters are up on this blog as well as the fan club website we set up on www.housesarkoczy.com. We did and do not live in a 200 year old plantation house and the established society we initiated into did not have stacks of humans hidden in a dungeon as snacks (that is kidnapping; if they want to claim that by gods let them; it is their funeral not mine). Face it; we are talking lush old world money and paintings from the Louvre and most of the members of the vampire community can barely make monthly bills. So for someone to see themselves in this fiction, and say we are openly writing about them being “author bullies,” then there is a need to know that personality profiles are just that; character profiles learned from mannerisms of multiple people.
Since the alleged accusations of our “smear campaign” came to light, I was removed from a writing group because she was friends with the owner of it and told the reasons were my book. There were no real life events written into this book and it being purely fiction there was no legitimate reason to remove me from the writing group. The owner of the group and a few others in the group (as well as one of the admins) are part of the vampire community. The “threat” posed to this established house offended them and they removed me because of their ties to the vampire community. I myself feel that this is wrong entirely as fiction can be written about anything and everything you choose. Since we used experiences to mold our novels to create “some” of the plots i.e. the attacks in the book were personal attacks on our characters saying we never belonged and shouldn’t belong, I do not feel as if this removal was fair just because they are friends. But, it’s Facebook and group owners can do whatever they wish to do, including emailing Anne Rice and telling her we were publicly stating an endorsement through her for the books (which the allegations were false as well).
This post is to clear our names of what we are being accused of. When writing fiction and using fictionalized characters, there is no way to smear anyone’s name unless they feel guilty about what is portrayed in the story (and I reiterate NOTHING in this book happened for real in real life). My hope is that if you hear any defamation of my character, any slander or bias as to me being a horrible person or an “author bully,” you will turn a deaf ear towards the accuser. We have posted disclaimers everywhere saying that the book is purely fiction with no real conversations that took place in real life, but they push people further into their propaganda and feed them the lies being told on the author’s actual author page on Facebook, where she clearly campaigns to unlike and block our book series/fan club page.
Going undercover for writing research for nonfiction occult books turned into research for an actual novel. We have deeply researched our character’s origins, dates, languages, specific words for architecture of places mentioned; everything. If you could, please pass this by word of mouth to counteract the attacks against my name and the other writers of this series.
In honest regards,
Kasey Hill
Beauty is Fangs Deep- Chapter Three
Beauty is Fangs Deep- Chapter Three
“How the hell could you mess up this bad!”
John awoke to the sun beaming in his eyes and the arguing outside the car. He sat up in the seat and looked around to see where they were. They were back at the diner they had left last night.
“I did exactly what John said. He said to stay on the highway and wake him when we hit Colorado. I made no turns, no turn arounds, nothing,” Duke yelled back at…
Beauty is Fangs Deep- Chapter Three
“How the hell could you mess up this bad!”
John awoke to the sun beaming in his eyes and the arguing outside the car. He sat up in the seat and looked around to see where they were. They were back at the diner they had left last night.
“I did exactly what John said. He said to stay on the highway and wake him when we hit Colorado. I made no turns, no turn arounds, nothing,” Duke yelled back at Larissa.
“Hey, hey! It’s okay. We’ll get something to eat and then just start back on the road. It’s no big deal. There was probably an exit and this was a bypass highway that looped around,” John said pulling his hoody off.
“Whatever,” Larissa said walking to the burger joint.
“I’m sorry man, I-“ Duke began.
“It’s ok, no worries,” John said popping the trunk and changing his shirt.
He glanced through the window at Michala still reading in the front seat.
“You coming in?” he asked.
“Not hungry,” she replied turning the page.
“It might be the last stop for a while,” he said trying to urge her out of the car.
“Not hungry,” she replied yet again.
“I’ll bring you something back,” he said standing up from the window.
She was pissed at him and had good reason to be. He walked inside with the other two and ordered his meal and something for Michala. Instead of sitting inside with Larissa and Duke, he walked back outside to eat in the car.
The same car that had stopped last night beside theirs was stopped there again. Instead of the man this time, it was the woman underneath of an umbrella talking to Michala.
“Are you sure you don’t have directions,” she asked Michala.
“We got lost ourselves last night and ended up back here,” Michala said sympathetically.
She noticed John walking out of the diner, “John, maybe you can give them directions. They’re looking for…what was it…Stewart?” Michala asked the woman.
“Yes,” replied the woman.
“You past it about 50 miles back south,” John replied. “Head south on this road and take the first exit you see. That’ll put you on your way to Stewart,” he said stopping in front of the woman.
She had sunglasses on. Her hair was dark nearly black in color and she wore the most peculiar dress that looked like a Latin dancing dress. She was the palest person he had ever met before.
“Thank you, young man,” she said walking back to the car. In the sunlight, the tint was so dark, you couldn’t see inside like you could last night.
“You’re welcome,” he said waving his hand.
He climbed in the driver door and looked over at Michala who was watching them pull away.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Whenever they talk to me, it’s like, like I can’t ignore them. Like I HAVE to talk to them. I can’t explain it,” she said still slightly mystified after their departure.
“I got ya some grub,” John said handing the bag of food over to her.
“Thanks, I’m hungry all of a sudden,” she said opening the bag to see what he got her.
She pulled out the fries and started going to town eating. It was unusual behavior for her, but then again she didn’t eat last night neither, which was John’s fault.
“Here’s your drink too,” he said handing her the cup that the diner offered for drink.
She gulped it down and ate the hamburger that was in the bag. She had everything ate in under five minutes.
“I’d say you were hungry,” John said slowly chewing the food in his mouth.
She looked over at his food and then to his face. He smiled. He got the hint and handed the burger over to her along with his fries.
“Thank you,” she said taking a bite of his burger.
“No problem,” he said laughing while chewing his bite of food.
She had slowed down eating and was chewing at a normal pace. He watched her start to nitpick at the food, her tell-tale sign that she was full but didn’t want people knowing she was.
“Give it back,” he laughed taking the burger and fries back.
She continued chewing the mouthful of food as the quiet proceeded to settle in between the two of them.
“Look, about last night,” John began.
“Don’t worry about,” she said looking out the window.
“No, I truly am sorry. Things slipped my mind once I broke it off with Larissa then got the eighth degree from Duke. Apparently, they both think we were screwing around behind their backs,” he said balling the burger wrapper up and tossing it in the bag. “Everything I said in that letter, I meant every word of it,” he said pulling the ring from his pocket.
“Hey, how’d you get that? It was in my-“
“Purse,” he said smiling.
“You little sneak,” she scoffed.
“Michala, I wanted to do this last night, but better late than never,” he said holding the ring up in between them. “I’ve loved you since the day you moved in next door. No matter who I have dated, I couldn’t take my mind off of you. We spent so much time together just being ourselves, we never really did pay much mind to dating each other,” he said taking her hand in his. “I’m not asking you to marry me, I’m asking you to promise to be mine forever,” he said putting the promise ring on her finger.
She couldn’t say anything back, but didn’t get the chance to. He ran his hand up her cheek and pulled her in for their very first kiss with each other. His hands slid from her face to her hair, and she put her arms around his neck. He pulled her across the bench seat of the car closer to him. He kissed her and pulled back numerous times to look at her face. He brushed her hair back from her face and trailed his finger down her cheek.
“I’m sooo ready for the beach,” she said smiling at him.
He smiled back and kissed her one more time. She sat back down in her seat that had gotten hot due to the sun beaming on it. So, she scooted to the middle of the bench seat. Duke and Larissa made their way from the diner and climbed in the backseat.
“Everyone ready to go?” John asked.
Everyone chimed an answer of yes, and once again, they started off in the direction of Colorado.
Duke started in on the remaining beer left from his 12 pack and offered one to everyone in the car. Larissa accepted while Michala and John declined.
“You know that stuff makes me car sick,” Michala said looking at the beer disgusted.
“I’m driving,” John said laughing.
“You both lost your cool when you graduated school,” Duke laughed and chugged his beer.
John turned the radio on and everyone sang along to the radio. Michala scooted closer to him but he dared not put his arm around her in front of Larissa. He wanted a peaceful trip. The two knew mutually not to let the cat out of the bag about themselves. As John glanced in the rearview, he saw Larissa and Duke quietly talking in the backseat. She was already putting the moves on him, and he was openly flirting back. He hadn’t known that Michala and Duke had called it quits already, unless Duke was trying to make her jealous with his actions.
They had been driving for hours and nightfall was hitting when they came upon lights to the right.
“How in the hell….” John muttered and pulled over in the parking lot.
The diner they were at earlier was the final resting spot.
“See, I told yall,” Duke said leaning over toward the passenger window.
“There were no exits or anything. How is this possible?” Michala asked looking over to John.
“I don’t know,” he said putting the car in park. “Let me go ask them for directions,” he said jumping out and heading in the diner.
“This is way too creepy,” Larissa chimed in the backseat.
It hadn’t been but a few seconds that John had entered the diner that the Jaguar rolled up beside them.
“Well, I see we are all having the same experience,” the gentleman said getting out of his car.
A panic flew through Michala. A gut feeling was telling her somehow they were the ones responsible for this but she couldn’t say it out loud.
“Are yall lost too?” Larissa asked climbing out of the car.
Duke was about to do the same when Michala turned around and shook her head no.
“We have been trying to get to Stewart and followed the other young lad’s advice and still ended up right back here,” he said motioning to the car.
The woman then got out of the car and walked over beside the gentleman. Her eyes burned into Michala’s and she had to look away.
“Our friend is inside getting directions from the diner,” Larissa replied back to the gentleman.
“It won’t be any good. They couldn’t give us directions,” he replied back.
Michala pulled her cell phone out of her purse, and to her dismay, there was no signal. She felt uneasy with the strangers and there was a lull to them that made her look back to them. The woman was still watching her. She withdrew her gaze from the woman to the diner but couldn’t help peaking at her.
John walked from the diner’s doors muttering and cussing.
“So, what they say?” Michala asked glancing uneasily over at their guests.
“They couldn’t tell me anything. Useless!” he replied angrily.
He then noticed the guests at the car and slowed his steps. He looked over at Michala. Her face was white as a ghost, and she slightly shook her head relaying an unspoken message. Hearing John’s voice, the man and woman turned their gaze toward him.
“Ah, there’s the young lad. I see you’re having the same problem as we are,” he said walking toward John.
“Yea, it’s weird we drove four hours away from the diner and still ended up right back where we started,” he replied making his way over to the driver’s door. “Larissa, get back in the car. We’re going to head back towards the house and reroute,” John said jumping in the driver’s seat.
“It was nice meeting yall,” Larissa said turning around and getting back in the car.
“The pleasure is ours,” the woman said following suit.
John started the car, turned around on the highway, and drove back the way they had initially started from. It wasn’t until the lights of the diner disappeared that Michala spoke up.
“Did you feel it too?” she asked looking over at John.
“Yea, I did,” he replied.
“What are yall talking about?” Duke asked leaning up to hear them.
“The last two times we were there, they were too. I just got a creepy feeling about them. I mean how odd is it we’re heading in two different directions and are both getting lost ending up back in the same spot we started?” Michala asked looking from John to Duke.
“Well, I think they’re nice people,” Larissa said scornfully.
“That’s only your first time meeting them. I mean they’re looking for a place less than 50 miles away, driving a Jaguar, and dressed like the Addams’s family. Come on now?” Michala said irritated. “You don’t feel what I do when they come around. It’s like I can’t talk unless spoken too. I can’t think or anything. I’m just drawn into them. I can’t explain it,” Michala said sitting back right in her seat.
Everyone was silent. Michala never talked like this before and it was odd.
“Maybe we should just head home,” Duke offered. “Maybe this trip wasn’t meant to be.”
“Bull! I did not leave the state of California just to be rushed back to it because we’re lost on a highway. We’re going to the beach!” Larissa exclaimed.
“Larissa is right. We should just continue on to the beach,” Michala said solemnly.
John looked over at her. She was just staring straight ahead expressionless.
“Michala, are you okay,” John asked.
She just kept staring straight ahead without responding.
“Michala!” he yelled a bit too loud.
She jumped from being startled and looked over at him. The look on her face terrified him.
“Are you okay?” he asked pulling over on the side of the road.
She trembled and couldn’t speak. She looked into the rear view mirror as headlights appeared.
“Go,” she whispered. “Go! Its them!” she yelled as John saw the headlights in the mirror as well.
He put the car in drive and hit the gas speeding off. He was gaining speed and the headlights were being lost in the space between the two vehicles. He saw a side road and veered off onto it hoping to lose their followers. The road led to an abandoned cabin where he turned the engine and lights off. They heard a car fly by the road in the direction they had been heading. All was quiet.
The four of them climbed out of the car and gathered in front of the house.
“Now this is what creepy looks like,” Larissa said snidely.
“It’s not that bad,” John said walking up the front steps. One of the boards began to creak and bow under his weight and he jumped to the next. “Be careful walking up.”
They each took the steps carefully one by one so the steps didn’t give away to all of their weight. John pushed the cabin door open and walked inside. It was completely bare inside.
“Hello?” he called out.
There was no answer.
“It’s safe to say its empty,” he said walking further into the house.
The rest of the group followed in uneasy. The windows had been busted out and boarded up haphazardly. The curtains were shredded and barely clung to the rods above the windows. There were spider webs everywhere and newspaper littered the floor. It looked as if homeless people crashed here every once in a while.
“Let’s crash here tonight so we know we’re driving the right way tomorrow,” John said turning around to everyone.
“Are you nuts?” Larissa asked.
“I’d rather stay here than have some lunatic searching the roads for us,” John retorted.
Larissa didn’t say anything back.
“Okay, its settled. Duke, help me get the stuff out the car. I have some camping gear packed in case we broke down somewhere,” John said walking to the door.
Duke turned around and made his way carefully down the steps. The two guys unloaded the car and brought everyone’s stuff inside. John broke open one of the bags and pulled out his camping gear. He turned on a camping lamp for everyone to see inside the room.
“I have one more if anyone wants to sleep in another room tonight,” he said setting it over to the side.
He unpacked four sleeping bags, some pillows, and blankets. He pulled out a case of waters and a case of sodas and loaded the cooler packed with ice with drinks.
“I have some bread and peanut butter also,” he said holding up the loaf of bread and peanut butter for everyone to see.
Everyone grabbed a sleeping bag. Michala unrolled hers in the middle of the floor and put a pillow and blanket on it. John unrolled his a few feet away from her and followed the same steps. Larissa and Duke hesitated.
“Duke and I…are going to sleep in a different room. I just don’t like the idea anyone can open that front door and walk in here with us,” she said picking up the sleeping bag, blanket, and pillow for her.
Everyone was quiet.
“Why don’t yall really tell us the reason why,” Michala said looking at the two of them.
Duke and Larissa exchanged glanced with one another.
“You know?” Duke asked.
“I’m not stupid, Duke. We were breaking up before this trip, and you showed up at my door with her. Come on now, I’m not naïve,” she said shaking her head.
“And both of you are okay with this?” Larissa asked looking from Michala to John.
“We’re all friends. It’s cool,” John said.
“Well, ok then. Goodnight you two,” Larissa said smirking.
She and Duke walked up the stairs to one of the rooms and shut the door. John and Michala could hear giggling.
“Well, those two are going to get drunk tonight,” John said smirking.
“Huh?” Michala asked.
“He took his other 12 pack with him upstairs,” John said pointing to where the 12 pack had sat.
“Oh,” Michala said.
“You look distracted. Are you okay with those two…being together?” John asked scooting his sleeping bag closer to her.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I be? They didn’t admit to sneaking around behind our backs with each other at all,” she said flopping down on her sleeping bag. “You have no idea what it’s like to be cheated on over and over,” she said tying her hair up in a ponytail.
“Yes, I do. It’s one reason it was so easy ending it with Larissa. They have been sneaking around a lot longer than you knew,” he said setting down on his sleeping bag.
She looked over at him, “You knew this whole time and didn’t tell me?”
He looked down to the floor, “I caught them once together in her dad’s car. They swore it was the first and last time…I didn’t want to break your heart being the one who told you,” he said looking up at her.
She sighed, “Well, they got the cue from us. Even though we weren’t dating we acted like we were,” she said situating herself under her blanket.
John took his shirt off. He scooted closer to her and lay back on his pillow with his one arm under his head and the other outstretched for her. She lay down on his arm and curled up beside of him pulling her blanket up over her shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead, an age old gesture the two shared. She let out a sign and traced her finger on his chest. She looked up to his eyes and saw them looking right back at her.
“It was obvious how you felt about me,” she said smiling.
“Oh, how so?” he asked flirtatiously.
“You were always staring at me in your rearview mirror, duh,” she said laughing.
He laughed with her, then it grew quiet.
“John, I have something to tell you,” she said biting her bottom lip.
“What’s that?” he asked looking down at her again.
“It’s about college,” she said timidly.
“What about it?” he asked.
“I’m thinking of going to school on the east coast,” she said.
She waited for his response. He was silent.
“There’s this really great program that I’m interested, and I got accepted,” she said.
He still didn’t respond.
“John?” she asked trying to get him to talk.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” he asked in irritation.
“Because I didn’t want you getting upset. I was going to tell you when we got to the beach,” she said wishing she hadn’t brought it up.
He sat up and folded his hands together in front of him while resting them on his knees.
“You can’t go that far!” he yelled.
It startled her. She had never seen him this upset before.
“I thought you would be happy for me,” she said sitting up beside him.
“How can I visit you if your 3,000 miles away?” he asked looking at her.
“The decision was made long before your plans came into motion,” she said crossing her arms.
“Please don’t go…” he begged.
“I have no fall back schools. This is the only chance I have. They have an awesome scholarship that I was given to even go,” she said.
“I will pay for your college tuition anywhere else in California,” he said looking at her. “Please, don’t go. Don’t leave me behind.”
“Why don’t you come with me?” she asked.
“I don’t belong on the east coast,” he replied.
They were both silent.
“You promised that no matter where I went, you would be here waiting for my return. Did you mean that?” she asked.
He sighed, “Of course I did,” he said wrapping his arm around her. “It’s just the same day we decide to have a relationship; you drop this on me.”
“I know, but would you have rather me wait til the day of?” she asked.
He pulled her closer to him. He didn’t want her to go and she was too stubborn to change her mind in not going. He was getting ready to reply when there was a loud noise outside.
Beauty is Fangs Deep- Chapter Two
Beauty is Fangs Deep- Chapter Two
Larissa had scooted over to John, and he put his arm around her. Duke still sat on the other side of the car breaking into the 12 pack he had bought where they filled the car up. Michala sat staring out the window. It had been a long time since she had been on a road trip, but she had never been cross country before.
John stole glances at her through the rear view mirror watching her peer out the…
Beauty is Fangs Deep- Chapter Two
Larissa had scooted over to John, and he put his arm around her. Duke still sat on the other side of the car breaking into the 12 pack he had bought where they filled the car up. Michala sat staring out the window. It had been a long time since she had been on a road trip, but she had never been cross country before.
John stole glances at her through the rear view mirror watching her peer out the window. He was jolted from one of his glances when he felt a hand go between his legs.
“What are you doing?” he asked Larissa annoyed.
“I thought you would like a treat as we drove,” she said removing her hand.
“It would be too hard to focus on driving,’ he said laughing. She scooted back over to her seat scowling at him.
“Michala wanna switch seats with me. I’m getting tired,” Larissa said turning around in her seat to face Michala.
Michala shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t mind,” she said climbing over the front seat and switching places with Larissa.
Larissa made a pillow with her jacket against the door and started to doze. Duke murmured something under his breath and threw the empty beer bottle out the window. He took a cue from Larissa, pulled his hat down low, and adjusted himself to sleep as well.
Michala scooted closer to John and leaned her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her. The other two didn’t care what or how they expressed their friendship. They knew coming into the relationship how close of friends they were and never bothered speaking up against their actions.
“So what were you back there thinking about while admiring the tumbleweeds?” John chided.
She elbowed him in the ribs chuckling, “Everything, what my next steps are, how I’m going to get to those next steps, just everything,” she said swiping a fallen piece of hair out of her face.
“You know what’s best for you,” he said tickling her side.
She laughed smacking his hand away.
“Ok, I couldn’t resist, I’m sorry,” he said wrapping his arm back around her.
She sunk into his side deeper breathing in the smell of his cologne. She loved the smell of his cologne. She felt a pluck on her forehead and opened her eyes, as John laughed putting his hand back on the wheel.
“You’re such an ass,” she said laughing flicking him back.
“Oh, it’s on. The flick war has started,” he said preparing to flick her again.
“I call truce,” she said leaning away throwing her hands up in front of her face.
“Ok, ok truce,” he said and she flicked him again.
They both laughed. They watched the sign as they drove by “Leaving California, entering Nevada.”
“One state down and like 20 more to go,” she said joking.
They both got quiet for a minute or two.
“Thank you for my rose, you were the only one who gave me flowers on graduation,” she said looking up to his face.
“I have no clue what you’re talking about. Delusional, delusional. Where’s the asylum?” he said laughing and looking around as she punched him in the arm.
“Ha ha, funny,” she said sarcastically.
“You’re welcome,” he said smiling looking down at her.
“I haven’t read the letter yet, what’s it say?” she asked reaching around to grab her purse from the back seat.
“Read it and find out. If I wanted to say it out loud, I wouldn’t have written it,” he said back grinning.
“You’re such an ass!” she said punching him in the arm again.
“Seriously, though, can you wait til were not in a car full of people to read it. I do have my reputation to uphold you know,” he said laughing.
Before she could throw another punch he yelled, “Truce!”
She fished the letter from her purse and he grew silent and stared at the road. She flipped open the flap of the envelope and saw something shiny in the bottom of the envelope. It was a ring. She didn’t know what to do next.
“Anybody hungry?” John yelled out waking the two in the back seat.
“I could eat a human!” Duke yelled back.
John pulled into the parking lot of a Swiss Burger joint. Everyone hopped out besides Michala.
“I’ll catch up with yall in a minute. I’m going to change clothes,” she said hoping the distraction was excuse enough.
“Ok,” everyone said.
John watched her walk to the trunk and get some clothes from her bag.
“Be careful out here by yourself,” he said following the other two inside.
“I will,” she said slipping back in the car to change.
She waited until everyone was out of sight and reopened the letter. The ring fell out into her purse and she picked it up and looked at it. It was a simple gold ring with a small diamond on top of it. She was nervous to read the letter, but she unfolded the pages and began to read.
Michala,
Seeing you today walk across that stage and deliver that speech made me realize how short life is. We’ve been through everything together as friends. Friends. We’ve been friends for so long, I can hardly remember a moment without you in my life. I don’t want to go another minute without you still in my life. I’m breaking up with Larissa tonight. I know you and Duke are on the ropes. This is my one chance to have what I’ve wanted for years. You. I love you. I always have. This ring is my promise to you. I will be right here when you get back from whatever adventures you go off to have. My heart is your heart from now until eternity. I got the ring size from your mom, so its sized to fit. Now bring the ring inside the restaurant we’re stopped at because I know you made some excuse to stay outside and read this letter. Get to moving punk I’m waiting for you.
Love,
John.
She was speechless. She hurriedly put the dress on she fished out of her suitcase. She put some makeup on and was brushing her hair when she heard a tap at the window. She looked out and saw a strange man standing there.
“Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to Stewart, we’re lost and can’t find a map,” he said. She looked him over and his mannerisms as well as his dressing style was fairly unusual. He had on a black suit with his hair slicked back. She glanced over to his vehicle which was a nice Jaguar. She assumed the woman in the seat was his wife. Both of them had pale complexions.
“I’m sorry, I’m not from around here and my driver is the one with the directions. He programs it in his head,” she said smiling.
The man did not smile back, and he didn’t find her joke amusing in the least.
“Thank you for your time,” he said and walked back to his vehicle, got in, and pulled away from the diner. The woman stared at her as they drove past the vehicle.
Her concentration was broken when she heard yelling, “You’re such a slime ball!”
It was Larissa. She could guess that they just broke up. She got out of the car and walked toward the burger joint, “You okay?” she asked.
“Did you know he was going to break up with me? Well, of course you did, you two are probably screwing around behind my back aren’t ya?” Larissa said with her eyes squinted in hate.
“No, I didn’t-“ Michala began.
“Whatever, I’ll be waiting in the car!” she yelled as she jumped in the backseat.
Michala was hesitant to walk inside now. She looked through the window and saw John with his fingers pursed over his eyes. Duke stood from his seat and walked to the door running into Michala.
“Did you know they were busting up?” he asked her through a glare.
“No,” she said quietly.
“Sure, sure you didn’t because you two aren’t the closest of friends I’ve ever seen between a guy and a girl. Just admit it, you knew he was breaking up with her. That’s why you ended it with me,” he said angrily.
“No, I ended it with you because you’re a two-bit cheating man whore!” she yelled at him pushing past him to go inside.
He grabbed her forearm and saw John stand up from the table. “This isn’t over,” he said throwing her arm back down.
She didn’t know how to act now. She was embarrassed by the actions of the two towards her. She knew once she read the letter how they would react to John breaking up with Larissa. She pushed the door open to the burger joint and walked over to John and sat down across from him. He had his hand over his eyes in aggravation.
“You okay,” she asked grabbing his hand on the table.
He pulled his hand away from hers, “Yea, I’m fine,” he said in a monotonous tone.
She didn’t know how to react to him pulling his hand away.
“We’re finished eating. If you want to eat take your time. I’m going to the car to sit,” he said standing up with their trays of trash.
“Oh, well I’m…I’m not hungry,” she said standing up and putting the ring she held in her one palm back into the purse.
She didn’t understand the reason he was acting the way he was to her. She walked in front of him out of the diner and back to the car. She got in the car but didn’t scoot back close to him. Instead, she curled her legs up underneath her and lay her head against the window. John started the car, and they drove away from the diner in silence.
It was about an hour later when John broke the silence.
“Who was that man that was talking to you in the parking lot at that burger joint?” he asked looking over to Michala.
“Just someone asking for directions,” she replied and returned her attention back to a book she had brought along for the trip. Her mother had bought her a reading light so she could read on car trips when they visited her grandmother in Washington.
“They looked strange,” he said trying to continue conversation.
“Yup,” she replied keeping to herself and the book.
He didn’t like them not talking to one another. It was making him antsy, and he really wanted to pull over and talk but knew he couldn’t because of the other two disgruntled passengers.
“What are you reading?” he asked.
“A book,” she replied.
“What’s it about smart ass?” he said annoyed.
“This girl’s best friend professed his love to her through a letter and gave her a ring and then totally blew her off when she came to him over it,” she retorted while flipping a page.
It sank in. He knew she was going to read it, but Larissa exploding the way she did made him forget completely about writing the letter.
“Michala,” he started.
“Save it. It doesn’t matter,” she said closing her book and lying her head against the car door.
Great, he thought to himself, now everyone is mad at me.
It was around 3 am when he woke Duke up.
“Hey man, you care to drive?” he asked yawning.
“Not at all,” Duke replied while stretching.
John pulled the car over and the two switched spots.
“Just stay on this highway until you hit Colorado. Wake me up, and I’ll tell you which highway to take,” he said jumping in the back.
He had been driving for 12 hours and needed the break. He pulled his hoody hood over his head and stuffed his hands in the pocket of it. He leaned his head against the window but not to look outside. He fell asleep staring at Michala in the front seat.
The Guardians of Light series: Firefly of Immortality
“The angels gather round, as their world decays. Watching and waiting for the end of night and the beginning of day. Bound by oath forgotten within days, left to walk the earth in pain. Twilight locked in eternal damnation, the darkness swallowing their salvation.”
