Mysteriously Yours

The knowledge was overwhelming - horrible even. My mind reeled from the flood of emotions I couldn't catch on to. A deep, dark abyss opened up inside and I felt myself spiraling downwards towards it, into its very depths. Into a void.

There was a hollow sound of footsteps approaching, which grew louder and louder and then stopped. I sensed a presence close. Definitely a man's cologne.

"Whoa! Whoa!" I heard a startled voice through my haze. "Umm...excuse me?"

"Hello?" The voice came again, drawing nearer.

Dazed, I blinked several times. It was like my mind had been rocketed back from some far-away place and suddenly snapped into focus. Balling my fist to steady myself, I took in a deep breath and robotically turned to the source of the voice.

Standing about two feet away, was a guy. An unfamiliar guy.

"Hey, what's going on? You okay? You look like you saw a ghost. You're shaking all over."

Even as he spoke, I found myself taking in his not-so-tall stature, with shoulders that were broad for his lean frame. His straight, jet-black hair fell in a smooth sweep over his forehead and the way his sea-green eyes regarded me, I could tell that he found me very strange.

"Who are you?" I asked, curtly.

"I-"

"And, what are you doing here? This part of the school is off-limits."

His face looked uncertain, like he had heard it for the very first time, but his answer said differently, "Well, I guess, I could ask you the same question."

"Whatever." Airily, I waved him off.

Thoughts whirled in my head, my eyes darting around frantically. How can it be? What is the meaning of this?I could hear the sound of my own breathing come in ragged, shallow gasps. My heart was pounding faster by the second.

"Hey, does this-" The dark-haired boy started to say just as I had an afterthought.

What if -

I interrupted him. "Hey, you!"

"The name's-"

I shook my head and made a motion like he should stop. "No. No names. I'm bad at names."

The boy titled his head to one side, scrunching his eyebrows a little, like he were figuring out what to make of the situation. "Uh...okay?"

"Now, listen to me very carefully. I'm gonna ask you a question and I need you to use those brain cells and spit out all you know and we'll be cool, alright?" I demanded.

Immediately, he threw his hands up in the air like in surrender and said,

"Let me go! I don't know where they hid the body!" And, he started laughing.

I stared at him, quizzically. "What?"

"I've always seen things like these happen in movies and TV shows. Now, it's finally happening to me. I guess, I'm just excited."

I plastered a fake smile across my face, and mocked,

"Oh. I'm so flattered. It makes me so glad to know that you find my situation so amusing."

He protested, "Hey, I didn't mean-"

I continued, "But, let's put that part aside for a moment, alright? Now, please, will you tell me if you know anything, anything at all about this letter?"

He snorted and chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?"

"What a lot of people wouldn't give to receive an actual love letter, and the one who got it is being so paranoid about it. It's amusing. Never mind."

My eyes went wide and my mouth fell open as I absorbed his words. "How - how do you-"

He held out a yellowish, old-looking paper and I gasped. My heart was in my mouth. I looked down at my hand. It only held the envelope. I gulped. The letter was gone.

"Here, I think this belongs to you. I tried to give it back but you didn't let me speak."

Horrified, I lunged forward and snatched it out of his hand. "How did you get that?"

"Hey, take it easy! Jeez." He backed off and threw his hands up in surrender. "It slipped out of your hand when you were all frozen up."

"And, you read it?"

"Well, in my defense, the large, bold words were hard not to notice. If it helps, there wasn't much to read-"

"You don't read people's letters!"

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean to intrude. I was just...looking out. You okay, now?"

I sighed. "Go away." I needed to be alone with my disarray of thoughts.

"You know in the future, when someone shows the decency to check on you, you usually say thank you. It's a thing we do."

I glared at him.

"That is not a very polite way to say thank you." He teased, a half-smile playing on his lips.

I raised my eyes at him and yelled. "What will you take to get the fuck out of my face?"

"Okay, okay. I'm leaving." He made a motion like I should calm down. "Jeez, woman, lighten up."

He went past me and I heard the sound of his departing footsteps go down the deserted hallway. Letting out a long sigh of despair, I ran my hand through my hair. Suddenly, a thought popped up.

He didn't answer my question.

I immediately turned around and called after him, "Hey, hang on!"

He turned about. "But, you wanted me to get the fuck out of your face." He mimicked in a high-pitched voice which was definitely not mine.

I raised my eyebrows at him and he grinned.

"Right. And, you will do that." I said, walking towards him. "But, first, answer my questions. And, please tell me, honestly. Did you put the letter here on someone's behalf?"

He made a face. "Now, I really think you're a weirdo."

"Please."

"As a matter of fact I did."

"What? Why?"

"Why? Let me think. Oh, yeah! It's my first couple of days a new school, I cannot find my class, I am totally lost in this goddamn maze of a place and I thought, hey, now would a great time to do errands on someone's behalf, run into weirdos and deliver letters!"

"Please, you don't understand how much I could use your help."

He must've seen the anxiety in my face, because he looked thoughtful for once. "How can I help you when you aren't giving me any context here? You're bummed over a letter from your French beau? It's - I don't get it."

Then, suddenly his eyes lit up, his tone excited. "Or is it an international stalker?

An international stalker?

For some reason, that made me crack up a little. Seeing me amused, he smiled, revealing a row of dazzling white teeth.

Composing myself, I said firmly, "What makes you think I owe you the answer to that question?"

"Then, what makes you think that I owe you the answer to your question, huh?"

I frowned. "You're such a jerk."

"Look, the only thing I know about that letter is that your Parisian boyfriend is one hell of a romantic freak."

"He's not - wait, why am I explaining it to you?"

"Because, that would be crazy?"

"Don't you go cheeky on me, mister. I have more important things to attend to."

"Alright then, I'm gonna go now and leave you at it, Sherlock. Go crazy." He smirked at me, turned around and started walking again.

"But, hey-"

"Ciao, weirdo. You both will make the Brangelina of FREAKLAND." He raised his hand to wave me off.

I rolled my eyes as I watched him go. Jeez. What a jerk. Suddenly, I recalled what he said earlier. He doesn't know his way out of here.

"Hey, you!"

He turned around, looking amused. "This is really becoming a habit. Is it just me or am I actually growing on ya?

"What I am doing is saving your ass, buddy."

He raised his eyebrows. "And, how will that be?

"Do you have the slightest idea how to make it out of here?"

"Yeah, this way." He pointed to the direction he was headed in.

I smirked. "Oh, you're dead already."

"What? But, didn't you come that way?"

"Well, what can I say? You ain't me. Come along, I'll get ya outta here."

He appeared to think for a moment, then gave a little shrug and strolled towards me.

"Alright, right behind you. Lead the way, Dora."

"Dora? Seriously?"

"Yeah, why?"

"The girl is high on something. She thinks her backpack and map can talk."

He laughed and I laughed along.

He is definitely taller than he seemed at first, I thought.

An impish smile appeared on his face. "Not to mention her very questionable relationship with her monkey sidekick."

I laughed but abruptly stopped when the letter in my hand caught my sight. I stared down at the it once more and gritted my teeth.

Theodore Ashton, I'm gonna kill you.