Dark Creations: Hell on Earth (Part 5) (21 page)

“Melissa, Gabriel loves you.  He’s risked everything for you over and over.  How could you even think he would be interested in another girl?” Alexandra asked with about as much compassion as she could muster.

“Because this Amber girl understands him,” Melissa replied already picturing Amber flirting with Gabriel. 

“Yeah, and so do you,” Alexandra countered.

“No, you don’t get what I’m saying,” Melissa tried and felt her frustration mount.  “She
understands
him, understands his origins because she shares them.  They’re the same.  They were both created by Terzini.”

Images of perfect
children danced through her thoughts, Gabriel and Amber gazing at them lovingly like a model family from the pages of a catalogue.  She felt her heart drop to her feet.

“So?
  That doesn’t mean he’s going to like her and run off with her,” Alexandra said matching Melissa’s frustrated tone.

“No, not necessarily, but the fact that she looks like a damned Victoria’s Secret model helps!  Jeez Alex!  Don’t you get it?  I can’t compete!  He never has to feel uncomfortable around her or self-conscious about the fact that he was created in a lab by a madman,
and
she has big boobs, a tiny waist and legs that go on forever.  And I look like this,” Melissa fumed and splayed her arms at her sides.  “Plain old, boy shaped me, born the old-fashioned way.  So excuse me for being a little worried that Gabriel is off alone with Amber,” she concluded and flopped back against a haystack.  “And by the way, this hay smells like shit.”

Melissa’s entire body felt overheated.  Her cheeks blazed and her breath came in shallow pants as her heart sprinted.  She scanned the faces of her friends and saw that everyone’s expression looked similar.  They all looked taken aback. 

“O
kay
,” Alexandra began.  “I agree with you about the hay, but that’s about it.  Hell, I’ve been bitching about it since yesterday.”

“You don’t get
it Alex.  I mean look at you,” she extended an arm toward her friend.  “You’ve never had to compete for a guy’s attention a day in your life.  As a matter of fact, you’re usually the one making the rest of us feel exactly like I feel now,” Melissa said dejectedly.

“She’s got a point, you know,” Daniella added.  “And for the record, I am not saying that I think Gabriel is into this Amber person.”  Daniella spoke Amber’s name with disdain and Melissa appreciated her support.  “But I understand how you’re feeling.  I can see that you have no reason to feel insecure.  I see how beautiful and wonderful you are, and how much Gabriel loves you.  They’re both pretty obvious.  But you don’t.  You don’t see it.”

“Yeah,” Alexandra chimed in.  “And what’s this shit about boobs?  You have a great rack!”

“All right,
” Yoshi spoke up.  “This is crazy.”

“What?  You don’t like her rack?’ Alexandra asked him incredulously.

“No, I mean, yes.  Oh damn!” he began exasperatedly.  “This is a trap, isn’t it?”  He ran a hand through his thick black hair.  “I’m not talking about racks or legs or any other crap, okay.  I know Gabriel as well as I know myself, Melissa, and you are the only girl he wants to be with.  You are the only girl he wants.”

She wanted to believe Yoshi, wanted to believe Daniella and Alexandra, too.  But the bottom line remained that Gabriel had left with Amber, and regardless of the reasons, she was uncomfortable with it.  She was upset by it. 

“I need a beer,” Melissa said and everyone looked surprised again. 

“Amen!” Alexandra called out.  “I think Jack and the guys are out there drinking right now.  Maybe we could see if they’ll hook us up and share.”

“I could use a cold one,” Ryan said.

“I could, too,” Daniella added.

“You know I’m up for it,” Yoshi agreed.

“Then it’s settled.  We’re going to go mooch some beers from our new hillbilly friends!”

“I’d keep the whole hillbilly thing to a minimum, it’s probably not the best way to get them to share their stash,” Melissa warned sarcastically.

“Ha!  That’s what I’m talking about
!  If you’re screwing with me then you’re feeling better!” Alexandra celebrated.

Melissa shook her head and mumbled, “Whatever you say,” and offered a half-smile.

Everyone shuffled out of the barn to the weed-dappled clearing.  The temperature hadn’t dropped much and the air was only slightly cooler than it had been.  But a chill had settled deep in Melissa’s core.  She wrapped her arms around her waist and looked up.  The sky was bruised, an inky blue that was quickly surrendering to black, bled finally of its dying rays of daylight.  Several stars tried desperately to glow, but their meager light was smothered by the intense darkness.  A shiver of unease teased up her spine, despite her conscious effort to force Amber to the back of her mind.  She clutched her midsection tighter as she and Alexandra strode up to Jack who was sitting on a plastic lawn chair with his feet propped up on a wooden crate, a can of cheap beer in one hand and a wireless tablet computer in the other.

“
Look at Mr. Fancypants with his generic beer and tablet.  Who would have thought they’d have Wi-Fi
here
, of all places?” Alexandra elbowed her in the ribs and whispered loudly.

Melissa laughed
then whispered softly, “I know!”

“This place should be condemned, but
I guess they need their gadgets!”

“I heard that, Alex,” Jack said and didn’t look up from his tablet. 
“And for your information, this place
has
been condemned, twice, we
do
have Wi-Fi and this baby is the 4G model,” he said and raised his tablet slightly.  “And never criticize the kind of beer a man drinks.”

“Damn!  What do you have, sonar of something?  How the fuck did you hear what I said?  I thought your hearing was in the shitter.”

“Clearly, you were wrong,” he said and ended further discussion of the subject.  “Is there something you need?”

In her mind, Melissa was shouting for Alex to just abandon their quest for beer and say something clever so they could retreat to the barn.  Of course, Alexandra did not hear her silent pleas and was completely unfamiliar with the term retreat; it simply wasn’t in her vocabulary.

“It’s been a shit day and we’d like to kick back and have a few cold ones.  Got any extra beers to spare?”

“Oh, you mean my
generic
beer,” Jack quipped and narrowed his eyes at them.  “Help yourself. They’re in the cooler,” he said and lowered his gaze back to his tablet while nodding toward an oversized cooler the size of a coffin.

“Thanks,” Alexandra said and motioned for
Ryan, Daniella and Yoshi to join them.

“I’m glad you came out of the barn,” Jack said to Melissa and Alexandra as the rest of their group gathered.  “It’s not good to stay holed up in the barn.”

“Holy shit, those are words I thought I’d never hear,” Alexandra said as she lifted the tab of her can of beer.  Froth bubbled and brimmed and Alexandra slurped it shamelessly.

“Me neither,” Melissa agreed and opened hers.

The entire situation seemed unreal, Jack showing up at Gabriel’s place, the claims he’d made, their long trip to Minnesota, sleeping in a barn, Amber coming to them from nowhere like a Goddess damsel in distress and whisking Gabriel away, all of it was too much.  Melissa gulped her first beer greedily, the need to dull the edge of the day pressing.  Within five minutes, she’d finished it and felt its effects.  The alcohol hit her system immediately and a warm, mellow sensation began to thaw the anxious chill inside her.  Ryan and Yoshi went searching for something other than hay for them to sit on and returned with three wooden crates like the one Jack had propped his feet on and two folding chairs.  They set up a crude circle and talked about graduating from college the following year, future jobs and graduate school.  All the while, Melissa tried to ignore the clenching in her chest, her thoughts continually returning to a single question: Would Gabriel still be with her in the future?  The alcohol she’d consumed had not succeeded at quieting her worries.  The clenching in her chest persisted along with it.  A part of her believed Gabriel would be better off with Amber.  And that thought made her feel as though the air were being squeezed from her lungs.  Whether or not Amber was a better match for Gabriel did not matter.  She loved him.  She needed him. 

With impossible
pressure crushing her ribs, Melissa looked out onto the property.  Most of the men who had sat outside and drank had gone inside their trailers to sleep.  Only the few who had been charged with keeping watch over the compound remained.

“I’m beat.  I need to crash out,” Alexandra stood and stretched.

“I’m tired, too,” Daniella said and scanned the ground around them, littered with beer cans.  “Where do you think they keep their recycle bin?”

“Ha!  You’re funny, recycle bin!” Alexandra laughed.

“What?” Daniella asked genuinely confused.

“Look around.  Do you think these people give a shit about recycling?”

“Why wouldn’t they?” Daniella replied.

“Whatever, I’m not in the mood to argue.  Go ask one of those friendly looking guys with the rifles where they keep their recycle bin,” Alexandra said mockingly.

Melissa watched as Daniella gazed in the direction of the armed men.  “I’ll just leave the cans here and ask Jack in the morning,” she said.

“That sounds like a good call,” Alexandra agreed.

Everyone busied themselves and began moving their crates against the wall of the main house.  Melissa stayed behind.  She knelt and gathered their beer cans, placing them in a neat heap.  As she did, Ace and an equally scruffy looking friend approached her.  Melissa rose to her feet and saw that each man held an open bottle of dark-brown liquor in their hands.  Anxiety crept through her core and slithered over her skin.  Ace walked up to where Melissa stood and leaned in toward her, his face too close for comfort.

“Well,” Ace addressed her with breath that reeked of rot and sour liquor.  “I bet that pretty boy of yours is banging that sweet piece of ass right about now,” he slurred. 

“Fuck you!” Melissa spat, shocked by the rush of anger that had prompted it. 

Undaunted by her
reaction, Ace did not flinch.  He stood his ground and continued.  “Yeah man, a hot little bitch like that, who could blame him?” his raunchy friend added.

Melissa was about to
begin ranting when Alexandra barreled toward them.  “You ugly hayseeds better get your sad asses out of here!” she seethed.

“Ooh, I like it when my women have a little attitude,” Ace said and raked his eyes over Alexandra.  “Why don’t you come with me and
spend the night with a real man?”

Both Melissa and Alexandra opened their mouths to speak, but before sound escaped them, Ryan was at their back.

“You two better get out of here before we fuck you both up,” Ryan advised.

“You might stand a chance against us, big boy, but once the little chink goes down,
we’ll
be the ones fucking
you
up,” Ace threatened.

Yoshi had joined Ryan, had stood at his side when the ugly racial slur had be
en dropped. Melissa cringed at the term, at the threats.  She could see that Yoshi was simmering.  She’d never seen him so angry.  But she knew he wasn’t as annoyed by their insults directed at him as he was by the disrespect aimed at Alexandra. 

“Ryan, just step back.  I’ll take care of these two scumbags myself,” Yoshi said coolly. 

“No man, I got your back,” Ryan tried.

“No,” Yoshi said and shot Ryan a look that said he meant he could handle
them himself.

“All right, man.  But if you need help,” Ryan left the option open.

“I won’t need your help,” Yoshi said with certainty.  Then he turned to the two men.  “Come on, you bigmouth pieces of shit,” he said and stepped toward them, gesturing an invitation for them to bring on whatever they had. 

“This little shit can’t be serious,” Ace laughed as his friend advanced a step and reached out to grab Yoshi.

Yoshi shocked them both by spinning a roundhouse kick that landed his foot against the man’s jaw.  Ace lunged as his friend staggered backward.  He swung at Yoshi, but Yoshi caught his arm before it hit him, twisting it and flipping Ace over.  Ace crashed to the ground hard as his friend was getting up.  Yoshi wasted no time and landed three quick blows to the man’s face that dropped him back to the crabgrass, unconscious. 

Unconcerned about his friend’s condition, Ace
stumbled to his feet and charged Yoshi in an uncoordinated manner.  Yoshi drove his leg straight to the center of his stomach and, winded, Ace collapsed to the ground a second time.  Yoshi dove atop him gripping him by his hair and pulling his head back.  His fist was cocked and ready to deliver a final blow when a loud rumble shook the earth beneath all of them.  Melissa looked around them.  Nothing on the farm had exploded insofar as she could see.  Yoshi released his grip on Ace’s hair as he looked to the night sky.