Gauntlet Rite of Ascension

by Marcus Abshire

  “Go ahead, I didn’t mean to stop you.” I said in a non-threatening voice, all the while I stood there emitting a dangerous vibe.

  Jake turned to go saying, “It’s no big deal, man. I’ll talk to her later.”

  I turned back to Sara who looked at me with a quizzical expression.

  “What?” I asked.

  “What’s going on?”

  I was bursting with an extreme confidence and used it to fuel my next question.

  “Would you like to go out with me tomorrow night? I was thinking dinner and then we could go to Fred’s party afterward.” I said, with no hint of bashfulness or trepidation.

  Sara was shocked from my forwardness and was taken aback. She forgot about the thing with Jake as a large smile spread across her face.

  “Well I’ll be damned. I didn’t think you had it in you.” She said.

  “Neither did I. I guess seeing you with Jake just made me realize I didn’t like it.” I said, truthfully.

  “Okay, Eric. Pick me up at six. We’ll eat and then, who knows?” She said with a hint of mystery.

  I loved it.

  “Six it is.” I said.

  She picked up her bag and left, giving me a big smile. This time I watched her leave and when she looked back I kept watching. She smiled again and walked out the door.

  I let out a breath and realized what I had just done! I had a date, with Sara!

  Chapter 4

  I was in a daze as I made my way to speech class.

  I don’t remember much. I think there was talking and I gave a weak debate performance. All I could think about was her. I had a date. I had a date with Sara.

  I went back to my seat and I noticed that Max kept looking at me like I was crazy. I didn’t care.

  “What’s the deal?” He asked, sitting next to me.

  “I have a date with Sara.” I said.

  “What, a real date? Not a fantasy date where she bites you?” He asked.

  “I asked her at the end of lab and she said yes. We’re going out tomorrow.” I said.

  “No shit?” He asked.

  “No shit.” I answered.

  “Good for you, now maybe you’ll stop obsessing over her so much.”

  The rest of the class went by quickly and the bell rang. I got up and left. I had one more class, chemistry.

  I loved chemistry. I found the interaction between the elements at the atomic level fascinating, the idea that we could come up with different materials or compounds by combining different elements amazed me. I made it through the class and was able to follow most of the lesson. My mind kept wandering. When the bell rang I was the first one out. Hurrying home, I wanted to secure the rights to mom’s car as quickly as possible to make sure she didn’t make any plans.

  Walking in the house I said in a loud voice, “Mom?”

  “In here.” She said from the kitchen.

  “I was just finishing this casserole before I went back to work. Janet asked me to cover her tonight; I thought we could use the money.” She said.

  She took the casserole dish and put it in the fridge.

  “Now remember, put it in for thirty minutes at four fifty.” She said.

  “I know, I know mom. Listen, I wanted to ask you if I can use the car tomorrow night.” I said.

  She stopped and looked at me. I wasn’t in the habit of borrowing the car on a Saturday night. I was usually studying or with Max, who has his own car.

  “Why?” She asked.

  I looked at her, unsure of how this was going to go. “I have a date.” I said.

  “A date, I didn’t know you were interested in anyone, with a girl?” She asked cautiously.

  “Yes! Why would you say that?” I asked.

  “Well, you spend all your time with Max and you have never seemed real interested in chasing girls. You are so into your school work.” She said.

  “Mom, I’m not gay. I just have been shy, that’s all.” I said embarrassed.

  “It’s okay if you were, I’d love you anyway. You’ll always be my son.” She said, showing support.

  “Mom, I’m not gay, I have a date with Sara Shindling. We are going out tomorrow, can I borrow the car?” I asked exasperated.

  “Of course honey. Just be careful. Treat her with respect. I know I’m an old lady, but girls like to be treated with respect, don’t forget that.” She said as she came over and gave me a big hug.

  “You grow up so fast. Dad would have loved to see you go off on your first date.” She said, holding back tears.

  “I know, mom. I would have loved to have him here to see it too. Who knows maybe he is watching, somehow.” I said.

  “Maybe.” She said, wiping her eyes with the palms of her hands.

  “I’m such a mess, look at me. I’m gonna go get cleaned up then leave for work. Love you honey. See you later.” She said.

  “Bye mom, thanks.” I said, ecstatic that I was going to have the car for tomorrow.

  I ran upstairs and sat on my bed. I thought about tomorrow night and all the things that could happen, never once thinking about what actually would happen.

  I leaned back and put my hands behind my head. I closed my eyes intent on a small rest. I just wanted to get a quick nap. I fell asleep dreaming of the night to come.

  My dreams were filled with strange images and animal desires. I saw myself running through a forest and chasing a deer. Taking the prey down and feasting on its viscera. Strength filled my limbs and strange smells came to me. Blood filled my mouth as I ate something else. Its heart still pumping as it died.

  Disjointed images came and went.

  Sounds of grunting and rutting came to me. Bestial feelings of need and desire swept over me. I had urges to do vile things. I felt as though I was an animal that had laid dormant for too long, loosened just long enough to make up for all the lost time.

  I awoke sweating and panting. I sat up and looked over at the bedside clock. It said four thirty. I had only slept for twenty minutes. I felt as though I had been here all night.

  I got up and slowly made my way downstairs. I saw a note on the table and went over to it. I picked it up and noticed the casserole dish in the sink, waiting to be washed. I looked down and read the note.

  I came home last night and you were asleep. Didn’t want to wake you. I am doing another shift tonight. I had someone from work give me a ride. The keys are on the table and I left you some money. Show her a good time tonight and be safe.

  Love you. Mom.

  What? I slept all night and day? If that was true then that meant I only had an hour and a half before I had to meet Sara.

  What the hell?

  I have never slept like that. Maybe it was a good omen.

  I went back upstairs and took a long hot shower, washing away all the weariness from a long sleep. I let the hot water erase all the weirdness of my dreams and stepped out ten minutes later.

  I got dressed and went downstairs trying to kill some time. I stood in the kitchen looking into the living room.

  The floor plan was open and you could easily see the fireplace mantel from the kitchen. I looked at the picture that had been on the fireplace for years. I walked over to it and picked it up. It was a picture of my mom and dad, taken before my sister and I were born. They both looked so young, my mom a head shorter than my dad. Her blond hair hung down and shone in the bright sun. My dad looked happy. He stood next to my mom and had his arm around her. They both looked like they had their whole lives ahead of them and their futures looked bright.

  I noticed something that I hadn’t ever before. It looked like there was a crease in the picture near my dad.

  Curious, I took the picture down and pulled it out from the back of the frame. Sure enough, the picture had been folded and as I opened it up I saw another man standing next to my dad. He as taller than my dad and almost matched him in sheer physicality. The man wore a dark trench coat and held a dark hat in his hands. He had dark boots and wore black gloves.


  Odd, my mom and dad were dressed as if it was summer. She wore a light dress and my dad wore shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.

  “What the hell?” I said to myself.

  The man looked imposing. He had striking blond hair, eyes that seemed deep and mysterious. He had a small beard that couldn’t quite hide a large scar on his jawline. I was totally transfixed by him.

  “I thought you had your big date tonight?” My sister said, scaring me half to death.

  “Good lord Susan, don’t do that to me.” I said.

  “Don’t be such a wuss. Why are you so jumpy?” She asked.

  “Have you ever seen this? There is a guy standing here next to dad.” I said.

  She came over and looked at the picture.

  “I don’t know, maybe he was a friend that dad had and didn’t have room for him in the frame? Who cares?” She asked.

  “I don’t know, it just seems odd to me.” I said.

  “Well, you can sit there all night or you can go on your date with lover girl.” She teased.

  “Have fun alone tonight.” I teased back.

  She smiled a sly, sneaky smile.

  “I will.” She said.

  “Whatever.” I said, leaving.

  I went to the car and got in. I drove off in moms Cavalier, eagerly going to meet the girl of my dreams.

  Chapter 5

  I pulled up to Sara’s house and took a second to focus my thoughts.

  I had to remind myself that if she didn’t like me, she wouldn’t have said yes. That helped a little.

  I steeled myself and went up to her front door. Her house was nice. It was on the other side of town from me. Which meant it wasn’t old. It was single story, but had a large layout. I stood at the entrance and knocked three times. The door opened and I was stunned.

  Sara stood there smiling at me. She wore a tight white sweater that was cut in a V down the front, she wore jeans that hugged her curves marvelously, white flats covered her feet and wore a white ribbon that held her hair up in a controlled, but somehow easy bun.

  I had never seen her hair up and the sight of her exposed neck made my heart do a double thump. I stood there in awe and she noticed.

  “Wow. You look great.” I said.

  “Thanks. Don’t look too bad yourself.” She said as she closed the door and we walked to the car.

  I opened her door for her and helped her get in. I went to the driver’s side and got in myself.

  “Where are we going to eat? I’m starving.” She said.

  “Good, I was thinking of going to Linguini’s. They make the best lasagna.” I said.

  “I love Italian food.” She said.

  “I know, I remember.” I said.

  “When did I tell you I liked Italian?” She asked looking at me, curious.

  “Two months ago. You said you and your dad went to this great Italian place on a road trip, I think you went to visit your aunt.” I said, pulling out from the curb and heading into town.

  “You remember something I said two months ago?” She asked, a look of thoughtful admiration on her face.

  “Yeah, well. I have a good memory.” I said, trying to hide the fact that I was totally in love with her and had been hanging on her every word since our first week together.

  “Hmm. That’s good to know.” She said. Turning back and looking out the window.

  We drove for a few minutes in silence, neither of us feeling the need to fill it with talking. It was nice. Finally, she said, “You really surprised me yesterday. I thought you’d never ask me out.”

  “I surprised myself. I had wanted to for a while but never felt the time was right. It was weird, but something came over me and I couldn’t wait any longer.” I said.

  “Whatever the reason, I’m glad.” She said and reached over and took my hand.

  We drove the rest of the way to the restaurant like that. I was in heaven.

  It wasn’t far and soon I had parked and opened the door for Sara, she got out and we went inside to eat.

  Linguini’s wasn’t a four star place, hell it wasn’t a three star place, but it was cozy and the food was amazing.

  The owner was named Guido, I’m not kidding, and he was an immigrant who brought his family recipes with him.

  The place was decorated with lots of red and white checkered table clothes and soccer memorabilia. The booths had tall backs that allowed each one to feel as though they were all by themselves. A lone pendant hung down over each table, giving every booth a coziness that was great for making the customer feel as though they were the only ones in the place. There was a bar with a few TVs on. A few people were sitting on stools and the restaurant was beginning to fill up as customers came in for a good meal on a Saturday night.

  A hostess led us to our booth and gave us menus. We looked at them for a minute, but I already knew what I wanted. I set mine down and studied Sara as she thoughtfully scanned the menu, carefully taking each item in consideration, before rejecting it and moving on to the next one. It was adorable.

  The waitress came over a few minutes later and took our orders. As she left Sara, with her chin in her hands, said, “Georgetown, that’s a pretty big deal.”

  “I haven’t made it yet. I still have to get through this summer without violating their morality clause.” I said sarcastically.

  “Morality clause? What’ll they take away your scholarship if you watch an R-rated movie or something?” She asked.

  “Something like that. I have to uphold the standards of decency and morality.” I said, quoting from the requirements.

  “Sounds pretty vague, what if you meet someone and have pre-marital sex, whatever shall you do?” She asked, smiling mischievously, obviously enjoying making me squirm.

  A deep crimson rushed to my face.

  “I doubt I’ll have to worry about that.” I said sheepishly.

  “The night’s still young.” She said, teasing.

  “What about you? You never really mention what you’ll be doing after graduation.” I said, trying to change the subject.

  Her smile reduced to a small smirk. She knew she had made me back down and accepted the change of course.

  “I don’t know. I was thinking of maybe going overseas for a while, visit Paris, Madrid, Rome, you know all the big art meccas. My dad’s been pushing me to go to Penn State in the fall. They have a pretty good art program, but my dream is to go New York. The in state tuition at Penn is a major magnet for my dad.” She said.

  “Wow, New York huh? That’s big time. I didn’t know you were into art that much. I mean I’ve seen some of your drawings, and they are great, but I didn’t know you loved it that much.” I said, truly intrigued.

  “Yeah well, it’s still kinda out of reach. I don’t know how I can pull it off without my dad’s help.” She said.

  A look of thoughtfulness came over her.

  “What?” I said.

  “Nothing.”

  “No, tell me. You were thinking something, what is it?” I asked.

  I could tell she was trying to come to a decision. She looked at me and I could see she had made up her mind. A look of uncertain openness spread over her as she said with trepidation, “I’ve been thinking of maybe having an art auction. I know a bunch of people who have some really awesome pieces and have a hard time getting any show time. My dad just bought a small space that he’s renovating to sell. I was thinking about seeing if I could borrow it for a week, work on it and see if I can sell some pieces. Maybe earn some money to help my case to go to New York.”

  “It’s silly, I know. What do I know about selling art?” She said, having had this mental conversation dozens of times.

  “Are you kidding me? That’s a great idea. You absolutely have to do it. I’d love to help. I can paint, or clean. Whatever you need, I’m in, if you want.” I said.

  She smiled appreciatively and quickly leaned over the table and kissed me. A quick, but devastating kiss that left me stunned.

  I shoo
k my head to clear it. She saw me and laughed, it was wonderful. A smile spread on my face. I grinned like a fool.

  “Thanks.” She said.

  Our waitress came back over and had our food. She served me lasagna and Sara her calzone. We ate with the hunger of youth and it was the best meal I have ever had. It must have had something to do with the company.

  We finished and decided to head to the party, I payed the bill and walked her out. As I opened the door for her I looked up and saw in the sky the biggest most beautiful full moon I have ever seen. A feeling of excitement and energy filled me as the scent of Sara’s perfume and natural odor hit me in a wave. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of desire as she walked to the car.

  I helped her get in and went to the driver’s side. Trying to shake the need to feel her warm skin under my hand, the desire to push her down and take her right here right now hit me and almost dragged me under. I fought it and barely got control.

  “Are you alright?” She asked, concern evident in her voice.

  “Yeah, I’m good.” I said.

  As we drove I could hear Sara talking but it seemed as if she was far away. The words and their meanings were hard to grasp as I started to feel detached. Somehow, I managed to nod at all the right times and even added a word here or there.

  We turned right at an intersection that would lead us to Fred’s house when I saw the moon again. This time the presence of the moon pulled on me in a way I couldn’t describe.

  I pulled over to the side of the road and doubled over as pain began to build in my stomach and radiated outward in waves that matched my heartbeat.

  My awareness began to dwindle as my sense of self shrank and I was drawn inward. My senses evaporated and the pain slowly began to recede.

  I opened my eyes and all I could see was emptiness, a deep and dark vast blackness.

  This must have been what the universe was like before there was light. This unfathomable abyss of nothingness tugged at me, devoid of sight, sound, smell and touch I began to feel unmade as the sheer power of the emptiness engulfed me.

  A feeling came to me, slight at first, then more solid. I felt the presence of someone nearby, like when you’re in line at the store and someone is standing close behind you. You may not have even seen them but you feel them none the less.