Blinding Night

by Chantal Gadoury

It was just after three in the afternoon when I finally opened my eyes again. Sunlight was glistening into my room. My body was sweaty against the blankets, though I was thoroughly comfortable. Of course, I did have to pee. Pushing myself up, I slid my feet to the floor and only felt a dull sting as I pressed my weight against the bottom of my foot. Dad had definitely made it feel better.

  After washing my hands, I wandered back to my bedside and checked my phone. No text messages or missed calls. The field must be treating them well enough for mom to forget about my foot. My stomach grumbled then, so I hobbled out to the kitchen to search for food.

  He said he brought me food, so I opened up the small fridge and found a takeout box. Inside was a grilled chicken breast, a small side salad and some green and purple olives.

  “I guess I better get used to that,” I sighed as I pushed the small fruit to the side.

  Taking the small box out of the fridge, I limped out to the balcony in the living-room. It overlooked the main road, where people were bustling by. Nibbling on my chicken, I watched as scooters drove by, tourists walked and villagers seemed to carry on with their day. Across the street a constant stream of customers walked in and out of the convenience store.

  Just as I tucked myself back into a small plastic chair, I noticed a man just beyond the corner of the apartment looking up – directly at me. His clothes were black, though his sleeves were rolled to his elbows. His short, black hair had a slight curl to it. The corner of his lips were pressed upwards into a smirk. He honestly looked like a model. So why on earth was he staring up at me? I felt myself sinking lower into my chair. What was his problem? I positioned my chair to sit at a different angle, forcing myself to look away. But I couldn’t help myself. I could feel his eyes on me, so I snuck another glance. I realized then there was something...something... about him that seemed all too familiar. The way his lips turned into a smile. The darkness of his eyes. There was an air about him I couldn’t ignore.

  Then it hit me.

  He reminded me of the man in my dream. The man who had offered me those small, red seeds. My stomach dropped and the crouton in my fingers fell. There was no way I dreamt about a man I had never met or seen before. None of it really made any sense–even more so the man, and the seed I ultimately choked up. Then in the blink of an eye, he was gone. Vanished. I scrambled from my seat to the banister. Did he walk down the street? There was no sign of him anywhere.

  “Weird,” I muttered to myself and sat back again.

  Lifting an olive from the salad, I sniffed it and wrinkled my nose. I wasn’t sure I could get myself behind the idea of actually eating these things. Even as I sat and finished the meal, I couldn’t help but feel as though someone was watching me. But no matter where I looked, everyone below was busy going about their day. While there weren’t any more strange men watching me from the street, I knew the unsettling feeling of being watched would stay with me. At least until mom and dad came back home.

  So, I decided to distract myself with some art.

  I went back inside and grabbed one of my pencils and my drawing pad, and then situated myself back on the balcony. I scanned the area one more time, just in case the guy had shown up again, but there was no sign of him anywhere. I curled the sketch pad in my lap and carefully began to draw the man I had seen in my dream the night before. I focused on the slight curve of his eyes, the way the corner of his mouth had turned into a smirk as he spoke.

  The taste of the seed still lingered on my tongue. It hadn’t been real…

  I sat on the balcony drawing for hours. It wasn’t until the light began to fade and the sun began to sink behind the buildings that I decided to stop. Setting my notepad aside, I stretched out of the chair and breathed in the evening air. The sunset was beyond anything I had ever seen; the sky was painted in vivid tones of blood red and orange. I wrapped up my art supplies and relocated to the living room, sinking into the sofa with my sketches. I stared at the likeness of my dream man for a good while, remembering the entire course of the dream.

  It’s like his eyes could see me, really see me. Not just what was on the outside, but the inside, too.

  It kinda freaked me out a little. Laying the sketch pad down, I curiously turned on the small TV, only to find some of the familiar looking programs in nothing but pure Greek. Instead of trying to figure out what was going on without subtitles, I flicked it off and let out a sigh. We definitely weren’t here for the comforts of electronics. What was I going to do for three whole months? I knew if I was going to be stuck in this apartment, I was going to drive myself insane. Not even a daily jog would cure my sudden boredom.

  Just as I was beginning to drift away on the sofa, the sound of the door opening from behind startled me.

  “Sunny!” My dad called, carrying in several plastic bags. “Sunny, we’re home!”

  I sat up on the sofa and turned around to face the two of them. Dad was a vision. The sun’s rays had burned him to a crispy red, like an apple. It was the worst on the forehead and nose. Mom followed after him, looking beautifully tanned and just as lovely as this morning when she left. I didn’t know how, even in the dirt and grime, she always looked nearly perfect.

  “We brought dinner home.”

  “Dinner?” I asked with a laugh.

  “We stopped at Pita Café.” Dad lifted one of the bags. “It’s a really good place. A lot of the other guys on the team go there for dinner.”

  “Gee, thanks. Can’t wait to try more Greek delicacies.” I tried to hide my distaste, but my stomach curled painfully and I frowned.

  “Now I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t Greek.” His smile stretched to his ears. “Consider this the comfort food of home, away from home. Burgers. Chicken fingers. The works.”

  Now he was talking.

  “French fries?” I asked hopeful.

  “Definitely.”

  “You’re like a big kid.” Mom laughed from behind him and shook her head.

  “You love me though,” he teased and pressed a kiss against her cheek. He lowered the take-out bags onto the small dining table and tilted his head. “Come on, kiddo. I can imagine you’re starving.”

  “I think I’m more bored hungry than anything else.”

  “Bored?” He asked, raising a brow. “In Greece?”

  “I’ll stay home tomorrow,” Mom said as she nestled down into her chair. “Maybe we can go around and see all the monuments.”

  “Oh no, Mom. I know you’re out here to excavate. I’ll figure something out.”

  She pursed her lips and gave me a stern look. I really didn’t want to spend a day sightseeing with mom when my foot wasn’t ready for all the walking she’d plan to do. I knew if I asked for a break or complained even once about the pain, she would find a way to make me feel guilty again about cutting it in the first place. It wasn’t a field trip I was ready to take just yet.

  “Really,” I continued. “I slept the day away today... and I think I was just feeling a little antsy.”

  “I hope you learned your lesson about taking your shoes off,” she added, turning her gaze away. If I could have glared at her, I would have. But I decided to bite my tongue instead and turn my attention on the plateful of chicken strips in front of me. They might not have been McDonalds nuggets, but this was still pretty good.

  “Maybe you can take an Uber over to the center city. Go shopping or exploring,” my dad suggested. “There’s lots to do. And there’s lots of great places to visit. There’s so much history in this city.”

  “Yeah, maybe…” I replied, taking a bite.

  “And there’s an art supplies shop just down the way,” he continued. “If you need more supplies or something, you could always go down there and get what you need.”

  “I’m not sure my looks would buy me much,” I snorted, shaking my head.

  “Don’t be silly. I have a credit card. And if that won’t work, I definitely have euros.”

  I shrugged slightly. “Maybe.”

/>   “Do you want to go out tonight? After we eat, we could drive into the city and go exploring.”

  My dad looked between me and my mother. She smiled brightly as she lifted a french fry to her lips.

  “I think that’s exactly what we all need,” she replied. “Some great Mavros family bonding time.”

  Dad smiled back and bobbed his head in agreement, “Great.”

  I took another bite of a piece of chicken, silently grimacing at the idea of walking around on my injured foot. As soon as we were all finished with our dinner, everyone went to their rooms to get ready. I slipped on a long sleeved shirt–light peach—and a pair of blue jean shorts. I made sure to wear my comfy sneakers – without the blood – and padded the bottoms with an extra pair of socks. Just as I pushed a bobby pin to sweep my bangs from my face, I noticed my mom standing at my door.

  “Ready?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” I murmured with a shrug. She walked to my side and lifted my brush from the small night stand. She ran the brush through my hair until she smiled and murmured, “Better. Much better.”

  I resisted the urge to sweep my fingers through my brown locks.

  “You’re just so beautiful, Summer. I hope you know that.”

  Yeah. Right. Me? Beautiful? Who was she kidding? I was about as plain as they came. As I looked over her shoulder to my own reflection in the bathroom mirror, I locked eyes with myself. My face was round; my cheeks tinted a soft pink. My eyebrows were slightly thick–though, it seemed it was on trend for now. The only feature I liked about myself were my lips. They were full and seductive, like Scarlett Johansson's lips. They were probably the only ‘womanly’ thing about me that had any real sex appeal.

  “Thanks Mom,” I mumbled and rose to my feet. “I’m ready to go whenever you all are.”

  “Are you two having a mother-daughter bonding moment?” Dad asked from the doorway.

  “Maybe,” mom cooed and grinned over her shoulder. “I was just telling our daughter how beautiful she is.”

  “Oh, for sure,” he agreed. “By far the most beautiful girl I know.”

  “Ew, okay you guys. You’re grossing me out. Let’s go,” I said with a laugh as I grabbed my phone and ear pods. “No more!”

  My dad laughed as he turned around and headed towards the door of the apartment. I followed my mom out into the fresh air again. At least walking wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. I slid into the back seat of the car and leaned against the door. Just as the engine roared to life, dad’s cell phone went off.

  “Mavros speaking.” I could hear garbled voices on the other end. My mom stared at him, patiently waiting.

  “Oh really? Yeah, I can swing by. Yes. Of course. I understand,” He paused and then replied, “Yes, I’m on my way. Andi’o sas.”

  “Well?” my mother asked as he tucked the phone back into his pocket.

  “Miles says they’ve found something. They want us to swing by the site for a second opinion.” He turned to look at me in the back seat.

  “Do you mind, Sunny?”

  “Not at all,” I said, shrugging. It might be cool to see where they were working. Maybe I could even snap a picture or two and share on Instagram. Maybe then my friends would finally text me back.

  “I promise we’ll hit the city once we’re done. It shouldn’t be long,” he added.

  “It’s really okay, dad,” I said as reassuringly as I could. “Honest.”

  He shifted the car into first gear and began down the street. I slipped my earbuds into my ears and started a new song on my phone. I let my head fall backward onto the headrest as I slowly closed my eyes. My favorite song, “Cosmic Love,” by Florence + The Machine filled my ears. I started to think about my dream again – the candles, the seeds and the man. Those dark, piercing eyes. Before I realized it, I was suddenly there again; holding his hand as he twirled me around a magnificent dance floor.

  I was breathlessly happy.

  The warmth of his hand on my back lured me closer and closer to him. I knew in that moment I was dreaming, and yet, had no desire to wake up. I pushed myself closer to the mysterious man. There was nothing but darkness and me. He looked like a dream. His black hair, his pale skin...those eyes. My mind was racing. My heart was beating so fast that I could hear my own pulse in my ears. His hands slid away from my waist and instead grazed over my arm to my wrists. There was no sound between us–just the strange scent of the ocean and berries. As my gaze darted to his hands, I could see a large, ripe red pomegranate. My mouth watered at the sight and I reached for it.

  “Oh my god!” Suddenly, my mother’s voice pierced through my dream.

  I tried to stay there with him–I tried to stay in the warmth of his darkness. But I felt his hands drift away and the black became the interior of the car as I opened my eyes. I first saw my mother’s form; her hand was against the window–bracing herself. I could hear my father shouting something.

  Was it my name?

  Time seemed to stop then. Everything happened ever so slowly. The car slid sharply to the left just as I saw a car moving right towards us. There was nothing my father could do. The car slammed into us, pushing our bodies back into our seats. My parents’ bodies looked like rag dolls as they bounced around, slamming into the windows and each other. Then suddenly there was another crack. My body bent and my head slammed into the side window. There was so much pain; it seemed to be the only thing I could focus on. And then there was silence. I waited for something else—anything else—to happen, but it didn’t. My parents weren’t calling my name or rushing to my side. There was only a deep ringing in my ears and pulsing in my skull.

  I wanted to believe that all of this was a dream. I would wake up and my father would be pulling into the site where he and my mother had only just begun to excavate. We would go to the city like he promised – and maybe, I’d meet some young people my age and have a great summer vacation. I wanted this to be a part of the dream so I could wake up from it.

  Then, I felt the car move again; I guessed another car had hit us from behind, and suddenly everything was upside down. I couldn’t figure out which way was up. My lungs felt too full, too heavy; it was like I was drowning. We were falling, and everything in the back seat of the car was tumbling with me. I couldn’t catch my breath. I was lost in an ocean of glass, metal, and blood. Then there was darkness, and I didn’t know how to get away. I was stuck in the tangle of the seatbelt that was still wrapped around my arm. I looked to the front seat with blurry eyes and felt my eyes water.

  I knew with one look at my parents, their still forms hovered over the bloody airbags, that I was either alone or dead myself. Was this what it felt like when you died?

  1350

  Tralee, Ireland

  A breeze billowed over the cloaked God as he peered over the cliffs, admiring the crashing blue sea below. His brother, Poseidon, had truly claimed the most beautiful realm of them all. He pressed his black cloak more tightly around him as he tilted his sharp black gaze to the green fields behind him. Tall stalks of grass swayed in the wind, almost dancing to a melody deaf to his immortal ears.

  She was here.

  Poseidon had told him so. A message had been delivered, telling the tale of a woman who had cut her heel in the sea; her sweet blood had called and claimed his name without knowing. And he had come. In all of his searching over the long centuries that had passed, he saw hints of Persephone in the wealthy Lord’s youngest daughter - Leora. She was innocent, sweet, and seemingly pure. He knew with the simplest kiss from him, she would succumb. She wouldn’t be able to resist the pleasurable temptation he offered. Hades could almost taste the inevitable desire in the air. He could imagine her pulse just beneath his fingertips.

  Just in the distance, the figure of a woman appeared. He knew it was her - Leora. Her golden blonde curls fell over her shoulders, while a small, simple silver diadem lay on the top of her head. He couldn’t stop watching her as she journeyed through the field; her steps were gracefu
l and careful.

  “Leora,” he called as she drew near. She froze, standing in her simple green woolen gown before him. Her blue eyes were clear, but inquisitive. She raised a curious brow as he offered her his hand. Remember me. Remember me now. The words matched the gentle rhythm of his heart.

  “How long ‘ave ye been waitin’ for me?” She asked gently, as a smile teased on her lips.

  In the short time after discovering her whereabouts, Hades had disguised himself as a medicine man in the village. She had first come to his cottage for a sack of teas requested by her mother. When they met again, he knew she wouldn’t recall their shared past. She had been gone for too long. So much so, he wondered if he would ever find her again. The moment his brother, Poseidon told him about Leora, Hades knew without a doubt that he would seek her out.

  If only to catch a glimpse of who she had become.

  So when she wandered into his cottage one morning with an order from her mother, he was breathlessly taken by her once again. It was just as it had been all those years ago, upon their first meeting. Though there was no field of vivid flora, she was still as effervescent as he remembered. She had watched his every move closely, as he had gathered the ingredients.

  “I feel as though I know ye,” she had whispered before turning away on her heel.

  Each day after her first visit, Leora returned for different reasons. It wasn’t until her sixth visit that she finally gave him her name.

  “Leora,” like a song.

  The web of lies her mother spun around her to keep Leora from remembering the truth, must have been grand. For Leora was naive to her nature; who she truly was underneath the facade of her new life. She was his Queen. His lover. Her mother could not keep her from him, not when their paths were sealed by fate. So when Leora came to him with her cheeks tear-stained, and troubled by her mother’s demands, he knew had a chance to restore his Queen.

  From that day on they met in secret. Up upon the cliffs of the coast, watching over the splashing seas.

  “This has gone on long enough,” Hades finally said. Pulling the few seeds he had kept from the Underworld from his pocket, he offered his hand to Leora.