Why is it so cold? It is only the beginning of October and already it is freezing outside. Maybe all of this rain had something to do with it, or the fact that I was standing at the edge of a field on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.

How did I get here?

Where am I?

It was raining so hard and it was dark out.

Why was I here? Something or someone had brought me to this place, but I don’t know what or whom.

I frantically started walking down the deserted road looking for any signs of life; a house, anything. This part of the road was abandoned with no trace of life other than Mother Nature herself. I found myself shivering. I was scared and cold. I noticed a fence and decided to follow it hoping it would lead to help. That’s when I saw the headlights coming my way.

“I wonder if they’ll even see me,” I thought to myself as the headlights grew closer. I planned on flagging them down but wasn’t sure if they could see me through the darkness and the rain. That’s when I noticed a second pair of headlights moving even faster from the other direction.

I was almost positive that neither of them could see each other racing towards the other let alone me. The second car was moving way too fast. I was positive that they were going to crash head on. If only I could get someone’s attention, but I couldn’t even make out the cars themselves, only headlights.

I started waving my hands ravenously trying to get someone to notice me. It didn’t look like either one of them saw the other car. I couldn’t bear to watch, but what else could I do? I closed my eyes. There was no way I could watch these 2 cars smash each other to smithereens.

I opened my eyes for just a second. And in that instant, I saw the 2 cars swerve away from each other in opposite directions. One of them smashed into a fence post. The other car had hit a slick spot on the road and continued to slide as if it were on ice. I could tell that the driver was trying to gain control of the car but was having no luck.

In a matter of seconds, the car was flipping over its side. It was like watching a tumbleweed roll down an empty road. I counted… 1… 2… 3… 4… then the car turned into a horseshoe around a telephone poll. I found myself running as fast I could to get to the driver. I couldn’t just stand there. I had to save them if it were at all possible.

I slid into the side of the car on my knees because of the hurry I was in. I would deal with the pain later. As I stood up and started to look around me I saw a dark figure in the field closest to the car I was at. He was just standing there watching.

I started yelling, “help! Please they need help. Don’t just stand there!”

In the instant I started to walk toward him he disappeared. I screamed instantaneously wrenching myself forward.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

I glanced around me trying to figure out where I was because my surroundings had changed. It was a dream. All of it was just a dream. I was safe in my bed.  As I reached over to turn the bedside lamp on, I noticed that my sheets were wet. I quickly switched the light on and frantically searched the bed for the reason as to why it was soaked. Not only was the bed soaking wet, but I was too. My hair was wet, my face, arms, clothes, all of it. It was as if, someone had thrown a bucket of water on me. Or as if…. No it couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible. Could it? Could I of actually been standing outside in the rain? There was no other way to explain it. I know for a fact that I don’t sleep walk.

“No, it’s just not possible,” I said to myself.

I got up and walked to the window and slowly moved the curtain aside. I had to see if it was actually raining or not. It wasn’t. But how does that explain me being drenched with water. There was no leak in my ceiling. I do remember drying myself completely after showering before I got into bed. The dream was so real though. Maybe it wasn’t just a dream this time. Even if it was, how does that explain all of the water? I’ve had some pretty vivid dreams before but it was like I was really there witnessing the entire thing. And that wasn’t the first time I’ve seen that dark man either. I’ve seen him every night this week in my dreams.

I gave up on figuring it out and fixed my thoughts on getting the sheets and my clothes changed. I knew there was no point in trying to go back to sleep as it was already 4:30 in the morning and I needed to be up in 2 hours.  I decided to write this dream down even though I knew I couldn’t forget it even if I tried. It was as if I were there myself, witnessing it right in front of my face.  I would try and figure it out later.

Just to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind, I checked my knees. Right there was my proof that I wasn’t insane or was I? Both my knees were scraped and bloody just like in the so called dream from when I had slid across the road into the car.

I went into the bathroom and started cleaning up. As I finished I looked into the mirror. I could see the bags under my eyes from going to long without much sleep.

“Ugh! I can’t take this.” So I grabbed my keys, dawned on my jacket and headed for the door.

I decided to go into work early and get some organizing done in the office. Owning your own cafe had its advantages especially at times like this. There was always plenty to do at this time of day to get your mind off of anything. I honestly didn’t believe that it would be enough in this case. My mind was racing like a horse around a track on race day.

As soon as I pulled out of the driveway it started to rain. Just what I needed. Business would be slow today. It always was when it rained. You’ve got to love small towns; especially when the weather was bad. I was glad I only lived 20 minutes from the shop.  

The few seconds it took me to get from the front door to the car; I could feel eyes on me. I’ve been having that feeling more and more lately. It was probably just my imagination. I couldn’t help but look around me constantly just to make sure I was indeed alone. Once again I couldn’t see anyone. I guess that’s what I got for living alone outside of town where my nearest neighbor is half a mile away. Nothing but trees and fields surrounded my house.

As I passed the Maple Grove cemetery on the skirts of town I couldn’t help but pull in. I didn’t need to search for what I was looking for. Having visited this place every day for the last 2 years, I knew exactly where I was going.

Just before I got out of the car I reached over and opened the glove compartment. I grabbed the flashlight I always kept in there and my umbrella out of the backseat. Normally I wouldn’t care about the rain, but it was pouring pretty hard at this point. Then I exchanged my tennis shoes for rain boots. I was glad that I was over prepared all of the time.

I missed John terribly. I guess that’s why I came to see him every day since he died. He was my best friend who I told everything to. He knew my worries, fears, wishes and dreams. He was the one to push me to open the café. I just wish he would have been able to actually see it open. John was also my husband.

I was with John the night he died. I have no memory of the accident. The doctors said that I was very lucky to have survived with what little injuries I had. I had no broken bones. I did have some cuts and bruises though. John died instantly. The only thing I remember was the fight we were having just minutes before the accident.

Just as I was about to wipe the tears from my eyes I heard some leaves crunch from behind me. I quickly turned around to find nothing. All I saw were more headstones and the trees that bordered the cemetery. This was beginning to get very creepy and annoying.

I decided to cut the visit short and leave. I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out whom or what was following me. I blew John a kiss and headed for the car.

As I reached the car, I looked back over to where I heard the noise. I still saw nothing. I closed my eyes and concentrated on hearing. I was hoping that I could hear the thoughts of whoever was trying to sneak up on me. But I heard nothing. It must have just been an animal moving around in the trees.

I started the car up and was back on my way to work. Today was going to be one of those days.

I lived in the small town of Brookville, Indiana. It wasn’t much but at the same time was your typical small town where everyone knew everyone and all of your business. I hadn’t lived here my whole life so I was a mystery to everyone; the new kid on the block that everyone was curious about, but too afraid to get to know. I was thankful for the last part.

I moved here just 6 months after John died to get away from the hustle of the big city. Being able to hear the thoughts of others it got to be too much. I wanted him to be buried someplace quiet. This town called to me and I’ve never been able to figure out why. It’s why I had him buried here instead of where we lived in the city. I had a constant migraine from all the screaming in my ears. And it’s how I chose to move here. I then followed our plan and opened the café 6 months after that. I’ve had a steady stream of customers. A café in a small town has its regulars that come in at the same time every day.

As I pulled into the parking lot the rain stopped. The parking lot was flooded a little. I was glad that I kept my rain boots on. I put my other shoes in my bag and got out of the car.

I pulled out my keys and tried to unlock the door. I then noticed that the lock had been jammed and the door was unlocked. I pushed the door open and flicked the lights on. The place was a disaster. Tables had been turned over, chairs thrown everywhere. I quickly went over to the register. It had been untouched. The door to my office had been busted down. Paper and folders had been tossed everywhere.

Someone had broken in. Only they weren’t there to rob me. They were searching for something. What could they have been looking for?

I was nervous about how the kitchen looked. Curiosity got the best of me. And just like I had feared, it had been destroyed just as bad as the rest of the café. Pans, bowls, plates and everything else had been tossed about. Flour and sugar had been tossed about as well.

I immediately grabbed the broom and started sweeping. I couldn’t open the café with it looking like this and I couldn’t afford to shut it down for the day. I didn’t want to deal with the questions that I’d be asked. It was best that I just go about like normal. Amber would be here in an hour and would help with what was left.

What could they have been searching for that required this much destruction?  I never kept anything of value here. I never kept more than $100 in the cash register and they didn’t even take it. I knew when I woke up this morning that today was going to take a turn for the worst and I was right.

It took me an hour just to get the kitchen area cleaned up. Just as I finished and began fixing the tables in the front Amber showed up.

“What the hell happened?” She said as she put her purse down on the counter.

“I don’t know. I got here an hour ago and found it in worse shape than this.” I said.

“How did they get in? There is no broken glass. Did you call the police?”

I straightened a chair and sat down in it.  “No I didn’t.”

“Why not? Didn’t they take the money in the register?” She said with a concerned look on her face.

“No they didn’t. The office is a disaster zone though. It is much worse than the rest of the place. It seems as if they were searching for something. I have no idea what though.”

She picked up a broom and glanced around at the place. “Well we better get going if we are going to have this place ready to open in an hour.”

“I need to get started on the food if it is to be ready in time to open. Do you mind finishing up here?” I said as I started to walk towards the kitchen.

“Not at all.” She said.

Amber Bishop was young but very reliable. She had grown up here her entire life. She was the only person I trusted enough to run the place when I wasn’t around. She was short and thin with long, wavy brown hair that reached all the way to her waist. She always kept it pulled back into a braid. She had the whole brown puppy dog eyes thing going for her and the sweet, caring personality to back it up.

Even her thoughts were kind. Her mind doesn’t seem to work like everyone else’s. At the age of 21 she had been through more than most 40 yr olds.

Not only was she my assistant manager, but she was also my only friend. You would think that at the age of 25 I would have more friends, but I don’t. Having just moved here less than 2 years ago and having secrets I didn’t want anyone to find out about, I stayed away from people. Amber has been the only person I’ve met since I’ve been here that I feel I can trust with anything. She has proven that to me. She is the only one that knows about my telepathy. She figured it out after spending an hour with me.

I think part of the reason she was so good at keeping my secret was because she has secrets of her own. I never pushed for her to share them. It was her business to tell. I tried my best to stay out of her head. Sometimes if I wasn’t concentrating hard enough my shield would slip and I would hear some things. All I knew was that she didn’t have any family just like me. She was raised by her grandmother who died last year.

Staying out of people’s minds was very difficult. Over the past few months I have learned how to do it, but if I got too tired or stressed, I wasn’t able to keep the wall up. Sometimes it would get to be too much for me to handle and I would have to go sit in the office for a few minutes to compose myself. It was like standing on the streets in Tokyo; everyone talking and sometimes screaming at once. I get a lot of migraines from it if I don’t block it out.

After I got most of the food in the oven to bake I went up front to check on Amber.

“I really appreciate the help, Amber.” I said.

“It’s really no big deal. I’m glad I got here early to help.” She said as she straightened the last set of chairs.

At last it was time to open. I was so glad we had everything straightened up. Well, everything but the office. I would tackle that later.

As the day progressed the rain never let up. We had hardly any customers all day. I was thankful because I was able to get the office cleaned up without being disturbed.

I heard a light knock on the door.

“Lena, it’s just me.” Amber said as she slowly opened the door.

“Is everything ok?”

“Yes everything is fine. It’s dead out there. I was actually hoping I could ask you something.”

“Of course. You can ask me anything.” I said, putting down the file I held in my hand.

“Why do you visit the cemetery every morning before you come to work?” She asked with a worried expression on her face.

“How did you know about that?” I questioned.

I could tell she didn’t want to tell me. “I have seen you there a few times. I know it’s none of my business. I was just wondering.”

“Yes I do go there every day. My husband is there.” I said as I wiped a lonely tear from my face.

She started to put her hand on mine then retracted her hand.

“How did he die?” She asked.

“He was in a car accident 2 years ago. “

“I am so sorry, honey. Do you think you’ll move on some day? I mean, is it really better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all?”

I smiled and replied, “Yes I do.”

“But how can you want to move on after loving someone as much as you love him? It’s obvious that you love him indefinitely.”

“Because to have never loved at all means that you’ve never felt your heart smile from inside you. Never loving someone means that you’ve never woken up next to that someone feeling so happy that you could spontaneously com-bust at any moment and never think twice about it. Never feeling the warmth and love emanating off of that special someone’s embrace as they hold you. Never looking into someone’s eyes and not just seeing your reflection, but seeing right into their soul and knowing that they are looking right back into yours. The wonderful memories that you shared together would have never existed.”

“I know that I’m young and that at my age I should be out trying to find guys like all of the other girls my age are doing. But the thought of falling in love and then losing him whether to someone else, natural illness or an accident scares the shit out of me.  It’s a risk on my heart that I’m just not sure I am willing to take.” She said as she fiddled with the string on her apron.

“Sweetheart, life is about taking risks. So I say live your life and take risks. Love is a huge risk. But so is walking across the street or driving down the road every day. Don’t be afraid. Don’t worry about where you’ve been. Worry about where you are and where you’re going. With all of the things you are doing in life, wouldn’t you want someone you truly love beside you to share it with?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She said after thinking about it for a moment.

Just then I heard the front door open.

“Why don’t you go ahead and take the rest of the day off? I am going to close up in an hour anyway.”

“Are you sure?” She questioned.

“Yes. I’ve got this customer.” I handed her jacket to her and pushed her towards the back door. “I will see you tomorrow morning.”

As I walked out of the office and into the front of the store, I got a good look at the man standing there dripping wet. He was beautiful. So beautiful it was enough to stop me dead in my tracks. When he looked at me, I was astonished at the depth of his beauty. He stood roughly 6ft tall and had shaggy brown hair. His eyes were so light blue that they were almost silver. He was soaking wet from being out in the rain.

He turned around and saw the look on my face. I was immediately embarrassed.

“Do you mind if I wait the rain out in here?” He said as he took his wet jacket off and placed it on the back of a chair.

“No I don’t mind at all. Can I get you anything? I’ve got coffee, tea, hot chocolate and lots of pastries.”

I saw a slight smile appear across his face as if I had missed the punch line of a joke or something.

“No thank you. I’d like some water if it’s not too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all.” I replied.

I watched him out of the corner of my eye as I retrieved his water. I had never seen him around town before. Then why did he look so familiar?

As I handed him the water his hand brushed mine. What happened next was overwhelming.

I felt a jolt of electricity go through me like I had stuck my finger in a light socket. It was the strangest thing I have ever felt in my entire life. In fact, I had never felt anything like it before.

I don’t think I could have gotten away any faster. I almost felt rude for doing so.

I turned around to make sure he wasn’t offended by my reactions. He was staring at me. I mean really staring at me as if he could see right through me. His silverish eyes peered into mine. I was locked in his sights and couldn’t break free. I could hear the phone ringing but I was glued where I was.

Those eyes. They look so familiar. I have seen him before. If only I could figure out where.

There’s something in his eyes and in the coldness of his touch. The electricity that flowed between us was like the perfect drug. It flowed through me from head to toe. As scary as it was I wanted to feel it again. I wanted to know why I felt it.

The darkness that surrounds him should have me running away. Instead it’s only pulling me toward him. It’s inviting yet mysterious. His eyes tell me to stay away, but I don’t think that’s possible. I have to know who he is or what he is.

When our skin touched I felt a jolt of electricity so strong it could have brought a dead man back to life. The shock was followed by a disturbing image that was so dark and cold. It reminded me of death.

I tried to get inside his mind with no luck at all. In all of these years, I have never come across a mind I could not reach. I have to know if he is like me or something completely different.

As he started to get up to leave I tried stopping him, “Wait! Please don’t go.”

He looked at me with a speck of fear in his eyes.

“What do you want?” He said bitterly. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude but I have to go.”

“What are you?”

As soon as I said that an expression came across his face that I wasn’t suppose to see because he changed it just as quickly as it appeared.

“What do you mean, what am I?” He said as he flexed the muscles in his hand and took a deep breath.  

I changed my question, “I mean, who are you?”

I could tell that he was surprised by what I had said. But in all honesty, I didn’t even know what I was talking about. I knew I was scaring him and myself for that matter.

“I don’t know. I’ve seen you somewhere before.” I said as I sat down giving up.

“I just moved into town today. There’s no way you have seen me before. I’m sorry but you have surely mistaken me for someone else.” He said as he started to walk away again.

“It’s this feeling I got when my hand brushed yours. It felt as if an electric current coursed through me. And the fact that I can’t… hear your…” I trailed off at that point realizing how stupid I was beginning to sound to him and myself. The tears that had began to flow didn’t help any either.

“You felt that?” he asked while taking the seat across from me.

All I could do was shake my head yes. I was afraid to speak anymore or make eye contract.

“What are you?” He asked.

I couldn’t answer him because I didn’t even know what I was. As far as I knew I was a human being who just happened to be able to hear other human beings’ thoughts.

“I don’t know.” I said while playing with the corner of a napkin on the table.

It got very quiet after that. The loudest thing I could hear was the rain coming down outside. I could feel his eyes on me while he studied me.

I looked up and our eyes locked. I was hypnotized by the breathtaking beauty that was his face.

The restaurant had been empty for awhile due to the down pour outside. I needed to close up the store but I was afraid that if I got up from the table that he’d leave. I knew that if I didn’t close it now we would be interrupted and it would give him a chance to leave. I needed answers.

“I need to close the store. Would you mind sticking around for awhile?” I asked as I got up from the table. “But first, what is your name?”

As I turned back to him, he was gone. He left just as I knew he would. I thought about going after him but I couldn’t see him anywhere outside. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. How was that possible? I only looked away for a minute maybe less. I didn’t even get his name.

What if I never see him again? I had so many unanswered questions. The man that has been haunting my dreams for weeks was standing right before me and now he’s vanished. All that remained was his jacket that he left behind, a reason for him to return.