Onbekend(7)

Arianna took the letter, but remained on the covered porch. She stared at the young man, who waiting for her to join him. He stood silently outside the white fence encircling the yard. In the dim light of the nearest streetlamp, she could barely make out any of his features. From the distance, she didn’t recognize him. Arianna gazed back to her uncle and cousin standing just inside the doorway.

“Go on,” Gabriel urged. “He will take you back to Lilly and Dean.”

Arianna still hesitated, standing out of the rain and watching the young man, who was, in turn, watching her. Arianna didn’t fear meeting the mysterious letter writer, and even after waking in an unknown house, she still wasn’t afraid, but now she couldn’t help but worry about the situation she had gotten herself into. Arianna’s stomach began to churn as she worried over what she should do.

“But,” she started to complain. The young man offered his open hand to her.

“Go now; he is safe,” Gabriel promised.

“Will I ever see you again?” she asked, turning to her newfound family.

“Any time you wish,” Gabriel replied.

The tumbling of her stomach didn’t stop as she slowly stepped into the light rain, towards the unknown man waiting for her. The young man opened the picket fence as she neared. Arianna stopped suddenly as she recognized the young man’s face. He was the same blond-haired, blue-eyed boy from her math class, who rode the bus north every Friday night, the same as her.

“You’re from my math class,” she said in shock, as he took her arm and pulled her under the umbrella with him. He didn’t respond but directed her down the street. “You also ride the same Friday bus as me.” Arianna waited for a reply, but he still didn’t speak. His clear, blue eyes darted around, searching the shadows as they walked. She was feeling worse now as her stomach churned. “I think I’m sick,” she said, as she slowed her walk. Arianna quickly stepped away from the unnamed boy and puked into the grass. “Just my luck,” she said, trying to break the heavy silence. “I turn sixteen and get sick at the same time.” The boy escorting her stopped.

“Your birthday is tomorrow,” he responded, still carefully watching around them. Arianna should have been surprised he knew, but she was too sick to care.

“Nope, I just found out from my uncle back there that it’s today,” she replied, as the sick feeling continued. The boy took her arm and began to walk more brisk. In their haste, Arianna failed to notice the small group of men that had begun to follow them. She saw the first man as she stumbled trying to keep up with her escort. “My feet are going numb,” she complained, before realizing they were completely surrounded. The young man helped her to her feet and handed her the umbrella.

“Hang on to this for a moment,” he instructed, as he moved in front of her. Arianna closed her eyes as her head began to throb. She reopened her eyes in awe. The men surrounding them were extremely muscular, and all had long white hair. Arianna turned from face to face and realized they looked quite similar. Brothers, she wondered. “It’s best if you just keep your eyes closed for a moment,” the young man with her said, as he gently placed his hand on her eyes to shut them. “This should only take a moment.” Arianna nodded. Between the sicknesses she was feeling, and the fear that was beginning to form in the pit of her stomach, she was hoping that if she closed her eyes, she would wake up in her own bed, and it would all be a dream. Arianna held her eyes tightly closed as she heard movement around her.

“I’m assuming you are all acting on your own?” the young man said loudly to the men around them. “I’m pretty sure Gabriel wouldn’t approve of this.”

“Gabriel is an old fool. That girl is one of us, she belongs here,” one of the men replied. Arianna heard movement again as the young man momentarily left her side and instantly returned.

“I’d advise you to let us pass,” the young man said. “None of you here have enough power to stand up to me. If your friend in the shadows were to join you, it would be a different story, but the six men here now are not enough.” The young man prepared to fight six men at once. “Since he isn’t protecting you, I’ll assume I’m correct in that Gabriel has given us safe passage out of here.”

Arianna fell to her knees as the pain in her stomach increased. The young man quickly knelt to catch her from falling further.

“I wouldn’t call this a nice birthday greeting,” the young man said to the men surrounding them as he scooped Arianna into his arms. “Her sixteenth birthday,” he clarified.