Chapter 3

The next day I woke to the ringing of my phone. I grumbled as I stumbled to it and answered.

“Hey Danica, it’s Vincent,” one of my good friends Vincent Carter replied.

“Hey Vinc,” I said cheerfully, “What’s up?”

“Heard you got fired, wanted to see how you’re doing.”

“Thanks for your concern,” I said smiling. “I’m good. I actually have a new job now. A hostess or waitress, not sure which one yet.”

“Wow, that was fast, congratulations ‘Nica.”

“Thanks, yeah it was fast. I was pretty surprised myself.”

“We’re meeting next Tuesday at my house for a surprise party for Carrie, will you be there?”

“Um…Yea, I believe I’m free. What time should I be there?”

“Come around noon if you can make it.”

“Ok, will do. I gotta go now though, I’ll talk to you later.”

It was noon right now so I had a couple hours to kill before I was expected at the diner. I grabbed a bite to eat and sat in front of the television, flipping through the channels looking for something good.

When 3:00 rolled around I found myself walking into the diner that I would hopefully be working at.

It was very cozy and had a mixture of booths and tables. The booths were either red or pink and the cushions on the chairs were the same color. There were a couple groups of people eating in the diner at the moment, but I didn’t pay much attention to them.

I walked up to the hostess’ stand and stopped in front of it, waiting for someone to come out so I could find out what I was supposed to do. Shortly after stopping a woman, a little older than I was, walked out and came up to me.

“Hi,” she said smiling brightly. “How many?”

“I’m actually looking for Gloria Mills, about a job position that is open.”

“Danica Fauldron?” the woman asked still smiling.

I nodded. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“Hi, I’m Gloria,” she said extending her hand for me to shake. I took it and smiled back at her.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Can you start now?”

I was taken aback slightly by the abruptness of the offer. “Yeah, but you don’t want me to have like, an interview or something?”

“No, it’s fine, you’ve got the job. You look and sound honest, and I’m sure that you’ll be reliable. Besides, I haven’t much to loose and we still have another job opening or two if someone else is interested.”

“Thank you so much,” I replied happily. “So what will I be doing?”

“You can be a hostess for now, I’ve got Susan posted there at the moment, but I’ll switch her to waitress.”

I nodded. “Ok, fine with me.”

Gloria nodded and headed over to Susan to tell her the news. I could not believe my luck. I had gotten a job, my car had been fixed, everything seemed to be looking up.

I went over and took my spot, waiting for someone to come in. I was ecstatic that I had gotten another job so fast, and didn’t really want to think of something that could go wrong, only, there were plenty of things that could and would.

When my shift was over Gloria gave me my work schedule and I left, smiling widely with a slight skip in my step. I had made sure before I left that I was not working next Tuesday and when I saw that I wasn’t I had left. I headed over to the mall, planning on picking something up for Carrie while I was there.

When I got there I found the perfect gift for her, some beautifully scented candles, and various lotions, and oils. I paid for my purchase and headed home, thinking that things couldn’t possibly get any better.

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I was proven right when Tuesday came rolling around. I had had a tremendous amount of luck, an unbelievable amount really, and I had come to believe that my dream had been reality. That these beings had entered my dreams, that I really was going to be recruited to their reality. I had to tell someone, but whom?

Tuesday came around and I decided that I was going to go over to Vincent’s earlier than he had asked, knowing full well that I was going to inform him of my possible craziness.

I arrived at his house at 10:30 and walked up to the door. My hand lingered over the doorbell and I hesitated. Maybe I shouldn’t do this, maybe I should tell him. I was having second thoughts about all of this, but Vincent was one of my dearest friends, he was sure to listen with an open mind and not judge me.

I finally pulled up enough courage and rang the doorbell. I could hear it muffled from outside and smiled slightly, the familiar sound quietly filling my ears. I heard the doorknob open and I unconsciously held my breath. The door was flung open to reveal Vincent with his seven-year-old daughter hanging from his leg. I laughed slightly at the sight.

“Hey Karen,” I said brightly smiling at the seven-year-old.

“Hi Danica,” she replied.

“Hey Danica, come on in, I thought you weren’t coming till noon or I would have been more prepared.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s my fault, I didn’t tell you I was coming early, I just really need to talk to you.”

“Alright,” Vincent replied nodding. “Karen, honey, why don’t you go play in your room while I talk to Danica. I’ll call you when you can come out.”

“Al right but don’t be too long dad,” she answered smiling.

“We won’t,” I replied. “Thank you Karen.”

Karen ran off upstairs to her room and I couldn’t help but laugh at all the energy she possessed. Vincent caught my smile and smiled back.

“She’s a real handful sometimes,” he said offhandedly.

“I’d give anything to have a daughter,” I said quietly, shrugging slightly.

“Come on into the living room,” he replied a little uncomfortably motioning for me to follow. “Would you care for something to drink?”

“No, but thanks anyway,” I answered, dropping onto the couch when we reached the living room. Vincent sat down next to me and examined my features.

“What’s wrong?” he asked immediately.

I sighed. He always seemed to know when something was wrong with me, or when I was trying to hide something from someone. His wife had died a year ago and I remembered her well. She was a wonderful person, very caring and wonderful with Karen. I had been a close friend of hers and had come to know Vincent through her.

“I had this dream last week, well at least I thought it was a dream, I’m not really sure anymore. I think it might actually be real.”

I stopped and waited for some signal from Vincent to continue. He nodded slightly, telling me, in his own way, to continue. I took a deep breath and did as he asked.

“Well there was this guy, and I think he was chasing me down this never ending hall. He knew my name and called out to me when I stopped. He gave me an offer, an offer I wasn’t about to refuse…” I broke off then, the dream coming back to me as if it was yesterday. I remembered his appearance, down to the last thread, the conversation, almost word for word, and my feelings during the meeting.

Vincent reached out and grabbed my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He smiled reassuringly at me and I couldn’t help but smile back.

“What was the offer?” he asked curiously and quietly, his voice quite, yet surprisingly strong and comforting.

I inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, then continued. “For good luck, good luck beyond my wildest imagination, but there was a catch. After a certain time period, his choosing of course, I must go with him, to his reality, or whatever it’s called where he lives. I chose to accept it.” I summed it up with that, leaving various parts out, like the drinking his blood.

Vincent seemed to roll this around in his head. “You are kidding, right?” he asked quietly.

I caught his eyes. “No, no I’m not Vincent, this is real. This guy, Falcon is real, I just know it. I don’t’ know when he’ll take me but I’m sure he will, sooner or later…”

“This is ludicrous,” he muttered.

“Vincent, I’m telling you the truth, please believe me. I needed to tell someone, I trust you, and I needed to tell you.” My eyes were sparkling with unshed tears, I had grabbed onto his hands and were squeezing them slightly, trying to get him to believe me. I was begging him to believe me.

He sighed and looked away. “I don’t know if I can believe you,” he replied quietly. “I need time. I need to think things out. This is just all so unbelievable.”

I nodded slightly as a tear slipped from my eye and fell down my check. “Alright, fair enough. Give me a call later than,” I said quietly, starting to get up.

“Wait,” he said just as quietly, softly pushing me back onto the couch. He reached up and whipped the tear away. “What about Carrie?” he said after a pause, and I knew instantly it was not what he had been planing on saying.

I smiled slightly at him. I reached down to my bag, which I had dropped at the foot of the couch and reached in, pulling out her present.

“Give this to her for me will ya?” He nodded slightly and hesitantly took the present. I stood up and threw my bag over my shoulder. “Tell Karen I said bye.” I hesitated only a second, waiting for Vincent to stop me again, or say something, anything, but he didn’t.

With that I was out the door, tears flowing freely down my cheeks by the time I had reached it. I had been praying that he would help me through this, help me with this problem. I couldn’t handle it anymore, I was scared, although I didn’t think I’d ever admit it aloud. I didn’t know when Falcon was coming. I hopped in my car and drove off after the tears had subsided, heading back home. It was going to be a long night, and the days would be extra long, until I heard Vincent’s answer. I couldn’t comprehend not hearing his voice anymore, at least not the way it was. Would what I just told him change anything? What would he think of me now? I reached my apartment and sighed, collapsing onto the couch and turning the television on, not really paying attention to it. I wanted to know his answer, but I’d just have to wait, but would I be able to?