That Strange Night

• Heather Wilson, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2013

It was a strange night, there seemed to be a chill in the air. I was walking through the park; it was deserted because of the lateness of the hour. I was in the middle of the park when I felt it, another person behind me. I turned quickly and recognized them immediately.
“Alexander,” I said, feigning indifference.
“Natalie,” he returned.
For a moment we just stared at each other and my heart started to race. We both knew what had to happen here, we both knew we couldn’t let the other leave here, but still we hesitated, unwilling to start this fight. I knew it was wrong, I shouldn’t feel the way I did, not after everything that’d happened. But I loved him, even after everything that he’d done over the last few months. He still felt something too, not love exactly; he wasn’t capable of that, but something.
“I didn’t know this would happen,” he told me quietly.
“You knew exactly what would, you just didn’t care,” I told him coldly.
His face hardened at my words and a fireball appeared in his hand, showing his anger. I glanced at the fireball in his hand, then back at his face. I wasn’t afraid.
“Guess there’s nothing to do but this,” Alexander said to me.
He threw the fireball at my face but I telekinetically threw it to the ground before it reached me.
“Impressive,” he mocked.
“You’ve seen me fight before Alexander. You used to fight with me, before you started to abuse the magic,” I replied, keeping my voice even.
The memories flew through my head as I said this. Alex, my Alex, not this monster standing before me, and I fighting demons together, cooking up vanquishing potions, laughing and being in love. Then everything changed, he started using dark magic to vanquish demons, then he was using it for his own personal gain. Then it wasn’t vanquishing demons, but making deals with them, until finally, it was humans he was vanquishing.
“I did it for you, Natalie! To keep you safe! So we could always be together!” he exclaimed angrily.
“No you didn’t, you did it for you! So that you could feel powerful! It had nothing to do with me!” I yelled at him.
“We could be together again; just come with me,” he said seductively.
I hesitated. I wanted to be with him, with everything I had I wanted to be with him.
“We could be together forever, nothing could separate us.”
I moved forward without thinking and he smiled. My God I’d missed that smile. But then I saw the tattoo, the one all demon minions had, and stopped. He wasn’t my Alex anymore. Being with him now meant hurting innocents, something I would never do.
I threw a vanquishing potion at him, one I carried with me everywhere. He was shocked but he avoided it easily. Then he smirked and said,
“See you soon baby,” as he disappeared.
Then I broke down.