Twilight One

I was sitting on the carpet, leaning my back to the couch thinking. Then my brother said, “Look, an offer like this doesn’t come to everyone. If you want my opinion, accept it.” I looked at him in an angry way while he was holding the iPad reading the email. “What? I’m being honest!” He replied to me. “What is the good offer here? They didn’t even clarify anything.” “Are you serious? Do you know what company this is? People dream about an offer like this!” “Well, my company isn’t that easy too, other than this, a company like theirs would’ve never thought of offering a partnership with us. So, don’t underestimate us.” My brother thought for a while then asked me, “Okay, what is going on in your mind?” I looked at him, then said, “The only thing that is making me think about it, is them paying for the next project. I can’t completely cover it. It’s too much.” My brother looked at me with no words then sighed, saying, “So?” I looked at him and thought for a while then replied, “I need to think about it. A company like them would’ve never offered a partnership like this if they won’t get something huge from it. And that’s what scares me.” My brother stayed quiet for a second then replied quietly, “Think as much as you want, I’m sure you’ll make the right decision as you always used to.” I looked at him, thinking.

On November 1st,

I was walking outside, talking on the phone, “Where are you? I arrived.” “Five minutes and I’ll be there.” River (My best friend) replied on the phone. “Okay I will wait for you.” Then I closed the phone, opening the building door and entering. I walked in looking in between rooms. There were a lot of events going on. I pulled out my phone and looked at the poster, it was room number 1111; it was the first room. I was next to room 1113, then I passed by room 1112, then I passed next to 1111 while looking. I saw a lot of people inside talking to each other. Then a guy from inside who was talking with a girl looked at me and paused for a moment. I looked at him for a moment too, then I passed through the room’s door and didn’t enter. I decided to wait outside until River arrived. I kept waiting for a decent amount of time, then finally I saw River showing up, coming towards me. “Where are you?” I asked her in an annoyed way. “I’m sorry, I’m so late. How is it?” “I didn’t get in.” “Okay, I just need to change and then I’ll get in. You can go before me.” “Seriously, you still need to change?!” “Look, it's been a long day, and a lot has been going on.” “Fine! I’ll wait for you.” “You know that you don’t have to.” “Go.” I replied in an angry way. “Fine. I won’t be late, I promise.” I looked at her leaving to change.

Few minutes later,

She finally came back with her new outfit, smiling at me, “How do I look?” I looked at her in an angry way first, then when she smiled her sweet smile, I smiled. Then she said, “If you smiled that way, then I look perfect.” I laughed. Then we walked together towards the rooms, then she asked me, “Which of these rooms is it?” “It’s room number 1111.” Then we approached that room. Then she went to look through other rooms. I sighed and kept standing next to room 1111. The same guy was still standing continuing his conversation. He glanced at me again. I looked at him, I didn’t like how he was looking at me. I felt uncomfortable, so I turned my face to her, she looked at me and came back, “That event looks nice, plus one of my friends is there.” “Yes, but we’re coming for this! Remember?” “We can go both!” I sighed and raised my eyebrows. Then the guy ended his speech with the girl that he was talking to and came towards us and looked at River, saying, “Heeey, how are you?” “Oh hey, I’m good and you?” They both were talking in a flirty way. “I’m doing good. Are you here for the event?” “Yes!” “What a surprise to see you here?!” He smiled in a flirty way, then he looked at me in a weird way, I didn’t like how he was looking, so I moved my eyes away from him, so we won’t have a conversation.

Then he asked River, “Aren’t you going to introduce her?” “Oh yes for sure! Her name is Elereen!” “Elereen, what a weird name. I like it! I’m Ranol.” Then he extended his hand to shake hands with me, I looked at his hand, then looked back at him, he was smiling in an uncomfortable way. I didn’t shake hands with him. So, he took back his hand and smiled. Then River, to kill the silence between all of us, she said, “Amm, are you leaving?” “Yeah! But I’ll be back.” He replied while still looking at me. I kept looking at him without taking away my eyes. Then he moved his eyes and looked at River and said, “See you again in few minutes!” “See you.” She replied in a flirty way. After he left, she immediately looked at me and asked, “Why did you do that?” “What? I didn’t like him!” “Well guess what? That’s him.” Then I pointed at the way he left and asked in a disgusted way, “Him?!” “Yes. Him.” “Are you kidding me?” “What? He’s so handsome. And have you seen his muscles, oh my god!” “I swear you’re not okay! Didn’t you notice how he was looking at me?” “I mean you look so pretty and you’re famous, of course he would look at you that way! Plus, I can fix him!” I looked up in a hopeless way and said, “No, not this sentence again!” Then she pulled my hand taking me into the room, saying, “Come on.” I followed her with no words into room 1111.

When I was walking into the room. The lights were dim and burgundy, the music was loud, people were standing in groups, and everyone was having a deeper conversation than the other. The drawings on the walls were so weird, and similar to the rarely occurring twilight when the sun and clouds meet together creating a maroon color! There were strange symbols with 11:11 and 1111 numbers! When I was passing between people, they all were looking at me in a strange way. River first, was next to me, but when I stepped deeper into the room, she disappeared and all of a sudden people became stacked groups around me. Most of them were holding glasses in their hands, which were filled with a weird type of a maroon-colored drink. The burgundy lights in the room were on and off with the rhythm of the music. When I turned my face, I saw Ranol laughing hard with River, then I whispered to myself, “No, not this guy please, he’s a whole clear red flag!”  Then he looked at me, I turned my face away. I found a table that had two empty chairs. I sat on one of them. There were two guys sitting on the other side. A tall one was putting his arm on the neck of the shorter one who was wearing a black shirt. They both seemed to be best friends, and they were watching something on the phone and laughing. Then a girl came and whispered in the ear of the taller guy. Then she was about to leave, he held her hand and threw a kiss in the air at her, she smiled. The one who was wearing a black shirt looked at him and smiled in a cute way. Then the taller guy hit him on his shoulder, in the meaning of, (Stop). Then I turned my face to the right. I saw a tall guy, wearing eyeglasses. He wasn’t like all of them. While everyone was having deep conversations about politics, life and relationships; and others were playing cards on the table that I was sitting on, laughing; he was there looking at everyone like he was the president or something. He was so elegant, and filled with confidence to the point that he doesn’t waste his time communicating with random ones. I looked at him for a second contemplating, as I was doing my best, contemplating everyone on that night. Something about him seemed different.

After one year, and exactly on the 1st of November,

There was a huge event going on and I was one of the main coordinators. I started filming and posting stories on Instagram, few minutes, and I received a reply to my story from a few guys, so I started replying and smiling. River came to me and said, “Which one?” I looked at her. She pointed with her eyes to my phone, then asked, “Which one of them is drawing this smile on your face?” I closed my phone then looked at her, and said, “How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not interested in any of them.” She fixed her hair in a confident way and said, “There must be a special one. I’m sure.” I kept looking at her. Then she continued, “If it’s none of them as what you are saying, then why are you smiling?” “ Because I just like the hints' stage! I like being friends with guys and not any further.” “You mean you like the ‘Flirting friends’ stage!” “Isn’t the most beautiful thing, the beginnings and hints?” I said in a funny way. “You’re crazy!” I laughed, then said in a serious way, “Look, you are my best friend, and you know that I’m so honest…” Then she continued what I wanted to say and said, “But you don’t want to be like me and break your heart every other day with a new guy.” I shook my head in the meaning of, (Yes). Then we both stayed quiet for a while then I said, “Did you talk to him about that night?” “I did, and he said that he just wanted to talk to you.” “While you were sleeping? After midnight? Unstoppably knocking on my bedroom door?! And you believed him?” “I didn’t! But at the same time, I love him.” “River? Are you serious? He’s clearly a huge red flag!” She replied in a disappointed way, “And I’m the magnet for all the red flags.” I looked at her in a sad way.

At night,

The event ended and everyone left. I was walking alone as River left with Ranol. I was going back to my car as I parked it far away. I was walking, looking at my phone, checking out all the Instagram stories and posts that were published about the event, and smiling. Then I heard footsteps from behind. I looked behind but there was no one! I turned my face back to my phone, scrolling again. Again, the footsteps sound mounted. I stopped walking and looked back. I didn’t see anything else other than a few parked cars and trees. I turned my face and closed my phone and pulled a pepper spray out of my pocket then walked faster to get back to my car. I kept walking quickly for a while; the footsteps sound disappeared. Anyway, while I finally was about to get to where my car was parked, I looked at a very expensive black car, it was parked next to my car and its plate was 1111 only, no state, no letters, not even an expiration date! I paused for a while looking at the car, it was darkly tinted.

I approached it a little bit and noticed a blood stain on the backseat’s door!

Then a sudden hand touched my left shoulder…