005

I hurried out of the office as soon as the clock ticked over to five PM, waving to Nadine, who was doing the same, and would have happily locked me inside the building if I took too long. The evening was warm and balmy, with the cool breeze blowing in gently from the south like a kind word after a long day. I decided to drive to the beach and take a short stroll to make the most of the late afternoon air. I threw my bag in the back seat, started the engine, and turned my music up loud. Reversing out of the parking lot, I felt as close to happy as I'd felt in a long time. It wasn't what you would really call happy. More like relief at finally being finished at work. But these days, relief was about the most positive emotion I seemed to experience.

I rolled down my window as I neared the ocean, driving along the mountain road that looked over the bay. The sun was beginning to lower in the sky, casting a brilliant gold light over everything. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I sometimes forgot what a beautiful place Cobbett could be. So much of this town was ugly that it was easy to overlook the beauty. I slowed down to enjoy the view for as long as possible. I passed a few other drivers stopped along the side of the road to take photos or appreciate the view. The road soon dipped down behind the trees at the foreshore, and the view was gone. Something about the disappearance of that sight made me feel empty inside all over again. Wasn't that the way with everything beautiful? Here for a moment, then gone again. My desire to walk along the beach waned quickly, and I decided to just head straight home. I pulled into the beach car park and quickly turned around. As I did, I glimpsed a man that I could have sworn was the gallery guy. Intrigued, I paused for a moment, car engine idling, and turned around in my seat too look. It was definitely the same outfit, and he looked similar, but I was too far away to tell. He was at the opposite end of the car park, and although he was looking my way, my eyesight wasn't strong enough to see his face clearly.

My curiosity got the better off me and I reversed the car back down, then drove slowly toward him. I felt like a bit of a creep, following this young guy like that, but I wasn't planning to do anything. I just wanted to satisfy my curiosity. And anyway, I wasn't that much older. I had only just turned twenty-six, and he might have been older than he looked. It was a five year age gap, tops, I told myself firmly. I pretended to be focused on my driving, but kept sneaking glances in his direction. I grew more and more certain it was him. Finally I got to the end of the car park and began to swing around the loop back to the exit. I slowed down, only metres away from him now, and took one last good look. It was definitely him, I was sure of it. The same strong jaw, the same sleek dark hair and sparkling blue eyes. They looked directly at me as I passed by, our gazes locking for a full two seconds before I glanced away. I was surprised by my reaction to him, feeling instantly drawn to this young man. I wasn't normally a very shallow person. I was usually more drawn to character than appearance, but for some reason I was finding myself strongly attracted to this complete stranger. I turned away and began to drive back toward the exit. This was not ok. Not only was he a stranger, but he was also relatively young, and probably had an intellectual disability. I shook my head. This was completely out of line. I held my resolve and turned left out of the car park without looking back. I clenched my jaw, every muscle in my body urging me to glance back just one more time. My knuckles finally loosened on the steering wheel as I turned up the mountain road and out of sight of the car park. I finally glanced in my rearview mirror, and I screamed. He was in the back seat of my car.

The adrenaline shot through my body like a lightning bolt. I swerved wildly across the road in a panic, a string of expletives running rivers out of my mouth, before pulling over abruptly in the stopping bay that was mercifully right next to me. I leapt out of the car, screaming at the man to get out of my car. He exited slowly, then stood up straight and looked at me. His face was blank, until a slight smile stretched across his lips.

"Hello," he said pleasantly.

"Hello?" I shrieked. "Hello?!" I put my face in my hands, adrenaline still pumping through every inch of my body. My arms felt like they were on fire. "Are you fucking kidding me?! You were just in the back seat of my car and all you have to say is hello?!"

I started sobbing huge, wracking cries, but no tears came out.

"Who the hell are you and what were you doing in my car?" I demanded with a rasping voice.

"I am for you."

His face was a perfectly blank mask as he said it.

I swore under my breath, chest still heaving.

"I'm sorry, you are so messed up. I don't ever want to see you again. If you ever come near me again, I will get a restraining order on you."

I began to march back to the car, which was still running.

"Wait."

I froze, completely confused and emotionally wrecked. The adrenaline was beginning to fade. He'd made no advances toward me, seemed to pose no imminent threat to my safety, but he was still a complete creep. I couldn't believe I'd been checking him out only a minute ago. I turned back toward him, suddenly aware of what had happened.

"Hang on," I started, shaking my head and thinking hard. "How did you get into my car? How could you possibly have gotten in without me noticing?"

My thoughts raced as I ran over the last couple of minutes. We had held eye contact right until I turned the corner away from him, at which point I had sped back up a little and then had not looked back until I was on the mountain road. But even if he had run to catch up, what were the chances of somebody opening the door of a moving vehicle, jumping inside, and closing it again all without being noticed by the driver? It was impossible.

I looked at him, still standing there serenely as if nothing was amiss. I paused, staring at him, utterly at a loss.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked directly. "And what are you?"

"I am for you."

I was no longer scared, no longer confused, only curious. I had to know. Something was coursing through my veins. It felt like fire, and desire. A desire to know, to understand. I was suddenly fearless.

"Sure, you said that before. What do you mean by that? In what way are you for me?"

"I am for you to be with."

I shook my head. This was getting nowhere.

"Where are you from?"

"I am from the family."

"The family? What family?"

"The family that grows and spreads."

"Are you human?"

His head tilted slightly to the left. He looked confused.

"Human?" His head tilted the opposite way. "What is human?"

"I am human." I said, gesturing to myself. "Are you like me? Are you the same as me?"

"I am becoming more like you." He said, with a slight nod of the head, as if comprehending. "I am becoming more human."

I drew my hands over my face, suddenly feeling exhausted. None of this made any sense, and I was standing here on the side of the road taking to this... This... Whatever he was.

"Look, buddy, I really need to get going. Do you have a home, someplace to go?"

"My home is with you."

That infuriating smile again.

"Ahh, no, mate, it is not. You're going to need to find a place to stay."

"I can stay here," he said, gesturing gracefully to the parking bay where we were pulled over on the mountain side.

I laughed out loud. "Right, okay." I felt like I was going insane. At some point in the last fifteen minutes, I had gone from thinking this was just a cute guy, to now suddenly entertaining the idea that he may not even have been human. I had to get out of here, get away from him, clear my head. I was really, finally losing it.

"Listen, I don't know what you are or who you are, but don't you ever get in my car without permission again. Do you understand?"

"May I have your permission?" He asked with a completely deadpan expression.

I laughed again, the absurdity of the whole situation overwhelming me.

"No, buddy, you may not."

I dropped into the driver's seat, still shaking my head in bewilderment, then leaned my head out of the window.

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Name? What is name?"

"I mean, what do I call you?"

His head tilted again.

"You seem to call me Buddy."

I gawked at him for a moment, then burst out laughing all over again.

"Buddy," I said, chuckling as I turned the music up again. "Okay then, Buddy it is. Seeya next time, Buddy!"

I waved out the window, and watched his handsome, blank face smiling at me in the rearview mirror.