"Come again?" I don't even try to disguise my disbelief.
His eyes narrow as if contemplating what to say next. I'm pretty sure he's just as baffled at me as I am at him. His hands let go of mine as he walks away, whispering something under his breath. It sounds like it could be Latin, I'm not sure, but he's definitely irritated.
I should probably apologize, or say something to cut the tension I obviously caused. So I follow behind him. He's strong, that much is clear and I need to be careful before he decides to murder me. "Look, I'm really sorry but I don't know what's going on..."
I stop because he suddenly spins around very quickly, his black cloak catching up a second later as it flares in a cone-like circle all around him. "Listen carefully." His deep voice continues to echo when he pauses to take a breath, as if he's trying to stay calm. "I was sent to protect you."
Holy shit. He's serious.
"I don't understand." I say as my heart begins to race. I have no clue what he's talking about or why I'm here because everything he's said so far has been cryptic. Am I supposed to solve some kind of puzzle?
"You must go." he replies, reaching for my hand as he leads us to an archway I didn't see before. The opening is small, like a doorway, but beyond it is totally pitch back. The only reason I can see it at all is because sparkles in the rock wall keep highlighting flickers of light from the torch. I pull away because it looks scary as hell but it's no use I don't have a choice, his grip is way too strong as he pulls me through.
The same tingling sensation from when he first touched me happens again but this time, it's throughout my entire body. It's doesn't really hurt but it's not pleasant either. Kind of like when you get zapped from too much built up static electricity. Seconds later it's over and daylight is all around me. I have to squint my eyes so they can adjust but when I look up I see the same cloudy sky I saw when I walked into the cemetery. I know I heard rain, but everything is dry, too. Taking a deep breath I instantly pan around then look down at my hand. The Watchman, or Dominic, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to call him, is no longer holding it.
He's gone.
My hands begin to shake but I manage to yank my cell phone from my back pocket, nearly dropping it when I tap it to check the time. I'm relieved when it quickly lights up. Thank God it still works. My eyes go wide when I see "4:16" flash across the screen. It can't be. There's no way it's the exact same time it was when I got here. I jerk my head toward the entry gates and see the Volvo still parked where I left it.
What is going on?
I bolt into a dead run heading straight for it while reaching in my front pocket for the keys. Sliding in, I smell the familiar aroma of my mother and close my eyes as I take in a deep breath.
Calm down, Calm down, calm down...
The second I open my eyes, flashes of lightening streak across the sky while booms of distant thunder follow closely behind. I wait for a moment, trying to piece together what the hell just happened. Did I somehow bang my head and dream everything up? My hands go directly to the sides of my face then to the back but nothing hurts and my hands are free of blood.
This is completely nuts (or more likely) maybe I'm genuinely going insane.
Pushing the keys in the ignition, I look up when something dark catches my eyes.
It's him.
The Watchman.
He's standing where he always is but this time he's facing me, like he wants me to see him. He's completely motionless, like a statue--and then he suddenly vanishes into thin air.