This snippet is from Wishing Star. It started in a yahoo group, I can’t remember the entire conversation, but Patric sent through a picture of his dream man and we were trying to come up with names for him. Someone came up with Gabriel and I said…Patric, I’m writing you and Gabriel a story! So here is my start and I can’t wait to finish.
Chapter One
Patric Mitchell drove his car into the night, down a winding dirt road. He slammed his brakes at a stop sign that appeared out of nowhere.
He looked around the deserted area and saw nothing but the inky blackness surrounding him.
“Who the hell put a stop sign here?” The sound of his voice reverberated inside the car. He sighed and put his forehead on the steering wheel.
Where was he going? He wished he knew. The only thought running through his head when he’d started this journey was to get away from his brothers and sisters. He hated the holidays. He should have skipped out again this year, but his parents were getting up there in age and he wanted to spend as much time with them as he could.
Leave it to Pauly to fuck things up with his constant pestering. Just once, couldn’t his brother leave his sex life out of the conversation? He didn’t flaunt the fact that he liked men, at least not to his family. They accepted him as he was, but it was something they didn’t talk about. Well, unless his dick head brother brought it up.
The car sputtered under him, then stopped.
“Shit, god damn, fuck! Why me?” he hit the dashboard with his fist. He tried to start it again, to no avail.
At least he had his cell phone. He raised his head off the steering wheel and stared at the stop sign, he reached into his pocket for his cell. Patric flipped it open and pushed the on button. No bars. Damn it.
Patric unbuckled himself, got out of the car and slammed the door shut. What was he going to do now? He was miles from anywhere, no one knew where he went and it was ten below zero and dropping. He could count his blessing that the snow held off. He leaned against his car and looked up into the sky.
“So beautiful.” The stars weren’t this bright in the city. Hell, half the time you couldn’t see them for all the smog. Tonight they twinkled and seemed to wink at him. Too bad he’d left his paints at home. Maybe he had some paper and a pencil in the car. Nothing else was going his way tonight, maybe this would. He opened the door and rummaged around until he found a small notebook and a pencil.
He looked around to make sure he was still alone. The night only held the sound of the wind whipping through the trees. Patric walked to the front of his car and sat down, leaning against the bumper. He settled into a comfortable position and looked up again.
“Hey, a shooting star.” He had no idea why he spoke out loud; maybe he wasn’t comfortable with the silence. He decided to make a wish. “I wish I could find my special someone. And if he happens to look like Gabriel I would be happy. Hell, I’d be happier if it was Gabriel.”
Patric may have started the drive lying to himself, but now that he was alone, he let the truth out. He didn’t hold it against Pauly for being an ass. The real reason he’d bolted was how alone he felt. Whenever his brother brought up his non existence sex life, a part of his heart broke.
His crush; okay his obsession, with the man who lived across the street really needed to stop. Maybe he’d go out after the holidays. He wouldn’t find someone to be with if he didn’t go looking.
“Okay, enough wishing. It will never happen.” Patric went back to drawing. His feelings went into his picture and it looked sad and lonely, the deserted road with the lone stop sign swallowed into the dark abyss of the night.
Wait, swallowed? Patric shook his head. What was happening? The world seemed to be collapsing in on itself. He crab crawled his way around to the car door, trying to get to his feet using the handle to pull himself up, but he wasn’t fast enough.
Shit, what a way to go. His world turned black.
* * * *
“Hey, man. Wake up.”
“Who—what.” Patric was confused. Why was he wet?
“Oh, I know you. Aren’t you the guy who lives across the street? Why are you sleeping out here in the snow? On Christmas Eve?”
Out in the snow? The last thing he remembered was staring up into the night and something happened. He knew it was important, if he could just recall what it was. Why was it so dark, weren’t the stars out earlier?
Shit, your eyes are shut, stupid.
He opened them to find the pair of brown eyes he’d been dreaming about for months, staring down at him. How did Gabriel get into the woods?
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I live here.” The man pointed his thumb behind him.
Patric looked in that direction to see Gabriel’s house. He didn’t understand. He must have looked confused.
“Hey, you okay?” Gabriel put his hand out to help him up. “I’m Gabriel Vega by the way. I don’t know if we’ve officially met.”
“I-I know who you are. I’m Patric Mitchell.” Patric let Gabriel help him up. “How long have I been here?”
“I’m not sure, I looked out the window just a bit ago and saw your car, but you don’t usually park there. Then I happened to notice you sitting there. What were you doing?”
How could he explain that he was up in the woods, sketching? How long ago was that? Patric looked at his watch. Ten minutes. It had only been ten minutes ago. How was that possible? The vortex thing. Or whatever it was. That had to be it, but how? He shook his head.
“I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you. Do you see a sketch book around here?” Patric was starting to get cold. Maybe a stiff drink would help. Shit, he should probably call his family.
Merry Christmas!
Jambrea
