Chapter I. Caught on the Road N°6
Behind the moon, where the light rises and the darkness fades.
6:30 p.m., Willow Creek.
That afternoon should have been like any other for Damian Montgomery. In front of the airport, the young man was waiting for someone. His posture was casual, a cap covered his head, and sunglasses protected his eyes from the afternoon sun. He had a small notebook in his hands, jotting something down.
Before arriving there, he had been with friends, discussing the theme for the next episode of their series recorded for FilmTube.
"I think we should talk about abandoned buildings," Totty, the smartest nerd Damian had ever known, suggested. The four of them were together—Totty, Ben, Mia, and Damian. Friends for three years, they were known on the internet for their famous horror story channel, "Midnight Inside," with over three million subscribers. The four friends were the perfect combination for good entertainment.
"Abandoned buildings? And that's scary?" Mia turned on the ground where she was sitting towards Damian this time. The boy raised his eyebrows.
"Are you asking me?"
"You're the writer."
"And as the writer of the series, I'm open to suggestions," Damian leaned back in his chair, letting go of the notebook and pencil he held. "I'm in the middle of a creative block. I don't know, I can't think of anything."
Ben, Totty, and Mia exchanged glances. Damian's gaze was fixed on the ideas board, where figures of horrendous creatures, legends, and mythical beings stared back at him. One specific figure, with red eyes, captured the boy's attention.
"Alright!" Ben shouted and clapped, startling the others. "We have plenty of time to discuss this, okay? Let's grab something to eat for now, huh?"
Damian sighed. "I can't, I have to pick up my brother at the airport."
"Elio is coming back today? Why didn't you tell us? We could have prepared something," Mia looked surprised.
"No need. He's just going to spend the weekend." The friends said nothing, just making room for Damian. "See you later."
The digital watch on his wrist marked the exact time of his brother's arrival. He didn't want to go in and face the excessive crowd at the airport, so he preferred to wait outside. Even though he found his presence there pointless, he stayed quiet in his corner, thinking about the story for the next episode of Midnight Inside.
He was still writing nonsensical things in the notebook, trying to think of situations, characters, anything that would escape the expectations of the subscribers. He ended up remembering a malicious comment where someone said the stories were becoming repetitive.
"Repetitive, huh? How about a creature that's half human and half demon? Appearing out of nowhere to kidnap you? Is that predictable, Sitckman181?" Damian said to himself. That's when he spotted a familiar head, tucking his notebook into his coat pocket.
It was a guy with a bright face and golden hair, a bit older and with an out-of-time expression. Dressed in a faded and old denim jacket, his older brother, Elio, was walking calmly out of the airport, carrying a single carry-on suitcase.
"Does he really have everything he needs in there?" An ironic thought crossed Damian's mind.
When Elio got close enough, he hugged his younger brother, who accepted the act with a grimace.
"Do you really miss me that much? People are staring," Damian complained, pulling away. The other smiled broadly.
"You're so tall now, Dante," he called him by the affectionate nickname, checking his brother's body from top to bottom. "I'm even seeing some muscles, is that right?"
"Let's go," Damian said, ignoring his brother's comment. "Let's grab a taxi."
The two walked a bit. Elio raised his arm for a cab on the curb.
"I'm hungry. Why don't we stop and have a coffee? You must know the best cafes around here," Damian had his phone in hand when he heard him. About to refuse, he was interrupted before he could start. "Dante, your brother is hungry, let's stop quickly, huh?"
Damian sighed. "There's plenty of good food at my place, isn't it better to arrive and prepare something?"
"Ah, alright," his brother considered, seeing the taxi park. "You prepare something for me then?"
Damian blinked dissatisfied, watching his brother get into the taxi. Then he gave the taxi driver the address of a known café nearby.
The image of Elio devouring a simple egg sandwich with fervor intrigued him. He even wanted to ask if there was something like that in England, but he refrained. He didn't want to delve into a new conversation.
"Are you not going to eat anything?" he heard Elio speak with his mouth full.
"I'd like to, but I can't," Damian said, reading what he had written in his notebook. The older brother wiped his mouth with a napkin before asking,
"How's your internet work going?"
"Ah, well. I guess," he replied without enthusiasm. He was pondering whether the demon should have rough green skin. "I can sustain myself."
He smiled upon hearing Damian. "You've become a well-made adult. Our grandparents did a great job." Damian frowned at those words, taking his eyes off the notebook.
"Why mention them all of a sudden?"
"Why not? We're going to visit them for sure. I miss them."
"It's a whole day's journey to get to them. They're fine; I send them money." The boy commented, "Are you done?"
"Oh, yes, of course." Elio finished his drink in one gulp and then stood up. "I'll pay."
Damian thought about picking up the tab but saw that he was already gone. He shook his head, rereading what he had written:
"The main character lives his ordinary life when surprised by a being from another world. The creature is terrifying, half man and half demon. The creature wants to kill our protagonist. But why? What did our protagonist do wrong?"
Damian took a deep breath, out of ideas. It was late afternoon, the cafe was quiet, and ambient music drowned out the voices of people. He wanted to go home, maybe read a bit, think of something useful for a possible story.
Only when his brother touched him on the shoulder did the boy snap out of his own world.
"After all, what's so good about this notebook?" the older one asked, putting his wallet in his pants pocket. Elio had sweet eyes when directed at his younger brother, and a playful tone was evident.
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand," Damian leaned forward, putting the notebook in his pocket, not wanting to open the door to jokes.
"What are you trying to say by that? Are you doubting my ability?" Elio exclaimed as he grabbed the handle of his suitcase. "Aren't you being quite mean to your brother who just arrived?"
"I already picked you up at the airport; I was kind enough for a year," he said, standing up. "Did you pay?"
"Yes, I did," he replied. "But tell me, when did you become so bitter?" They both started walking side by side towards the cafe's exit. Damian rolled his eyes beneath his glasses.
"After being away for so long, wouldn't it be presumptuous to say that I've become a bitter person?"
"Dante!" Elio tried to warn.
"Urgh!" Damian leaned back in surprise. "Damn!"
The cotton jacket worn by Damian was hit. In front of him was the waitress holding an empty tray in her hand. The drink she was carrying had spilled on Damian when she bumped into him. It was a purple drink that emitted a strong smell. With the other empty hand, the waitress held onto a child's arm.
"Are you okay?" Elio asked.
"Oh, no! Look at my notebook!" Damian showed angrily, taking the soaked object out of his pocket.
"I wasn't talking to you," the brother corrected.
Damian frowned, forcing himself to look at the waitress. She was crouched down, talking to the child. Not long after, a woman came over, apologizing for her son's carelessness. When they moved away, the waitress faced the brothers.
"Now I can properly apologize. I held the child for a moment to prevent an accident and messed up with the tray. I apologize for what happened. Can I offer something?" she explained with her head down, a sign of surrender.
"No problem," Elio began, but was interrupted.
"Offer something? You just ruined all my notes." Damian seemed to control himself not to sound too furious.
The waitress blinked. "I'm so sorry," she said, biting her lip. "Really, I don't know what to say."
"Let it go; it's all down the drain anyway." Damian took a step forward to throw his notebook into a nearby trash can.
"Dante!" Elio tried to intervene.
The waitress had a guilty look. "I apologize again; it wasn't my intention," she said once more, lifting her face and briefly meeting Elio's gaze.
"Let's go."
Damian turned his back, leaving the waitress and his brother behind. Elio didn't know how to act. He just shook his head in confusion.
"Sorry about my brother; he's not usually like this. I think." However, the waitress didn't respond. She just stared at him in a way that not even Elio could understand. The older brother left the cafe under her gaze.
In the taxi, the two brothers sat in silence in the back seat. Damian grimaced as the smell of the spilled drink wafted in the wind. He had to roll down the car window. Meanwhile, Elio cast disapproving glances at the boy, but it seemed to have no effect. The younger one appeared unshaken by it all. The older brother assessed the profile of the younger one and battled with himself in thought:
Is it my fault?
Damian had sharp eyes, a thick facade that Elio perhaps couldn't break. He remembered when they were children; the younger one used to act with affection and innocence. Elio always envied that loving side of him. In the most challenging moments, he sought to recall Damian's friendly face. It brought him peace; only that made him want to go back home. What happened exactly? Did he have the right to complain? He couldn't say.
"Why did you act that way?" he asked. "Dante, I'm talking to you."
"What way?" he replied without taking his eyes off the road. "Believe me, I was keeping it together."
"Why did you throw away your notebook? Didn't you see that the waitress held the child to prevent something more serious from happening?"
"Ah, so you're referring to the waitress?" Damian didn't change his expression, clearly annoyed. "Or are you concerned about my notebook? Why don't you stay quiet until we get home? I'm the one who lost something here."
Elio raised his eyebrows, surrendering to the moment. "What?"
"You know, don't you?" Damian turned his body towards his brother. "I work on the internet; that notebook was precious to me. It had all my ideas and notes."
"You just threw the notebook away for a scene. You could have surely saved something. I don't know why you're behaving like this." His words made Damian finally turn his face.
"Why am I behaving like this? Don't you think you're a few years late?" The brother released the jaw that was previously clenched. "You've been wandering the world for years, and suddenly you come back wanting to talk about my way of acting, as if you have any right?"
Elio paused for a moment to take a breath. He clasped his hands together, lowering his head. He stared at the shoes he was wearing, trying to distance himself from his brother even though they were side by side. Damian muttered a curse, taking off his sunglasses to put them in his coat pocket. He covered his eyes with one hand, saying:
"Let's not dwell on this subject; why are you taking someone else's side? I need a few hours to work, but we can have dinner together later."
However, Elio acted as if he hadn't heard.
"It's my fault," he said. "I thought I made the right choice, thought it would be better... I shouldn't have left you behind. I shouldn't have abandoned you here."
Damian blinked at his brother, bewildered. He clenched his fists, becoming almost enraged.
"What are you talking about?! I never, at any moment, felt abandoned," he replied. His demeanor was irritable, and sadness appeared on the other's face.
The taxi slowed down as it turned a corner. The silence lingered, and the sound of the radio playing diminished the tension inside the car. The weather outside changed abruptly. The afternoon sun departed, leaving heavy dark clouds. An unusual fog loomed, taking over the road. The elderly driver, cleaning his glasses, noticed ahead that cars were honking and swerving to avoid something.
"What is that?" he muttered to himself, eyeing Road No. 6.
Damian still looked out the window when he noticed something strange. A quick thought that nothing was going right that day crossed his mind. He sighed, wanting to leave the vehicle. Elio said nothing beside him, which infuriated him. He also didn't want to be the first to start a conversation. And indeed, he didn't need to.
"Dante, we need to talk." When he finished his sentence, Damian didn't have a chance to respond because the driver exclaimed startled:
"There's something on the road!"
The brothers heard him, but there was no time to react. The windshield shattered upon impact when a weight destroyed the front of the car. The tires screeched against the asphalt, horns blared everywhere, and the vehicle collided with another, joining in a crash. Finally, it overturned, coming to a stop on the roadside.
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