Nicholas Blake’s Little, Black, Book

The shelter my suburban life carefully constructed kept me living in a safe world where bad things didn’t happen to good people unless from tragic accidents or standard errors. The walls were too paper-thin; if only the veil had been made of glass, I could have seen him coming before my perspective collided with a reality I never imagined could exist. All I know is, I'm not the villain, and he's not the hero; allow me a moment to offer you some valuable insight into this dark turn of events.

Nicholas Felix Blake should have come with a warning label. He looks like fulfilled dreams and unbroken promises wrapped up in a tall, debonaire, awe-striking runway model. He has a way of being exactly what you didn't know you were missing. Never would I have ever fathomed he could be unwaveringly malevolent. I'm not hyperbolic; this brilliant, bold, breathtaking man has not a single benevolent bone in his body! How can heaven dwell in such a hellish place?

Felix Nicholas Blake or Lix, for short, is how. Lix is the first anomaly I've come across in such magnitude; he embodies angelic traits with demonic tendencies in a fitted tee. He skated into my life at such a formidable, inundated rate; we had a Niagara Falls encounter, intensity cascading one hundred and sixty-seven feet. If my path hadn't crossed with Lix a year ago, the explosions that followed would have never gotten off the ground.

“the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it!” Lix lulled before flashing a half-smirk at me and skating away.

Before I had a moment to process why the most beautiful man I've ever seen recited my favorite quote by British, bestselling novelist Roald Dahl, Ali’s nasally voice pierced whatever momentary spell or previous lapse of judgment I endured.

“Zanih! Why didn't you tell me you knew Lix?!”

“Because I don't?” I slightly stammered back, my mind still a bit caught up in the sensory haze that is Lix.

“You expect me to believe ADU’s most wanted bachelor is going around randomly reciting quotes?

“I’m trying not to have expectations. Maybe he mistook me for someone else, or it was a pledge week prank. I don’t know him!”

I think Ali believed me since Lix is easy the easy to remember, hard to forget type, which gave me the sweetest relief. She easily fools those who have never had multiple conversations with her on-trend clothing and flamboyant personality. Only those who have suffered through hours of her irrational conspiracy theories with desperate attempts to tie them to real events would know how speaking with Ali comes with a subscription for bottles of IBUProfen. Unfortunately, she's the best roommate I've ever had, but also the most unhinged. After Ali reluctantly hugged me goodbye, I went to a beer garden to grab a shaggy dog from my favorite food truck, Muishi Makkarritos, a fusion of Japanese and Mexican cuisine. After laying my fluffy blanket down, I sat on a hammock for two, enjoyed the live music, and allowed my inner child to get cozy as I swayed gently while eating.

“The bursar's office has proof they sent the full amount, but some of the money is still missing. She swears she didn’t spend it. No one can explain where the money went. She’s the ninth person to report it, and there aren’t any obvious patterns, so the office is having difficulties finding the error in the system.”

I try to focus on my food so the women don’t realize I’m eavesdropping. I’ve been waiting on my refund to arrive, so I’m curious to know if this glitch will interfere.” Potentially not being able to afford my food is the last thing I wanted to think about while enjoying my food.

“Are you stalking me, Zanih Schitzo?” I hear a soothing voice ask.

“No, you're stalking me! You know my name; how do you know my name?”

Lix smirked at me. “I work in the Bursar’s office. Last week I watched you get called into the office after my shift. I thought about your name on my journey to scour the earth for sustenance. I found out your name means everlasting, such a beautifully, resourceful name.”

“Thanks?” I questioned uncomfortably. “Excuse me; I'm eating,” I murmured as Lix slyly yet somehow gracefully joined me and my baffled expression on the hammock. “Are you going to tell me your name?”

“I don't need to.” I looked at him with a confused expression. “You already know my name, so there's no need to pretend and opt for stale, over-processed introductions and cookie-cutter niceties. I don't partake in mundane passages of time.” He placed a small box with an eerie sticker down on the table. His response sent me into freeze mode. I'm not accustomed to these unpredictable deviations from social norms.“Do you like pretty things, Pretty places, pretty beings, Every night, dreamy scenes, Float away with me?”

Does anyone else see him? Is this all in my imagination? Is he here right now singing Harem by Miguel to me in a raspy voice with Rock God undertones and jazzy melodies?

“Exquisite minds, satisfy. Make a choice, make it fast. Lighting never strikes twice like a highway to heaven. Just follow me, Trust me this is where you wanna be.” Lix flashed a half-smile and offered his hand.

I wished I had gone on more dates and spent less time having movie night sleepovers with my high school friends. After helping me into my car, Lix slowly ran his fingers through his beautiful, wavy hair exposing divinely sculpted cheekbones and a chiseled jawline. I didn't know he could look more perfect. He peered through my car window, his face inches from mine.

“I'll share my location with you. May I have access to your phone? I don’t want you ending up in a dangerous part of the city. This isn’t the suburbs.”

“Thanks.”

“Follow me.” He requested smoothly before handing back my phone and getting into an expensive sports car. I'm impressed but not surprised that he's an excellent driver. Shortly, we arrived at an exquisite mansion off-campus.

“Keys, Miss,” an older man asked.

“Jesse will park your car. Don’t worry, before working here, and he was the top Daytona 500 NASCAR driver. I’ll give you a full tour of my house. I know you're an architecture major. Software engineering pulls on my heartstrings, in case you were wondering.”

“Okay.”

Lix escorted me to a kitchen filled with high-tech appliances and oceanic backsplash. “I interrupted your meal. That’s uncharacteristic of me. Maybe these shaggy dogs will clean the slate.” I nodded politely as he opened the carryout box and popped two shaggy dogs in his air fryer.“The food is ready. I can feel it!” I offered him a bite, and his eyes lit up. Leave everything on the table. Dominique will clean it up. She’s our maid. I promised to save him the other half as he went upstairs to send an email.

His phone rang as I entered his room, “Apologies for the delays, I must take this too” he moved my hair out of my face, I grinned shyly before he exited to his bathroom. I'm hanging out with a strange man in a mansion; this sounds like the plot of a low-budget slasher film. On the bright side, he doesn't seem serial killerish, I guess, but that’s what all women in those films think before they get murdered by a handsome sociopath. I must have left my anxiety whistle necklace in my car, ugh! I spot a bookshelf; books always calm me down; they remind me of home, I immediately walk over.

Underneath the bookshelf wedged between a shoe and a wooden box was a leather-bound, little, black book. As I open the notebook, I find a list of eerie stickers, names, majors, bursar dates, bank account information, and a total of $20,000. I recognize the name of the girl mentioned earlier at Axel Rad. Rebecca Wilder. Under Rebecca’s name, I see my roommate’s name too. Shock, fear, anger, and confusion all hit me at once like a bolt of lightning on a dirt road to hell. My phone has no service, a low battery, and my keys are somewhere in this mansion. I have no idea how to get home; I don’t know where I am! Even if I could leave, I had to go through a security gated road to get here.

My guess is he's using his evil genius to select students waiting for refunds from the schedules of shifts that aren't covered by him, creating software that reroutes small amounts of money from bursar deposits sent to their bank account, so it shows on the bursars end the full amount was sent. This list is very inclusive and detailed; he doesn't discriminate. When I protested for equitable treatment, this is not what I meant.

What if I’m next?! I need my money for rent, books, food, and other needs! I need to focus; it sounds like he's wrapping up his call. I need a plan to get out of here. I took pictures of the little black book and wedged it back in place. I hurried to the tv remote in his room and sat on the couch. I hope to pass for a mindless, binge-watching zombie while I craft my great escape carefully.