Set in Stone: Chapter 1 Trust Me

I clutched my purse closely to my side, wary of the dangers of walking alone at night down the streets of New York. The dim florescent bulbs of the street lights cast shadows along the dark street, the alleys at my sides untouched by their glow. Muggers prowled like wolves inside them, and I moved closer to the middle of the deserted road.
Why did my parents decide to move to New York City? Of course my father's company had decided to move to one of the most dangerous parts of the continental U.S.
Why did I have to make friends with pathetic losers who left me to get drunk at some club, one of them taking my wallet so that I couldn't call home from a pay phone because I was to stupid to remember to charge my cell phone battery?
Okay, just relax. The apartment's only a block away, and when you get home you can-eech!!! I jumped as a trash can fell in the nearest alley at my right. Oh, why didn't I take self defense classes like everyone else in my class back home? Oh, thank goodness, it's only a rat. Alright, keep walking or you might run into something that really requires self defense.
In the distance I heard something purring-a motor? I looked down the street. The beam of a headlight shone down from a fork in the road ahead. A wall lined the left side of the street before me, and the motor grew louder. I froze, thinking that the vehicle would turn and run me over. If I ran to the alley, I could get mugged. Then again, if I stayed where I was, I'd wind up as street pizza.
Suddenly, a motorcycle slid along the road, on its back a rider with-wings? It crashed into the wall in front of it, shattering the frame and silencing the drone of the engine. I stood there a moment, shocked. Then I ran up the road, bending down at the wreckage, hoping that the rider might have been spared. Oh man, oh man. I felt a bit lightheaded. I had always been a bit of a tender hearted kid.
I cast aside the broken body of the motorcycle, uncovering the unconscious rider. I gasped. What lay before me was not ordinary. Green skin, a tail, pointed ears, and outstretched arms that were sinewed with a thin layer of skin, almost like...wings. The eyes of the creature were closed, and from what I assumed to be dead lips came a mumbled sound: "-the second time that's happened..." Then it was silent.
I covered my mouth, resisting the urge to scream. I had heard all the rumors about winged creatures with skin like iron that resembled the gargoyles that covered many of the older buildings in town, but had never believed them. I knew enough about the world to know that if they found whatever this thing was, they would rip it apart and study it, or put it on show. People feared what they didn't understand. Despite the small fangs that protruded past the monster's green lips, I felt that it wasn't "evil."
I brushed away the shattered glass and wreckage, checking the creature for wounds. A few bruises around the head, and a cut o his arm, but nothing really serious it seemed. I left his head up in my hands, feeling to see if there was a concussion. When he started to stir, I looked down to see two yellow eyes flicker open.
"Oh, my head," he spoke softly, not registering what was going on. "What-?" He stared up at me, then jumped back, teeth bared. His eyes glowed white with no centers. He stood, arms raised, at a height of about five feet tall. A gray loincloth wrapped around his waist with a silver belt that gleamed in the light, making him even more terrifying in the night. I stood, eyes wide with fear. My eyes drifted to his arm to see fresh blood spill out of the wound. He too looked down and gasped softly, his eyes flickering normal for a moment.
"Oh, your hurt," I spoke softly, afraid that I would frighten him. I took a step forward. "Here, let me help-"
"No!" He glared angrily at me, clutching his arm. "I don't need your help!"
He ran toward the alley, and without thinking I went after him. You, idiot, I told myself, your setting yourself up to be killed so that you can chase after a monster! Still I ignored the warning shouts from my head as I followed him into the darkness. "Wait!" In the dim light I could just make out the figure of the gargoyle-like creature.
"Stay back!" He warned, eyes glowing again.
"T-trust me." I found my tongue, despite my fear. "I won't hurt you-"
"I trust no human!" He growled. "I'm fine-" His eyes returned to normal as he cringed and grabbed his arm. The glass was still stuck in the wound.
Footsteps sounded behind me, and I turned to face a man with a camera and a knife. "Well, well, well, lookee here," he chuckled softly. "Seems like mugging the fool with that camera paid off. And, oh, whats this? A pretty little girl all alone...with a pretty little purse."
"H-here. Take the purse, just leave me alone." I had learned enough about muggers too know that you should give them what they wanted.
"Oh, but I can't do that, sugar. You see, I'm the first one in this town to get photos of these gargoyle monsters, and if I let you go, you could tattle on me." He pushed me to the ground, grabbing my purse as I fell. "Say cheese," he said, snapping away at the creature.
He snarled, shading his eyes from the camera's bright flash. He jumped forward, knocking the knife out of the man's hand. It broke away from the handle as it hit the ground. He jumped onto him, clinging onto his chest. He knocked the camera out of the other hand, ripping bits of fabric from the man's sweater. He clawed at the man's face, punching him and pulling out his hair. The man wasn't very strong, and before long his head hit the ground with a thud, and the man was out cold.
During the fight, I swiped the camera up from underneath their feet. "T-this has footage of you on it," I cried, slamming against the pavement. The gargoyle stared at me with confusion, staring at the broken pieces on the ground. "Why did you do that?"
"It-it had picture of you on it."
"So, you did that to-to save me?"
"Ha," I laughed shakily."You think I pulled that motorcycle off you just so you could get your face on the cover of every newspaper in town?"
"You pulled the motorcycle off of me?" He leered back, astonished.
"Uh, yeah..." I nervously ran my hand up my arm, still shaky from all that had just happened. I suddenly remembered the glass in his arm, and, carefully, I stuck out my hand. "Alright, I know that you don't trust humans, but...we have to get that glass out of you arm."
He flinched, grabbing an arm that was now dripping with blood. He seemed to think for a minute, then he cautiously stepped towards me. He crouched down on his haunches, and eyed me suspiciously as I wiped away the blood. I gently pulled apart the folds of the cut, searching for the shard. Finding it, I pinched it between my fingers, drawing it out of the wound. He sucked in his breath, wincing at the pain. I found a considerably large piece of glass resting in my hand. Fresh blood spilled out of the cut, and I wiped it away, pressing my handkerchief against it. "Here," I said, "Hold this while I get my something out of my purse." He did as I said while I went to grab my travel sewing kit from my purse that was still on the ground. "What's your name?"
"Lexington." He spoke quickly, trying to avoid conversation, a frown etched into his face.
"Lexington?" That was a bit odd. He turned towards me sharply. "I mean, that's my favorite place to go to here. I like it."
His frown softened a little. "Hm, thanks. What's yours?"
"Oh, me? Um, Gabriella." I stepped back to where he was sitting, pulling out a green thread spool and a needle. "Hold still, this may pinch just a little."
I threaded the needle, glancing back at his worried expression. When he caught me looking at him, he turned away, embarrassed. I gently poked his skin with the needle, feeling him start with the pain. Wow, their skin really was as tough as iron. I worked the needle through along the line of the cut. "So," I said, "I take it your used to muggers?" I indicated the unconscious man beside us.
"You could say that, I guess." His tone sounded wary, as though he was trying to avoid giving too much away. I changed the subject, afraid that he'd get mad again."Of course, I just moved here. I'm still not used to dealing with guys waiting to kill you around every corner."
"So, your not from around here?"
"Nah. My dad's company moved to New York City, and we just got here about a month ago."
"Where did you live before? Ooh," he said, biting his lip when my needle slipped.
"Sorry. We're from Georgia. Down in the South. Still not used to how these people live up here. Oh, sorry. No offense."
He laughed. "None taken. I'm...not exactly from around here either. The others and I are pretty new ourselves."
I started to question him: others? But, not wanting him to become distant again, instead I said, "Yeah, I figure you'd have to be new. I doubt New York's ever seen anything like you before. There you go, all stitched up."
He ran his hand over the stitching. His ears seemed to droop to the sides of his head. "Yeah," he said quietly. "We seem to have a little trouble fitting in." He gestured to the still unconscious mugger. Embarrassed at my harshness, I looked down, my eyes passing over my watch. "Oh, crap! My parents are gonna kill me, I can't believe it's this late!"
He smiled. "Can I take you home?"
I gasped. "You mean, fly home?"
"Well, glide is the more appropriate term," he said, stretching his wings. "But sure." He held out his hand.
I hesitated. "But...what are we going to do about him?" I asked, gesturing towards the man on the ground.
"Oh, him? Easy," he said, lifting his above his head as if he weighed no more than a feather. With a grunt, he tossed him carelessly into a dumpster along the back of the alley. He dusted off his hands. Holding one out to me again, I looked into his smiling face. "Trust me."
Tentatively I grasped his strong hand and in one swift motion he pulled me up into his arms, my arms wrapping around his neck. We stared at each other for a moment before looking away, embarrassed. "Here," he said, "Put your legs around my waist. I need my arms to fly." Blushing, I did what he asked. He took a few steps back, then jumped onto the side of the building next to us. I inhaled sharply as he began to climb up the side, using his claws to puncture holes in the brick surface. Don't look down, don't look down.
We finally reached to top of the building, and I gasped at the sight before us. He unwrapped my legs and supported them again so that I could look out across the city. "Wow," I breathed. "It's...amazing up here."
"Yeah," he replied dreamily. I figured you never really got used to having this kind of view. "So, which apartment's yours?"
"Hm? Oh! That one right there, the one with the red roof."
"Alright, hang on." I wrapped my legs around him again, squeezing my eyes tight. He laughed. "Your not afraid of heights are ya?"
"No, not exactly. I-I just don''t normally jump off of buildings is all."
He laughed, stretching his wings. With one jump he swooped down into the city below. I pulled myself closer to his chest. Don't look down, don't look down. But, the temptation became too great, and I couldn't help but take a peek. I gasped. It was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. All the lights shone below us like tiny bulbs on a Christmas tree, and all the smoke rising from the cars looked magnificent. I looked up above us, and , though I couldn't see any stars, the wide expanse of blue was breathtaking.
"Nice view, huh?"
His voice interrupted my thought, and I embarrassed, managed to stutter out, "Oh, uh, yeah. Great."
He laughed again and swooped down lower, spiraling like a football through the air. Laughing and gliding, he pulled me through the sky for what seemed like forever, and I began to laugh with him. Shy and difficultly positioned as I was, I couldn't help but look up at him a few times. In the moonlight and glow from the city below, he really was breathtaking. His strong muscles shrouded by his smooth green skin stood out against the starless night sky, and I blushed, feeling them pressed against my skin.
We reached the apartment, landing smoothly on the roof. He pulled my legs back into his arms, an I untangled my hands from his neck. "How's that for transportation?" He smiled.
"Beats the subway by a mile that's for sure." We laughed. It was quiet for a moment, and, awkwardly, I said, "Um, you can put me down now."
"Oh. Uh, hehe." He blushed, setting me down gently.
"Thanks a lot for the ride."
"Well...thanks for saving my life."
"Huh? I think it was you that saved my life."
"Yeah, but you pulled the motorcycle off me..."
"I doubt that that saved your life, but your welcome anyway." I laughed.
"...and you smashed the camera."
I was silent. "So, people are seriously hunting for you?" It made me uneasy to think of that.
He was quiet for awhile. "Yeah," he finally said. "It's getting harder for us to stay hidden. More people are starting to believe these monster stories."
"I wish there was something I could do." He turned to face me. "I mean, I know I couldn't do much, but...if one person starts, others tend to join in. If you ever need any help, Lexington, I'll...I'll be there."
He stared at me for a minute, then looked away, down at his feet. He bit his lip, and appeared to grimace in pain, and for a second I thought that his wound might be bothering him again. He looked back up at me. "You'd better go home."
I bit my lip. "Um, yeah, I should. Thanks again, Lexington."
"Oh, call me Lex." He was smiling at me again. I giggled.
"Ok. Bye...Lex." I held out my hand. Hesitantly, he grabbed it, shaking it gently. I turned to go.
"Wait!" I turned back. Lex acted like he wasn't sure if what he was saying was a good idea. He walked over to me. Grabbing my hand again, he asked, "Will I see you again?"
I looked into his worried eyes. I wasn't sure that he trusted me, but...after all that had happened tonight, I had to trust him. His yellow eye shone in the moonlight, and, shyly, I said, "If I'm lucky, you will." I pushed his forehead down and planted a small kiss on his head, thanking him for helping me. He looked up, startled and blushing. I smiled at him before opening the door to a stairway which led to the downstairs apartments.
~~~
"It's almost dawn. What's keeping him?" Broadway asked before stuffing one last apple into his mouth.
Brooklyn shrugged. "He's probably just found another one of those motorcycle things."
Goliath stared out across the city landscape. "I'm sure he'll be home in time. If not, then I hope that he finds somewhere safe to sleep." Just then, a small, green shape came into view. It glided from the roof of a building in the distance. Soon it reached the castle tower, landing among the other gargoyles.
"Lex, your back!" Broadway said. "We were starting to worry about you."
"Aye. What kept ya laddy?" Hudson climbed onto his stone bed tiredly.
"Me? Oh, uh, nothing." Lexington avoided their gaze, blushing.
"Hey, Lex, did you find another one of those motorcycle things?" Asked Brooklyn.
"Yeah, we figured that's what must have kept you." Broadway and Brooklyn climbed onto their spots as well. "Hey, Lex...what's that pink stuff on your head?'
"Huh? What?" Lexington burned red, putting his hand over the spot where Gabriella had kissed him "Oh, n-nothing. I don't know. Come on guys, we should get to sleep. The sun's almost up." He crawled down lower than his normal spot, away from the others. Puzzled, but seeing that he was right, Broadway and Brooklyn resumed their sleeping positions and shrugged it off.
Goliath looked down at Lexington, who was crouched down low, and could see the small pink spot on the top of his head, and could as well see the redness in Lexington's cheeks. Goliath had learned from Elisa that that "pink stuff" was called lipstick, and he had also learned what it was for. He smiled at the young gargoyle. He would question him about it tomorrow, perhaps, not wanting to embarrass the boy now. The sun slowly rose over the horizon, and his eyes were shut with a layer of stone.
~~~
On my way to school the next morning, I stopped when walking past Xanatos Enterprise. The building was made up mostly of average materials, but on a cloudless day like today you could see the walls of a castle at the top of it. Seven stone gargoyles guarded the fortress, and one sat lower than the others. It was a bit smaller, and his wings were built under it's arms, He leaned forward with his arms outstretched, teeth barred and eyes opened wide with anger. I smiled at it.
"Hey there, Lex," I whispered softly. I continued on to school.
END
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Gargoyles (c) Disney
Gabriella (c) Me