Spellbound

Chapter Two

"I'm on the highway to hell. On the highway to hell," Dylan sang, driving past Rogers Park.

He hit slight traffic traveling from the hotel but still felt sure he had enough time to stop by the cemetery. He truly felt like he was on the way to hell. Singing helped with his uncanny thoughts. As soon as he stepped out from the plain last night, old feelings passed him, just hope of seeing Kennedy kept him in Alaska for a few days longer than he needed to stay.

He parked the car near the metal gate and inhaled deeply before stepping out of the automobile. His nose soon froze, and he sniffled a few times, locking the Lexus. Dylan stuffed his hands into the coat pockets and moved to the gate. Space seemed quiet, just his boots squeaked, stepping on a snowy path. He truly forgot how cold it can get in his hometown, thankfully he had a few sweaters in his luggage.

The wind seemed stronger as he reached his family's gravesite. He scanned the names and thought about all the stories his Aunt Rose told him about his parents.

Most of it felt unreal, and some of them felt made up. Not by Rose, but by Dylan himself. As a child, he felt sure he knew his parents. By the time he reached his teen years, he realized it wasn't true.

He was three and a half years old when a tragic accident near Flattop Mountain left him an orphan. His aunt Rose took care of him and cared for him deeply. Not enough though, or not as much as she cared for her husband. The thought of his uncle sent shivers down Dylan's spine. Even after all these years, he felt scared. Maybe it would be easier to forget all of it, if not seeing reminders in the mirror, and the nightmares he still had once in a while.

He squatted, trying to pray, silently. He wasn't a praying type, nor did he know how to do it. Dylan just talked to them. Closing his eyes, he tried to focus on a blank image of his parents. His eyesight soon traveled to his aunt's tombstone. He lightly nodded, seeing his uncle most likely was still alive. As the stone held just his aunt's name, and fresh flowers stood in a white vase.

Dylan felt the vibration in his coat pocket, and soon he heard his phone ring. He stood up and took out his phone. Kai's name displayed on the screen and Dylan felt sure it won't be a pleasant talk.

"Hey," Dylan answered the phone, fastening his steps from the cemetery.

"How did it go?" Kai asked.

"Not there yet," Dylan answered, rushing toward the gates.

"I'm not great with time zones," Kai said, as a shuffling sound appeared in the background. "But I think the meeting was hours ago."

"Right." Dylan continued his journey toward Lexus. Dylan assumed Kai talked about meeting with his friends since that kept Dylan uneasy just before leaving Japan.

"Did you make the deal or not?" Kai's voice held firm.

"Yeah, of course, I did," Dylan replied with a sigh. "And watch your tone." His jaw tensed as he unlocked the car.

"Sorry," Kai mumbled. "Keep forgetting you are the boss." He changed his tone slightly. "What's the final price?"

"I was joking about the tone. I dropped ten thousand, and they agreed immediately," Dylan said and laughed.

"Yeah, yeah," Kai mocked. "You were right, as usual. When are you flying back?"

"I will be back after the weekend." Dylan wasn't fond of small talk, realizing that Kai called for business reasons, he tried to end the call as soon as possible. Years ago they were good friends, and Dylan still considered Kai as a friend, but doing business together put a strain on their friendship. And at this point, it seemed just the business part was left in their relationship.