“Are you lost?”
I jumped and spun around to face the voice. There, before me, stood a boy. A beautiful boy! Was this another dream?
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” the beautiful boy assured me.
“Are you real?” I asked like an idiot.
“Pardon me?” he replied, raising his eyebrows in question.
I shook my head and tried again. “I mean, are-are you really here?”
He laughed softly.
I stepped closer and peered up into his eyes, and then cautiously reached out and touched my hand to his chest, snatching it back again. He was real all right—very real and very firm. His hair was in disarray and dark. But his eyes were piercing right through me. And they were the loveliest shade of blue—almost purple. He was magnificent!
“What are you doing out here?” I asked, collecting myself.
His eyes danced in amusement. “What are you doing out here?”
“How did you get here?”
He smirked. “How did you get here?”
“I asked you first,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Very well. I came out here to explore and got here same as you—I walked. Your turn.”
I was once again distracted, but this time by his voice. It had a smooth but confident tone to it, and yet also playful. “Um, I go to school right there, and I—I—was ditching, of course.” I didn’t know what else to say. I couldn’t tell him the truth. I’m sure he already thought I was a nut job. ‘Are you real?’ What a stupid thing to say.
His eyes narrowed. “You were ditching? Really?”
I squared my jaw but fidgeted with the hem of my shirt. “Um, yes.”
He stared me down slowly from head to toe. “You don’t look like someone who’d ditch.”
I gulped a little louder than I meant to and felt heat rush into my cheeks. “And what does someone who’s ditching look like, exactly?”
“Well, not like you that’s for sure. If you’re ditching then why did you come out here? Shouldn’t you go home, or something?”
I smoothed my shirt and looked at my feet. Lying wasn’t my specialty. “I’m—I’m looking for something.”
“Looking—found someone you have, I’d say,” he said, doing his best at a Yoda impersonation.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Very funny. So what are you exploring for, exactly?”
“Why a girl. And I’ve found one, how extraordinary.” He giggled like a silly school-girl. He was clearly enjoying himself at my expense.
“Can you answer anything seriously?” I asked, becoming slightly annoyed.
He approached me then, stopping right in front of me. I could feel his breath on my forehead. “Well, maybe, when you ask the right questions.”
“Okay. What kind of girl are you looking for?”
He studied me then, looking first at my hair then drifting his gaze down to my eyes. His eyes fixed there for a long moment. “Well, she would have straight, blonde hair. She’d be about yay high,” he said, holding his hand out to reach the top of my head. “She’d have a cute little nose, full, pouty lips, and possibly the most compelling and unique eyes I’ve ever seen.” As he finished studying my face, he smiled.
He was so beautiful I couldn’t quite concentrate. “What’s your name?”
“You first.”
It seemed he lacked the ability to stop himself from toying with me.
I huffed. “My name is Shaeleigh Leoni, or just Shae. Now you.”
“I don’t know you well enough to tell you my full name. You could be a stalker, or something.” His eyes widened slightly.
That got a laugh out of me. “Yeah, I guess I could be. Well, if I were going to stalk someone it’d be you.”
His eyes sparkled with delight. “And just why would you say that?”
“You know, something tells me you already know the answer to that question.”
“Fair enough. So, Shae, what is it that you were really looking for?”
“Well, I don’t know you well enough to answer that.”
* * * * * *
The Boy’s POV
I was mesmerized by the blonde girl with the strange colored eyes. I had spotted her weeks ago and couldn’t stay away, but today I met her in the forest and everything had changed for me. I could no longer watch her from afar. I had to get to know this girl. No matter what it took. I had to know her.
Chapter Four
Shae
Try as I might, I couldn’t stop thinking about the boy from the forest. The pure beauty of his sculpted face was haunting me. I’d never seen anyone so handsome in my entire life.
During supper my mom asked me several times what was consuming my thoughts, but I couldn’t tell her, for obvious reasons. She and Dad just looked at each other and shrugged. I finally excused myself and went up to my room to be alone with my thoughts.
My thoughts again returned to the boy. His slightly messy hair was a beautiful shade of brown, but with an odd, red streak running through it. And his eyes, oh my, they were a lovely, deep shade of blue, almost purple. I saw them every time I closed my eyes.
I hoped I’d get a chance to see him again. I had so many questions to ask. Like where was he from? Where does he go to school? And most importantly, what was his name? Well, at least the thought of this boy took my mind off my nightmares, for now anyway.
I went over and sat down on my window seat and picked up my journal. I began writing down my encounter with the boy in the forest, trying to record every detail. I soon found myself staring out the window toward the trees.
I began fantasizing about the beautiful boy. He was standing at the edge of the forest beckoning me. I dropped my journal and ran from the room. Within seconds I was running through my backyard toward him. He opened his arms for me and I ran into them, without hesitation. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. He was warm and strong against me. I could feel his muscles through his shirt, flexing as they held me close. He asked me to look up at him. He wanted to see my eyes. I obeyed. Then, slowly he inched his lips closer, finally pressing his lips against mine, kissing me deeply, passionately.
My mom knocked on my door, snapping me out of my fantasy.
I glanced down and noticed I was stopped in the middle of a sentence. I was in the process of describing his lips, of all things.
“Shae, honey, I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but your father and I are leaving now.” She looked beautiful. Her brown hair was pulled up behind her head and her make-up was light with just a touch of pink lip stick. She was naturally beautiful, and her skin was flawless, so she never needed much make-up. I was grateful to inherit that feature from her.
“Leaving?”
“Yes. Remember, we have a school board meeting tonight. We won’t be home too late, though we might stop afterwards for coffee. Are you going to be all right?”
“Yes, of course. Have a nice time.”
“Okay dear. See you in the morning.”
“Okay. I’ll see ya then.”
I decided to take my journal over to the bed to finish so I could concentrate better, but within minutes I was fast asleep.
Though my brain seemed foggy, I was somehow aware of the boy as he slowly approached my bed, gently taking my journal from my hands and setting it aside. He towered over me, one knee on the bed. His hand brushed my hair back from my face as he studied me. He took his finger and traced the shape of my lips. I parted them—waiting. His face inched closer and closer until I could feel his breath in my face, causing a recollection to come to me. I gasped and bolted straight up in bed. I looked around, but there was no one there. Again I was alone in the quiet. Only my loud breathing was audible.
* * * * * *
I frequently scanned the forest as I walked from my car through the school parking lot. What are the odds that he would be in the forest a second day, but I couldn’t help but wonder. There’s no way I could cut class another day. I shouldn’t h
ave done it yesterday, but yet I couldn’t quite regret it either.
I was wondering if I made as big of an impression on him as he’d made on me. But he was gorgeous while I was just—weird. Then again, maybe he likes weird. He purposely described me as the girl he was looking for, but it was also hard to take him seriously. Okay, enough of this already. Back to life, Shae.
“Shae! There you are. I’ve been missing you the last few days. What’s up?” my best friend Sara asked, as she approached. She looked particularly put together with her straight, auburn hair tucked behind both ears with her books gripped against her chest.
“Oh, hey. Sorry. I’ve had some things going on, no big deal. What about you?”
“Oh, you won’t believe what’s been going on with me.”
She proceeded in telling me a long story of which I only comprehended parts. My mind just wasn’t with it, until she said something that brought me back into focus.
“I just heard about what Karen and Darcy did to you the other night. That was cruel of them to leave you in the clearing like that. And on the night of a full moon of all things. We have to think of a way to get back at them. And it’s gotta be good.”
My jaw dropped as I gawked at my friend. So my suspicions were right. The other night had really happened. That meant all of my other dreams had really happened as well. My mind was reeling. I wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but somehow I was going to find out.
* * * * * *
For the next two days I walked through my life with unexpected normalcy. Everything seemed to be back in order as it should be, but I knew it was only a facade. At some point things would start to change again and I would be thrust back into the confusion which had become my life. A confusion that had been haunting me and making me question my own sanity. But I had a plan.
Chapter Five
Shae
After school, I sat at my desk in my bedroom and tried to focus on the homework in front of me. I didn’t have time to daydream; Mrs. Eccleston expected this report to be finished by Monday, and I had barely started. But my eyes kept drifting past my window to the forest. I had a thought. I got up and left my room. I exited the house and crossed my backyard, headed right for the forest. Funny, but it didn’t look so menacing in the daytime. I stepped boldly into the thick brush, determined not to be intimidated by the memories of my dreams.
I walked a little ways, trying to keep my house in view, when I heard a soft laugh. I spun around. “You.” It was the beautiful boy from the forest, leaning against a stump rolling a coin through his fingers. My heart skipped in my chest at the sight of him.
“Hello again.”
When he smiled I noticed dimples. Lord, help me.
“What are you doing in my forest?” I asked in surprise.
His eyes widened. “Your forest? The last I checked this forest belonged to my brother.”
“Your brother? Who is your brother, and how can he own an entire forest?”
“Wow, a lot of questions. What if I don’t want to answer?” He stepped closer, causing me instant nervousness.
“Please,” I pleaded, making myself bat my eyes flirtatiously.
He laughed. “How could I deny you now? Well, my family has owned this forest from the beginning. My brother is the oldest, and it’s in his name now.”
“Where are your parents? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking, of course.”
“I don’t mind. They’re here too. Actually, I have two sets of parents. I was adopted, but have recently reconnected with my birth parents.”
Well, he is certainly more verbal today. “That must be nice.”
“Yes. It’s very nice. Would you like to take a walk with me?” He motioned deeper into the forest.
I instantly felt clammy. “Um, you mean go in there? I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. It could be dangerous in there.”
He stepped closer, taking my hand in his and peering down into my eyes. “I’ll protect you. I’m scarier than anything in there.”
“I-I”
“Oh, come on.”
He continued to hold my hand as we walked. He was amused at my hesitation. “I promise you’re safe with me. Why are you so afraid?”
I closed my eyes and focused on how wonderful it felt with my hand engulfed in his. I opened my eyes and glanced up at him. “I’ll make a deal with you. If you’ll tell me your name—your whole name, I’ll answer your question.”
He stared at me as if he was considering my offer. “Fine,” he finally said, “My name is Eli Nathaniel Drake. Now you.”
A very nice name, I thought to myself. “Hmm, okay. Well, I’ve been having nightmares about this forest.”
His eyes widened. “Nightmares? What kind of nightmares?”
“Well, something hairy and scary grabs me and carries me off every time I step into this forest.”
“Let me guess. You pass out from fear and wake up in your bed. Well, nothing’s carried you off this time.”
“That’s still debatable.”
“I assure you nothing will grab you in this forest except me.” He smiled down at me and my stomach instantly knotted.
“Where do you go to school?”
“I’m almost nineteen. I graduated at my school in Atlanta.”
“Oh, well why are you walking around in the forest anyway?” I asked curiously, peering up at him. What I really wanted to ask him was, why did it seem like he was stalking me?
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“I guess I’m trying to overcome my fear—that or prove to myself that they were actually dreams and not reality.”
He stopped walking, peering down at me seriously. “You think it’s possible they really happened?”
“I’m starting to think so,” I admitted, although I wasn’t sure why I did. “The last dream I had I ripped my nightgown, and when I woke, my nightgown was really ripped.”
“Hmm, sounds interesting. What did your nightgown look like? Was it white and tight?”
I slapped his arm. “Stop.”
He laughed and ducked away, running deeper into the forest. “Come on!”
I lost sight of him, but could still hear him laughing.
“I’m not coming!” I yelled back. My feet were frozen in place. I was terrified to keep moving, but for some reason I wasn’t scared when Eli was with me.
Suddenly, I squealed as he ran up and grabbed me from behind. “I told you nothing would grab you except me.”
“Don’t do that!” I shrieked. “You scared me!”
“Oh please.” He waved his hand dismissively, as if he thought I was overreacting.
“You’re a little too bold for your own good I think.”
He laughed. “Yeah, that’s what my sister-in-law tells me.”
“Your brother is married then?”
“Yes. She’s a pain in my butt, but I love her. She’s the reason for this red streak in my hair. My brother and I are twins, and she keeps getting us mixed up.” He laughed at some hidden memory, and I was instantly curious, but before I could ask he interrupted.
“What do you think grabbed you in your dreams anyway?” His eyes widened, waiting for my reply.
“I’m not sure, but it was big and furry with snarling teeth.” I said, shuddering at the memory.
His eyes narrowed. “It sounds like a werewolf to me.”
“A werewolf?” I thought about that for a moment. “Yes, yes, now that I think about it, it was a werewolf.”
He looked at me skeptically. At least that’s what I thought he looked like. Maybe I was just paranoid. “And you think there are real werewolves running around?”
I shrugged. “Do you?” I was suddenly afraid to admit it. Would he think I was crazy?
He shrugged. “Hey, anything’s possible.”
“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
“Of course, that’s why I like you—and I believe you.”
My eyes widened. “Really?”
He bega
n to walk toward me, taking one baby step after another. “Really.”
“You don’t think I’m a freak?”
His eyebrows arched. “Why would I think that?”
He had me backed totally against the tree now, his face just inches from mine.
“Because my eyes are different.”
“I happen to like your eyes. It’s the first thing I noticed about you, even in the dark I could make them out clearly. I think you have beautiful eyes. As a matter of fact, I think everything about you is beautiful.” His mouth came down on mine then, and I was powerless to refuse him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and drew him closer. His mouth ravaged mine, over and over.
My mind cleared momentarily, and I was able to pull away. “Wait! When I first met you it was daytime.”
“Huh?”
“You said you could make out my eyes in the dark, but when I first met you it was in the middle of the day. What did you mean by that?” My heart was beating heavy now.
“Oh, I meant the daytime, of course.” His eyes flashed yellow.
I jerked back and eyed him suspiciously, and suddenly the connection was made. I ducked and squeezed away. “I’d better go.” I made my way around him and quickly darted through the forest, headed back in the direction I’d come.
“Wait! Don’t go! I can explain!”
Panic took over and I began running. “No! I don’t think you can!”
“Please, Shae, let me explain!” He was instantly in front of me.
I squealed, darting around him. “No! I have to go! Leave me alone!” Pure fear had consumed me.
I finally made my way out of the forest and through my yard. When I entered the house, I slammed the door closed and locked it. I was breathing hard as I pressed my back against the door, relieved to be in the safety of my home.
What had just happened? Did I just discover what I think I discovered? No, it’s not possible. My mind rejected my thoughts as I ran up the stairs and into my bedroom, where I collapsed on the bed and pulled a pillow over my head.
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