Forest of the Forbidden

by W. J. May

  “Rough night? Frat party?” the cab driver asked, looking at her through his rear view mirror.

  Natalie crinkled her nose. She didn’t owe him an explanation, but she didn’t want to be rude. “Yeah, I guess you can say that.” She didn’t like to lie or make up stories, even if she didn’t want to tell others her business. In reality she didn’t lie to him. She had a rough night and she did go to a party. Maybe not a frat party but a party nonetheless. How would she explain this to Ryan?

  It didn’t take long for her mind to drift back off, recollecting the events that took place inside the bathroom of the mansion. A shudder quickened through her body, recalling the excruciating pain her body went through. It made her feel sick and weary. She didn’t want to think about that right now. She had to figure out how she blacked out and ended up on The Drag.

  She smiled when she remembered how exhilarating it felt flying through the air. Flying had to be one of the best things she had ever experienced. Nothing compared to it.

  When they passed through downtown Austin, she recalled soaring around the buildings, and zipping by the bright neon lights glowing against the dark night sky. Being nearly invisible had to have been the best part of all. It had allowed her to fly without being seen by anyone.

  “We’re here. Spring Condos, right?” The cab driver interrupted her thoughts.

  “Oh. Yes, thanks.” Natalie sat up quickly. She looked at the meter and then paid the cab driver.

  She walked into the four-hundred and fifty-five feet tower, sliding past the front desk security guard. The newspaper kept his undivided attention, preventing any further embarrassment. Luckily, the lobby was empty and the elevator opened immediately when she hit the button.

  She went straight to the guest bedroom and fell back on to the bed. This did happen, I’m not going crazy, or am I? She ran her hand over the intricate ribbon design on her dress. It did happen, otherwise why did she wake up on The Drag, still wearing her clothes from the night before? She would have awakened in her pajamas at the dorm or the condo if nothing had happened.

  Her cell phone rang and she flinched. Ryan’s name flashed across the screen. She let out a huge sigh. What would she tell him? She couldn’t avoid him any longer.

  She answered the phone. “Hello?”

  “Natalie. Thank God you finally answered. What happened? Where are you?”

  “I ummm... took a cab to my aunt’s condo.” She picked at the nail polish on her thumb, thinking of the right thing to say.

  “I was so worried about you. Why didn’t you let me take you home?”

  “I don’t know,” she muttered. She got up and started pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what to tell him. Should she say that she had turned into some type of freak-a-zoid and flew home instead? No, she definitely couldn’t tell him that.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was leaving. I didn’t want to bother you.”

  “Natalie, c’mon. You were sick. Besides, you could have at least told me you were at the condo. I worried about you all night. I didn’t know if something bad happened to you.”

  “I know. I’m sorry I didn’t text or call you. When I got to the condo I ran to the bathroom and couldn’t leave. I must have fallen asleep because I woke up next to the toilet.” Natalie pressed her lips together. She couldn’t believe that she lied to him. What choice did she have? He would never believe her.

  “You poor thing. I wish you would have let me drive you home. I would’ve taken care of you.” Ryan’s voice turned from upset to soothing and caring.

  Natalie sat back down on the bed. “Thanks. I didn’t know if I caught a bug or if being overheated caused me to get so sick. I’m still not feeling that well.” She hated this continual lying but didn’t know what else to say.

  “I’m sorry, beautiful. Do you want me to come over and take care of you?”

  “No!” She stopped and changed the tone of her voice. “I mean, thanks. I think I’ll sleep the rest of the day.” She swallowed hard and tried to fight off the tears. It broke her heart. She needed Ryan more than anything and wanted to see him. However, she knew seeing him would be dangerous. She couldn’t risk changing in front of him. She had to wait until she knew exactly what had happened to her.

  “Okay. Is there anything I can do for ya?”

  “Yes, can you let Lise know I’m okay? She’s been texting and calling me too.”

  “Of course I will.”

  “Thanks. I’ll call you later this evening,” Natalie said in a low voice. It killed her inside to lie and pretend that she didn’t want him to come over.

  “Okay. Call me if you need anything.”

  “Alright, I will.”

  “Promise?”

  “Yes, I promise. Ryan...” her lip quivered and the tears welled up in her eyes.

  “Yes, beautiful?”

  “I love you. I love you more than anything.” Tears streamed down her face and her breaths shortened.

  “I love you too, Natalie.”

  She hung up the phone, not wanting Ryan to hear her tears turn to sobbing. Her heart ached. This is not what she wanted. She wanted to be with Ryan, her love. Staying in a relationship seemed to be impossible for her. Why was it every time she fell in love with a guy something bad happened? Maybe she wasn’t meant to love anyone. She turned and buried her head into the pillow, weeping and crying, wishing she could wake from this horrible nightmare.

  ***

  A few hours later Natalie woke up, tangled in the sheets and covers. She threw them back, checking herself to make sure she hadn’t changed. She sighed in relief when she saw that she was still normal. However, it didn’t explain what happened to her last night. She had to figure this out. She closed her eyes, thinking back on what happened. She couldn’t concentrate. Fogginess clouded her thoughts, blocking all her memory. Her stomach growled and she realized she needed to eat.

  She dragged herself out of bed and went to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and poked around. There wasn’t much food since Sharon had been traveling and she hadn’t bothered to go the grocery store. Checking the freezer she found a few frozen dinners. She popped a lasagna in the microwave.

  She sat down at the bar, waiting for her food to cook, thinking about the night before. Vivid images of what she turned in to flashed through her mind. Not only were they in her mind but also etched deep in to every muscle fiber of her body. She ran her hand up and down her arm, recalling the sensations she felt when her body changed and morphed. Her muscles were sore and her body hurt. It felt like she had worked out for hours.

  She clearly recalled turning into a burning inferno with glowing crimson and orange flames. No human could have tolerated the intensity of the heat that had flowed from her head to her toes. How could she?

  It shocked her, how she had gone from burning red hot to a cool body of water within seconds. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air, remembering how she had become as thin as the air she’d breathed. She shook her head in disbelief. Her ability to fly had been the most amazing thing ever.

  She took her food out of the microwave and waited a minute to eat it, allowing it to cool off. She filled a glass with ice cold water and took a few sips. She continued to analyze each and every phase she had transformed into; the heat, the water, the air. They were all clear to her now. However, the vibrant green glowing thing had her stumped.

  She ate her food, allowing her mind to recharge. When she finished, she twiddled the fork in her hand, continuing to think. She tapped the fork a few times against the granite countertop and that’s when the idea hit her. Fire, water, air, and earth. The elements of the earth, of course. The green thing she turned into had to be earth. She had changed into the four elements of the earth. Why? How come? She needed to know what caused this and why it happened. Most importantly, would it happen again? She shook her head in dismay when she thought about Ryan. What am I going to do? I can’t tell him about this.

  She needed to get out and cl
ear her mind. She thought of the one place that helped her relax and figure things out, the lake. Sure, it’d be risky but the sun would be setting soon. The darkness would prevent her from being seen if she changed. She grabbed Sharon’s car keys and headed out the door.

  ***

  Before she got out of the car she sent Ryan a text message.

  I’m feeling better so I went out to get some fresh air.

  A few seconds later he responded:

  Is everything okay?

  She texted back:

  Yes. I need to clear my head. I’ll call you when I get back to the condo.

  He replied:

  Okay

  She got out of the car and followed the same path that she and Ryan walked a few weeks back. How she longed for him to be next to her, holding her hand and talking with her. Things had changed so quickly. They had just confessed their love for one another and were barely spending time together to only have this freaky thing happen to her. Would they ever be able to be together again?

  She kicked off her shoes and sat down on the shore, gazing out into the blue water. Purple and pink rays stretched across the sky and over the lake, creating a peaceful and heavenly sun set. She closed her eyes and focused in on everything around her. The gentle breeze blew through her hair and the warmth from the setting sun made her body feel cozy against the sand. She listened to the sound of the water, splashing against the rocky shore inviting her in for a swim. For some reason, she couldn’t completely relax or clear her head.

  Thoughts of what her grandmother told her kept circling through her mind. That God would send the right guy. She knew Ryan was the right guy for her, perfect in every way. She could taste his lips on hers and smell his scent. His love intoxicated her and she couldn’t imagine not being with him. She had to slow things down until she figured everything out. She wouldn’t take the risk of changing in front of him. If he knew what she had become he may stop loving her. Her heart told her it would be difficult, if not impossible to stop seeing him.

  If only this hadn’t happened to her. What if she never changed again? She wouldn’t have to stop seeing Ryan. Slowing things down between them wouldn’t be necessary. However, she knew that was wishful thinking. Her body had changed into something out of this world and it was only a matter of time before it happened again. What if she changed into one of the elements and never changed back to her normal human form? She shuddered at the thought.

  She looked up at the sky, watching the colorful hues fade in to the darkness. Why did everything in life have to be so difficult? How would she explain to Ryan that they needed to slow things down and not see each other for a while? She sucked at lying and it went against all her principles. She loved him and didn’t want to hurt him. She refused to break his heart but didn’t know any other way to protect him.

  She hugged her legs tightly, wishing this was all a dream. Coming to the lake usually helped. This time she felt more confused than ever. Nothing seemed to help. Sitting on the shoreline, she had the weirdest sensation that Ryan was nearby. His scent filled the air and her body quivered with each breath she took. A nudge deep inside her told her to turn around. She looked behind her and saw Ryan walking toward her.

  She smiled. Seeing him brought so much joy. A part of her was also scared and nervous; worried she might change in front of him. Could she hurt him? She had no idea what she was capable of doing. She wanted to run to him and throw herself in his arms. Instead, she waited for him to come to her and she prayed nothing would happen.

  “Hello beautiful. I wanted to check on you.” Ryan knelt down at her side.

  “I’m okay. I needed to get away, clear my head. How did you know I would be here?”

  Ryan winked. “Intuition. When you texted me and said you were going to get some fresh air, I had a feeling you would come here. It’s kind of weird because the closer I got to the water, the more I felt your presence. Like something pulled or guided me over toward you.”

  “That is weird.”

  “I know, I’m a freak.”

  “No, you’re not.” She wanted to tell him that she was the freak and that she smelled his scent and sensed his presence too. She held back. He would probably think she was crazy. For a moment, she contemplated if she should tell him the truth about what happened.

  “Honestly Natalie, I missed you so much. I couldn’t wait to see you. You’re not mad at me for coming out here, are ya?” Ryan stroked her arm with his fingers, sending chills all over her body, despite the warm humid air that surrounded her.

  “No, I’m not mad at you. I missed you too.” Natalie rose to her knees and glided her hands up and down his arms, forgetting all about the dangers she possessed or the need to take it slow.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to take care of you last night. It won’t happen again. I promise.” He took her hands and raised them to his lips, kissing her palms.

  Her heart sank with every word he spoke. The warmth of his touch comforted her and soothed her aching soul. “Why are you apologizing? I’m the one who left without you.”

  “I don’t know. I guess I feel guilty for not taking care of you.”

  “Don’t. What’s important is that you are here with me now.” It didn’t take long for the distressing thoughts to return. She didn’t know what to do. Tell him or don’t tell him? She couldn’t stand to be without him. She needed him and had to be with him always. She didn’t want to put him in any danger. She loved him too much.

  Ryan pulled her up in his arms and kissed her. His kiss grew more intense, creating a need within her that increased with every stroke of his tongue. He pulled away from her lips and stared into her eyes. “I love you more than you’ll ever know.” His lips lingered on hers and she yearned for more.

  “No, I love you more.”

  Once again, he took her lips captive and she lost herself in his heady kisses. She ran her hands up and down his back, feeling the contour of his muscles underneath his shirt.

  Ryan moaned low in his throat.

  With every caress, something overcame her. She felt herself losing control. She paused for a breath. “There’s something about your touch, your smell, the way you make me feel. I don’t know what it is. I get these sensations and feelings all over my body that I can’t explain.” Natalie panted.

  “I feel them too beautiful. Something takes a hold of me. It feels so right. I can’t describe how it makes me want you.” His hands glided down her back and over her thighs.

  Ryan seized her lips again. This time, causing something deep inside of her to move and turn. This was more than a sexual awakening. All the feelings he stirred up had her so deeply entrenched with his love. She completely forgot about telling him what happened and she ignored the sensations going through her body.

  “You are so beautiful, you know that?” He brushed her hair to the side.

  She tilted her head and stared deeply into his eyes. “And you are so handsome.”

  He laid her back on the soft sand and pressed up against her. The sheer weight of his body felt good and she held on to him tightly. All her emotions collided inside of her; the passion, the romance, and most of all the love. She didn’t want him to stop kissing her.

  Ryan pulled back suddenly. “Whhhhaaatttt...what in the world?” His voice quivered and rattled with fear. His hands dropped from her face and he moved away from her.

  Natalie opened her eyes. “Ryan, what’s wrong?” She reached out for his hand but he jerked it away.

  He stumbled to his feet and then fell back on to the sand. He crawled his way backward, getting as far away from her as possible. “You...ummm...y—our f—ace. Something’s wrong with your face. And y—our ar—ms.” He pointed at her, his hand trembling.

  She held up her arms and watched her body materialize into a vibrant green color. “Oh no, it’s happening again!”

  The color drained from his face and he gasped for air. “Wh—at? What do you mean it’s happening again?”

  “I
....ummmm...well, it’s like....” She didn’t know what to say.

  He stared at her in disbelief. “What’s happening to you?”

  Δ

  ––––––––

  To be continued in

  Element

  * * *

  Part II

  About the Author

  CM Doporto

  Born and raised in the United States of America in the great state of Texas, CM resides there with her husband and son enjoying life with their extensive family along with their Chihuahua, Mexican Redhead Parrot and several fish.

  She is a member of Romance Writers of America, and is associated with the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter and the Young Adult Special Interest Chapter.

  To learn more about her upcoming books, visit www.cmdoporto.com. You can also like CM’s fan page on Facebook and follow her on Twitter and Pinterest.

  * * *

  Book 6

  Awakening

  əˈweɪk(ə)nɪŋ

  (N.) 1. Recognition, realization, or coming to awareness of something.

  2. The act of awakening from sleep.

  3. Revival of interest or attention.

  ––––––––

  By: Samantha Long

  Awakening

  Copyright © 2013 by Samantha Long

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