Leo raised his other hand, placed it on top of the box lid, then slid it off to reveal what lay waiting for me inside. I gasped at the incredible gift that was held in that old worn wooden box.
“It’s amazing,” I gushed, as my eyes widened at the beauty of the aged, antique- brass key strung into a necklace with shimmering garnet beads lining the chain.
I reached out my hand and picked up the delicate beads, lifting the necklace high into the radiant light of the moon which bounced off the glass beads at every angle. I let the chain slip over my knuckles as the beads shimmered again in the moonlight.
“It’s more beautiful than I can say,” I spoke, as I continued to gaze at my amazing gift.
“I want to explain a little,” Leo started. He took the necklace from my hand and motioned for me to turn around. He unlocked the clasp and lifted the necklace over my head. As he placed the chain along my collarbone, he continued, “This necklace has been passed down through my family for generations. I’m not sure exactly how long, but it’s been something like two hundred years.”
“Oh my, Leo. No,” I began to protest, but he stopped me with a hush.
“My mom knows how close the two of us are, and that we will always have a place in each others’ lives. So, since I don’t have a sister for this necklace to be passed on to, we all agreed that it’s rightful owner should be you.”
I understood Leo’s reasoning, but it was such an uncomfortable feeling to be responsible for someone else's family heirloom. Leo must have been able to read the expression written all over my face, because he responded perfectly to what I was thinking.
“You are family, Becca. This necklace belongs with you,” he assured me.
I didn’t know how to respond. I twirled the smooth glass beads around in my fingers while gratitude rose high in my chest, then overcome with elation I lunged into Leo’s chest, throwing my arms around his neck.
I simply whispered, “Thank you.”
Leo didn’t push me away. He hugged me back for what seemed like minutes, then with a brush of his lips against my forehead, he gave me a light kiss. He beamed from ear to ear, obviously pleased by my reaction, and I couldn’t resist planting a tiny kiss on his beautiful smiling lips to reaffirm my gratitude.
Leo led me toward the gymnasium door a few moments later with his arm wrapped around my waist. I savored this special moment between the two of us that I knew I’d remember for the rest of my life. Leo and I had already shared so much over the years, and there was no one else I’d rather make more memories with in the future. At this moment, my life felt very right.
The volume of music increased as we walked closer, and the noise was almost paralyzing as he held the door open for me, and we both slipped inside.
The two of us made our rounds, talking to all of our friends while I also showed off my beautiful new gift to all the girls. They gushed over it, telling me how amazing Leo was for thinking to bring a present. It was a consensus that he was the perfect guy, and at this moment I was inclined to agree.
The next slow song came over the speakers, and I felt a familiar tug grab me from behind, spin me around, and lead me out to the dance floor. When Leo reached an opening in the middle of the gym floor, doused with sparkling party lights from above, he pulled me close which caused my lungs to skip another intake of air. His hand touched the small of my back, guiding me closer to him, and I was losing control all over again, just like the night of our first kiss.
It took every ounce of self-control I could muster to not allow my knees to buckle beneath me and crumble to the floor. I tried so desperately to hide my obvious weakness. I gripped tighter across his firm muscular shoulders, and breathed in his intoxicating scent.
That was a mistake. Inhaling, like I did, sent me into a whirl. I laid my head on his chest to stop the spinning and to give myself a moment to recover and become human again. What was I doing? I was acting like one of those silly, overly turned-on girls I had always rolled my eyes over. I told myself to ‘knock it off and get a grip, it’s only Leo’. But that was just it. It’s Leo. I pulled his shoulders in even closer as the thoughts raced through my mind.
Leo rested his chin on the top of my head, and I could feel his breath against my hair. I never wanted to move from this exact spot. We continued to dance in this position for the rest of the song in what felt like our very own world.
The entire night felt perfect as we socialized and danced away the rest of the evening. No part of me doubted that it should have always been like this, and I was certain it should continue to be just this way between us.
Leo drove me home after the dance was over, and when we pulled to a stop in my driveway, he opened the door for me and helped me to the ground.
“So, did you have fun tonight?” he asked, as I admired and fidgeted with the key around my neck.
“Yeah, I did,” I answered happily, gazing into his lustrous eyes shining in the effulgent moonlight.
“So, since you have a gift from me,” he paused, grinning in that way that completely made me swoon. “Now I want something from you.”
“Oh, really?” I giggled. “What would that be?” I didn’t completely agree with his logic, but I knew he wasn’t being serious so I played along.
There’s that smile again. Swoon.
“I want you to kiss me like you did last night.”
My face was completely flushed as I leaned in toward him, and he met me halfway.
The kiss was just the same as it had been the night before. I thought I would lose all control over my muscles and not be able to remain standing. Somehow, I fought through my weakening knees to envelop him in my arms just in case I were to falter. Leo deepened the kiss, running his hands lower down my back until I thought it might be possible for me to pass out from pure pleasure. Every inch of skin touched with his ignited in a frenzy of heat and shivers. I never wanted the moment to end.
Leo eventually broke the kiss first, and smiled shamelessly. We both stood, leaning against his truck, attempting to regain our normal breaths, but his expression made me laugh and then he broke out into laughter too. It was amazing to me that it took us so long to get to this point in our relationship which felt so right. All of my happiness was too much for words to possibly express.
He held on to my hand as he walked me to my back door, and we lingered there for a minute while we said our goodbyes.
I knew when I entered the kitchen that I wasn’t going to be able to hide my obvious giddiness from my mom, so I slipped upstairs while she was reading one of her books in the corner of the living room.
“How was the dance?” she called to me when I was about halfway up the staircase.
“Good,” I left it at that and took off, taking the steps two at a time. I needed to escape before I fell under her line of questioning.
Once in my bedroom, I stood in front of my mirror and admired the antique key and necklace with its shimmering glass beads hanging across my chest. It was astonishing.
I loosened the clasp from the back of my neck and placed the necklace in the drawer of my nightstand. I walked across the hall to the bathroom and hopped into the shower. Afterward, I snuggled into my flannel zebra-striped pajama bottoms, threw on a comfortable sweatshirt, and slipped on my fuzzy socks before I walked back across the hall to call it a night.
I climbed into bed and reached over to the nightstand drawer. I wanted to study and admire the necklace just a little more before I went to sleep. I loved holding the smooth beads and feeling the weight of the key. The antique chain dazzled and put me at ease simply by holding it in my hands.
As I held the key in the palm of my hand, admiring its uniqueness and beauty, I couldn’t help but wonder what it had once unlocked. That would probably always remain a mystery.
There was most definitely something special about that old key that evoked mystery. I wondered where it had originated from, who could have possibly held it too over the past couple hundred years, and if whatever it had
once unlocked continued to remain hidden.
The mixture of aged metal and glass was breathtaking for sure. The crimson beads strung over an antique brass chain that had tarnished over the years, but was still beautiful nonetheless, only added to its character. The darkened brass key, that rested just above my bosom as I slipped the chain over my head, was rusted and worn but had a story to tell, I was sure.
Who could know the multitude of other hands that have held its delicate design over the centuries past. This key was special, that was clear. It was most definitely real, not just a decorative charm, that much I could tell by the weight of the brass.
I thought back to earlier this evening, when Leo had made me promise to never allow the necklace to leave my possession. He told me it would help protect me from whatever may come my way, and in return I was to protect it and keep it in my possession at all costs.
I pondered his words as I stroked the key and beads that hung around my neck, draping themselves across my collarbone. I wondered what Leo could have meant when he said ‘at all costs’.
Chapter 5.
Animal Instincts
in-stinct
/’instiNGkt/
Noun
1. An innate, typically fixed pattern of behavior
in animals in response to certain stimuli.
2. A natural or intuitive way of acting or thinking.
The next day was Saturday. Emmy and I went to watch a movie together, then we decided to follow up the show by shopping around the mall for a little while afterward, as I attentively listened to her synopsis of her previous evening.
We decided to grab a bite to eat at the food court, only after our arms had been appropriately bogged down by the huge weight from multiple shopping bags. I fumbled with my bags to arrange them onto a single arm when my phone buzzed with a text from Leo.
wanna meet at the woods? need me some Becca time!
I couldn’t hide my grin. I texted him back.
sounds good b there @ 7
I shoved my phone back in my pocket when I realized Emmy had been getting a little annoyed at the intrusion of a boy on our girls’ day out.
“So, what sounds good to eat,” I asked, trying to refocus the both of us back to our girl time.
“Um, how ‘bout pizza?”
“Sounds perfect.”
We both ordered gigantic slices of pepperoni pizza, then we found ourselves a nearby table where we sat and waited patiently for our order.
Emmy continued to talk about various subjects, for instance the movie we had just seen. She asked questions like “did I think the sequel would be just as good as the first“, but she always ended up answering all her own questions herself.
Emmy bounced back and forth, from subject to subject, and currently was chattering on about last night’s dance. She was smack in the middle of speculating whether or not Will was about to kiss her goodnight, when she was interrupted by the bell announcing that our pizza order was up.
We both walked to the pizza shop counter to extract our plates of pizza from underneath the intense heat lamps. We carried our plates holding oversized pizza slices so large they draped the edges of the plates and moved to the end of the counter to grab napkins and our drinks, then made our way back to our table still flanked by piles of shopping bags. Emmy and I ate our oil-drenched slices while she continuously chattered on about various frivolous subjects. I made certain to be a good listener by chiming in with correct responses when the conversation called for them. It’s the least I could do for Emmy, after the last few days of being consumed and occupied with a suddenly erratic, chaotic life.
“So,” Emmy started. “How’d your night go with Leo?”
“Fabulous,” I answered, grinning from ear to ear.
“Are you two love birds engaged yet, or what?” She asked, taking a bite out of her greasy pizza slice.
“I don’t know, are you and Will?” I threw back at her playfully, sending a wink her direction.
“Touché. But in my defense, Will and I haven’t known each other since we were five.”
“One,” I corrected her. “Leo was one when I was born.”
“Wow. You two are really lifelong friends, aren’t you?”
“Yep.”
“Is that weird, though?”
“Is what weird?” I questioned.
“You know, the whole kissing thing. Isn’t it weird since you’ve known Leo your entire life?”
I took a giant swig of my pop. “It kinda started out that way when I first began thinking that I like him, liked him. But then, once I knew he felt the same about me and we kissed…it just felt right. Like we should’ve always been together. You know what I mean?”
“Aw, you guys love each other. You’re gonna get married. You’re gonna have babies,” Emmy giggled, taunting me in her sing-song voice.
I laughed, rolling my eyes, and took another bite of pizza.
Emmy and I finished eating, then took one last lap around the stores in the mall to make certain there was no article of clothing or piece of jewelry left behind that we simply couldn’t live without. That said and done, we drove home with our stomachs and shopping bags full. Since it had been my idea for the movie and shopping day, I’d offered to drive. I dropped Emmy off at her house before heading home myself.
I arrived home about an hour before I was supposed to meet Leo. I ran upstairs to freshen up before heading out to the woods.
While making my way out the back door to begin my hike out to the trees, I could see that Leo was not yet there, but I decided to continue across the lawn to the cornfield, eventually making my way toward the woods. I knew Leo would be there soon enough.
When I reached the front row of trees, I decided to walk into the woods a short distance while waiting for Leo to show up. Knowing that I would be able to see him through the thickly branched but almost bare trees, I stepped into the forest just a couple yards farther. I listened to the sounds of the woods that I had missed out on so much lately, and they were begging me onward. I ached for more, so decided to walk a few yards deeper into the serenity of the trees and surrounding elements. A large boulder sat just a few steps away, enticing me. I sat there for a little while and enjoyed the woods and all of its tranquil sounds, the same way I’d done so often when I was younger.
The minutes passed, and I began to wonder if maybe Leo had forgotten we were meeting this evening. It wasn’t like him to be late. I checked my watch and realized that fifteen minutes had already passed while I had occupied myself with listening to the peaceful sounds of the irenic forest, and I decided to wait five more minutes before heading back to my house to call Leo.
I hadn’t brought my cell phone with me. The image of it tossed on top of the comforter on my bed crossed my mind after I’d reached into my pocket and come out empty-handed. The sun had already begun to set, and I knew that I only had a few final minutes of eventide before the threatening darkness of twilight would fall.
Another couple minutes passed, and I was almost ready to call it quits when I heard a twig snap. The snap happened just a few feet behind me. I fully expected to turn around and see Leo standing there with his gorgeous grin and apologetic look in his eyes for keeping me waiting.
Instead, what I saw frightened me to my very core. I instinctively turned and stood away from the rock, backed up slowly while simultaneously pondering how to make my escape. I didn’t know how to make this decision. Choosing the wrong one could mean my life. Should I make a break for it back to my house, or stand firm and take my chances with the impending evil that stood before me. The shocking sight that existed only a few feet in front of me now, was a growling snarling coyote that must have been scavenging for food and happened upon me. From the hostile appearance of the animal, I deduced from the look in its eyes that I wasn’t going to be able to stand firm and overpower it or scare it away.
I peered powerlessly into its dark emerald eyes, and I could see my tormented reflection shining back as we connected
glares. There was no doubt that it was considering an attack. I read the certainty in its squinting eyes. I accepting the fact that the coyote had made the decision to pursue its prey --- me.
I knew that coyotes usually didn’t attack this way, but on occasion a truly desperate and hungry animal would be known to make a rare exception. My parents warned me of this fact several times when I was younger. This coyote, however, was larger that any average sized coyote I had ever seen scavenging these woods. I assumed from its size and demeanor, that it was very capable of a devastating attack.
It was clear that I needed to plan an escape, but I was frozen with fear as I continued to stare into the eyes of the wicked animal. I attempted to read its next move. Could I muster the courage to commit to a plan of action and pursue a line of escape? I knew I only had seconds left to react before this animal would make its vicious and possibly deadly first lunge. I was scared stiff, and I had to force my trembling leg to raise and take its first step of retreat.
For every backward step I took, trying to close the distance between me and the edge of the woods, the monstrous aggressor took two. I knew it wasn’t going to let me get away, and he now stood undeniably too close for anything but the inevitable to happen.
I gave up all hope of making it out of the woods unharmed and back to the safety of my warm home. I grabbed the only thing I could find, a long branch from the ground to ward off the animal, and braced myself for the attack. I placed my hand over my chest covering the antique necklace with the palm of my hand and protecting it at all costs, just as Leo had asked of me.
The coyote gave one final snarling growl as it lowered its front legs and prepared to pounce, then it lunged into the air with me fully in its sights. I closed my eyes and turned my head away, not wanting to see anything further.
I could hear the attack begin as if it were all happening in slow motion, but I was confused. I could hear the fight taking place, but I felt nothing. Shock and relieve had begun to take over, but I didn't want to get my hopes up too soon.
Beautiful Souls Page 8
