Chapter One.

 

 

The wet grass beneath her soaked the back of her jeans. She lay down completely looking at the sky. The rain began to fall again, slowly but gained speed and soon was bouncing off the rooftops. It trickled down onto her, making her smile. Rain was one of her favourite things in the world; she loved to just lie out in the grass while the rain ran over her body. A small crunch made her turn her head; two feet were beside her and her eyes slowly travelled up the person’s body.

His smile was curious and his skin, pale. The dark, messy hair that lay upon his head was starting to flatten slightly from the droplets of rain. Her arms held herself up while she stared at him for a second; his light, grey eyes boring into her bright blue eyes. His body made contact with the grass as he sat down beside her, his eyes never moving from hers.

If it had been anyone else, she would have asked who they were, what they were doing here and she probably would have walked off to find another part of the forest to enjoy the rain in, but she didn’t. He made her curious, but she didn’t want to ask him anything. There was just something about him that made her feel comfortable.

She lay back down and stared at the now stormy sky. The smell of fresh grass wafted into her nose and she closed her eyes briefly. Her attention drifted away slowly to a daydream. Sub-consciously her lips twitched into a smile. Megan opened her eyes after a few minutes and her head turned to the now empty grass beside her. The boy was gone.

Slowly rising to her feet, she looked down at the previously occupied grass. Her body had flattened the grass, yet the grass where the boy had lay was untouched. It was impossible, he had sat down right beside her, there had to be some sort of dent, yet it was perfect. Her small hands found each other in the large pocket on the front of her hoody. A small break in the trees caught her attention and she made her way over there, the rainwater seeping through her shoes into her feet.

She shivered slightly as she was sheltered beneath the trees. A small wooden log lay in the middle of a small clearing, and sitting down she looked up at the trees. Her eyes glanced across one, and her eyebrows rose slightly. He was sitting there, his body cascaded across the tree. His feet were crossed at the ankles, and his fingers played with a leaf, stripping various parts from it. Her blonde hair moved with the wind, flitting across her face.

Standing up, Megan crossed to the bark of the tree, her curiosity getting the better of her. His feet swung down slowly, allowing space for her to climb up. Putting her foot on a piece of bark that stuck out prominently, she slowly raised herself up as he held out his hand for her to grab onto. Taking it, he grasped it gently, and effortlessly pulled her up beside him. Her heart had jumped at the skin contact and she glanced around her, avoiding his eyes.

Her soft, gentle features made him look at her in wonder, his eyes roaming over her face and body. The jeans she was wearing were ripped in certain parts, he assumed it was intentional. Her hoody was grey with a band name scrawled across it. He was trying to decipher what it said but he had no luck. His smile revealed his straight, brilliantly white teeth, causing the corners of her lips to turn up.

“Who are you? I’ve never seen you around before,” he asked, his voice was deep and made her shiver slightly. It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t caring either. She had no idea how to describe it except for the word unique.

“I think I should be asking you that question, my house isn’t too far from here and I’ve been coming here since I was born, if you had been here all the time I have, then you should know me,” her tone was amused and made his eyes narrow slightly at her, wondering who this girl was.

“True, but maybe I only like to come out at night,” he challenged her, “Unlike you, you probably stay in at night, afraid of the dark, wondering what could be roaming this forest,” his words had truth in them, making her shift slightly in the crook of the tree bark.

“I’m not afraid of the dark,” she said truthfully. His short, sharp laugh was heard as he looked away for a few seconds.

“Maybe not, but you do want to know what is in this forest when no human is, what runs around here at night and who runs around here at night,” he licked his lips slightly, knowing he had hit the jackpot.

Her mother’s eyes stared fearfully out the window as her husband pulled Megan out from the forest just as dusk was approaching.

“Don’t you ever go into that forest when it’s dark,” her father said, his voice scared and his hands trembling. She stared up at him with her innocent eyes, unaware of what was wrong with going into the forest at night.

“But daddy, why?” she asked, her hand tugging on her father’s sleeve. Her mother rushed into the kitchen and put on a smile for her daughter, whose face lit up when she saw her mother’s form.

“Darling, you can go into the forest all you like, but it has to be during the day, you aren’t allowed to be in there at night or when it’s starting to get dark, it isn’t safe,” her mother’s voice soothed as tears began to fill Megan’s eyes.

“I wanna go back to the forest, I like it there,” she moaned, crossing her arms in a childish fashion. At seven years old, she wanted to be independent and believed she didn’t need her mother or father telling her what to do.

“There are things in there that will hurt you at night, so as long as you aren’t in the forest at night, you will be safe. Now promise me, you will never go into that forest when it’s dark or stay there when it is getting dark,” her mother placed her hands on Megan’s shoulders and slightly shook her when she was unresponsive.

Reluctantly, she nodded, “I promise,”

Her mind came back from that flashback and she bit her lip. How did he know about that? Had he seen her, staring from her window into the forest at night, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever it was that was so frightening to her mother and father? Even if he had seen her in her window, he couldn’t have possibly known what she was thinking about.

“No I don’t,” she muttered, narrowing her eyes at the boy in front of her. He cocked an eyebrow and smirked at her, which angered her slightly.

“A little bit defensive, aren’t we?” he questioned. Her feet made contact with the forest floor as she jumped down from her low position on the tree, “So I was right then?” he questioned her again.

Megan’s eyes flashed with anger as she crossed the forest and made her way out of the clearing. The rain had stopped, yet the grass was still wet in some places and damp in others. Her feet were soaking from the rain and she hugged herself, trying to inject some warmth into herself.

Who did he think he was? He didn’t know her; he didn’t know anything about her. She contradicted herself in her mind when she thought about what he had said; he did know things about her, which was what scared her the most. No one else knew about her desire to find out what happened in that forest at night.

She began to walk down the dirt hill that stood between her house, which was only a minute away, and the forest. The wet dirt made her slide for a second and she let out a yelp just as she fell. Two hands gripped her by the arms, stopping her from hitting the sludge beneath her. The boy offered a smile and helped her down to the bottom of the hill. Biting her lip, she shook off the rain droplets clinging to her hair.

“Thanks,” she said gratefully. He nodded slowly, before starting to walk away, “Sorry for getting so bitchy back there,” she called after him. His famous smile shone at her as he ran back up the dirt hill and back into the forest.

She watched him, her thoughts cramping her mind, where was he going? Where did he live? Were there other houses on the side of the forest? As far as she knew, her house was the only house beside the forest. The other houses were all in the village a little down the road.

Shaking her thoughts out of her mind, she continued towards her house. The dark was enveloping the last of the light now, causing her to walk quicker towards her house. A loud laugh came from the forest, making her stop and turn around, her curiosity getting the better of her again.

A click sounded a little away and she realized her mother had opened the front door and was leaning out of it, watching her. Her voice called her inside and reluctantly, she obeyed. Biting the flesh of her bottom lip, she made her way to the door and inside, where her mother began to question her.

“You are going to get pneumonia from lying in that grass while it’s raining,” she began, “Anyway, it’s almost pitch black out there now, you know you aren’t supposed to be in the forest when it’s dark, your father would go nuts if he found out about this and you are so lucky I’m staying calm about this,” her mother ran out of breath at this point, ending her mini-rant for a few seconds which gave her the opportunity to talk.

“What are you two so worried about in the forest anyway? And it only comes out at night, so clearly it’s something you are afraid of, tell me what it is,” her question turned into a demand.

Her mother turned in the kitchen and her eyes zoned in on her daughter’s, “Nothing, we just don’t want you out there late at night…there’s…wild animals and creatures out there,” her mother finished.

She laughed at her mother’s attempts to put her off, “That is not the reason, now why won’t you tell me, I’m sixteen for God’s sake, I think I’m old enough to be talked to like an adult,” her temper was rising and her mother knew it.

“I don’t want to hear anything else about this, now get upstairs and wash up for dinner, God knows what filth you picked up lying in that wet grass, and take those shoes off, they are covered in dirt, Megan!” her mother exclaimed, busying herself with finishing the dinner.

Rolling her eyes, she kicked off her shoes and ran upstairs to her bedroom. The house was small but the bedrooms were big. It was like a country-style kitchen, with the lived-in feel as her mother liked to call it. It had memories plastered over its walls in the form of photographs and she couldn’t help smile when she looked at them.

She grabbed a towel from the pile on her floor and walked into the bathroom, stripping and turning the shower on. She couldn’t help but let her mind wander back to that boy in the forest. The hot water ran over her face, making her even less aware of the party going on in the forest.

***

Her eyes flickered open gently, and the dark made it hard for her to see. The familiar surroundings of her bedroom reassured her she wasn’t in the nightmare she just had.

Her knees came into contact with the ground harshly, causing her to let out a loud scream of pain. She pushed off with her hands, trying to run while looking behind herself, the people behind her just ran faster, almost effortless.

The hands of a male began to grab her ankles, dragging her to the ground and back to the people behind her. Her screams were loud and terrifying and her nails sunk into the dirt beneath her as she tried to crawl away. The hands were too strong and as her tears mixed with the dirt, her love for the forest disappeared.

Her feet came into contact with the cold wooden floor and she felt relieved when she stood on the warm, fluffy pink rug in her room. Her toes curled slightly, crushing the fabric in between her toes. Her hands rested on the windowsill and she pressed her forehead against the glass, staring into the now dark, black forest.

A boy sitting on the dirt hill, his face turned up towards the window, captured her eyes. She opened the window, her hands slightly shaking. It was three am according to her digital clock lying beside her bed, the illuminous pink numbers flashing. She began to lean out and watch him. The cigarette held between his fingers was clear, the small light visible from her window. Megan shivered at the chilly night wind, which swept past her window.

He stood up, his face still staring up at the window, his hand came up into the air and he made the motion to tell her to come out. Biting her lip, she wondered for a second if she should. She would finally get to find out what was in the forest, lurking. She had a momentary battle with herself before she moved deeper into her room, her hand pulling the window in her direction.

Her body slipped in between the sheets of her bed and the duvet, she pulled them closer to herself and turned her head to face the wall. If she went into the forest at night, her mother and father would freak out and ground her for at least two weeks, she wouldn’t be able to go to the carnival with her friends or hang out with them.

A small crack made her sit up straight, her heart beating furiously in her rib cage; the noise was coming from the window. Her feet made contact with the freezing floor once more as her shivering body made its way to the window again. His back was up against her window, the back of his head resting on it. From what she could see, his legs were stretched out in front of him on the roof that was over her front door. His hands were pre-occupied with a flower, which he twirled between his fingers.

Her breathing stopped for a few seconds before she grabbed a green hoody from the floor and slipped it over her head. Her fingers knocked gently on the glass making him turn his head slowly in her direction. His eyes danced with amusement. He moved slightly out of the way so she could open the window. She pushed it open slowly, cringing at the small creaks it made, she hated opening her window, she hated the idea of spiders getting in.

She listened, barely breathing, for any sound of movement from her mother and father’s room. The house was deathly silent, which made it harder for her to be quiet. She placed her foot on her windowsill and froze when her picture frame with herself and her best friend Joyce in it fell and clattered onto the wooden floor. She heard her dad roll over in the next room and continue snoring again.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she felt two hands place themselves on her waist and pull her out of the window. As soon as her feet touched the small roof, she began to shiver. “What the hell are you playing at?” she questioned the boy angrily. She didn’t even know his name and he was making her get out of bed at three am and sneak out.

His smirk began to annoy her, “How the f**k did you even get up here?” she lowered her voice to a whisper, sitting down slowly. His hand closed the window gently and he sat down beside her, his back resting against it once more.

“I climbed,” he said before picking up the flower again. He twirled it in his fingers once more before looking at her, his eyebrows raised. He nodded towards her and held out the flower. Her cheeks flushed for a second and she pulled the hoody tighter around her body, before she allowed her hand to take the flower from him.
“So…you’ve never snuck out before?” he asked, his attention focused on her. She stared out at the forest, her breathing soft. This was the closest she’d ever been to it when it was dark.

“No,” she answered simply and continued to try and penetrate the darkness of the forest with her eyes. His hand slipped into his pocket and he pulled out a packet of cigarettes. His mouth held one of the cigarettes in his mouth and his lighter was the next thing that appeared from his pocket. It lit the end of the cigarette and he inhaled deeply, before blowing the smoke out in a perfect stream.

The moon made his skin look even more flawless and she turned her head towards his, “What’s your name?” her tone was curious, yet her eyes showed none of her curiosity. His smile exposed his teeth and a laugh accompanied this.

“Tell me yours first,” he said, he didn’t say it like a question, more like a demand. She ignored his question, which made him sigh softly, “I’m Dougie,” he said quietly, making her look at him, her lips parted. His eyes connected with hers for a few seconds before she glanced away.

“Megan,” she replied. His body seemed to get closer to hers, making her shift slightly. He held out his hand and he stood up, “What are you doing?” she asked. He remained silent, his hand still held out. For some reason, she trusted him. She’d only met him a few hours ago, and here she was stuck out on the small roof outside her window at three am in the morning with him. Something made her trust him, she didn’t know what it was, but it scared her.

“You’ve always wanted to see what’s in the forest at night, right?” he asked, a small smile crossing his face. Megan’s teeth came into contact with her lip as she bit hard onto it. Dougie’s eyes zoned the droplets of blood that oozed from her lower lip and he looked away quickly, clenching his fists and teeth.

Her fingers laced with his as he pulled her up. The tile below her slightly slipped and his hands caught her before she fell. The short yelp she let out made her heart feel as if it had burst in her heart. She turned her head to her window and strained her ears to listen from beneath her blonde hair for any sound of movement in her house. The silence remained, only broken by his voice in her ear.

The closeness of his lips and breath to her ear made her jump again, but this time she managed to control her voice. She sucked the rest of the blood that was on her lip away as she contemplated going into the forest with him. His body relaxed slightly, a change from the tense statue of stillness he held a few moments ago. She blew her side swept fringe up using her mouth.

“I can’t…I gotta go before my parents realise I’m gone,” her voice was soft, and he could hear the sadness in it. He knew just how badly she wanted find out what was in the forest, if he could, he would have told her there and then, but he knew he couldn’t. He was one of the leaders; he couldn’t break the rules he helped create. His hand was still connected with hers and he could feel her emotions clearly, it was one of his gifts. The sadness ran through his own body as he looked at her, before gently letting his hand drop away from hers.

“Another night then,” he said, his eyes dancing playfully. She couldn’t help smiling and arching an eyebrow. She nodded slowly before turning to her window. Her hands connected with the edge of the window and she used it to pull herself up onto the windowsill. She could feel his presence behind her, ready to catch her if she fell.

Her feet made contact with her bedroom floor and she slipped her hoody over her head before looking out her window. He was still there, his eyes captivating hers.

“Another night,” she smiled, her voice low. Her hands pulled the window closed and she looked down to make sure it was properly locked. When her eyes glanced back up, he was gone. He wasn’t on the ground below either.

She grinned a little as she saw his body run into the forest, she was slightly confused, but she’d forget about it for now.

Reviews

[Michael]

There is defintely a point in putting it up here.

I for one truly enjoyed it.

It's 2am I could easily have read a couple of lines and loged off perhaps to come back in the moring but I didn't in fact I read it through twice.

I will recommend you to friends should more posts be put up.

Great attention to detail, You clearly come across to me at least as a person who has a passion for writing I hope you will continue to add chapters as well as other work in future!

[Megan]

Was there even a point in putting this up here? I'd appreciate feedback?