Status: C&C on my first draft?<3
Hawthorne
One
Hawthorne was nearly always enveloped in shadowy clouds and fog.
Elizabeth Marie sat at her window, laptop on her knee. She looked out side, urging the clouds to pass and let the beautiful sunlight shine freely on the tainted land. Of course, it was nearly always raining there. It had been that way since the Death War of 2119.
When the Sun did come out of hiding, the forest was striking. The sun shone through the trees to the moss covered floor. She found it easier to write when it was that way. It awakened her imagination. It would truly warm her heart for just two days of sunlight.
She sighed, pressing her fingers on the keys and began to write about the mysteries and temptations of being a necromancer. There was something about them, which she absolutely adored. If it could happen, she would become one, herself. But, she wasn't sure if that was possible. So she wrote about a realm where anything was possible.
After several hours of continuous writing, Elizabeth felt the need to go for a walk. So she saved her work, and shut off her computer, then skipped out of her room and down the hall to the small living room. Grabbing her favorite jacket from its hook, she noticed there were two new messages waiting on her answering machine. Probably nothing important.
When she stepped out side, her skin began to tingle, as the cool air hit her face. Though, the light rain felt nice on her warm cheeks. As she walked down the sidewalk to the trail that would take her to the forest, a few people acknowledged her with a “Hello.” Or, “How are you?” But she ignored them and kept walking. She wanted nothing to do with the people in that damned city.
Although it was only midday, it was dark under cover of the trees; almost like the night. Elizabeth knew the forest well, so she had no trouble navigating her way through it. It was her favorite place to be, other than writing at her window. Out there in the cool air, she was at peace; the silence let her think.
She didn't know how long she had been walking, because she had been daydreaming, but she soon found herself at the edge of the forest, on the outskirts of Eternal City. The place where only non-humans lived. The place where you'd find angels, demons, necromancers, werewolves, vampires, shape shifters, and other unknown creatures. It was beautiful, the ruins of an old fortress. Maybe the continent was once Scotland. So many ruins of castles, large and small, dotted the landscape and made her wonder if it had been part of the ancient country.
Standing just inside the gates, stood a figure of a man of roughly twenty years. . In his arms he gently bounced a baby, whose cry carried through the air. His lips moved as if he murmered soothing words, and after a few short sobs, the baby ceased its noise
Though, it was hard to tell from where Elizabeth was standing, he seemed to be attractive. Unlike some of the Leviathans, he looks human. A breeze tossed his sandy brown hair about, slightly covering his eyes. He wore what appeared to be a leather jacket. Under that he wore a white t-shirt that had a logo on it which said "Sadistik” in bold, cursive script.
Though, the rapper had died years before the dark wars had even started. You could still hear people listening to his music, even though it was from a century ago.
She heard someone call out the name ‘Trace,’ which made her snap back from her daydreaming. It seemed as though he looked straight at her. Elizabeth hid behind a tree, trying to conceal herself. Though she was hidden, she could still see the gorgeous looking Leviathan. The person who yelled his name called again, “Trey, Trey? What are you doing out here?” His gaze lingered on the spot Elizabeth was hiding before he turned around. He said something then slowly walked in the gate, holding the baby in his arms.
Elizabeth started running back home. All she could think of was the Leviathan she had seen. “Trey…” She had never seen a Leviathan before. Though, she was fascinated by them. I want to meet him… I wonder if he’s part of the Sunfall.
The hike home seemed longer; it seemed like the path she was taking was leading her in circles. Her mind was clouded with thoughts of the Leviathan and baby.
By the time she got back, darkness covered Hawthorne. As always, it was a moonless night; clouds coated the sky as the heavy rain fell to the ground. She unlocked the door of her lonely apartment, and felt her way along the wall to find the light switch, then turned it on.
After fixing dinner and cleaning up the mess that went along with it, Elizabeth went back to her writing. Sitting at her usual spot the by window, she noted the rain had gotten heavier— it poured from the always grey sky, drenching the forest. The waterfall streaming down her window caught her eye.
In a magical moment of inspiration, the words flowed from her fingertips; much like the constant rain outside. She wrote hour after hour, paragraph after paragraph; she wrote effortlessly. The Leviathan she had seen, must have sparked something in her mind.
She thought of the man outside of Eternal City. Trey… His name sounded so sweet to her.
A heavy gust of wind that rattled the windowpane caused Elizabeth to jump. She had heard the people on the street talking of a possible storm. That must be it. In the four years she has been living here, Elizabeth still wasn't used to the raging storms...The windowpane rattled, scattering her concentration. She needed complete silence in order to think clearly.
Although the dark clouds suffocated the sky, the sunlight squeezed through, desperate to fill the world with light. She checked the time on the bottom toolbar of her laptop; seven-thirty already. It wasn’t the first time she had stayed up all night writing.
After saving her work and shutting off her computer, Elizabeth changed into a loose tank. Leaving her underwear on, she climbed in bed and lay on her back. Although her bed was comfortable, it took her a long while to fall asleep.
The forest was cold and damp, like after a heavy rainstorm. The icy night air nipped at Elizabeth’s skin as she began to shiver. She rubbed her arms to try and keep warm; she was wearing only a thin long sleeved t-shirt. Although darkness acted as a cloak over the forest, she knew where she was. She could hear the faint noise of a city; Eternal City. She began to walk in the direction of the sounds, and nearly tripped over roots of the great trees along the way.
The air grew colder as she walked. She was getting closer to the outskirts of Eternal City. As the temperature dropped, she found herself becoming weak. But she trudged on in, hopes of finding someone of the Sunfall that would help her.
Though she had only been walking for a few minutes, it seemed like a few hours. Elizabeth could barely keep herself from falling; she was too exhausted. The tree roots didn't help either. I’ll stop and rest for a minute. Only a minute…
The forest floor was damp, yet, surprisingly warm, but that didn't matter to her. She couldn't go any farther. Elizabeth drew her knees up to her chest, and closed her eyes. As the minutes passed, everything in the forest grew quiet. It seemed as though everything was frozen in place. the only sound was her heavy, uneven breathing.
A sudden wind picked up, sending chills through her entire body, as she pulled herself to her feet. The wind blew her long, thick, honey-blonde hair into her face. Leaving it, she ran to the nearest Pine tree and crawled under its branches, a warm, dry hiding place.
Something was about to happen; the wind wouldn't be that strong in the forest. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she were back home. After a few seconds she opened them; she was still there, under the Pine tree. Its needles were now stuck in her unkempt hair.
Hearing a twig snap, she peaked out from under the tree into the cold, dark forest. Right in front of her, was a man. Elizabeth struggled, trying to press her back to the tree trunk.
“It’s okay, Elizabeth. I will not hurt you.” He said in a soothing voice as he bent down to look at her.
Trey!
Elizabeth’s eyes shot open and she sat up quickly. She was in her bedroom. “It had to be real.” He was right there…
3:32 PM
That's enough sleep for today. Elizabeth stretched, realizing her hair was damp when it touched her upper back. Couldn't have been... I'd remember coming back.
Finding that her clothes were also damp, she figured that it was probably just sweat, and decided to take a shower.
Warm water ran down her naked body as she stood under the shower head, warming only the parts of her that the water touched. Images of the Eternal City, and the man and child plastered every corner of her mind. She stood still under the heavy spray, visualizing Trey, just as she seen him in her dream. His features were all too real. A sudden frigid blast of water shocked her out of her trance. Her hand shot to the tap and turned it off, just as fast as the water went cold.
Elizabeth got dressed, and put her makeup on to go out for the day. Before she went out the door, she stood in front of the mirror hanging by the doorway, studying her reflection. The mirror image replicated her grey leggings, combat boots, oversized band t-shirt and black leather jacket perfectly.
Approving of her appearance, she grabbed her messenger bag, containing a throw blanket, a notebook, and a couple pens, and then stepped out the door and into the street. Glancing around, she checked out her surroundings.. There were barely a dozen people out. Unhurriedly, Elizabeth walked along the sidewalk. She soon came to a street corner, and turned left.
The street was empty, and came to a dead end after a few twists and turns. Off of the street was a trail leading to the forbidden forest. One of her many routs to the thicket. Glancing around, just to be sure nobody was around to see her, she stepped off of the road, and onto the path. Picking up into a light jog, she made her way into the treeline. Once she was sure she was completely out of sight, Elizabeth stopped to rest.
This area of the forest carried a sense of magic. The slight amount of sun light that peeked through the trees above cut through the permanent fog, dotting the forest floor with what seemed like brighter green moss. Dampness from the storm that passed, clung to the forest. She walked on, breathing in the cool, wet air.
No more daydreaming, Elizabeth knew where she was going this time, to that tree she hid behind the day. Maybe she'd see more Leviathan inside the gates of Eternal City. Her mind flashed to an image of Trey, and then immediately dismissed it.
The hike to that spot was a shorter distance than the way she took the last time, so she soon found herself on the outskirts of the City. This time, she found a better hiding spot: A recently fallen tree, leaves still in tact. She spread the deep green blanket out , just out of sight of anyone who may pass, and sat down, making sure she could still see. Quietly reaching into her bag to grab her notebook and a pen, she noticed that there was an unusual odor lingering in the air around her. Turning her head in all directions, Elizabeth tried to find out what could produce such an unsettling scent.
There it was. A mauled carcass, about 5 feet away from her.. Slowly, she crawled closer to the remains. A wave of nausea and horror washed over her. With expressionless eyes she stared at the savaged corpse of a human man. She crawled back to her blanket, gathered it up and nearly ran to the tree she had hid behind the day before. Oh. My. God. That poor man. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Okay, Okay. Calm down... You didn't know him. You aren't even supposed to be here! Just go about your business as if you didn't see him... What the hell could have done that!? There wasn't a full moon last night, so it couldn't have been a werewolf.
Violent shivers rattled her small frame. Between that horrendous sight, and the damp air, she had gotten cold, quick. The forest floor seemed dry, so she sat down, with the blanket wrapped around her. Should have brought a thermos full of coffee.
As she waited, Elizabeth began writing in her notebook about a world where none of this existed. Everyone lived in peace and nobody knew a damn thing about the Leviathan. Of course, they'd still exist, but it was what she assumed was normal, before the death war; before anyone found out about those creatures. As she wrote more and more about this world, she grew bored of it, and essentially scrapped the idea.
Giving her hands a break, before they cramped up, she looked at the entrance of the City. There he was with the child in tow, stepping outside of the gate... Heading straight for her. Elizabeth froze in fear as he grew closer, and closer, and closer. Nausea found its way back to her as the distance between them shortened. He was 10 feet away, but she was still out of sight.
"I know you're there. Don't be afraid, dear, you can trust us." He said in the same soothing tone as he had in her dream.
"Stay away from me." She armed herself with both pens, prepared to use them as weapons, if necessary.
"Alright, alright... Just let me get out of sight, and I'll stay back." He nearly whispered, as he walked in a quarter-circle to her left, just inside of the forest. "You know you shouldn't be around here, especially with that dead guy over there. I'm just glad I got you out of here in time this morning. Do you realize what I risked, taking you back to your home? What were you doing here, that early, anyway?"
Elizabeth stared him down, trying to remember what happened after she went to bed, early that morning. It had to of been a dream... "What the hell are you talking about? I wasn't here. I was in bed sleeping."
"I'm sorry dear, but you weren't. You nearly walked right out of the cover of the trees. You're lucky I was near by. When you saw me, you ran away and hid under that tree... By then, thankfully, you were already half way back home." He took two steps closer, and Elizabeth clenched her fists around the pens.
He took two more, larger steps, and stared her straight in the eye. Something came over her, and she loosened her grip on the pens, letting them fall to the ground. "What..."
"I won't hurt you." Trey stared intently and a wave of relaxation and relief washed over her.
But at the same time, she still felt that fear and defensiveness. What's happening? Is he doing this to me? What is he? She fell to her knees, sobbing. "Tell me who you are..."
Trey was at her side by then. He kneeled down beside her, propping the child up on his knee. "You know who I am. And this," He kissed the top of the child's head, "This, is Wyatt. Try to remember what happened this morning. You have to remember." He held Wyatt's hand, and pressed his pointer and middle fingers to Elizabeth's temple.
After she laid down, she drifted off into what would have been a deep sleep. After about twenty minutes, she suddenly sat up, and got out of bed, wide awake. With a blank stare, she walked straight to the door of her apartment, and outside, wearing nothing but her tank top and undergarments. Luckily, the streets were barren. She ran to the woods as fast as her feet would take her. She made her way to the very spot she had been when she saw Trey.
Suddenly, she heard something growling near by. Ten yards away, she saw an animal like figure, chasing down a man. What happened next was horrific. The beast lunged at the man, tackling him to the ground, and began ripping at his flesh with it's teeth and claws. Blood and entrails flew everywhere— blood splattered everything in a five foot radius, and a short length of the small intestines hung from a tree branch above.
As the creature ate, Elizabeth opened her mouth to scream, but no noise came out. She ran back towards her own town, faster, and faster. Until she tripped over an uplifted root. Far behind her, the monster let out a bone chilling shriek, so she crawled quickly to the nearest tree and hid beneath the branches. By then her hair was soaked from the rain that trickled through the natural umbrella above.
After a few moments, a twig snapped, and Elizabeth peered out, sinking closer to the trunk of the tree. A man stood straight in front of her, facing away from her, and then slowly, he turned around, and kneeled in front of her. “It’s okay, Elizabeth. I will not hurt you. What are you doing out here?"
"I... I don't know." She stood up, but suddenly felt dizzy, and stumbled to one side. Before she fell, he caught her with one arm."You're the one I saw, inside the gate...Hey, how did you know my name?"
"I had a feeling someone was watching." He picked her up, carrying her like a groom carries his bride across the threshold. "You aren't the only curious cat in the world. I watch your kind, too. I seen you in town one day, you were having that meeting with your agent about a second book, I think. Plus, I read your first one... At least my curiosity doesn’t almost get me killed." Laughing lightly, he added, "At least my curiosity doesn't almost get me killed. Now, let's get you home.With that, she blushed.
As came out of the trance she was in, Elizabeth's nausea got the better of her. She turned away, hunched over in dry heaves, as Trey rubbed her back. Once her stomach was calmed, she breathed deeply. "What was that? I thought it was just a dream..."
"Everyone's first time looking back is like this. And Liz, it wasn't. It was entirely real. You must have been out of it if you don't remember. Oh, sorry, may I call you Liz?" Trey cradled the baby in his arms as he stood up.
"What was that thing?" She looked up at him as she rose to her feet, as well.
"My guess, is that it was a Skin walker, a newbie at that. Must have shifted into a lycan and lost control." At that point, the child began crying. "Shh. Shh. Shh. Wyatt, it's ok, big brother is here..." Trey said, taking a pacifier out of his jacket pocket. "I know, it's naptime, you can sleep in Trey-Trey's arms, can't you?" The baby soon settled and fell asleep.
"Brother? Are you babysitting?" Elizabeth gazed at the blonde haired boy.
"Nah, not exactly, " He turned, walking back toward the human lands. Elizabeth caught up, and walked beside him, listening intently. "I sort of found him. A lot of children are abandoned by their parents in the Eternal City. I don't know what happened with his biological parents, but I found him laying in a basket when he was still a newborn, ten months later, and I still refuse to let him think of me as daddy. Big brother Trey will do..."
Elizabeth stared at him, almost tearing up as she smiled. And then, she stumbled over a root, nearly knocking the three of them to the ground. Her cheeks flushed. "Sorry..."
"It's alright, Liz." Trey's smile made her blush even more. "If you don't mind, I was thinking we could go back to your apartment. Luckily, I look like a regular person. I mean, I am human, but my kind were outcast forty years ago. It really shouldn't raise any suspicions. If anyone asks, I could be your cousin from one of the villages along the shore. Right?"
She hesitated, and stumbled over her words, "Ye-yeah, ri-right."
"I get it, you know. Bringing an apparent Leviathan back to your place, back to Wildemeadow. It's dangerous... You could be exiled if anyone found out you even stepped foot into this forest." He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "As if nobody has ever done that before."
Elizabeth Marie sat at her window, laptop on her knee. She looked out side, urging the clouds to pass and let the beautiful sunlight shine freely on the tainted land. Of course, it was nearly always raining there. It had been that way since the Death War of 2119.
When the Sun did come out of hiding, the forest was striking. The sun shone through the trees to the moss covered floor. She found it easier to write when it was that way. It awakened her imagination. It would truly warm her heart for just two days of sunlight.
She sighed, pressing her fingers on the keys and began to write about the mysteries and temptations of being a necromancer. There was something about them, which she absolutely adored. If it could happen, she would become one, herself. But, she wasn't sure if that was possible. So she wrote about a realm where anything was possible.
After several hours of continuous writing, Elizabeth felt the need to go for a walk. So she saved her work, and shut off her computer, then skipped out of her room and down the hall to the small living room. Grabbing her favorite jacket from its hook, she noticed there were two new messages waiting on her answering machine. Probably nothing important.
When she stepped out side, her skin began to tingle, as the cool air hit her face. Though, the light rain felt nice on her warm cheeks. As she walked down the sidewalk to the trail that would take her to the forest, a few people acknowledged her with a “Hello.” Or, “How are you?” But she ignored them and kept walking. She wanted nothing to do with the people in that damned city.
Although it was only midday, it was dark under cover of the trees; almost like the night. Elizabeth knew the forest well, so she had no trouble navigating her way through it. It was her favorite place to be, other than writing at her window. Out there in the cool air, she was at peace; the silence let her think.
She didn't know how long she had been walking, because she had been daydreaming, but she soon found herself at the edge of the forest, on the outskirts of Eternal City. The place where only non-humans lived. The place where you'd find angels, demons, necromancers, werewolves, vampires, shape shifters, and other unknown creatures. It was beautiful, the ruins of an old fortress. Maybe the continent was once Scotland. So many ruins of castles, large and small, dotted the landscape and made her wonder if it had been part of the ancient country.
Standing just inside the gates, stood a figure of a man of roughly twenty years. . In his arms he gently bounced a baby, whose cry carried through the air. His lips moved as if he murmered soothing words, and after a few short sobs, the baby ceased its noise
Though, it was hard to tell from where Elizabeth was standing, he seemed to be attractive. Unlike some of the Leviathans, he looks human. A breeze tossed his sandy brown hair about, slightly covering his eyes. He wore what appeared to be a leather jacket. Under that he wore a white t-shirt that had a logo on it which said "Sadistik” in bold, cursive script.
Though, the rapper had died years before the dark wars had even started. You could still hear people listening to his music, even though it was from a century ago.
She heard someone call out the name ‘Trace,’ which made her snap back from her daydreaming. It seemed as though he looked straight at her. Elizabeth hid behind a tree, trying to conceal herself. Though she was hidden, she could still see the gorgeous looking Leviathan. The person who yelled his name called again, “Trey, Trey? What are you doing out here?” His gaze lingered on the spot Elizabeth was hiding before he turned around. He said something then slowly walked in the gate, holding the baby in his arms.
Elizabeth started running back home. All she could think of was the Leviathan she had seen. “Trey…” She had never seen a Leviathan before. Though, she was fascinated by them. I want to meet him… I wonder if he’s part of the Sunfall.
The hike home seemed longer; it seemed like the path she was taking was leading her in circles. Her mind was clouded with thoughts of the Leviathan and baby.
By the time she got back, darkness covered Hawthorne. As always, it was a moonless night; clouds coated the sky as the heavy rain fell to the ground. She unlocked the door of her lonely apartment, and felt her way along the wall to find the light switch, then turned it on.
After fixing dinner and cleaning up the mess that went along with it, Elizabeth went back to her writing. Sitting at her usual spot the by window, she noted the rain had gotten heavier— it poured from the always grey sky, drenching the forest. The waterfall streaming down her window caught her eye.
In a magical moment of inspiration, the words flowed from her fingertips; much like the constant rain outside. She wrote hour after hour, paragraph after paragraph; she wrote effortlessly. The Leviathan she had seen, must have sparked something in her mind.
She thought of the man outside of Eternal City. Trey… His name sounded so sweet to her.
A heavy gust of wind that rattled the windowpane caused Elizabeth to jump. She had heard the people on the street talking of a possible storm. That must be it. In the four years she has been living here, Elizabeth still wasn't used to the raging storms...The windowpane rattled, scattering her concentration. She needed complete silence in order to think clearly.
Although the dark clouds suffocated the sky, the sunlight squeezed through, desperate to fill the world with light. She checked the time on the bottom toolbar of her laptop; seven-thirty already. It wasn’t the first time she had stayed up all night writing.
After saving her work and shutting off her computer, Elizabeth changed into a loose tank. Leaving her underwear on, she climbed in bed and lay on her back. Although her bed was comfortable, it took her a long while to fall asleep.
The forest was cold and damp, like after a heavy rainstorm. The icy night air nipped at Elizabeth’s skin as she began to shiver. She rubbed her arms to try and keep warm; she was wearing only a thin long sleeved t-shirt. Although darkness acted as a cloak over the forest, she knew where she was. She could hear the faint noise of a city; Eternal City. She began to walk in the direction of the sounds, and nearly tripped over roots of the great trees along the way.
The air grew colder as she walked. She was getting closer to the outskirts of Eternal City. As the temperature dropped, she found herself becoming weak. But she trudged on in, hopes of finding someone of the Sunfall that would help her.
Though she had only been walking for a few minutes, it seemed like a few hours. Elizabeth could barely keep herself from falling; she was too exhausted. The tree roots didn't help either. I’ll stop and rest for a minute. Only a minute…
The forest floor was damp, yet, surprisingly warm, but that didn't matter to her. She couldn't go any farther. Elizabeth drew her knees up to her chest, and closed her eyes. As the minutes passed, everything in the forest grew quiet. It seemed as though everything was frozen in place. the only sound was her heavy, uneven breathing.
A sudden wind picked up, sending chills through her entire body, as she pulled herself to her feet. The wind blew her long, thick, honey-blonde hair into her face. Leaving it, she ran to the nearest Pine tree and crawled under its branches, a warm, dry hiding place.
Something was about to happen; the wind wouldn't be that strong in the forest. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she were back home. After a few seconds she opened them; she was still there, under the Pine tree. Its needles were now stuck in her unkempt hair.
Hearing a twig snap, she peaked out from under the tree into the cold, dark forest. Right in front of her, was a man. Elizabeth struggled, trying to press her back to the tree trunk.
“It’s okay, Elizabeth. I will not hurt you.” He said in a soothing voice as he bent down to look at her.
Trey!
Elizabeth’s eyes shot open and she sat up quickly. She was in her bedroom. “It had to be real.” He was right there…
3:32 PM
That's enough sleep for today. Elizabeth stretched, realizing her hair was damp when it touched her upper back. Couldn't have been... I'd remember coming back.
Finding that her clothes were also damp, she figured that it was probably just sweat, and decided to take a shower.
Warm water ran down her naked body as she stood under the shower head, warming only the parts of her that the water touched. Images of the Eternal City, and the man and child plastered every corner of her mind. She stood still under the heavy spray, visualizing Trey, just as she seen him in her dream. His features were all too real. A sudden frigid blast of water shocked her out of her trance. Her hand shot to the tap and turned it off, just as fast as the water went cold.
Elizabeth got dressed, and put her makeup on to go out for the day. Before she went out the door, she stood in front of the mirror hanging by the doorway, studying her reflection. The mirror image replicated her grey leggings, combat boots, oversized band t-shirt and black leather jacket perfectly.
Approving of her appearance, she grabbed her messenger bag, containing a throw blanket, a notebook, and a couple pens, and then stepped out the door and into the street. Glancing around, she checked out her surroundings.. There were barely a dozen people out. Unhurriedly, Elizabeth walked along the sidewalk. She soon came to a street corner, and turned left.
The street was empty, and came to a dead end after a few twists and turns. Off of the street was a trail leading to the forbidden forest. One of her many routs to the thicket. Glancing around, just to be sure nobody was around to see her, she stepped off of the road, and onto the path. Picking up into a light jog, she made her way into the treeline. Once she was sure she was completely out of sight, Elizabeth stopped to rest.
This area of the forest carried a sense of magic. The slight amount of sun light that peeked through the trees above cut through the permanent fog, dotting the forest floor with what seemed like brighter green moss. Dampness from the storm that passed, clung to the forest. She walked on, breathing in the cool, wet air.
No more daydreaming, Elizabeth knew where she was going this time, to that tree she hid behind the day. Maybe she'd see more Leviathan inside the gates of Eternal City. Her mind flashed to an image of Trey, and then immediately dismissed it.
The hike to that spot was a shorter distance than the way she took the last time, so she soon found herself on the outskirts of the City. This time, she found a better hiding spot: A recently fallen tree, leaves still in tact. She spread the deep green blanket out , just out of sight of anyone who may pass, and sat down, making sure she could still see. Quietly reaching into her bag to grab her notebook and a pen, she noticed that there was an unusual odor lingering in the air around her. Turning her head in all directions, Elizabeth tried to find out what could produce such an unsettling scent.
There it was. A mauled carcass, about 5 feet away from her.. Slowly, she crawled closer to the remains. A wave of nausea and horror washed over her. With expressionless eyes she stared at the savaged corpse of a human man. She crawled back to her blanket, gathered it up and nearly ran to the tree she had hid behind the day before. Oh. My. God. That poor man. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Okay, Okay. Calm down... You didn't know him. You aren't even supposed to be here! Just go about your business as if you didn't see him... What the hell could have done that!? There wasn't a full moon last night, so it couldn't have been a werewolf.
Violent shivers rattled her small frame. Between that horrendous sight, and the damp air, she had gotten cold, quick. The forest floor seemed dry, so she sat down, with the blanket wrapped around her. Should have brought a thermos full of coffee.
As she waited, Elizabeth began writing in her notebook about a world where none of this existed. Everyone lived in peace and nobody knew a damn thing about the Leviathan. Of course, they'd still exist, but it was what she assumed was normal, before the death war; before anyone found out about those creatures. As she wrote more and more about this world, she grew bored of it, and essentially scrapped the idea.
Giving her hands a break, before they cramped up, she looked at the entrance of the City. There he was with the child in tow, stepping outside of the gate... Heading straight for her. Elizabeth froze in fear as he grew closer, and closer, and closer. Nausea found its way back to her as the distance between them shortened. He was 10 feet away, but she was still out of sight.
"I know you're there. Don't be afraid, dear, you can trust us." He said in the same soothing tone as he had in her dream.
"Stay away from me." She armed herself with both pens, prepared to use them as weapons, if necessary.
"Alright, alright... Just let me get out of sight, and I'll stay back." He nearly whispered, as he walked in a quarter-circle to her left, just inside of the forest. "You know you shouldn't be around here, especially with that dead guy over there. I'm just glad I got you out of here in time this morning. Do you realize what I risked, taking you back to your home? What were you doing here, that early, anyway?"
Elizabeth stared him down, trying to remember what happened after she went to bed, early that morning. It had to of been a dream... "What the hell are you talking about? I wasn't here. I was in bed sleeping."
"I'm sorry dear, but you weren't. You nearly walked right out of the cover of the trees. You're lucky I was near by. When you saw me, you ran away and hid under that tree... By then, thankfully, you were already half way back home." He took two steps closer, and Elizabeth clenched her fists around the pens.
He took two more, larger steps, and stared her straight in the eye. Something came over her, and she loosened her grip on the pens, letting them fall to the ground. "What..."
"I won't hurt you." Trey stared intently and a wave of relaxation and relief washed over her.
But at the same time, she still felt that fear and defensiveness. What's happening? Is he doing this to me? What is he? She fell to her knees, sobbing. "Tell me who you are..."
Trey was at her side by then. He kneeled down beside her, propping the child up on his knee. "You know who I am. And this," He kissed the top of the child's head, "This, is Wyatt. Try to remember what happened this morning. You have to remember." He held Wyatt's hand, and pressed his pointer and middle fingers to Elizabeth's temple.
After she laid down, she drifted off into what would have been a deep sleep. After about twenty minutes, she suddenly sat up, and got out of bed, wide awake. With a blank stare, she walked straight to the door of her apartment, and outside, wearing nothing but her tank top and undergarments. Luckily, the streets were barren. She ran to the woods as fast as her feet would take her. She made her way to the very spot she had been when she saw Trey.
Suddenly, she heard something growling near by. Ten yards away, she saw an animal like figure, chasing down a man. What happened next was horrific. The beast lunged at the man, tackling him to the ground, and began ripping at his flesh with it's teeth and claws. Blood and entrails flew everywhere— blood splattered everything in a five foot radius, and a short length of the small intestines hung from a tree branch above.
As the creature ate, Elizabeth opened her mouth to scream, but no noise came out. She ran back towards her own town, faster, and faster. Until she tripped over an uplifted root. Far behind her, the monster let out a bone chilling shriek, so she crawled quickly to the nearest tree and hid beneath the branches. By then her hair was soaked from the rain that trickled through the natural umbrella above.
After a few moments, a twig snapped, and Elizabeth peered out, sinking closer to the trunk of the tree. A man stood straight in front of her, facing away from her, and then slowly, he turned around, and kneeled in front of her. “It’s okay, Elizabeth. I will not hurt you. What are you doing out here?"
"I... I don't know." She stood up, but suddenly felt dizzy, and stumbled to one side. Before she fell, he caught her with one arm."You're the one I saw, inside the gate...Hey, how did you know my name?"
"I had a feeling someone was watching." He picked her up, carrying her like a groom carries his bride across the threshold. "You aren't the only curious cat in the world. I watch your kind, too. I seen you in town one day, you were having that meeting with your agent about a second book, I think. Plus, I read your first one... At least my curiosity doesn’t almost get me killed." Laughing lightly, he added, "At least my curiosity doesn't almost get me killed. Now, let's get you home.With that, she blushed.
As came out of the trance she was in, Elizabeth's nausea got the better of her. She turned away, hunched over in dry heaves, as Trey rubbed her back. Once her stomach was calmed, she breathed deeply. "What was that? I thought it was just a dream..."
"Everyone's first time looking back is like this. And Liz, it wasn't. It was entirely real. You must have been out of it if you don't remember. Oh, sorry, may I call you Liz?" Trey cradled the baby in his arms as he stood up.
"What was that thing?" She looked up at him as she rose to her feet, as well.
"My guess, is that it was a Skin walker, a newbie at that. Must have shifted into a lycan and lost control." At that point, the child began crying. "Shh. Shh. Shh. Wyatt, it's ok, big brother is here..." Trey said, taking a pacifier out of his jacket pocket. "I know, it's naptime, you can sleep in Trey-Trey's arms, can't you?" The baby soon settled and fell asleep.
"Brother? Are you babysitting?" Elizabeth gazed at the blonde haired boy.
"Nah, not exactly, " He turned, walking back toward the human lands. Elizabeth caught up, and walked beside him, listening intently. "I sort of found him. A lot of children are abandoned by their parents in the Eternal City. I don't know what happened with his biological parents, but I found him laying in a basket when he was still a newborn, ten months later, and I still refuse to let him think of me as daddy. Big brother Trey will do..."
Elizabeth stared at him, almost tearing up as she smiled. And then, she stumbled over a root, nearly knocking the three of them to the ground. Her cheeks flushed. "Sorry..."
"It's alright, Liz." Trey's smile made her blush even more. "If you don't mind, I was thinking we could go back to your apartment. Luckily, I look like a regular person. I mean, I am human, but my kind were outcast forty years ago. It really shouldn't raise any suspicions. If anyone asks, I could be your cousin from one of the villages along the shore. Right?"
She hesitated, and stumbled over her words, "Ye-yeah, ri-right."
"I get it, you know. Bringing an apparent Leviathan back to your place, back to Wildemeadow. It's dangerous... You could be exiled if anyone found out you even stepped foot into this forest." He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "As if nobody has ever done that before."