Don't Go Out in the Woods Tonight...

It was big. It was old. It was a big huge castle right out of a story book. Only... it wasn't the hero's castle. It was the castle that the villain would live in.

You know what I mean. The whole thing managed to look like it was in shadow. Even though it was the after noon, the rain and the cold made is dark and eery. There were two round tower-like rooms. Grey stone, covered in moss, built up the wall.

The sight of it makes me shiver. Troy nudges me in the arm, considering I have stopped dead in the driveway.

"It won't eat you." He's low voice rumbled in my ear, "I promise."

"Yeah, you'd rather do that deed yourself." I whisper under my breath.

I pick up my bag before following him onto the front porch. I'm surprised that no draw bridge is in sight.

What? No moat.

"Do you swim?" Troy asks, opening the door.

"What kind of question is that?" I ask, questioning in my sanity, and whether or not I had spoken out loud.

Troy only smirks and walks in the door, becoming engulfed by the darkness inside. I manage to shallow the lump in my throat before stepping into the house myself.

"Oh," I gasp taking in the interior, "Troy. It's beautiful."

Troy chuckles softly as I stand motionless in the entry way, I hear him shut the door behind me but after the little click, my senses fade out and become absorbed in taking in the room.

The room was dry-walled and painted and furnished just like any other home would be. It shows no sign of even being connected to the other side exterior of the grim castle. It could be another suburban house. Only, as I look at it, it is clearly Tory's.

Separately, the colors would have normally made my cringe. But somehow the crimson red and soft cream merged and blended perfectly with the each other. Black and white over-sized photographs adored the walls.

The furniture is a mix match of an old wooden rocking chair and a seemingly new black couch; I walk forward and graze my finger over the fabric. It’s soft and cool, almost like velvet.

Light floods the room from the hanging lights and from the opposite side of the house. The living room extends to the other side of the castle house, going through the dinning room and kitchen. I move on, my body suddenly able to move again, looking at the photos.

Each picture is different. Some are in crystal clear focus, or blurred. Some are pinpoint close-ups and others were huge landscapes. The only thing they had is common is their size and that they are all in black and white.

"These are really beautiful." I whisper, feeling Troy walk up behind me.

"Thank you. I really liked taking them." He whispers back, snaking his arms around my waist and resting his head on my shoulder.

"You did these?" I ask, realizing what he said.

Troy nods against my shoulder and I smile. Troy starts to rock me gently and I turn to face him. My hands find their way to his shoulders. We sway together.

We move across the room, around chairs and the couch. I smile, looking up at Troy bright silver storm eyes. He smiles back down at me, a real smile. He arm feel strong and warm around my waist, and I feel safe.

My head rests itsself against Troy's chest as we slow down. I draw in a deep breath, sighing in contentment. Troy chuckles and his chest rumbles with the sound. Then he is still, resting his hand on my head, stoking my hair.

His heart pounds out a rhythm that is solid and comforting. I sigh again and tilt my head up to look at him. His eyes shift a little, the gold specks widening within the molten silver. I tilt my head to the side, wondering why his eyes would flash now.

"I won't let anything happen to you. Ever." Troy says, breaking the long standing silence with an almost growl like voice.

"I know." I say, pulling away a little to see his face better.

Troy nods, slipping his hand behind my head, in the crook of my neck. He pulls me forward and kisses me. I smile as we pull away.

Then my stomach growls.

I watch as Troy's face slowly brakes down and he starts laughing. I join in, doubling over in laughter. I take a few steps backwards to try and steady myself.

And wouldn't you know... a couch got in my way. I trip and land on my back on the big black cushions. Troy keeps laughing and walks towards me. He collapses on the couch, sitting next to me.

Our laughter dies down, but our eyes are still dancing. Troy smirks at me and pokes my stomach. It immediately growls at the offense. His smirk grows.

"So, I'm guessing you’re a little hungry." He says.

"Only a little." I shrug, ignoring the rumbling.

Troy rolls his eyes and drags us both off the couch and into the kitchen.