1

Eleanor inhaled and exhaled, slowly and watched as the air from her nostrils created a fog in front of her and she smiled. The night was peacefully cool. The stars were ever bright. The lake right before her.... So calm... So sullen.... So beautiful, yet fierce. It waited, Watching the sky as the sky watched back. Eleanor sat and watched the waters. The serenity was enthralling. Her mind was having a field day. The quiet was lulling her... Pulling her in. Her thoughts all around the place, yet, nowhere. The crickets all in disorganized sync. The shrubs and flowers bowing ever so slightly to the gentle breeze. It was an out of this world experience... To be one with nature. She heard as the wind began to pick up. Heard but didn't register it till the calm of the waters was disrupted by a drop of rain. The water was angry... She could... Feel It. She could feel the animosity in the air. The anger... The pain... The... The hate. She bolted up from the grass and watched it all wither to nought, right before her eyes. She gasped. Her peace! Her tranquility! Nature! Panic began to set in. She looked around her. The forest stared back. Very unforgiving and cold.

"Run"

T'was a subtle whisper

"Run"

The word came again. Eleanor felt the hairs on her skin rise. Her forehead became wet with sweat

"Quickly. Before he returns. Go. Go now. Straight ahead. Don't look back. Never look back. Go!"

That spurred her into action. Her legs moved as her courage appeared. She faced the forest and ran. A few steps in and she heard a gut wrenching scream! She shrieked and tried to move faster

Then, she heard the most soul chilling laughter she had ever heard

"Look what we have here... A human. Another one. Oh dear... She

runs!" Taunting her, making her feel like a pawn

The voice chuckled and it shook the whole forest

"Come on. I just want to play"

The voice sounded like that of a baby, a little boy, a young man and an old man, all merged into one. She felt her skin crawl... Like she was being touched

"I just want to play. Please. Please human. Please"

She shuddered violently as the voice spoke from right beside her. She couldn't turn. She didn't want to

"Please" the baby's voice pleaded

"We won't hurt you" a little boy's voice came

"Look at me." A young man's voice.

Eleanor felt tears build in her eyes but she couldn't let them fall. She needed her eyes to see

"Please" she pleaded "Please, leave me alone."

"LOOK AT ME!" the voice of an old man thundered. She gasped as the earth began to tremble and shake till.... It began to give out. The ground was breaking. She had to run faster. Her lungs cried in exhaustion. Her legs and feet ached badly but she had to run

"You better look at me before I hurt you. Don't make me break my promise. Quick!! The wolf boy is coming. NOW!"

All four voices thundered. What? Wolf boy? She suddenly heard the pounding of feet and running a bit far off was.... A shadow? A demon? A mist? She couldn't tell but she saw one thing. Sharp piercing emerald green eyes. So interesting, she almost slowed down but the momentary distraction cost her. She fell. Long. Far. Her arms flailed as she screamed over and over again. The voice laughed in amusement

"I warned you."

She heard the growl of something before her entire body slammed into the ground with so much impact, the entire forest quietened, as if to watch. She lay there, gasping for air. The last thing she saw was the green eyes coming closer and closer and a hand reach out to her before she blacked out.

Ella gasped and jerked off her bed. Her pulse was racing. Her body was aching. Her skin was covered in sweat as her eyes darted around her room. It was all a dream.

Her eyes darted round her room. She thoroughly looked from every corner to every crevice and when she was satisfied with the absence of anything out of the ordinary, she proceeded to look under her bed. Nothing. It was just so real. Too real. Thinking about it made her breath hitch. 

A peaceful Lake.

The rain.

A voice.

A... A being.

Sharp, soul piercing green eyes.

Her hands began to shake.

Maybe... Maybe this was a sign from God? A sign for her to... To what?

For the life of her, she couldn't understand but she knew one thing and she was as sure of it as she was sure of her pointer finger. Something was coming her way. Something strange. If she would be able to handle it, she didn't know but she knew for a fact that something was coming her way. Deciding to soothe her dry tongue, she crept out of her room and went down the stairs and into the kitchen. All the while, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder. She felt like she was being watched. It caused uncomfortable goosebumps to break out on her skin. Finally getting to the fridge, she pulled out the gallon of milk, poured some in a cup, and forced her feet to stay in place, instead of darting back up the stairs to the comfort of her thick blanket.

"Calm down Eleanor." She whispered to herself. "It was just a dream. Probably the result of your VERY over active imagination. Nothing to worry about."

"What are we worrying about?"

Eleanor screeched and whipped around to find her mom standing at the kitchen entrance, with a smile on her face.

With a hand pressed against her chest she exasperatedly whispered,

"Díos! Mamma!"

"Why are you awake by 2:56 am?"

Eleanor sighed and rubbed at the sweat above her brows. Nothing to worry about.

"I wanted some milk." She muttered.

"By 2 am?"

Eleanor nodded, downed the cup in a few hurried gulps and smiled.

"There. All done."

While her mom regarded her with skeptic eyes, Eleanor kissed her cheek, bade her goodnight and tried to calmly walk up the stairs and to her room.

"Nothing to worry about."

If only she knew.