I will have three chapters total today. Things are heating up in more ways than one so get ready. Aurora is channeling her inner lioness and you are gonna love how she roars!
Nighttime is when we are supposed to sleep, to restore and fuel our bodies for the adventures and necessary tasks of the next day. A time when the body relaxes and we can drift away, leaving our problems with the sandman.That’s impossible when the nightmares wake you up, screaming at four o’clock in the morning. Thankfully, Owen was there. As always, he was my lifeline, my saving grace. He pulled me from the darkness of my mind, letting me know that I was awake and safe in his arms.In this nightmare, I was running down a dark highway. I was being chased but every time I looked behind me, I couldn’t see anyone. Somehow, I just knew they were there and I was needing to run for my life. The only sounds around me was the clop clop of my shoes against the pavement as I ran, echoing loudly in the silence of the night. The smell of damp, decaying leaves from the woods lining both sides of the road were the only smells I could make out.It was dark, so dark. The trees were so thick that the
The diner was packed as I pulled up, parking right next to John’s truck behind the building. Of course, it would be. Every person in Wood Haven knew if you wanted the latest gossip, to catch the scoop on all things happening around town, you came to the diner to eat and to share what you knew with others. If you didn’t have anything to share, you were there to absorb it all so you could do your part as a responsible citizen and help spread the latest news further down the line.Our small town had a mysterious unsolved murder on Friday night and just two days later, a missing young woman. The people wanted to know not only what was going on but what others knew or at least, could spectulate about the given circumstances.I entered through the back, as usual. I had left my backpack in the car, knowing the heavy crowd would prevent any schoolwork from being completed. Later, after everyone had satisifed their curiosities, I could sit down and work on my assignments. For now, I dropped my
I talked with Greta until the bell rang. She talked about techniques to help me stay grounded during these times when uncertainty was the only constant in my life. I told her about the nightmare I had that first night after Alexis was found murdered. I watched as she made notes about that and she suggested that I might possibly have periods of survivor’s guilt and that was normal given the circumstances. Overall, it seemed to be a productive session and I felt at least a little better than I did before coming to see her.As always, the person that made me feel the best, the safest was waiting right outside the office for me. Who needs therapy when one look into those sexy, smouldering dark eyes filled with promises makes me forget all my problems?We walked through the halls and out the doors to the Yukon with plans to go grab something to eat together before we came back and parted ways. Friday was our first away game and it was against a tough opponent, Broken Falls. According to Ow
The missing woman, Penelope Hudson, is all anyone can talk about the rest of the day. Teachers and students alike try to concentrate on the subject matter in each class but everyone is distracted. The police are not releasing any details as it is an ongoing investigation but a quick search of her social media pages reveals more than we need to know, courtesy of our own investigative journalist, Vanessa Boyle.We have the name and that’s all she needs to start digging.We are at last break and have all huddled upstairs in the bleachers over the gym, our favorite hideaway spot for peace and quiet and space to breathe. Vanessa, Bethany and Courtney had just joined us as I had spent the last period working in Coach Lawrence’s office while Owen, Danny and Gary goofed on around me.As soon as she pulls her up on her phone, she pales a little as her hand comes up over her mouth.“What is it, doll?” Danny asks her as he pulls her closer and leans over her shoulder to take a peak. One glance up
“Miss Butler,” I heard my name being called and turned around to see Principal Sterling approaching. “I’m glad to see you here. I was worried you were absent today.”“No, sir. Just had an appointment this morning that I couldn’t miss.”“Good, good. We have grief counselors on hand today. Now, you may not think you need to talk to someone. I have heard that two dozen times today but I am encouraging everyone that was at the game to at least sit down with them for a few minutes. In your case, I think it is very important since you were so close to the situation Friday night.”His words really irritated me and I couldn’t figure out why. I just know it felt so impersonal, so wrong to just call it ‘the situation’. A girl lost her life. Alexis Parker was dead. Her parents were going to have to bury their child. Her family, friends and classmates were never going to have another moment with her. I gritted my teeth and bit my tongue to keep from lashing out at him due to the vast insensitivity
The visit took a little over an hour. The urine sample was for a standard pregnancy test, which was negative. The nurse I was assigned looked to be in her early thirties. She was really nice and easy to talk to, which I was thankful for. I declined the STD panel , explaining what I knew about Owen’s past relationships and that I was confident he was clean.She checked my iron levels with a single finger prick. My iron was a little low so she insisted I take a daily multi-vitamin. The exam itself was a little uncomfortable but nothing too terribly bad and with a nice nurse that took her time and made sure I was relaxed and comfortable, it went much smoother than I ever imagined it could.She discussed options with me afterwards and I decided, after hearing the pros and cons, to try the birth control patch. She showed me how and where to apply it, applying the first one for me and then sent me out with a three month supply along with lots of reading material and a bag with some other fre