She didn't even have time to laugh.
Lydia stared down at the wilted flowers crushed in the large, yet trembling hands of Isaac Lahey. They were a light sky color, the center fading into a pearly white. Baby Blue Eyes. Her favorite. Whether he knew it or was pure coincidence almost made her pause. Reconsider the rejection she was about to coldly bestow upon the boy. Maybe if she looked long enough she'd notice the flowers were practically a perfect match to his own eyes. Usually dull but today held an odd glimmer of hope.
But a Martin with a Lahey? Oh no that just simply wouldn't do. As much as she'd love to watch her mother's face turn red with rage and listen to her father rant and yell, it wouldn't be worth the trouble. After all she had a family name to uphold. Martin's were courted by Whittemore's. Not Lahey's. With his mother gone and father nothing but a stumbling, angry drunk she doubted they could hardly even be considered a family. More like a poor duo disrupting the balance of the tiny village.
"Isaac, is it?" Lydia began, her lips curling into a thin smile. Of course she knew who he was. There weren't that many people residing here and most had been living in the ramshackle houses for ages. She couldn't explain however the slight twinge in the pit of her stomach when his downcast eyes finally looked up from the ground to meet her own. There was something dark there and something sad. Her lips parted again, a string of kind words caught in her throat. Maybe for once she should let someone down easy. Did he really deserve the sharp tongue she snapped out at anyone within a two foot radius? Perhaps not. But if she didn't turn him away now he'd just come slinking back with more flowers and pretty words printed on paper. Just like the rest of them.
"These are very...thoughtful." She said waving a hand at the flowers. A bit of a grin pricked at the corners of his mouth as he seemed to straighten himself up a bit. Most of the time when Lydia spotted Isaac sulking about town his shoulders hung low. It only seemed to enhance the dark circles under his eyes. Today however he stood taller than she'd ever seen. She wasn't sure where the newfound confidence the Lahey boy had discovered came from. But it was all too new not to notice.
This confidence suited him. Made his eyes shine brighter and a glow radiate from his very core. Lydia bit back a smile however as she looked up at him. It just wasn't enough.
"But unfortunately I only let men waste my time." she let the confusion settle on his face, "not puppies."
The final blow to bring them down. Some took it and left, only to try again later. Others spat harsh words in her face storming off. And every now and then she'd get a gracious but sad smile and watch as they strolled away. But rarely did that ever happen. Isaac struck her as the first. He held the demeanor of a man, yet tagged along like a love sick pup.
Isaac's look dropped for just a beat. The age old face of the young boy getting turned down by his supposed dream girl. Lydia could only watch, the notable expressions flashing across his features. Hurt, anger and just that little hint of desperation. His hands fell, flowers falling to the ground in a soundless manner.
"But I-" he started, determination in his stance.
"I'm sorry Isaac." Lydia shrugged lightly, her eyes turning towards the sky. "It's getting late and I just simply don't have a moment to spare." She brought her arms up, woven basket resting just over her stomach. The girl released one hand to tug up the hood of her dark rose colored cloak. She began to push past Isaac when suddenly she felt his hand grasp around her wrist.
Lydia was then whipped around to face Isaac. His grip was iron, knuckles whitened. The cry she prepared to emit was choked down however the moment she saw the look on his face. There was nothing about the boy she knew recognized. Just a cold rage. Lydia tugged her arm again but to no avail could she struggle free.
He leaned in, breath warm on her cheeks. The scowl he had now turned upwards into a grin that was all but human. His grip continued to tighten as he pulled her closer and closer until they were mere inches apart. Lydia looked right up into his lightning blue eyes, her jaw locked in a fierce persistence not to show any sign of fear. She faulted slightly seeing the strange look in his expression, only causing Isaac's smirk to widen.
"You're going to regret this." He said, almost in a sing-song manner. If it weren't for his terrifying visage it'd almost sound light, playful. Like he was doing nothing more than teasing the girl. Isaac's grasp lightened just enough for Lydia to finally rip herself away, drawing a few steps back.
"Are you threatening me, Isaac Lahey?" She snapped, loudly. Eyes searching around to see if anyone was nearby. It appeared however they were perfectly alone. Always conscious of her appearance, Lydia straightened out her cloak, running a hand to smooth down her dress. She could feel a dull, throbbing pain forming across her wrist where Isaac had grabbed her, but chose to ignore it.
He leaned in once more, but kept his feet planted firmly on the ground. The grin was gone, replaced only by a stone expression. His eyes however remained bright, tinged with that wild insanity. "I don't make threats." He replied back, voice low. With that Isaac dropped the stance. Let his arms hang loosely beside him before backtracking, eyes still on Lydia. He turned after a moment and headed back across the hill.
It took her a moment to realize her legs and hands were shaking. Lydia sucked in a deep breath, held it for a beat, before exhaling. She frowned bitterly trying to regain her composure. How dare someone treat her that way. Just who exactly did the Lahey boy suddenly think he was. She had no time to waste though and began to push what exactly had just happened back into her thoughts. There was no point in dwelling on it now. Lydia refused to let the newly proclaimed psychopath get into her head. She knew that if she stood there worrying and wondering over the sudden change in the boy it'd drive her mad and only expend the little time she had left of daylight.
She clutched her basket closer to her and turned in the opposite direction of the village. Before Isaac had stopped her, offering up his pathetic proposal, she had been trekking from the marketplace out to her grandmother's house. Her grandmother who hadn't lived inside the village for quite some time chose to live among the woods. However her old age was beginning to take it's toll on the older Martin woman and she could hardly get out of the house.
Lydia had taken it upon herself to help her whenever she could. Staying for a few days at a time and leaving to gather up whatever food and treats she needed. Today she had rounded all she could at the marketplace and prepared her journey back. It was only around an hour but with the sun fading fast, she'd have to make it sooner. Or risk traveling through the dark woods alone. Tugging again at the hood encasing her red locks, the girl headed off, disappearing past the forest line.
Since she could remember she had been running through the woods. From her early days as a child and even now, practically a woman. The obscure patterns and criss-crossed roots were as familiar as the back of her own hand. Still despite the ground itself being well known the creatures that dwelled among the shadows were not. Predators of all kinds lurked in the silhouettes of trees marking the territory unsafe. Very few dared to step foot through here but Lydia was unlike many of the villagers she lived with.
She let her hand run across the bark of the thick trees, stepping over fallen logs. The farther she walked the darker the forest became. With only the moon to guide her home Lydia could feel a certain chill began to prick at her spine. She had to mentally tell herself to shake the feeling and focus on getting home. Those little fable's of monsters going bump in the night however began to creep into her thoughts. It was silly of course. She never believed in monsters when she was just a young girl. Why start now?
Snap.
Footsteps other than her own. Lydia froze in place, one hand clutching the basket, other drawn at the edge of her cloak. Was someone else out here? Most, if any, hardly even journeyed out in the day. As far as she knew her family were the only ones who ever took to the woods. Could it be all in her head? Maybe today's events had shaken her more than she'd like to believe. Letting out a short breath of frustration the redhead continued on, ignoring the fear that was starting to twist her stomach in knots.
But there it came again.
The sound of footsteps crunching the twigs and leaves of the forest floor. Just to her far left.
"Hello?" Her voice came out to be a bit more timid and shaky than she had hoped. Lydia cleared her throat trying again. "Is someone there?" The only reply however was silence. The debate in her mind whether to keep moving was raging. Though it seemed at this point it was far too late to turn back. So against her better judgement, she pressed on.
She had only moved a few steps forward when what sounded almost like a low laugh snaked its way through the branches of the trees. Instead of stopping for a second time however the girl picked up her pace. She felt her feet catching on the roots but managed to keep her balance. The single thought of 'I don't believe in monsters, I don't believe in monsters' trailed endlessly through her mind. Over and over again. Yet the further she traveled, with the sounds of pounding footsteps and little whispers following along it became harder and harder to believe.
As she continued to move through the dark woods her steps became larger, almost at a run. The girl looked to her right, a flash of yellow among the tall oaks, then gone once more. Was she going mad? The branches and low twigs tore at her dress and any exposed skin, hood being ripped from her head. She felt the sting of sharp limbs catching at her face but she ignored it. The footsteps only growing louder and closer.
Lydia wiped a hand across her cheek, noting a few spots of blood. She let a rather unladylike curse out from under her breath but continued to press forward. How much further could it possibly be? Surely the clearing before her grandmother's cottage was close. The voice and footsteps slowly faded behind her and the girl came to a momentary stop to catch her breath. She looked around her, feeling among the trunk of a tree, trying to recognize where she was. A bit of a laugh escaped from her throat. Maybe it was all in her head.
Turning to her left and, hopping across a fallen log the girl finally came across the familiar clearing. It was just up the hill now and she could see the faint glow from her grandmother's. Strange. She'd typically be asleep at this point but maybe the older woman had stayed up to wait for her.
The closer Lydia got however the more her stomach churned and the more her heart raced. Something felt off but she couldn't explain what. Her fingers clenched into fists around the basket as she moved up the hill. Her grandmother's small stone cottage soon came into view. Immediately Lydia knew something was wrong. The front door hung wide open. The curtains usually neatly pulled back were tattered in shreds around the window.
The basket fell from her hands, food tumbling everywhere as the girl charged forward. "Grandmother?" She called out stepping into the house. A warm fire was burning in the fireplace while everything else in the front room laid in shambles. A table overturned, chairs broken and what looked like claw marks raking all across the walls and what was left of the furniture. Crimson dotted across the floor, a patch of blood gathering just outside her grandmother's bedroom door.
"Grandmother?" Lydia called again, a sob catching in her throat as tears began pricking at the corner of her eyes.
"Hello, Lydia." A voice called from behind.
Lydia quickly turned around, red hood falling from atop her curls. There stood Isaac. Dark shirt coated in blood, hair matted down with sweat. His stormy blue eyes now glowing a vibrant gold. What looked like claws extended from the tips of his fingers, those painted scarlet as well. She was shaking now, moving backwards until she was pressed up against the wall. Isaac only took one short step forward, ghosting into the flushed light of the fire.
It was then that she could make out the features of his face. Strange and contorted, animalistic and savage. What she noticed most of all though were the pearlescent fangs, protruding from his mouth and dripping with blood.
"Can you spare a moment now?"
She didn't even have time to scream.