FIRST TASTE.
Part 1.
There it was. Again. The sound that triggered the beginning of the dream. The deep, methodical thump that repeated, again and again, like a clock counting down the seconds to my death.
I looked around, yet again confused as to why I was there. I could smell the fresh earth that I stood on; I could see nothing but the small path ahead of me, lit by the dull moonlight. But what gave me chills was knowing that I was being watched. Every movement, every breath. I was being hunted.
I closed my eyes for a brief moment, some part of me attempting to feel my surroundings as goosebumps rippled down my body. I silently exhaled and opened my eyes, immediately startled to see the shadow of a body in the soft light ahead. Something about the person felt familiar. It wasn't possible to decipher who it was, nor their intentions, but something about the figure allowed the feeling of safety to engulf me.
"Is that really you?" I was shocked to realize that I was the one who spoke the quiet question. I couldn't even tell who it was, what was I doing asking that? The figure remained still. A twig snapped from behind me as a gust of wind twisted my hair around my face, blinding me. A blood-curdling scream overtook all of my senses as I tripped over my own feet, falling to the floor in my attempt to run from whatever had produced the shrill sound.
Strong hands gripped my wrists and pulled me up, already dragging me away while my legs failed to catch up to my body. "Come on," the soft voice murmured as I felt myself completely lifted off of the ground. My hand, now free, reached up to move my hair from my face to see my savior. I pushed aside my thick hair and looked at the face of the person carrying me. Between the fog and the fast pace set as we ran through the woods, very little light allowed me to see. A fallen tree came into view reflected by a puddle of silver light and I knew that we would have to jump in order to make it. As we did, the moonlight shone brightly in my eyes, now accustomed to the dark blanket of the trees. I turned my head, my cheek rubbing against the tight muscles that my face rested on. As my eyes traveled up, moments before revealing the identity of this mysterious person, we were hit.
The breath left my body as I was flung across a tree. I rolled onto the dark forest floor, only stopping after colliding with something hard. My whimper turned to a hiss as I attempted to open my eyes. I grasped my head as my vision blurred. There it was again, the painful scream of something angrily hunting, frustrated in its fury.
My eyes went wide as a flash of red crossed ahead. It was then that I smelled it, the smell of blood. I looked down. I couldn't quite see it, but it was then that I felt the searing pain in my calf. The strong smell of blood was coming from me, it had to be. I felt the trickle of a hot sticky liquid coming from the cut in my calf. I pressed against it to slow the bleeding, biting my lip at the pain in the effort to keep quiet from whatever was in the woods with us.
"Don't say a word," I jumped at the lips that spoke in my ear, the whispered words barely audible. "Don't move. I will be right back."
"My leg. I'm hurt," I turned to whisper back, my lips accidentally grazing the person's jaw. "Sorry."
"Just stay put." I don't know how long I sat there. Maybe just a few minutes passed, maybe an hour. I sat there, bleeding, and silently straining to hear the sound of anything other than my own rapid breathing.
"I'm here," Out of nowhere, I heard the voice. But this one was different. My entire body went on high alert trying to gauge just how close the other thing was. "HERE," the thing completely overtook me, grabbing and tearing at my skin. I screamed as I felt a deep burning. I struggled to breathe, feeling liquid bubble up inside of me. I was choking. My vision was fading; I was dying. "NO!" The original voice called, pulling and shoving the thing off of me. But it didn't matter. I was floating. Things became quiet, calm even, as I lay there, swallowing my own blood. And then everything was still.
"Layna. Layna?" I squinted my eyes open. "You're going to be late if you don't wake up. I don't know how you can possibly miss all 8 alarms." I blinked at my aunt, the dream I'd just had fading away. Death fading away.
"Okay, thanks," my voice came out hoarse. I took a few seconds to stretch out, relaxing into my bed and shaking off the bizarre dream that seemed to be occurring more and more frequently. Doesn't matter. Today is a new start, I thought to myself. Today, in fact, was the first day of school. I was finally starting my junior year. With any luck, it would go by quickly and be more eventful than last year.
I glanced at my alarm clock, "Shit! I'm actually late." So much for looking cute on the first day. I rushed to pull on the clothes that I had decided upon last night. I ran a brush through my hair while trying to simultaneously start my makeup, with little success.
"Layna, let's go! I'm leaving in 5 minutes with or without you!" Damn, I thought. Whatever, no one important to impress anyway. No one new ever entered this town.
I slipped on some ankle boots and grabbed my jacket as I raced out of the room. I certainly didn't want to hike the two miles to school. "Ugh," I narrowly missed colliding with my brother as he raced down the stairs in his signature hoodie. "Wait up, Jer. Don't let Jenna leave without me." I, at a much slower pace, followed my brother down to the car, locking the door on my way out. Things had been incredibly different this time last year. My mother and father were still alive, for one thing. My aunt also hadn't been living with us; only having moved into our house after she became our legal guardian. It had been a rough summer trying to come to terms with the fact that I would never see them again. I wouldn't have them there for the day I graduated, the day I finally fell in love and got married, or started a family. The thought depressed me so I pushed it aside as I always did, never truly processing the feelings that suffocated me. I'll save that for another day, I thought as I opened the car door. "Thanks for driving us, Jenna," I said as I glanced over at my brother – earphones in listening to music and already ignoring us. Although he was only one year younger than me, he was struggling far more than I was after the events that took place only three months ago.
"No problem. But you better be up earlier tomorrow or you're going to have to start walking," Jenna said while meeting my eyes. Although she was playing the role of the tough mom, I knew that she was still struggling with trying to figure out how to go from the fun aunt to taking over the responsibilities that my mom had left behind.
"Will do. Just had some nightmares last night that kind of threw me off." I turned to stare out the car window, all of us silently lost in our own thoughts while the radio quietly played music. It really was a nice town, all things considered. Substantially harder to deal with after having gone through such an unexpected and major loss; it was nearly impossible not to see memories all around me. It was a pretty day, though. The sun was shining, it was just cold enough for a light jacket, and despite the crazy morning, I didn't look totally awful.
"Alright, guys, have a good day. I'll pick you both up after school. Sound good?" Jeremy glanced at Jenna and simply closed the car door and left. "Please keep an eye on him, Layna. It isn't that I don't worry about you too, I just know how strong you are." I lifted my lips into a smile that didn't reach my eyes. With that, I nodded and left.
I headed to the cafeteria to find the registration table for my name. After checking in and getting my schedule, I found a spot to sit while I waited for my best friends, Caroline and Bonnie. While waiting for them, I looked over my schedule. With all of the chaos of the funerals at the end of the year I missed a lot of school. I never actually pre-registered for classes this year and knew I likely would have to try to change some of them. Algebra two, English, AP Environmental science, US History, Study Hall as predicted. Anatomy and Physiology, Creative writing, and History of SciFi, not so much. Definitely going to have to change that.
"Layna!" I heard my name called by Caroline and looked up in time to see Bonnie wave before I was engulfed in a hug with my best friends. Sure, I had relied heavily on their support all summer, but this was different. This was my fresh start. My opportunity to show everyone who knew the old Layna that I was okay. But are you? I couldn't help the fleeting subconscious thought.
"Caroline, Bonnie," I sighed into their warm hug. "Boy am I glad to see you. Now let me see your schedule," I laughed as I showed them mine.
"Anatomy? History of SciFi?" Caroline scoffed. "Honestly, why would that class even need to exist. Eww."
"Well at least they got Creative Writing right," I rolled my eyes at Bonnie's statement. "Oh please, like you don't write in your diary every night. I think that will be a great fit for you. It also just so happen I'm in it too. By mistake, granted, but I can stick it out if it means class with you."
"Can't say I'll be joining you for that one. Especially if it meant no home economics. I think I'll do really well learning about design and useful, practical skills," she grinned at us. "But at least drop SciFi nerd class. Join us in Health. We can knock it out so that next year is absolutely perfect." The first bell rang and anxious freshmen scrambled to get to class. We stood and headed in the opposite direction towards the junior wing.
"Definitely. I have zero interest in science fiction, or any type of fantasy, for that matter-" I was cut off as I collided with another student, nearly falling to the ground.
"Geez, watch where you're going!" Caroline sneered at the stranger whose grip had helped me to regain my balance.
"Uh," I looked up into the most shockingly blue eyes I've ever seen. Beautiful would be an understatement. "I'm sorry, I totally was not paying attention," the stranger released her grasp and I subconsciously rubbed the point of contact.
"C'mon, Layna," Bonnie intervened and grabbed my arm to pull me away. "We're going to be late if we don't hurry."
"Who even was that? I've never seen her before. And trust me, I make it my business to know everyone in this town," Caroline stated as we walked away.
"I have no idea," I murmured. As we turned to go up the stairs, I looked back. My heart raced as my eyes collided with the girl's blue eyes. She appeared not to have moved. Something about her seemed almost familiar. Suddenly she grinned at me, only lifting one side of her lips. And just like that she was gone.