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Again, beautiful. But the overall view of it was jagged with Aiden next to me. Aiden, it was a pretty name. I looked from the landscape to him. The way his hair flew in the wind and how it brushed his cheek made me smile. I stared at his face for a long time then noticed him staring at me smiling, from the corner of his green eyes. I turned away a little flushed, looking down at the dirt road. I was doing okay at this, being around humans. I have to admit I was being a little anti-social, but at least I hadn't eaten anyone yet. I looked up at the houses and tiny shops we passed. They were so old fashioned, all painted in a light beige color, and medium in size. There were no flashing lights or huge billboards, just the street-lights making everything a beautiful shadow. We walked past a gas station where three men sat in rocking chairs swallowing their rum and talking very loudly.

"Well, looky there fellas'!" A man with cowboy boots, jeans, and a plaid, buttoned-down shirt sat up tugging at the back of his pants with one hand and holding his bottle in the other. His eyes were a little glossy you could tell the thinking process was still going for him. He smelled terrible. "Looks like ye' brought home a lil' friend now, did'ja Aiden?!" The others howled with drunken laughter, and wobbled in their chairs. I just looked at them then looked at the ground and kicked a rock.

"Hey Tom, Bill, Mr. Henderson, I'd love to stay and chat but I need to take care of my friend Olivia." He looked down at me and smiled. I noticed now he was well taller than me, a good inch or two.

"Oh, now I know you'll take care of her well!" said the man next to the first. I suspected this to be Bill. He gave me a wink and took another gulp of his liquor.

Aiden gave them a nod and walked on. I followed close behind.

Soon, we walked up to a tiny house at the corner of the road, with a flower pot on the windowsill. He opened the door and motioned for me to come in. I stepped through the threshold and took in the place. It was nice and simplistic, a little of what I suspected to find in a town in the middle of nowhere.

"Mom, I'm home." Aiden shouted from the door, hanging up his sweater.

A noise came from the right side of the house which I suspected to be the kitchen with the aroma of various foods coming my way. A pot clanged to the floor, and some curse words followed. Then a robust woman came to us wiping her hands on her apron, and then fixing them comfortably at her side.

"Where have you been Aiden? I've been waitin' here for you for about an hour!" The woman then turned her attention to me and gave a great smile, just like her son's.

"Why hello. I'm Mrs. Corrigan but you can call me Betty." She turned her smile to Aiden. "Who's your friend?" She looked at us imploringly as if she had to be somewhere.

Before he could start I cut in front. "My name's Olivia. Um, Aiden was nice enough to take me here because I was lost in the forest and well . . . ." I took a step back and looked down at my clothes, then looked up to see her face. She took the bait.



"Oh my! Miss Olivia! I will have you fixed up in no time! Aiden, son, be of some use and finish up what I have cookin' in the kitchen." She went to grab my hand, and when feeling my icy fingers, she didn't pull away but clasped them tighter and put her other hand on mine. "My goodness, you are so cold!" Was this a common reaction to everyone with cold hands? "Don't you worry my dear, we will have you better in no time!" she then grabbed my wrist and dragged me away. I looked back pleadingly at Aiden who was already walking into the other room with his broad shoulders shaking and mouth in a tight-lipped smile.

It wasn't as torturous as I thought it would be but it still was pretty bad. After shoving me in a shower with water that could have easily been mistaken as lava, I was washed to the bone and I thought my hair was going to fall out from that woman's pudgy fingers rubbing my scalp. She was so annoyed that I was still below zero after the wash down. I tried to ease her failure by saying that I was always cold. She then dressed me in a long-sleeved gray T-shirt and blue jeans. She then had to run next door to the neighbors to beckon for some shoes that would fit my size, which were a couple sizes smaller than hers. I was relieved when she came back with a good ol' pair of black converse, my favorite. She then blow-dried my hair and nearly pushed me across the hallway to go eat. Oh no, eating time. I was dreadfully hungry but not in their way.

"Do you think I could step outside for a minute or two to, you know, get some fresh air?" I asked as politely as I could to make it seem a little normal. Mrs. Corrigan nodded, not looking up while setting the table. I walked out the back door to find that their backyard was literally the woods. Perfect, I thought. I quietly slipped off my shoes and socks and was out in a flash. After five minutes I was back making sure I was clean. I walked to go put my socks and shoes back on and had a panic attack when I noticed that they were gone. I sniffed at the air and wheeled around to find Aiden sitting on the porch with my things next to him.

"Is that how you ran off from your home?" He stared up at me. It wasn't a joke. He was somehow offended.

"No." I whispered. "I left my home and didn't come back."

He got up and handed me my things and walked inside. He then popped his head back out. "Dinner's ready if you want."

I just stood there. What did he see? No, he couldn't have seen anything. I slipped on my socks and shoes and thought. I then agreed that I wasn't leaving. But how was I going to eat? He had said that dinner is ready if I wanted and I didn't want so I just took a seat at the edge of the porch where Aiden was sitting before. I hated doing this. I should have left him when I had the chance back in the forest when he first said hi. It wouldn't have hurt either of us then. He would have just walked on and continued his hike home to tell his mother that he found a lost girl in the woods that ran away. Except now, he was probably telling his mother than he found a lost girl in the forest decided to bring her home and was trying to find out a way to get rid of her. I shook my head. A thunder echoed in the distance and as surely as the moon follows the sun, the rain came. I hurried inside so as not to get my new clothes soggy, and nearly fell on my face when I ran through the door. Two sets of eyes stared at me as I caught 

myself and slowly looked up. He was done eating and had his hands set together on the table, and his mother finishing her plate. I interrupted their conversation. I'm sorry. It was at the tip of my tongue. As was 'thank you' and still again 'I'm so sorry.' But no, I just stood there like an idiot. I had to remember to breathe.

"Uh . . . ."