Chapter 5

Search, but don't get lost

As she thought, Anny had to explain to her friends why she sat with the Cullen at lunch. Thanks to her charisma and enthusiasm, she got out of it simply, telling the other students they were at her mother's funeral. She didn't like to lie, but she couldn't tell them the Cullen were her friends too. Not yet.

When she came back home, her father wasn't there yet. It was Camellia's mom who drove her home. Camellia wasn't her closest friend, but she was nice enough to ask her mother for a lift when they both saw Jeremy wouldn't arrive soon.

Anny put her bag aside and called her father on his cell phone to prevent him from going at the school unnecessarily. She also told him she would be wandering around the house, probably a bit in the forest. From his tone, she could tell he didn't like it, but she didn't ask for his approval. She hung up and immediately went in her bedroom to find some other clothes she could wear for hiking.

A map would've been a good idea, but she didn't have one and she knew the woods by heart or almost.

When she was ready, Anny ran outside the house and in the forest with joy. The rain had stopped early that day, so she could walk easily, without having to find branches and roots to avoid the holes of mud. The path was clear and it didn't take a lot of time before she found her clearing. Without even looking at her tiny compass, she found the north. She could smell the rain coming, but she had to continue. There was something in the woods that she never saw before. She had to know.

She walked for almost 10 minutes, seeing nothing but the trees all around her. Suddenly, something crashed to her left. The noise was so faint she thought it was her imagination. But then, another sound, like an animal screaming for help, pierced her ears. Curiously, Anny changed her direction to follow the sound. She was about 30 feet of the suppressed cry when she saw it.

Its skin was as white as the Cullen, it had long and wavy red hair and its eyes were the same color as a ruby. She couldn't tell if it was a male or a female. One thing was sure, it was not a human.

Automatically, as if her brain screamed her to panic, Anny turned around and began to run. That time, though, she had no fun at all. She had noise behind her, but never turned around.

This time again, she felt the wind around her, like a tornado. She closed her eyes, knowing it would make her fall. She wasn't tall or strong enough to stay on her feet while the wind blew around her.

Anny's butt hit the ground abruptly. She curled herself into a ball, her knees touching her forehead. The only thing she could hear was the wind and the creature hissing in front of her. A hand took a handful of her hair to make her look up. She opened her eyes a bit to see the blood red eyesight of the creature. She screamed as loud as she could and closed her eyes again. If only it was a dream.

And then, as fast as it began, everything disappeared. The hissing, the wind, the hand on her head, everything. Anny got up slowly, still shaken. Her eyes shot up when she felt the rain beginning to fall. Could this thing be afraid of the rain?

The sky was getting darker every minute, so she looked at her watch. It was almost 6. Her father would be searching for her. She looked around, trying to find where she'd go when she ran away.

She walked back home slowly, her whole body shaking. When she opened the door, she heard Jeremy on the phone. He stopped talking and let out a sigh.

-She's home. Thanks anyway, chef.

He hung up and walked to her. Without letting his daughter say anything, he showed her the stairs and began to talk fast. He was angry, really angry.

-You scared me, Anny!!!! I thought you got lost in the woods! I was about to send chef Swan and a search party!

Anny knew she was in enormous trouble. She sighed, closed her eyes and bowed her head.

-I… I'm sorry dad. I was thinking about mom… And I got lost…

Still furious, Jeremy took his daughter in his arms, comforting her.

-I know it's hard, but I don't want to lose you too!

-I won't o it again, dad, I promise.

And she said the truth. She had no intention of going back in the woods alone. After what happened, the forest was all but appealing to her.

-Go change, we'll eat in a few.

She went to her bedroom. She didn't understand why her father wanted her to change until she looked in a mirror. She had leaves on her back and her hair, along with earth and other stuffs all hanging on her back. She'd never thought she could get that much dirty from a little ride in the woods.

Her mind went back to the attack – 'cause that's what it was – and she tried to understand what was this thing. It looked human, but no one could have eyes that were red. She promised herself she would go to the library to search something about that. If it was an animal, she would find what it was. Maybe she'd even have to say it to chef Swan.

She remembered Bella's name was Swan. She could only be related to the chef. Anny would try to talk to her the day after, maybe she already knew, but it couldn't hurt to ask.

Jeremy knocked on her door and opened it slowly, as Anny put her t-shirt on.

-Diner's ready.

-I'll be down in a second.

He entered the room and sat on her bed.

-Anny, I know it's hard. You don't need to put a happy face. I feel sad too.

She sat next him with one of her stuffed animals – a lion she called blueberry – in her arms.

-I'm not putting a happy face. It's hard, but I know mom wouldn't want me, or you, to cry over her every minute. She always had a smile and… I just don't want to think about her in another way than the woman who always helped others with this little park in her eyes.

Now she was crying. She missed her mother like hell, but life had to go on.

-I'm not trying to forget her, but you know I'm not the kind of girl who will stop everything and cry over and over again.

Jeremy shook his head.

-I don't really know what kind of girl you are anymore, shiny. You grow so fast. I don't know if I can hug you anymore or if you're going to be disgusted by it.

-Dad! I'll never be disgusted by your hugs! And I don't grow so fast. I'm normal, I think.

They both smiled and she gave him a huge hug. Sometimes, she knew he had to be comforted more than she did.

-So, what did you cook?

-Pastas a la McMurry!

-My favorite!!!

She ran downstairs, her father right behind.

So, anyone know what was the creature??? clue: you know it!

answer by review please.