Being eyed Before Dawn
It only took a week for Aurora to furnish the new home in Forks. She was very proud of her obsessive need to get things done once she started them. It also helped that her jet lag did not let her sleep more than a few hours a night, hence she spent most of her days and dark nights unpacking the stacks of boxes that had made it to her door the day after she arrived to Forks. On the 6th day of her arrival, Aurora was pleased to see the house had looked like it had been lived in for years. Her determination also allowed her to cajole the internet company to come and set up her internet connection a whole week ahead of schedule.
As she stood the middle of the den, which she had nicknamed the pillow fort, as she had about 15 pillows on the oversized sofa, she sighed in contentment. Her parents had always reprimanded her for buying trinkets everywhere they went. But it seemed that each trinket now had its place in her new home. The dagger she bought from a Syrian flea market in Damascus was placed on her large desk in her office, meant as a letter opener. The papyrus painting, she bought in Cairo, though she suspected it was not real papyrus but banana leaf paper, hung in the den underneath the sofa. The dozens of little jars of scented perfumes and oils that she had bought in Amman, Jordan were sitting on her small powder table in the bedroom. The plate set she bought in Greece was tucked away in her kitchen cabinets, and the expensive cooking set her mother bought her for entertaining guests, or as her mother put it "male companions who enjoy the finer things in life" from some luxurious French cooking connoisseur, were hanging in her kitchen above the stove.
"Everything is in its place," she whispered. "Even me."
Though Aurora could still hear the heart-breaking voice of her editor in her head, who told her taking a nature assignment for a regional magazine in the States could potentially kill her career as a rising star, Aurora took the chance. She had never heard of Wildlife Washington Magazine in her life, but after having seen the photospreads in the small monthly publication, she decided Washington state is where she would go. And here she was. On the nights Aurora woke up with a dull headache and a dull feeling of regret, she researched all she could about the area she now resided in. She realized that the breathtaking natural landscapes in what was now her very own backyard would give even National Geographic a run for their money. She fell back into the pillow fort on her sofa and sent an email to her new editor – Bruce, as he liked to be called. The older man who had run the magazine for several decades thought Aurora was joking hen she phoned him and introduced herself as the new photographer. He almost hung up on the phone on her but relented after her editor sent an email confirming the strange news. Bruce was an old-school editor who cared about one thing – get the assignment done on time and well, other than that, don't bother him. She wrote a short email, letting him know she would be sending photographs of the sunrise over the Forks area in the coming days, followed by a spread that was to be Titled, "Beauty by Sunrise, Beauty by Nightfall" in which she would do a series of photospreads of wildlife in the morning and night around Forks. She finished the email and made a beeline for her big bathtub which was yet to be christened with a steaming hot bath.
After a scalding soak, Aurora wrapped herself in a warm bathrobe and crawled into bed. It wasn't even 8 PM and already she felt her eyes giving up as she cuddled under a thick down blanket. Before she drifted off to sleep, she looked out the bedroom window, her thoughts drifting back to the first day the she arrived and that strange feeling of being watched. She groaned and thought no more of it as sleep overtook her body and mind.
Sometime after 3 AM Aurora rolled over in her bed, the jet lag had once again interrupted a rather peaceful sleep, which was rare for her. She groaned, kicking the blankets off her. Stretching like a cat, she made her way into the kitchen, peering out of the window. She put on a kettle for some tea and continued to stare out the window, wondering wistfully of the adventure that awaited her. She realized that if she stayed true to her assignment, she would have to start her hike well before dawn if she were to get the photos, she wanted for her sunrise feature. She yawned loudly as she poured herself a mug of chamomile tea. Aurora went back to the window and continued to daydream. Just like the first time, another overwhelming feeling hit her. She trembled, stumbling back having to put back the mug of tea onto the counter so as to not burn herself. She scowled at the window, seeing only her reflection, her emerald eyes and her petite frame staring right back at her with the same scowl. Goosebumps covered her arms and legs as she continued to look out the window. Was someone out there? Was something out there?
"Yes, it's bigfoot and the mothman and…." She tried to laugh at her own fear but found it harder to ignore the feeling.
Finally, she decided enough was enough, if there was a creepy racoon or voyeuristic deer out there or a pervy bear, she wasn't going to let it ogle her. Marching down the hall, she slipped on her boots and went outside, almost stomping out and around to the back of the house. Fists clenched, she leered at the looming darkness.
"Okay, whoever or whatever you are, this isn't a free peepshow!" she yelled, feeling almost deranged as the words came out of her mouth.
The only reply was the lonely hoot of an owl somewhere in the distance. She stomped her feet on the soggy ground and marched back in the house, unsure if she felt better or worse. Aurora was long gone when a soft giggle erupted from within the dark forest behind her house. The same pixie haired girl stood, shaking with laughter. She clasped her hand over her mouth to try and stifle the laugh.
"She certainly is a spunky one Alice," said another male voice behind the girl. "And yes, you are right her scent is…"
The girl whom was named Alice looked to her left as from the shadows another pale, golden-eyed and golden-haired man emerged. Alice nodded, smiling widely, exposing pearly white teeth.
"She is just so vivacious!" Alice exclaimed. "And you're right Jasper, her scent is so elegant," she finished.
Both strangers looked at each other and smiled again. The smiles were not malicious but were more of an unspoken understanding and admiration. They stood there for a while more observing the movement in the house before they ran into the shadows once more.
By the time she had drank her now cold tea, it was time to get ready to go out and hunt for photos. Aurora groaned, realizing it would have been to stay in bed rather than taunt beady-eyed creatures as she felt the drowsiness hit her. She dragged herself to her room, changing into jeans and a comfortable sweatshirt, before she checked all her equipment and put into it her camera bag. In her sleepy state she forgot to pocket her phone which she left sitting on her bed stand as she closed the door behind her, hoping the cold morning air would be just the pick-me-up she so desperately needed.