Author's note
I'm sorry it took me this long to post again, but I've just been really out of it lately. Also the other book I've posted The Huntress really has five chapters, but I messed up and accidentally made chapters 1-4 on the same chapter. Please read it and review.
Chapter Three
Scars
Eden
I wake and find myself staring at Anneal's chest. I sit up and realize at some point in the night I had draped myself protectively over Anneal's chest.
I sit and breathe for moment. My dreams are slow coming back to me. I remember seeing Anneal lying, breathing hard on the ground. He was severely wounded. The demons were coming back at him. I had flung myself in front of him to protect him. The dream must have ended there, because I don't remember anything else.
Arms snake around me and pull me on Anneal's chest. He kisses my neck and rubs my belly. We just lay there for several minutes. After a while I begin to feel my hunger. I get out of bed and head for the kitchen. I faintly hear Anneal's footsteps behind me. To hungry to make anything elaborate, I grab a bowl and captain crunch. I eat so quickly that I begin to feel like it'll end up back in the bowl.
Anneal walks over with a look on his face that is a mix of humor and concern. He puts his hand on my forehead.
"Are you alright?" he says putting his cheek next to mine. "You seem warm." He decides.
"I feel like shit."
"Now I know you're sick." He laughs. "It's been a while since you've acted like a teenager."
"I repeat. I feel like shit. And now I feel like I'm forty-five and have wrinkles to early." He hugs me and carries me back to bed. He kisses my forehead walks over to turn on the window air conditioner. He pulls the sheet up over me.
"I've got to get to the restaurant. I'll be back by six. There's some Tums or Pepto in the bathroom if your stomach starts to hurt." He kisses my forehead quick. "If you think you need me, then call me." He kisses me one last time and races out the door, grabbing a t-shirt and non-ripped jeans.
The pack owns a restaurant to help them and us with funds. It's about the only place to eat within the vicinity. You'd have to go into the city to find anything like McDonalds to eat, but there are a few family owned restaurants in town. After a while we realized that people from the city were coming here just to eat at The Wooden Flute. Anneal is the official owner so he named the restaurant after me.
I sleep for about two hours and wake up feeling fine. I check the clock, 2:47. I change into a pair of sweat shorts, but I keep my green tank-top and put on my tennis shoes. Grabbing my iPod, I pull my hair up and head out the door for a run.
I jog quickly down the long lane, up the hill in the road, and pass the General Store, and other little shops. I have to remember to pick up a pie from there on my way home.
I slow down a bit as I jog through town. I pass my school and thank the heavens that it's June, but this morning the air is surprisingly cool, maybe 65 degrees at the most.
People in this town know me and heard that I was in a horrible accident on sixteenth birthday. They think that I had tripped and fell down one of the low cliffs. It would explain the scars.
I rounded the corner and crashed into something. Someone is more like it.
"Oh God!" he says. "I'm sorry. I wasn't even looking." I recognized the voice immediately. Alec! He went off to collage. He must be back for summer break.
"No problem. I was going to fast." He reaches a hand down to me. I accept it. He starts to pull me up without effort. He drops my hand, gasps, and I fall back and hit my head sharply on a rock. I groan.
"Eden!" he shouts as if he's just recognizing me. "What happened to you?" I know he's not asking about me hitting my head, because he knows it's his fault. "Those scars!" I try to sit up and fall back down. Pain shakes through my head. "God I'm sorry! Are you alright?" I try to respond, but it comes out as another groan of pain.
Alec bends down, puts one arm under my shoulders and the other under my knees. "I'm going to get you help." He must have a car or something near by. I feel myself being lifted into a seat. He probably drove into town instead of running. He was dressed like he was jogging.
I tried my hardest to stay conscious, but my eyes were growing heavier and heavier. Pain grew in my head again and I yelled this time. He jerked the car to a stop and I heard him dialing three numbers on his cell phone. Less than ten minutes later I heard, faintly, sirens. I was being lifted onto something and I black out.
**************
Bright lights. They shined through my eyelids. I opened my eyes and things start to become focused. The first thing I see is Alec's worried and mortified expression. It turns to relief when I open my eyes fully. He leans down and hugs me. He raps his arms all the way under my shoulders and sits me up so he can pull me tight against him.
"I was so worried." He says. "This is my entire fault. I was coming to see you and I end up landing you in the hospital and giving you a concussion. I'm such an idiot."
"I'm not going to confirm or deny that." I reply.
"How are you? Really?"
"I am fine."
"Why didn't you tell me you fell of a cliff?" he asks growing worried. "They said you had head injuries in that accident to."
"You weren't there and I wasn't exactly going to call you and tell you I fell off a cliff into the water." Because it didn't happen! My mind screams.
"I would have appreciated it. I would have appreciated knowing that you weren't dead." He says almost disgusted. Good. That means I'm doing my job right.
"Why the hell would you think that I was dead?"
"Someone sent me an anonymous email saying you fell off a cliff and that was it. I didn't know if you were okay, in a coma. Alive." He kinda choked out the last part.
I slide out of his arms and out of the white bed. I can stand fine and I feel fine. "Where are you going?" he asks. I notice that I still have the cloths I was running in on.
"I have to call Anneal to tell him to pick me up." I make my way through the halls looking for a doctor. Alec follows close behind me.
"You're brother?"
"He's not my brother. He's my boyfriend." I reply.
"Boyfriend?! I thought that I…" I cut him off.
"What? You thought that you were still my boyfriend after you dumped me, because I wouldn't have sex with you when I was fifteen? Is that it? Huh? Dickhead?"
"I'm sorry." He whispers.
"Yeah me to." He's looking at his feet, so I take this moment to punch him. Hard. He yelps and jumps back.
"I saved your life." He retorts.
"Yeah you sure as hell did, right after you put it in danger in the first place." I rise to scream. I nurse tugs on my arm.
"Honey you should lay down. Can we call your parents for you?" I turn around and give her a look so cold she seems to freeze in her place. I feel my eyes changing slightly. It's as if the glow almost. Fury and hatred expel from my expression.
"I don't have any parents." I sound like the demon that knew my name. I hissed it out at her and she goes quickly down the hall, probably in search of a doctor with a tranquilizer needle and I van on hold to take me to an asylum. I turn back to face Alec, fuming. His nose is flowing blood and another nurse is blotting it while he winces. Wimp! I would never cry over my nose bleeding anymore. I'm stronger than he'll ever be. I go back into the room and grab my phone off the bedside table along with my iPod.
I pass Alec looking at me with a horrified scared expression. He's not scared for me. He's scared of me.
"Later asshole." I sneer and head for the door, dialing Anneal's number. I keep my head down, because my green eyes still seem to be yellow.
"Hello? Eden? You okay?" he answers.
"I'm fine, but I need you to pick me up form the hospital."
"What happened?!"
"Nothing. I fell and some jogger overreacted and called 911."
"If you say so." He replies. "I'm on my way." Anneal trusts me to much.
A few minutes later Anneal's truck pulls up in front of the hospital. I walk outside as Alec comes around the corner.
"Eden!" he runs up to me to fast. I didn't make it to the car in time.
I look over at the parking lot where Anneal sits in his truck. He's reading something and he doesn't see me.
"What do you want?" I say as if I'm exhausted.
"I really am sorry." Why does he keep apologizing? "For everything. Not just today, but for when I pressured you and dumped you. I was stupid and I'm sorry. Do you want to go out tonight?" he asks.
"What part of Anneal is my boyfriend don't you understand?"
He is insistent.
"The boy friend part. He's too old for you. You're seventeen and he's what? Twenty-five?"
"He's twenty-three, he stronger than you and he would kick your ass if I told him too, I love him! And he loves me!" I screech at him.
"He loves you? Guys that old only want one thing from girls like you and you know it."
"You're twenty-one! What do you want? To make up? To talk and kiss?" My voice rises again. "No! Because that wasn't enough for you two years ago and it's not enough for you now, and it never will be! So leave me the hell alone!" his eyes flash angrily and they stay that way. His face softens though. He was always a good liar. He didn't even have to speak to lie. He smiles softly and reaches for me. I jerk back but he catches me and kisses me. I pull my knee up hard and he doubles over gasping.
"Like I said dickhead! Leave me the hell alone!" I storm off leaving him to eat my dust.
"What was that all about?" Anneal asks when I get to the car.
"Nothing." I reply. "It was just someone asking for directions."
At that he starts the car and drives us to The Wooden Flute. He pulls up and I jump out only to be tackled in a hug by Starr.
"Oh my God!" she exclaims. "Are you okay? Anneal said you were at the hospital. Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. I was jogging, smacked into someone else, fell, and hit my head. The guy insisted on calling an ambulance and taking me to the hospital only to find out that I was fine." I take a breath. "He just over reacted. We don't tend to get hurt that easily, you know." Anneal hands me a pair of my jeans.
"We need help waiting tables." He says. "Legs Inn is closed today and we need help waiting tables. I'll cover your shift tomorrow. Then we're even?"
He's referring to the local large and popular Polish restaurant The Legs Inn. "Yeah we're even." I take the jeans and head to the bathroom.
I come out, grab my apron, and head to the table Eli is pointing at.
"Hello, my name is Eden and I'll be taking care of you this evening." I say trying not to sound monotonous. "Can I get you something to drink or something to start with?" I wait in silence for the burly man to put down his menu and answer me.
"Excuse me?" I say. Still no answer. "Sir?"
"I'll have a Bud and an apology." He says.
"What the hell are you talking abo…." The man puts his menu down. Alec.
"I wouldn't count on it, but I'd be more than happy to get that poisoned beer." He gets up and faces me.
"Can't we just go somewhere and talk?" he asks.
"What part of leave me the hell alone, don't you understand?"
He grabs my wrist tight.
"Let's go outside and talk." His voice dropping low and angry.
"No." I say calmly. "I've got paying customers to attend to."
His table is by the door. Why didn't I think he'd follow me?
He pulls harder, opens the door, and drags me out.
"LET GO!" getting pissed.
"No!" He shouts back. "I'm not letting go until you talk to me." I heard the double meaning behind the word "talk".
"Alec, let me go!" I shout. "It's over. You dumped me and I moved on! Not get over it!"
"No, you bitch! I dumped you because you were such a flirt! You flirted with every single guy that you came across. And you lived with that guy! You were only supposed to be staying with him until you could take care of yourself!"
"I was fifteen!" grip on my wrist slides up to my bicep and he squeezes tight.
"I was tired of sharing you! And I hated that guy!"
I take a moment to calm myself down.
"I'm sorry you feel that way about Anneal, but it's too late. I love him now. Do you even know how bad it hurt when you broke up with me? I think I cried for almost two days strait. It killed me, when I went to school the day after we broke up and saw you with that other girl."
Alec's grip tightens. He brings up his other hand to hold onto my shoulder and he grows angrier still. "Don't turn this around on me!"
He drops one of his arms and punches me in the gut.
The blow almost knocks me off my feet and I make a gagging sound.
He drops his other hand and smacks me hard across my face.
I feel my lip and nose dripping blood.
"What the hell's your problem?!" I screech. "Anneal!" He drops his hands and I fall. He kicks me in the ribs.
"What seems to be the problem here?" Eli's voice rings out and relief fills my aching body.
"Get the hell out of here. This is my problem and I'm taking care of it." Alec replies.
"Yeah well, here's the thing." Eli retorts, his voice getting angry. "I don't give a shit. You don't hit a lady, no matter what she's done. And you never hit Eden. Cus she's got a shit load of people that will hit you right back if she doesn't do it herself." As if wanting to prove his words, Eli swings hard and quick at Alec's jaw. With my advanced hearing, I can clearly make out the sound of his jaw shattering.
Alec runs. Coward.
Eli bends down and offers me a hand. I take it and he pulls me up. "Hey you okay?" he asks seeing my swaying.
"I'm fine." I take a deep breath.
Eli looks off in the direction Alec ran. "Jesus." He exclaims. "Stalker much?"
"No, he's just a pathetic asshole." We both just laugh the situation off. "Do you mind not telling Anneal about this?" I ask him.
"I wasn't really planning on it. I think you know it's not sarcasm when I say that Anneal would kill him. How are you going to cover up the blood?"
"I'm going to go find Aria and the healing powers of the sand flute." All of our flutes (weapons) can do the same things, but each of us has our own little power. Aria's just so happens to be healing. Me? Well I'm still waiting to find out.
I hoped you liked this chapter. For all you writers out there, if you have writer's block, try listening to music. It really helps inspire me to write. Sometimes songs tell stories. Those stories can influence yours in ways you can't even imagine.
