Yes! I got to update again! Please review! I love hearing your comments! It helps me write the next chapter faster! ;) Btw, a new day doesn't mean it's a good day...does it? *bum bum bum; dramatic music*

A New Day

I'm running through a forest. Where I am, I have no idea. Where I'm going, doesn't matter. The soft grass tickles the soles of my feet as I run. The leafy foliage around me gives easily to my presence.

The run is very enjoyable, as I go at a steady pace. The sun shines on my face and the wind blows through my hair, refreshing me.

Suddenly, the sun disappears. The sky is replaced by dark threatening clouds as rain begins to fall. What once was a refreshing breeze is now a hard, cold, bitter wind that nips at my heels. All of the leaves around me seem to reach out and grab a hold of me.

Sweat pours down my brow as I fight my way through the jungle. A howl echoes in the distance, and it's joined by a resounding course from other wolves. Fear clutches at my heart, because I know that they're coming for me.

Faster and faster I try to move, but I only seem to go slower and slower. I can practically feel the ravenous wolves on my heels, but I press on.

I break through a clump of trees, to find myself in the middle of a clearing. The sounds of the storm have all vanished. In confusion, I blink and look around.

On the far side of the clearing, I spot a woman. Hesitantly, I approach her. The woman has sea-green hair, and is robed in an aqua-green dress that falls around her elegantly.

As I approach, the woman turns around and looks at me. She has a kind face, one that looks young but has a clear wise look. She blinks kind green eyes at me and then smiles.

"Hello Vaughn." Her voice is soft and loving.

"Who are you?" I hear myself asking.

"I'm the Harvest Goddess." She answers.

"I thought the Harvest Goddess was a myth." I speculate.

"All myth is based in truth." She tells me with a kind smile.

I feel my previous tension melt away. Even if I didn't really believe she was the Harvest Goddess, she did have a soothing aura to her.

"Why are you here?" I ask her.

She lets out a sigh. It's filled with the pain of a thousand people, and for a minute I truly believe she is the Harvest Goddess. "I've been watching you for a while now Vaughn."

Somehow, this doesn't strike me as creepy. "Your life has been full of much pain and suffering. You've felt little warm emotions in your life."

"You want to tell me something I didn't already know?" I snap at her. Talking about my past was something I could barely manage with Chelsea, let alone a complete stranger.

Chelsea. Her name floats around my head like a bee in a field of flowers. She made me feel peaceful, even in my unconscious state of mind.

"Yes, Chelsea." The Harvest Goddess says like she's read my mind. "You think about her often don't you?"

I nod silently. It was impossible to lie to this woman. She smiles sadly. "And the other girl, Sabrina. She crosses your mind often too."

It's phrased as a statement, not a question; but it's still true. Glumly, I nod. The Harvest Goddess reaches out to pat my shoulder comfortingly.

"You must have patience Vaughn. All things work out eventually. How you want them to work out is up to you."

"How is that supposed to help me?" I snap at her again, more in despair for myself than anger at her.

Abruptly, the leaves behind her rustle. The Harvest Goddess doesn't seem the slightest concerned when a girl steps out into the clearing.

"Chelsea." Her name escapes my lips in a breath as I gaze at her.

She smiles at me. The smile that makes my heart pound faster every time I see it. Her face is just so lovely; I can't do anything but stare and watch her.

Then the leaves rustle again. Another girl steps out from the leaves and stands next to Chelsea. My heart seems to stop when I realize who it is.

"Sabrina." The words don't come out of my mouth; they're just a whisper on the wind.

She smiles at me. A little timid smile that used to make me hunger for her. It does nothing but break my heart all over again.

Anxiously, I turn to the Harvest Goddess. "Why?" I ask her in despair. "Why would you do this to me?"

The Harvest Goddess gives me a sad smile. "Only you may choose your own destiny Vaughn. And remember, life always gets worse before it gets better. But, you always have a choice. "

Before I can blink, she's just gone. I look back to the two girls. Both are still smiling at me, and both are fading away.

The clearing closes in on me, and I hear the howling of the wolves again. Once again, the sun is gone and the rain is back in its place. As the rain drips down my face and blurs my vision, the storm comes back; harder than before.

Both girls in front of me are disappearing fast. As they vanish, I cry out a name; but the thunder covers my yell and I can't hear what I said.

The clearing closes in on me, making me feel trapped. The rain pelts down on my skin, burning with every drop. Wolves snap at me, attacking me from all angles. I cry out in pain as they bite me, piercing me with their razor sharp teeth.

I want to run, but I can't move. I can't run from my troubles any longer. As I'm down on the ground being ripped to shreds by the wolves, I feel a calm spread over me.

I was drowning in water and a pool of my own blood. The forest around me was smothering me, blocking my breathing. Wolves were eating me alive as I lay there, but I felt calm. No longer screaming, or in pain.

I feel a lone tear trace its way down my face. Tranquilly, I take in one more breath. Then I feel something pierce my heart, and I let out a blood-curdling scream.

I bolt up in my bed, gasping for breath. I've drenched in sweat, and I'm twisted in my blankets. My heart is beating faster than it ever has before, though I'm glad that it's okay and still pumping away.

Gradually, my breathing begins to slow down. I lick my dry lips purely for comfort. My hands clench and unclench over and over again.

After what seems like ages, my breathing has calmed down and so has my heart rate. I glance at the clock to find that it's almost eight in the morning.

"Well that was different." I mutter. Nightmares were a regular thing for me, but this one had been different than all the others.

My stomach growls at me. I growl back at it. "You can never get enough food, can you?"

It growls back at me in response. I sneer at it in disgust, and then throw off my covers. I'd have to go take a shower, but my stomach couldn't seem to wait.

Tiredly, I make my way to the kitchen. As soon as I enter, a squeal comes up from my cousin.

"Ugh, Vaughn! Cover up please!" Julia scolds me.

I roll my eyes and flip her off. She huffs and leaves the room. As I gather my usual breakfast of porridge and milk, my aunt speaks up.

"You should cover up Vaughn."

"I'm wearing pants." I mutter to her. "She's probably seen Elliot with less clothing on."

"Vaughn." Mirabelle warns me with her tone.

I shrug. My nightmare was still really bugging me. Mirabelle speaks up again. "Are you okay Vaughn?"

"Why?" I spoon in more porridge so I don't have to say anything else.

"You're sweating dear." Mirabelle pauses.

"So?" I shrug between spoonfuls. I've never told anyone about my nightmares, and I wasn't about to start now.

Mirabelle sighs. "I'm just worried about you Vaughn. You're always by yourself, and I don't want to see anything bad happen to you."

I snort. That was great. Six weeks of this was going to kill me.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." I brush her off as I finish breakfast and then wash my dishes.

I leave before she can say anything else, and immediately go to take a shower. Before I get in the shower, I rub my jaw. There was a bit of stubble all along my jaw. I'd have to shave that.

The shower calms me down even more, and erases all the stress from my nightmare. The hot water is just as refreshing as ever, and I emerge red from the temperature.

I spend a few extra minutes to shave, denying to myself the real reason I was shaving. Even though my nightmare had been awful, it was a little bit more preferable to some of the dreams I had about Chelsea. Some were great, but others…others made me ashamed to be a guy with male hormones.

I leave the bathroom a good thirty minutes after eating breakfast. With a towel wrapped around my waist, I head to my bedroom to change.

After I'm fully dressed, I head back out to the main room. Mirabelle smiles at me, bright as ever. She doesn't hold grudges and accepts me even when I'm an asshole to her. Ah family. They're great to me, but I always seem to reject their kindness. Maybe that would fix itself later.

"By the way," Mirabelle starts. "I was going to tell you earlier, but you practically ran out of the room."

I cock an eyebrow at her, and she continues. "Chelsea was here earlier. She bought a cow. She had asked for you, but I told her you were still sleeping. Just thought you might want to know."

Fuck. The thought crosses my mind automatically. I had told her that I would be there when she bought the cow. Great. Nightmare, and now this. Could the day get any worse?

"Is there something going on between you two?" Mirabelle probes me.

"We're friends." I growl out.

Mirabelle looks surprised. "Really? Well I'm happy for you dear, but haven't you been avoiding her for the past six weeks?"

She noticed that? I guess Mirabelle was more observant than I gave her credit for. As an answer, I shrug.

Julia comes bounding in the doorway with Elliot in tow. She smiles at me. "It's nice to see you fully dressed Vaughn."

My eyes narrow at her as I resist the urge to flip her off again. Elliot mutters a quick hello to me as he's dragged by Julia to her room.

"Keep the door open!" Mirabelle shouts to her as I hear the slam of a door. I shudder.

The door to the Animal Shop opens again. This time it's Denny. He grins at Mirabelle and me, and then sits down at the counter beside me.

"Hey man. What's up?" He asks.

"Denny it's only nine in the morning. You're actually awake?" Mirabelle asks him, her words reflecting my shock.

He shrugs. "Yeah…I was talking to Lanna."

A light goes on in my head. I knew her. "You mean the one hit pop singer that moved in to the meadow?"

"Yeah you met her?" Denny appears surprised.

"That's not exactly the way I'd phrase it, but yeah, I guess." I wince slightly under my hat at the memory of our encounter.

"Isn't she gorgeous?" Denny sighs happily. "And she loves fishing! How amazing is that?"

Mirabelle laughs. "It seems like you have quite the crush Denny."

"Yes ma'am." Denny sighs and rests his head on the counter. "We talked for an hour about our favourite types of fishing rods."

I grimace. "Yeah, true love."

Denny shoves me. "Shut up man. I got dirt on you, so don't mock unless you want the cat out of the bag!"

I freeze. What did Denny mean? What possible dirt could he have on me? Then it hits me. Denny lived on the beach. One of the places I'd nearly kissed Chelsea.

My mouth snaps shut. I don't know why, but I didn't want to tell anyone. We weren't even really together anyway.

Denny grins at me. "That's what I thought. Well, I'm going to go talk to Lanna again. See y'all!"

He leaves with a wave and a smile, and then he disappears from our view. I chuckle softly to myself. "Well aren't we busy today?"

Mirabelle sighs. "If only more people were coming to actually buy things." She shakes her head and then leaves for the back.

I roll my eyes and glance out the window. My gaze is caught by something I don't like at all. Quickly I rise from my seat and rush out of the shop.

"Yes, this island is beautiful. It pleases me to no end." Will's voice floats to me from a distance. "You yourself are looking particularly elegant today fair maiden."

There's scowl on my face when I approach them. Chelsea sees me and her eyes fill with relief. The she turns to Will.

"It was great talking to you, but I really have to go now." She smiles at him.

My scowl deepens but to my pleasure, Will has a slight frown on his face. "Our chat was simply delightful. I would be ever so happy if we could do this again."

She nods eagerly. "Yeah, we'll defiantly going to have to do this again."

Will's face brightens, and I'm about ready to growl at him. Then his smile gets wider. "You simply must dine with me tonight."

I'm so shocked I can't even speak. Chelsea looks desperately at me and then answers him. "I can't. I'm- I'm busy. I'm having supper with Natalie and Elliot tonight."

Will just waves his hand. "You have dinner with them every other night. I'm sure they won't mind."

Chelsea looks at me one more time, but I'm still in shock. She sighs and then gives him a light smile. "Okay Will. I'll have supper with you tonight."

His ever present grin gets wider. "Excellent. I'll pick you up at seven."

Then he steps forwards and kisses Chelsea gently on the cheek. Her eyes go wide, but he turns around and leaves a mere moment later.

I step forward to go after him, but Chelsea puts a hand on my arm. She sighs heavily and then shudders, like she was trying to get rid of the memory.

"Forget him Vaughn. He's not important." She whispers to me.

"I'd still like to punch him in the nose." I mutter. "Stupid Brit guy thinks he can us waltz in here and take any girl he likes."

I scoff. "And he prides himself on being a gentleman. The nerve."

Chelsea smiles at me. "Forget him Vaughn." Then she brightens. "Do you want to see my cow?"

I cock an eyebrow at her. "Depends. What did you name him?"

She bites her bottom lip and looks up at me nervously. "Amethyst."

My eyebrows crease in confusion. "That's not a bad name. Where did you get the inspiration for that?"

Chelsea blushes deeply. "Your eyes."

I blush along with her as I pull my hat down. It was an amazing feeling to blush at something a girl says to me.

"I'd love to see him." I tell her kindly.

We walk to her farm. It's the second time I've ever been here. I'm pleased to note that her house was a bit bigger and more stable looking. Her field was a bit clearer and there was an entire row of grass planted, as well as two rows of crops.

She smiles. "It's coming along nicely, isn't it?"

I nod in agreement and we walk over to the barn. Chelsea walks over to a very happy looking cow. "Mirabelle taught me all about taking care of cows, so you don't have to."

She smiles briefly at the cow as she strokes it behind the ears. It moos softly as her, and for the second time in my life, I'm jealous of her animals.

Then she gives me a puzzled look. "Mirabelle told me that you were sleeping. Are you okay? You've never slept that late before. You've always been up at six every morning."

I lower my hat. "It was nothing."

Chelsea takes a step closer to me. "You can tell me Vaughn."

I shrug and pull my hat down tighter. "I was up late."

She sighs. "Alright then." It's obvious she doesn't believe me.

"It was just a nightmare." I blurt out. "No big deal."

"You want to talk about it?" She asks me softly.

I shake my head. It seemed a little weird to me, telling her about a dream she was in. Was it natural to dream about your friends?

I gaze at Chelsea as she brushes Amethyst. Her brown hair falls over her shoulder and her blue eyes seem to sparkle. She talks softly to the cow in a sweet kind voice. I knew that I didn't want to be just friends with her.

"Chelsea." I whisper. Her head snaps up like I'd yelled her name instead.

She must have seen something on my face because she drops her brush in her rucksack and walks over to me.

"About Will," I start, losing my nerve in her electric blue eyes.

She smiles and laughs. "It's nothing. We're just eating together."

"That's not what's on his mind." I mutter, knowing fully well the things that could go through a man's mind at the sight of Chelsea.

She frowns. "I'm sure he doesn't mean any harm by it."

"He freaking kissed you on the cheek! I think he means harm!" My voice rises just a bit. Okay, a little more than a bit.

Chelsea smirks and leans forward to kiss me on the cheek. Her lips linger on my skin longer than necessary, and a shiver goes down my spine.

"Like that?" She whispers as she backs up.

I let out a breath. "That could defiantly do things to a man's mind."

She smiles. "Like?"

I give her a look. "You do know what you look like, right?"

Chelsea shrugs. "I'm not pretty. Not like Julia or Lanna. They've got good looks."

"You're beautiful." I whisper to her.

Then I take a step forward and wrap my arms around her. She feels good pressed up against me. Her hair smells a bit like lavender. I love it all.

"Vaughn?"

I lean back and look into her hypnotic blue eyes. "Yes?"

"Are we- are we, um, together?" Her face looks extremely hopeful.

My answer is stuck in my throat. Images of my past relationship flash through my mind so fast it make my head spin. The heartbreak, the sorrow, the betrayal.

I let go of her and take a step back. "I-I don't…know."

My eyes meet hers. We're both shocked. I start stammering, trying to explain to myself as much as her. "It's just, I don't know if I can go through anymore heartbreak. And my dream, I think it was a warning. Something's going to happen, that's going to cause me pain. And, and I don't know if I can do that again."

I realize that I'm blabbing like crazy, so I shut myself up. Then I back against a wall and slide down it till I hit the ground. "I don't know." The words are whispered this time.

She walks up to me and squats down. "I won't hurt you Vaughn."

I want to believe her so bad. But I've been hurt so many times before. My hands reach up and cover my face.

"I might hurt you though." I mumble through my hands.

Chelsea puts her hands on mine and takes them away from me. "As long as you're with me, you won't hurt me."

Roughly I push her away. The panic from my dream was coming back fast. "I can't Chelsea. I can't do this."

My head starts to pulse with pain. In a panic, I remember that I had forgotten my pills at my apartment. I hadn't taken them for a good two days. My stomach starts to heave and a coldness spreads through my body as I feel a slight sweat beginning to form on my brow.

"Vaughn." Chelsea whispers.

I turn my back on her so she doesn't see me like this. My head throbs again and all I want is to get out of there. She puts her hand on my back and I turn around and snap at her.

"Damn it Chelsea, leave me alone!" The words come out harsh, but I'm not thinking clearly. For a second, the room tilts sideways but after a second it rights itself. "You don't want me. I have too much crap in my life. You're better off with someone else."

I barely hear what I'm saying. All that mattered was getting out of there. When her hand releases me, I take the chance and run out of the barn. Less than a minute later as I'm stumbling out of her farm, I can't even remember what I was doing there.

My stomach heaves again, and I stop to briefly throw up on the side of the road. I stagger a few more paces. This was worse than it's ever been before. I see the Animal Shop a short distance away. Maybe if I could reach the phone I could call for a shipment of pills.

I begin to walk towards the shop. My head is pounding like crazy and my limbs feel too weak to support my body. I blink my eyes rapidly, but it seems to be getting dark outside.

My eyes blink one more time before the darkness swarms over me and I fall to the ground.