Down by the Apple Grove

Chapter Three

It had been four weeks since the kiss. Anne could only describe those four weeks as perfect. In reality, even perfect didn't encompass everything that had happened. Perfect didn't include the trail rides. Perfect didn't include the kisses. Perfect didn't include the picnics. Perfect didn't include the late nights staying up together.

Perfect didn't include the time that they opened up Anne's JHI acceptance letter.

Yes, after everything, Anne had gotten into the most selective school on Jorvik. She even had gotten a personalized email talking about her freeform dressage question. We already knew we were going to admit you, it had said, but that dressage question really made you one of our best applicants. Theo had hugged her and kissed her, the stupidest smile on his face.

Anne was up late again now, but this time she was alone, save for Concorde down by the stables. She was hunched over, studying for her biology final. She had to ace it--not for her average, but for herself. She had to prove to herself that she could be a vet. Failure wasn't an option.

Her phone buzzed with the custom buzz it had for Theo--he had picked it out himself. It told her to call him when she had the chance. Confused, Anne called.

Theo's panicked breathing was the only thing on the line for a solid second before he burst out. "I messed up at work. Really badly. Really badly, Anne." He gasped for breath. "I--"

"Where are you?" Anne hadn't meant to burst out like that, but she slowly realized that this was how she could repay him for always being there for her. She had to be there for him in return, and this was her chance to.

"Moorland Beach. I--"

"I'm coming," answered Anne, hanging up after he didn't respond. She rushed out in her nightgown, careful not to awaken anyone, and ran to the stables nearby. There was Concorde, as usual, and he was already awake.

Surprise vacation, princess?

Something like that, Anne responded. We need to go to Moorland Beach. She threw his basic bridle onto him, swinging herself onto his back. He galloped out of the stables, onto the cobble road, and then the wooden bridge, and then the dirt path, and then...

It seemed like an eternity later, but they finally arrived at the beach, both soaked in sweat. The air was thick with something, but Anne couldn't quite say what it was. It didn't feel like it was out to kill her, though, so that was a good sign.

Theo stumbled back a few steps when he saw Anne, and she blushed. It was the first time he had seen her in her nightgown, after all. She threw herself off of Concorde, running to Theo.

She heard Concorde scream, and then everything went black.

---

She was kneeling on metal when she woke up. She forced her eyes to open, only to be greeted by the too-familiar metal grating on the floor. Her neck was chained to it. She looked up.

There was... someone. It wasn't Theo--or was it? He had his cheekbones, and his light blue eyes, and his smooth lips, and his charm... but he was so much paler...

He smiled at Anne.

Oh no, she thought. That was Theo, and now she was chained to the floor of Dark Core. He leaned in to tell her something...

And then it was all pink from there.