Lovers of the Woods

1. It's just the beginning

I enter the library checking for Iris's messages. I go to the second floor's furthest left-side corner of the racks. I'm not sure what I am searching for, but I can feel that this is something important. I can sense that the whole library has gone silent, not even the irritating murmurs. I feel that everything has become cold and dark.

"Why is it gloomy all of a sudden? What's this smell? It smells a lot like fresh and wet grass and Swiss Pine?" I decided to move out of this place and walk towards the stairs across the hall that leads to the ground floor. The air is getting heavy, and I have difficulty breathing now. I pause for a moment to hold my breath. As I look up to catch my breath again, I can see the shadow of a person right at the other end of the rack where I am standing. I get scared and turn to see who it is.

I just don't know how but I have a threatening aura from that shadow-like person. It felt like he might attack me anytime soon. I think I can handle a single man by myself. I have already taken down a couple of boys at the same time before. This should be a piece of cake, right? I see the shadow moving.

"Who is that? Come out. Show yourself. " I use my manliest voice to show the unknown opponent that I'm not scared and I'm strong enough. After a long pause, I heard a light mocking laugh. "You think you'll be alright after you see me? huh? How dare you? You dare chase after us. You and your little friend should be careful. I can only warn you. Don't go prying on us just like your foolish neighbours did. You can only be warned, never be forgiven for your mistakes," he finishes and gives another haughty laugh. I don't know why I am still stunned. I cannot collect what this was. I could only ask, "What do you mean? I never did anything. Who is this little friend you are talking about?" knowing what he meant and whom he meant. I jog towards the shadow to get a closer look and answer.

"Do not play dumb with me. I can see that you understand. Drop whatever you are doing. Live your life in peace." he warned me again.

I gulped and asked, "If not, then?" I stood behind his silhouette. The silhouette turned towards me and walked further. I can hear his footsteps clearly, and I go back as a stimulus. I did not dare stop till I reached the wall.

"Ouch !" I hit the wall so hard. The silhouette held the back of my head caressingly where I had hit before. "Then you should be more careful. You might get hurt far worse than this. If you loved your life, you wouldn't." I can feel his words hitting my nose, resonating from his powerful throat. I turned my face to the side as I didn't want to see his face so close. His scent was stronger now. I wonder how a person could smell this strong. It was making me dizzy and weak. He was towering at least four to five centimetres taller than me. I myself measured around 180 cm in height, and he was making me feel small. "Just take care of yourself", he growled in my ear.

" Cause we are the helpless, selfish, one of a kind

Millennium kids, that all wanna die, Walking in the street with no light inside our eyes

We are worthless, cursed with too much time; we get into trouble and lose our minds

Something that I've heard a million times in my life

Generation Why !!!"

"Damn !!" my alarm woke me up, adding to the scary feeling from the nightmare I just had now. "For the love of God, What was that I dreamt about? I think I was too involved in this and was unnecessarily worried. But that felt so real. There is no way one could know what Iris and I are doing. So it's just a dream." I just wiped the sweat off my face. "Yo bro!!! " my sister stormed into the room. "What?" I asked in a frustrated tone. "Why are you getting frustrated at your Elder sister, Mr De Lange?" she asked me in an authoritative tone. Does it make any sense that she's been bullying me ever since she came home from college? Will it make you superior to be born earlier when you have zero intelligence? "What a joke! What do you want now? I have to go to school, so don't disturb me." I say, getting up from my bed.