Crescent

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Green eyes.

I sigh, looking down at yet another drawing of a pair of eyes - eyes that haunt my mind and bleed from my hands onto pages and pages of art work. Unfortunately, these eyes do not fit the parameters of my project that is due, and I slide the sheet across my desk and watch as it slowly floats off of the edge, waving goodbye as it just barely misses the trash bin.

Those eyes.

I've been drawing them for weeks now, unable to capture anything else between the four restricting sides of parchment.

It has been about four months since I saw the frightening creature in my mother's backyard. The beast appeared just as I was opening the door of my Jeep to leave. We had shared an intense stare lasting all of what felt like hours. It's dark body, half covered by the greenery, had been lowered, almost as if it were preparing to pounce. Once that thought occurred to me, I jumped into my car, peeled out of the driveway, and never looked back.

My phone buzzes, effectively snapping me away from the memory.

4:30 pm, it reads. Dinner with Mom.

Grabbing my shoes, I slide them on before heading towards the door of my apartment. The noise of the world, particularly my neighbors who are always blasting some kind of rap music, overwhelms my senses enough to forget about the animal. For the moment.

I stretch my arms out, feeling the stiff joints pop and muscles stretch. I need to exercise more, I decide. With determination, I opt to take the stairs down to the ground floor, but after about three flights I am already regretting my decision. Luckily, there are only two flights left and I hold onto that hope.

Huffing, I finally make it to my vehicle, just as I declare to myself that I am never taking the stairs again. Making sure my bag is set neatly across the back seat, I climb in and get ready for the drive ahead, my mind drifting off more than once.

A loud honking noise makes me jump, and I realize I've spaced out a bit while staring at the traffic light, which has long since turned green. With a sheepish laugh, I accelerate through the intersection as I continue on my hour or so long trip.

As I drive out of the city onto a lonely road surrounded by trees, I can't help my mind as it wonders to the enchanting green eyes again.

Not that I've ever seen a real, live predator before, but some part of me can't push away the feeling that those eyes, and their magnificent shade, were odd on such a creature. Not only the color, which were such a brilliant, ethereal shade, but also the depths they held. It seemed so . . . sentient, knowing. The scene plays before me again, and, as I watch, I feel the stare on my back that initially had me turning around. After, I was left scanning the trees, expecting a person to be the one making my skin prick like that, but, instead, my eyes locked onto a shadow as it moved. Suddenly, a paw made its way into the sunlight, followed by the beast itself. I could see the muscles rippling under the black fur as it stands up to a height comparable to my jeep. The size alone was enough to make my knees weak in fear. Then, our eyes locked.

I'm still thinking about the beast as I park my car in front of the cute, mom-and-pop Italian restaurant in the downtown area of my mom's new town - population 5,000 and some change. Stepping out, I stretch my aching body, sighing as some of my joints pop just right.

"Hi," the overly cheerful hostess greets as soon as I walk in and internally wince at the rather unfortunate pairing of checked and stripes. "Welcome to Italiono's! Just one today?"

"N-no," I stutter before clearing my throat. "No. I have a reservation for Rivers."

The brunette girl gives a shocked expression. "Oh, yes! I'm so sorry, Ms. Rivers. Right this way, please." She grabs a menu and quickly walks toward the back of the restaurant. I sigh, noticing how the reputation of my mother precedes me.