Fallen

Chapter 3: Who is she?

Alex's P.o.V

I didn't mean to scare her, I thought. I just wanted to make sure she was okay. But she ran off further into the woods. She didn't look familiar to the surroundings. Her skin was as pale as snow. Her hair was a long darker brown that seemed to stop somewhere in the middle of her upper back, she looked fairly tall and maybe around fifteen or sixteen but I couldn't see her face. Who is this girl? I wondered to myself.

"Alex? Where are you?"

I sighed, knowing who was calling right away. I love my sister but she's just too overprotective of me sometimes. "I'm over here Lia, relax."

"Oh, what are you doing?" She asked.

"Lia, stop asking so many questions, there's no need to get annoying, I'm just going for a hike. I'll be perfectly fine without all the questions," I answered. I understand that she worries about me, I just wish she didn't do it as often as she has been.

"I'm not annoying," She said from across the trees, "just persistent."

"Mhm, sure you aren't" I mumbled. She didn't hear me but even if she did, she knew I was joking with her. We never really fight, it's odd but we get along well.

I started to walk deeper into the woods where I saw the girl take off to, she seemed almost like a wild animal. Untamed and startled by any noise, I'll give her this, I thought, she's fast. In fact, she also seemed to be hard to track, if it weren't for the still damp ground her footprints would be untraceable.

It suddenly did seem a whole lot more like I was actually hunting a wild animal, and not some teenage girl. I continued to walk, What is she doing out here without shoes on? Even I don't come out here barefoot. "Where has this girl been?" I asked aloud to the silenced morning woods. Of course, no answer came. I wasn't expecting one, that'd just be weird. The wind did pick up though almost as if it were trying to answer, I walked around for a little while longer until a twig broke on my right, my heart picked up and I began to shiver, when did it get so cold? I pondered.

"Hello?" I asked, "Is anyone out there?" No one answered my calls but yet another twig broke, this time to the left. I turned my head quickly to see what made the noise but there was nothing there either. I felt as though something was about to go wrong. The girl would have to wait for later, I'm sure she'd be fine.

I hurried past the same trees and rocks that I came from and felt a sinking feeling in my gut that I was being watched by something, something I couldn't see. Once the entrance of the woods came into view I ran faster to get out but something pulled me back. "What the hell?" I muttered as it scratched the side of my arm. When I looked at my arm there was a deep gash, "Shit," I said once again to myself as I struggled to rip myself from the things grasp. Suddenly I was released from whatever miniature hell that was holding me back and I fell to the ground as white flashed quickly in and out of my vision. I picked myself up and ran faster than I've ever ran before. It all happened within a blink of the eye and just like that, I was out of the woods.

That was nothing like I've ever experienced before, not even when I was attacked by that raccoon last year. This was obviously no animal, no this, this was something evil and a lot stronger. A shiver ran down my spine as I touched the area near the cut, my finger touched something soft and I pulled it out. A long red feather, and there was no way it was from anything around here.

I rushed past my sister who was cleaning the dishes and darted for the bathroom. Pulling the feather out had been a bad idea. Seeing the blood begin to pour out faster sent me into a frenzy. As if on cue, Lia began pounding on the bathroom door, "Alex, are you okay in there? There's blood on the floor. What did you do?"

"Yeah I'm fine, I just cut myself pretty badly on something out in the woods, can you get me the first aid kit?" I asked.

"Yeah stay calm, I'll be right back," she said, running toward what I assumed was the closet where we kept emergency supplies. She came back a minute later and opened the door.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Helping you wrap this, what did you say did this to you again? This is a pretty deep cut." She asked. "Going to have to take you to the hospital after we get the bleeding controlled."

"No, I'm fine. There's no need for that. I just need to talk to Jace." I argued.

"Look, we don't know how much blood you've lost. Let's make a compromise, I'll drive into town and go grocery shopping. While I'm out I'll get you some stuff to help give you your strength back. When I get back we can see how you're doing and if you're not dizzy or lightheaded I'll walk with you to Jace's. Just in case." She said sighing deeply.

"Alright, I guess that's fair. How long will you be gone?" I asked, wincing as she applied the anti infectant to the cut.

"About an hour at most, I know what I need to get. I'll get you some soda if you want, but I'd prefer you don't drink it until we know you're okay," she replied, her voice surprisingly calm.

"Please, Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew. Can I get a twenty-four pack?"

"Depends if we have enough money without me having to use the bank, but I'll see what I can do," she said wrapping the gauze around my arm a few times, I could tell she was struggling to stop the blood from leaking though.

"Wait, I've got money up in my room, about seventy dollars worth. Would you mind getting me some food for my cabinet, I asked. "and the soda?" I was running low on junk food and have been meaning to head into town and buy some for the small cabinet Lia and I agreed that I could have.

"I'll grab it on the way out. Now go lay down on the couch, I'll get your game system so you won't get up to play it. Try to nap if you can though please."

"Alright, beats the hospital," I replied.

"Yeah, well don't rule it out yet. It's still a possibility if you feel even the slightest bit of anything you're going. I'm heading upstairs to grab your game system, is there anything else you want?"

"Something to eat would be nice, and if you can, bring down my game case for me so I can switch the games?" I asked, hoping she'd be willing to attempt to carry it all.

"Yeah, where is it, are you fine with a Pop-Tart?"

I nodded, "On my bed near the nightstand, and only if it's s'mores."

"I don't understand how you only like the s'mores kind, there are a ton of good flavors," she wondered aloud "just doesn't make sense."

"Because I do. That's literally the only reason."

She shook her head at me and laughed. "Whatever dork, I'll be right back."

As soon as she began going upstairs I laid down on the couch fully, "Hey Lia, can you throw down my pillow. The couch cushions aren't really the best."

"Yeah. Hey, what does the yellow wire do?" she asked from in my room.

I knew what she was referring to right away and it took everything in my power not to bow my head in shame. I sighed while I tried to explain to her that it was for the T.V. so you could see the color. It took her a lot longer than I thought it would for her to catch on, technology has never been her friend. Finally, she came down with the system and games, a look of triumph on her face as she managed to set it up without incident. "I'll get your pillow now, but look! I actually did it, and nothing exploded!"

"Yet, nothing exploded yet," I added.

She stuck her tongue out and ran up the stairs towards my bedroom once again and came back down a minute later with my pillow, she set it down on the couch and grabbed her bookbag, "I'm heading out now, took longer than I thought to leave, so far you haven't shown any signs of dizziness so I'll give you like forty-five more minutes, if I'm not back by then you can have Jace come walk here and hang out, if I am I'll walk with you to his house."

"Alright," I said, "sounds good."

She nodded and walked out, finally leaving me to myself. I reached down to my pocket to grab my phone but realized it was gone, Fuck, I must have dropped it in the woods. I thought. I didn't want to have to go back there but maybe if I went with Jace it would be okay, maybe if I wasn't alone it wouldn't attack again, whatever it was. And just maybe I would see her again.