Beyond the Veil

Chapter 10

The rain had not gotten any better. 

In fact, Sera's decision to enter the woods amidst this terrible weather had become increasingly questionable. Her shoes were covered in mud, to the point of being beyond repair. No amount of scrubbing would ever restore them.

She didn't care. She was one-track-minded. Nothing could stop her. Not the torrential sheets of rain whipping her in the face as she marched, not the last streams of the sun setting over the horizon, not the shiver that ran through her soaked and clammy skin, and certainly not the small pool of fear for her impending meeting with Saul.

As soon as Sera entered the woods the trees covered her from the rain. It got colder and Sera felt a chill run down her spine. She wasn't sure if it was because she was freezing, or because she was terrified.

She stepped through puddles of mud, tripping more than once, the damp sticky ground slowing her down. She had to watch every step carefully, or else her foot would get caught on something.

Sera was shaking, she shivered and held herself tightly. The soaking wet shawl made her skin itch and just made her more wet. She took it off and hung it to a tree, making a mental note to come back for it later.

She continued to march, increasingly losing stamina fast. She was exhausted, cold, and trembling in fear. Maybe she didn't want to find him, but she didn't doubt for a second that she had to.

"Saul!" She belted, despite being as weak as she felt at this moment, she tried as hard as she could to scream over the storm. The sound of lightning bolted overhead. She didn't hesitate to continue.

"I know you're here!" Sera screamed again, and continued to march. She continued to march through feats of screaming, finally reaching the clearing in which she had spent so much time.

There he sat. Saul was sitting on a rock by the pond, somehow perfectly dry. Sera couldn't make sense of it in her mind, but didn't care. She finally found him.

"Saul!" She screamed at him.

"You should have turned back, Sera. You had every opportunity." Saul said quietly. Despite his voice being a murmured hum, Sera could hear him perfectly across the distance and over the rain.

She hid behind a tree for cover. "No. You are going to answer me!"

Saul still hadn't turned to look at her. "What could I possibly tell you that you didn't already know?"

Sera retreated further behind the tree, in a feeble attempt to stay dry. "I know nothing! Absolutely fucking nothing!" Her voice broke and a tear fell violently down her face, it didn't matter, she was already soaked.

Saul looked over at her when her voice fell off, and his eyes softened as he took her in. His shoulders fell.

"Tell me." She demanded, her voice as cold as steel.

He was silent for a moment. "Sera, come to me. You'll be dry. You're freezing."

"I don't give a shit about being dry. I don't care if I freeze half to death. I knew you'd be out here and I'm not leaving until I know. What are you?"

Still sitting on the rock, he turned his whole body towards her. "Sera, please."

She took a step towards him, "What was in the forest that night?"

He said nothing.

"Why did you want to come on that trip?"

"Sera..." he said softly, with a hint of warning in his voice. Sera paid no mind to it.

"I know you protected me. Why?"

Saul shook his head, "Does it matter?"

"Yes! Of course it matters. I want to know why you care enough about me to do that."

"What makes you think I care about you?" Saul's voice was curt and cold.

"Don't bullshit me, Saul. You saved me from something in this forest. I don't know what it was. I don't know where it went, I don't know if its coming back, but I know you sent it away."

"It's gone now." Saul said stiffly. "Don't ask anything more."

She flinched and took a heavy breath... "So you see them too..." Her voice was breathless and quiet.

Saul jumped up. "You saw it?!" His eyes were wide and it was the most uncontrolled sound she had ever heard him make.

She shuffled her feet. "No... But I know you did. I saw your eyes change in the library... and the first day we met."

He visibly flinched. "You need to go."

"I'm not done!" Sera exclaimed.

"Oh, yes you are." He said adamantly. "You need to go. Now. No more questions. Go back to your friend. Go back to your classes. We aren't going to speak again, nor the blonde one. " He said, referencing Tyler.

Sera didn't expect to feel as hurt at that as she did, but there was a small pang in her chest at the rejection. "Yes we are. I'm coming back here tomorrow and you're going to tell me everything else." She was fighting a small tear that threatened to slip down her cheek.

"You will not enter here again. You've gotten too close." Saul said coldly. It hurt her even more, this place had begun to feel like home.

"You can't stop me." Sera said childishly.

Sera thought she heard a scoff from him, but she wasn't sure. "Go home, Sera."

She opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. She didn't know what to say. 

So despite herself, despite every single fiery emotion in her chest in this moment, she did as he asked. 

Wordlessly, Sera turned around and went home.

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