Nightfall

six

Elara parked in the same spot she always does at home. Her mind was reeling. The wolf's gentle eyes, the same look she saw in Bennett's eyes after he changed back. The feeling of the fear slowly dissipated throughout the night as she confronted Bennett's wolf form. These moments were circulating in her brain like a storm brewing.

"Dang it..." she gripped the steering wheel. "I didn't get to figure out why I always smell cinnamon around him." Elara muttered to herself.

As she recalled the night's events, she remembered that just because she had found herself surrounded with the good supernatural didn't mean the bad side had magically vanished. The uneasy feelings started to come back, but that had no effect on how she felt closer to Bennett because of tonight. Perhaps that was the only reason Elara could have said thank you to Rosalyn.

Upon entering her house, there was a familiar chaos swarming about the upstairs quarters. Elara climbed the stairs to see her mom frantically trying to pack.

"Mamá? What's going on?"

"Oh, sorry mija, we have to get ready for a conference that's in two days. We'll be leaving in the morning. I totally forgot that it was this week. I'm packing for the both of us, your dad is still trying to finish before we leave and before his deadline." She stopped and turned back to her daughter, who was standing in a daze. "I hope tonight went well for you."

Her mother gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before she continued to pack in their room. Elara sat in her room alone. Alone. I'll be alone again. Elara thought. Someone is after me and I don't know why.

She went to bed that night, the dark leading her into the dream of a never-ending search. No closer to answers than when she started having this dream. Nothing revealed itself. The dream only repeated itself over again. Until she woke in the morning from knocking on her door of her parents getting ready to leave. She watched their car leave the street from the window, still feeling uneasy. Glancing around the neighborhood, she couldn't shake that feeling. She shut the curtains, locked the entire house.

Elara stayed in all day. She paced the living room to the kitchen to upstairs and back down. She snuggled into the couch between the fireplace, but nothing helped.

Fear didn't usually stop Elara. However, when that fear roamed the streets at dusk, it made her more reluctant to leave her house. Monday, she was late for the very first time. Elara didn't hang out with Bennett like she promised. Tuesday, she came in just before lunch, which was even more odd when she didn't enter the cafeteria to eat. Wednesday was the day that got her. She stopped getting ready. Elara stayed home. It wasn't until near the end of the week that Bennett realized something was wrong.

The knocking on her front door didn't ease any of the paranoia that was sliding out of her control. She peeked out the window when she noticed a friendly face. Bennett waved when he saw the curtain slide over.

"H-Hey... what're you doing here?" Elara wedged open the door to the scent of cinnamon. Only then did she finally feel calm.

"You haven't been at school. I was worried something happened."

"Oh." Her voice was meek out of embarrassment. "I-I can't l-leave the house. It's not safe out there."

"What do you mean?"

She started to push the door shut. Bennett stopped her by holding his hand out. "Do you want me to stay or leave?"

"S-S... Stay."

Elara let Bennett into her house. She took a minute curling into the couch where she had stayed since Wednesday. "The secret of this town. I'm... I'm scared that I'm no longer safe because of the person who came after me."