Midnight Blood [WIP] [ENG]

Chapter 4: Forever

When Andy said he knew a place, Katie hadn't expected them to spend half an hour driving up the mountain through the woods. Actually, she didn't mind spending time with Andy at all, just being with him. Quite the opposite. But today everything was so intense. The surprisingly quiet hum of the engine for the car's appearance, Andy's smell. His hand that kept playfully touching her thigh and his skin when she responded in the same way.
As if someone had turned up all her senses. Everything was glaring and penetrating, an unbelievable number of impressions were crashing down on her. But she was with Andy, everything was fine. Her head was incredibly crystal clear, which confused her with this sensory overload. It was more like a feeling of happiness, almost drunkenness. And she could hardly stop smiling. When they turned onto a dirt road along the hand, she felt a bit nervous. You're sitting here in the rickety car of a beginner driver and next to you there's a 200 meter drop, one mistake and there's nothing to stop you, her head seemed to say. She reached for Andy's hand, looked up at him. He smiled in her direction but didn't take his eyes off the road, noticeably focused. But he held her hand tightly and didn't let go.

Finally, the car cleared the last branches and came to a shuddering halt. A flat clearing far up the slope, almost at the summit, only a few large rocks towered even higher. A myriad of flowers twined through the tall grass and the sun was shining down warmly from the clear blue sky, barely obscured by the few small white clouds.
Katie stepped out of the car with shaky legs, not daring to take more than a few steps. All the way up, she had been aware of every movement with her frenzied senses, the bumping over small stones and the brief moments of emptiness when the earth slipped from under the wheels. The roar of the wind and how small stones, whirled up by the ride, rolled down the downhill slope. And the many times when it had been so, so incredibly close. Andy got out of the car too. The tension was almost completely gone, but he was still a little stressed. He pretended to be casual and looked around for Katie.

Although she had tried to cover up her fear, Andy realized it immediately and came to her. Pitifully, she reached out a hand and Andy grabbed it, supporting Katie until she regained her sense of the ground.
"Sorry," he mumbled, genuinely dismayed.
"It's okay, I just felt like I was done with life." She closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh air deeply. Thousands of smells, among which she could only identify lavender and buttercup. A buzzing of bees, the call of a distant robin. Otherwise it was quiet. No traffic noise, no voices or hectic footsteps. So quiet that she could hear Andy's heart beating. All the tension left her. It was much easier for her to sort out her impressions in her head. She already loved this place.
She opened her eyes again. Andy looked at her with concern.
"I'm fine, I'm just a bit sensitive today. But it's so beautiful here..." She took a step, turning to look at Andy. "But I'm sure you didn't bring me here just for the flowers."

Andy nodded, put on a smile and took her by the hand again. "My grandfather showed me this place once, years ago. We walked through the forest for ages and eventually came out here. And this place simply mesmerized me. When I got my car, I thought that I would like to come back here. With you." He gently placed his right arm around her waist, held her tight and led her carefully towards the edge.
And her eyes fell down over the valley. Far below, busy cars whizzed along tiny roads like ants, houses lined up next to them. A river meandered through the green forests around the town, making its way towards the houses only to turn off just before it reached them. The water glistened brightly in the light of the afternoon sun.
A gust of wind lifted her hair so that it almost looked like it was forming a halo around her face as she looked back at Andy. "This is so incredible," she whispered. He looked up too.
"It's even more beautiful than I remember. So? Will you forgive me for the ride up?"
She tilted her head, pretending to think hard. "Who knows, maybe, maybe. You world wanderer." And she softened her words with a kiss on his cheek.

Andy had prepared well and had brought a blanket and something to eat. Katie found it a real picnic, which made him laugh. And they just laid there together on the blanket in the grass, with nothing but the warm sun above them, surrounded by flowers in the most beautiful colors. They let the worries of everyday life be worries. Here they were free, undisturbed by the world. Everything down there was so tiny, how could it have any meaning? Just laying there, in silence, enjoying the moment as if it would last forever. She snuggled up to him.
"I wish this would never end."
He slowly opened his eyes. "It will never end. Summer hasn't even started yet and when we're done with school soon there'll be nothing but us all summer. Our life has only just begun and it will never end. Till death do us part or something." He laughed his soft laugh that she loved so much about him.
"Me, you, forever," she whispered and he put his strong arm around her, pulling her close. She heard his heart, felt his warmth and his body above everything else. One hand slipped under her hoodie. The other on her head, leading her into a kiss, which she returned fervently. Even the nature around her faded against him.
The whole world disappeared. Only him. And her. And the deep hunger inside her, so unfulfillable.