The Past Lives

Chapter 2

Elbe River, Germany – Chalcolithic Europe

3982 BCE

The rain fell in sheets and the wind blew heavily, causing the girl's black hair to swish with the wind. She had heard of the terrible illness she'd have to face if she had stood here too long, but she couldn't leave – She was too obsessed with the boy in the valley. He was helping the other men of her group, his eyes hidden from her view and his long blond hair stuck to his neck and face. He wore a grass cape that hid his exposed body, leather pants that fit him snugly, and simple twig made shoes that were wrapped with grass. She had learned his name was Denniel and that he would be staying with the group until the end of fishing season, before the ice took over the lake. Though she had not spoken to him once during the two week period he had been here, she couldn't help but think how much she'd miss him if he had left.

"Lu'Inda!" Cried her mother from a distant, marching from their small shack. "You're going to get ill from standing out there like a fool! Get into shelter now!" Her mother gripped her wrist and pulled her in the direction of their rock built and dug home, ducking inside and sitting at the edge of their home, trying to see if Denniel was in her view, but all she could see was the over grown mounds of grass and trees that grew along the hill. Lu'Inda sighs, leaning against the stone wall.

Her attraction towards Denniel had grown daily, as she found new about him. Just yesterday she had caught him bathing in the river and had seen he had two long white scars down his back – She wished she could be able to touch them now, to understand why he had them. He began to appear in her dreams, but rather those gray eyes – It was violet ones that replaced them. An odd glow had stretched from his back and circled around the two as he pulled her into a tight embrace, his pink lips parted and leaning in for a kiss that she yearned for. Her fingers came to her lip, tracing them as she imagined Denniel kissing them. Would he be rough? Gentle? Or a mix of both? A desire in Lu'Inda burned, longing to know how his lips would feel against her's.

The storm blew over after an hour, and Lu'Inda began to see the men march over the hill, howling with laughter and chatter. But, one stayed back. Denniel. He held a soaked sack that must have been full of fish. His blond hair was damp and fell into his eyes, only his dark lashes against his tan skin visible. His lips were defined, plump and inviting, his tongue poking between them and licking them slowly – Making Lu'Inda's heart flutter against her chest. Denniel no longer wore his cape, exposing his tanned, lean, brawny torso that Lu'Inda wanted to run her fingers over, and the same pair of leather pants that she saw him in earlier swung off his hips, exposing a delineated 'V' of his hips that disappeared into his pants.

With Lu'Inda being seventeen, her emotions were like a TNT stick lit from both ends, intensifying every sight, every touch was a new exploration, and her mind filled with more sinful thoughts – And that only made her feelings for Denniel heighten and a new need grow.

Lu'Inda found herself standing from her shelter and following Denniel, who had been walking towards the group of men as they dumped their fish into one large pile for the women to fry. She saw the scars on his back quiver, as if a sensation had flooded through him. He then turned his head over his shoulder and stopped in his tracks, turning a complete ninety degrees and facing her, his gray eyes hazed over with the remarkable tinge of violet.

"Lu'Inda," Denniel spoke her name with such a fluency and the way it practically danced on his tongue made her shudder, but the look in his violet-gray eyes suggested something else – Concern? Despair? The look made her so feeble and her hazel eyes fill with anguish, wanting to step forward and run her fingers through his hair, to console him and relax his unmistakable tension.

"Denniel," She spoke quickly in return, shaking her head free of the thoughts that had filled her mind – Surely, it must have been something else that was bothering him. It wasn't as if she had been bothering him, they had barely met once before. "How are you?" Her voice perked a little, her hands folding over her front. Denniel's perfect voluminous pink lips twitches into a smile and simply shrugs, his eyes dropping from her's.

"I'm well, Lu'Inda." Denniel shifted to one side to the other. "I saw you earlier – from the bottom of the valley, were you watching me?"

A blush bloomed across Lu'Inda's cheeks and turned away, looking down at the valley's river, where he and the men had been finishing only two hours ago. "Possibly." She whispered, a hint of guilt and embarrassment. But, Denniel's hand then came up to her face, his knuckles brushing along her jaw, causing Lu'Inda to gasp.

"Don't be embarrassed." He whispered somberly, his violet-gray eyes locked in a memorizing gaze with her hazel ones. Her eyes dug into his, as if she were digging into his soul and looking for answers - Answers to what? Did she have any questions? She felt she should, as if there were some sort of wonder-lust growing inside of her, wanting to know why she was attracted to this man as she was. This wasn't normal, no – she knew how it was to be attracted to a boy, this. . . Well, this was certainly something else. Her body heat rose, an odd sensation causing Lu'Inda's cheeks to flush a vibrant rose color.

All the color drained from Denniel's face, his once glowing eyes dulled, and fear flashed in his eyes – Why was he acting so strange? His lips twitched and he quickly turns away, biting his knuckles and turning his back to her. Then he began to walk away.

Lu'Inda blinked and before she knew it, her fingers were grasping Denniel's wrist and tugging him back. Denniel gasps, but never pulls away, his eyes filled with curiosity, hope.

"Don't. . .Go." She croaks, tears filling her eyes as her body warmed up more, making it nearly unbearable. Denniel frowned and his hands come up to cup her cheek, cradling her over-heated face. Denniel's violet eyes began to gloss over with wetness, his mouth opening as if to say something, but his words seemed constricted.

"I'm sorry," Denniel croaks, "I'm sorry, Lucinda."

It came like a lightning bolt – All at once, then nothing at all. She remembered everything under a split of a second, allowing it flash before her eyes, all the bent of emotions from the last two lives spilling tears through her, and she knew as well – That she would come back, she would see her love again. Daniel, her one and only true love, was there, an agonizing scream erupting from his lips. Then, the darkness swept before Lucinda's eyes and a firey heat filled her body before she was nothing but dust on the ground.

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A/N: I'm sure some of you are going to ask why the chapters are short, under 5 pages typically. The reasons for these chapters being currently short is mainly because Daniel stated in 'Torment' that for a long time in the beginning, their lives were often short because Lucinda could remember more easily. About the time we get the Egyptian life time, the chapters will be the average size (7-10 pages) and meaning a longer life. Of course, there will be lifetimes that I will feel that Lucinda will remember more easily, but I should generally have more typical life spans soon. I hope you all understand and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.

Love Never Dies,

Bella