Dark Places

Chapter Three

     I take a deep breath, smelling the trees and the smell of rain. I’ve come to love the smells of the outdoors, I used to enjoy them, but now they sooth me a little. The gentle sway of the trees and the slight, but comforting caress of the wind calms my thoughts and blows the shadows away.

      I begin walking through the, now deserted, park. I feel the wind around me, caressing my face. It may be cold, but I can deal with a little chill.
     
      After a while my feet start hurting, burning; from all the walking I’ve been doing my feet have made it a little more complicated getting around. I can deal with the pain; after a little while of walking I become numb to it, but the soft grass below my feet is beckoning me, calling my name.
     
      I chuckle at myself, maybe I’m losing my mind. Get it together, Elaina. Maybe if I keep telling my mind to get it together, it’ll start listening. I sigh, bending down to take off my shoes. My backpack slips off my shoulder and falls to the ground, jolting me from its weight. I hate when that happens. I set it aside and finish taking off my shoes.
     
      As I’m putting my shoes in my backpack, I hear footsteps coming my way. I ignore them; thinking it’s that couple from earlier. A hand shoots out, snatching my backpack. I straighten up and look at the thief.
   
      "Give that back!” I shout at the guy.
    
      He’s much taller than me, even though my dad took me to karate doesn’t mean I know how to take down a big guy like this. In the glow of the park light I see him smirk. He swings my backpack out, hitting me in the side with enough force to knock me down. Pain shoots up the wrist that broke my fall, but I don’t think it’s sprained or broken.

      I jump up, but the guy is already running. I take off after him.
     
      I’m not as graceful as I wish I was; I stumble while he gets further and further away from me.

      “Hey!” I shout after him again.
  
      I trip over a rock and fall to the ground. My bad wrist breaks my fall again; making the pain increasingly worse. I figure I’m going to have cuts and bruises on my palm tomorrow, but I need my backpack; it’s all I have.      
     
      Before I can stand up a dark figure races from somewhere in the park, and rams into the thief’s side. They both fall to the ground, but it looks like the mystery man has the upper hand.
     
      I sit on the cold ground, stunned. The thief takes off running again, this time without my backpack.
     
The guy stands up and starts walking towards me. I crawl backwards, scared and confused. The guy looks to be a few inches taller than me, and from what I can tell in the dark, he has a good muscular build.
     
I look at what he’s holding; my backpack. Once he’s only inches from me; despite my constant backing up, his hand starts coming closer to my face.
     
A memory of Raymond; my mother’s boyfriend/fiancé, flashes through my mind.
     
I flinch away from his hand; sure he’s going to hit me. The guy pulls back his hand like I burned him.
     
He doesn’t move for a second, but then he crouches down in front of me. I’m about to back away when speaks.

      “I’m not going to hurt you.” He says in a soft, gentle voice, like he’s approaching a wild animal. “I promise. I just want to help you.”

      Something in his voice makes me trust him a little more. “Can I help you?” He asks in the same soft, gentle voice.
     
I slowly nod. I wasn’t sure if he saw me nod, but apparently the soft glow from the park lights help him see me.
     
He slowly stands up and, even slower, reaches his hand out to me. I hesitate.

      “It’s okay; I’m not going to hurt you.” He speaks in the same tone.

      I cautiously put my good hand in his and he pulls me up. He lets go of my hand when he’s sure I can stand on my own.

      “Thank you.” I say in a soft voice.

      He hands me my backpack and seems to think about something. I don’t know what to do right now, I’m kind of confused. Okay, I’m more than ‘kind of’ confused. Why would someone, a guy, help me when he doesn’t even know me? Guys have held doors open for me, but they never truly helped me.

Can you tell I haven’t ever dated? Before that night when my life crumbled, guys were polite, nothing more. This guy is different.
     
“What’s your name?” He asks, still using his soft tone.

I debate if it’s safe to tell him my name. I don’t want anyone knowing my name, just in case they go to the police about a crazy girl who never sleeps.

He sees that I’m hesitating, but doesn’t ask why.

      Instead he says “My name is Ethan. I live in the next town over. It’s a small town called Bethel Springs.”
I decide I can trust him with my first name.

      “Elaina”

      My father named me that. My mother wanted to name me Megan; thank God she didn’t. I hate that name; only because it’s the name of a girl who didn’t like me very much and made sure I knew. My father had a thing for unique names.

      “Nice to meet you, Elaina.” I hear the smile in his voice; it’s too dark to see his full features. We don’t say anything for a while. He seems to be thinking again.

      “Tell me where you live, I’ll walk you home.”
     
At the mention of home I tense and take a step back. I can’t go home.

      “I’m fine here. Thanks.” I tell him in a quiet voice.
     
      I probably sound crazy to him. I’m not fine here, but I’m not about to tell him that.
     
He’s quiet for so long I think he’s finally going to leave me be. Even though he got my bag back doesn’t mean I’m going to put my full trust in him.

I can’t trust people that easily anymore. The last time I trusted someone they betrayed me. And the people I loved and trusted the most left me.

      “You don’t have a home.” He states quietly.

      It doesn’t sound like he’s talking to me, but more to himself. How does he know that? He grabs my hand. I jump and jerk my hand back.
     
I don’t mean to be rude, but because of Raymond I’m afraid of sudden touches from people I don’t know, even from people I do know. Scratch that; I’m afraid of people touching me, period. No if ands or buts about it.
     
      I take a quick step back. He takes his hand back and puts it to the back of his neck.

      “I’m sorry.” He says softly. We stand in silence again. I listen to the chirping of crickets, and the hooting of owls.
     
“Uh, if you want, you can stay with me. I don’t want that guy coming back for round two if I’m not here.” He pauses. “It’s just me; I live alone.” He says as if that’ll sway my decision.
     
      I almost say yes. I need a place to stay. It’s cold out here.
     
As if on cue the wind picks up and I shiver. I think about a warm, cozy house and a real bed. I shake my head. What am I thinking? I can’t trust this guy! No, I can’t go with him. Absolutely not!

      “No, thank you.” I say in my same quiet voice.
     
      Despite my thoughts being loud, I’m a pretty soft spoken person. Ever since the night of the accident, I’ve felt like I’ve lost everything, even the will to my opinion and my voice.

      “Please? I don’t want to leave you out here by yourself, it’s not safe.” He pauses again. Removing his hand from his neck; it swings down to his side.

     “You can trust me.” He says again.

      His voice says it all. He’s pleading with me. Maybe he does want me safe.
     
      Somewhere deep inside of me, I know I can trust him.