Strangers

Part 7: She Didn't See Anything

Running. I'm running from something. It's not a person. Or creature. It's haunting me since I know for myself and I can't escape. However I tried, no matter how fast I run, where I hide, I can't escape from the past.

Sound of footprints made my eyes to open. It's early in the morning. The sun is shining, but it's still cold. I found myself sitting against a tree. Nobody was around, but I swear I heard someone walking. I stood up and started to look for Max. He should be here. He never goes too far from me. As I was walking I heard footsteps again. Then a voice. I know who it belongs to, but part of me feels like I'm dreaming. Maybe I am. Maybe my mind is just playing with me and I'm imagining things. I hurried to the place where a voice came from. When I finally came I couldn't believe my eyes. I saw Max playing with another dragon and next to them was... Corinne.. What is she doing here? She looked at me as I walked to them.

"Hey!." She smiled. "Hey.." I stood next to her. "Are you feeling better?", "What?", "Yesterday you didn't look so well.." that's when I remembered, my head hurted and they saw that. "Yeah, I'm better" she raised an eyebrow "You sure?, "Yes.. What are you doing here?" Did she follow me? "I saw you're not in your house so I decided to go and look for you.." Her voice sounds like she's hiding something. Did she saw anything. "I understand.." She smiled "Then, shouldn't we go back?", "Probably we should.." as she turned to go to her dragon I noticed her scent. It's the same I felt yesterday.

"Are you coming?" I turned and saw she's already on her dragon. I went to Max and we started to go back to Dragon's Edge. "Did you sleep last night?" she asked while looking at me so I looked back at her "I did, why?", "You have dark circles under your eyes.." I looked away same moment when she said that. "They're old.." I lied, she can't find out what happened yesterday. "You didn't have them yesterday..." She said with daubt in her voice. She's smarter than I thought. "Corinne it's-" I started to explain, but she interrupted me "Why are you lying?" I stayed silent. I don't know what to say to her. I don't want to lie.. "Are you hiding something?" These words made my eyes widen. I didn't look at her so she couldn't notice.

"What would I hide?", "I don't know.. You should tell me that." She doesn't give up, does she? "You really want to know?" I turned and looked right in her eyes. Usually people would look away, but she didn't. She returned the look. She looked in my eyes and I could feel she isn't afraid. "Yes, but I doubt you'll tell me.." I signed "Sometimes I need some time to be alone, I have too many things in my head.." I didn't lie, it was true. "So you were thinking?" she looked suspicious. "In some way..", "In some way?, "Yeah..", "Alright then.." We were silent until we came on Dragon's Edge.

"Hayden!" I noticed Willow coming to us. "Can we talk, alone?" She looked at me and I knew it's about yesterday. "Yeah" I looked at Corinne who looked at Willow then at me "See you later" she said and started to walk away "Yeah" Okay this was weird. Corinne was a good friend, but we never were too close. "So.." Willow started, but I interrupted her. "We can't talk here" I said and started to walk toward my house, she followed me. As we entered in my house I closed the door behind us. "Now would you finally tell me what happened? And why Corinne was with you?" I sighed and looked at her. She just stood there looking in my eyes and waiting for an explanation.

"First you know what happened and second, she wasn't with me..", "Hayden that doesn't explain anything..." I sighed again. "Max found an island and landed there, after that I don't remember anything. When I woke up I saw her next to him", "Did she?.." She didn't finish the sentence, but I knew what she thought. "I don't know. I think she didn't. She told me she was looking for me" Willow raised an eyebrow "Why would she be looking for you?" Now I remembered I forgot to ask her that. "I don't know, I didn't ask...", "Hayden!!" She raised her voice and it sounded concerned more than angry. "I'm sure she didn't saw me! I mean would you look for a person who you saw turning into a beast?" She opened her mouth to answer, but I was quicker "I know the answer!" she closed her mouth and signed.

"I should go to work.. I lost too much time today", "Hayden wait!" I left her alone in my house. I know she won't steal anything so I was calm about that. I have too many questions in my head, I don't need more. What I need is to find answers.