Astray in the Dark

Chapter 2

Alicia's POV

It is a blissful Saturday morning, full of peace and tranquility. The leaves rustling in the wind, ducks floating in the pond... and Charlie freaking out at my weird encounter yesterday evening.

"Woah woah woah WHAT?!" She burst out as we sat on the park bench, causing a group of unsuspecting pigeons to flee from the pavement. For context, I meet up with Charlie every weekend; it's become a little like a tradition. Right now, we're sitting in the park, enjoying a batch of freshly baked doughnuts. "So let me get this straight.. Last night after school, you stumbled across an extremely hot guy, bleeding to death in some random alleyway?"

"That's right.." I concluded with a nod. "And when I went back to the spot on my way to meet you, all the medicine I left there for him was gone."

She gave me a look as if to say, 'why on earth would you leave medicine there?' "Someone else could've picked them up."

"Maybe.. well I just hope that he at least got to somewhere safe." I huffed out, and Charlie gazed at me with intrigue.

"And you're positive that this actually happened?"

"Yes!" I grumbled, and she laughed.

"Okay okay. But I wouldn't sweat it if I were you, I'll bet it's probably just some gang violence or something you see in one of those movies."

"Probably.." I whispered out. I know that it's terrible, but I was kinda hoping for more... I lost sleep over this. Usually nothing new happens and nothing changes, perhaps I was hoping for something different. "Still.. I can't help but feel as if I met him somewhere before."

"If he's as good looking as you made him out to be, you probably met him in your dreams."

"Oh hush." I spoke up, and we both broke into laughter.

After some small talk about various things, Charlie and myself went into town for a 'girls day out'. I've never really understood the concept of staring through shop windows and trying on clothes, but if Charlie is enjoying herself, I'll go along with it.

"How come you never buy anything when we're shopping?" She asked me from behind the dressing room curtain, the rustle of different dresses being put on and off resounding from inside.

"I just never see anything that'd suit me," I responded, walking up and down the wall of fine finishes and elegant laces. I usually get my clothes from charity shops after all.

I ran my slender fingers against the hanging fabrics, feeling the differentiating textures and textiles. Some smooth some soft, some thick some thin... This type of clothing is too extravagant for someone like me.

"What do you think?" Charlie exclaimed happily, bursting out from the dressing room wearing a vibrant sunflower dress.

"It looks good," I replied honestly, chuckling as she twirled around on the spot childishly.

Slowly but surely, we found our way back to our usual coffee shop - the cafe I visited yesterday. I sipped a french vanilla frappuccino whilst Charlie enjoyed her hot cocoa, twirling her fingers around her wavy blonde locks as her tips padded against the phone screen. You can't socialise with her when she's like this; trust me, I've tried.

I had my palm pressed against my cheek, leaning into it as I stared at the passing traffic. It was starting to get late, the sun hovering just above the opposing rooftops.

That's when I began to feel it, the uneasy sensation of an unknown gaze resting upon my petite figure. I quickly felt anxious and uneasy, becoming more and more alert as the feeling didn't showing any signs of ceasing.. Hesitantly, I glanced behind me, my eyes nervously searching for the source; searching for the spectre I knew was watching me.

An electric awareness seeped through my body when I saw no one there, as if preparing me to run. I could feel the hairs standing on the back of my neck, I could feel the goosebumps sprouting all over my whitening complexion. I can feel it, I know someone's there.

"Ali?"

My heartbeat was becoming more than just a thud, more than pounding, more than racing. I took in some calm breaths, but it was still there.. not leaving my back. Who? Where? Why? I could feel myself starting to panic.

"Hey, Ali!" My head quickly snapped over to Charlie, her phone was now laying facedown on the table as she was staring at me with worried curiosity. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

"Oh um," I glanced back one more time, the sweat settling on my brow. Once again, I saw no one. "It's nothing. Just zoned out for a moment there." I turned back, reassuring her with a sheepish smile.

She rolled her eyes at me, taking a quick sip of her drink. "You really need to stop daydreaming all the time, it's unhealthy. Doing it in class is one thing.. but doing it when you're out with me? Am I really that boring?!" She distressed sarcastically, causing us both to simultaneously chuckle.

"Yeah, sorry, it's nothing..." I forced an innocent grin, and she just rolled her eyes at me before starting on about minor inconveniences.

Yeah, that's right.. it's probably nothing.

We left the shop just before closing, chuckling and joking with one another as we made our way down the main road. She was going on about how her crush, Brian the football captain, asked her out the other day; assuring not to leave out a single detail.

When talking to Charlie, I've found that minutes morph into seconds; so before we knew it, we had already arrived at the fated intersection.

"I'm going this way," Charlie reminded me, standing at the edge of the crossing. I waited with her as the green light slowly dropped to red, and then we said our goodbyes with upmost reluctancy.

"See you next week!" I called out from behind her, receiving a full on wave in returned.

I sauntered down the road, sipping the icy beverage in my hand; it tasted like vanilla ice cream that was left in the sun too long. Edging my way down the dainty street, I was closing in on the road which occupies my apartment. I couldn't help but occasionally glance behind me out of caution; for whatever reason, I felt as if I'm being followed.

I froze when I saw a dark figure lingering on the street corner behind me, rushing for cover when I noticed them. Feeling my pace quicken automatically at the sense of potential danger, I just wanted to get to safety. Approaching my house, I couldn't help but quicken my pace further into a sprint; dashing down the avenue.

It was then without warning, I was roughly pushed to the ground and my body suddenly felt extremely heavy. I instantly began to panic when I became unable to move my arms and my frightened cries became muffled; causing me to struggle with all my might.

"P-please don't scream!" A mans voice quickly spoke up, and I froze. Slowly opening my eyelids, hovering over me was a slightly overweight man who looked to be in his late twenties. He wore a hoodie over his baseball cap to mask his identity, his only defining feature being the lazily shaped stubble around his lips. A stalker..? "I'm slowly going to remove my hand, so.."

The second his hand left my mouth, I cried out as loud as I could from the top of my lungs. "SOMEONE HELP M-.." He slammed his palm back down over my mouth so hard, my head violently smashed against the pavement below me. The jagged stones pierced my skin, and I could feel a hot liquid seep down across my skin.

"Dammit you bitch!!" He grumbled lowly, his grip tightening and causing me to flinch in pain. "I said not to.. yet you.."

It was as I felt his hand slip beneath my shirt, warm droplets of crimson began oozing from the fresh wound on my head, flowing down my neck and leaving a scarlet trail. It hurts.. My vision began to blur as I felt ever more dizzy and nauseous, slowly sinking into an unnatural daze.

As my head limply fell to the side, the last thing I saw before being submerged into darkness was a large wolf, it's fur as dark as midnight. The creatures eyes were like the ocean, so full of life yet so uncertain; that light blue hue carried it's emotional currents, and before I could take a single breath, I was already drowned in sleep...