G H O S T R U N N E R

< F O U R >

© Amber Kalkes 2014

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>F O U R <

Sam jerks awake on the downstairs couch. Rubbing a hand over his face he looks around trying to figure out where he is and relaxes when he recognizes the space as the living room in May’s house. He must of fell asleep during their movie night.

It’s been three days since Arden’s appearance in his life and he’s still knows so little about her. She draws him in like a mosquito to a zapper light but he has no clue as to why or if she even thinks of him the way he does of her. This crush or whatever it is makes him feel sixteen again and the thought is annoying. He’s a man for god’s sakes and here he is acting like he’s Kayla.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the couch he tries to rub the sleep from his eyes but is distracted by a distant sound. Howling. The haunting sounds of howling wolves’ makes his gut clench oddly and without thinking he looks out the window to see a figure standing in the yard.

Arden.

He’d be able to pick out that head of hair from anywhere. She looks so alone in the dark like that with only the moon to bathe her in light. Walking out the front door he slowly walks towards her stock still form and comes to a stop about two feet behind her, hoping to give her space. She faces the woods like a tombstone, the image makes his heart hurt for her.

“Arden?”

Her head slowly moves until her eyes contact with his in the darkness. They seem to glow or sheen, almost like a cat’s in the limited light making him frown. That’s just another thing to add to the list of things he doesn’t get. He’s witnessed a lot of odd things that don’t add up with Arden. She heals very fast, first with the burn on her neck and then when she accidently cut herself a day ago while helping May cook. It barely left a scratch but there was blood on her fingers.

Another things seems to be her hearing, she seems to be able to hear just about anything. When it had been just been him, Kayla and her in the house she suddenly sat up straighter in the middle of a conversation. When he asks her what was wrong she just titled her head towards the window, only for him to see May’s truck coming down the driveway. Sure, his hearing had been messed from the explosion but he still wouldn’t have been able to hear it that soon. Kayla too had been completely at a loss at how she did that.

Lastly, the weird tingles she gives him every time they touch. It’s strange and makes his heart beat faster and his lungs crave more oxygen. Not to mention how much it turns him on. Before leaving for the Marines he’d been a sexually driven young man, having sex at least once a day and twice at night but after the accident it had gone downhill. He still had sex but with the lack of confidence he now had it didn’t exactly make him seek much company. But with Arden it was like he was seventeen all over again.

Weird.

“Are you okay?” He asks softly.

She shakes her head and looks back at the tree line.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She lets out a soft sigh, “Do you hear them?”

His heart speeds up at the sound of her voice. Slowly but surely she’s been talking more but her voice is still croaky and dry. If she talks to much her throat gets dryer sooner so he doesn’t try to push her though he can’t deny he loves to hear her talk. It’s a new weird habit of his, hanging on her every word.