Tears of Glass

Once again

Crisp air filled my senses as I leaned against the pavilion post. I tapped my converse against the concrete, the scraping sound filtered in with the child's birthday party chattered with life around me. They paid no attention to the forlorn teen who looked to be dragged here by her parents. My curly brown hair was hidden by the hood I used to hide my head phones. I paid them as much attention as they paid me.

"I'm going on a walk." I said quietly, to no one in particular. I knew if they didn't notice me here they wouldn't care if I left. An adjustment of the jacket around my shoulders reminded me to grab a pair of gloves from the car.

"Eliana, do you want us to save you some cake?" Carly asked when I returned from the car. She always had a sweet smile on her face. Except for the time she and her husband James caught me drinking on the roof, she was sad then.

I glanced back at beautiful the middle aged woman who, in her late 40s, decided to adopt a 15 year old. "No thank you, I'll be back at four." After fidgeting with the gloves around my too small hands, I glanced over my choices of trails. Both were secluded and quiet. I settled on the one that headed into a small wood.

My converse were silent on the asphalt as would be anyone else's. A still mind was not mine and I frequently caught myself wandering over the possibilities this life held. I thumbed over the fresh divots in my wrists through my sleeves, a burning sensation followed. Music was the only thing that kept me sane, as I wandered a steady mix of Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Cash, and Frank Sinatra tumbled through my head. I let my mind wander over what my life might be like if I was born just 50 years earlier.

A rustle in the leaves behind me caught my attention, a sound that didn't suit the silent forest. I took one of the ear buds out and looked around. A squirrel darted up a tree, I knew my nerves on edge was a natural risk of walking alone. But the rustle I hear before wasn't characteristic of a squirrel. Someone was with me, either here to enjoy the outdoors or another darker reason.

"Eliana." A heavy voice spoke behind me.

My mind shook as I recognized the owner of the voice. I kept walking, beginning a much faster pace than the one I had been keeping before. I wasn't quite sure why I was running but he wasn't as safe as he was before. He didn't have my trust.

"Eliana." His footsteps were barely audible behind me as he approached. I knew our height distances would make out-running him no small feat. I felt his hand grab my arm and for a moment a sense of peace washed over me before I was brought back to the present situation.

"What the hell do you want, August?" I stopped and turned abruptly to meet his amber eyes, narrowly avoiding face planting straight into his chest. I was staring up because he stood almost a foot above me. He was stronger than he was the last time I saw him, something was off. He wasn't the same.

"I need you to not freak out." He gripped my wrist. He held eye contact while softly brushing the hair from my face.

I pulled against him and kicked myself out of the stupor, "Why would I?"

He wrapped his hands together with mine and pulled my body close to his. "I need you to come with me. Some dangerous people are looking for you and I have to get you safe."

I ripped my hands out of his grip and shoved him as hard as I could away from me. "No, you can't just come back after two years and expect me to trust you!"

His expression changed from calm to determined. He reached forward, grabbing my bicep this time, his large hands wrapping all the way around it. "Please, I'm not here to hurt you and he won't either as long as you listen." He pleaded. His fingers caused pinpoints of pain to shoot up my arm.