The Guide Dog

Unforgettable Stranger

Scarlett 

Him. After all of these years I'd finally forgotten his voice. How could I forget it?! He was real! And he'd spoken to me moments before Edward arrived. On the track, in my gym class of all places! He'd told me to come with him. But I'd been too paralyzed in fear to recognize him. But now, in the blur, the confusion, the animalistic chorus of growls and snarls, the memories of him were flooding through my mind. I had always sensed when he was near. His presence was something powerful, dangerous, and never too far away from me.

On the first night I'd ever spent with my new family, I heard his voice. As a young girl, I'd tried telling Jenna about the man I heard in my sleep. She would check my room, find nothing and brush it off as a child's monster. But I knew he was real. I felt his presence like a charge in the air. And I knew that wherever I went, he would follow. As time passed I heard him less and less. But I refused believe that he existed only in my head. So I chose to believe in magic. To believe that he was simply a ghost, a presence, a spirit on the outside looking in. I'd heard his voice one final time the night I turned 15, and since then he'd slipped from my memory.

But here, now, hearing my name being screamed out in his agony. There was no mistaking it. It was Killian, and I was willing to bet my life on it. I screamed in protest as I struggled against the impossibly strong woman's hold. Killian was my metaphysical protector, I'd felt him watching over me for most of my life. And until now, I'd never believed he was a physical entity, one that really walked among the Earth. But he was here now. And he was hurting... and I was hurting. My head was pounding, and my heart was racing. Something was wrong, something was happening. And I had absolutely no way of knowing what was going on. My scream silenced the animal noises, and then everything was quiet. I needed to know if he was alright, if he'd been hurt, or worse.

"Killian." I whispered. I could feel my entire frame shaking violently, as tears streamed down my face. Who was holding me? What were all of these jungle-like animal noises I was hearing? Where was I? Where was Seth?! And why was I hearing Killian after all of these years? The chaos and confusion were overwhelming.

"You know this man?" I was entrapped by this woman's brute strength yet she spoke calmly, her breathing was even, as if I was giving no fight at all.

"I do... I think." I sniffled. I gave up on escaping her grip, struggling was clearly a futile effort. "I don't know what's going on, but I would really like to speak to him... please."

Killian's voice was the only one I'd recognized. Would he be able to help me out of this mess I seemed to have gotten myself into? I knew Edward's voice too. But seeing as he chose to mysteriously incapacitate me during our last meeting I'm no longer certain he can be trusted. He was here when I drifted back into consciousness, but his minced words, and promises of explanations did nothing to placate me. To be quite honest, I wasn't sure if I could trust anyone around me. Seth was the only one in this new town that I knew I could trust whole-heartedly, but he was probably with Embry at the moment. Yet, for some reason I still felt safe. The same way I did when he was near...

Or was it because Killian had been here all along?

"Come on, Scarlett." The woman placed her arm around my waist and led me forward, she kept a steady pace guiding us across soft grass until we came to a stop.

"Bella," Edward was standing in front of us now, and his voice carried a warning.

"Edward, is he going to hurt her?" She asked sounding slightly annoyed.

He sighed deeply, "No," he answered before adding, "Not at the moment."

I knew that. If Killian wanted to hurt me he probably had a better chance of success months before now. But how did Edward know Killian's intentions with me?