After Dusk

2.4

Roslyn

I stand in front of the tree line, wanting so badly to conquer my fears and leap within it.

The vast variety of eye-popping colors of the dying trees draw me closer to the woods. Red. Orange. Yellow. The leaves fall slowly from the tops of the foliage towering over me. The colors are captivating to the eye.

How can something that looks so beautiful, hold such tragic memories?

I take a step forward. The bottom of my new sneakers makes a crunching noise when it sandwiches the fallen leaves beneath it and the pavement. I take a deep breath as my body fights to pull me back to safety.

*flashback*

I run, as fast as I possibly can, terrified of what is behind me. My feet ache beneath me but I need to keep going.

I'm going to die.

I'm going to die.

*end*

My body involuntarily pulls me back to the pavement, fighting directly with my brain for control over me. My breathing quickens as I try desperately to forget the images that flash into my head as I look at the trees before me.

I force myself to take a step closer to the trees, determined to overpower my brain.

*flashback*

It's oversized paw slashes at my face and arms as if it is trying to rip all of my skin off my body. I can hear someone calling my name but deep down, I know they will not make it in time to save me.

I am going to die.

*end*

I shake my head and leap back to the sidewalk.

Why can't I do this? Why can't I just take another step forward? "It is the middle of the day Roslyn, what could go wrong?" I ask myself out loud.

"A lot actually." I turn my head quickly and see Jackie walking up beside me, her arms crossed over her chest. She looks displeased. "It's not safe out there, even if it is the middle of the day. Remember what happened the other day? That happened in broad daylight."

I nod. She is right. But I can't let them win. I can't let these trees control my life. They are just trees.

"The trees aren't controlling you. What lives in the trees is controlling you." Jackie chimes in. "Your brain is just protecting you."

"Get out of my head Jackie." I growl, angry that everyone can read my thoughts. "What are you doing out here anyways?"

"Well, I originally came over to talk to you about James but then I saw you freaking out over here by yourself so I figured I would come over here and see what all the fuss is about. You look like you're playing hopscotch."

I groan and step away from the tree line. This is a challenge to tackle another day. "You can turn around and go home right now if you're going to try to talk to me about James. Did he tell you he broke in to my house last night? I'm so over all of this drama at this point."

"Look, all I'm going to say is that two days ago he was ignoring you and you were begging me to get him to talk to you again and now the exact opposite is happening. Now you could care less about him?" Jackie raises an eyebrow as she speaks.

"That couldn't be further from the truth Jackie. But he made it very clear we aren't compatible. And reading my mind?! He doesn't respect my boundaries and neither do you."

Jackie laughs. "Reading your mind isn't something we can control. You're just going to have to get over that unfortunately. It's part of who we are."

I shake my head. "I just want you and your whole family to leave me alone from now on. I want nothing to do with vampires or werewolves or any other magical creature that decides to waltz into my life."

"You can say that all you want, but we will never really go away. The wolves are still out there and are hungry. And Elise is out there, alive and angry. You aren't safe. You need us."

"No, I don't. Let them kill me. Let them come and snatch me up right now! I don't care! Really, I don't! I've got nothing left to live for. Then, it'll all be over and everyone will be happy. You can all move on with your lives."

"Not James." Jackie says quietly, staring at the pavement below us, kicking a few colorful leaves around with her feet.

"What did you just say?" I ask her to repeat what she mumbled.

"I said James would t be happy if you died. He wouldn't move in with his life." She clarifies.

"Shut up Jackie." I sigh and look away from her. "He made it very clear he doesn't want me." I avoid eye contact with her, scared to see the expression on her face. If it turns out she's just joking with me to lighten the mood, it will absolutely crush me. I can't bare to find out if she's joking or if she is serious.

Jackie laughs at me. "No, he made it clear my father doesn't want him to want you. James never said he didn't want you."

I shake my head, refusing to believe it. "We can't be together. It's not safe anyways."

"While this may be true," Jackie walks in circles around me. "That's not what either of you want and I know it." She continues circling the pavement around me like a shark stalking its next meal. "I'm telling you, I've never seen James cry in the thousands of years we've been alive and that boy is brining on the waterworks in his room. He hasn't stopped."

"Why?"

Clearly, James is upset because Elise died and is now missing and he can't be with her for the rest of his eternal life. He is probably also upset that his dad yelled at him for bringing in Elise into his home and allowing all of this to happen. That's just my guess.

I'm curious to hear what Jackie will say about it.

"Because he hurt you Roslyn! Duh!" Jackie throws her hands up in the air before waving them around like a crazy person.

"I don't understand why he cares."

"Gosh!" Jackie exclaims. "You are both dumber than a sack of rocks! Do I have to do everything myself?"