An Enchanted Night

19*Chocolate Daises

Adam watches her drop the flower she'd picked earlier, "I'm sorry," she rushes out of her mouth.

"It's okay, really," he smiles. "I'm glad it could become someone else's getaway."

"I still feel rude. You came here to be with her in spirit and I ruined that," she hangs her head down slightly.

He doesn't respond right away, wondering if he should share with the blue-eyed stranger just how rude he was, to follow her. Surely, she'd be creeped out. "When I saw you walk down the path, I was struck into this hopeful trance that you were her, so I followed you," he finally admits.

"I'm sorry," she says, wide-eyed.

"For what?" he laughs, confused. She isn't insulted.

"Well you wanted me to be her, and I wasn't. That must've been disappointing."

Adam gives her a half-smile, "Only partially true." He sees her blush, and then continues. "We used to come all the time, after we first discovered it. Sometimes every weekend. She loved the flowers," he nods towards the flower she dropped. She picks it up and Adam says, "After she died, I didn't have a reason to come back."

"Until tonight," she whispers, carefully clutching the flower between her fingers.

"Until tonight," he confirms.

"Still," she starts, shaking her head, "I shouldn't have picked any of them. They're not mine to pick."

"I forgive you, and I know my sister would, too," Adam says and picks another one, handing it to her. "Besides, she'd love that someone else loves them just as much as she did."

"They smell so good!" She exclaims, laughing as she grabs it from him.

Adam nods and says, "Chocolate daises. They only bloom at night."

"I'll cherish them forever, thank you," she gazes at the flowers in her hands.

"You better, because you're not getting any more. I don't want my clearing to start smelling like grass," he says, making a pretend horrified face.

"How are you ever going to monitor my flower picking? She grins and pretends to start picking another.

"Guess I'll just have to come back here every night, to keep you in check," Adam counters, gently swatting her hand away.

They're sharing a smile when the music, nearly forgotten by Adam, fades out and the sound of microphone feedback takes its place. He hears Benji's voice cut in, announcing the next singer and promising the tribute will start shortly. Adam makes eye contact with her blue ones again, a smile pulling at his lips.

He scrambles to his feet in the blink of an eye, and dashes back toward the path. When he reaches the beginning of the trail, he looks back at her, sitting in a daze. He thinks about saying something to her, telling her his name, maybe. But he decides against it. Right now, their conversation is anonymous. And he thinks he wants to keep the mystery going for a little bit longer.

So instead, he lets out a howl and sprints into the woods.

He is swallowed by its darkness.