Attachment (Unedited Rough Draft)

Chapter 8

When Star was finally done drying and straightening my hair, we brought Cupid inside. I decided that for this hike we would leave her home and gave her a special new bone. She was so distracted by it, she didn't even notice when we walked out the door.

"Are you sure you don't want to bring her?" Rowan asked.

"Yeah, I'll take her for a walk later on, she'll be happy with her new bone." I answered.

"And you said you had a book to return, are we doing that first?" Star asked Rowan.

"It has to go back to the manor." He told her.

"What?"

"Yeah there's a library there, it'll make more sense when you see it." He answered, "By the way, Jace, I'm digging the blue hair it looks awesome."

"Thanks." I said, ducking my head to hide the blushing.

Rowan led the way to the path that would lead us to Meadow Manor. I was glad we were going, I felt like I needed to see it again and go back to that room. I needed to see where that light had come from. I don't know why it was bothering me so much, but as soon as Rowan mentioned the manor, I had thought about it again. I couldn't think pf what was causing the reflection. Although I planned to have them with me or make sure the door couldn't close. I didn't want to repeat being locked in there.

I was fiddling with the ends of my hair and looking at the way the blue looked in the natural sunlight as we walked. Star looked at me and started to laugh.

"What?" I asked her.

"Like the blue?" She asked.

"Yes." I told her, "And before you say anything, yes I should have let you play with my hair color sooner."

"Well that's just saying the obvious." Star said as she laughed, "Now you'll let me do all sorts of crazy things."

"Don't get your hopes up." I told her shaking my head.

Star shrugged and caught up with Rowan. He was pointing out other trails to her that I hadn't explored yet because the manor had taken up my exploring. I wanted to see more of the forest and what else it held but that want paled in comparison to wanting to see more of Meadow Manor. There was so much more there then met the eye and I had a feeling there was something there to find.

I felt something brush my fingertips, but I wasn't close to trees or any of the taller plants. Nothing was sticking to my hand to tell me it was a spider web or anything like that. I decided it had to have been something I imagine or a string from my clothes I just wasn't seeing now.

The forest had its own music playing. The wind played through the leaves and pine needles of the trees around us. You could hear the movements of animals as they avoided us, some as they moved to better investigate us.

And I could hear the same humming from the room. Low and just barely there. A tune I couldn't place and wasn't sure I had ever heard before besides for the room. I was so focused on the tune that I didn't notice Star had come back to me.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

Rowan was standing a little behind her. Apparently I had stopped walking and they had come back for me.

"You don't hear that?" I asked.

"Hear what?" Rowan asked.

"The humming, I can't place the tune. I could have sworn I heard it yesterday too and the manor." I answered.

"There's no humming. Although there is this story about a guy who disappeared around here somewhere like ten years ago. He was a loner and always came to the library." Rowan said.