by N. A. Hydes
Jennifer had to face the facts. She was naked and lost in the woods. She needed to return to her camping group. And since she was naked, she would prefer to do that before the sun made its appearance.
The water was icy, and goosebumps rose on her arms. Full of determination, Jennifer cautiously placed her foot into the stream. She avoided the slimy, slick rocks, careful not to fall. When she felt she was deep enough, she used her hands as cups and rinsed off her body. She was so cold she had goosebumps on her goosebumps. She cleaned off the blood as best she could, teeth chattering.
Jennifer could see details around her, almost as well as day, but her mind was full of other thoughts, and she didn’t register the change in her eyesight.
A while back, Jennifer had found that if she eliminated a sense, the other senses were stronger. Closing her eyes to help her focus on her sense of hearing, she listened and could hear Matt’s voice calling for her. A sense of relief filled her as she headed in his direction.
The sky appeared even darker when she was close enough to call for Matt. A wind blew across her bare chest, reminding her she lacked clothing. To her right was an oak big enough to hide behind. She decided the best method was to call Matt from behind that tree.
“Matt,” she said weakly, not wanting anyone else in the party to overhear.
“Where are you?” Matt responded.
“I’m over here,” she called from her hiding spot. It covered almost everything, she hoped.
Matt started running toward Jennifer’s voice.
“Are you okay? Can you walk?” Matt sounded concerned.
He was close enough now that Jennifer could talk in a normal volume. “I’m fine.” She looked at her toes. “Well, I have a problem.”
“What’s wrong? I’ve been out here looking for you for hours. You don’t know how many different fantasies I’ve had. Good and bad.” Matt walked slightly around the tree until he could barely see the outline of Jennifer’s figure. Matt looked long enough to tell she was in her birthday suit, but not long enough to make out details. “Whoa,” he responded and turned his head away from her. “I mean, this is good and all…” He paused, then continued, “That is, if you want me to see you naked, but since you’re hiding and all…”
“It’s bad, Matt,” Jennifer whispered. “What did you put in the beer?”
“What happened?” Instinct caused him to glance up and down her body as she clung to the tree. He turned his head away.
“Matt, I need to know what you put in the beer!” Jennifer was frantic.
“Wait,” he said and took off his shirt. “Please put this on. Jennifer, I’m only human, and I can only take so much.” He threw the shirt in her direction, and they both watched as it landed on the ground. Quickly, Matt faced the opposite direction and put his hands in his jeans pockets.
Jennifer kept her eyes on Matt as she left the comfort of the tree and grabbed his shirt. She had to dust the leaves off the outside before sliding it over her head. As she dressed, she continued, “Matt, I had hallucinations.”
Jennifer was tall for a girl at slightly over 5’9”, but Matt was taller, and his shirt hung long enough to cover up her torso to her legs, as long as she didn’t move fast or raise her arms.
“I’m in your shirt. I’m as covered as I’m going to be,” Jennifer said as she tugged at the edges of the top, trying to pull it lower.
She noticed Matt’s chest as he turned to face her. It was apparent Matt had played sports most of his life. The strange night kept her from enjoying the sight.
“Thanks,” she said lightly. “What was in the beer?”
Matt walked over to stand directly in front of Jennifer. He put his hands on her shoulders but pulled them back to his sides, tucking them in his jeans. “Nothing, Jennifer, it was just beer. What happened?”
“I don’t know. I had a strange dream about a bear and woke up naked,” Jennifer answered.
Matt tried to make light of the situation. “Wish I was the bear.” When Jennifer didn’t respond, he continued, “Jennifer, I had the same beer, and nothing happened. So did Doug, Colin, Lauren, and Paul.” Matt sighed. “None of us hallucinated. None of us are running around the woods naked. You have worried me for hours. Maybe, you’ve not had a lot to drink before. Maybe, you react differently.” He grabbed her hand. “I swear I wouldn’t put anything in your drink.” He let go of her hand and felt her forehead. “Maybe you are sick?”
Jennifer cried and used the back of her hand to wipe tears from her face and sniffed. “I believe you,” she said tightly. “I want to go home.” She looked down at the leaves.
Matt did his best to smile, but it was awkward. “Well, I had hoped tonight would be memorable,” Matt said and noticed Jennifer was trembling. “Let’s go home. Probably best if you are getting sick.”
“Yes,” Jennifer responded.
“What happened to your clothes?” Matt asked.
“I’m not sure. I don’t remember taking them off.” She looked at the ground. “It wasn’t sexual at all—more of a call to nature, like I was an animal. I even thought I had talons.” She tried to laugh, but it came out pathetic. “I told you, I have had the strangest dream and don’t really want to talk about it,” Jennifer answered.
Matt led her back to the campsite. Neither said a word.
The Prince and the Wise Woman
Petr’s Memory
It was spring, and perfectly spaced rows of cherry trees were in bloom. Beside the rows, the ground sank and became rice fields.
Petr walked amongst the flowers beside his friend, Che-non.
A blossom fell from one of the many trees, landing in Che-non’s hair. Che-non swatted his head to brush it off.
Both men’s faces were forlorn and pointed towards the ground, expressions sad, despite the air’s fresh smell and the bright scenery.
“I have to find a way,” Che-non was saying again. “There has to be something.” Che-non had become desperate to exact his revenge in the months after the wedding.
There was nothing Petr could say, so he stayed silent. He stopped when Che-non stopped.
Picking up a rock, Che-non recklessly threw it as hard as he could. He started walking at a faster pace. Petr matched his friend, still not uttering a word.
“There has to be a way,” Che-non repeated. “They killed her. On our wedding day. And there was nothing I could do.”
Petr’s face scrunched in pain for his friend.
“There is a way,” said a woman with a large, flat, black hat. She stood by a tall tree.
Startled by her appearance, both men turned to face the strange woman. She stood slouched, shoulders hunched forward, giving the impression of being older. Her clothing matched her hat, stark black. She had her eyes closed.
“There is a place of living sands you can find in the mountains.” She pointed behind her towards a group of mountains. “You will find your revenge there.” Her voice was scratchy, as if she hadn’t had any water in a long time.
“But I warn you.” Her head turned towards Che-non. “Once your revenge is done, what will you do with eternity?”
Petr looked at his friend and away from the mystical woman.
“And you, Petr,” she said, drawing his attention back towards her.
How did she know his name?
“I have a message for you as well.” She paused dramatically. “Your revenge, your answers, your promise.” Her breath became heavy for a few seconds, and then she opened her eyes. The irises of her eyes were white. Making her eyes a solid color, surrounded by dark eyelashes. “You have waited a long time for the fulfillment. You will wait longer. But there will be a time when you will need to fulfill your promises. The promise you made to your sister, as well as to your future friends.” An eerie laugh came from the woman as she disappeared in smoke.
A thousand years or so later, Petr sat looking at a computer screen, frozen in place by a distinct high-pitched ringing, similar to a flute playing the note ‘E,’ which
vibrated through his body. Why this memory appeared mere seconds before he heard the unmistakable sound of an Awakening, he wasn’t sure. But it felt like an omen.
Petr stood after his initial shock, knocking over his chair and almost knocking over the small table holding his laptop. In a jerky motion, he turned around, trying to pinpoint the direction. It was from the west and very close.
Excitement rose, and he felt butterflies in his stomach. He had never been this close to a new dragon. Maybe, just maybe, after years of waiting, he could keep his promise.
5
Camp to Dorm
On the walk back to the campground, Matt reflected on the night’s festivities. He had watched Jennifer waddle into the woods and loved how her drunken swagger caused her hips to sway. Because he hadn’t drunk nearly as much as Jennifer, he enjoyed the sight even more than if he was ‘buzzed.’
When she was out of sight, he had sat down with his college buddies, Colin and Paul, for a useless debate on who would win in a war between Transformers and X-Men. It wasn’t until his two friends had headed to their tents that Matt got worried.
Matt marked the path he took, searching for Jennifer. It wouldn’t do for both of them to get lost in the woods. He sorely wished his cell phone hadn’t lost signal. He could use it on this search. Since it was useless, he had left it in his truck’s glove compartment.
Matt whispered her name to keep from waking up the camp. But after thirty minutes of searching didn’t produce her, he started screaming her name. He was afraid he was going to lose his voice.
He felt relieved when Jennifer appeared. But seeing her naked had him questioning his relationship with her. Matt didn’t really like crazy, and this was crazy.
He looked over towards Jennifer; she was walking slightly behind him. Her bottom lip was quivering, and he had felt goosebumps on her arm. Her skin even looked pale. Matt hoped she wasn’t going into shock, or frost-bitten, or sick.
The camp had gone to sleep by the time they made it back. The fire had died down and was orange embers. Either Paul or Colin was snoring loudly. Matt smiled at Jennifer, indicating the snoring person with his chin. She returned his grin, but he could see her teeth chattering.
Matt squeezed Jennifer’s hand and walked over to Doug’s tent, leaving Jennifer by the fire.
“Doug?” Matt asked.
Lauren’s voice came from inside. “What is it?”
The zipper lowered, revealing the dark insides of a tent. “Nothing, I think it is Matt. Yeah, man, what’s up?” Doug questioned Matt.
“Jennifer is a little sick. I’m going to take her home. Do you mind taking my tent back to the apartment? I’m going to grab my sleeping bag for her to use,” Matt asked.
“Sure, but why don’t you wait until the sun is up? It should be up in a few hours.”
Matt would like to wait until the morning, but he looked over towards Jennifer again. Her blond hair was in her mouth. Something was appealing about that.
“Nah, I’m going to take her home. Hopefully, this is the worst it will be. But if she gets sicker, I want her to be in her bed.”
“Okay, man. I hope Jennifer feels better. Be home later.” Doug zipped up the tent. Noises came from Doug’s shelter as he moved and lay back down with Lauren.
Matt walked over to his tent and grabbed the sleeping bag. He unzipped it and wrapped it around Jennifer’s shoulders, pulling it tight like a coat.
“There is nothing I can do about your feet,” Matt said, sighing and pointing down to her bare feet. “They already look cut up.” He frowned, thinking about the cuts.
Jennifer grabbed her right foot in her left hand and rolled it over. She frowned, looking puzzled. She put her foot back on the ground and shrugged her shoulders.
Oh boy, Matt thought. He walked over to Jennifer and took her hand. He didn’t mean to be romantic by holding hands. He was concerned about losing her in the trees on their way out of the forest.
Slowly they progressed down the mountain and toward his truck. It was still dark when they made it to the vehicle.
Matt opened the door for Jennifer, strapped her into a seatbelt, and then headed to the driver’s side.
“How are your feet?” he asked when he sat down in the truck.
“My feet hurt some,” Jennifer answered, not turning her feet over or looking at them. She pushed her head against the headrest and closed her eyes.
Matt started the truck, and the radio blared a country station. He turned it off, staring at Jennifer as he did. He thought about saying something but shook his head and backed out of the parking spot, pointing the vehicle toward their college campus.
Jennifer’s head was leaning against the headrest, her eyes now open, staring out the window. Matt turned on the heat and sighed to himself.
Now Matt had time to think. He had worked hard at developing this relationship, spending more time and energy than he had on any other girl. To say Jennifer was attractive was putting it mildly. Jennifer was hot. Matt had watched her for two weeks to learn her habits after freshman orientation before he ‘accidentally’ bumped into her. Matt started holding her hand a few weeks ago, yet they hadn’t made it to the first kiss. He had tried, but she seemed to miss his cue. Finally, Matt had made a plan: camping. If his friends worked with him, he would be to kissing and maybe a little more. At least enough contact to call Jennifer his girlfriend.
The way she hadn’t noticed his intent made him believe she hadn’t had many boyfriends. That made the chase even more intense. Until tonight, he thought she might be the one that he turned into a permanent commitment of some type in four years.
Now though, he was unsure.
He looked over to Jennifer, and she had stopped shaking. By habit, Matt put his hand on Jennifer’s leg. When he felt skin, he quickly pulled his hand away.
“Man, Jennifer,” Matt said, unable to continue the drive in silence. “You had me scared.”
There was a pause before Jennifer whispered, “I had me scared, too.” For the first time since she had climbed into the vehicle, she turned away from staring straight out the window and looked at Matt. He smiled and put his hand back on her leg, slightly rubbing her knee.
“What happened?” Matt asked.
“I don’t know.” The corners of her lips turned up, like she was trying to smile. “But I will say I will never drink again.” She breathed in, closing her eyes.
Maybe, Matt thought to himself, Jennifer is not crazy, and she reacts poorly to alcohol. She had told them before the party she had only tasted wine and had never been drunk. Matt could believe that of her. She was always studying.
Matt saw part of her leg, and his pulse quickened. He moved his hand up a little higher. Jennifer’s eyes opened instantly. “By the way,” he couldn’t help but say, knowing it was cheesy, “you have nice legs.” Jennifer smiled but put her hand on top of his and applied a minor force, stopping his hand’s upward movement.
“Thanks,” she responded.
“Despite everything, I had a memorable night.” Matt tried to move his hand up a little higher, but Jennifer increased the pressure.
Jennifer squeezed his hand. “I really enjoyed the kiss.”
Matt looked down at her bare leg. If Jennifer was crazy, well, the crazy ones were good in bed, he was told. And if she was sane, she was too good to pass up. Maybe Jennifer was girlfriend material, or at least bed-worthy.
“Do you want me to take you home to your parents’ house?” Matt asked.
“No,” she responded.
“To your dorm room?” Matt coughed slightly. “Or if you want, you could go back to my apartment. You don’t have to do anything but sleep. I’ll leave you alone.” Even to Matt, he sounded like he was pleading. “I’ll ask Belinda to get me some of your clothes. If you stay at my apartment,” he said, shrugging his shoulders, “I can make sure you are all right.” Belinda was Jennifer’s roommate. She was pretty as well, but not as much as Jennifer. Colin was into her, and Matt thought they
had had a date or two at the beginning of the semester.
“Your apartment is fine,” Jennifer answered, surprising Matt. She closed her eyes and leaned back on the headrest. “But do you mind stopping by my dorm and letting me grab some of my clothes? Belinda went home after class yesterday. She’s not there.”
Matt glanced over towards Jennifer and then put his eyes back on the road. “I rather like you in my shirt.” His accompanying grin was wicked. When she didn’t smile back but kept her head on the headrest, Matt responded, “Sure, no problem.”
The rest of the drive to Jennifer’s dorm was quiet. Matt wanted to ask her more about what happened, but Jennifer was resting, eyes shut, and said nothing else. She moved the sleeping bag over her body. Matt thought it was because she was cold and kept turning up the heat.
6
Jennifer’s Place
By the time they arrived at Jennifer’s dorm, she had convinced herself the bear was some strange reaction to the beer. Maybe it was God’s way of telling her not to consume alcohol.
It was light when they pulled up to Jennifer’s dorm. Force of habit caused Jennifer to look up at her room’s window, even though she knew it was empty. She faced the challenge of climbing up the stairs to her place without being seen.
In front of the dorm was a circular car turnaround. Off to the side was a decorative baby cherub fountain, which sported a bench in front. On that fountain, the only living creatures in sight, pigeons perched on the heads of the angels.
To the left was the English building. Behind, toward the road, was nothing. Typically, cars were everywhere at this hour, but with Thanksgiving break, the streets were vacant.
To the right, towards her dorm, the way was empty. When she was sure the path was clear, she took a deep breath and left the safety of the truck.
The morning air seemed colder than when she had left the mountains, but it could have been a trick since the truck’s heat was on full blast. Jennifer’s feet ached in protest when they touched the ground. She ignored the pain and took a stalking approach, hiding as closely as she could to trees or other objects as she ran to the front door.