by W.J. May
***
Before she got out of the car she sent Ryan a text message.
I’m feeling better so I went out to get some fresh air.
A few seconds later he responded:
Is everything okay?
She texted back:
Yes. I need to clear my head. I’ll call you when I get back to the condo.
He replied:
Okay
She got out of the car and followed the same path that she and Ryan walked a few weeks back. How she longed for him to be next to her, holding her hand and talking with her. Things had changed so quickly. They had just confessed their love for one another and were barely spending time together to only have this freaky thing happen to her. Would they ever be able to be together again?
She kicked off her shoes and sat down on the shore, gazing out into the blue water. Purple and pink rays stretched across the sky and over the lake, creating a peaceful and heavenly sun set. She closed her eyes and focused in on everything around her. The gentle breeze blew through her hair and the warmth from the setting sun made her body feel cozy against the sand. She listened to the sound of the water, splashing against the rocky shore inviting her in for a swim. For some reason, she couldn’t completely relax or clear her head.
Thoughts of what her grandmother told her kept circling through her mind. That God would send the right guy. She knew Ryan was the right guy for her, perfect in every way. She could taste his lips on hers and smell his scent. His love intoxicated her and she couldn’t imagine not being with him. She had to slow things down until she figured everything out. She wouldn’t take the risk of changing in front of him. If he knew what she had become he may stop loving her. Her heart told her it would be difficult, if not impossible to stop seeing him.
If only this hadn’t happened to her. What if she never changed again? She wouldn’t have to stop seeing Ryan. Slowing things down between them wouldn’t be necessary. However, she knew that was wishful thinking. Her body had changed into something out of this world and it was only a matter of time before it happened again. What if she changed into one of the elements and never changed back to her normal human form? She shuddered at the thought.
She looked up at the sky, watching the colorful hues fade in to the darkness. Why did everything in life have to be so difficult? How would she explain to Ryan that they needed to slow things down and not see each other for a while? She sucked at lying and it went against all her principles. She loved him and didn’t want to hurt him. She refused to break his heart but didn’t know any other way to protect him.
She hugged her legs tightly, wishing this was all a dream. Coming to the lake usually helped. This time she felt more confused than ever. Nothing seemed to help. Sitting on the shoreline, she had the weirdest sensation that Ryan was nearby. His scent filled the air and her body quivered with each breath she took. A nudge deep inside her told her to turn around. She looked behind her and saw Ryan walking toward her.
She smiled. Seeing him brought so much joy. A part of her was also scared and nervous; worried she might change in front of him. Could she hurt him? She had no idea what she was capable of doing. She wanted to run to him and throw herself in his arms. Instead, she waited for him to come to her and she prayed nothing would happen.
“Hello beautiful. I wanted to check on you.” Ryan knelt down at her side.
“I’m okay. I needed to get away, clear my head. How did you know I would be here?”
Ryan winked. “Intuition. When you texted me and said you were going to get some fresh air, I had a feeling you would come here. It’s kind of weird because the closer I got to the water, the more I felt your presence. Like something pulled or guided me over toward you.”
“That is weird.”
“I know, I’m a freak.”
“No, you’re not.” She wanted to tell him that she was the freak and that she smelled his scent and sensed his presence too. She held back. He would probably think she was crazy. For a moment, she contemplated if she should tell him the truth about what happened.
“Honestly Natalie, I missed you so much. I couldn’t wait to see you. You’re not mad at me for coming out here, are ya?” Ryan stroked her arm with his fingers, sending chills all over her body, despite the warm humid air that surrounded her.
“No, I’m not mad at you. I missed you too.” Natalie rose to her knees and glided her hands up and down his arms, forgetting all about the dangers she possessed or the need to take it slow.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to take care of you last night. It won’t happen again. I promise.” He took her hands and raised them to his lips, kissing her palms.
Her heart sank with every word he spoke. The warmth of his touch comforted her and soothed her aching soul. “Why are you apologizing? I’m the one who left without you.”
“I don’t know. I guess I feel guilty for not taking care of you.”
“Don’t. What’s important is that you are here with me now.” It didn’t take long for the distressing thoughts to return. She didn’t know what to do. Tell him or don’t tell him? She couldn’t stand to be without him. She needed him and had to be with him always. She didn’t want to put him in any danger. She loved him too much.
Ryan pulled her up in his arms and kissed her. His kiss grew more intense, creating a need within her that increased with every stroke of his tongue. He pulled away from her lips and stared into her eyes. “I love you more than you’ll ever know.” His lips lingered on hers and she yearned for more.
“No, I love you more.”
Once again, he took her lips captive and she lost herself in his heady kisses. She ran her hands up and down his back, feeling the contour of his muscles underneath his shirt.
Ryan moaned low in his throat.
With every caress, something overcame her. She felt herself losing control. She paused for a breath. “There’s something about your touch, your smell, the way you make me feel. I don’t know what it is. I get these sensations and feelings all over my body that I can’t explain.” Natalie panted.
“I feel them too beautiful. Something takes a hold of me. It feels so right. I can’t describe how it makes me want you.” His hands glided down her back and over her thighs.
Ryan seized her lips again. This time, causing something deep inside of her to move and turn. This was more than a sexual awakening. All the feelings he stirred up had her so deeply entrenched with his love. She completely forgot about telling him what happened and she ignored the sensations going through her body.
“You are so beautiful, you know that?” He brushed her hair to the side.
She tilted her head and stared deeply into his eyes. “And you are so handsome.”
He laid her back on the soft sand and pressed up against her. The sheer weight of his body felt good and she held on to him tightly. All her emotions collided inside of her; the passion, the romance, and most of all the love. She didn’t want him to stop kissing her.
Ryan pulled back suddenly. “Whhhhaaatttt…what in the world?” His voice quivered and rattled with fear. His hands dropped from her face and he moved away from her.
Natalie opened her eyes. “Ryan, what’s wrong?” She reached out for his hand but he jerked it away.
He stumbled to his feet and then fell back on to the sand. He crawled his way backward, getting as far away from her as possible. “You…ummm…y--our f--ace. Something’s wrong with your face. And y--our ar--ms.” He pointed at her, his hand trembling.
She held up her arms and watched her body materialize into a vibrant green color. “Oh no, it’s happening again!”
The color drained from his face and he gasped for air. “Wh--at? What do you mean it’s happening again?”
“I….ummmm...well, it’s like….” She didn’t know what to say.
He stared at her in disbelief. “What’s happening to you?”
To Be Continued In
Element