The Bewitching - Book 1

Chapter 2 - Awakened Torment

He was frozen, unable to move or speak another word. His hands began to tremble as he waited for some type of response. Nothing. His stomach was in knots. His mind raced. He didn’t know what to feel. On one hand he wanted to lash out in rage, to scream and yell so loud the heavens themselves would shake. On the other hand, he could feel the sense of despair permeating his very being. He wanted nothing more than to run away.

All he could see were those eyes staring back at him, those bright blue eyes that he could not take his gaze from. His lips trembled slightly as he tried to speak.

“What do you want?”

There was a twinge of anger in his voice as the words slipped from his mouth. The young woman that stood in front of him didn’t respond. She looked just as she had the last time he had seen her. She always looked the same and it aggravated him to no end. Again he spoke, this time more forcefully and a bit more severe.

“I asked you a question.”

He wondered if she could tell the anguish he was in, how hard it was for him to keep his voice from shaking. He wondered if he was fooling her because he knew he was barely fooling himself. His heart still fluttered when he saw her, but that was the last thing he wanted her to know. She had betrayed him and it had cut deep into his soul.

There was no way he wanted to give her the satisfaction of knowing how he still felt. As far as he knew, he meant nothing to her and never did. In this moment he wanted her to believe that the feeling was mutual. Why should he even for a second allow her to believe that she had any power over him? Why should he for a second let her think that she’d be capable of betraying him yet again?

“I...” Her voice fluttered for a second and then trailed off as if she was nervous herself. It was something that caught him completely off guard. For a moment he wanted to wrap her in his arms, to protect her and keep her safe. He stopped himself before he could. Not again. Never again would he trust her in that way. Never again would he trust anyone in that way. She had taught him that, and that was a lesson he’d take with him to the grave. He turned away, hoping she hadn’t caught the moment of weakness and hesitation in his eyes.

“I’m not going to ask again. Answer my question or...” He stopped short as her hand reached out to him. A timid smile crossed her face as she lowered her eyes to the ground. He didn’t know what to say. He was speechless. What was her game? Something wasn’t right. He could sense it, but he couldn’t quite tell what it was. Cautiously he put his hand in hers, watching her carefully in the process. In the back of his mind he berated himself for doing something so stupid. He should have walked away and never looked backed. That would have been the smart thing to do, but rarely did he ever do the “smart” thing.

“I don’t understand.” He spoke so quietly he could barely hear himself. Again, a timid smile crossed her lips as she started to walk with him, leading him through the tall grass. Her hands were soft and warm, just as he remembered. Every now and then he’d catch her looking back at him while giving his hand a gentle squeeze. He couldn’t take his eyes from her, try as he might. The breeze blew through her hair and he could smell the flowery scent. He again thought of holding her. He remembered what it used to feel like, her head resting softly against his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her, and the smell of flowers as they drifted up to him.

Before he knew it they were surrounded by tall, plush trees that were so dense it would be easy to become lost in them.  He had been so caught up in his memories that he didn’t even realize when they had entered the forest, or how they had gotten there. He looked around in awe. The trees reached towards the sky allowing very little light to shine down on them. He could feel his feet tripping as they moved faster and faster through the forest. He wondered how it was that she was able to move so quickly without stumbling.