"Claire?"
Was the whisper real or in her head? Claire stood in Neil's backyard, the fog curling around her feet and winding up her body. It had called to her, the same as that day beside the river, and had drawn her from Neil's bed. What did it want?
In the gray hours before dawn, the world seemed to stand still. The only sound was that of her heart, the snap of a small branch is deer slid by into the meadow, and the steady drip from the leaves.
An empath and in tune with nature, Claire waited for someone to step from the fog, to speak her name again. A few birds prepared for their day, rustling in the tree leaves, but she was alone. Her skin was damp from the mist, her nightshirt cold and clinging to her body. "Who are you?"
Only the steady drip from the leaves sounded, matching that of her heart because nothing was there, only her sense that she was being touched and explored.
Claire shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. She heard the scrape of the door, then Neil's body pressed against her back, warming her. His arms drew her in close, his cheek rough with stubble, resting against hers. "What's wrong?"
Everything. Nothing. She leaned back against him. "I guess I'm uneasy, that's all."
"I'm sorry you're in this. I know it can't be easy. You're too cold, honey. Come back to bed."
"You can't sleep either."
The fog moved closer, circling Neil, and Claire felt as though it were sensing him through her. "Let's go inside, shall we?" Claire asked.
Neil turned her to him. "You're shaking. What's going on?"
The fog slid between them, a sly mist that frightened her. "I -- I don't know."
"Honey?" he asked, concerned.
"Get me inside," she whispered desperately.
In the kitchen, Neil drew her close again. "You're freezing -- shaking. If he thinks he can come here and scare you --"
"It was something else."
"Something else? What?"
Claire shook her head; she didn't understand the unknown, only that it wanted her. "Nothing. Nothing else."
She drew back and through the kitchen window watched the sunrise eat through the fog. Why did it want her?
And now it wanted Neil.
Was the whisper real or in her head? Claire stood in Neil's backyard, the fog curling around her feet and winding up her body. It had called to her, the same as that day beside the river, and had drawn her from Neil's bed. What did it want?
In the gray hours before dawn, the world seemed to stand still. The only sound was that of her heart, the snap of a small branch is deer slid by into the meadow, and the steady drip from the leaves.
An empath and in tune with nature, Claire waited for someone to step from the fog, to speak her name again. A few birds prepared for their day, rustling in the tree leaves, but she was alone. Her skin was damp from the mist, her nightshirt cold and clinging to her body. "Who are you?"
Only the steady drip from the leaves sounded, matching that of her heart because nothing was there, only her sense that she was being touched and explored.
Claire shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. She heard the scrape of the door, then Neil's body pressed against her back, warming her. His arms drew her in close, his cheek rough with stubble, resting against hers. "What's wrong?"
Everything. Nothing. She leaned back against him. "I guess I'm uneasy, that's all."
"I'm sorry you're in this. I know it can't be easy. You're too cold, honey. Come back to bed."
"You can't sleep either."
The fog moved closer, circling Neil, and Claire felt as though it were sensing him through her. "Let's go inside, shall we?" Claire asked.
Neil turned her to him. "You're shaking. What's going on?"
The fog slid between them, a sly mist that frightened her. "I -- I don't know."
"Honey?" he asked, concerned.
"Get me inside," she whispered desperately.
In the kitchen, Neil drew her close again. "You're freezing -- shaking. If he thinks he can come here and scare you --"
"It was something else."
"Something else? What?"
Claire shook her head; she didn't understand the unknown, only that it wanted her. "Nothing. Nothing else."
She drew back and through the kitchen window watched the sunrise eat through the fog. Why did it want her?
And now it wanted Neil.
(Excerpt)
