THE COUNTRY ROAD is quiet and somewhat magical, flanked at both sides by wild displays of thriving green and slender firs. The winter's not hit the town of Winterville yet and its residents still enjoy a semi-frigid climate.
Arielle looks to her left and spots him on the wheel. Her mysterious Dream. Up close, his profile is strangely unnatural. He looks human of course, but his physique borders on divine. He blinks and long lashes fan his cheeks.
Arielle immediately sends her eyes to the backseat of the Land Rover where the sleeping form of Fallon rests. Fallon lies cuddled in his warm blanket, and her hair is smoothed down to her cheeks. Arielle turns back to him.
"What's your name?" she asks.
The vehicle stops in front of a quaint countryside Motel and he climbs down. Arielle watches as he lifts up Fallon carefully in a delicate bundle and her lips twitch. For all his brawn, the golden-eyed man was quite soft.
He of course didn't answer her question. Only the slight tick of his jaw alerted he heard her. So she decides to go with 'Silver', because of his hair. He marches to the door and a few awkward minutes later, they all glide into the warmth of the small motel room.
The room is country-themed; beautiful sunset wallpaper, a brownwood decking, antique dusting lamps, and even a Japanese broken-pot vase.
Gently, Silver lowers Fallon to the bed and pushes the blanket up to her neck. He strides to the bathroom, places a soft handkerchief under the tap and lets it run. He squeezes and moves back to the room, placing the warm cloth over her forehead.
Without so much as a nod, he walks out of the room.
A revving noise sounds, and Arielle watches from the window as his car peels away. So many questions fill her brain. She wants to follow him but she's too tired. A flash of amber ray hits the window glass and she turns back to the bed.
~. ~. ~.
Fallon awakes dreamy-eyed to the smell of blossoming apples. She lifts up slowly and peers around the silent room. She'd had the weirdest dream.
In her dream, a beautiful man with the pinkest lips she had ever seen growled down at her. Those lips spread apart and it was all teeth. Huge animal fangs....
She hears the sound of running water and she climbs over the bed, walking towards it. She peers through the shower curtain and spies Arielle soaping up. The fruity scent hits her more. Then she knows, she hadn't dreamed at all.
Arielle feels heat behind her and turns to the stare of a wide-eyed Fallon. Her hazel eyes glint with fear and Arielle remembers it. It was the same look her parents had given her when she did something profoundly weird—like crawl up the walls to get her Teddy.
She quickly pulls Fallon closer, embracing her as they stand under the trickling water.
Fallon pushes back, her clothes soppy with warm water.
"Tell me everything," she says.