Nighttime was always my element.
I'm not sure I could say why that was. While I'd always attributed it to my Fox nature, sometimes I wondered if it just tied in with who I was in general. Although I do admit that some of it may also have been for my trying to avoid sleep whenever I could.
For as far back as I could remember, I'd been plagued with nightmares. While they tended to be different snippets that I never could really piece together or understand, I remembered all of them very clearly when I woke up. They ranged from oddly unsettling to downright terrifying.
I woke up that night from one of these many dreams, my breath coming out hard as I sat up in my bed. My body was tense and shaking, my mind trying hard to process that I was now awake.
Damn, I hated dreaming like this. I was so sick of it.
This dream was one of the more unsettling ones that I had here and there, although the place that I saw was familiar from other nightmares.
The house I stood in was an older one, and I was in an upstairs hallway. There were three doors up there, along with a nearby bathroom. I really hated that bathroom, so I often tried to avoid going to it in these dreams.
In this one, I stood near a door towards the end of the hallway. This door was slightly ajar, and I could hear someone muttering inside. The brown carpet beneath my feet was older and becoming threadbare, and the walls were an off white. I took a step forward, pushing slightly on the door in front of me. It swung open without a sound, and I stepped inside without thinking about it.
This room was always a mess, even though there wasn't anything in it but a mattress. The blanket over this mattress was thrown to the right side of the room, and the mattress was leaning on a corner of the wall towards the left like someone had thrown it around in there.
But the worst part of this room were the walls.
All four walls of this small room were filled with scribbles of frantic writing. There was so much of it that it overlapped in places. But the stuff I could read was disturbing. It ranted about angels and demons, about hell and darkness and brimstone.
But the worst was one line written in what looked like dried blood, taking up a large portion of the far wall.
They made me do this.
I woke up immediately as I took in those words, now sitting in my own bed and doing my best to bring my heartrate down. What hell was that supposed to mean? Was it supposed to be connected to the one who haunted my nightmares?
There was no way I was sleeping anymore, so I decided to get up and do some roaming. It was a nice Spring night outside, and my window was already open. I could feel the cool air coming in, and the night was clear with a huge full moon hanging in the sky surrounded by stars. This made for the perfect night to roam as a full fox.
After stuffing some clothing into a bag that I could take with me, I quietly walked over to my door and listened for anyone else being up. It was one in the morning, but that didn't mean that my dad wasn't still awake. Yet I heard nothing to indicate that, only the sounds of deep breathing where everyone else was asleep.
That was enough for me. I headed back over to my window, pulling out the screen before transforming and hopping out.
I'd always loved how I could transform into a full fox like Sean. The woods were a peaceful place for me, and I took in all of the smells and sensations as I raced through them. I had no real direction in mind. I just wanted to get away for a while and hopefully forget about those dreams.
I roamed through the woods aimlessly for the next half an hour, slowing to a trot as I took in the calm around me. It was a quiet night, like most here in Madison. I could hear frogs and crickets filling the air with their songs, and saw the gentle blink of lightning bugs here and there among the trees. Yes, this was just what I'd needed. My mind was finally becoming peaceful again.
I stopped at a small clearing and transformed back, getting dressed before continuing on. No sense in heading home yet. The night was still young.
But as I walked through the trees, a different smell caught my attention. I stopped, closing my eyes as I sniffed the air. It was faint, but there was a pleasant smell floating on the breeze. I tried to place it as I concentrated on it. Was it a type of flower? Perhaps a new plant blooming?
No, I didn't recognize it at all, and I knew all of the flowers and different plants in this area. I'd roamed it since I was a kid with Sean, and felt like I knew it like the back of my hand.
The smell intrigued me though. It was so soft and sweet, reminding me of the cherry blossoms that I'd gotten to see in Washington DC with my grandparents a few years before. Man, I longed to go back there another time and experience them again. They were some of the most beautiful and wonderful smelling trees I'd ever been around.
I followed this curious yet alluring scent through the trees, finally coming to what appeared to be another small clearing in the woods. I stopped by the trees, taking in the sight of the house there. I'd never seen it before, nor did I even know a house was out here.
But this house didn't look like anyone had lived there in a long time. It was a two story place, with some of the windows boarded and others with broken glass panes. Vegetation had grown up around parts of it, slipping into cracks and those busted up windows, and the old front door was closed, the wood on it chippered and faded from the elements.
It's gotta be one of the old, abandoned houses around here, I reasoned.
This wasn't that unusual in this area. After all, the whole Eastern Shore is a pretty old place, and still has a lot of wooded areas where these abandoned houses have long been forgotten. Sean and I had run across a few before, but this one was new to me. I hadn't even realized that there was one so close to where we were living. Maybe it was because Sean and I had never really ventured this way before.
The smell was still lingering in the air, and that spurred on my curiosity. Making sure to keep my guard up just in case, I slowly stepped out of the trees and approached the house.
Everything remained quiet as I reached the front door. I looked up at the house, taking in its beaten down appearance. Yeah, it looked bad, but I betted it was a place something like me could hide out in. I was already thinking that it could've been something from the other side that I was smelling. That could be why I didn't recognize it.
Of course, curiosity is one of my biggest flaws, so I had to check it out and find out if I was correct.
The door was a little tough to push open, so I put my shoulder into it and managed to shove it back enough for me to slip in. The inside of the house looked about like the outside; dilapidated and rundown. There wasn't much left of any furniture in there. Only a rocking chair and some old chests. I noticed a fireplace on the far right of the main room, and there was a staircase directly in front of me. A hallway led to the rear, where I betted there was a dining room and kitchen.
But as I looked through the darkness there, I realized that I saw movement at the end of that hallway. I stood still, squinting my eyes in an effort to make out the form. They moved towards the side like they were peeking out at me, and I sensed fear from them.
As I looked at them, that smell from the woods hit me full force. It was coming from them. They were the one I'd been looking for.
A few minutes passed in silence as we stared at each other. My eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness, and now I could make out the silhouette better. It looked like a girl. She looked shorter than me with long hair and wearing what appeared to be a dress that came to her knees.
She finally decided to speak, confirming my evaluation of her being female.
"What do you want?!" she demanded.
I slowly held up my hands, "Hey, it's all good. I'm not here to hurt you or anything. I just stumbled onto this place and got curious about who was in here." I told her.
The girl didn't move from her spot, even though I had the distinct feeling that she was studying me.
"Who are you?" she asked after another minute.
"You don't need to be so worried about me. I'm just a guy who was passing through. I thought I smelled something different, so I had to check it out." I assured her.
"Smelled something different?" the girl sounded incredulous, "You're not human, are you?"
"That's debatable to an extent."
"Don't patronize me! You're the one who's in my house!"
Okay, so maybe I wasn't making the best first impression here. Whatever she was, she felt like she needed to be defensive, and if she was alone, I got why. Most female creatures were like that because they couldn't fight as powerfully as the males.
So, I decided to try a different approach here. I was really wanting to know who and what she was. Plus, meeting someone new never hurt. It wasn't like I had to come back and see her anymore if I didn't want to.
"Hey, listen, I'm sorry." I apologized, remaining where I was, "I know I can come off as a jerk at times and I don't always think about how I say stuff. But seriously, I'm not here to hurt you or cause you any trouble. I really was curious about who was here. That's all."
Another few minutes ticked by as the girl watched me from her hiding spot. I felt impatient about this, but forced myself not to do anything. If I scared her now, then there was probably no chance that she'd ever trust me enough to let me know what she was or talk to her more.
She finally relented, her posture becoming less tense, "Alright. You don't act like you're looking to hurt me or anything, so I'll take that."
She snapped her fingers and I blinked as the downstairs of the house was suddenly lit up by small lamps from the surrounding walls. As my vision adjusted, I could see her come out into the hallway, walking towards me before stopping about two feet in front of me.
I wasn't really expecting what I saw. She looked like a human girl around my age, but she was also drop dead gorgeous to me. She wore a black lace dress that perfectly offset her pale complexion and white hair that cascaded down her back to past her waist. She had the longest black eyelashes I'd ever seen naturally, and they made her sky blue eyes stand out even more then her attire.
"Whoa." I breathed to myself.
The girl crossed her arms, looking at me squarely, "Okay, now that you've gotten to see me, who are you?" she demanded.
I somehow managed to pull myself together, "You're pretty demanding when you haven't even told me who you're supposed to be." I responded.
"It's only fair since you're in the place I've claimed." the girl countered.
Okay, so she had me there. I'd concede for now.
"Alright, I'll go with that. My name's Sevee." I introduced myself.
No, I wasn't gonna tell her my last name for now. I'd heard before that a lot of these creatures knew the Renaldi name, and I didn't feel like dealing with any headaches involving that.
"Sevee huh? That's different." the girl commented. She was starting to look a little more at ease as we faced each other.
"I've heard that more than once." I responded, smiling at her, "So, what about you? You gonna tell me yours now?"
The girl shrugged, "I guess it wouldn't hurt anything. I'm Lenore."
"Lenore. Now that's an old name. I don't think I've ever heard anybody with that name except in that old Edgar Allan Poe poem." I stated.
Lenore giggled, a smile actually crossing her face, "You're pretty blunt, aren't you? But that's cool. I haven't met a lot of people who are like that."
I returned her smile, now feeling a little more comfortable with the situation too. No, there was nothing threatening about her. I was sure of that much.
"I don't know that everybody thinks it's a good trait, but I don't see why I should change for anybody either." I told her. I took a few seconds to look around us, "I was kind of surprised too when I stumbled onto your scent and this place. I don't remember seeing it before, and I've never smelled someone like you before either. Did you just come out here to this place?"
Lenore tilted her head in confusion, "Yeah, just a few days ago, but you're confusing me too. What are you talking about with my scent? I didn't think I had any kind of smell."
Oh yeah. I probably should've told her a little bit about my unique heritage.
"Well, to be blunt about it, everything has a smell. It's just the ones like me that pick up on them more. I'm a Fox, so it's kind of second nature. Well, half Fox. It's a bit complicated." I explained.
"Hold up. You're a Fox?"
I didn't miss Lenore's eyes widening as she said that. It was like she was nervous now.
"Half Fox, and if you're worried about it, you don't need to be. I'd never hurt you. Hell, I don't really want to hurt anybody. I just like roaming free when I can, and I got curious here." I reassured her.
Lenore slowly calmed herself again, letting out a long, resigned breath as she closed her eyes.
"Sorry, but I haven't had the best experiences with a Fox before, even if you are only half." she apologized. She glanced around us, "Anyway, since you're here, would you like to hang out with me for a little while? It's a little lonely right now, and you seem nice enough to talk to."
Who was I to pass up an opportunity like this? I'd been looking for some distraction from my issues too, and I did want to know more about Lenore. Besides, she was also someone I felt attracted to, which was a first for me. I'd never wanted to know a girl before this.
"Sure. I could use the company too." I agreed.
She led me down the hallway into the kitchen area. It was old and looked rundown, but not as bad as the front of the house had. There was a working icebox in there, along with a small round table that had four chairs.
"Would you like something to drink? I have some tea and water in here." she offered as I sat at the table.
"Sure. Some water would be good." I answered.
Lenore fixed us two glasses, then sat down in the chair beside me. She still looked like she was studying me, which I couldn't stop myself from pointing out.
"You really think I'm that interesting?" I teased.
She wasn't fazed, "Maybe. I don't think I've seen anybody like you before, and you said that you're only half Fox. Does that mean you're mixed with a human?"
"You could say that. I do have some human blood in me, but it's only a small amount." I answered, taking a sip of my water.
"Interesting." Lenore muttered. She sat back a little in her chair, "I was human before, but I don't think I fit that now. Well, I don't really know what I fit. It's not like anybody's told me that much about being an Astarte. They just assume that I should listen and be subservient."
An Astarte.
I racked my brain to remember if I'd heard of such a creature before, but it wasn't ringing a bell.
"So, you're an Astarte. Can't say I've heard of any of those before. Are you from the other side of the Veil?" I questioned her.
"Kind of. I was created there, but I ran away a few months ago, and I was finally able to find a vortex to get over here. This house was the first I stumbled onto, and I thought it would make the perfect place for me to hide out and call home for a while." Lenore explained.
"Makes sense."
There were alarm bells going off in the back of my mind about her situation now. Not only did she say that she was created, she'd also told me that she'd run away from the one who made her. I made a mental note to look into Astartes the next day when I got the chance. I might even be able to run the name by my father and find out what he knew. I'd just have to play my cards right so that he wouldn't get suspicious.
"So, what about you?" Lenore continued, "Do you live around this area too?"
I nodded, "I do. My home's not that far from here, and it's more out in the countryside too. I like that though. It lets me roam when I want to, especially at night."
"You like the night time?"
"Yeah. It's peaceful and lets me clear my head when I need it."
Lenore was more than interested in learning about me now. I could see it in her eyes as she continued talking to me.
"Do you have a family here? You look young." she went on.
I chuckled, "Yeah, I guess I am, and yes, I have a family that I live with. I have a mom and dad, and a twin sister." I confirmed.
"Really? Sounds like a nice life to have a family like that." Lenore commented.
"Yeah. A nice house, safety and security and a loving family. It's an ideal life, and such a waste of time."
Lenore looked puzzled by my statement, "You make it sound like you don't like your family." she pointed out.
"It's not that." I sighed, "I love my parents and my sister, and I love my little extended family. I just hate this mundane life here. It's hard for me to feel like I belong anywhere, even with them. Well, most of them. I feel closer to my dad a lot because he's a Fox like me. But it's hard to be around humans all the time. Hell, sometimes I think it would be better if I could just go to the other side of the Veil and not have to come back."
I hadn't told this to anybody before, not even my own parents, but I didn't hesitate on spilling it to Lenore. I just felt like I could trust her. Maybe it was because she was new in my life, the only new person I'd known in years. At least, that was what I reasoned at the time.
She was sympathic as she heard this, "It's okay. I get it." she told me.
"You do huh?"
No, I didn't believe her right away.
"I do." Lenore confirmed, "Before I became an Astarte, I didn't have much of a life, and there were a lot of times that I felt like I didn't belong. I didn't feel like I belonged either when I first became this, and that's part of why I came here. I wanted to figure out whether I could belong somewhere, and feel like I'm worth something."
Hearing this only served to convince me that we may have had the same type of mindset. While I hadn't thought much about it before, now I was considering how right Michael was when he'd tell me that things happened for a reason. Maybe my stumbling onto Lenore this night wasn't just coincidence. Maybe I was meant to meet her.
"You know, I wouldn't mind coming back here and hanging out with you more. If you want, I could even show you around the woods and some more of this area. There's not a crazy amount to see, but you still might like it. There is one catch though." I told her.
"What's that?" Lenore asked, looking suspicious.
"It's nothing bad." I reassured her, "I just wouldn't be able to meet up with you until night time. That way I wouldn't have to tell the others about you yet."
"That's fair, and I don't mind if you promise to keep seeing me." Lenore agreed.
I could feel the cocky smile crossing my face, "You make it sound like you might actually like me a little now." I teased.
Lenore giggled, leaning forward a little to me, "Could be. You are cute, and I like a straightforward guy."
I think I knew in that moment that my life was changing forever. Looking into those blue eyes was like facing possibilities I'd never thought of before. I was sure that I could make this work. I'd just have to be careful about things.
Lenore and I ended up talking and hanging out together for the next two hours. She showed me the rest of the house, although I admit that there wasn't much to see. The upstairs only had one room that was really fit to stay in, and that was the one she'd chosen to use. It was a smaller room, with a decent mattress and a nice quilt over it. She had a small lamp in there that only partially illuminated the room, and the window over the mattress had a few of the panes missing.
But for all of this, it was pretty comfortable. I had to admit that as I laid out on the bed with her and relaxed. We talked about different things during that time, from our interests to some life experiences that had turned out kind of funny. It was strange how natural it felt to me talking to Lenore. I'd never had that with anybody outside of my family.
Unfortunately, I knew that this couldn't last. As four in the morning rolled around, I decided that I'd better get back. The last thing I needed was for my dad to come out there looking for me, and he was the type to be an early riser.
"You promise you'll come back to visit with me tonight, right?" Lenore verified as the two of us stood outside of the house together.
"Yep. I'll try to get here around the same time too. That's usually the safest bet for me." I confirmed.
"Alright. I guess I'll see you then."
Lenore gave me a quick kiss on my cheek, and I reluctantly turned and headed back into the woods. I was kind of glad that it was still so dark out there. She didn't see where my cheeks had gotten hot with her kiss.
I made sure I was far enough into the woods before stripping and turning back into a Fox, then raced back to my house. I stopped right before I got there, sniffing the air and listening to make sure that no one was up. The last thing I needed was to be caught out there like this. I was already treading thin ice with my dad, and I didn't want him confining me to the house. Then I couldn't see Lenore again.
Once I was satisfied that everyone was still asleep, I hurried back to the side of the house and jumped up to my window. My room was just how I'd left it. The door was still closed and I didn't smell where anyone had recently been in there. I breathed a sigh of relief as I transformed back. At least they didn't catch me.
I put on a pair of pajama pants before laying down, knowing how my mother hated it when I slept naked, and snuggled with my pillow. I couldn't deny how tired I'd gotten, but my thoughts were no longer on the nightmares that had plagued me for so long. Instead, I was thinking about the girl I'd just met.
I want to keep seeing her, I thought as I drifted off. I want to be with her, and make her mine.