Almost as if it were a twisted set up from fate itself, I once again found myself in the forest, the feeling of dread that was once familiar to my body, dulled to my senses as I walked amongst the tall trees that used to intimidate me. The amount of times I went into this place I couldn't recall, the gaze that used to scour every inch of the woods now set on a specific task.
I go to the spot I always do, moving the leaves away from the treasure that I had so well hidden. The books stacked on eachother with no sense of order or organizing, their hard covers tainted with the touch of dirt and leaves, oh how it hurts my heart to see them treated this way, but I couldn't take them all.
My hands brushed aside the dirt picking up one of them, its title plated with gold, the cover flushed with a crimson red.
"And a new dawn, to thou I loved before by Theo Ruinstone." I read the text out loud, all the other books had the same creator displayed on their covers, my eyes widened as this is the first romance title I've seen in the pile of clustered books, a bit of excitement thumping against my chest as I held the piece of literature.
Slowly I opened the book skimming through the first few chapters, my eyes locked onto the words like glue, a sigh of content escaping my lips as I closed it making my escape once more.
Not noticing the steps that followed me ever so closely.
______
A young man sat on the roof of a castle watching the moon as it disappeared behind the forest that surrounds it, his breath was shaky as he clawed into the individual tiles of the roof. His claws dug them out, as he breathed to calm himself down.
His pale skin shimmered on the little moonlight that remained, the darkness soon making way for the light, his brown hair and crimson eyes gave him a striking look, his face sharp enough to cut butter with.
"Hello?! Someone! Help!" A desperate cry echoed through the forest below him.
He looked down seeing a woman stumble through the woods, her face hidden by the forest but her movements were far from stable, constantly falling she hit the ground with a loud thud not moving much after that.
The man raised an eyebrow, confused as to if she's dead or alive. He jumped off of the roof, landing on his feet, dust picking up from the ground as he walked over to the woman. His eyes widened to see her up close.
Her flowing brown hair cascades down to her ears yet cut short, a weird trinket pinned in her perfect lox. Her plump soft lips parted as she tried to breath in her unconscious state, cheeks flushed red from whatever fatigue met her during her travels here.
The man was dumbfounded, his gaze set on her unable to pry it away, only being awakened by the sting of the sun peaking over the horizon. Quickly he found shelter in the forest, staying by the human's side, her breathing was slow and deep, her chest rising and lowering with her breath.
She perspires in her thick brown winter coat, a white nightgown under it covering every inch of her from the elements.
Slowly the woman woke up in his arms, shaded by the trees above them,
"Are you alright?" The man asked, a hint of concern lingering in his voice as he lets her down lightly, the grass making way for her body tickling her face lightly.
She didn't say anything for a while, her hand reaching up to touch his face, his sharp jaw cold to the touch.
"You're so cold, Matthew, what happened," her gaze was a misty white unable to see the things around her. Her soft palm was still rubbing against his cheek pushing aside the small remnants of extra fat on his face.
The man was left in shock, this blind woman in his arms right now thinks that he was someone she knew someone who she trusted, 'Matthew' bit his lip lightly not knowing what to do in this situation, receiving a kiss from the woman in her arm, his heart skipped a beat and remnants of red leaked onto his face.
"Nothing, dear." He muttered shielded from the rays of the sun but his eyes blinded by the beauty in his arms, slowly getting addicted to her heat against his cold dead fingers.
"Where were you? I've been looking for you for ages," Tears welled up in her misty eyes, her grip tightening on his chest, she gritted her teeth as she cried, "Being alone for so long, do you know what it's like? After what happened, after they destroyed our homes."
Slowly the man rested his hand at the back of her head, urging her to cry more in his arms,
"I know, I'm sorry. It'll never happen again."
"I promise."