The dark tones of the instruments sprung to life, setting up the perfect tone for the horror movie she had chosen to see. Settling in, she was transported as the movie pulled her in, and she was lost.
A half hour later, she was chewing on her nails as the two main characters booked their weekend away, lost in the mountains. Kane leaned closer as her heart raced, and every instinct screamed in her that this movie was terrible, that the characters were one hundred percent going to die.
She loved it anyways.
She felt him lean in, his breath tickling her neck, and she tensed. He stalled, awkwardly staying half leaned in, as they watched the carnage unfold. She stuffed her face with another handful of popcorn, wishing that she hadn’t listen to Moore, and her guidance to look put together for tonight.
His hand slowly and gently brushed her knee, and she almost choked. Taking this as an encouragement, Kane leaned in, searching for her neck, her cheek, her lips.
“Kane, can we just watch the movie, please?” Her voice was smooth and clipped, coming off cold. In the semi-darkness, she saw his brows furrow, but his voice was gentle, “Yeah, absolutely.”
He settled back into his seat, and the tension in her chest uncoiled. She took in a shaky breath. Not a lot made her nervous, not a lot set her on edge, yet when it came to dating, it completely unraveled her, but it wasn’t because she wasn’t interested or that she didn’t want a companion.
Her eyes flicked briefly over to Kane, immersed in the movie as the music climbed, building the perfect tension just before the chaos. She chewed her lower lip as she brought her attention back, her heart pounding against her chest. She just hadn’t found the person that she thought would be worth taking the chance on.
The movie passed in a blur of blood and dark twists, and when the lights brought the theater back into life, she stretched happily. “Well, that was what I needed in my life.”
Kane raised his dark brows in question and got up silently. Her heart sank, as she followed, putting on her knee length jacket, her ebony hair braided back, her leather boots buckled against her jeans. They left the theater, and she caught glimpses of herself in the stainless-steel patches against the wall, her golden eyeshadow bringing her emerald green eyes to life, her blood-stained lips flawless against her pale skin. She internally swore at Moore and her makeup skills.
Kane turned around before they exited to the parking lot. “Look, Em.”
He nervously ran his hands through his hair, and she cut in before he could continue, “Thank you for tonight, Kane, really. I’ll text you later?”
Before he could gather his thoughts, she quickly hugged him and then turned her back, walking toward her car. She pushed through the doors, the cool summer air licking against her face. She nearly always dressed like she lived in a constant state of fall, even though during the day, humidity clung heavy in the air, slicking everything with condensation. She shifted through her shoulder bag, found her jingling keys, and the light beep of her car sounded to her left.
Her mind was on autopilot as she looked up to the clear night sky, searching for her answers. Any answers.
As usual, the shimmering stars blinked down at her a million miles away, taunting her. Sighing, Emory opened the door and got comfortable. Throwing her bag onto the passenger seat, she had the inclination to pound her forehead against the steering wheel. She decided to start the car and make her way home instead, her mind throbbing painfully with knowing exactly what Moore would say.
She started the engine of her Honda, pulling out of the parking lot. Picking up speed, she turned onto the street and raced beneath the streetlights, the city that was so much like a cage flying past. But like most things in her life, she had grown accustomed to it.
***
“Oh, come on!” Emory seethed, her keys stubbornly sticking in the lock.
She wrenched them to the right, and the doorknob eased underneath her grip and swung open. The low lighting from the lamp had been left on, casting her apartment in its warm glow. She smiled, throwing her coat and bag on the well-loved couch, the grandfather clock ticking soothingly amongst her stuffed bookcases. Her phone buzzed distantly, but ignoring it, she walked down the hallway, kicking off her shoes and letting her hair down in one motion.
As the night grew longer, thunder rumbled in the distance, the promise of summer storms lingering in the air.
Her phone buzzed again in the living room, and she knew Moore had been waiting up. Her friend would have to wait until the morning.
Shimmying out of her jeans, she put on a worn baggy t-shirt and flicked off the lights. Outside her window, lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating disjointed shadows and structures before plunging them back into darkness. She flopped on her bed, her blankets molding around her body. Groaning, she soaked it in.
Having her freedom for the last three years had been pure bliss. This was all she ever wanted. No more pushing from Lourie, no more families looking to adopt her, no more of anyone shaping her into someone she didn’t want to be.
She knew she came from somewhere, where people knew her, her past, her family. And until she figured out what had happened, she would dictate her future. It was no one else’s decision.
The rain began to fall, and it lulled her into oblivion.
***
Like usual, she dreamt of the forest. The lush canopy of leaves, the world around her blooming with life, and, of course, the alluring secrets hidden in its heart. Her face broke into a wolfish grin as she whispered into the air, “Are you here?”
The wind tousled her hair, the towering trees filtering a soft light, and she stepped forward,
