Twilight Embrace (Completed)

Chapter 6

Feeling restless and unsettled, she ran softly back to the lake and swam furiously back and forth. Wanting, needing to reach out and touch him but knowing deep down inside she needed to move slowly.  It was just a matter of weeks before she could approach him during the day, but until then her nightly vigil would continue, the longing, filling every fiber of her being.

The moon slipped out from behind the clouds, not quite full yet. The heavens, filled with stars, seemed to twinkle back at her, telling her to be patient. The nightingale sang its song as if feeling her anguish.  The fiery spirit within her seemed dull and lifeless tonight as she pulled herself up onto the rocks, lying on the same rocks he had rested on that day.

Her mind drifting round in circles, she hardly noticed the dawn breaking. Without a moment’s hesitation, she dived into the water and within a blink of an eye she was across to her side of the lake and sprinted all the way back to the castle.

The morning sunshine glistened on the water, dancing between the rose petals floating gently on the water that lapped softly against the rocks on the outcrop in the middle of the lake.

~~~

He awoke feeling refreshed as if he had slept a full twenty four hours without waking. Opening the curtains he saw the brilliant sunshine, promising a beautiful day.  After a quick wash in the bathroom he grabbed his towel, slipped on his costume, ran downstairs, put on the kettle and while it was boiling, opened the French doors letting in the sun and warm air.  The whistle of the kettle disturbed his daydreams.  He turned towards the kitchen and went to make his coffee.

Sitting on the patio steps, sipping the hot, rich liquid, he looked across to the lake and saw the sun playing brightly on the water’s surface. Leaving his cup on the steps, he strolled down to the water’s edge.  Hanging his towel on a tree branch he stepped into the refreshing water. He swam with long easy strides, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. For the first time in ages, he felt totally relaxed. 

As he approached his refuge in the middle of the lake,ad she sense he could not help but notice the rose petals as they bobbed up and down on the waves he had made. Pulling himself up onto the rocks he caught a few petals in his hands. Stretching out on his favourite boulder, he caressed the texture of the petals between his fingers. The scent, now so familiar to him, filled his nostrils and teased his senses. Had she been here last night or had the petals just fallen from the roses and been blown across the water by the wind.

He sat up and stared at all the petals floating gently at the base of the rocks. He scanned the water in every direction looking for just a hint of her, a shadow or a figure disappearing in the distance, but, he saw nothing.  Suddenly his eye caught a flutter of something across the lake. He had never ventured across that side of the lake before, but there definitely was something blowing in the wind, and if he was not mistaken it was purple.

Climbing off the boulders on the opposite side, he dived into the water and swam determinedly towards the fluttering object. As he neared the shore his heart skipped a beat. Just a few paces up the bank was her purple sarong. A few rose petals lay scattered on the ground. Stepping out of the water, unable to believe his luck, he picked it up and smelt it. It had the same familiar smell. Was it really the roses or her perfume he smelt?

He remembered the rose she had left on the patio table. When he picked it up to smell it, the soft petals had touched his lips, and a thrill of excitement had swept through his body like an electric shock. He had pulled away from the rose, just for an instant, feeling as if he had been burnt.  Unbeknown to him, her lips had touched the very same place his had that day.

The electricity that ran through her was like lightening streaks and left her imprint on everything she touched, regardless if it were plant, animal, or human. No one understood why this electrical charge shocked everything she touched. It was just something she was born with.  She had not yet learned how to deal with this and so the rose she had kissed, before leaving it on his patio table, still carried a slight electrical charge, tingling his lips when he had kissed it, before putting it in the vase.

~~~

Rolling the sarong up tightly he swam back to the rocks, rested for a while before swimming back across to his side of the lake and there he hung the sarong over the railings for it to dry.

He went inside to have his breakfast, then showered, changed and drove into town to do some grocery shopping.  He had run out of most things and need to stock up.

While in town he bumped into friends and spent the afternoon with them. They shared an evening meal together down at the local village pub. Enjoying his friends company, the meal and the wine, he relaxed and during the conversation he was able to bring up his mysterious lady.

He mentioned that she might be swimming in the same area as him and that she had lost her sarong at the water’s edge on more than one occasion…… his old friend laughed and said maybe she was doing it on purpose to attract his attention.  They all laughed together and drank a lot more wine. 

He brought up the roses asking if anyone knew of rose gardens or wild roses growing across the lake, or anyone living that side.  No one seem to know about any roses and as for any people living there, it was rumoured that generations of an old historic family lived in a castle across the lake, in the shadows of the mountain.  The castle had fallen to ruin and as far as anyone knew nobody lived there anymore and some even said it was now haunted.

Much later, he said his goodbyes and set off for home.  As he drove up the driveway, he noticed the patio light was on.  He did not remember leaving it on when he left as he had not expected it to be so late.  Shutting the car door go with a bang he hurriedly climbed the stairs and was about to turn out the light when he noticed something strange.  He turned around slowly to face the railing. Her sarong was gone!  Yellow rose petals lay on top of the railing where the sarong had been.  To his surprise, there were more petals on the ground and there seemed to be a trail leading to the edge of the water.  Without a moment’s hesitation he followed the trail of petals which seem to diminish as he neared the water and disappeared completely before he got to the edge.