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CHAPTER TEN
"So I didn't get much out of you the other day about Max." Ellie started as she and Sydney started the hike up to the forest, their effort to chase away the boredom of their Saturday afternoon.
"Yeah, that's because maybe I didn't want to say too much about it," Sydney replied.
"Yeah, you aren't getting away with that excuse. Spill, woman." Ellie continued. "And I need full details. I need to know in case I need to stalk this guy."
"Please don't do that, El," Sydney begged.
"I shall decide after I get the details I requested."
"Okay fine. His name is Max Buckley, he's just turned eighteen and he lives in Oregon." Sydney informed.
"Are his parents nice?" Ellie asked with a grin.
"God, you sound like my Mum," Sydney complained loudly. "That's always the first thing she wanted to know.
"I'm just trying to get a broad scope, okay?"
"Okay fine, his parents are really nice. Also guess what, El?"
"Yeah?"
"He's a writer! He wrote all this gorgeous poetry for me while I was there."
"Yep, he's a keeper for sure." Ellie returned with a laugh.
"Exactly! I've been trying to say that!" Sydney returned, as her phone rang loudly in her pocket. "Yes, Mum. Uh-huh. Okay, see you soon." Sydney muttered before turning back to Ellie. "Sorry, Ellie. That was Mum."
"I heard," Ellie remarked dryly.
"Well, she wants me home so I can take Brandon to his sports practice," Sydney informed. "Are you going to be alright to finish the hike?"
"Syd, please. I do the same hike every day, I'll be fine."
"Alright then. I'm going to call you then tonight. Make sure you haven't been eaten by a bear or something."
"As always I look forward to it. Now go!" Ellie continued with a chuckle. "Before your Mum thinks I'm a bad influence!"
"You always are a bad influence!" Sydney shouted over her shoulder.
"Go!" Ellie shouted back with a laugh, entering the forest only to watch Sydney's car pull out from her driveway.
Ellie continued her hike into the forest, her feet carrying her there without much of a thought. Although her nearly daily hikes were practically instinctual at this point, often her only source of escape. Seeking out nature to calm herself, had never failed her so far and she doubted it would any time soon.
Her feet continued to carry her further and further into the forest, Narcolepsy stepping out of the driver's seat for the moment to just allow her this complete moment of peace although as always it was shattered mere moments later.
"Of course," Ellie muttered under her breath. "Alright, maybe it's best if I sit down for a moment."
She sat down on the earthy forest floor, her head smacking roughly against the tree trunk as with the lack of energy she hadn't control the movement as well as she should of.
"Great, now I've given myself a concussion," Ellie muttered once more, feeling her eyes droop. "I'm almost as clumsy as Bella now. . ." She trailed off, melting once more into unconsciousness.
When she finally woke up again, a growling sound filled her ears. Nor was it faint either, it was almost like it was only happening a good few metres away. She blinked rapidly, blaming the growing darkness looming overhead for her brief lapse of eyesight before pushing herself up, looking for something to defend herself with.
Despite her offhand comment to Jasper that she could take on anything that came her way, Ellie had never been more unsure in her life. She was a girl small in stature anyway and definitely, couldn't take on whatever laid behind those branches, but even then she wasn't going to go down without a fight, she owed it to the few people that would miss her.
So, with a particular pointy stick in hand, Ellie steeled herself before pushing back the branches and taking a good few steps forward. Her eyes frantically darting around before they landed on the sight in front of her.
It wasn't an animal, nothing at all like she had expected. It was a man crouched beside a now-dead animal whose honey blonde hair and pale skin immediately sent Ellie's head spinning.
"Great now I'm hallucinating again," Ellie muttered, sinking to the ground, wrapping her hands around her head. "Although I must say that's very Harry Potter, Voldemort drinking from the Unicorn to stay immortal-esque. But I suppose that technically that was Quirrell, with Voldemort creepily attached to the back of his head." She corrected herself, looking back up only for Jasper Hale to meet her gaze, crimson scattered across his face and hands, a complete look of shock crossing his face. "Oh god, I'm not hallucinating, am I?" Jasper only grimly shook his head in response.
