Meet Me Past the Stars

Chapter 4

"Mom, I'm hommmmmee!" I shout to the air while placing the bag of dirt onto her old dark cedar table.

"You're pretty late. You should've been home by now," she says. I can tell she's in her office and got customers as she got her customer service voice on. "Well, you're going to have to go back out. I need to do certain...spell alone" She was shuffling through a lot of things in the background.

I placed the ham inside of the refrigerator and hung my head back before going upstairs to grab my sketchbook and supplies. She always asked me to go for a "walk" which usually lasted until about 9 pm or something.

I never knew what she actually does at this time, but it always had to do with the dirt and the pig's mouth. She always said she was going to teach me what she was doing, but never had the time.

Either that or she would tell me I wasn't ready. At least when I was a kid, I could hang out at Jaz's but she's not over there, plus, I wanted to get some sketches of these flower beds that's been showing up near where the ocean meets the woods.

I grab a light hoody and close the door quietly. I play my cassette that has the new album from Waters on it. People were hyping it up saying that their take on soft rock is perfect for their lyricism.

I pass by Jaz's house, but all of their lights were off so I continued to walk.

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The cool breeze swept my face while the clouds hover over the beautiful full moon. The moon's light waved over the ocean and sand, giving it some type of magnificent glow.

I began to draw and get into the zone. I took out some of the snacks that I still had from this morning and started to munch on them.

Loud crunch noises began to stir me out of my drawing session.

I'm used to hearing crunches of branches since we're near the Woods, but it was getting pretty irritating.

I place my sketchbook back into the satchel and just called it a night. I'm not messing with no type of ghost or whatever's trying to gain my attention. I shouldn't even be this close to the Woods, I might get eaten by Giants or some evil thing that's in there.

"Sade..." Someone behind me went and tapped on my shoulder. I felt a tall presence come from behind me.

I quickly swiveled around to meet a tall frame in front of me. My lips accidentally brushed against his chest and I almost fell backward. He held me from falling by placing one of his large hands on my back.

"What are you doing out this late?" James looked confused as he held his other hand on his stomach. I took a step away from him as I tried not to peak at his fit, muscular body as he was just wearing only pants. His stomach is definitely holding a tattoo, but I couldn't see the whole thing since he was hiding it with his hand. He wore his grey sweatpants low on his hips, showing a bit of his happy trail.

I turned around and continued to walk, trying to not look at him but was relieved to see him. "What do you mean? I'm just going on a walk. My mom has some personal things to do with a client, so she wanted me out of the shop."

I heard him stop in his tracks. "This is way too far from your place, isn't it? Like a 30-minute walk..." He laughs nervously. "It's a little dangerous over here, you know since this is very close to the Woods banned area."

Crazy how he tells me this but lives closer than most townsfolk. I wanted him to see me clearly doing an eye roll but when I turned back to look at him, he was crouched down in terror.

"A-are you okay?" I knelt towards him, placing my hand on his shoulder as he looked at me panicked.

"Your mom is probably worried. You should probably go." He didn't even look my way anymore but tried to look dismissingly at me.

"My mom would be more worried that I left someone that I kind of know to look like they need medical attention." I try to get him to stand up. "Plus, I'm a grown-ass woman, you don't have to worry."

He lightly pushes my arm away as he tries to do a mixture of walking and running toward the Woods, still holding his hand on his tattooed stomach.

In the back of my mind, something told me to not follow him, but I just ignored the doubts as I continued the chase.

I never, in my life, have ever gone into the Woods. No matter how much money someone would pay me. I hesitate as I see him not stopping at the Woods part. "Damn, damn, DAMN!" I huffed, finally crossing the line where the beach meets the Woods.

They were cursed for a reason, but no one knew why. However, most people with common sense knew never to set foot here because many people think magical beings live here. The only thing I see is just some white man running, but he disappeared.

My head was already telling me to turn my pretty ass right back home but I think I was too deep into the Woods.

I couldn't see my way back, and as I turned around, the moonlit night was the only light I have to get out of here. I didn't carry a phone, since I only had a few places to go to, and was always busy at the shop when Mom is out.

"James!" I shout, out of breath. "James, you better not fucking murder me." I leaned against a tall tree. "I'm so fucked right now." I sat down on the forest's ground, staring above the trees and such.

There were a couple of bushes moving all over the place behind me and I immediately get the Hell up. "James, I swear to god..." I grab a thick walking stick, ready to hit anyone with it.

I walk slowly as the bushes kept shaking in front of me.

It stopped all of a sudden before a whole black bear started to walk up to me. "Hell fucking no, ain't no way." I almost looked shocked when a burst of energy kicked into me. The trees almost waved me in a direction away from the bear.

The bear was almost staring at me, before charging at me. I immediately started to run.

I learned from school that bears don't typically attack humans, but when they do, it's because they got beef. The thing is, what did I even do?!

I huff as tears skate off of my face. I don't want to die by a damn bear attack. "James!" I shout looking in any direction and running into what looks like deeper into the woods.

Heavy vibrations hit the floor as I was running, almost about to throw up and pass out to the ground. I never had to run this much ever since I joined track for like one day before I realized it wasn't for me.

I didn't even look behind me, I just kept running.

The trees bowed as I see a dark shadow cast in front of me. I took my chance to turn around as I heard the bear growling and clawing at something other than me.

I turn around and gasp as I see a large man only wearing a grey cloth which covered his parts, holding the bear in his hands. When I say large, I mean something taller than the buildings you would see in New Shore City.

His tattoo holding a spiraled sun and moon hung on his stomach. His long black hair fell to his shoulders as some freckles said lashes over his chest and neck. His blue dark eyes stared randomly down in my area.

It was a giant. I would rather die by being clawed up by the bear rather than vored by a giant. I run and try to slip by dark trees, thanking God that I'm black and can blend well into the moonlight.

"Sade! I-" He says, in a whispering tone, but it comes out rather booming.

I trip over myself distracted by the Giant knowing my name but the thoughts quickly came to me.

The tall hot guy trapped me, and now I'm his dinner. I regret not listening to my mom about the dangers of Giants.

A big root made me trip and fall on my ass.

My head started to spin, as I was out of breath and felt a deep knot in my stomach. I brought my head up and immediately throw up on the ground before fainting on myself.