Steel: The Transformation

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Cleo POV

The woodlands were a swirl of yellow sunshine and leafy green. The ground was billowing up and down in little hills and small gullies. I could see the outline of Jackson's muscular back as he was walking a few steps ahead of me. The sunshine was making his brown hair look lighter than normal. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder, checking that I was still right behind him.

"All okay?" he smiled.

I nodded and continued to follow along behind him on the small footpath. From time to time, he would suggest a walk in the woods. He knew me so well, that he could sense when I needed some calm.

The small wooden bridge stretched across a particularly steep gully. It was connected to two trees on either side of the sharp drop and looked very rickety. Jackson stopped for a moment, looking across the landscape.

"So how do you feel about Jake being gone again?" his voice was gentle but I could hear a tone of wariness in it. It was as if he knew that this was a sensitive subject for me.

"I guess I'm happy for him. The research project is a big thing for him."

He's eyes searched my face, looking for any emotions that my reply may have hidden. "But you miss him?"

I could only nod as reply to his question. Jake had grown to become a close friend and having him absent from my everyday life unsettled me. I didn't like how much it affected me. Even though I was used to people coming in and out of my life, I wasn't used to caring about them.

Jackson left the subject, squeezing my hand for a moment and motioned for us to cross the wooden bridge. We had walked across it many times before, I could see Jackson's back a number of steps ahead of me when something shifted. It could simply have been a movement in the wind, but I felt a sensation creep across my skin. It was crawling across me in an instant, tugging at me, telling me that something bad was going to happen and in that moment I felt the wooden plank underneath my feet give way.

A number of things happened simultaneously, Jackson screamed something that my ears didn't recognise, I felt the wind whip my face as my fall took on speed and I felt my hands and feet grab on a branch.

"Are you okay?"

I closed my fists around the branch, the smell of the maple leaves was thick and sweet.

"Cleo?! Answer me! Are you alright?"

My legs felt strong and my soles of my shoes gripped firmly on the branch. I was crouched forward in an animal like position, perched high up on the branch of the maple tree.

"Yes, I think I'm fine..." my voice was steady and calm in a way that even surprised myself.

"God, you scared the life out of me!' Jackson was moving closer to the hole in the walking bridge and was pulling down his arms, ready to pull me back up.

I lifted my hands from their tight grip on the branch, surprised by the control I commanded. I felt Jackson's hands grip around my wrists and my body was quickly hoisted onto the bridge again. Jackson enveloped my body with his, pulling me into a hug that would protect me against anything in the world.

He broke it only to give me a sharp look, "How did you manage to catch hold of that branch when you were falling?"

"I don't know. It sort of just happened..."

It was strange how quickly I had gone from falling uncontrollably to landing safely in a tree.

"You're normally not that good with quick reflexes," Jackson pulled me close and lightly placed a kiss on my temple, "lucky that you were this time."