(A/N) This chapter I dedicate to a real life friend whom I absolutely adore. She was one of the first to read my story and believe in me <3 I love you so much <3
Tessa hummed along to a Beatles song playing in her head. She walked with purpose, taking long strides. Her excitement radiated through her body
VISITORS. That one word repeated, like a broken record, in her mind.
This could change everything.
Every male in town had been insufferable to her. They had all grown up together. She knew all their secrets, hopes, and dreams. None of them held her interest, let alone a simple conversation with her. They all had the same attitude and personality.
Boring boring boring.
But now...now there was a new possibility.
A nervous excitement started to bubble up in Tessa's chest. She pulled her hand over her heart and tried to calm herself. She forced her legs to lurch forward, the anticipation causing her to quicken her pace once more.
"Would you two hurry? I'd like to make it to town before it's too late." Tessa said not letting her eyes travel back.
*****************
Adelina rolled her eyes at Tessa and she let her eyes drift to Daniel. His eyes were distant and focused up towards the sky. The sun made them appear a lighter shade of brown than they were. The silence wasn't strange to her and normally she enjoyed peaceful walks, but she worried. She let her feet come to a halt and her eyes focused on Daniel, as she hooked her arm in his.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah," Daniel said his eyes began to shift side to side. He looked down at her and a warm smile spread across his face but didn't reach his eyes.
He would tell her when he was ready, she thought.
The dust kicked up from the dry autumn air while they walked ahead. Adelina's eyes began to water as she coughed. Her slender fingers drifted to her cheek and wiped the tears away. She wanted to blame the trust, but her heart had been heavy with all the emotions of the day. Everyone around her was acting aloof. She tried to push her feelings down and out of her mind, but struggled.
Out of sight, out of mind..if only.
Adelina let her eyes focus on the beauty of the land before her in order to distract herself from those poisonous thoughts. Her eyes lifted up towards the sky and watched the leaves fall around her as the wind blew. The leaves danced swirling around before falling as they fell to the ground.She took a deep breath and let the smell of fresh pine and clover fill her lungs. The smells filled her lungs with every breath and began to calm her nerves.
She took advantage of the silence from her sister and Daniel. The sounds around her seeped into to her ears. The forest around her played a melodic tune, a symphony to anyone who listened. The rush of water coming off of the rivers close by, birds whistling to let others know they were near, and of course the sound of the wind whistling through the tree's.
Adelina had become lost in the sights and sounds of all that surrounded her as they entered the village. The faded wooden sign that read 'Welcome to Illysia' appeared into her peripherals. The sign had been original from before the war and before any of her family resided here. She had spent many of days wondering starring at that sign, wondering what it was life before
Daniel stopped abruptly and Adelina barely had time to come to a halt before crashing into him. He wrapped his muscular arms around Adelina's tiny waist, steadying her. He pulled her into his broad chest and rested his chin on the top of her head. He took a deep breath inhaling the scent of cinnamon and vanilla that came from her unruly mane.
"Mm love the feeling of you in my arms." He let his eyes drift to her face and her plump pink lips. He had wondered how it would feel when they met his.
Adelina's lips curled into a gentle smile. Her slender arms wrapped around him and she placed her head deep into his chest taking in his earthy scent.
He basked in the warmth of having her in his arms. The energy of love that radiated off of her was powerful and intoxicating to him.
He placed another gentle kiss on her forehead and grabbed his hands in hers. He began to lead her past the sign and into the middle of town.
Tessa had already gotten far ahead and soon she sprinted off into town. She was done waiting on Adelina and Daniel who seemed to purposely take their own time. She wouldn't waste another moment.
"BYE I GUESS!" Adelina yelled after Tessa as she ran. Tessa didn't even bother to turn around "She is absolutely crazy today."
"She isn't the only one, Look!" Daniel pointed in the direction of a large crowd gathered in front of the Hall of the Elders.
As Adelina looked up she realized that the crowd was overflowing with young females. These were her neighbors, friends, people she grew up with. She noticed a few males, but they were greatly outnumbered at the moment.
"What the heck," Adelina let out a nervous laugh.
"Guess everyone is excited about these men."
"Oh yeah, the men, has anyone seen them yet?" Adelina laugh died in her throat at the thought of the three men.
"No. Even my mom was talking about them. I'm shocked your parents let you even come to town knowing we have visitors. They've always been protective.."
"Tessa left that part out and I didn't know until we had left."
"She didn't tell your parents? They aren't going to be happy!"
"Yeah I'm not sure I'll be the one to tell them this time. She didn't tell me at first either and once she did I thought about turning around. I just don't think this is my fault so why should I be punished for such things." Adelina shook her head. She probably should have run home and told them. She knew her parents weren't going to be happy and she knew she was partially to blame.
Might as well enjoy some freedom, while she can.
"They worry too much as is. Is it okay if I leave you for a bit? I need to head over to my friends shop real quick. Need to speak to his parents about the upcoming harvest." He let go of Adelina and she shivered at the loss of his warmth.
"Okay. I'm going to go look for Molly, Irene or Lydia. I'll come get you when I can get Tessa to leave."
Adelina kept her eyes focused on Daniel's back as he walked away.
She took her eyes off Daniel as he entered one of the old stores. She turned and searched the crowd for her three older sisters. Soon she saw Molly's red hair glowing in the sun and Lydia's bright yellow hair. As Adelina began to walk that direction she noticed Irene standing behind Irene with her hands on her curvy hips.
Molly turned her head and was the first to notice Adelina walk up. Her deep green eyes lit up upon seeing Adelina and she turned to give her a hug. Molly pulled herself away and began to study her sister's features, worry flashed in her face.
"You look a bit tired Adelina and thinner than you already are. I hope you have been sleeping well and eating?"
"And why has your hair turned even whiter?" Irene grabbed a fallen strand of Adelina's hair.
"Geez, I know you guys care but can we just not pick on me." Adelina teased while trying to lighten the mood.
The five of them had been inseparable growing up. The age difference reared it's ugly head a few years ago and Molly was the first to fall in-love with a boy from town and move out. Soon Lydia and Irene followed behind her. This meant their time together had been less frequent than before and Adelina deeply missed them. Her parents had sat the twins down and explained to them that this was part of growing up and someday Adelina and Tessa would fall in-love and move out too. It was the never ending circle of life. Still, Adelina wished things could have stayed the same.
Adelina turned her attention back on the crowd.
"What is going on? I mean I know we have visitors, but why is every female in town, including Tessa acting a tiny bit crazy." She asked her three older sisters.
"I don't know exactly. hmmm" Molly said letting her thoughts trail off.
"Well I am just hoping these guys aren't crazy or anything like that. I'd hate to have to put them out of their misery" Lydia joked, but the others knew she was being serious.
"I just don't know what to think of all this. Tessa is literally acting like a love sick teenager. She fought with mom for an hour over letting her come in to town. Mom didn't even want to let her come to town." Adelina said but her voice drifted off.
As she stood there the excitement chatter silenced all in one swift motion. Adelina looked up and realized everyone was focusing on something, including her sisters. She looked around and began to follow their gaze. Soon she saw exactly what had everyone so enthralled.
Three young men had stepped out of one of the buildings and were treading along the sidewalks. Adelina found herself fixated like the rest of the crowd and began to take in their features. The three men all had fairly dark hair. They were all tall and their muscles could clearly be seen bulging through their clothes.
One of them was Asian decent, but that wasn't something uncommon in their town. He had long curly hair that fell into his eyes as he walked. One of the other men had short curly hair but he also had an innocent boyish look to him and soft grey eyes. The last one had his faced turned away from Adelina but she noticed his hair was lighter and tamer than the other two.
Adelina also took in their clothes. The three men were all dressed in neatly pressed jeans and freshly washed t-shirts. None of their clothes looked worn or damaged by the harsh environment. It didn't appear like any of these three men had seen the sun as they all had flawless skin with no sign of damage. Adelina gasped in shock. Most men in their small town had rough skin from the daily sun they endured. Most of the clothes the town wore was tattered and frayed from being handed down.
Wherever these men came from, they must have had it easy.
"How are these men so clean?" Adelina asked her sisters but she received no response. They were all focused on the three men and their eyes moved as they walked. As Adelina looked around at the crowd she realized everyone was in a trance like state, eyes moving as the men moved.
One of them with the long curly hair turned and smiled wide at the crowd. He let dimples form on his chiseled cheek.The women around him began to smile and wave, trying to get his attention. Nobody in this town could deny that these men were the most beautiful people they had ever seen. Even Adelina felt her cheeks heat up as she watched the walk down the sidewalk.
As Adelina stood there transfixed on the men, her mouth slightly open, the men stopped walking and turned their attention straight towards the crowd. They all flashed a wide mischievous glance. Their eyes flashed with a spark of excitement.
Adelina felt her vision begin to feel hazy. She felt like she was in a dreamlike state. As she sat there staring the three men made eye contact with her. One of them in particular began to smirk, flashing a predatory look her way. He let his eyes rake over her body and take in her appearance. He preceded to wink slyly. Adelina couldn't find the power to tear her eyes away. Finally she pushed all of her inner strength forward and let her eyes drift elsewhere.
Bile began to rise up from the depths of her stomach and settled into her throat. Fear began to seep its way into her body. She felt like she wasn't in control of her body.
Where did this sudden sickness come from?
"I need to go home. Something doesn't feel right."
"Go home and get some rest, Adeline. I really think you need a good night's sleep." Molly said and pulled her into a hug, but never took her eyes off the three men.
"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Irene said and kissed Adelina on the forehead.
"Tell mom that Henry and I will come by for dinner this week." Lydia made eye contact with Adelina but only for a split second before her attention went back to the commotion.
Adelina stood there a moment longer in shock. Surely everyone had gone insane.
As she turned and walked away, she felt a feeling of being watched. She let curiosity get the best of her and turned to see if she could find the source. When she let her eyes wander she noticed the men stood in a circle around the town elders who had come out from their offices to greet the men. As she stood there longer she noticed a pair of green eyes meet hers. His gaze feels invading and almost penetrating. Adelina's body stands there with shock coursing through her veins.
Why would they take notice of her?
A shiver traveled down her spine and into her bones. She felt her body quiver as she lost control. She turned herself and took off in a sprint heading to where Daniel had left her. She threw the door open to the shop and entered without turning back. She sighed a breath of relief when she saw a familiar face.
"Hey James, is Daniel in here?"
"Oh hey, Adelina. I haven't seen you around lately. Yes, I think he went upstairs to talk to my parents about something real quick. He should be down in a moment. You can have a seat if you want Adelina, you look a little pale." James said with a hint of nervousness and she saw his eyes shift a few times.
Another person acting
Under normal circumstances, she would take the time to ask him if something was wrong but her head was spinning. She wanted to be out of this town as quick as she could. She just needed to rest and let her rationality soak back into her skull.
She was letting paranoia take control of her body and it was causing her to overreact.
"No, thank you though James. Will you please tell him I'm feeling sick and decided to head home?"
"Sure. Hey, how has Tessa been doing lately? She hasn't stopped by lately." James asked with a hint of red creeping into his tanned cheeks.
"She is outside somewhere." Adelina focused on the crowd. She began to search for any familiar faces, including Tessa. She sighed as she didn't see any sign of her dark-haired sister.
"Oh man, so she got caught up in all this madness too?" James smiled but there a bitterness to his tone that Adelina noticed.
"I guess so." Adelina's words trailed off.
"Hey, can you tell Daniel to walk Tessa home when he is done speaking with your parents. Or you can walk her home if you want." Adelina hobbled towards the door.
"Sure. I'll see you later Adeline" James yelled, but she had already pushed the door open and rushed outside.
The air had turned cooler since the sun began to set. Adelina took a careful step towards the dirt path but decided she would take a shortcut through the woods instead. She just wanted to be home as fast as possible. As she trekked her way through the familiar territory, she felt something thick enter the air. An ominous sensation crept into her soul.
Adelina touched her arm as goosebumps began to form. She grabbed her arms and began to move her hands up and down in hopes of warming them up.
"Why do I keep getting this chill?" Adelina said hoping to scare away anything that might be waiting deep in the woods.
She had the urge to run. She felt her body lurching forward without her control.
RUN RUN RUN
"I won't give in to my own stupid fear." She ignored the inner turmoil telling her to run and let her long legs stride through the vast forest.
Adelina sucked in a breath as their old white farm house came into view. She stopped at the edge of the woods and realized that she had done the one thing she swore she would never do.
She left Tessa alone.
"Mom isn't going to be happy about this. Might as well get this over with."
Adelina let her feet carry her the rest of the way. Their mother stood outside, the wind blowing through her long hair. Her mother turned to set some feed out for their chickens and noticed Adelina making her way to the house.
"Are you okay Adeline? You look paler than normal? Is Tessa poking around behind you ashamed of her behavior ?"
"I'm sorry I just don't feel well and Tessa ran off with her friends. I can barely focus or stand up right now." Adelina was swaying back and forth, letting the sickness pull her in.
She continued--
"But couldn't find her. I think I need to lay down. Please don't be upset." She said pleading with her.
As Adelina closed her eyes trying to steady herself she felt warm arms wrap around her body. Adelina rested her head on her mother's shoulder.
"I'm not upset with you Adelina. I will send your dad to fetch Tessa. Go and get some rest and I will bring you something to eat soon okay? Let me know if you need anything and I'll check on you here in a bit too"
"Thanks, mom. Love you!"
Adelina used the last bit of her energy to tromp up the stairs and throw herself on the bed. The covers felt cold against her warm skin. Adelina pulled herself into the bed and cuddled up into the covers. Soon she drifted off into a haze like a dream state.
Colors swirled around her and darkness turned into light. Adelina was careful to open her eyes letting them adjust slowly to the blinding sun. She noticed that she was no longer in her bedroom but in the woods outside the house. Tessa stood in the clearing as dead tree's began to fall in a circle around her body. Tessa's eyes drifted towards Adelina and a toothy grin came across her face. She lifted her shaky finger towards the dead trees and blood dripped down onto the ground.
drip, drop, drip, drop.
"Tessa are you okay"
Tessa's eyes had turned black and were cold and vacant.
Adelina began to run in the direction Tessa stood. As she got close she reached for Tessa but just like that Tessa vanished. Adelina screamed loudly, but she was abruptly woken up by the sound of screaming.
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