I walked slowly down the dark path, my torch barely lighting the way. It was dark and cold. The trees were swaying in the wind. A tree branch whipped my back, and I screamed, falling to the ground as my torch went out. I searched the empty space between me and the trees until I found my bag. I was only out because my step dad thought I killed my mom, even though I didn't kill her. She ran away with a man she met at the casino and faked her death.
My ghostly white hair swayed in the wind. My pale grey eyes were illuminated by the moonlight. If anyone were to see me, they'd probably think I'm an undead person. That was a common belief in my town. Everybody believed in zombies, ghosts, and anything else that might be there to steal their souls.
I looked around, hoping to find something I recognized, but it was impossible in the dark.
I ended up just sitting on the ground and fell asleep to the howl of coyotes and wind, whispering in the trees.
When I woke up in the morning, there was a strange boy sitting about eight feet from me. He was pale, with brown hair and a streak of red through it. I thought it was blood at first until I looked closer, and it had a smaller streak of purple inside it.
He was staring at me, his gaze piercing my soul. His amber eyes were beautiful, and he was nothing like anyone I'd ever seen.
"You're awake." His voice was icy and garded.
"I am." My voice came out as a squeak, and I said it again, trying to sound brave. "I am."
He stood up and started walking toward me. I flinched at his movement, and he stopped, watching.
"I'm Darren." He said, a little friendlier. "What's your story?"
"I'm Astrid." I replied shakily, trying not to cry. "My story isn't your business, but I don't feel like dying today. My mom and dad divorced when I was four. My dad moved out of the country and overdosed in an alleyway. I stayed with my mom, who only ever gambled. She married a man who abused me. Now she's gone because she ran away with her affair partner and faked her own death. My step dad kicked me out because he thinks I caused her death, but she isn't actually dead. He's just stupid." I paused, overwhelmed at saying it all out loud. "What's your story?"
He huffed and removed his gaze from me. "I come from a family of wealth. I was born with my hair like this." He said, gesturing to the random color. "I was picked on a lot for it, so I moved around a lot. My dad is a workaholic, and my mom overdosed two years ago. My mansion is around here. I sneak out sometimes so I don't have to be there. It's too empty. The maids and other help are there all day and night, so they have their own rooms. I personally don't like having them around. My dad won't let me clean because he said that's why we pay the help." He rolled his eyes and looked at me. "We are alike. We are both different from our worlds."
I shivered at the cold breeze and clutched my bag tighter. "What do you mean?" I managed.
"You and I look different, and we don't fit into our homes."
"Yeah."
"I think we'll make good friends." The desperate look in his eyes, attempted to be masked behind a stoic look, drew me in.
"Yeah."
Darren shifted, his body language changing completely. "Stand up."
"What?"
"I said stand up!" He yelled, grabbing my wrist and dragging me to my feet. "Run!"
Suddenly and without warning, an arrow struck the tree where I had been sitting only moments before. Darren pulled me along the bumpy path, stabilizing my shaking body.
We ran into a denser part of the forest, and everything went fuzzy. I collapsed, Darren's voice screaming, the last thing I heard. I felt his hand wrap around my waist before everything went black.
I woke up in a giant bed. The walls were painted black, and their were gorgeous pink, purple, and blue flowers painted all over the wall. The artist must've been talented. The bed had bright red covers, and their wasn't very much furniture. The carpet looks like a galaxy lost in a garden.
I started panicking. For one reason, I was in a random place without any idea whose bed I was in, but for another reason, there was a body next to me. Warm, and definitely male.
I looked over, and I almost screamed. Darren was barly an inch from my face, asleep. He smelt like mango and coconut. For the first time, I noticed his arm still wrapped around my waist.
Now that I started to remember everything, I realized with dawning horror that I didn't know why I passed out or why I was so close to him, but my heart was beating a million miles a minute in my chest, and I thought I knew why.
I moved to get up, and Darren's body tensed beside me. He shot upright and got even closer to me, his lips grazing mine before he yanked himself back.
His face was bright red, and I sputtered apologies. I was frozen to the bed in shock, and my face burned with embarrassment.
"Are you okay?" He asked, noticing my feverish look. "You had a fever earlier, but I got it to come down. You should be okay now, but you look like it can be back." He paused, then grinned. "Is it because you -"
"Shut up!" I screamed. "I'm fine. No. It's not because I accidentally invaded your sexual boundaries. I'm just a little warm."
His grin widened, and he tried to hide his face as his face burned brighter than the center of the sun.
"Maybe I don't have sexual boundaries when it comes to you." He replied, almost wispered.
"So." I began, ignoring his remark that had my heart in my throat."What happened? After I passed out? Who shot the arrow?"
He cleared his throat and replied, "I don't know. I brought you home. I couldn't let my maids see you, so I hid you in my room. I had to sneak you in through my window, and we're on the second floor, so sorry if that's inconvenient. They would've told my dad, and he would've kicked you out. I just wanted you safe, so I didn't really think about all the problems this might cause you. I'm sorry. I can sneak you out as soon as you're better, if that's what you want."
I looked down at my hands and thought about my living situation. "I don't really have a place to stay, so if you dont mind, can I stay one more night? I'm sorry. I know it's a lot to ask, but -"
"No." He said, and my heart sank. "It isn't too much to ask." My heart jumped, and then I saw his face. It was unreadable but obviously troubled. "I'd like it if you would stay. It's kinda boring here with all these maids and no one to talk to, so maybe it won't be so lonely. How old are you anyway? I'm twenty-four."
"I'm twenty-three."
He got up to leave and paused. "You're an interesting girl." He said, and I realized I was crying. He left the room after promising he'd ask his cook to make us a meal. "See you soon, Astrid."