I mean, theyhaveto be.
She looked completely shocked when she saw my painting, her eyes going wide and sparkling, just how I painted them. Now I’m at a crossroads, though. Do I go to her store and blatantly ask her why she’s been watching me, or do Ijust try to get to know her without bringing up the, well,stalking?
Actually…I’ll go to the woods.
I mean, it’s the perfect idea. Every time I’ve gone, I’ve felt the sensation of being watched at some point. If I can catch her, or at least, the eyes, I can say something in the moment.
This time, I don’t even think I’ll bring my art supplies. Purely an adventure for me. If I happen to see something that I want to paint, I’ll go back tomorrow.
Snatching my jacket off the back of the chair, I pull it on. While the days are still nice and warm, the evenings really cool down. The light breezes that comes and goes is a telltale sign of the incoming crisp fall air.
Summer brings vibrant colors to the world: bright blue skies, flowers in reds, purples, and pinks, green grass that shines in the sunlight. The best part is the sunsets, the way the sky is painted with rich colors that meld together.
Fall brings a different beauty, with rich reds and oranges, accompanied by browns that exude warmth even in the cool temperatures. Leaves fall from the trees and decorate the ground, hiding the fading greens from view.
I bet the conservation area will look so picturesque when the leaves start to change.Oh, and I can only imagine how all the tall trees will look when icicles dangle from their branches, reflecting sunbeams against snow-covered rocks and frozen water.
A chill runs down my back, and I’m abruptly drawn from my thoughts. Looking around, I’m deeper in the forest than I realized. I was so lost in thought, my feet took me carelessly forward.
Nothing around me looks familiar. The trees are denser, and I don’t see a path anywhere, not even below my feet. How did I veer off course so quickly? I really need to pay more attention to where I’m going.
I should probably keep moving. No sense in standing still, that won’t get me anywhere.
As I venture onward, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, the darkness seeming to thicken around me. The sensation of eyes on me returns, but it doesn’t feel the same as normal. It feels more dangerous.
Slowly, I stop walking, breathing as quietly as I can while scanning my surroundings. My gaze meets another in the shadows, but these eyes are not the ones I saw before. These are different.
Hazel colored.
More round.
The pupils are a different shape.
And there’s a face attached to them—the face of a bobcat.
It emerges from the shadows, and if it weren’t approaching me with hunger in its eyes, I’d think it’s kind of cute. I mean, justlookat those giant murder mittens.
“Hey, big kitty…” I keep my voice soft and don’t move a muscle. “I thought bobcats didn’t attack humans.”
Suddenly, the bobcat freezes, and its focus shifts past me. Oh Gods, is there something else here with us? Something bigger than it, or me?
The bobcat retreats cautiously, and I hear footsteps behind me—so it’snotanother bobcat, which walked silently. What could it be, though? Are there wolves out here? Bears?
With a dash, the bobcat darts away, and I slowly turn to see what else lurks in this part of the woods. All the panic inside me instantly rushes away as I see Orie approaching me slowly.
“Orie, what are you doing out here?” I ask, letting out a sigh of relief.
She stops moving, crossing her arms. “That bobcat was protecting her babies, which are only about ten feet away from you.”
Well, that doesn’t answer my question. Not at all.
“How could you even see that? And where did you come from?” I try my luck again, stepping toward her and giving her a smile.
Her lips thin for a moment, and she looks me up and down. Before she says anything, she releases a deep, frustrated breath. “Shadow demons have perfect vision in the dark, and our senses are more heightened than humans.”
“What about my other question?” I scan her face closely, looking for any window into her soul—looking for something that will tell me what the answerreallyis.
As her tail flicks behind her, there’s a moment of silence before she speaks. “I think you know the answer already.”
