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With a workable plan, I heft myself up, but a chill prickles along my spine.Someone’s watching.
“Hello… hello, is anyone there?” I cast a wary glance around, but there’s no answer.As if a threat would answer.Either I’m being stalked or I’m the scaredy-cat whose mind is playing tricks on her.Way to start the day, Izzy.
Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I turn my focus back to the tree and the task at hand. I reach for the next branch, then try for a second one; the first shudders under my feet. I hear a crack, but it’s from above, I think. I squeeze my eyes shut and climb, using each branch as leverage to get to the next.There, that wasn’t so hard.Who needs stupid boys to save me when I can save myself.
As if karma herself has come to teach me a lesson in being overly cocky, I feel something, or someone grab me. Instinctively, I let out a scream, and not just any scream but a high pitched, little girl scream.Not so brave now, are you?My subconscious teases.
My eyes dart down in a panic to see what grabbed me. I expect to see some wild animal ready to eat me, but instead I’m flooded with embarrassment. It’s just a protruding branch caught on my coat.
I’m about to let out a sigh of relief when the sound of fast footsteps, perhaps someone running, causes the fear to take over yet again.
“Hello? Is someone there? Pops, is that you? Daniel?” I go stiff, straining to hear, but I hear nothing. I attempt to yank myself free of the branch, realizing I’m like a sitting duck here, but to my horror, I’m firmly stuck. “Seriously, who’s there? I know karate and I’m not afraid to use it.” I scream out, desperately trying to scare away whoever is here.
I’m lost in the woods, alone and stuck. Seriously, could this get any worse?
I hear the footsteps getting closer, and a voice shouts back. But I can’t make out what they said or who the voice may belong to. All I can hear is the sound of the wind blowing the leaves around me and the blood pumping in my ears as my heart thumps out of my chest. Tears begin streaming down my cheeks. I twist and turn, desperately trying to break free. Remembering the old phone in my pocket, I try to grab it, praying Pops will get here to save me before I’m either eaten alive or kidnapped. Just as my fingertips connect with the hard edge of the phone, I hear an almighty crack from below me.I know exactly what’s going to happen next.
“AAAHHHA” I cry out as I fall. Everything seems to pass me in slow motion. My eyes slam closed, and my body bracing for the impact. With a jarring thump, I find myself flat on my back, all the breath imploded from my lungs. I force myself to inhale, relieved when I finally catch my breath. “Ow” I murmur, as the pain hits me.
“Are you alright?” says a voice too soft to belong to Pops or any of my cousins.
I blink, desperately trying to focus on where the sound came from. I blink again and find myself staring into the most beautiful, bright blue eyes I’ve ever seen .Am I dreaming? Am I dead and these are the eyes of an angel?
Waving his hand in front of my face, he crouches down. “Can you hear me? My name is Nathaniel by the way . . . blink twice for yes.”
“Erm, I think I’m fine.” Confusion and embarrassment hit me like a ton of bricks.Dear Lord, why can’t I think of anything cool to say? This beautiful boy with sun-kissed skin and dark brown hair, who despite only being around my age, looks like he's stepped straight out of my favorite book, is actually talking to me. Who needs Edward Cullen and his sparkly skin when I have this boy and his sparkly eyes?
“Does anything hurt?”
I run my hand over my head to see if I’m bleeding but find nothing. "My head hurts a little, and so does my back," I grumble, attempting to sit up.Big mistake.As soon as I do, my surroundings spin, so I quickly lay my head right back down as I inhale sharply in pain.
"Careful!" Nathaniel barks. "You could have broken a bone or have a contussion."
“I think you mean concussion” I smirk, instantly regretting it when I see a flash of sadness or perhaps embarrassment cross his face.
He turns his face away from me but makes no attempt to move so I reach out my hand and tap his knee. This causes him to look back at me.
“My name is Isabella, but most people just call me Izzy” I say, reaching out my hand.
But instead of shaking it, he just stares down at me for what feels like an eternity, furrowing his brows, before defiantly stating “you don’t look like an Izzy to me.”
“Don’t look like a….? Well, whodoI look like then?” I huff as I allow my stubbornness to overtake the pain as I force myself to sit up and face him.Who does he think he is? How can I not look like an Izzy, when that’s literally MY name?
Nathaniel glances at me while rubbing his chin for a brief moment before his face lights up with a smile. “I think I’ll call you Bella instead.”
His answer takes me by surprise. Here I was ready for an argument and instead he left me speechless. No one calls me Bella. Sowhy does it make my tummy feel like it’s filled with butterflies??
Anyways, I’d better get going.” He gives me this odd look and I realize I’m staring.Leave it to me to zone out and stare like an idiot. How embarrassing.
My cheeks flood with heat, but I’m still lost, so I swallow back my pride. “No, please don’t go. I’m kinda lost and maybe a little hurt. Could you stay with me a little longer, and erm, help me find my way back home?”
Yeah, he’s a stranger, but he’s about my age and seems nice enough. He might be odd and kind of confusing, but that could be because of the big ‘ol bump on my head. I’d rather not brave the woods alone, lost, and… the rest of my argument leaves my brain, proving I’m better off in his company. “Please,” I plead, giving him my best puppy eyes. The one that always gets me the last cookie from Nana.
He scratches his arm. “Yeah, I guess I could if you really need me to.” He sounds almost shy. “Where’s home, though?”
He helps me to my feet and is surprisingly strong for being shorter than me.
“Not sure,” I admit.
