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He knew he wasn’t going to get any further with her than he had since moving more than an hour away from her. “Jill, my battery’s running low,” he lied. “I should go.”
“Call me next week.”
“Sure.” He ended the call with a swift movement of his thumb and shoved the phone back in his pocket. Like his path through the woods, some things were never going to change. He could pacify his sister with periodic calls indefinitely, and he hoped she would one day realize he had no plans to return to the city or its nearby suburbs any time soon.
When the first twinges of pain started shooting up his calf, Stephen stopped to rest on a low, flat rock at the edge of the trail. He’d sat on it several times before, for the same reason, but he took a moment to examine his surroundings. The wide-leafed trees formed a canopy over his head, blocking out most of the sun and the rest of the outside world. Tall, willowy blades of grass reached out to him in the gentle breeze. It was a familiar scene, but something unfamiliar caught his eye.
He slid off the rock and poked around in a clump of weeds beneath a sprawling bush. His search produced a small, round stone which fit in the palm of his hand. Upon closer examination, he realized it was more of a crystal. Whatever it was, it radiated a narrow halo of light from its core. Despite its glow, it felt cool to the touch. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen before, and it clearly wasn’t a part of the natural environment.
Stephen lifted his gaze and glanced around the woods. Aside from the occasional bird or squirrel, he was alone, and there were no clues as to the origin of his new possession. He turned it over in his fingers a few more times and slipped it into his front pocket. Shrugging his shoulders to an observant blue jay, he shook his head and continued on his way.
He was nearly back to the house before a grumbling from his stomach reminded him of his intended trip to the grocery store. “Damn it,” he muttered, looking up at the sky that grew darker with every passing moment. “I guess it can wait one more day.” Jill would be none too pleased if she ever found out his dinner consisted of nothing but a granola bar, but he tried to push the thoughts of his overbearing sister out of his mind for the rest of the day.
With little else to do, he headed to bed early yet again. He didn’t like painting in anything but natural light, and his books hadn’t been doing a good job of holding his attention. As he took off his cargo shorts to change into more comfortable clothing, something clattered against the wooden floor. He crouched down, wincing as he performed the motion too quickly, and peeked under the bed.
His forgotten treasure twinkled at him. He reached out for it and studied the stone once more prior to placing it on his nightstand. The strange little rock continued giving out a soft glow even after he turned off the lights, and he decided the brightness wouldn’t disturb his sleep. It was the last thing Stephen saw before closing his eyes and drifting off into unconsciousness.
***
The flat, pointy leaves were a striking shade of green, hiding the melancholy songbirds filling the air with their sweet tunes. Curved branches formed an arch over the trail as Stephen shuffled along without purpose, content to enjoy an afternoon stroll. When the path veered sharply to the right, he continued in his initial direction. The ground was still flat, and nary a root popped up to interrupt his stride. In fact, the trees appeared to part for him as he wandered off course.
He reached the edge of the forest and approached a tall rock formation. Water trickled down and splashed into a round pond, a pool so clear, he could see straight to the bottom. Carefully perching atop one of the smooth, broad stones flanking it, he closed his eyes and allowed the cascading flow to bring him into a state of serenity. This was one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places he had ever seen, and he wanted to enjoy every moment.
His peaceful reflection was disrupted by the sound of a twig snapping behind him. He jerked his head around and gaped at the unexpected sight. A woman, half hidden by the trunk of a looming maple tree, watched him from several yards away.
The stranger’s appearance formed a stark contrast with her surroundings. She was wrapped in a cloak made of heavy fabric, its royal purple hue unlike anything else in the woods in which she stood. Her untamed curls spilled forth from beneath her hood, framing her high cheekbones in a golden halo. Stephen barely took notice of the details of her attire or other features, as he was drawn to the emerald green eyes peering out at him.
They stared at each other for an endless moment. The only movement in their flawless scene was the churning water serving as the reminder of how the passage of time hadn’t become completely suspended for them. Stephen froze in place under the intense gaze of the stunning woman, unable to find the necessary words for even the most succinct greeting.
She tilted her head to the side to pull her hood away from her face, and he spotted bands of silver encircling each of her wrists. Tossing her hair back over her shoulder, she laughed, but no sound came out of her mouth. She stepped out from behind the tree and walked toward him, her smile never wavering. As she approached, her small, pale hand reached out for him.
***
Stephen opened his eyes, startled. The darkness of the room around him made him realize he was at home, in his own bed. Bright numbers on the alarm clock indicated the sun wouldn’t rise for another hour. Alas, he was wide awake. Though the passage from his dream to reality had been abrupt and jarring, he remembered every detail with perfect clarity.
Like many of his other dreams, he had to admit, upon reflection, there had been a certain surreal quality to it. Even so, he was struck by the realism of the picturesque scene and how he felt as if he had been physically sitting by a waterfall in the woods. The vision of the strange woman flashed before him, and he could recall everything about her.
By mid-afternoon, the dream was still on his mind. He had expected it to fade away into the fringes of his memory, yet it played through his head on a constant loop. The smooth surface of the rocks was beneath his fingertips and the murmur of the waterfall echoed through his ears. He swore he even felt the mist rising from the water’s surface dancing across his skin.
And, of course, there was her. The minute or so he had spent staring at her could have been several seconds or several centuries. Either way, it hadn’t been long enough. Something about her captivated him and fought for his attention.
Perhaps it had been something about the way she looked at him. Jill’s eyes were filled with nothing but pity these days. Alison had regarded him with contempt. He was nothing more than a case file to the doctor and physical therapist, and he was invisible to the rest of the world. This woman hadn’t looked away.
Stephen shook his head and groaned. “She’s not real, you idiot,” he mumbled. “That’ll teach you not to skimp on dinner again.” Desperate for a diversion, he pulled a well-loved paperback off the shelf and began rereading. While he engrossed himself in one of his favorite stories, he couldn’t quite escape the scene in the mystical forest.
At the end of the day, his gaze rested upon the crystal sitting atop his nightstand. He picked up the stone and held it beneath a nearby lamp, examining it once more. The crystal’s origins remained unknown to him, and he didn’t know its intended purpose. A faint aura of light surrounded the center, shifting slightly as he spun the object around.
He returned the crystal to the proper place on the bedside table and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. Some mysteries weren’t going to be solved and there was no use trying to explain something he didn’t understand. Satisfied with his reasoning, Stephen climbed into bed and waited to fall asleep.
Chapter Three
The trees beckoned toward him, encouraging him to stray from the well-worn path. Stephen wove his way through the forest. Though he didn’t pay special attention to his route, his feet somehow knew where to go. The crash of the waterfall reached his ears, and he approached his destination.
She was waiting for him. He stopped moving as soon as he saw her, transfixed by her ethereal presence. There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much he wanted to ask and learn. Instead, he simply stood and stared. She sat down on the edge of one of the larger rocks and patted the space next to her.
He followed her tacit instructions and took his place beside her. “Hi,” he said. “I’m Stephen.”
She opened her mouth to speak but was unable to return the introduction. Her hand flew up to her mouth and she frowned. The expression of concern wasn’t visible for long before she shrugged and appeared to sigh.
