Kaia was staring out the window. She hadn't realized it herself, but she'd been doing that a lot lately. Ever since that night, when--she was almost sure now--she'd imagined someone out there in the woods watching her...

Part of her was at war with the other. Please, be real, one part of her kept begging like a broken record. More than anything, she wanted the imaginary man who saw her as something special to be less imaginary. The other part was somewhat more reasonable and wanted just the opposite. If he was real, that meant that someone had been staring into her window as she bathed. That was a bit creepy. It was disconcerting. 

But it didn't matter. He wasn't real, Kaia reminded herself. And even if he was, it wasn't like she'd be able to see inside his head, feel what he was feeling. That was stupid, and Kaia had imagined that, too. Besides the occasional weird nightmare, which Kaia had convinced herself was perfectly ordinary, she had never had telepathic powers, (at least, not last she checked). It was childish to think that something that belonged in a book could happen to her. 

"You've finished already," her dad remarked. He sat down beside her and slid his glasses on. His chestnut hair was still ruffled from his sleep last night, curls looping around each other wildly. His eyes scanned Kaia's paper, checking her answers. He'd been a teacher at the local high school before he'd quit so that he could keep track of Kaia and Cole after their mom had died. He told Kaia when she asked about where the money came from now that he'd arranged something so that he could work from home. Sometimes he would disappear into his study and emerge hours later, eyes bleary, and ask for food.

She'd always found it a little weird but didn't want to pry further. Her dad had enough on his plate. She felt pity sometimes when she looked at him. Kaia sighed and stood up. "Where's Cole?"

Her dad hesitated and then looked up at her, setting down her paper. "Your answers are all good, my little math genius."

Kaia mustered a weak smile, accepting that her dad didn't want to answer her question. Cole sometimes disappeared just like her dad, and neither of them would ever say anything about it. They kept whatever he was doing an obvious secret from her. She figured it had something to do with Cole's mental health, something her dad had decided wasn't her business; Kaia was a little bothered by it, but she also understood. "I'm going out in a bit."

Her dad stiffened, his face screwing up with worry. "What? Where are you going? This early?"

"The Neighborhood, Papa. Where else would I go?" she asked, staring at him as she pulled a glass out from the cupboard.

His shoulders slumped a bit as he relaxed. It was like he'd thought Kaia had been about to say 'Africa, why?', but the answer he'd gotten instead had been much better. She wasn't going far, and that was usually enough for him. But today... "You shouldn't leave. It's not safe today."

Kaia felt a hint of frustration as she squeaked the faucet on, clear water streaming into her glass. She hated it when her dad got overprotective beyond what could ever be considered healthy. "Papa, it's never safe according to you. But I'm a human being, and I need fresh air."

"Then just use the yard," he answered, turning away from her. "It's big."

Kaia stared blankly at him, wondering if he was serious. But he was. "Fine," Kaia breathed, setting her glass down. She wasn't thirsty any longer. She was suddenly furious at the glass of water because she didn't want to be mad at her dad. 

She went to the door and pulled on a light jacket, stepping outside and breathing in the fresh air. She walked out into the yard. A patch of snow crunched under her shoes. Then she just sat down and stared at the woods. Yep, this was stimulating.

For a while, Kaia listened to the birds, watching them flutter from branch to branch above her head. She hummed for a little bit, absently breaking out into soft singing a bit later. As per Kaia's constant demand, her mom used to sing the Scooby Doo theme song to her when she was young. That was what Kaia was singing when she heard a rustling in the undergrowth.

At first, she assumed it had been a squirrel or maybe even a fox. But then she smelled wood smoke.

Kaia stood immediately, her feet a little tingly from sitting in the same position for so long. But once the feeling wore off, she tentatively took a step towards the forest edge. Part of what urged her forward was pure curiosity. She used to be a curious person before her mom had died; afterward, she'd just lost interest in things. It felt good to be eager again. 

But the smell was so alluring. It was a perfect mixture of woodsmoke, fir trees, and some sort of earthiness. Soon enough, Kaia was walking towards the smell, willing it to get stronger; it was currently but a faint brush against her nose, a hint. A strange longing made itself known in the form of stomach butterflies and a rapidly beating heart.

Kaia knew it. It was her mysterious man. But was this reality? Could you be aware that you're in a dream if you're still in it?

A part of Kaia did know that what she was doing was dangerous. It was the same part that had told her that it might have actually been creepy when she'd seen a guy staring at her naked through a window. But the other part of her was fascinated by the stranger, by the mystery that he was. She was so frustrated with her dad for denying her freedoms and keeping secrets that she didn't care. Or, rather, she wanted to be careless. 

And, strangely, it was more than just curiosity now that drew her farther into the woods. There was this tiny bud of something blooming in her heart. She wanted more than anything to give it a chance to flourish and become a beautiful rose. But to do so, she would have to brave the forest.

So Kaia walked on, following the smell as she went, stepping over fallen trees and dipping under the branches that so desperately wanted to seize her and keep her for themselves. But, no matter how deep she went into the woods, the smell never got closer. Soon enough, she lost hope and stopped walking. Maybe the scent was her imagination; she had a brain tumor or something. Perhaps, it was just the embodiment of her loneliness. 

Loneliness. Had Kaia given a label to the constant hole in her chest, to the quiet wrongness that was her life? 

Kaia leaned against a tree, pulling her platinum hair to one shoulder and looking around. Then it struck her. Which way had she come from? How far had she walked?

It was still early in the morning, and Kaia was beginning to see her breath drift up into the sky in elegant white puffs. She exhaled on her chilled fingertips, rubbing them together to ward off the cold.

"Smart girl, Kaia," she berated herself, shaking her head. Her best hope now was to backtrack, to do a 180 and hope that it was the right direction. Maybe she hadn't taken any extravagant twists and turns around the woods? And why is the snow too patchy to trace my footprints? She was mad at herself and mad at nature now. This was definitely a downward spiral.

She began to walk but froze when she heard a stick crack behind her. And somehow, she knew. Maybe it was the little hairs rising on the back of her neck or the wave of nausea that rolled over her, but she knew that she was in danger. Another stick cracked. Kaia heard a deep, animalistic growl gurgling up from something's throat behind her.

Slowly, she turned around. She would have screamed, but fear was squeezing her throat so tightly that she could barely breathe, much less get a sound out. So she stood there, hands in fists, legs nailed to the forest floor, breath escaping her in clouds. Staring.

The wolf in front of her was big. It had gray fur with hints of a reddish undercoat, and there was a darker stripe along its arched spine. It growled again, its fangs shining in what morning sunlight shone through the sparse treetops. Kaia didn't know what to do. She could run. But she doubted she could outrun a wolf, especially not when her body was as numb as it was. "Oh god," Kaia whimpered, trying to keep the panic down. 

Her mind spun through options. She could grab a stick and use it as a weapon. But Kaia didn't think she even had enough muscle to tickle this wolf. It looked strong enough and angry enough to snap a stick between its teeth like a toothpick.

She could give up, and let it eat her. But...that didn't seem like a particularly desirable option. Kaia liked being alive, even if her life was grim and uneventful.

An idea flashed through Kaia's head. She could climb a tree. Isn't that what girls never figured out in those horror movies? Climb a tree, and they can't find you. Or, in this wolf's case, reach you.

Kaia took a step towards the nearest tree with a low enough branch to reach. Kaia thanked her parents that both of them had grown tall, and thanked genetics that she'd inherited it.

Kaia slowly reached up as the wolf started towards her, a string of saliva dripping from its teeth and a continuous, low growl emanating from its throat. More sticks snapped beneath its bulk, leaves crackling and snow crunching.

Kaia's hands miraculously weren't shaking. She maintained eye contact with the beast, reaching up with her other hand and bracing her body.

Kaia didn't wait. She didn't count to three. She yanked herself upwards, but her hands were stupidly numb. She slipped back down to the ground, a gash opening up on her right palm, barely catching herself. Her eyes snapped to the wolf as she felt a rush of self-hatred towards herself for being so weak; she was like a lost child in the woods, an innocent red riding hood.

She was about to try again when it lunged, springing towards her with all of its force. Kaia screamed, holding up her hands as if they'd do anything against the monster's fangs and claws. She tumbled backward, and her back hit the ground with a thud, knocking the wind out of her. Kaia's head slammed against something hard. Black spots appeared in her vision.

The world suspended around her for a painfully long second. Time slowed down, and Kaia expected that any moment she'd feel the sting of bone burying itself in her flesh, tearing through her clothes and ripping her body apart, opening her up and setting her soul free. But it didn't come. And when Kaia finally managed to open her eyes again, the black spots fading as she rolled weakly onto her side, her eyes widened.

There was a whirlwind of fur in front of her.

Growls and snarls filled the air. Fangs flashed. Whimpers echoed in Kaia's ears when one of the two wolves hit their mark. Kaia didn't stop to watch. She flipped over onto her stomach and pushed herself up on her hands and knees.

She crawled away, shaking hard now. It wasn't clear whether her head injury would allow her to get to her feet. She still couldn't catch her breath. She'd made it probably ten feet by the time the fight had stopped with one final howl. She heard the sound of padded feet running off into the forest. 

Kaia let out a sob but didn't let the tears fall. She looked down at her palms, picking a tiny stone out of one of the cuts. Both of her hands were bleeding, and she was pretty sure that her head was, too. You should have listened to Papa, you selfish girl.

Hot breath on the back of her neck cut off all thoughts. 

What? A cliffhanger? Whoops, sorry. But I feel bad, so I'll update soon. 

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