Page 3 of The Fallen

?“Look, what is this about?” Marie asked, turning around to face him.

?He smirked. “Not here. Follow me.”

?Before she could protest, he grabbed her arm and led her out of the side door of the building. Words were caught in her throat.

?The normal thing to do would be to panic, but that was the farthest thing from her mind. Nothing crazy ever happened in Bloomfield. Marie wondered why her parents chose to live here, especially with them being as eccentric as they were, but she never got a real answer when she asked.

?Brenton led her through the baseball field and headed to the woods behind the school. Red flags were waving in her mind, but she was too intrigued to stop following him. Her life was a bore, she often fantasized about some excitement. This could be the last time she stepped back out of the woods, but she honestly didn't care.

?He finally stopped when the trees encased them. She had walked through these woods plenty of times to know her way around, but somehow this time it felt different, almost enchanted.

?“What is so important that you brought me out here?” Marie said.

?He didn't say anything. He just circled her with a stupid look on his face.

?“Either you talk or I walk,” she yelled with one hand on her hip.

?“Okay, okay,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender. “I'm surprised you don't recognize me. I knew who you were right off. I mean, I was going to say your name earlier, but you looked confused when you saw me. I didn't want to freak you out or anything.”

?She stepped back and bumped into a tree. What was he saying? She'd never seen him before in her life. The red flags were waving for a reason, he was mental.

?He took a couple of steps forward, closing the gap and grabbed her shoulders. She looked at his hand, then back up to the mark on the side of his face. Did she know him? Impossible. She would have definitely remembered those dark green eyes or the structure of his face, which resembled some sort of muscled up teenage god. Also, the fact that he was the only boy tall enough to be eye level with her. At five-ten, she was considered freakishly tall for her age; especially in this town.

?He let go of her shoulders and moved back. He flexed his muscles, obviously pleased with himself, and grinned. She didn't understand what this display was about, but she dismissed it and tried to think.

?She closed her eyes and went back through the course of her childhood up until now. Oddly, she couldn't remember much from when she was younger. She definitely didn't remember him. Where would she know him from?

?“Maybe its because of the hair; it used to be longer,” he said.

?“But we've never met, I would remember that.”

?“No, we've never met, but don't you see me in your visions?” he said, confused.

?“Visions?”

?Now a horn was blasting in her head saying to get out now. This was not the excitement she was looking for. This wasn't exciting at all. She had been trying not to think about it, and now this boy was throwing it in her face. But how could he possibly know she had visions? This had to be some sick, twisted joke.

?Suddenly, the wind picked up and swirled around Brenton in a whirlwind. He closed his eyes and it looked like he was listening to something. He frowned and nodded. The wind died down and the leaves began to settle. He opened his eyes and stared at Marie.

?“I have to go,” he said stomping back toward the way they came in.

?“Wait, what was that about?” Marie said trying to catch up with him.

?He put his hands in his pocket and kept up the same brisk pace. Marie ran to jump in front of him. He pushed past her with his head down.

?“Hey. Talk to me,” she snapped. “You just led me into the middle of the woods being all mysterious and crazy, only to bail on me without answers. What's going on?”

?Brenton stopped walking and when he turned to face Marie, she could have sworn she saw fire in his eyes. Not a metaphor, but literally saw flames.

?He grabbed her wrist and held it while regarding her suspiciously. She stood there paralyzed. Finally, his eyes went back to the normal green. He let go of her and stepped back.

?“You didn't feel that?” he asked.

?“Feel what?”

?“I don't... Never mind, I gotta go,” he replied and took off running.

?Marie had never seen anyone run as fast as he just did. It was almost like he was flying.

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