Page 28 of Sweet Silver Bells
Olivia let her tongue slide over her front teeth before smiling at him, her new pet, her spellbound doll, a soon-to-be lover where neither would ever relent. The forest obeyed her song, her will as well, as it grew up and around him, binding him. She walked forward, her bare feet in the cold, in the dirt, unbothered. She was safe there with him. She leaned forward, her lips about to touch the pale, flushed flesh of his cheek, her breasts pressing up against him.
She didn’t kiss him, though; this wasn't their moment.
As she walked away, the forest let him go too, his feet taking him out of the trees, back to the parking lot, where he would once again wake up in the car, forgetting what had happened.
7
CHAPTER SEVEN.
Sadie 7:35 p.m.
You won the stupid raffle. Everyone’s pissed.
Sadie 7:39 p.m.
Dude, are you okay?
Sadie 7:42 p.m.
You’ve been acting really off lately.
Sadie 8:02 p.m.
Raffle prize is two tickets to the holiday ball. No, I don’t want to be your date.
Sadie 9:04 p.m.
They’re considering redrawing since you’re not here.
Sadie 9:09 p.m.
Never mind, you won. No one else wants the prize.
Sadie 9:14 p.m.
I guess I’d go, and we could make fun of everyone. But only if I can bring my cat.
Sadie 10:00 p.m.
Don’t mind me, just sloshed in the teacher's lounge.
Sadie 10:01 p.m.
I don’t think you’ll be fired as long as you have a good fucking excuse. You’re welcome.
Hunter sniffed. He felt like shit, grabbing the bridge of his nose just above his eyes as his head throbbed. With blurred vision that only cleared after a few blinks, he stared at the phone in his hand.
2:00 a.m.
The steering wheel in front of him confirmed that he was in his car. His watch, Sarah’s watch, gleamed on his wrist, the blue light illuminating the fine metal. It was cold, windows frosted over with no light outside.
This felt familiar, though. He couldn’t quite tell how or why, but what Hunter did know was that he had no clue, no indication of why he was there, and that gave him that inescapable, suffocating feeling of déjà vu.
Sarah, what is wrong with me?
Hunter turned the key in the ignition, sitting there with a headache as he waited for his windows to defrost. Once they did, the square campus of his elementary school came into focus. Even the streetlights were turned off at this hour.
Hunter picked up his phone and texted Sadie back.
