Undressing, she stepped into the shower, gasping as she saw red marks scattered across her skin. She rubbed her eyes, thinking she might be imagining things, but the marks remained, stark against her pale complexion. Annoyance welled up as she scrubbed her body, as if the water could wash away not just the marks but the unsettling feeling clinging to her.
The heat should have stung the raw patches along her veins. Instead it brought a strange rush of relief, like something tight finally loosening. She closed her eyes and stayed longer than usual, tilting her head back so the water ran down her neck and over her shoulders. The ache between her shoulder blades eased a fraction. For a moment she almost forgot the forest,
Outside the bathroom window that faced the backyard, a large dark shape slipped through the garden hedge, paused, then melted back into stillness. Evelyn didn't see it. Her eyes stayed closed, water streaming over her face.
When she finally shut off the tap, the relief faded and the itching returned, sharper now. She wrapped a towel around herself and wiped the condensation from the mirror. Red lines traced along her forearms like delicate branches. She touched one gently. It didn't hurt the way normal blisters should. She turned, trying to see her back in the foggy reflection. Something dark and intricate sat between her shoulder blades, too blurred to make out clearly. The skin around it felt warm, almost feverish.
An inexplicable chill swept over her, as though a pair of eyes fixated on her. She frowned and looked around, 'Is somebody in the house?' She glanced at the shampoo bottles with seriousness, her breath hitching, but found nothing unusual. Dismissing the sensation, she applied an antiallergic cream, its coolness a brief respite against the burn.
Focusing on her chest and neck, she smoothed the cream over her skin, the relief fleeting. Her stomach and thighs, however, were aflame with a sensation akin to being branded by some malevolent force. She spread the cream liberally, then lay on the bed dressed in a lightweight night suit, hoping that the air against her skin might alleviate the discomfort.
But as her fingers brushed against the blisters on her skin, a sudden surge of pain shot through her, the burning sensation intensifying. She gasped, the touch more searing than she had anticipated. The chill that had enveloped her earlier now seemed to creep beneath her skin, the feeling of being watched once again making her heart race. She quickly got up and looked around with alert eyes, ensuring she caught the intruder if there was any.
Her internal monologue waged war with the creeping anxiety. "Calm down, Evelyn. It's just your mind playing tricks on you. Maybe the forest encounter got you worked up. Maybe it's just an allergic reaction to something you touched out there."
She clutched the phone tighter, its cool surface a grounding presence. Dialing her mother's number, she breathed a sigh of relief when her mother's voice answered.
"Evelyn, love. You're calling late."
"I know, sorry." Evelyn sat on the edge of her bed, scratching lightly at her wrist. "Just got home. Had a weird night in the woods looking for those petals for Huxley's class. Ended up helping some injured animal. Now I've got this rash or something. Blisters along my arms. Feels strange."
A pause on the other end. When Nana spoke again her tone had shifted, careful. "What kind of animal?"
"Big, Dark fur. Hurt bad on the shoulder."
Evelyn rubbed the back of her neck. "I used some of the Moonshadow paste on it. Probably a bad idea. My skin's been acting up since."
Another beat of silence. "You did what you thought was right. That's my girl. Put some aloe on those blisters if you have it. And keep that silver bracelet on, you hear me? Don't take it off."
"I never do." Evelyn twisted the thin silver band around her wrist. It felt warmer than usual tonight. "How are you feeling?"
"Same old heart doing its stubborn best. Mr. Barnet brought me flowers again. Sweet man, even if he still blushes when I tease him." Nana's voice softened. "Get some rest, Evelyn. Call me in the morning if the rash gets worse."
They said goodnight and Evelyn ended the call, She settled back into her bed, clutching her phone as though it were a talisman. The sensation of being watched still lingered, but the connection with her grandmother had helped soothe her frayed nerves. As she finally closed her eyes, she hoped that sleep would bring an end to the bizarre unease that had taken root within her, Her eeys kept on moving towards the window in the room and she quickly sat up, crossed to the window and pulled the curtain aside. The backyard looked normal under the moonlight, overgrown grass, the old hedge along the back fence, her mother's forgotten rose bushes. No movement. The shadow she thought she'd sensed earlier was gone. But when she leaned closer, she noticed something in the soft earth beneath the hedge: deep paw prints, far too large for any neighborhood dog. She stared at them a moment, telling herself it was a fox. She knew it wasn't. "Okay it is alright everything is fine." she chanted to herself and retreated.
The ache between her shoulder blades pulsed again, stronger. She reached back, trying to scratch the spot, but her fingers couldn't quite reach. Frustrated, she gave up and climbed into bed, lying on her stomach with one arm tucked under the pillow.
Sleep came slowly, fitful at first. In the middle of the night the silver bracelet on her wrist warmed against her skin, then cooled just as quickly. The binding woven into it shuddered once, like a wall absorbing a heavy impact, and then held steady.
Evelyn shifted in her sleep, unaware, the new mark on her back glowing faintly beneath her shirt in the dark room. Outside, the large dark shape lingered near the hedge a while longer before slipping away into the night, leaving only those oversized prints behind.