He woke up to the heavy beating of his heart, his trembling hands and his lingering memory.
Repeating. Over and over.
He took a breath and ran his hand over his face.
Sweat— soaked from head to toe.
"A dream."
He closed his eyes, letting his heart settle. The wind played with his hair, pushing back the leaves, drying out every last drop of sweat.
"Good morning, handsome," a voice called.
"Don't start."
"What? Not happy to see me?" She leaned against the tree, the sunlight spilling through the branches and cutting across her shoulders.
"Don't think I've met someone who wa— "
Suddenly, the air shifted and a mighty wind smashed into him, taking him off the ground and throwing him down the hill.
"Agh." The pain shot through him. "Prick."
"You say something?" She asked as she pushed off the tree, looking down as the boy staggered to his feet.
"Nope."
"Then c'mon." She walked off, beyond the boy's sight.
So much for rest. The boy followed, clearing a way through with his hands. "How'd you even find me anyway?"
"Oh? I didn't even know you were hiding." She smiled at him, pressing on the device in her ear. "Yeah, I found him."
"That Dutch?" he asked as he picked up a dagger hidden beneath the tree vines.
"My dad."
She studied him for a moment, her expression shifting as she got closer. "Everyone was worried you know."
"What for?" He met her eyes. "Something happen?"
"..."
She stared at him— her smile fading into a disappointed gaze.
She exhaled. "Let's go."
Her footsteps hit the ground, loud and careless.
He watched her walk, then the boy turned to the rising sun— his dagger trembling in his hand.
Light brushed the grasses, cutting long shadows across the trees.
He took a breath. The blade stilled.
"You coming?!" she yelled.
He sheathed his weapon. "On my way."
***
"So, where to?" the boy asked as he carefully avoided the vines below him.
"A place." The girl replied as her eyes swept her surroundings. "This way."
The boy followed, taking in the nature as well as its inhabitants. "Virlora, Anera, Jona."
The girl paused and looked back at him, "What are you saying?"
"Flower names."
"..." She folded her arms. "There aren't any flowers with those names."
"They're the names that I gave them." The boy replied, a smile growing on his face as his gaze rested on the girl.
"And I'll call you Lyza," he said as he pointed at her.
"Huh?" the girl's face matched her words, but then she realised he wasn't actually pointing at her.
She looked back at the tree behind her and at a glance she noticed a distortion in colour.
The bark appeared to be...twisting.
Suddenly, two large black bulges appeared.
SCREEEEEEE! The creature screamed and its body suddenly appeared. Large, like a reptile's.
The girl screamed and leaped back, tripping over. The creature, which he named Lyza, slithered down, rearranging itself with a wet crack, limbs sprouting where there had been none.
It crawled away still screaming as its body kept flowing down from above.
The girl sat there panting, her eyes glued to the creature.
The boy, on the other hand, was hysterical. "You should've seen your face," he spoke in between breaths.
The girl turned to him, watching as he teared up. "Real funny."
She got up and continued walking.
"Wait," The boy attempted to speak but was still in the joy of the moment. "Meira."
"Don't talk to me."
"Ha-" he paused. Standing tall, he gripped his dagger.
"Meira," his voice turned flat, but she kept moving.
"Meira!"
"What?!" She flipped round and a bright light flashed in her eyes. She turned away. "Fuck, Konin!"
But as she looked back a widened jaw stretched toward her, filled with fangs and slick, glistening rows of teeth.