Chapter Two

I stopped to read the sign at the edge of the town. It was a decretive plaque, that had a figure of a wolf etched into it. When I saw the wolf symbol, I instantly thought of the surrounding forest inhabited by wolves. I assumed that this was one of those places, home to protected wildlife, because why else would you choose to have that particular symbol?

It also made a stroll through the woods seem like a daunting prospect. Wolves could be watching me right now. Eying me up for dinner. I shuddered, then hastened my steps.

Stonevale wasn't at all what I was expecting it to be. As soon as I reached civilization, the place looked pretty and pristine. Frost glittered along the pavements, with not a trace of litter to be seen. Planters had been placed here and there, filled with some of the prettiest winter flowers. Each store window display was stylishly decorated in Christmas themes.

It was mid-November, and the snow hadn't even begun to fall. The air all around me had started to freeze, chilling me through to the bone. I wrapped my arms around myself as I walked, tucking my fists into the creases of my elbows. My hot breath mixed with the air, creating condensation clouds. I needed shelter from the elements. My thin, denim jacket, wouldn't prevent me from perishing during the night.

People passed to the other side of the road as they saw me approaching. Sparing backward glances, some even stopping to whisper to others.

Maybe everyone here in town, knew one another? And could spot a stranger, who didn't belong here. Either that or the injuries to my face were really that bad. To them, I probably looked like a teenage tearaway, out to cause trouble.

I felt like an intruder who had let myself into someone's home, had a good old snoop around, then made myself comfortable on their sofa. Some of the looks that were being thrown my way were making me paranoid.

Surely, the word couldn't have gotten out that quickly about my disappearance. I felt sick at the thought of my picture being splashed across the TV screen. Along with the caption beneath it, 'have you seen this girl?'

Nah, it hadn't been twenty-four hours yet. This was a weird, tucked away town, buried deep in the forest. I came to the conclusion that Stonevale was probably one of those places where nobody from the outside visited. Inhabited by inbreeds, who only married into their own community.

The folks around here were strange. There was no doubt about that.

It was just my luck to run away to a place like this. I'll more than likely meet my untimely end at the hands of some psycho killer. Like out of an old, Alfred Hitchcock movie. I hoped that I didn't run into some loner guy, who liked to dress like his mother.

Great, now that was going to be stuck in my head.

My stomach was playing its own symphony. The hunger pains were making me nauseous. I pulled out what little change I had and groaned. I realized then, how incredibly young and naïve I was. When I ran away, I didn't have the faintest idea about where I would go, or how I would live. The more I thought about it, the more hopeless things seemed.

I walked along the pavement, dragging my feet. Probably looking like the world had ended... Which to me, it had.

The further I ventured into the heart of town, the busier it was. Sure, people gave me a wide berth, but there were a few who smiled in passing. Kids my age hung around in small groups, sitting along the benches around the town square with bags of hot doughnuts.

Thinking that I may just have enough change for some of those, I searched ahead of me, looking for where they were sold.

I became distracted by the scent of home-cooked food. The delicious aroma wafted past me, luring me towards it.

Just as I rounded the corner, I stumbled upon a retro-looking diner, with a red and blue, neon sign. As I reached the door, I read an A4 sign that had been stuck to the glass, advertising for staff. I decided to go in and try my luck. I had absolutely nothing left to lose.

The warmth enveloped me, the second I stepped in through the door. My fingers and ears tingled as heat breathed life into them again. My nose started to run, so I dashed into the ladies' room to freshen up.

After blowing my nose, splashing water on my face and smoothing down my hair, I ventured back inside the diner.

The smell of food and coffee made my mouth water, and my stomach gave another growl in protest. I started to realize just how hungry I actually was.

I would have eaten anything at that point. I'd even considered raiding the dumpster, out back. My body trembled through a lack of energy. If I didn't eat something substantial soon, I would probably pass out.

I took my bag off my shoulder and placed it down on the floor. Then, I took a seat on one of the tall, red stools, alongside the main counter. Food was relatively affordable here. The prices on the cardboard menu seemed pretty reasonable. I had the means to eat today, but after that, I would be in a lot of trouble.

The bar in front of me was filled with drinks machines and different flavored coffee syrups. There was a chilled display cabinet, that was filled with cakes and desserts. I had to avert my eyes from them, as a wave of nausea from being so hungry, started to kick in.

One of the waitresses delegated jobs to the other girls. I guessed she was the owner of the place and that it would be her that I needed to speak to about the waitressing job.

The name on her badge read, Sandra. She was a kind-looking lady with short black hair, that had been cut into a stylish bob. If I had to guess her age, I'd say she looked around thirty.

She greeted me with a wide, welcoming smile, showing her perfect white teeth. I gave a double-take, thinking that I saw her canines recede.

"Hi there, what can I getcha?" She asked, cheerfully.

"Um, are you still looking for a waitress?" I cut straight to the chase, as there was no point beating around the bush.

I blinked as the image of her receding teeth faded. I had eaten way too much sugar earlier and it was obviously playing tricks with my mind.

"Sure, honey. I'm gonna need you to fill out an application form." She explained.

She then crouched down to rummage inside a cupboard behind the counter. 

"You're new in town, aren't you?" She asked, handing me a form, as well as a pen.

She eyed up the bruising on my face but she didn't bring it up. I was grateful for that. I didn't really want to have to start explaining myself or to start off my new life on a bed of lies.

"Yeah, I just got here," I maintained composure, but I knew it wouldn't be long before I'd be begging her for a job, whilst clinging to her leg.

"Oh, where are you staying?" She asked, casually, despite there being a questioning tone to her voice.

The way she asked me that, suggested that she knew what sort of desperate situation I was in. Could she tell I was a runaway with nowhere to go? She was an adult. Of course, she could.

"Um, I don't have anywhere as of yet. I'm still figuring it out." I muttered, hopelessly.

"You really are in need of a helping hand, aren't you, honey?" Her voice was motherly and gentle.

"But I'm a hard worker, and I promise, I won't let you down. I just need a chance." I told her, hoping that she'd throw me a life-line.

Sandra took the form back, just as my heart sank. I honestly gave up hope in that instant. Thinking that she was about to send me on my merry way.

"The jobs yours," she announced. "I have a friend who rents out apartments, over this side of town. I'll give him a call right now, so you just sit here. Eat and drink something until I get back, ok?"

I nodded. "Thank you, so much," I replied gratefully.

She slid an empty mug in front of me, then filled it with steaming, hot coffee. She disappeared inside the kitchen, only to emerge moments later, with a piping hot, a plateful of shepherds pie.

"It's my family recipe," She placed it down in front of me, then handed me some cutlery that had been wrapped in a paper napkin.

"Josie, watch out front while I use the phone!" She yelled at a tall, skinny girl, with short red hair.

Josie looked up from where she was wiping an empty table clean, then gave a nod in response.

She had sort of a gothic style. Her bright red hair was dyed that color. There was no way in hell that was her natural color. Not when her eyebrows were black, the same color as her lipstick.

She walked behind the counter to throw something into the trash, rinsed out her cloth then came to stand alongside where I was sitting. She leaned against the counter, eyeing me with what I assumed was scrutiny.

I ignored her and focused on eating instead. The last thing I wanted to do was spark a confrontation with someone, and make an enemy on the first day. Her eyes were practically burning holes into the side of my face, which I found mentally uncomfortable. But ignoring her was rude. Either way, there was a risk of sparking unwanted conflict, depending on how I handled the situation.

"You'll like it here." She finally spoke, making me pause with shock.

Her body language was kind of intimidating. I certainly didn't expect her to be nice.

"Yeah?" I flicked my gaze to her, relieved by her friendly tone.

"Yeah, " she scrunched her lips as she thought. "Stonevale's sort of regimented, but after a while, you get used to it." She told me.

"Well, you and Sandra are the first people I've spoken to." I hovered my fork over my plate awkwardly. Not wanting to eat while we were talking. "Are folks mainly so antisocial here?" I asked, not wanting to seem rude but needing an explanation.

Josie smiled with amusement as if she knew what I meant.

"The people here are really nice once you get to know them. Everybody has a place and purpose here in town. You'll soon see for yourself. There's like, zero crime around here, and the kids love school." She smirked, widening her eyes.

"That is weird." I joked, "so, who's in charge around here? Do you have a mayor?" I asked, out of curiosity more than anything else.

Josie's lips pursed as she contemplated her next words. "Yeah, but guess what? He's like the Wizard Of Oz. Nobody gets to see him unless you make an appointment. And even then, you have to get past all his minions at the Emerald City."

I saw the funny side of her comment and we both chuckled.

"Life here's pretty simple." Josie shrugged. "I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of you since Sandra has taken you under her wing. She does that. She's like a second Mom to all of us."

"She seems nice." I flashed a shy smile.

"She is," Josie stated firmly. "I better get back to work and leave you to eat your dinner."

Josie greeted another group of customers and I scarfed down the food. Sandra had been gone a while. She hadn't made any promises about finding me somewhere to crash, so I refused to get my hopes up. I had just drained the contents of my coffee mug when the kitchen door opened. Sandra emerged with a smile on her face instead of a frown, so that was encouraging.

"Hi, Leah, you're in luck! He's got an empty apartment. Partly furnished, so you can move in tonight," She chirped.

"Just like that? I haven't even got money for a deposit," I replied, shocked.

She was the second person to know my name, without me giving it. Although, she showed no indication of knowing it before she made the phone call.

"How did you know my name?" I asked, timidly.

"Huh?" Sandra scrunched her brows confused. "Didn't you say?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so..." I then wondered about that, trying to recall mentioning it.

"You must've done." Sandra chuckled. "Either that or I'm psychic." She joked.

"It's been a long day." I excused. "Don't worry about it. It's probably me. I'm beyond exhausted."

"I'll give you a ride to your apartment. Just give me a second to grab you a uniform." She offered, stepping past me towards a store cupboard.

Maybe if I wasn't so tired and overwhelmed, I would've taken the time to stop and think about everything.

I had fled from home, leaving behind everything I had ever known. With Frank, there were obvious signs of danger. He had hurt me and meant to cause further harm. This place, although perfect on the outside, could be just as deceitful. My parents always warned me about never taking candy from a stranger. Dad always said: cruel intentions can also lurk behind the friendliest of gestures.

If I wasn't so desperate, and fast to jump at her offer. I would've asked why her friend offered a complete stranger an apartment, having never met me before. Why didn't he ask for references or a cash deposit? I may have lived a sheltered life, looked after by my parents. But I knew how the world worked. And it wasn't just as straightforward as that.

But that was then and this is now. I didn't ask those questions. Instead, I chose not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Sandra drove me the short distance up the street. She stopped outside a residential area, which consisted of two-story apartments and small, red brick houses. It seemed like a friendly neighborhood.

"Is this it?" I asked, peering through the windshield.

"I know it's not much, but it's clean," Sandra remarked.

She misunderstood me, so I was quick to recover.

"No, no, it's perfect. I'm just shocked, that's all. How much is the rent on this place?" I asked, panicked.

"Don't worry about that for now. Just focus on settling in. The place was just lying empty anyway. So, you're doing him a favor." She mentioned.

"I'll have to thank this friend of yours," I told her, wondering who this generous guy was.

"Oh, he keeps to himself. In fact, I doubt you'll hear from him for a while. He said he would pass any messages through me. So, if your boiler breaks or you need a repair, then report back to me and I'll have it dealt with." She explained.

"How do I pay the rent, again?" I asked, thinking that I'd probably misheard.

Sandra sighed, then cast me an evaluating look. "Can't you just enjoy the fact that we're helping you?" She said.

A stab of guilt twisted my stomach and I nodded. "Sure, sorry."

We stepped onto the sidewalk, and over to the end apartment at the corner of the street. The neighborhood seemed quiet and peaceful. There wasn't a single piece of litter or graffiti in sight.

The apartment was unlocked when we arrived. The keys had been left on the kitchen counter, with a note telling me to make myself at home. Someone had even gone to the trouble of stocking the kitchen with groceries.

"I thought this place had been left empty? How come there's food in here?" I asked, unwilling to believe that it was put there for my benefit.

Sandra checked through the cupboards. "Someone's gone all out. Don't complain." She chuckled. "It saves you the chore of shopping."

I was going to say that I didn't want to eat the food if it belonged to someone else. But I already felt as if I came across ungrateful.

The apartment was nice. It was an open plan, studio layout. The only other separate room was the bathroom. It had all the basic amenities to survive. The furniture was a light oak, and the kitchen housed all white appliances. I was glad to see the double divan bed had been made up with pastel pink bedding. It was cozy and given time, it would feel like home.

"You start work tomorrow, at eight a.m?" Sandra informed.

She placed my uniform down on the cream fabric sofa cushions. "Did I guess your size right?" She asked.

I checked the clothing labels. "Yes, thanks," I replied.

"I'll pay you to cash each shift, since your desperate." The sympathy in her voice was evident.

I shrugged. "I don't even have a bank account," I told her, hoping that this wouldn't cause a problem. "I don't have any identification to open one up with, either. The guy I lived with, stashed it all away somewhere."

She looked back at me thoughtfully for a moment, then nudged my chin. "Don't worry, that isn't going to be a problem, I'll just keep paying you cash, until you can set something up, here in town."

She made her excuse to leave, saying that she'd see me at work tomorrow. Then the apartment fell into silence, but at least inside these enclosed walls, I felt safe.

I turned on the small TV in the corner of the room. Hoping to catch the news. There was nothing about me, thankfully. No news was good news, as the saying goes.

I pulled my belongings out of my bag, shaking out the wrinkled clothes, then changed into an oversized t-shirt for bed.

My eyes stung with fatigue. So I crawled into bed and turned off the TV using the remote. Instead of lying awake restlessly, as I had done for the past few weeks, I fell asleep quickly. It was the first time in a while that I felt myself fully relax.

.

.

.

You know that feeling of awareness when you know that you're dreaming. That's what I felt. I knew I was asleep. It didn't make the experience any less terrifying. Even in my dreams, someone was always there beside me. In the form of a loved one, a familiar face from school or the lady from the corner store. It didn't matter. Sometimes my companion was a complete and utter stranger to me. Someone who probably didn't even exist in the real world.

Faceless people would go about their business, forming part of the background. Like extras in a movie. Their features only coming into focus when they became a significant part of the dream. Never before had I dreamed of something as terrifying as standing alone in the middle of a deserted town. Completely alone, as if trapped in my own personal hell.

"Hello?" I spun around in a circle, trying not to panic.

As I began to walk along the deserted street, I could hear what sounded like animal paws, pelting across the tarmac. Each time I turned around, the sound stopped, and I found nothing but an empty stretch of road in both directions.

No faces appeared at the darkened windows. There were no cars parked up along the edges of the sidewalk. No stray cats fighting in the alleyways. Nothing. Just me and that tormenting sound.

"Who's there?" I yelled out, terrified.

There was no reply, so I started to run.

The pace of the sound quickened, matching my own steps. It felt like I was being chased by an invisible animal.

I could sense it gaining on me. Its hot breath billowing on the back of my neck, panting hard.

As I screamed, the sound of my voice was swallowed by a deep, throaty growl, that reverberated off every wall in the empty street.

Tears welled in my eyes, blinding me. But I mustered the strength to keep running as if my life depended on it. The end of the street seemed to get further and further away, as if making my efforts to escape seem futile.

I cried out in anguish, just as the animal gave another ear-splitting howl.

"Get away from me!" I screamed, frantically.

"Wake up! This isn't real!" I screamed out loud.

Strong paws, pushed me down onto the floor, pinning me there. The fall didn't hurt at all, like any normal dream. But the pressure of its paws in my back felt as real as anything.

Its rough muzzle blew hot breath against the back of my neck, then I felt a scraping of teeth along my delicate skin.

"I'm a part of you, Leah." A raspy, female voice, blasted through my head, making me scream in agony. Each word that was spoken, felt as if my skull was being split into two.

"You can't run from me, forever. Sooner or later, you'll have to accept that we're one."

I woke up with a jolt, screaming into the room, all drenched with sweat.

"Oh my God!" I panted loudly.

My haphazard breathing was just as chaotic as my erratic heartbeat.

I managed to dash out of bed and head for the bathroom. I made it, just in time, to crouch next to the toilet to throw up.

Bile spewed from my throat, leaving behind a fiery trail. I spat the excess saliva into the toilet basin, wiped my mouth with tissue paper, then pressed the flush. All that candy I had eaten that morning had made me sick. I convinced myself, that'd been the cause.

After rinsing my mouth with cold water. I ran my toothbrush over my teeth, riding the sicky taste on my tongue and replacing it with spearmint toothpaste.

I then climbed back into bed, but I was unable to fall back asleep. That dream scared the living shit out of me. Everything that I had suppressed, came back up to the surface all at once. Like a well-shaken bottle of soda.

After everything that had happened with Frank, I hadn't been given the chance to grieve for my parents.

What was I going to do? I missed my mom like crazy. The image of her gentle face swam into my mind. She was so kind and fragile. She wouldn't have stood a chance when the intruder attacked her. And then there was my dad. He was always so strong and brave. I missed him equally as much. I wondered how he died, and whether he died trying to protect Mom, or had he been killed first.

I guess I'll never find out.

Why go the effort of breaking into someone's home, not to steal anything?

The thought of my parents dying for nothing only worsened the pain inside.

What was the purpose? Why wouldn't the cops tell me who did it?

The rest of my life would always be filled with a series of why's and what if's. I hated the person responsible. I fantasized about what I would do to that person if I were to ever get my hands on them.

Hate fuelled me, consuming me whole. It haunted my thoughts and tortured my mind. Keeping me awake for the rest of the night.

Coming here was the right choice. Deep down I knew that. But it didn't change the fact that I was still all alone, and nothing was going to ever be the same for me, ever again.