30 LIKE YOU CAN READ MY MIND

HALE'S POV

The silence engulfed me in a hug that managed to suffocate me more than it could ever comfort me.

The sun had set but the sky was still not completely dark.

Twilight.

That was the state of the sky.

The twilight was a tangible whisper, welcoming the stars that were to come.

Upon the forest floor lied trees that were there before I was born, fallen in storms long forgotten. The seasons had been harsh the last year, stripping away the bark and outer layers, yet rendering them all the more beautiful.

They have the appearance of driftwood, twisting in patterns that remind Sarah of seaside waves; even the colour of the moss is kelp-like..

They are soft, damp, yet my fingers come away dry. I tilted my head upward, feeling the wind on my neck; the pines are several houses tall, reaching toward the golden rays of spring.

It was a warm night, thankfully. My white shirt had turned slightly brown from the dirt on the ground.

I had forced myself to not think of anything that would push me to the brink. I needed to get a grip on myself.

The annual ball was in two days, and I had to be on my best game that day.

I couldn't be distracted.

I couldn't come this way, especially after that incident on the live TV.

A slow sigh left my mouth.

I laid down on the ground and closed my eyes. Maybe a night outside, would help me get myself back.

My stomach was growling, but I didn't want to be back at the castle yet.

It was too soon.

I didn't think, I had it in me, to face Davina and her questions either.

I tried to take in another deep breath, but it only made everything harder.

I opened my eyes, and took in the stars that were in the dark sky.

They somehow seemed very familiar. But still remained complete strangers to me.

I decided against thinking anything ahead. I knew where my mind was heading, and the past was not the right direction.

I closed my eyes tightly, and just focused on the breaths that left my body. The cigar that I had smoked had managed to calm my nerves, but it didn't quieten my mind.

I was thankful for the darkness behind my eyes. I didn't want to dream.

I didn't want to have a flashback of the past.

And I definitely didn't want to listen to that woman who didn't fail to haunt my drea-

The blackness around my eyes was replaced by a beautiful scenery.

It almost made me forget how badly I didn't want to dream tonight.

A night sky filled with stars, not just a few scattered around, but the whole sky was covered in that natural glitter.

For a second it almost felt that I was at the forest, but from the abundant trees and the starry sky, it felt like a place far away from here.

The fresh scent in the air made me want to take in a deep breath.

I heard the leaves shuffle.

Was there someone else here too?

I heard a woman's laugh followed by a deep throated chuckle.

It was the same laugh.

With the same liveliness and the same colors, that I envisioned earlier.

But this time, she wasn't alone. She walked along with a man that was a few inches taller than her.

Devastatingly I couldn't see both of their faces. They were blurred, almost as if I was looking over a memory that belonged to someone with dementia.

"The stars look pretty, don't they?"

The woman spoke with delight in her voice as they sat down under the moonlight.

The man hummed but didn't stop staring at her.

I tried to refocus my eyes, hoping that I would be able to see who were they.

Were they just a figment of my imagination?

Was I going crazy?

Every now and then, a few parts of the whole vision blurred out. Every time that the blur cleared, I desperately tried to focus on their faces, but the back of my head hurt.

As if a bong was being hit near my head.

"What?"

She whispered.

"What, what?"

He playfully answered her question with another question.

"Stop looking at me like that."

She nervously whispered back.

He moved a little closer to the woman, and asked.

"Like what?"

For a few seconds, they both just stared at each other. The moment was beautiful.

Young pure lovers.

That's what they both were.

Whether it was just my mind making up these scenarios, making up for the alarmingly less romance in my life, or just something that I had witnessed in my past but had forgotten, the two kids looked deeply in love.

They didn't look any older than seventeen.

Maybe even slightly younger, but not older than that.

"Like you can read my mind."

He laughed out loudly. Due to the silence that hung in the sky, his laughter must have echoed throughout the forest.

She smiled and hit his chest with her palm.

"Stop it! Someone might hear us."

So they were a secret?

Forbidden love.

Even more exciting for two passionate souls.

"The forest is empty for miles and miles, Rosie. There's no one who could hear us."

She intertwined the fingers of his hand that laid on her thigh with hers.

"Can you believe we are graduating tomorrow?"

So, seventeen it is.

For a few moments, he didn't look at her.

It seemed as if he didn't want to graduate. Almost resistant to talk about it.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I can."

She smiled at him and tightened her fingers.

They remained silent for a few seconds.

Just gazing at the stars.

To be more specific, it was the girl that was gazing at the stars. Her lavishly long black hair flowed down her back, as she looked over at the stars.

I couldn't pinpoint her face features, but from what I had just seen, she must have been one beautiful woman.

The man on the other hand, didn't even look at the starry sky once. His eyes were staring at the woman beside him and they didn't move even once.

He looked at her as if she was the only thing that he could see.

As if he would go blind the moment she left his sight.

"I like the stars." She spoke softly.

He shot her as smile, with his eyes still on her.

He was looking at her as passionately, as the woman, allegedly named Rosie, looked at the stars.

"I know."

"They inspire me, you know?"

"Yes," He laughs. "I do know that."

"But, get this," She throws back at him.

"What?"

"They, the stars themselves, don't inspire me."

He hummed, waited for her to continue.

"It's who makes me curious about those stars, that I like." She spoke softly.

"It's the one who gave me the courage to look up at the sky and not give up, that I like."

He grinned at her, and questioned.

"And who would that be?"

She looked over at him again and smiled softly.

"You."

I heard the leaves shuffle again.

Probably the wind, I thought to myself.

He looked at her lovingly while cupping her cheek.

There was love.

So much love in their eyes. Even though I couldn't see it, I could feel it. From their words and little looks.

There was love.

"Move once more and you will be dead right here and right now."

This was definitely not the wind speaking.

My eyes blinked open as I abruptly stood up. I could no longer see a sky covered with stars. The twinkling lights were replaced with a dark sky.

I tried to focus on the direction of the sound. It was coming from a few miles south.

I began to slowly walk towards the scene with my sword carefully placed out of my scabbard.

I heard slow whimpers from the same location.

Someone was held captive.

A gunshot echoed through the forest as my heart began to go haywire. Guns were never used by the mortales. Rifles, sure. But never ever guns. We usually used blade based weapons. Spears, swords and other blades The guns have been forbidden amongst the Mortales for a very long time. . .

It was a Lormeian weapon. So the person who was holding someone captive, was not a mortale Fuck, I whispered.

I contemplated whether I should get involved in a lormeian matter when my breath hitched.

I knew that face.