3

Chapter 3

– The Inn

The room was silent except for my footsteps, which echoed loudly in the hollow chamber. My shoes made little squeaking sounds on the wood floor, though, which meant that at some point there was more than just me here with her. It gave me goosebumps to know that she had company and that I was completely alone.

My heart started beating faster as I took another step forward. The moonlight from outside shone through the windows, making the dark shapes of the room seem alive in a way that I wouldn' ever understand. They weren't actually real things, of course, but they were almost, I don't know.

A hand touched the edge of my coat sleeve. I gasped in surprise and jumped. The hand retreated and her breathing changed. "Don't," she said quietly.

Her voice startled me, though I shouldn't have been surprised. Her eyes had been empty and emotionless since we met in the woods two days ago, and she hadn't uttered a word the entire time I talked to her. I shouldve expected her not to be able to speak right away, especially with a broken arm. But I didn' think I'd hear her voice again after what had happened that day.

But I did hear it again, whispering softly into the dark. "Please leave."

She had a strong voice, but even more surprising, I could hear the strain behind her words and feel it in the way her hands trembled. I wanted so badly to comfort her, but how could I do that without scaring her off? So instead, I stayed where I was, trying to figure out what I should do. I hated feeling helpless, hated this place and everything that was happening to me – hated having to wait for her, hated the uncertainty that hung over the entire situation – but above all, I hated knowing that she was afraid of me.

But she wasn'.