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again then shook her head at her own reaction. “They’re just stupid swings,” she whispered, scolding herself for feeling so uneasy. Taking a deep breath, she looked around. Made sure the wind was all she had for company. Satisfied that she was actually alone, she continued to walk. Cutting back onto the grass, she saw rows of houses not far from her.
    Dahlia.
    It was faint, but she could have sworn she heard her name spoken softly in the dark. Her heart drummed quickly against her chest as she again looked around anxiously, eyes wide with fright.
    But like before, everything appeared normal, quiet and still.
    Not taking any chances however, Dahlia clenched her jaw tightly and quickened her pace. She started into a slight jog as she made her way home, her bag softly pounding against her back. The familiar red door was finally in view as she made her way up the steps. Frantically searching for her keys in her bag, she rummaged deeply within it. Finding them, she clutched them tightly in her hand and managed to unlock the door with a shaky grasp before stepping eagerly into the house.
    Once inside, Dahlia closed the door firmly and locked it, resting the back of her head against the glass panel. Clutching her chest, she tried catching her breath to calm the rapid fluttering of her heart against her fingers. She stayed like that for a second, feeling the wild beats pounding within her. Then she slowly turned around to face the door and gently lifted the curtain. Her eyes continued to scan outside, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
    “Is everything okay, Dahlia?”
    She jumped at the voice and turned to see Deb wiping her hands with a dishcloth looking over at her in concern. A small frown formed on a face that looked so similar to Sam’s, dimples and all. Although in her early forties, Deb’s blonde hair tied back into a ponytail, and the bit of flour on her cheek, made her appear younger.
    Dahlia smiled in relief at seeing a friendly face and replied, “Everything’s fine. It’s just my mind playing tricks on me. You know, first day of school jitters.”
    Taking a step toward Deb, her smile grew as she tried to brush off the feeling of uneasiness that was still located in the pit of her stomach, although not as strong. At the smell of food, she slowly began to forget the recent scare as her stomach grumbled loudly and she eyed the kitchen curiously. “What’s for dinner?”
    Outside, blending quite perfectly into the shadows, Greyson stared intently at the house. His green eyes glowed unusually bright in the dark as he tracked her movements from within. Taking a deep breath, he breathed in her intoxicating scent, which still lingered in the air.
    “Dahlia.”
    As soon as the word released from his lips, he disappeared in the blink of an eye. There was absolutely no trace of him—as if he had never been there at all.
    Only the echoes of a name said almost gently.

Chapter 4
    I stood motionless, my long hair moving freely with the wind. Bowing my head as if praying to the skies, brown locks hid my face away like a curtain...as if I didn’t dare let the forest see me. It was a position of comfort, I gathered, wanting to hide from everything and anything.
    It was almost as if, even as a young child, there was some innate force advising me against trusting others by hiding my true self—even before I knew who I was.
    What I was.
    I raised my head, almost timidly, hazel eyes staring out into the forest, boots firmly planted on thick, heavy snow. Eyes squinting against the brightness of the white substance, my naked hands gripped the cold, metal fence that separated me from the forest. I was hungry, my stomach growling in protest, but I refused to move from my spot. I shivered in the bitter air, feeling the harsh burn as it permeated into my palms and traveled throughout my body. Even so, I refused to let go of the fence, my body somehow transfixed and unable to move.
    I guess I wanted to feel the pain—feel