She casually crossed under the old iron gate that disguised the outer edges of the Occult city to look like a cemetery. That was the façade anyway, with the seemingly ancient, unmarked tombstones plotted over the overgrown, grassy field. Even if a normal human being did stumble upon this gate, it was a long way past the tombs and mausoleums, through the forested, canopied path to her village. The minute another human crossed the Occult border was the minute they were Valek’s supper, though it was rare.
Charlotte adjusted the strap of the satchel slung over her shoulder, as she walked down the dirt road, passing fields of wildflowers and crops.
The glorious sun beat down on the greenness of the grass, causing her entire world to explode with colors that contrasted with her normal night habits. Her eyes stung, but she realized how much she missed it. There were a few farmers harvesting in one of the fields and they nodded at her as she passed. She smiled back politely, but dared not utter a single word. It was always best for her to remain as invisible as possible.
She often thought about what it would be like to be normal, like them — to go to school with kids her age, to have parents. But every time she thought about this, she thought about a life without Valek, and instantly remembered it wasn’t worth it.
Looking up, Charlotte let the warmth of the day soak her face. It had been such a long time since she felt natural warmth on her skin. Her world always seemed to be cool and quiet. She didn’t complain, but a change was nice every now and again.
A little ways down the road, a small car slowly puttered past her as the people inside smiled at the day outside. A family outing. Charlotte looked down at the dirt as she walked and thought of Valek again.
Finally, she reached the familiar spot where the road rambled all the way to Prague and a rickety, old, wooden sign pointed solemnly toward a clump of trees. The beginning of a dense forest that was home to the quietest, most peaceful place Charlotte could think of. She peered around, making sure she had no followers, and disappeared into the thick blades of grass that grew all the way to the top of her head. Swimming through a sea of overwhelming green, she came out on the other side into the clearing, where the tall blades ended and the evergreen forest began.
She’d made this trek periodically since she was around ten or so, and she knew exactly which trees marked the trail. The first time she had done it, she tied little pieces of red ribbon on branches to find her way back. There were still a few pieces hanging ragged among the winding twigs, claiming this trail was still hers.
She grabbed onto the low-growing branches to steady herself over the boulders and surprising dips in the earth. It wasn’t so much a clear path, as it was a winding maze of twigs and leaves she carefully had to push her way through. But there was no threat of falling — she knew this forest too well. She eyed the break in the overgrowth a few feet ahead.
Once she finally reached her favorite clearing, by a waterfall she’d lovingly adopted as her own personal hideaway, she sat down on the large, flat boulder face that loomed like a shelf over the pond surface. She took off her shoes and carefully slipped her feet in the cool water. Reaching deep into her satchel, she pulled out the shiny, red apple and bit into its ruby skin. The juices exploded over her lips and dripped in rivulets down her chin.
The forest was a symphony that day. The breeze through the nooks of rock faces and tree branches were the woodwinds, the birdsong high above in the canopy, the strings, and the water plummeting into the pond, the percussion. Charlotte listened contently as she took another bite of her apple and swung her feet around, causing ripples in the water’s surface.
Muggy warmth entrapped under the forest canopy made her eyes heavy. She looked at her watch. It was only two o’clock. This happened every time she decided to stay awake for the day. But she fought falling asleep here, where she could be caught by some wondering human or rogue monster. As she leaned back against a thick tree trunk, the heat and the lullaby of the woods made napping seem more and more appealing. An enormous yawn unleashed itself as she stretched her arms wide. She couldn’t help it; her eyes began to close.
A low, booming noise sounded. Charlotte opened her eyes to find her golden sun gone, replaced by big, ominous storm clouds. So much for her afternoon by the pond. She normally went swimming, and drew pictures of the birds and other day animals to take home and show Valek. However, if she were smart, she would begin her journey home.
As if on cue, one raindrop splattered on the rock face beside her. And then another. The sky opened up. Rain cascaded down on the clearing, pouring new life on the entire forest. She lifted her face toward it, the cool water sliding down her eyelids. It smelled like ozone. It soaked through her shirt, straightened the curls in her hair, and kissed her lips, still sticky with apple juice.
She recalled one night when she was little and frightened by a thunderstorm. Valek lit the fireplace and set her on his lap to comfort her. He told her every time it rained, something amazing was going to happen. The next day, when Charlotte couldn’t sleep, she peered out her bedroom window and saw a kind of magic she was not used to — her first rainbow.
Charlotte decided it didn’t matter if she went home then or not. She was already soaked. What was the point? Looking around once to be sure she was still alone, she peeled the shirt away from her body and jumped into the cool water, sinking to the pebbles at the bottom. Her body rose to the surface, and she floated like that for a long while, the cold rain continuing to pour down over her. She took in a deep breath, let it out, thought of nothing and no one, and smiled. For the first time in a long time, she felt completely careless. That was…until he showed up.
“Charlotte?” The familiar voice called her name from the rock face. “Haha! What are you doing?”
Aiden. Her eyelids flew open. She screeched and dove under the water, scrambling to cover her upper half. Charlotte glared at him over the pond surface as he continued to laugh, stopping to leer at her some more.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be in school!”
“It’s three o’clock in the afternoon. You should see your face! What would Valek think if he knew you were out here showing yourself off to the world?” He bent in half.
She mustered a growl and smacked her hand down on the pond surface. He flinched away from the splash.
“Go home!” she yelled, her eyes watering.
His laughter subsided. “Listen, I’m sorry. All right?” he offered, holding out her wet cotton blouse.
The shirt wouldn’t do much to cover her now that it was drenched, but she grabbed for it, anyway.
His autumn hair fell into his smug face.
“Turn around!” she demanded.
He smiled, falsely apologetic, and held both hands in the air in surrender as he turned away. Charlotte made incoherent sounds of frustration as she struggled to pull herself out of the water and get her shirt back on. She glared at him with her arms folded over her chest.
“Why did you come here?”
Aiden turned to her again. “I knew you’d be here.” He glanced at the clouds that were now dissipating, allowing the sun to shine through again.
She looked back to the ground, face burning. “I should be getting home,” she said finally, grabbing for her satchel. She could only imagine the thoughts running through Aiden’s head. This was definitely one of those moments in life when she wished she had fangs.