Professor And The Feisty Human

Willow The wind stings my eyes as I pace back and forth between the towering trees. Liam should be here already. I have never spent more than ten minutes in this forest without him magically appearing, but tonight, it has been an hour, and his phone is off. I prepare to go back when something makes me stop in my tracks. It is the sound of cheers and clapping. My heart starts beating at a thousand beats per minute, warning me that I have moved too far into the forest and no one would find me if I disappeared, but my curiosity gets the better of me, anyway. So, I move towards the source of the noise. Hopefully, it's not a cult or I might have arrived at a time when they needed a human to sacrifice. Scenes from wrong turn movies play in my head but I can't convince myself to turn around and go back to my warm bed. As the cheers get louder, I find myself staring at the beauty of a garden, decorated with lights, flowers and mostly white linen. My gaze averts from the crowd to the makeshift altar where the happy couple is kissing. The groom holds the bride’s hand, and they face the crowd with their beaming faces. My eyes widen, my head feeling dizzy. I blink, hoping to wake up from this nightmare, but every time I open my eyes, I discover that I’m still in the dark and Cursed Forest, dimly lit by the crescent moonlight. “Liam?” I whisper, and his head darts in my direction within a second, as if I screamed his name. Did I scream and not hear myself? I try to get my legs to cooperate with me, to run, but all I manage is a gasp. Liam is glaring at me, his pupils dilated, making his eyes look darker. I feel my stomach churn. This time, it is the opposite of butterflies that I usually feel for him. I turn to run, but within a few feet, I bump into a gigantic wolf with black fur. “Good doggie,” I say in a trembling voice. The wolf utters a low growl. “Good wol...” The wolf growls louder, and my instincts choose flight. After running for what feels like a marathon, I wince, the pain in my chest prompting me to stop. I decide that this is my fate, this is when I die. I close my eyes, and the wolf passes me at the speed of lightning. My body stiffens, and I slowly turn around. There is nothing except the trees surrounding the forest. Within two seconds, I realize why the wolf ran away. Liam suddenly shows up next to me, his glare is more threatening than the wolf’s growl. I look at him for any sign of affection in his eyes, but all I see is rage. “Liam, bbbbbabe...” My voice trembles. He doesn’t say a word, instead, he is still glaring as if he is somehow possessed. Oh My God! The Carkeek Park might be really cursed. I turn back around to run from him. The rustling of leaves, indicates that he is chasing me, so I try to pick up the pace, but I trip over a rock and fall with my palms touching the ground first. I sit on the ground, giving up my life for the second time tonight. “Willow, what are you doing here?” he growls. “What do you mean? We always come here. I w... I wanted to surprise you. I have just arrived.” “What did you see?” His voice is cold and threatening. “Nothing.” I vigorously shake my head. “What did you see, Willow?” “Nothing.” “Really? Why were you running away then?” he demands. “I was running away from the large wolf, but then I think it saw you, so it ran away and disappeared...” "A wolf?" He interjects. “Where did it go?” I feel anger building up within me. “Why are you more concerned about where a wolf went than asking if I’m okay?” He grinds his teeth and continues to glare at me. “It was huge with very dark fur,” I roll my eyes. “Are you sure?” I nod. “Are you really sure?” He sniffs, his eyes studying something on the ground, and then he eyes me suspiciously. “Why are you sniffing like a dog?” the words tumble out of my mouth. “What did you just say to me?” he snarls. “I’m sorry, it was a joke. Why are you so touchy tonight?” “It was a bad joke!” he grumbles. "How dare are you, Liam? You have no right to be angry at me!" My anger intensifies because of his nerve to act as if I did something wrong. “What were you doing there? Are you married to Lucy?” “You said you saw nothing!” “I watched you kiss another woman!” I snap. “I’m going to do what I should’ve done ages ago. You won’t feel the effects of it, anyway.” “What are you talking about?” I feel the fear returning. I won’t feel the effects? Is he going to kill me? I take a few steps back, but he remains on the spot. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. “Willow Gordon, I rej...” Liam suddenly gets knocked to the ground by the large wolf. He gets up and growls at the wolf, and it growls back. They growl at each other for about what seems like forever. Seemingly in a huge argument. I keep looking back at where Liam came from, wondering if the crowd is waiting for him. He could be in a cult, and they might hear this. I try to make a run for it, but Liam catches me within a second. "Where are you going?" He asks calmly, which sends chills down my spine. “Is it a pet?” I ask to distract him. The wolf snarls at me, and Liam laughs like I have just cracked the funniest joke on Earth. “Yes, isn’t it an interesting pet?” He asks between laughs. “It is. Can he visit me sometime? I like its sense of humor. You taught it well.” The wolf growls again, which I find strange, but I decide to act interested. “I have a specialty in animal communication.” Liam smirks. The wolf shakes its head, and I wonder if what I saw is real or whether I imagined it. “Baby, you have to go. It’s not safe here.” “I’m not your baby,” I yank my arm from his grip. “Are you really married to Lucy?” “Willow, you have to leave. I will talk to you later.” He shifts uncomfortably, then glances at the place where I had just witnessed the marriage ceremony. “I thought we were soul mates,” I swallow, trying to keep my voice steady. “We are, babe.” The giant wolf growls. “Dude, will you just stop?” He says to the wolf. “Just leave, Willow and don't you dare tell anyone.” "f**k off!" I walk away, with the wind blowing my hair around my face, making me angrier. I call a cab when I get to the edge of the forest. As expected, it takes time before I finally find a cab, and the suspicious looks from the cab driver tells me that I should've believed the legends about this place. My phone rings as soon as I’m seated in the cab, and I smile when I see my older brother’s name flashing on my screen. “Marcel, it has been only seven hours since I left home. Do you miss me already?” I try to sound cheerful. “Your brother and I are in an ambulance, and I don’t know what to do. He asked me to call you, but he passed out again,” my mom says at the other end of the line. My heart drops into my stomach, “I’ll be right there, Mom, hang in there.” I search the Internet for the next flight to Minnesota, and I book a plane that will be leaving in three hours. Damn! It’s ten, and I will be at the hospital tomorrow at five in the morning. “Please wait here while I get my bag. I will pay extra,” I say to the cab driver who still looks uneasy. He nods, and I run to my room. I take my backpack and I pack essential needs. When I open the door, I come face to face with Professor Brown’s towering figure, his knuckles raised as if he were about to knock. His black hair is unkempt, and something even more strange catches my attention; his probably permanent scowl has been wiped off his face. I blink, probably several times. Am I dreaming? What is the man that I hate the most on campus doing here and why is he smiling? “Can I help you?” This time, I'm the one who does his usual signature frown.