Chapter 2 — golden eyes in daylight
1260 Words
Linda woke up suddenly.
Sunlight spilled across the room, warm and calm, but her heart was still racing as if she had never truly fallen asleep.
She sat up slowly and looked around.
Same cottage, same cream-colored walls, same wooden table, everything was normal.
Yet she couldn’t stop thinking about last night.
The eyes, golden, bright against the darkness.
Watching her from the edge of the forest.
She rubbed her face and laughed softly.
“No way.”
There had to be an explanation, wolf, a dog, my imagination, that was all.
She refused to become the girl who moved into a quiet village and started believing in monsters after one night.
Determined to act normal, she got dressed and headed outside.
The morning looked completely different, birds sang, and children rode bicycles, people walked and chatted as if nothing strange had happened.
The forest stood behind the village, tall and silent beneath the morning sun, it looked harmless, almost beautiful.
Aria stared at it for a second, then quickly looked away.
No! She exclaimed.
She wasn’t doing this.
She walked to the café.
The bell above the door rang softly as she entered.
Immediately, Suzan looked up.
For a moment something crossed her face.
Relief.
“You’re up early.”
Linda sat down.
Suzan dropped a cup of coffee in front of her, then she asked casually—
“Sleep well?.
Linda narrowed her eyes.
“That depends
Suzan smiled.
“Meaning?”
Linda hesitated.
Then sighed.
“Okay… this might sound ridiculous.”
Suzan stayed quiet.
“I saw something outside my cottage.”
No reaction.
Linda continued.
“Big.”
Still nothing.
“And it had glowing eyes.”
Suzan knew what she was talking about but pretended to ignore
She slowly wiped the counter, and said,
“Blackwood has many animals.”
Linda leaned forward.
“It didn’t feel like an animal.”
Suzan looked at her.
Then quietly said—
“People see strange things when they’re afraid.”
That answer felt practiced.
Like she had said it before to other people.
Linda opened her mouth—
The café door opened.
Everything became more quiet than a graveyard would be.
People didn’t stop talking completely, but conversations softened and people whispered everywhere.
You could not hear what they were saying, but you could feel they were talking.
Several people glanced toward the entrance.
Linda turned, then someone walked inside.
Tall, black jacket, dark hair, broad shoulders, his face looked sharp and calm in a way that immediately drew attention.
But it wasn’t his appearance that made her freeze.
It was his eyes, golden.
Her chest tightened, she knew those eyes.
Not from somewhere specific—
Just a feeling, of recognition.
The man noticed her staring.
His expression remained unreadable.
He walked toward the counter.
Suxan greeted him.
“Morning, Frank.”
Frank, the name suited him.
He nodded once.
No smile, no small talk.
He looked like someone who preferred silence.
Linda quickly looked away, but too late.
She could feel him noticing her.
After a moment—
She heard footsteps approaching her.
She looked up.
Frank stood beside her chair, his expression remained calm.
“You’re new.”
His voice was deep but quiet.
Linda nodded.
“Yeah, I am.”
His eyes stayed on her.
Not rude, just… observing.
Then he asked—
“Did you go outside last night?”
Her stomach dropped.
She tried to sound casual like as if she wasn't kinda scared.
“Maybe.”
His gaze sharpened slightly not threatening something else she won't want to think of now.
“You shouldn’t do that again.”
She blinked.
That irritated her.
“Everyone keeps saying that but would never tell me what was going on.”
He looked out the window.
“The forest isn’t safe at night.
”She crossed her arms and legs.
Unsafe how?”What is it that everyone is so scared of?
She shouted looking at everyone.
His eyes returned to hers.
For a second she thought she saw something strange there.
Concern, then it disappeared.
“You don’t need to know.”
And with that—
He turned.
Linda stared.
Excuse me?
“That’s your explanation?”
He stopped walking.
Without turning back—
“Yes.”
Then he disappeared within a blink of an eye.
The café became noisy again.
Linda looked at Suzan.
She raised both hands.
“Don’t ask me.”
Linda narrowed her eyes.
Who even was this guy?
Too handsome, too quiet, too mysterious.
And why had everyone suddenly become weird at the café, Linda walked slowly through the village swearing to find out the hidden secret.
People smiled.
But she noticed something.
Nobody mentioned Frank.
Nobody talked about him.
When she casually asked an older woman if he lived nearby—
The woman only smiled awkwardly and changed the subject.
That made her even more curious and wanting to find out more about this Frank of a guy.
By afternoon she returned home.
As she approached the cottage—
She stopped.
Something was different.
She looked down.
Footprints.
Large footprints pressed into the dust, too large for a normal dog.
Her chest tightened.
She crouched.
A little scared.
They looked fresh, the tracks circled the back of her cottage, then disappeared toward the forest.
Her throat went dry.
Okay.
Not funny.
She stood slowly.
No one had a dog as big as this in this village.
Or maybe they do and I'm not aware—
Movement.
Her head snapped up.
Leaves shifted.
Something was there.
Her heartbeat quickened so loud that someone from the next compound could hear it.
She took a slow careful step forward.
Then another.
The trees moved gently as if blown by a forced breeze.
And there—
Standing between shadows—
Was someone.
Frank.
He stood completely still.
Watching.
The moment she noticed him—
His eyes widened slightly.
Like he hadn’t expected to be seen.
Linda took another bold step.
“Were you following me?”
No answer.
Her annoyance grew.
“Seriously?”
He looked toward the forest.
Then back at her.
His expression tightened.
“You shouldn’t stand here.”
She frowned.
“You keep saying things without explaining anything.”
He said quietly—
“Go inside.”
She crossed her arms.
“No.”
His jaw shifted.
For the first time, she saw emotion.
Care.
Frustration.
Then—
A distant howl echoed through the forest.
Low, deep, close as if it were just a few steps into the forest.
Frank’s expression changed instantly.
His eyes darkened and widened, and he stepped forward.
“Inside. NIt ow.”
The words came sharper this time.
Linda froze.
Another howl answered Closerser.
Something moved deeper in the trees.
Branches snapped.
Frank looked toward the sound.
Then back at her.
For one second—
His golden eyes seemed brighter.
Almost glowing.
His voice dropped.
“Lock your doors tonight.”
Then he turned—
And disappeared into the forest.
Linda stood frozen.
The wind moved softly around her.
The trees became still again.
But she couldn’t stop staring when he vanished.
It felt unreal.
Her heart beat faster.
Not from fear.
Not entirely.
But because for the first time—
She wondered if Frank wasn’t warning her about the forest or trying to save her from something dangerous.
And, for a second it seemed as if he cared about her.
She over looked again but was still curious and a little scared.
Immediately she entered inside she locked the door
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