Call Out My Name

EPISODE SIX

The knock against my bedroom window came again. I groaned and held my pillow closer to me. ‘

Whack!

I sat up in bed, dazed and annoyed.

What the hell was that? I stumbled to the window and pushed it open.

Oh. It was just Aysa.

I stumbled back to bed, snuggling under the warmth of my sheets. My eyes popped open and I sat up in my bed with so much force, my back ached.

Aysa?!

I rushed back to my window.

“What are you doing?” I whisper-yelled.

He motioned for me to come down. I glowered at him and glanced at the apple-shaped alarm clock on my bedside table. 11:21 pm. Now it was either the clock was broken or Aysa had a death wish-one I would be happy to fulfil.

After an entire week of not hearing from him, he shows up at my door a few minutes to f*****g midnight. I grabbed my long brown coat from my closet and slipped my feet into warm fuzzy slippers before running outside. Mum was on night shift today, she wouldn’t be home until dawn.

“What the f**k? Do you want to die Aysa?” I hissed, tugging furiously on his ear.

"Ouch. No. No. I don’t ” he winced, bending down to my level.

“Then why are you here?” I spat in his ear.

“I don’t need an ear wash you know” he teased. I tugged his ear harder and he howled in pain.

“I wanna show you something” he hissed. I let his ear go after a few more seconds.

He glared at me, rubbing his ear.

“It’s turning purple” He complained.

"It’s fine” I brushed him off. “What are you showing me?” I c****d my head at him.

“Something I hope you’ll love” he smiled, holding out his hand to me. I looked at it reproachfully before placing my hand in his. Aysa intertwined our fingers together and dragged me along. His car was parked two blocks away from my house. He shoved me gently into the car when I hesitated and drove off.

“Tie this tightly Lia” he handed me a blindfold.

“No way” I laughed humorlessly.

“Trust me” And for some reason, I did.

The car came to a stop after what felt like hours. Aysa helped me out and placed his hand on my lower back as we walked.

Fortunately, I only fell six times. I felt his fingers work the knot of the blindfold. It fell into his hand and I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the light.

My jaw dropped open.

“You like?” he smirked.

"Like? Aysa, it’s.......woah” I giggled. It was a literal forest of huge apple trees. Green apples. The trees circled a large blue lake with chunks of glowing ice at the bottom. The place was humongous and I felt small but happy.

“Why’d you bring me here?” I asked, my arms held out as I breathed in the air around me. It felt good.

The click of a camera had me opening my eyes and looking questioningly at Aysa.

“I’m keeping it. She’s pretty” he shrugged. “Do you wanna swim?”

“Are we allowed to? Are we even allowed to be here?” I asked. “The ice apple reserve belongs to the high king”

“I know” he answered.

I scowled at him.

“Fine, we are allowed to be here. I have my ways” he shrugged.

When I blinked, he was right in front of me, our noses brushed against each other.

"Do. you. want. to swim?” the words rolled off his tongue effortlessly. I glanced at his lips and stepped back before I did something stupid. The last time we kissed, he disappeared.

“Yes,” I nodded, looking down at the endless circles of apple trees. We were at the very top and the lake looked miles beneath us.

“You want to walk down to the lake” it wasn't a question but I nodded anyway.

“I heard the apples change colour the closer you get to the bottom.” I admired the lake beneath us.

“They do” he smiled. “It will take an hour or two to walk down there. We’ll walk for a while and then I’ll carry you down there. Next time, you can walk for an hour. Remember, we have to get you home on time”

“Alright” I beamed at him.

His eyes flashed black before returning to their normal purple colour. I didn’t ask. He seemed tense about it. I had never asked him what creature he was. I couldn't guess it either but whatever he was, he wasn't only a werewolf.

Was he a hybrid?

Aysa tossed his arm around my shoulder and I wrapped my arm around his waist. We walked for about thirty minutes before he picked me up and run down the forest. The trees flashed by, he was fast. He slowed down occasionally so I could get a better view of the different coloured apples.

The lake was cold and I shivered slightly at its soft blue glow.

The apples planted around the lake were white with frost on them. Aysa fastened a necklace with an orange stone around my neck. Warmth flooded me as soon as it touched my skin.

“It’s an amulet, it’ll keep you warm” he explained.

“I figured” I shrugged. He tied a similar one around his neck and started stripping.

"I’m not swimming naked with you Ay” I shook my head.

“Ay? Really?” He mocked.

“You call me Alphy” I pointed out.

“Okay. Fair point” He walked towards me and dragged his finger across my neck. I avoided looking downward even though the temptation was strong.

“Strip Alphy” he whispered. I closed my eyes and only opened them when I heard a loud splash.

Sighing, I took off my jacket and my crop top. My shorts joined the clothes on the white grass and then my panties followed. I run, jumping into the lake before I could change my mind. Aysa held my arms as I spluttered and panicked.

“Calm down Alphy. Just move your arms and legs like I'm doing” he cooed.

I did. I felt myself sink to the bottom but just before my back could touch the icy floor of the lake, I heard Aysa’s voice.

"You're feisty for someone who can't swim”

Irritation caused my arms to push upwards and I broke through the surface, breathing in the cool air.

“That had to be the easiest and fastest swimming lesson I’ve ever given” Aysa grinned.

“I heard your voice in my head” I gasped.

“It’s just something I can do” he waved me off.

“I don't like hearing your voice in my head, it pisses me off” I smiled, making a disgusted face.

He laughed. A genuinely adorable laughter and I laughed with him.

“Why do you love apples?”

“I'm not crazy but I swear, every time I see an apple or eat it, I feel euphoric”

“You did eat six apples in the garden” he mused.

"oh f**k off Aysa” I splashed him. "Apples are beautiful” I whispered.

"Why did you disappear?" I asked him, staring intently at him.

"Family problems. I'm sorry for not picking up your calls or replying to your texts" he apologized.

I gulped a mouthful of water as Aysa splashed me.

We splashed around in the water, the lake glowed gently against our skin.

Two hours later, Aysa took me home.

He handed me a red drawstring bag and didn’t leave until I was inside and the door was locked.

I threw myself on my bed before opening the bag. It was a bag of apples.

I gasped.

Three green apples, two dark purple ones, two white ones and a red apple. There was a note and a small brown leather diary.

"To the apple-munching beast,” the note read. I laughed softly, flipping through the diary. It had pages of fruits and creatures with notes on them. It was a supernatural journal.

I smiled, climbing under my sheets and biting into a green apple.

I was falling in love.