Dark Dreams

Chapter Two

     When the officer didn’t reply right away, she began watching him very closely with extreme care, her deep-sea blue eyes were trained on his face, yet she could see every movement he made. He seemed to slip away like a caressing wind without a second thought. Tamra reached over to the ignition, and she started up her care very carefully she pulled back into traffic and began driving once more. Unsure of where she went as long as she was driving down that long endless highway. After several hours of driving the first signs of dawn were beginning to show in the eastern sky. With the sky slowly lighting up Tamra found a small hidden rest area to pull off into, while climbing out of the cars she had taken notice that there were no other vehicles in site.

     Once she returned to her midnight black Subaru SVX from using the restroom Tamra lazily curled up in the back seat and drifted off into a deep slumber. Her sweet innocent dreams slowly began changing to more exotic and darker with a man in his late 20’s long silky and black hair, that invaded her dreams. He appeared to be telepathically attempting communications, yet he was always just out of her reach. He was surrounded by darkness perhaps even in the woods. In this dark, mysterious unknown place he was headed somewhere she didn’t comprehend at the time. Tamra suddenly awake in a very cold sweat while looking around at her surroundings, she noticed just how dark it truly had gotten. Yet she didn’t know how long she’d been sleeping in the back seat of her car. Slowly climbing out of the Subaru Tamra quickly ran to use the lady’s restroom once again to freshen up. Before she began traveling away from that eerie rest stop. She knew she needed a proper hotel room for a couple of days and with her car traveling at ninety miles per hour, she knew that she would find one before daybreak.

     With her heart racing in her chest from what seemed to be nothing more than a passing dream, Tamra just didn’t know what was truly happening to her or how to react to that particular dream she had. For some reason she couldn’t reason it out with herself like she normally would have done by now, suddenly a young healthy deer had jumped onto the road from the wooded area to her right, Tamra quickly turned the steering wheel to the left and sent her car into a flat spin, which allowed the cars behind her to go safely around her. Even though she was in the large ditch on the left-hand side of the road and fairly mangled it took her several minutes to climb out of the wreckage and gather up her belongings Tamra headed back up to the roadside, a bit confused by the whole ordeal, she began walking along the quiet road now that all cars had gone passed.

     While walking along the road her gaze drifted over the right side of the road to watch rather small deer wander back up into the deep forest that surrounded them, leaving her alone with her own thoughts. Once more her thoughts turned to the future and what it might entail for her now that her parents were no longer with her. Tamra felt her tears flowing down her cheeks while she walked feeling more lost and alone than ever in her young life. All she could do was listen to the sounds that surrounded her from the cast wooded forest.  Finally stepping off the roadside after she had walked for what seemed like hours, she cautiously walked out into the forest as if pulled in that direction, slowly Tamra began walk smile even though her tears where still fresh upon her cheeks and still flowing. She followed a small path that appeared to be a small wildlife trail near the roadside, Tamra continued down the path that slowly grew wider and overgrown which walking it very difficult in the crisp clean air. The heavy vegetation left the cool crisp air feeling heavy in her lungs the farther in she walked, but the more she needed to discover the reason why such beautiful surrounding still existed. With the feeling of being watched slowly weighing on her mind, Tamra walked deeper into the forest, her body slowly began to shake, as the feelings of being watched grew heavier on her mind.

     Although she could hear the thick leafy covered ground crunching softly beneath her dainty feet, and a few hours of walking later Tamra slowly sat down on a small moistened covered grassy null to look at all the different types of plants and pathways in which she could travel that led away from the main highway. Uncertain of which path to take Tamra slowly eased herself down further to lay with her head resting upon the backpack with her light blue eyes closing for a bit of rest. She failed to notice a striking young gentleman approaching her position from the east. Or so she though as her dreams plagued her now even while she was fully awake, and with a slow shake of her head she sent her long jet-black hair flying in all directions before returning her head to lay it upon the backpack once more, knowing that she needed sleep desperately.

     While sleep eluded her Tamra’s sea-blue eyes slowly darkened into a deep dark navy blue, as she opened them once more to scan her surrounding again. As panic rose up, to meet those wonderfully dark eyes that flickered to a bluish black in color, she began daydreaming while her entire body betrayed her forcing Tamra to drift off into a fitful slumber.

     The young man slowly approached the sleeping beauty, his gaze taking in her slender form while she is lying on the cold ground; he smiled to himself at his good fortune. Though Tamra was sleeping panic rose up in her dreams and took hold of her, she somehow knew that someone was watching her even before he spoke with gentle ease to her, “Good evening, Miss, what are you doing here?” he finally managed to ask her. Tamra finally managed to partially open her eyes to watch his subtle movements. With a sudden growl while her deep sea-blue eyes opening fully without warning, Tamra moved gripping her backpack while moving rapidly, Which caused the young man to suddenly draw his 9mm gun from its holster on his left side and aiming it at her chest, “easy does it Miss, I am only here to help,” he said calmly. Even though he was unsure of how she would react to his presence or the situation in which he found her. Cautiously he reached out to her with his free hand while maintaining a deadly aim with the other hand.

     Slightly disoriented Tamra pushed herself further out of his hands reach, the stranger before her gave her great concern. But not fully understanding that all he wanted to do was get her some place safer than the small meadow that he found her laying down in, that was by far the worst possible place in book to be, Tamra was jumping up to her feet so quickly while growling out “what are ye doing roaming around this place?” she watched him closely unsure of how he would respond after all he held a gun on her. “Why do you insist upon sleeping out in the open meadow where it’s unsafe?” he asked her softly but still not moving even to lower his 9mm. Finally, after several minutes of silence he decided to lower his free hand that was outstretched towards herm, he spoke softly again to her “if you wish to remain in an unsafe location and take your chances with the animals of this forest, then by all means stay here but should you like a warm safe place to rest yourself with food and drink, then please follow me” he motioned towards the deeper part of the forest where it appeared no light could reach. Tamra rose to her feet while she turned away from him, a low throaty growl escaping “ye should be careful of whom you wish to care for Sir” she said while disappearing into the lush thick green forest. Glancing over her shoulder briefly at his very surprised look, all the while she continued to walk away from him into the forest. She heard it when he began to quietly follow her with measured steps not wanting to let her out of his sight. Tamra suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to face him “why do ye follow me Sir?” she said with a harsh snarl.

          Suddenly she stopped and turned towards him with quick measured movements “Oh, for Pete’s sake put that thing away” she grumbled while lowering her pack from her shoulder back to rest gently on the ground at her feet. “Now why should I out it away when you won’t even answer any of my questions?” he said thoughtfully to her. “Trust me if I was going to hurt ye, Sir, I would have already done so” Tamra said softly while she allowed herself the freedom to relax slightly. Her composure slowly became more regal as she turned her head to face the young man, her deep dark blue eyes nearly boring into his soul. Although she watched him closely for a short time Tamra finally leaned on hip against the tree trunk. “Let me ask this of you and then you can decide whether or not you still wish to help me, would you be willing to carry my stuff for me while I freshen up by the nearby stream?” her cold gaze left him with shivers even in the humid evening air. “My is Cedric Stuart” he said to her while cautiously placing his 9mm gun back into the hold on his left side, yet his brown eyes were always trained upon Tamra during his task. “M’names Tamra Kelso” she replied while sizing up the young man before her, leaning over to rummage through her backpack for a morsel of food she continued to watch him closely. Un-wrapping the candy bar slowly and taking a bite Tamra was upset with the gentleman who woke her, after all he intruded on her dreams.

     “So, tell me why do you wander this forest all alone when fall is so close at hand?” he asked her softly while carefully taking a few steps forward, when her throaty growl brought his much larger frame to an abrupt halt, he cautiously watched her for any signs of movements. Lifting her slender hand up towards her face, she placed one finger against her lush pink lips gesturing him to remain quiet and a slight movement of her other hand she hoped he would remain still, while she listened to their surroundings.

     Shifting once more Tamra stood noiselessly on her heals facing the direction of the unfamiliar sounds and staring into the thickest underbrush in the hopes of discovering its untold secrets. She moved then leaving her belongings near the stump that she was just leaning against “Move backwards away from this location very slowly and please remain quiet” Tamra whispered softly while as quietly as a panther on the prowl for its prey. Sensing the beast hidden in the dense forest not far from the couple Tamra took a few steps backwards as she snapped up her backpack and hold it behind her back. With all her five senses on alert she somehow knew deep in her core that Cedric stood tall and as silent as the mountains.

     “Pease don’t follow me as the danger is greater to the both of us if we are together” she whispered to him while sensing the rise of immediate danger in their location. Cedric slowly began backing down the same path as Tamra deliberately, watching every silent step with his deep brown eyes. His large muscular body nearly touching her as she drew closer to him and lifting up her backpack to him “keep going and I will locate ye to retrieve my things later this evening” she whispered into the wind. Surprising herself with a sudden burst of courage as she side stepped onto a thin deer trail and doubled back behind the overgrown brush. Tamra continued to scan her surrounding until her dark deep-sea blue gaze spotted the long ebony wolf amongst the soft green foliage. Somewhere deep inside of her soul yet being fearful of the and totally unaware of her own hidden powers. This led to her knowledge of where Cedric remained frozen, with her understanding of the wild animals she personally though of Cedric’s safety and began leading the dark beast away from him and into the deeper forest that surrounded all of them.

     Keeping to the shadows with the large muscular wolf in her line of sight, yet her body seemed to itch terribly but she had no way of knowing that she herself could shape-shift into a muscular, sleek panther with deep-sea blue eyes. As the pain from her bones began to increase, she took notice for the first time her skin seemed alive, as if something crawled just under the skin. Her muscles began to ache as her body began its slow change to form the body of a sleek feminine panther, all around her things seemed to come alive as her keen senses told her that this man might be trying to form a friendship with her. Yet he was still far to close for her comfort zone but at that precise moment in time Tamra couldn’t be bothered with how he might perceive her.

     Yet she felt herself slowly shifting shape and it should have scared her to death, with her think fur now covering her entire muscular body, she simply accepted the shape shifting without any problems and allowed the change to simply happen. Rushing deep into the underbrush and face to face with the wolf, who simply growled a low warning at her. He wanted her to stop right where she was as he shaped shifted before her eyes, with his muscular physique and extremely handsome face, yet his eye color was hidden by the shadows since the sunset was well underway. He had chosen to conceal himself away from the couple as he kept tabs on Tamra, but he still didn’t trust her at this time.

     Knowing that Cedric couldn’t see what was happening was the only good thing, she noticed that was Tamara had noticed that the man who now stood before her was much leerier of the situation. “Miss Kelso, please return as you don’t know what you are getting yourself into out in this forest” Cedric called out to her with worry lacing his voice. Although he could no longer make her out in the deep underbrush, and yet he wasn’t going to try and move from where he was located. Cedric did spot the panther’s four paws moving restlessly about in the underbrush, he did know that panthers were not native to the mountains of his beloved home.

   While he stood there watching the underbrush and hoping that she was alright, he was unaware of the fact that Tamra knew exactly where he was and what he was doing at all times. He could hear the panther growling at the unknown intruder who posed a threat to both of them or at least he believed the intruder to be the cause of alarm that she felt, or maybe even believed, He knew that something had to be done and was ready to aid her if she called out to him, Cedric refused to leave her there with the intruder and the panther.

     Tamra’s growling grew much louder towards the ebony wolf as he shape-shifted back into his human form his muscular, tan colored male stood facing her. With his harsh cold dark brown eyes seemed to burrow deep into her soul, all of a sudden, the need to run and save herself hit her mind like a freight train. However, she slowly, gracefully took a step forward with her head parallel to her shoulders and slightly crouched, ready to pounce if the need should arise. Her first instinct was to fight the intruder, but she hadn’t fully become aware of the truth behind those instincts just yet. Tamra fought the instincts as her panther took a sidestep to her right, the slow and methodical circling of her prey had begun.

     With a heavy sigh to herself she finally figured out how to regain control and take back her normal human form, the change was slow but without any real thought to her own personal needs. The clothing she had worn when the panther had emerged slipped over her body once more, Tamra stopped just short of him but was still able to keep both men in plain eyesight. “Now Sir as long as you stay far away from, I think Sir that we will get along just” fine she said angrily to the intruder with her fists closed at either side of her body. Tamra slowly began to back down the path away from both males, yet her slender form was ready shift back into her panther form for the fight if the need should arise.

     “If you will just take the time to speak with me, Miss, and without the other male around, I might be able to answer some of your questions and concerns” he replied calmly to her, but his gaze never left the trail next to her, the one that led down to Cedric. Though he shifted his weight while watching the trails closely to see what she would and left his words hanging in the air between them. Tamra quickly changed tactics while she switched to the path leading back to Cedric “should ye harm anyone I know I might be afraid that we will never have the chance to truly discuss things at a much later, but I will defend us if need be. She replied to him softly while side stepping his rather smug attitude.

     Even though she stopped only a few feet from Cedric and watched him through what was left of the thick underbrush, Tamra began to question everything she had just been through, with a light sigh to herself she continued the short walk up towards Cedric while collecting her things from him “okay where to now?” she asked quietly of him. His gentle smile barely reached his brown eyes as he extended his left hand to her “come back to my he gently replied to her in encouragement but still he watched her closely all the same.

     They walked in silence back down the long winding path towards the east together, her thoughts turned inwards towards her own gruesome past. She thought about how she lost her Mother, Father, twin sister, and her younger brother in a tragic boating accident out at sea. Although she gazed at his muscular, goldish tanned back Tamra hadn’t really taken notice of him, or his movements as they turned up towards the large boulders which seemed to be nothing more than an obstacle in their path. After several long minutes of walking soft voice wrang through the silence "where are we going?" she asked him, curiosity coloring her soft voice.

     Even with her thoughts tuned to her past and the things that seemed like a dark chapter lost from her own history, she tried her best to at least provide him with light conversation, even when she didn’t feel like talking. “We are nearing my home Miss,” he said gently to her, but he never once looked at her until he finally stopped at the boulders. He cautiously glanced over his shoulder at her to make sure that she was close by when he pressed a small rock hidden by the much larger boulders. With his hand slightly hidden by the moss and larger boulders he smiled softly in her direction and pushed hard against the small rock, and with a slight groaning sound the largest boulder creaked open to reveal a hidden passageway, with a door not far down the trail from the opening in the rock formation.

     Stepping back out of her way, he motioned for Tamra to walk inside ahead of him, as he still needed to push another set of rocks to reclose the opening of rocks. He watched as she cautiously took a few steps forward, only then did she pause briefly “again where are we headed” she questioned him not liking the looks of the hidden passageway. “As I have aid to my home, it’s a small cabin hidden by these boulders, and caves that surround the underground cabin” he said as soothingly as possible, he just didn’t like being out in the open any longer than absolutely necessary. “Please go on in so I can close up our passageway and keep this place secret from prying eyes, I will grab the lanterns and turn them on once we are safe inside” he added gently as she finally walked fully past him and into the passageway.

     After several minutes of watching her intently he finally stepped into the passageway behind her and pressing the two smaller stones that stuck out from the smooth rock surface, he turned on his heals and lifting up a set of small lanterns. He carefully lit them using a long-nosed camping lighter, and finally he handed one to Tamra who was just learning that she really did not need one to guide herself along the narrow passageway up to his cabin door. Yet she never said a word to him as she gently lifted the lantern from his rough fingers. She had noticed that they were more callused than she had been expecting and though she thought to herself that he must work extremely hard to survive so far from any civilized location. Within a few minutes of walking down that long cool corridor they reached what appeared to be a heavy wooden door, with an old-world metal hinge look to it, Tamra began to wonder if he had hand crafted it himself by hand or if someone else created it for him. Granted she was a bit intimidated about asking him, so she chose to keep quiet about it even though she clearly was admiring it.

     With a light sigh more to herself, she had stepped up onto the porch and to onside of the door to allow him to open it and lead her into his home. Tamra waited near the doorway entrance as her thoughts once more slipped into the past and how her family had left her alone in a harsh cruel world while she was still rather young. Slowly she leaned her body against the wall, with her tender baby blue eyes roaming over him, she could feel the tears beginning to build. Turning on her heals to face the path knowing she needed to run and run fast without stopping until the tears stopped flowing. Tamra looked back up the path knowing she needed to run with the other animals in the forest with no destination in mind.

     It was that lonely quiet style of pure instincts that drove her while the emptions ran rampant within her hot blood, and for some odd reason Tamra could not control them like she had always wanted, but now at the most critical of times hidden from all eyes save her own. She just had to get out away from him and dropping her pack to the floor at her feet, Tamra turned away from him and began to slide slowly back alone the wall in the hopes of finding the rock formation to open his hidden passageway up to the outside world. Just as he closed the door and secured it tightly behind, she knew that the need to run as free as the wind, and not look back until her emotions were once more in check was strong.