The Risen

Purpose

Arieles POV

  Initially, I was surprised that Calder really offered me to stay the night at his farm house. I was scared at first because he is a stranger but I reminded myself that I have my pocket knife and my pepper spray if he tried anything funny. I really had no idea what I'd do next so I am really appreciative of his kind gesture. 

He walked me over to the guest bedroom and I couldn't help but notice that he didn't have any pictures of his family or friends anywhere. The walls were pretty much bare really. There was no decor really just furniture.  When we got to the guestroom he said, "I'm sorry about the dust in here." Calder scratched his head, " I've never really had guests before. I promise you I'll have the house spic and span by the time you awake". 

Wow. How thoughtful. I thought. But let him know, "Hey! This isn't my house, it's yours. Don't do things for my accord. You have done more than enough for me. This is perfect." I said as I belly flopped onto the bed. A bunch of feathers and dust flew up into the air. We both coughed a little. "Uh let me at least get you a new set of sheets and some towels for your bathe." 

"Okay Calder, thanks a ton. Your the best." I said giving him my best smile. He smiled back and eagerly went to retrieve the sheets and towels. I looked around, the bed was queen sized and the bed was black cast iron. Directly in front of the bed was a wooden dresser, with a TV on top of it. The dresser was caked with dust but I didn't mind. It had been a while since I had the luxury of sleeping on a bed, let alone watch TV on a TV. 

I would normally sleep on the back seat of my car and watch tv on my phone. I twirled my necklace around in my hands nervously, hoping I made the right decision in spending the night with a stranger. Please protect me.  I prayed, not to anyone really, I just put it out there into the universe. To be honest I considered my self more of a spiritualist myself and not so much of a religious person. 

When Calder came in he noticed my necklace I had been twirling. "That's pretty." He commented, "Where'd you get it from?" I instantly put it back in my shirt. It was a blood red crystal wrapped in silver cord on a black rope necklace. " Thanks! I don't really know where I got it from. It's just been with me always." 

"Oh, okay... Well here's your towels and sheets, I'll leave you to it. I know you must be exhausted. I'll be in the kitchen."

"Thanks Calder, for everything." I said as I stood up and went to hold his hand. Oddly it wasn't weird but rather comforting, Calder's voice hitched as he said, " Not a problem. Anything for you". He practically breathed. He made a sharp turn out of the room and I quickly took out some comfy gray sweats and a black low cut tank top out of my bag with my undergarments and deodorant. 

As I got under the steamy hot shower, I realized what exactly I had been missing on the road, hot water was a blessing. I tried not to stay in there too long. But made sure to wash my hair and really scrub all over. Thank goodness for Calder I really needed this, maybe it was time for me to settle down somewhere. 

When I turned 18 years old I decided to leave home and travel. My parents were strict and always seemed to have my life all planned out for me. It was hard to breathe, let alone have an opinion of my own. I had a need, a need to be free. When I told them I wouldn't go to college but was planning on being on the road, traveling, backpacking if necessary in order to find myself, they disowned me. 

I never thought I'd be travelling for this long, and I felt no closer to finding myself. As I got out of the shower I wiped the fog off the mirror. I thoroughly dried my curly, bouncy hair that was now loose and put on my clothes. My hips are wide but my waist is pretty small. Now my crescent moon tattoo I have on my chest was clearly visible. This tattoo also has some foliage around it.

It was one of my favorites, but to be honest, for it being so big I don't remember getting it. I suffer from blackouts, sometimes I black out for days and usually ended up in a city with no knowledge of how I got there. On my way over here, it had happened a few times, I'd be going in one direction in my car, and wake up from my episode going somewhere totally different. It was and still is infuriating when it happens. 

My whole reason for travelling was so I could be free and when I black out I feel like I have no self control, anything could happen. I couldn't tell you how many tattoos I have no recollection of getting. I sleep walk as well but I could not very well tell Calder that. I didn't see any locks on the guest room door. So when I go to sleep I will have to close the door and sleep with my knife and pepper spray under my pillow. 

I will have to tie a rope around one of my wrists to the post of the bed to ensure I don't go anywhere. Why can't I be normal?  I thought to myself. As I left the bathroom I smelled a heavenly scent coming from the kitchen. It smelled of herbs and garlic. I sauntered on to the kitchen almost in a trance. Calder was there taking food out of the microwave, when he saw me he almost dropped the plate. "Your hair is beautiful. You should leave it down more often..." 

" Aww Calder well thanks, my hair just has so much volume and thickness that sometimes I can get a bit hot underneath it all."

Calder replied,  "I heated up some leftover beef stew I made yesterday, thought you'd be hungry." 

"Yes please." I said already salivating at the smell of it. 

As I began eating Calder kept staring at me intensely. At first it bothered me then all I could focus on was the delicious food I was eating. 

Calder then clears his throat and said, " That tattoo.." He pointed at my crescent moon tattoo that was smack dab on my chest. "Where'd you get that symbol from? or is it an original design?"

I swallowed the food in my mouth and replied, "Can't say I can recall, I have so many, it can be hard to keep track of.." I lie but I can't very well tell him I am a complete psycho that blacks out for days on end. 

"Oh I find them all or at least the ones I can see quite beautiful...you are beautiful." said Calder.

I blushed. Oh my gosh did he really just say that?  He was pretty handsome himself now that I took a good look at him. He looked to be in his late twenties, early thirties. His beard was scruffy and his eyes were a shade of green I had never seen before.

"How old are you Calder? What do you do for work? Do you have any family?" I said in between spoonfuls  of food. 

He hesitates, then says, " I am...28 years old. I run a .. family business with my brother. So yes I have a family...well I have a brother." 

"Oh that's cool. I am an only child myself." I made it a point not to mention parents or anything.

"And your parents?" He asked damn I thought. 

"Well we have an unconventional relationship, they wanted to keep me under their thumb and I just couldn't live like that anymore I needed to be a free bird. They disowned me for not going the normal route after high school and I haven't spoken to them since...I couldn't be happier." I said finishing up my plate of food. 

"Free bird? Are you referencing Lynyrd Skynyrd?" He said chuckling. 

"You know them!?" I lit up. "Your cooler than I thought Calder." I smirked at him and he turned a bit red. 

"Umm.." He was playing with his fingers now. " Do you still want to be a free bird?"

"To be honest, I never expecting to be traveling this long, I don't know how to settle down at this point but I want to. It's just hard you know? I've been working all these odd jobs with s**t pay to get by and I have yet to find my calling. I feel like I'm supposed to be answering to some higher calling  but no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to get it right."

My eyes started to water. I didn't realize talking about not finding my purpose in life would bring so much emotion out of me. Calder instantly got up and began to shush me and wipe away a stray tear, he held me close and though I was hesitant to hug him back at first I ended up wrapping my arms around him. We stood their for a while. 

"I'm sure you are more special than you know.. you'll make sense of it soon. I just know it!" Calder said. 

Though we were just now becoming acquainted and Calder was only just starting to get to know me I sensed truth in his words. Lost in his embrace I started to doze off. Then I woke my self up suddenly and he looked down and chuckled at me. 

"Maybe it's time for you to get some rest, let me put the sheets on the bed. He hurriedly went to the guest room, stripped the bed and then put the new sheets on. I yawned. When Calder was done he stood at the doorway. 

"Calder I could never repay you..." 

"Don't go thanking me again, it's nothing really, now sleep" 

As he went to walk away I grabbed his arm, turned him around and pecked his cheek. He seemed startled and I myself was in shock.  Did I just do that!? What was I thinking! I didn't think anything, it was like instinct. 

I put my hand over my mouth in disbelief at my own actions. I was as red as a tomato. 

"Calder I am so sorry, I don't know what came over me.."

His voice deepened and he huskily replied, "Don't ever apologize to me for anything.." and he softly pressed his lips against my hand. My breathe hitched. We stared into each others eyes for what felt like an eternity. I broke eye contact first, feeling a pulsing heat coming from my crystal necklace inside my shirt 

It had never done that before. "...I better get going to sleep now...its been a long day."

"Yes, your right of course. Sleep well beautiful". 

"You too.." I said as I slowly closed the guest bedroom door. Oh my gosh that interaction with Calder had me feeling heat all over. I took deep breathes trying to calm myself down. But I kept in mind that I really didn't know Calder like that and there was no lock on the door so I had to put my pocket knife and pepper spray underneath my pillow. I then took out my handy dandy piece of rope and securely put it around the bed post and triple knotted it around my wrist. 

I put the blanket over me and drifted off to sleep with thoughts of Calder on my mind.