Page 6 of Origins
In the middle of nowhere, during a time when the evenings were getting colder in the mountains.
I probably should have mentioned to Dr. Stephens that I didn’t have my driver’s license, but I guess he just assumed that I did. Most of the students had a car, even if they were required to park off campus. However, my parents and Finn had never wanted me to learn to drive. Because of that, Finn was the one who drove me anywhere I needed to go.
But now I was on my own and had no choice. It wasn’t as if I could have asked Finn to drive me to meet his brother at a weird address for a cult-meeting. He’d never agree, and it would ruin my plan of secrecy.
No, I had to go alone. It was risky. But if I perished, then it was for a greater cause.
All this angst for a meeting. Perhaps this was a sign. Perhaps I shouldn’t go. On second thought, hadn’t that metallic banging noise stopped a short while ago? Surely, that was a good thing. Maybe the ghost has given up and moved on?
Then again, I had just face-planted into the corner of a metal table in the conservatory. I had been watering the rose bushes, when the stepstool suddenly jerked out from under me. So that kind of sucked, too.
I tried to conceal my bruise as best as I could for the meeting, and attempted to dress for both warmth and to impress. I generally didn’t wear pants unless I was gardening. But with the sage green sweater, my jeans looked passable. After all, I did want to make a good impression on my future brother-in-law.
Outwardly I appeared somewhat decent. But inside, I was a mess. Stepping outside of my comfort zone was quickly becoming old, and I hoped the rest of the evening wouldn’t be too stressful. Otherwise, I had no idea how I’d hold it together.
One of the best ways to discourage small-talk was to keep your nose buried in your phone. This skill also has the added benefit of allowing the user ample time to research. And I did like to be prepared for anything.
I was unashamedly burning through my network’s data usage as I searched the internet for various phrases such as: ‘Do college professors need to have thorough background checks?’ and ‘What should you do if you expect that you might be used in a cannibalistic ritual?’.
A young girl couldn’t be too cautious. And, despite the fact that I had been invited by a—supposedly—reputable professor, planning for the worst-case-scenario was the best thing to do. Always.
Besides, what kind of well-intentioned professor writes down a cryptic address on a piece of paper and tells a young women to meet strangers at this unknown location that very evening? I had read enough crime and mystery thrillers to know how this scenario might end.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t afford to pass up this opportunity. I was desperate now, and this might be my only chance to get any help.
So, I was going to do my research and be prepared. I also brought along my pepper spray, just in case.
However, when the shuttle dropped me off at some god-forsaken stop in the middle of nowhere, the alarms in my head went off again. While I had known I’d have to walk the rest of the way, I hadn’t expected to travel through such a densely-wooded residential area. At least, I thought I would have ended up in a business district.
Still, I stupidly trudged forward—reminding myself about the background checks.
The farther I walked, the fewer homes I saw, and the woods thickened. Eventually the sidewalk ended and street lamps vanished. At this point, I could only see an occasional mailbox at the end of the dirt driveways of homes that were far out in the distance.
My map application was telling me that I was in the right place, but could there really be a meeting out here in this remote location? It didn’t seem likely.
Unless, Dr. Stephens had faked his background check somehow. It was entirely possible that he was luring me out here to murder me.
I was about to turn back, when the sound of a motorcycle approaching startled me. Suddenly it became more important to me to remain unseen. But of course, I wouldn’t be so lucky. I heard the telltale sounds of the motorcycle driver pulling to a halt behind me.
“Hey,” a man called after me, causing me to freeze in terror.
I peeked over, unsure of what to do. My heart pounded as I eyed the newcomer, and the beginning of every horror movie I’d ever watched flashed through my mind. It was hard not to notice his imposing figure and impossibly large stature. He made Dr. Stephens seem tiny in comparison. But as he removed his helmet and shook his head, it was even more impossible to not be entranced by his long, silky locks as they fell gently around his chiseled face.
His movements mesmerized me, and I couldn’t seem to pull my gaze away as he used a glove-covered hand to flip his hair back over his shoulder. And even though he was wearing a torn, plaid shirt, extremely faded jeans, and a few days’ worth of stubble, the look seemed to work for him.
I was an idiot, admiring the person who was probably going to kill me! But again, it was instinct. He was so gorgeous that I could almost hear a chorus of angels harmonizing in the background. His face was perfect seduction, his physique was molded from God himself. And I wanted nothing more than to explore every inch of his very smooth, olive skin.
This was clearly a trap. Much as it normally was in the way of natural selection. This was how he picked his victims—dazzling them with his looks. I was certain, because despite all the above, something about this guy screameddanger.
“Do you need any help? This isn’t the greatest place for a beautiful young woman like yourself to be wandering around alone.” His large green eyes twinkled as he grinned at me, showing off his perfect teeth and adorable dimples.
Yes, unless I did something drastic then I probably would end up dead.
I couldn’t let a lumberjack kill me. That would just be ridiculous.
“I’m alright, but thank you,” I managed to reply, somehow, as I was barely able to look at him anymore. I had just about enough of strangers for the day, and I hadn’t even made it to my destination yet. I had no choice but to move forward. I couldn’t turn back—he was there.
Maybe if I ignored him, he’d go away.
