Nowhere boys: The Forgotten Element

Chapter 5

Weeks came and went, and Natalia grew closer to the boys. She would always ask them how their search was going; she was concerned, even if she didn't want to be a part of it. She noticed that Jake would always try to cheer her up when he told her that they had come to another dead end. Around Jake she would always be in a state of strange calmness. Of course, things still worried her; she would still experience feelings of stress and sorrow, but these were constantly dulled when she was with Jake. He made her feel safe, protected in a way, like nothing could ever hurt her. He was becoming her safe haven, her protection from the harmful world outside. She knew that with him, she was indestructible, unbeatable.

The others started to notice a change in both Jake and Natalia's behaviour. Whenever the boys were alone, they would always tease Jake, asking him things about Natalia. Much to his annoyance, the boys would always share a smirk when Jake refused to answer the questions, choosing instead to change the topic. Several secret looks were shared between Ellen, Felix and Sam whenever they would see Jake and Natalia together. Although he wouldn't admit it, Felix was reassured when he saw the pair together; there was hope for a future with Ellen, even with magic.

It was a Tuesday in early October when Natalia found herself a few feet away from Jake. They had agreed to meet up, deciding to get coffee and go on a walk together. A smile crept onto her face as Jake came into her field of vision. It wasn't a date as such; they were just two friends meeting for coffee and to spend time with each other, but that didn't mean they couldn't pretend it wasn't a date. Natalia sure felt like she was on a date, the familiar rush of nerves invading her body. She didn't know why she was filled with nerves every time she saw Jake, but she was definitely not complaining. The nerves were not the type one gets during a difficulty, but rather those which are felt in anticipation to an event, an excitement of sorts. The prickly feeling wound its way through her body, warming her from her blood right through to her skin.

Shivering in pleasure, she took another step towards Jake when she was interrupted by a rustling in the bushes. Spinning around on her heels, she turned to face the bushed, startled by the sudden noise. Of course, she knew that it was silly; the most obvious possibility as to the source of the noise was a small animal, a squirrel perhaps. However, despite knowing this, she still turned around to investigate. The rustling came again, swiftly followed by a low growl. Frowning, Natalia quickly glanced up at Jake, who was still walking towards her, before turning her attention back to the bush. As her eyes settled on the bush, two red dots stared out at her, the glow illuminating the foliage around them. Within seconds, a jet-black dog emerged from the bush. It was no bigger than an Elkhound, but the ferocity Natalia saw in its eyes told her that it was looking for a victim. Natalia froze, unable to move. She was a deer caught in the gaze of the dog; if she moved too quickly it would pounce. Jake had almost caught up to her, moving at a snail's pace so as to not agitate the dog. Just before he could reach out to pull Natalia out of harm, the dog lunged at her. Natalia was thrown backwards, the force of the dog jumping on her pushing her to the middle of the road. The dog reared its head, an inhuman howl ripping through its throat before it lowered its head, focusing once again on Natalia. Bending its head down, the dog sniffed Natalia. Seemingly satisfied, it stepped away from her body; glancing at Jake before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. As it disappeared, Jake rush to kneel beside Natalia's unconscious body. Feeling for a pulse, he breathed a sigh of relief; she was still alive. Injured, but still alive. Jake pulled his phone out. He needed to get Natalia away fast. As he dialled Felix's number, he was in no doubt. The restoring demon had attacked Natalia for a purpose. Although he didn't know why, he was determined to protect her, to keep her safe. Maybe she knew too much, maybe she was too involved. But could there be another reason why the restoring demon attacked her? Could she be more significant to finding Andy than they realised before? Whatever the reason for the attack, it didn't matter. They could figure it out later. All that mattered now was getting Natalia to safety.