Wayward Hearts: Book 2

Part 18

'Yesterday they pulled the young man we had been looking for from the lake, he had drowned. The oddest thing was that he had hair wrapped around his neck, as if he had gotten tangled in it. The hair was a dark green, almost black, I've never seen anything like it. I took a sample so that I could do some testing, I find it unfathomable that it is human.'

Emma sat back and sighed, she set the old Gilbert journal down and pulled over her father's so she could cross reference something.

"Hey Em," Matt knocked on her door.

She set the journal back down, "Yeah, come in."

"I'm going for a walk around the lake, wanna come?" Matt asked.

Emma looked down at her books for a moment before turning her attention back to Matt, "Who else is coming?"

"No one, I'm feeling cooped up."

"Me too," Emma nodded, she had spent the last few days almost exclusively in her room, "I'll meet you downstairs in five."

Emma hurriedly got herself put together in a pair of running pants and a sweater, she threw her hair into a quick pony tail and headed downstairs to meet up with Matt.

They walked along the water's edge quietly, enjoying the sounds of nature. Emma loved that most about Matt, he was easy to be with, simple even. He understood what his friends needed and was happy to provide, he cared with his whole being. Silence with him wasn't overbearing, it was peaceful; but her hand still longed for the feel of Damon's hand.

"Are you planing on staying around here after graduation?" Matt asked.

Emma shrugged, "I still haven't given up on Damon, I can't; but Gabriel wants something from me, and until I can learn to control whatever it is, I'll never get him back. According to the Winchester's back pocket angel, it could take me thousands of years. By then, what's the point in hope. Elena is moving faster than I can."

"But why not just tell him."

"We never got to have that discussion before he forgot, I don't know if he would want to know."

"Em, Damon loved you more than anything, I can promise you he would have told you to tell him."

Emma shrugged, "There really is no good answer."

"I guess not," Matt put his arm around Emma shoulders and pulled her in for a side hug as they walked.

There was rustle in the bush behind them, they both turned but saw nothing.

"Probably just a rabbit," Emma reasoned, they turned back to their walk.

Emma stopped walking suddenly, her head perked up alert as if she were hearing something.

"Em?" Matt sounded concerned.

Emma began to take a step forward, when the piercing sound hit her ears again. She fell to her knees and clutched the sides of her head and let out a sharp scream.

"Emma!" Matt kneeled next to her as she whimpered.

A gray hand reached out of the water and grabbed Emma's ankle, as soon as Matt spotted it her held on to Emma as tight as he could to keep her from being dragged into the water. The being was incredibly strong as it fought with Matt for possession of Emma, all Emma could do was scream from the amount of pain she was in.

Damon heard the struggle and came running up, he wrapped his arms around Emma's waist and tried to keep her out of the water. The creature was beginning to win the tug of war as Emma slowly slipped further into the water.