song of the forest [current version]

❝chapter one❞

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♫pov: riven♫

I dug the tips of my shoes into the soft mud of the steep bank and landed on the riverbank with an ungraceful thud. I turned to face the water while my dad climbed down behind me, the wind whipping my hair across my forehead. It was a clear day, the midsummer sun reflecting off the steely silver river. The trees that lined the opposite bank cast imposing shadows over the far side of the water.

A large blanket was spread across the sand a few feet from the water. The edge was dangerously close to the lapping waves. When Owen's dad, Cole, spotted us, he shot to his feet. Even for a beach day, his strawberry-blond hair was combed and gelled neatly to the side. He'd sacrificed his normally professional clothes for black bermuda shorts and a matching shirt. His daughter sat behind him on the blanket, looking more uptight than usual.

I walked over to the blanket, rolling my eyes slightly when my dad and Cole embraced. "I thought you hated that swimsuit," I said, looking Owen up and down. The bright blue, cloud-patterned one-piece was sliding down Owen's shoulder. Normally, she would rather wear a t-shirt and shorts over anything other than a pastel yellow two-piece she'd owned since before I'd met her.

Her eyes widened a little. "Uh. My other one was dirty."

I frowned. Something about Owen seemed off, but I brushed off the feeling. "Okay."

We sat in silence, listening to our dads talk, the first sign that something wasn't right. Owen stared across the river, her features shifting strangely in the sun. When she turned to look at me, her irises seemed to flicker.

A chill ran down my spine, despite the harsh summer sun warming my skin. She quickly looked away.

"Getting too old for swimming races?" my dad joked. I saw Owen's eyes widen, her expression quickly glossing over.

"Of course not." I grinned uneasily, slightly wary of being alone with Owen, but grabbed her wrist anyway with faked enthusiasm. I dragged her to the edge of the water, kicking off my shoes on the way, and nearly shoved her into the water. She moved stiffly at my direction.

"To that root and back," I said loud enough for my dad to hear, gesturing at a particularly prominent tendril down the bank, slightly out of our dads' line of sight.

Owen stayed only slightly ahead of me as we swam. When we reached the root, I dug my feet into the slimy mud at the bottom and grabbed Owen's arm again. I pulled her to the bank, behind a tree, and stared at her until she looked me in the eye.

"What's going on with you?" I asked her, careful to keep my voice down.

"Nothing." Owen's gaze shifted to the swaying leaves above us. Shapes seemed to move beneath her skin. Her voice was hoarse and low.

"There's something wrong." I insisted, putting my fingers on Owen's jaw and turning her head gently to face me. Her eyes flashed, her expression hardening.

A strange sensation ran through my body. Instinct told me that something was seriously wrong. I asked the only question I could think of. "Owen, what's my name?"

Before my eyes could register what was happening, it felt like the world was exploding. Colors blurred my vision, blocking out the forest.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ───── ⊰
song of the forest
©rowan maybe 2023