Fire & Flood

Chapter 8

After Sam left, Emily tossed and turned in her bed, anxiety coursing through her veins like an insidious undercurrent. The clock on her nightstand seemed to mock her as its hands moved at an agonizingly slow pace. Sam was out there somewhere, and the minutes stretched into an eternity as she waited to be assured of his safety. Every creak of the house and every distant sound outside intensified her worry, amplifying the silence that surrounded her.

As sleep eluded Emily, her mind became a carousel of "what ifs" and worst-case scenarios. The shadows in the corners of her room seemed to morph into looming fears, and her heart raced with each passing moment. The weight of uncertainty pressed upon her, and the stillness of the night became a canvas for her vivid imagination to paint scenarios she desperately wished to dismiss - a black wolf snarling at the night, his mouth dripping with blood; Sam's lifeless body collapsed at his feet.

Just when the images in Emily's head were about to cause her a full-blown panic, she heard a rustling at her window and the sound of small paws scrambling to get inside.

"Sam!" She said and felt a sense of relief wash over her. The orange tabby was wet and covered in mud, leaves, and pine needles. Emily grabbed a towel from her chair and rushed over to help Sam get dry. Before she could cross the room, Sam the cat turned into Sam the boy. He grabbed the towel from her and started to dry his hair.

"I led him as far as I could, but I don't know how much this will help. He will be back," he said darkly. "Emily, it may be better for you and your family to leave." He added in a serious tone.

"Where would we go?" Said Emily, "this is our home. Besides, I can't leave you alone in this."

Sam's expression softened as he came to stand close to the girl. Emily looked at Sam and saw softness and warmth. She could feel her heartbeat quicken and felt herself once again melt under his gaze.

"I don't know how to keep you safe," he said gently. "I am not human so I can't go everywhere in your world, unlike Morgan. This is new territory for me."

"Then teach me how to keep myself safe," she said with conviction. "I don't know how things work, but there has to be something I can do to help you fight." Emily's eyes burned with determination.

Sam smiled and gently stroked her cheek. "You want to fight with me? Why? This isn't your fight."

"It is when someone I love is threatened," Emily's words came out so quickly that she had no time to catch them. The second she realized what she said, she felt her face flush.

"Love," Sam's words echoed hers. "Hm... love in nature looks so different than love between people. Most of it is a chemical reaction designed to help species survive. Maybe that's the same for humans too," he said thoughtfully. "But no," he said and his eyes again softened, melted into warmth, "this feels different."

He brushed her cheek and slowly moved his face towards hers. Emily's heart felt like a bird stuck in a cage yearning for freedom. Emily felt a subtle tension lingering between them. As they stood close, the air crackled with unspoken desire. Slowly, in that fragile moment, they closed the gap between them, and their lips brushed delicately. For Emily this set off a cascade of emotions—nervousness, excitement,  worry and desire. Each feeling a distinct flame that added to the firestorm within her heart.

"I love you too," Sam said softly his face still close to hers. Emily could smell wildflowers again, it felt comforting and familiar as she inhaled his scent. "I guess, I have more to lose now than just my life," Sam added and pulled her in for a hug.

"I don't want to be a burden to you," Emily whispered. "Let me help you, teach me how."

"Okay," said Sam and smiled.

The next morning Emily woke up feeling overwhelmed. Sam was sleeping peacefully beside her as a cat. Emily gently stroked his small face and heard him start to purr. Her head was filled with conversation from the night before. She was in love and he loved her back it was that simple. But they were in danger. A very real threat was lurking in the forest, stalking and hunting her as if she was his pray. Morgan wanted to destroy the grove within the woods that was under protection of the god Sylvos - Morgan's patron. He was done with his servitude, he no longer wanted to do Sylvos' cruel bidding and demand for sacrifice. Yet, if Morgan was to destroy the grove, the boy Emily loved would die with it - a dryad born of nature, Sam was as much a part of the grove as it was a part of him. He needed protection. The grove needed protection.

While she was contemplating this, her cellphone on her nightstand buzzed. She flipped it over and saw that it was 7am and that Leslie sent her a text. It read, "you'll never guess what happened! I have a date!"

Emily smiled, the one thing that was a constant in her life was her best friend Leslie. And the one thing that was constant in Leslie's life was a desire for a fairytale prince that she's never lost since she was a kid and the two of them played princes and princesses.

"Oh yeah? Who with?" Emily typed back and put the phone down waiting for a reply. Emily got up and moved around her room gathering her clothes. She went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth and hair. She put on a green sweater that she thought looked nice with her brown hair and a pair of jeans. When she came out of the bathroom she looked at her phone and saw a reply from Leslie,

"Guess."

Emily smirked.

"That boy in your math class? The one with glasses?" Emily typed.

"Eww, no!" Leslie replied quickly. "This boy hasn't been in our school for very long," she added.

"That tall kid in gym?" Emily seemed to remember that his name was Avery and Leslie mentioned having a crush on him.

"He is very hot, but no," Leslie added. "Oh, I'll just tell you!"

Emily waited as the three dots on her screen came up and faded. Leslie at times liked being dramatic for effect. When the text finally came through it was in all caps and Emily felt as if it was yelled directly into her brain. Her heart sank as she read:

"IT'S MORGAN!"