From the Ashes

3

Daisy raises a blonde eyebrow at the smiling boy, his Italian heritage very evident from his tan skin, dark eyes, and very wavy chocolate brown hair. The stranger looks slightly familiar to her, but she can't quite remember why. 

"Um hi, did you see the sticker?" She points her finger at the window next to the door.

He glances at the sign that reads, 'No Soliciting,' and then shakes his head. "No, sorry, I'm not selling anything, actually, I'm here to talk to you."

"About what?" she asks him warily, not keen on the idea that this stranger wants to randomly talk to her specifically. An unnerving feeling settles in her stomach.

"About the bite you received yesterday," he tells her bluntly. His smile dims as her expression changes into one of anger, and her eyes fill with fear.

Daisy sucks in a sharp breath and her grip on the door tightens. "Thanks for the information, Alec. Now I'm going to go call the cops." Daisy tries to slam the door in his face, but his arm shoots out at lightning speed, catching the door mid-slam.

"Oh, yeah? With what evidence? You can't prove anything!" he shouts as she disappears into her house, running out of his sight. "Please, let me explain," he pleads. His dark eyes scan the cluttered interior of the house.

Hidden behind a wall inside her home, Daisy's whole body shakes. Flashes of the previous night play in her head, causing a shiver to creep over her whole body. A million thoughts go through her mind and she weighs the pros and cons of hearing out the man standing on her porch.

She pulls out her phone from her pocket and her finger hovers above the keypad that's lit up on the screen. With a huff, she lets her head drop against the wall with a soft thump.

Then, hesitantly, and besides her better judgment, Daisy steps out from behind the wall concealing her. She slowly walks back toward the open doorway, but still a couple of feet away from the frame, standing in far away from Alec now.

"Fine. Explain." Her arms cross over her chest and she shifts on the balls of her feet.

Alec gives her a reassuring smile before he starts talking. "Well, for starters I'm a werewolf—"

As soon as the last syllable of "werewolf" leaves his mouth, the door fully slams shut in his face, before he could react this time.

Daisy slides down the door to sit on the ground. She leans forward and puts her head in her hands. Soft, golden hair falls over her pale fingers and gently brushes the ground between her legs. One thought races through her mind, This can't be real. That line repeats over and over in her head.

"I can prove it! Come on! Why are you being so difficult!" He yells from the other side of the door.

Outside, Alec's jaw clenches in annoyance. He shakes his head. The least this girl could do is hear me out, he thinks to himself.

"You're crazy!" Daisy shouts at him, her voice cracking with each syllable.

She wants to add, leave before I call the cops, again, but some very minuscule part of her believes that he's telling the truth. It occurs to her that this could actually explain everything that she's going through. But then again, it's so ridiculously far fetched. This can't be real, she rationalizes in her head.

"I'm not bad... or evil. I promise. I know right now that doesn't mean much to you."

Daisy scoffs as a tear rolls down her cheek. He's very right about that.

Alec reaches into his pocket on the other side of the door. "But, at least let me give you an address. You don't have to come, but I just want you to at least think about it."