Book One First encounter

1

The first time that I saw her was the day I moved to Skye Island. It was one of the hottest days in July. The clear cloudless sky was awash with seagulls, a circling mass of white they blanketed the sky leaving only a few traces of blue visible. My head felt hazy from being out in the sun too long, I could feel its searing rays burning into the black cotton material of my t-shirt, gluing it to my back like a second skin. what breeze there was doing little to combat the intense heat.

The air felt thick and heavy on my lungs; I could feel the weight of it pressing down on my shoulders as I made my way through the cramped, cobbled streets of the busy fishing Harbour, which I learned was called Heart's end harbour, after passing an aged, and wood splintered sign on the corner.

Agitated, and sun burnt, I began wandering aimlessly round the harbour, looking for a patch of shade to cool down, a temporary escape from the unbearable heat, when by chance I passed by the window of one of the smaller café's on the side street, and something caught my eye.

The name of the Café was Charlak's Coffee House, the huge neon sign crackling faintly above my head, the broad green letters flashing faintly on and off, but that wasn't what had grabbed my attention. What had made me stop in my tracks was not the huge selection of Coffee's and liquors advertised on the billboard outside, despite the fact that I had a raging thirst. My entire body felt as though it had been dipped in fire, and my throat felt as dry as sandpaper.

Sitting just a few feet from the glass was a youngish looking girl, perhaps in her early twenties; wearing a long white dress that floated around her like a mist, clinging to her slim figure in all the right places. Her long dark hair framing her soft features, she had her arms crossed across her body in a protective gesture, faint worry lines running across her forehead.

Staring into the bottom of her coffee cup, she looked lost in thought, and for a brief moment I found myself wondering what she was thinking about. How long I stood there, transfixed at the window?., I don't know?for I lost all sense of time.

My heart in my mouth, my pulse racing, I inhaled sharply when she lifted her head to glance briefly around the room, for she was beautiful beyond words. Her face an intricate work of art, and as I gazed at her in rapturous wonder, she chose that moment to turn her gaze towards me, her chocolate brown eyes full of curiosity as they met mine, the intensity behind that gentle gaze making my stomach involuntarily flip over, and for a moment I felt as if I were teetering on the edge of a great praecipe that I would inevitably fall off,

A jumble of nerves, I felt light-headed, and giddy like a teenager?my palms slick with sweat, my hands trembling ever so slightly?and when she smiled, I felt myself let go of the breath I hadn't even realised I was holding.

Loaded down with groceries?my shoulders knotted with tension, I should really be getting back to the house?I thought. I'd been travelling since the early hours of the morning, and on top of all the unpacking I had to do once I got back. There was still another hundred and odd things to do before I could settle down for the night? but no matter how much my tired mind argued with me that there were things that needed doing.

No matter how many times I tried to convince myself that I should really be thinking of moving on, something that I cannot explain stirred within me, and compelled me to stay there, and look at her. Then without thinking what I was doing, and for the first time in my life without really worrying about the consequences of my actions, I found myself walking toward the door.

My eyes never leaving hers, my heart beating ever faster with each tentative step I took towards that solid oak door. Placing my hand on the door handle, I tried to push back the nervous feeling building up in my stomach again; my hands slipping off the door handle as a result, my nerves finally getting the better of me, and I hesitated, wondering if I was suffering from sunstroke, or if I had finally lost my mind?