Chapter 2 Stranger

Rrrrrriiinnng! Rrrrrriiinnng!

The alarm rang loudly, waking Elaine from her afternoon nap. She lazily reached out and turned it off. It was 5:00 PM. She lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Uhhh…" she sighed, sitting up and glancing around the room, only to remember that this wasn't her old one.

"It's going to take a while to get used to this place," she muttered. But then another thought crept in, what's the point of getting used to it when next week I'll be leaving for…

She frowned. Herbert Wilbur? Was that even a school's name?

Elaine stood up, went to the bathroom, rinsed her mouth and face, changed her clothes, and went to look for her mother.

"Mum!" she called as she walked down the corridor. No reply. Her mom wasn't in the house. "Mum?" she called again, louder.

She decided to check the back of the house and found her mother crouched down, her back turned.

"Mum," Elaine called again.

Her mother turned slightly. "What is it, dear?"

"I'm going for a walk."

"Where to?"

"Just somewhere I thought I saw earlier. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

"Don't get lost," her mother warned gently, not still turning completely from what she was doing.

"I won't. It's just a straight road for the next four hours," Elaine said with a grin. Before she left, she slightly titled her neck, trying to get a glance at what her mother was doing, but her mom's body was obstructing her view.

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"Uhhh," Elaine let out a long breath as she walked along the lonely road. "I'm sure I heard the sound of running water somewhere."

It was getting dark now, and a cool evening breeze brushed against her face. She had tied her hair into a messy bun to keep it from falling into her eyes. The place was calm… almost too calm. Beautiful, peaceful, serene, but something about it felt slightly off.

After a few more minutes of walking, she began to hear the distant rush of waves. A smile tugged at her lips. She started running toward the sound.

The path grew narrower, surrounded by tall bushes on both sides. The sound grew louder beyond them. It took effort to push through the thick greenery, and when she finally did, her foot slipped.

"Ahh!" She tumbled down a steep slope and landed with a soft thud on sand.

Groaning, she stood up and brushed herself off. Then she looked up and froze.

A vast river stretched endlessly, disappearing into the night horizon. The sand shimmered faintly under the stars. Above her, the dark sky glimmered with constellations, and the breeze carried the scent of water and salt.

Elaine stepped forward slowly. The sand was cool beneath her feet, and when the waves touched her ankles, she spread her arms and closed her eyes.

"This is peace," she whispered, exhaling deeply.

"Meow."

"Huh?" Elaine blinked and looked around. Silence. She was about to dismiss it when—

"Meow."

She turned toward the sound and spotted a sleek black cat sitting near the bushes.

"A cute little creature," she said softly, stepping closer. "Come here, kitty."

The cat didn't move. It just stared directly at her. Something about its gaze sent a slight chill through her, but its beauty kept her rooted, its fur dark and smooth, its green eyes faintly glowing in the night.

Elaine crouched down, and gently picked up the cat, carrying it in her arms.

This is nice she thought. "what's your name green eyes?" she asked playfully.

"Phantom, come here." she heard someone say, a deep masculine voice not too far from where she was. Making her yelp, falling backwards onto the sand.

Immediately, the cat leapt out of her hands.

Elaine watched as the boy picked it up effortlessly, brushing its fur as though it belonged to him.

"What the–"

Her words died when she looked up.

A boy stood there, half hidden in shadow.

For a moment, Elaine forgot how to breathe.

He looked down at her, expression unreadable.

Then he glanced at her again.

"Don't go touching the first strange thing that beckons to you," he said calmly.

He held her gaze for couple of seconds, before casually walking away.

It took a couple of moments before Elaine scrambled to her feet, looking around the beach, but there was no sign of him. Not the boy. Not the cat. Only the endless shore and the sound of waves. It was as though a spell had been casted on her.

The sky had turned completely dark.

Heart pounding, she took out her phone and called her mother.

"Hello?"

"Elaine, where are you?" her mother's worried voice came through.

"Sorry, I just walked a little too far."

"Come back soon. It's really late already."

"Yeah, I will… but it might take a while. I'm far from the house."

"Just come home."

"Okay, Mum."

The walk back felt different.

The darkness seemed heavier now, and without streetlights, she relied on her phone's flashlight.

When she finally reached home, her mother was sitting on the porch, waiting.

"Mum, I'm home," Elaine said softly.

Her mother stood up immediately, relief washing over her face. "Oh, thank goodness. I was so worried something might've happened."

"There's no way I could've gotten lost," Elaine said with a small smile. "It's a straight road for the next four hours, remember?"

Her mother chuckled and touched her cheek. "You're freezing. Come inside."

"It's nothing. It was really nice out there. I even found this beautiful place. It didn't look like anyone ever goes there."

"Really? What kind of place?"

"I'll show you next time."

"Next time?"

"Yes. Next time, we'll go together."

Her mother smiled warmly. "Alright. Let's have dinner."

That night, Elaine couldn't sleep.

Maybe it was the afternoon nap. Or maybe her mind simply refused to rest.

Her thoughts kept circling back to the beach… and the stranger.

"Don't touch the first strange thing that beckons to you," she whispered. "Weird."

Wait… was the cat the strange thing? But he touched it.

Did he really say that… or did I imagine it?

No, she couldn't have imagined that face.

She turned on her side, clutching her pillow, the image replaying in her mind, the long, slightly curly black hair brushing his nose, the deep gray eyes, the soft pink lower lip, and those faint freckles scattered across his cheeks and nose.

"There's no way I imagined that," she whispered.

But the warmth rising in her chest said otherwise.