Chapter 1

Where the fall begins.

   Please, Lord.. Forgive me for my sins. Protect me as you may, and help me to the next day.. 

        Slowly, she opened her eyes once more, with her hands still clasped together in a praying position. Sitting with her feet beneath her on the floor, her head lifted to look up towards the statue of Mary holding a baby Jesus. With almost teary eyes she stood, using the back of her index finger to briefly wipe beneath her eyes. Who knew how long she'd been sitting there. All she did notice, was the way her feet had gone numb beneath her weight. With closed eyes she gave a final bow of her head, accompanied by a few last muttered words of prayer. Before she could begin to stand, however, the surrounding candles flickered, their dim lights threatening to blow out by a sudden gust that ruffled not only the flames. Strands of her long blonde hair shifted with this gust, blowing forward over her shoulder until they settled against her front. With uneasy eyes, Eliana glanced around the area, although there was no other figures to be seen in the least. The long shadows appeared daunting to her emerald eyes who threatened to play games against her mind. 

        God please ease these fears within me.. She momentarily prayed, glancing towards the ceiling briefly. Another breeze swept through silently, snuffing out the flames of the many candles that had been lit. Fear quickly struck her heart while thumping within her chest as her gaze nervously glanced about, searching for any movement. None was to be found. Before she could muster enough courage to utter a word aloud, a movement caught the attention of her eyes. To the right of her, what appeared to be the figure of a man for it lacked the telling curves of a woman rose before her. Without fully turning her head to meet this movement, her eyes widened, as the figure had no color, and truly was simply made from the shadows that had taunted her so. With her breath caught within her throat she stared forward towards the statue of Mary as this figure slowly rose, until it sat beside her, fully formed. Her heart hammered in her chest as this figure's hand lifted slowly to curl a strand of her blonde hair around his finger although no words were spoken, nor any sounds. Ever so slowly she turned her head towards this figure, though had no way of depicting any features. Her gaze was quickly drawn then to where a strand of her hair was curled around the pitch black finger of the shadow, who seemed all too happy to be there. It's just a dream.. The shadow figure seemed to.. Smile. Adrenaline raced through her as her breath struggled to find its way out. This isn't real.. This isn't real.. She repeated to herself, her eyes wide with fear. This isn't real.. She told herself again, before she closed her eyes tightly and vigorously shook her head, scrambling to her feet as she ran for the two large doors of the church to leave. A lingering touch of ice cold fingers around her ankle could be felt, although didn't serve as enough to trip her. In mere moments, she had burst out through the doors of the church, and was greeted with the light of the slowly setting sun against her face. When she glanced back over her shoulder towards the now closed doors, nothing was there. No shadows. No figure. Thank you Lord.. She whispered within her own head, closing her eyes momentarily in relief although a small, soft whimper sounded from her while her heart still rapidly beat fearfully in her chest. Everything is okay.. She assured herself, hugging her elbows with a small shake of her head to clear her mind from replaying the images of what had occurred within the church. 

        As she began the walk home, she kept her chin up. Her strides remained as even as she could keep them, with the light bump of her small purse noticeable against her right hip with where it hung, the strap over her left shoulder, and across her chest. It didn't take long until she arrived at her small home, which she found just enough to suite her needs and be comfortable at the same time. After stepping up to the door from the one step cement square that was set before it, she reached into her purse to pull out a small set of keys. It didn't take her long to find the correct one in which she used to unlock the front door. Once she had done so, she slipped the keys back into her purse, and curled a hand's fingers around the knob, almost bracing herself. With a deep breath, she turned the knob and pushed it open, pleased to be greeted with the familiar scent and sight of her home. Of course.. Closing the door softly behind her, Eliana locked it just the same and pulled her purse by the strap over her head and set it down onto a small bedside stand that held a lamp directly to the right of the door. "Finally home.." She whispered to herself, along with a small shake of her head. Slipping off the shoes that she'd been wearing and placing them on a black mat that was to the left of the door against the wall there, Eliana then made her way to the kitchen, directly forward from the door. To the right lay a small living room with a couch and television. To the left of the living room was a small hallway that held the bathroom. Forward from the door was the small kitchen that also made room for a small table. It was rare that she ever had company, therefore only two chairs were set up at the small table. To the left side of the door after stepping in was a staircase, which led up to the one bedroom that was upstairs. Not an item out of place was to be seen.

        Eliana relished in the familiar scent of her home, which held the noticeable smell of lavender and roses. Flattening out the front of her shirt briefly as she pulled open the refrigerator, she sighed softly to herself, leaning her hip against the side of the fridge as she peered in. Standing only to 5'5", the fridge was a good few inches above her head. Silently her gaze shifted over the bountiful shelves within the fridge, planning out what meal she could easily make. As if a light bulb had turned on, she stood and grabbed out a few things to prepare a nice beef stew, and quickly began preparing it after rolling up the sleeves of her shirt to her elbows. Lonely as it may have seemed, she silently cooked with a soft gaze down towards what she was doing. Her form remained thin over the years, although as time passed she had gained the womanly curves that one would expect of her, of which shaped her quite nicely. Simply to say, she was easily pleasing to one's eyes from any angle. Her facial features were softly curved along the cheeks and jaw, with her skin appearing as though it could have passed for delicate porcelain.

        By ten at night she had finished eating and cleaning dishes, along with having completed a soothing shower. She was more than happy to crawl into bed, slipping beneath the smooth sheets while dressed in her nightgown. Laying on her side Eliana gazed out from the window in which the moon's soft light poured into the bedroom, before letting her eyelids close. Please protect me through this night, and allow me to wake the next morning.. She silently prayed, before exhaustion caught hold, and she drifted off to unconsciousness. Vivid colors played behind her eyelids, extensive dreams revealing themselves. 

Standing among a field of tall grass, a gentle breeze blew throughout the area. Like rippling waves, the grass swayed with this friendly breeze that was no more chilling than the sun's bright rays. Standing among this field, Eliana stood in a white sun dress while her hair shifted with the breeze, long strands seeming to float around her shoulders before settling briefly, until another gust would blow through gently. Looking down, her fingers slowly brushed over the top of the swaying grass that concealed up to her waist with its height. As if the sun itself had been blocked, sudden darkness swept over the previously peaceful field. Taking a small step back to look up towards the sky, a yelp slipped past her lips as she was abruptly falling. She felt her breath catch in her throat as darkness consumed her, adrenaline spiking while her eyes widened. Her hands grasped for anything, though there was nothing left to grab. 

        Eliana woke with a startled gasp from this falling nightmare, sweat dampening the sheets of the bed with her heart beating quickly in her chest. With a slow gaze around, it was easy to see that she was only within her bedroom, in her bed. Nothing seemed out of place. Darkness enveloped the room with the only light being from the moon. Her eyes averted over to where her digital clock sat, bold red numbers telling of the time. Three AM.. She sighed to herself with exhaustion, lifting a hand to wipe her forehead with the back of her hand, before she laid back down with a soft thud. Staring up towards the ceiling, Eliana listened to her heart beat slowing down, until it was back to the steady pace. By then sleep had begun tugging at her once more, before she slipped back off to sleep. This time, it remained peaceful. 

        The loud, pestering sound of her alarm clock beeping beside her head quickly pulled her from the sleep she had drifted off to. With a soft groan Eliana reached over and pressed the button to end the shrill beeping, using her opposite hand to rub at her eyes groggily. As she sat up, she stretched her arms out to her sides with hands clenched into fists above her head, a long yawn coming from her. Shaking her head slightly afterwards, she glanced towards the window. The sky was bright blue with white clouds visible. She could easily hear the sound of birds chirping merrily outside. It all brought a small smile to her lips, as she crawled out of bed, neatly fixing her bed sheets afterwards. Thank you, Lord. Eliana mentally spoke, her long blonde hair quite messy after her partially restless sleep, although she easily fixed this with a brush after strolling to the bathroom. She hadn't ever bothered with makeup, and found no need to. After brushing her hair, and teeth, Eliana dressed for work in a simple skirt, and a long sleeved shirt to match with the skirt nicely. Of everything that she did wear, she hadn't ever been one to show anything beneath her collar bone. With a soft hum and a bounce in her step, she walked to the front door after grabbing a previously prepared bagel to eat on her way to the library, where she worked. Using her free hand that wasn't holding the bagel, Eliana grabbed the strap of her purse and pulled it over her head to rest on her left shoulder, with the actual purse resting against her right hip again. Momentarily Eliana held the bagel between her teeth as she opened the door and pulled out the keys, shutting it behind her and properly locking the door just the same. Afterwards, she put the keys away and began her walk to work while taking neat, small bites from her bagel as she walked. 

         It was about the time when she was half way to the Library, when she gained the sudden feeling of being followed. Slowly she came to a stop, her bagel finished, and turned. No one was there, aside from a few pedestrians who casually were on their way to work as well. Hesitantly Eliana turned once more, and continued her walk. Only ten minutes later, and she quickly turned to the right into an alleyway, figuring that she was pretty sure she knew the way around in them to lose anyone if they were following her. After a few turns and twists, Eliana swallowed nervously as she found herself cornered, having ran into a dead end. Way to go, El. She sarcastically told herself, praying that there hadn't been anyone following her- That it was just her imagination playing tricks. As she slowly turned around, however, her emerald eyes were met with the sight of quite a large wolf, who stood almost at her hips when on all four feet. She couldn't help but nervously swallow once more while she stared at this large animal, who stood not but a few feet away from her, its head lowered to be level with its shoulder blades. "N-Nice.. Dog," She stammered before she could stop herself, while the large wolf took another step towards her. His fur was a mixture of brown, black, and white patches in various places, with rather deep gray eyes. It seemed like an eternity of staring at the large animal before it had finally approached within a foot of her, before it suddenly moved to come even closer. Eliana quickly closed her eyes tightly as her body tensed, however was utterly surprised when she felt the touch of soft fur against her fingers, along with something pressing into her hand. When she opened her eyes and looked down, she was taken aback to see the large animal with its head pressed into her hand, with two gray eyes closed. Her gaze traveled down towards seen movement, only to see that the wolf's tail slowly swayed to each side. What..? She questioned herself mentally, tilting her head slightly to the side. After just a few moments, the wolf's eyes opened once more to look up towards her, before the animal slowly sat back to his haunches. Casually, his long tongue escaped his cracked jaw to lick his lips. Eliana found this quite humorous, and it showed in her eyes while she crouched down slowly, keeping her knees together for the sake of not showing anything up her skirt, even if this was merely a wolf and not a man. 

        A soft laugh emanated from Eliana when the wolf gave a lick at her cheek once she had crouched low enough to be level with the animal's head, a smile quickly spreading across her lips. Reflexively her hands came to rest against the side of his head, while she turned her own head away. "Hey, now," She spoke in a light tone, causing the wolf's tail only to increase the speed of its sway. Glancing to the watch she wore around her right wrist, a quick gasp then sounded from her, for a moment the wolf's ear angling back briefly from the sound. Eliana stood without wasting another moment, while giving a quick pat to the wolf's head. "Stay out of trouble!" She told the large animal while she rushed out of the alleyway, managing to find her way back to the street, where she rushed to get to the library so as not to become late to work, as it would've been a first. 

        After a long day of helping the occasional person find the right book, along with other various tasks, it was finally closing time around five PM. With a sigh, Eliana brushed back a strand of her hair, putting away a few books that had been left out when she heard a man's voice from behind her. "Could you help me, ma'am?" Glancing back over her shoulder for a moment, Eliana went to finish putting away a book, however had to take a double glance after the man's appearance caught her attention. "Oh!" She gasped lightly, before quickly nodding, brushing off the front of her shirt while quickly turning towards the male. He stood at a good six feet, and seemed to tower over her small frame and form while she looked at him. However, what had drawn her attention the most was his dazzling, bright blue eyes. Wow.. His head bore short cut brown hair that seemed quite nice, and couldn't have surpassed more than half an inch long. Along this man's jaw laid a slight, small amount of stubble, although it couldn't have looked better placed. "What can I help you with?" She politely questioned with a small tilt of her head. "I'm not too sure where all the subjects are here.. Could you point me in the right direction of history?" Eliana quickly nodded. "Of course! Right this way," She insisted, ushering for this man to follow her. It didn't take any time at all for her to lead him to the correct spot, which she gestured to. Before she could speak again, he had offered a hand out towards her. "My name's Koreu. What might yours be, ma'am?" He chivalrously asked, while Eliana glanced towards the hand that had been held out to her. "Ah.." She hesitated in thought, slowly moving a hand out to shake, guessing that this was what the man would be gesturing for. "Eliana," She finally replied, just as Koreu took her hand into his own with surprising tenderness, and placed a fragile kiss to the top of her hand while gazing up towards her, his head slightly lowered to do so without lifting her hand too much. Before she could prevent it, she felt a flush come to her cheeks. "Eliana," He repeated with a smile spreading over his lips, before he released her hand. "Its been lovely to meet you." Eliana simply nodded while bringing her hand back to her side, taking a moment until she had to avert her gaze from Koreu. "L-Likewise." 

        He only seemed to smile more from this show of seeming embarrassment. One might even guess enjoyment might've been a factor. After a few moments of appearing to think, Koreu rose a brow towards Eliana. "Would you care to go for lunch with me tomorrow? I promise not to take too much of your time," He assured in a warm, overly inviting tone. Without thinking much about it, Eliana found herself nodding. "If you're sure it won't be a hassle.." She replied slowly, while Koreu quickly shook his head. "Of course not. I'll pick you up here, if that's alright. Let's say.. At twelve?" He suggested, while Eliana again nodded. "Perfect." He spoke again with a soft chuckle in his voice this time, one that unwillingly made her stomach flutter. "I'll see you then, Eliana." Koreu finished, smiling towards her once more before he walked towards the doors to leave. Silence filled the library afterwards, as she was always the last one to close and lock the doors. It was then that she realized what had happened, and swallowed nervously. Oh, dear.. God please forgive me.. She mentally spoke, closing her eyes for just a moment before she quickly grabbed her purse, and headed for the doors after checking that everything was as it should be. Locking the library doors behind her, Eliana sighed, shaking her head. Just as she was about to begin the walk home, the large wolf from before caught her attention as he sat on his haunches at the sidewalk, tail swaying side to side with his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth casually. At first blinking to ensure that she wasn't imagining this sight, Eliana found a smile spreading over her lips as she approached. As she set a hand upon the large wolf's head to gently pet between his ears, he stood with a soft bark up towards her, rubbing into her touch. Suddenly a name came to her, and she tilted her head slightly. "You need a name.." She softly spoke in a murmur. "Adimar." 

        Another bark came from this and Eliana softly laughed. She began walking home then, rather pleased to find that Adimar trotted at her side, never falling behind, though never stepping ahead either. The walk seemed significantly shorter now that someone, or something, was with her, and stopped at her door to look back towards Adimar. She couldn't very well keep the large animal.. But that didn't mean that she couldn't feed him. "Stay," She requested as she unlocked the front door and slipped in, just in time to see the large wolf sit back on his haunches once more without an act of doing otherwise. Within minutes, Eliana was outside again with a bowl of water, and a bowl of left over beef stew that she had made the previous night. Setting them on the small cement square in front of the door for Adimar, Eliana stepped out as well and sat at the edge of the step, her arms wrapped around her knees. It took not but a moment for the large wolf to begin hungrily eating the stew with his tail swaying quickly behind him. Eliana found a soft laugh come from her again, while she watched him eat happily. Once he finished, she sighed and picked up the bowls that had been used, glancing back over her shoulder towards Admiar as she moved to step in. "I'm sorry.. I can't yet take you in." She softly spoke, shutting the door behind her with the last image of the large wolf being with his head tilted to the side with an ear perked, and the other angled back. 

        Making a meal for herself, Eliana soon found it time to crawl back into bed. Just before she had the chance to lay her head down, the sight of a white rose upon the window sill beside her bed caught her attention. Curiously she lifted a hand to pick up the rose, twirling it slowly between her thumb and index finger with a smile playing across her lips. Almost instantly, she was reminded of Koreu. It's simply lunch.. Nothing more.. She assured herself, bringing the rose to her nose while closing her eyes to take a deep inhale of the flower's pure scent. Right?

Reviews

[Dalton Holt]

I can see that you definitely have a talent in writing. From what I've read of this chapter, it has quite vivid imagery. I can't infer very much about the plot from only on chapter, but I assume it's a romance about a paranoid schizophrenic woman who finds love. Although I'm not a fan of the romance genre, the fact that the main character is paranoid does get me interested. I think that it looks like, from what I've read, that it will be going somewhere interesting. There were definitely some nice moments of suspense in just this one chapter, which kept me hooked, although the beginning was a bit boring. The only problem I see is the way you organize dialogue. You're supposed to start a new paragraph for every bit of dialogue. I would assume that you've read a lot of novels yourself, so you know what I'm talking about. Overall, I definitely enjoyed it.

[jade162]

Thank you!

[jade162]

I'll make sure to fix the dialogue (Or at least try to), when I write the next chapter!

[Dalton Holt]

You're welcome. Feel free to read some of my work. I especially need somebody to read my short story and tell me what they think.

[Coyote Poetry]

"Once he finished, she sighed and picked up the bowls that had been used, glancing back over her shoulder towards Admiar as she moved to step in. "I'm sorry.. I can't yet take you in." She soft spoke, shutting the door behind her with the last image of the large wolf being with his head tilted to the side with an ear perked, and the other angled back. "
A very entertaining story. You create strong character and storyline. I like the woman and how you led to the surprising ending. Thank you for sharing the excellent story.
Coyote

[jade162]

Thank you!

[jade162]

Thank you also for catching that typo! I didn't even see it! :o