A questionable encounter...

Helena's POV

Helena rummaged through her stuff lifting and shoving the contents to the sides.

"Where is that stupid thing? " she muttered to herself. An A4 sized map book normally sticks out above everything and shouldn't take a long time to find. She fully knelt down on the earth when her thigh muscles began to ache then emptied the entire contents on the ground. Subconsciously she had known that the map wasn't there but her mind had refused defeat and insisted on her searching. 

"Aw great", she spoke through gritted teeth. Could anything else go wrong? Clearly she was unwanted here and now she had to tell him that she had interrupted his moment for nothing. How was he going to show her where she was, without the map. 

She looked up for a second to think, biting her lower lip. Nice!!! She thought to herself, momentarily getting distracted by a glimpse of part of the inside of the cabin.  She could see some blue satin curtains embroidered with black floral appliques, a single black leather couch and glass table sitting on top of  blue and black carpeting.

 The distraction was short lived with the realization of her reality. She remembered holding the map when purchasing her water and placing it on the countertop to get her wallet from her bag. Anything after that was a blur. 

"Aren't you coming in?"a deep, alluring voice came from inside. When she had met him a few minutes ago, she had felt elated to the point of wanting to embrace this stranger but that was understandable considering the circumstances. What didn't make sense was this same reaction to the sound of his voice. 

"In a minute," she answered feeling self-conscious. After roughly packing everything back, she stood up with her bag then braced herself to face him.

 Her heart was racing in an unusual way. Why?? 

Had it been one of her employees at work who had pulled such a blunder, she would have reigned fire on them. Was she afraid of being scolded by him?  She proceeded slowly, only stopping when she reached the couch. Her eyes briefly searched and her heart began to drum loudly when they rested on him walking towards her. She hadn't seen his face in the dark and had to swallow to moisten her fast drying mouth. In front of her was a shockingly attractive man. There was nothing beautiful about him, only strong sharp features accompanied by dark wavy hair that cascaded down to his shoulders. His hazel eyes locked with hers and at that moment there was an unfathomable knowing, a deep and profound unprecedented epiphany. She knew with such clarity that they were destined to have many passionate nights ahead.  Out of the hundreds of possibilities that one can think of during an encounter with a stranger, this is what her intellectual and highly practical brain could conjure up? This was completely out of character for her. She would have never had such impure thoughts, even towards celebrities. 

"hmmm", she cleared her throat, breaking the intense eye contact. "I don't know how to say this", she began. 

He paused her with a hand gesture then went past her and sat on the couch with his arm rested along its back. His unwelcoming almost suspicious gaze looked intently at her then he urged her on. 

"I've misplaced my map.. Do you happen to have another one?" she hated being in a vulnerable position and having to rely on someone else but right now she really had no choice. 

"Why do you need a map?" he asked the dumbest question. Couldn't he see her predicament? He had done the exact same thing to her in the woods when she was asking for his help. 

"because I need you to show me where I am so that I can get home", she decided to answer him. She reasoned that she was the one who needed help therefore her patience would pay off. If he didn't have a map, she would also push her luck by asking him to drop her off at the gas station with his truck. 

"You  don't know where you are?"

Aw God, what is wrong with this man? What made his dumb questions worse was the fact that he seemed as agitated as she was. 

"No I don't otherwise I wouldn't be asking would I?, "she dropped the decorum. Was he doing this intentionally or was this how he was at all times. 

" This is your cabin. I changed everything", he informed her, completely confusing her. 

"Huh? " she paused. " What do you mean? "she asked looking around. Next to the couch was a large fridge with an ice dispenser, a Victorian style tub at the front corner, a queen size bed at the other side of the room with a dresser next to it. The only familiar things were her camping light on top of the dresser and her clothes folded on the bed. She noticed the huge furry jacket that the man had been wearing lying next to her clothes and she frowned.

 I wonder which animal died for you to look good, she thought to herself. Then again this was a hunting town so killing animals was nothing to them. She pretended to look around some more, not because she didn't recognize the place but because she knew she was in trouble. She had wrongly assumed that the cabin had been abandoned and now it's owner had returned. No wonder why he had given her the cold shoulder when he met her. Her day today was so full of surprises that kept on getting better and better. 

"Do you now know where you are? " he asked in a mocking tone. 

" I'm not sure. Everything seems so new to me", she lied feeling ashamed. The truth was, she had nowhere else to go. This cabin had been godsent after spending a night under the stars with completely nowhere else to go. She inhaled then looked back at his handsome face. If she could explain to him how she was actually a successful homeowner who had been driven out by vampires then maybe he would let her stay. Um no! On second thought it was better to leave the vampire part out. He was probably going to think that she was a deranged, desperate person who was looking for free lodging. 

"Listen I know you are probably upset about finding me here"

"Probably??? I am definitely upset about finding you here", he cut her off in an angry tone. 

"I had no other choice", she tried to explain but he was already up and walking away towards the door.

" You know what, I'm not ready to listen to you right now. There's hot water in the bath. I'll make dinner outside."

Okay?? 

 Stupefied to silence, she stood in the middle of the room watching his movements. He had every right to be angry but this was not the reaction she had expected. He should have listened to her then either ordered her to leave or allowed her to spend the night. Instead he had told her to shut up and take a bath. 

 He lifted up a portable gas stove then carried a basket along with him, slamming the door behind him. 

Geez whats wrong with this guy? He was a little too emotional and she could tell that his feelings were actually hurt. Maybe the cabin held some sentimental value and she had intruded in his personal space. Feeling a little guilt, she dropped her backpack next to the couch then walked over to the tub. 

"I would give anything to soak in this water", she spoke to herself. Ever since moving here, conversations with herself had become a habit.

"Should I do it?" she asked herself, conflicted over the action. He could easily walk in on her while bathing but for some reason, the thought of him seeing her naked didn't feel so bad and she didn't mind seeing him as well.  Throwing caution to the wind, she tore off her clothes and entered the welcoming steamy, hot bath. She could feel the pain from her bruised feet and her sore muscles slowly numbing away as the water gently swayed under her chin. Not only did her body respond but her mind as well. Even though she was faced with potentially being kicked out, she felt a sense of peace and that everything was going to be okay. 

Twenty minutes later, she wiped herself down with her face towel then used her clothes as a shield as she raced to the side of the bed. Her jeans and T shirt were on the bed but where had the underwear disappeared to? 

Should I ask him? She questioned. He was still outside, probably nearly done with the cooking. After putting on her T-shirt, she decided to search for it. It was after all her underwear and he had moved it without her permission. 

 She quickly scrambled for the underwear drawer and yes! There they were, her silk and lace panties neatly folded, mixed with his boxers. 

"Aw my god!" she paused starring at them. What did this mean? Why would he fold it and mix it with his as if they were a couple. He was normal wasn't he? Her entire experience with him began to play in her head and she collapsed onto the bed. She was dealing with a madman, possibly a serial killer. This awful feeling of discovery was all too familiar to her. Back at her parent's house after leaving her apartment, she had ordered one of those wifi home security cameras with the intent to catch whoever had left her the note. On the day it arrived, she had decided to test it by placing it in the lounge in her parent's house. Afterwards she had driven two miles away, parked her car outside of a shopping mall then watched as the camera rolled. Soon after, her mum had appeared in full view followed by Aaron behind her which was odd because at that time, she hadn't yet introduced the two. Her mum had mentioned something about being home alone and it being safe to talk. The two had discussed something to do with medical supplies then an argument had started. She had observed in horror as her mum shoved Aaron hard and  Helena clearly saw the sharp vampire teeth on both of their faces. An image that had haunted and given her nightmares for many nights.That feeling of your knees growing weak, the tight knot in your stomach, that lump in your throat that she had felt that day was exactly what she was currently experiencing.  She walked to the door, opened it slightly and peaked at him. He was seated on a log, one muscular arm holding the pan and the other stirring with a wooden spoon. Nothing about him looked insane. 

"What a waste" she shook her head. 

She had two options. To pack her bags quickly then make a run for it. He would probably chase after her and her escape would depend on who was faster. The problem with this was that if she succeeded in escaping, she would now be at the mercy of wild animals. Besides finding out about her family, spending that one night outside had been the most terrifying night of her life. The second option was to wait until morning, withdraw some funds, then take a bus somewhere and begin a new life. The problem with that was she would be alerting her family on her whereabouts. She returned to the bed and sat there thinking. Unlike the incident with her mum, she wasn't terrified,  probably because he wasn't a blood sucking vamp. If he tried to do anything she would kick him in the nuts and show him what years of karate looked like. She decided to spend a bit more time with him to know more about him. Maybe she was overthinking things.