Chapter 2

The bidding adieu was more than painful with tears in everyone's eyes. Iris felt a pang of pain whereas Hailey was crying as if she was leaving for Mars. Even though by saying such words Iris tried to lighten the mood, she knew it was not easy. For the past six years, Hailey was with Iris and they became more like sisters. David had a long sullen face even though the airport kiss was long from Iris's side.

"I would be back soon," Iris whispered before pulling away from him. She knew it was hard to leave the thirteen years old homes that she made in the UK. In those thirteen years, she had never left the UK. But this time she had decided to visit her hometown.

Hailey waved her hand for the last time with David and leaned on his shoulder while looking at Iris's retreating figure.

"I am going to miss her," Hailey mumbled.

"Me too." David agreed and decided to leave the airport only when the flight would take off.

Iris settled herself near the window seat. The sky was still dark as if the clouds were angry for some reason. She knew her journey would be long so she chose to open the book Brida by Paulo Coelho to read.

Almost after 10 long hours, Iris's flight landed in Seattle bringing goosebumps to her skin. She was excited to see her old two-story building and her father taking care of the garden her mother made with her own hands. She was excited to see her old childhood room and her leftover memories. Seattle's weather wasn't good either. She looked through the window and saw it was raining there. Keeping her book in her backpack she grabbed the coat to wrap around her body. Taking her luggage from the luggage belt the moment she stepped out of the airport a strange cold wind hit her body making her shiver to her bones. Even though Seattle was quite cold during winter and the UK also had its fair share of coldness, she could still feel some strange sensation while standing at the departure.

"Maybe it's been thirteen years and that's why it is looking weird," Iris told her inwardly after taking a long breath before stepping outside. In the meantime, she had already dropped two text messages to David and Hailey's contact numbers who were worried to know her safe and sound arrival in Seattle.

Grabbing her luggage she walked towards the paid cab booking area to get a cab. Dropping the address to the driver she relaxed in the back seat throwing her head on the seat.

Barely for a few minutes, she could close her eyes, as an ongoing uneasiness started engulfing her. She opened her eyes to enjoy the scenic beauty of her childhood hometown. The city wasn't big but it had a separate calmness to allow anyone to leave peacefully.

The road through which her car was moving had dense forest on both sides. Even during the daytime, one could see the darkness inside those forests. She tilted down the glass of the window to let the cool breeze hit her face a little. Seconds passed her eyes involuntarily closed while she was resting her head on the seat. She could see herself walking inside the forest looking for David as he kept on irritating her making her search for him.

She called out David's name to get him faster but the thicker forest made that difficult for her. She ran towards the sound of crushing leaves thinking that David was running from there but found nothing after reaching there.

"David ..." She called while standing in the woods and looking around when her eyes caught a dark shadow a few meters away. It was all black and was more like a rock without a single movement.

"David...." She called again while walking towards the darker shadow but halted at her steps when the shadow moved a little. The dark object seemed coming toward her and she chose to take back steps due to the fear of facing the unknown. Seconds passed when she noticed something more than the shadow. A pair of shiny golden orbs flashed like a thousand-watt bulb. And the next moment the shadow jumped towards her making her fall to the ground when a painful yelp left her mouth.

She jolted at her place with a screeching sound and found herself sitting in the back seat of the car.

"What a weird dream." She asked herself and saw the cab come to a halt.

"What happened?" Iris asked the driver who was opening the door to go out.

"No sure mam. Maybe some issue with the engine or battery. Let me check."

The driver stepped down from the car and walked in front to open the bonnet. Iris looked around and found a similar sort of woods around beside the road that she had seen in her dreams.

"Crazy subconscious mind." She laughed a little thinking about her mind. People often see such dreams that were imprinted in their subconscious minds.

She was also experiencing such dreams. Brushing her thoughts away she opened the door of the car to come out. The darkness didn't fade, rather it grew more. Inhaling a sharp breath she decided to just walk around the road.

"Mam. Don't go inside the forest." She was just taking some steps here and there when the driver warned her.

"Is it wrong any time?" Iris asked.

"Nothing as such. It is not just our territory." The driver didn't speak much but she couldn't understand the meaning of it. Who would mark a territory? As per her thoughts, only the government can mark. Then?

She chose to avoid the topic in the meantime to enjoy the moment. Her hair blew along with the wind's direction. A rich cologne hit her nostrils as she closed her eyes to enjoy the breeze. But a sudden silence followed by a large growl made her startle. Abruptly turning her head towards the woods she tried to figure out the source of the roar.

"What was that?" Involuntarily those words came out of her mouth when she noticed something passed through the woods at the speed of a Cheetah or Jaguar. Her slow possessed footsteps decreased the distance between her and the woods bringing her to the end of the road and at the opening of the forest.

Her eyes tried to spot the black shadow that she saw moving abruptly from one corner to another. Another step and she touched the first large pine tree to lean forward. A weird sensation hit her hard. She could feel some pairs of eyes on or around her but she couldn't see them with naked eyes. The sky above was getting dark. A few drops of rain poured on her head and before the thunder roared for one more time she was taken aback by a sudden feared voice.

"Mam......come back...." She was about to enter the deeper forest when the driver called her back.

"Oh. The engine is fine now?" She asked him and he nodded, opening the door for her. She withdrew her hand from the tree and walked toward the car to get inside. The moment she turned she felt something move away behind her but she didn't dare to look back. The entire area looked spooky and dark.

"What sort of sound was that?"

Iris broke the silence during the drive and the driver looked stiffened at his position.

"Nothing mam. Some wild animals. They have been here for thousands of years."

"Oh. I see. I have just heard stories during my childhood. It's been thirteen long years since I haven't visited my hometown." She tried to normalize the situation knowing that something was off.

"Thirteen is an unlucky number. But never mind, you are always welcome in your hometown." The driver passed a genuine smile while driving as fast as she could.

After half an hour or so the cab arrived at her doorstep. Paying him the exact fare she took her luggage and placed it in front of the main door.

At first, she thought of calling her father after landing in Seattle but later she decided to surprise him just by appearing at his doorstep.

Iris stood there while looking at the small garden her mother made. It was still the same, just a few new flowers were added. Knocking on the same wooden door she kept herself mum for a second. Nothing had changed much in those thirteen years.

"Come in." The same deep voice of her father was heard as she giggled a little. Her father didn't expect to see her at his doorstep so he replied casually.

Her heartbeat ran faster as soon as she heard the sound of unclicking the lock. The door opened and a man in his mid-forties appeared.

"Dad............" She jumped on him immediately without saying a single hello or hi. For a second her father was shocked but somehow managed her daughter's weight to carry in his lap when she jumped. Iris wrapped her hands around his neck and legs around his waist just like a five-year-old kid. She did the same thing she used to do in her childhood.

Her father Mr. Tyler Lockwood was shocked but later looked at her daughter's sudden act. The luggage was a clear indication of her staying for more than a day. The way she jumped it was clear she came to surprise him only.

"I miss you, dad." She placed a soft kiss on her father's cheek when her father patted her head and finally looked at her face. It was one and a half years back when he saw her last. She grew up more like her mother. She has the same icy blue eyes as her mother and golden brown hair as her father.

"Why are you here?" Her father asked her without dropping her on the ground while looking at her face.

She felt an invisible painful slap on her face. As she thought her father would be happy, the sudden question of her made her cry almost.

She climbed down from her father's lap and looked at him for a second before speaking.

"Don't you like that I have come? Didn't you want to meet me?" Tears welled up in her eyes as kept on looking at her father with enormous questions. She had expected him to be happy and excited but what she had received was some coldness and a tense face. He was having creases on his forehead too. Slowly he walked past her and grabbed her luggage from the doorstep to put them inside before closing the door.

She still didn't understand what went wrong as she kept on looking at her father who placed those bags inside and hugged her suddenly rubbing his hands on her back to soothe her.

"Tell me whose father would not be happy seeing her daughter back in his life?"

Her father's whispering painful voice brought a lot more confusing questions for her. She hugged her father back and heard him saying something.

"I miss you princess but this place is not safe for you honey."