Story 1: So Close

So Close

By Sandra Connor

She could just see her grandmother’s cottage through the trees. It looked so close, a mere ten minute walk through the forest and she could be there; sitting in front of the fire, sipping hot chocolate and chatting easily as came so naturally with Granny.

The path led the long way around the forest and the creek that lay between her and the cottage. Yes the path was cobble-stoned and snaked cleanly through the clearing but it would take over half an hour to arrive.

“Stick to the path, Sophie,” her mother had said. “Only danger and ruin can be found in the darkness of the forest.”

“Doesn’t look so dangerous,” she said softly to herself.

The shadows shifted as the wind blew through the trees but other then that nothing moved. In fact everything had gone very quiet, even the birds had stopped singing.

A branch snapped and echoed in the silence. Spinning around, Sophie’s hand flew to her throat. Two yellow eyes stared out of the shadows in the trees. She stared, hypnotized by those eyes. Closer and closer the eyes moved closer till the sunlight broke the shadow and the long snout and face of a large wolf was revealed.

Sophie took a sudden, stumbling step back. The wolf bared it’s teeth and let out a low, warning growl.

Slowly she raised both hands out in front. It could smell her fear, she had to calm down, had to relax. Sophie took a long, deep breath and shut her eyes but when she opened them again the wolf was gone.

“Not thinking of straying from the path, are we?” A deep, gravelly voice came from behind her.

With a shuddering breath she turned to face the speaker and barely stifled a gasp at the man who now stood before her. He was tall with broad shoulders and very strong looking arms. Brown curls hung to his shoulders and framed his large masculine face and his chin was in need of a shave; in a roguish way he could be considered handsome.

The man’s smooth smile informed her that she was staring.

“I’m sorry, I – I thought I was alone,” she stuttered.

“Apparently so.” He arched an eyebrow at her and his grin widened sardonically.

Gritting her teeth she decided to ignore the look. Turning back to where she had been looking she asked, “Did you see a wolf?”

He moved up close behind her and looked into the forest. “What kind of wolf?”

“A – um – a big one.”

“Not so surprising, the forest is wolves’ territory.”

Sophie nodded and turned to continue on her way only to bump into the stranger. He had been much closer then she thought. His large firm body felt strong and warm against hers and she felt a flush spread across her cheeks as she looked up into his face.

“You want to be careful,” he murmured, dipping his head to speak into her ear. “There is much that could be dangerous to a young woman all alone.”

Nodding she backed away and took a shuddering breath. “Well I should go.”

“Where?”

“I’m taking a basket of food to my grandmother,” she said raising the basket so he could see. “I should keep going if I’m going to make it before dark.”

He turned and looked through the forest where she had been looking earlier. “Is that her cottage through there?”

She nodded. “The path will take me around the forest right to her door.”

“You’d be there much faster if you cut through here.”

“Agreed, but it’s dangerous in the forest,” she replied looking wistfully into the gaps in the shadows and trees to where she could just make out the cottage. “You said so yourself.”

“So I did.” He was behind her again so she could feel his heat radiating against her back. She swallowed hard and focused on calming her breathing. They looked together into the dark forest and he lowered his lips so they barely brushed her ear. “Tempting though.”

End

Copyright © 2010 Sandra Connor. All Rights Reserved