Tempted by Evil by Amber Lynn Natusch, Shannon Morton Page A
Authors: Amber Lynn Natusch, Shannon Morton
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Julian invited me to breakfast with his sister the next morning, but I passed in favor of an excursion down to the docks. I couldn’t imagine being in the presence of the girl who, just the evening before, had refused to eat in the same room with me. It seemed to me that Julian and his sister could use some time to themselves. Besides, something about watching the boats sail in and out of the harbor had a calming effect on me, and I needed some time to myself.
The crisp breeze on my face made me feel alive as I walked along the path, my hands stuffed tightly in the pockets of my jeans. Billowy clouds allowed the sun to peek through occasionally, stealing away any hint of chill left by the wind. I almost wished I had grabbed my gray hoodie to put on over my white t-shirt on my way out the door. Almost . The feel of the warmth on my skin was worth the momentary cold.
As I made my way down to the water, I decided to forego my usual routine of perching on a wooden bench for a more adventurous course of action. I bypassed the docks altogether and continued up the trail until my eyes discovered precisely what they had been seeking. I smiled with the anticipation of a child as I took the last few steps, inhaled deeply, and jumped down off the trail onto a huge gray rock not too far below. Giggling as I stood unsteadily from the crouch I had landed in, I extended my arms on both sides for balance. I turned my head back to the trail to see that my jump was not as impressive as I initially thought, and then looked forward in delight at the rest of the rocks, waiting to be conquered.
In reality, I knew that hopping around on a bunch stones was hardly a noteworthy activity, but I reveled in the idea of it. Whether it was because I had read about it so often in books as a childhood rite of passage or I had been denied the experience by virtue of my limited adolescent existence with the nuns, in that moment, I didn't care. Childish as it was, jumping on those rocks next to the harbor was another milestone in the quest for freedom I felt that I might be on for the rest of my life. My education in fun.
I laughed aloud as I thought about how ridiculous I would look to anyone who happened to pass by on the trail, pushing off a massive brown stone with my left leg and leaping with my right. Gloriously, I sailed through the air, but, as my foot made contact, I was ill prepared for the unusually slick surface of my chosen target. My right leg flew out from underneath me.
Every muscle in my body tensed as my arms clawed at the air around me in hopes of avoiding a crash landing. No such luck. I smashed hard into the rocks I had boasted of conquering only minutes before, hitting my head against one of the smooth giants on my way down. My attempt to sit up and assess the damage proved futile because my arm was throbbing underneath me. I looked up to see how far from the trail I had gotten and determine how challenging my retreat would be when I saw him.
Merrick moved toward me with purpose, his sage green eyes never leaving mine. He easily closed the distance between us with two catlike jumps.
"Are you all right?" he spat at me, more a statement than a question as he bent down and began to visually examine me.
"Um . . ." I continued to stare at him, open-mouthed in disbelief, wondering at how he managed to come along when he did. "I think so."
"Why do you act like such a child?" he practically snarled as he helped me off my side.
"I was just having some fun. And I’m not a child," I whispered, hanging my head in shame and wishing I could just disappear. When I looked down, I noticed the trail of blood streaming down my left arm onto my pants. The sheer volume was alarming.
"What have you done?" he gasped, ripping his shirt over his head without pause. He looked fierce while he quickly bound the gash that extended from my elbow to my wrist. I stared intently, though the wound was no longer the object of my attention.
The
12
Julian invited me to breakfast with his sister the next morning, but I passed in favor of an excursion down to the docks. I couldn’t imagine being in the presence of the girl who, just the evening before, had refused to eat in the same room with me. It seemed to me that Julian and his sister could use some time to themselves. Besides, something about watching the boats sail in and out of the harbor had a calming effect on me, and I needed some time to myself.
The crisp breeze on my face made me feel alive as I walked along the path, my hands stuffed tightly in the pockets of my jeans. Billowy clouds allowed the sun to peek through occasionally, stealing away any hint of chill left by the wind. I almost wished I had grabbed my gray hoodie to put on over my white t-shirt on my way out the door. Almost . The feel of the warmth on my skin was worth the momentary cold.
As I made my way down to the water, I decided to forego my usual routine of perching on a wooden bench for a more adventurous course of action. I bypassed the docks altogether and continued up the trail until my eyes discovered precisely what they had been seeking. I smiled with the anticipation of a child as I took the last few steps, inhaled deeply, and jumped down off the trail onto a huge gray rock not too far below. Giggling as I stood unsteadily from the crouch I had landed in, I extended my arms on both sides for balance. I turned my head back to the trail to see that my jump was not as impressive as I initially thought, and then looked forward in delight at the rest of the rocks, waiting to be conquered.
In reality, I knew that hopping around on a bunch stones was hardly a noteworthy activity, but I reveled in the idea of it. Whether it was because I had read about it so often in books as a childhood rite of passage or I had been denied the experience by virtue of my limited adolescent existence with the nuns, in that moment, I didn't care. Childish as it was, jumping on those rocks next to the harbor was another milestone in the quest for freedom I felt that I might be on for the rest of my life. My education in fun.
I laughed aloud as I thought about how ridiculous I would look to anyone who happened to pass by on the trail, pushing off a massive brown stone with my left leg and leaping with my right. Gloriously, I sailed through the air, but, as my foot made contact, I was ill prepared for the unusually slick surface of my chosen target. My right leg flew out from underneath me.
Every muscle in my body tensed as my arms clawed at the air around me in hopes of avoiding a crash landing. No such luck. I smashed hard into the rocks I had boasted of conquering only minutes before, hitting my head against one of the smooth giants on my way down. My attempt to sit up and assess the damage proved futile because my arm was throbbing underneath me. I looked up to see how far from the trail I had gotten and determine how challenging my retreat would be when I saw him.
Merrick moved toward me with purpose, his sage green eyes never leaving mine. He easily closed the distance between us with two catlike jumps.
"Are you all right?" he spat at me, more a statement than a question as he bent down and began to visually examine me.
"Um . . ." I continued to stare at him, open-mouthed in disbelief, wondering at how he managed to come along when he did. "I think so."
"Why do you act like such a child?" he practically snarled as he helped me off my side.
"I was just having some fun. And I’m not a child," I whispered, hanging my head in shame and wishing I could just disappear. When I looked down, I noticed the trail of blood streaming down my left arm onto my pants. The sheer volume was alarming.
"What have you done?" he gasped, ripping his shirt over his head without pause. He looked fierce while he quickly bound the gash that extended from my elbow to my wrist. I stared intently, though the wound was no longer the object of my attention.
The
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