Page 3 of Marked

The villagers slowly began to disperse, though Blair stayed rooted to the spot. She felt a growing unease in her bones. Who was that person? What had happened? Why had they come here? And most importantly, was there danger following him?

She could feel the weight of the questions on her chest, but she knew there was nothing more she could do to help. She turned her gaze back to the alley, but the Healer had already disappeared from view, swallowed up by the shadows in between the buildings.

The crowd had thinned, and the crying had softened, but the thick tension remained in the air.

Blair pulled herself away from the alley everyone had disappeared down and slowly began walking the path back to her cottage.

The eerie quiet that had settled didn’t feel right.

SilverDawn’s livelihood felt fractured. The warmth that had existed mere moments ago, had frozen over, as though something dark and dangerous had entered their peaceful world.

As her feet dragged along the path, Blair imagined possible scenarios that would lead to a blood-covered stranger stumbling into town.

As she bent to pick up the items she had dropped, she pulled her jacket tighter.

Whether it was the evening wind or the anxiety shooting through her body, she had started to shake.

Trying to remain warm, she hurried the short walk and approached her gate within a few moments .

Letting the gate swing shut behind her, she heard the soft click of the latch.

As she let out a breath and began walking up her walkway, the thought of being home melted away her tension.

Following the big flat stones that had been taken from the river, she analyzed her yard.

The large pieces of flattened rock broke up the grass and patches of purple flowers, guiding the way to her front door.

As she stepped off of the last rock, she stopped to watch a small bird slip into the birdhouse hanging from a low branch of her favorite tree.

Her breathing calmed as she listened to the happy chirping of the birds.

Within seconds, her shoulders began to lower, allowing her happiness to slightly return.

She inhaled deeply as she walked forward the last few steps and reached for the door handle.

The inside of her home matched the cozy exterior.

Her walls were painted a light blue that immediately set a welcoming tone for any visitors.

There were sketches bordering the living room.

The top of each wall was decorated with doodles, different flowers with vines.

They covered the perimeter of the room besides a few small areas where they had been erased in frustration.

Blair moved to the kitchen, a yellow room with the same drawings at the top but in forms of fruits and vegetables.

She placed the lavender in an empty vase on her table and looked around her home.

One of the many reasons she loved it was because of the simplicity.

The single story consisted of an open layout- a living room, a kitchen, and a single bedroom with an adjoining bathroom.

She could be standing in one area and see into almost all the others .

She looked around. Works of art created by her students were displayed in various locations. A fluffy armchair lounged in the corner with an open book lying on top of a poorly knit blanket. A pile of dirty laundry sat in the opposite corner, waiting to be washed.

The bed in her room, a mess of sheets and pillows, was where she gravitated to first. She sat on the soft cotton, pulling off her shoes and rubbing out the tension. Rolling her neck from side to side, she eyed the kitchen, and her stomach grumbled in response.

Walking the few steps out of the bedroom, she grabbed a dull knife and her sourdough loaf. Slicing a few pieces, she took some raspberry jam from the cupboard and spread it on the bread, making a quick snack.

Filling the rest of the afternoon with dauntless tasks, she found it hard to settle.

Picking up her book just to put it down, organizing her knitting basket, and washing the few dishes in the sink, she struggled to rest fully.

As darkness fell, she lit a couple of candles and slipped on her most comfortable pajamas before bolting the door and heading to bed.

Falling asleep was difficult that night.

Every time she closed her eyes, she pictured herself covered in blood.

If it wasn't her, it was one of her students or someone from her town.

She tossed in bed, wrapping herself in her blanket just to pull it off again.

She sat up and rubbed her temples, huffing at the stress that had returned to her body.

The room was quiet, except for her heartbeat.

The only light being the soft glow of the moon shining through the window.

Sitting up, her eyes followed the pale light that stretched across the bed and floor .

Taking a deep breath in, she looked up at the ceiling and laid back down, moving to her side.

Finding a way to ease her busy mind, she traced the stream of moonlight with her eyes until they started to close.

The hum of the night outside helped her settle, the sound of crickets and a gentle breeze in the trees.

Her body relaxed just enough to drift, and then something moved outside her window.

Just a flicker at first that caught her attention but the moonlight on the floor shifted again like something had passed in front of the glass.

She blinked, fully awake now. Slowly, she turned her head toward the window, her heart picking up pace again.

Her eyes remained still as the movement happened again.

Not the branches. Not the wind. Her eyes tracked a figure.

A tall form that now stood still, just outside.

Taunting her as if he knew she was watching.

No sound in the movement. Just that dark shape blocking the moonlight.

Blair's heart thundered so loud she could hear it in her ears.

Then, the shadow was gone. She jumped up, pulling off the covers to stand in the doorway.

The moonlight returned unchanged, soft, and empty.

But she knew what she saw, and the fear that wrapped itself around her heart woke her numerous times through the night.