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T he wood floors creaked beneath Ava’s feet as she plodded to her bedroom after brushing her teeth. Still somewhat tipsy from the wine she and Eleanor had drunk, she was ready to burrow under her down comforter and sleep the night away.

She sat at the edge of her bed and clicked off the vintage Tiffany lamp on her nightstand, shrouding the room in darkness. As she lifted the covers to settle herself, her eyes caught on something outside.

Ava froze as she tried to comprehend what she was seeing.

From her second story bedroom window, she had a view of the flower fields at the front of the house and the forest beyond.

And right at the edge of the woods, stood a tall shadowy figure.

Motionless, it stared directly at her from between the trees.

It was just some local messing around on her property. Right?

She grabbed her robe from the hook on the door and headed down the stairs, fumbling in the dark for the light switch.

Making it to the front porch, she prepared to chase them off when she noticed it hadn’t moved, still watching her.

Her feet froze, a voice in the back of her mind telling her to run.

It was taller than she originally thought, at least several feet higher than herself.

Her blood ran cold as she stared at it, unable to pull away her gaze.

Though she sensed trouble, she couldn’t resist the tug pulling her toward the forest, closer to the shadowy silhouette, and began to walk forward.

As she approached, it reached out its arm, curling its fingers, and beckoned her to follow as it turned away and headed into the woods.

She didn’t want to, tried to turn around and go back inside but her feet started moving as if they had their own plans.

Her heart raced as she continued after the shadow, still trying to fight against her rebellious body. This was wrong. She had to go back to the house.

Reaching the edge of the woods, the figure turned and looked at something in the distance. Now that Ava was closer, it appeared to be a woman, nude with long hair covering her breasts, though she still couldn’t see her face.

Ever so slowly, the woman’s head tilted, and her piercing blue eyes settled on Ava.

She lazily opened her mouth as if smiling, wider and wider, stretching far and revealing jagged pointy teeth.

Claws elongated where fingernails should have been, the trickle of blood falling to the ground.

Just as Ava readied herself to turn and run, it screamed.

Ava’s breath was knocked out of her as she crashed into a solid surface. Her limbs were trapped in a soft embrace and she thrashed around, trying to free herself. Released from her silky bindings, she sat up and was almost blinded by the sunlight.

She was on the floor in her room, tangled in her sheets.

Birds chirped outside her window as morning welcomed the day. It wasn’t night anymore. What happened? Had that figure been real? Was it a dream?

She didn’t remember going back inside or going to sleep.

Taking a deep breath to calm her still racing heart, she climbed off the floor and tossed her bedding back on her bed. It must have been a dream. She drank too much and went to sleep; she just didn’t remember. But it hadn’t seemed like a dream. It was different from her others.

Something wasn’t right. Then, she saw it. Her robe was on the floor, not where she usually hung it up. She truly had…

A knock sounded on her front door.

Nine o’clock already? She had forgotten to set an alarm and must have slept in after all the wine. Normally an early riser, she cursed to herself as she pulled on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt.

Throwing her frizzy waves into a low ponytail, she bounded down the stairs and ran to the door. When she opened it, Henry was leaning against the front porch post, his arm above him, a wide grin on his face.

Her heart fluttered at the sight of him. “I’m so sorry,” she said, out of breath. “I didn’t realize what time it was.”

“It’s alright,” he said. “I haven’t been waiting long.” He looked at her expectantly.

“Oh,” she remembered. “The list. I’ll be right back.”

She rushed to the office and returned, handing him a short list of things to be addressed on the property.

There were a few rickety pieces of railing on the porch she wanted him to repair and a pile of wood near the greenhouse she needed moved.

She was also hoping he could chop down a small half dead tree near the flower fields, not wanting it to fall over on her during her chores.

He looked it over and nodded. “I can do this,” he said, then added as she winced at the sunlight, “Are you alright? ”

She rubbed the back of her neck. “Actually… I’m a little hungover.”

He chuckled. “I can see that. Well, why don’t you get yourself some coffee and rest a bit? I’ll knock if I need anything.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

She closed the door and watched him walk to his truck, opening the tailgate and searching for his tools. The way he had smiled at her twisted her insides like a teenager with a crush. And that laugh. It brushed over her skin and made her shiver with desire. What was wrong with her?

As someone who tended to overthink everything, Ava chastised herself for her instant attraction as she started the coffee pot and waited for it to brew.

Though she had been on plenty of dates and even had a couple of serious relationships, she found most men either disregarded her or only wanted one thing.

Once they got to know her, they often found her wildlife knowledge or almost obsessive fascination with nature weird.

It was like they wanted some vapid giggling trophy wife, and the moment she started talking about her master’s thesis on the endangered status of the Northern Leopard Frog, they lost all interest.

She poured herself a mug full of dark roast, adding a splash of cream as she mentally reviewed the list she had given Henry.

Ava felt awkward just sitting while he worked alone outside, so after about an hour, she made her way to finish cleaning up the last of the dead plants in the garden.

As she walked toward the greenhouse located on the side of the property to retrieve her gloves, she turned the corner and ran straight into Henry.

“Whoa,” he said as he steadied her, grasping her shoulders. “You’re on a mission, huh?”

“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” she said, nervous as she looked up at him.

His blue eyes twinkled as he responded. “Lost in thought?”

Lost in those blue eyes , she mused .

“Something like that,” she said, shifting on her feet. “I was headed to the greenhouse.”

“Actually, while you’re out here. Could you help me with something really quick?”

“Umm… Sure.”

Ava tried to calm her nerves at the request as a strange sudden desire to be close to him washed over her. It was like she wouldn’t have been able to say no even if she wanted to.

He walked with her, headed toward the broken railing on the porch. “Could you hold these still while I hammer? It’ll go much quicker with the two of us.”

“Alright,” she said as she grabbed one of the balusters and held tight.

Henry pulled the hammer from his tool belt and placed a nail. As he worked, he asked, “How are you liking it out here?”

“It’s peaceful. I used to visit when I was a kid and it’s nice to be back,” she answered as her arms vibrated, trying to keep the railing still. “How long have you lived here?”

“A few years,” he replied.

“And do you like it?”

He nodded. “Yep.”

They spent the next twenty minutes making their way to each loose railing piece, silent save for random comments about the weather or the upcoming holidays. Though she was still nervous, it was easy being in his company. He had a way about him that somehow drew her in. Made her curious.

Moving to the remaining baluster, she inquired, “So, you knew my grandpa, huh?”

Placing the last nail into the wood, he tapped the hammer against it as he answered. “Kind of. Not well. He was a man of few words. Usually, just handed me a list and that was that.”

She sighed. “Yeah. Sounds like him. He was a little strange.”

“You don’t say,” he teased as he smiled up at her. Finished with the porch, he stood up and regarded her. “I finished your list.”

“Already?” She was shocked, but as she glanced around the property, she noticed the tree was down and all the wood was in the preferred location. “Wow, you’re fast.”

“Maybe. But I’m thorough.” He gave her a wink.

She blushed. “Well, thanks for your help today,” she said as she dusted her hands on her jeans.

“I can come back tomorrow if you have anything else that needs to be done,” he said, voice hopeful.

She couldn’t think of anything else off the top of her head, but decided she would find something for him to do because, admittedly, she wanted him to come back. “Sure. Same time?”

“Sounds like a plan,” he said as he walked toward his truck. “See you tomorrow, Ava,” he added as he got in and drove away, a subtle smile on his face.

As she watched the truck disappear down the gravel road, she realized she was excited to see him again.

Wanted to know more about him and be in his presence.

Turning around, she made her way to the flower field to finish the last bit of weeding, trying to put those twinkling blue eyes out of her mind.

After about an hour of work and a pile of dead plants beside her, she stood up and wiped the sweat from her brow.

As she prepared to gather the discarded flowers, a strange sound interrupted her from the edge of the forest. Immediately she was brought back to last night’s dream as she turned toward the direction of the noise.

It was a faint cry of fear and pain, like an injured animal or a scared child. Comforted by the presence of daylight, she grabbed a shovel and searched the tree line. The cry sounded again. It was much closer this time.

Then, she saw it.

Just at the woods’ edge, was what appeared to be a bobcat, though different than the ones she had studied. As she neared, she saw superficial claw marks along its side and it whimpered as it lay still.

“Oh!” she cried out, dropping the shovel and rushing over. “Oh my gosh, you poor thing,” she said as she approached it with caution, hands trembling.

As a child, she and her mother often helped injured animals. Creatures never balked at their presence but always remained calm, especially around Ava. It was as if she had the magic touch, able to communicate with them in some silent language.

And now, just like in childhood, the bobcat didn’t appear fearful as she knelt to assess its wounds but instead seemed to relax, as if it knew she was there to help. She tentatively reached out, stroking the cat’s head and whispering to it, noticing it was now calm.

“I’m going to help you, sweet baby,” she whispered.

It looked back at her as if it understood.

She removed her sweatshirt and wrapped the bobcat, minding the injuries while it watched her with curiosity. She carried it back to the house and laid it down on the floor of the kitchen, rushing to the bathroom for her first aid kit.

Ava washed her hands and donned a pair of latex gloves from the kit. She found a bottle of saline solution and flushed out the wounds as she sang. A song her mother used to sing to her when she felt scared.

“Hush now, little bird.

Don’t be afraid.

All your fears,

Let me unlade.

You’re safe with me ,

Don’t you cry.

While I sing to you,

Our lullaby.”

She couldn’t keep the tears in as she finished cleaning the wounds and bandaged up the feline. She hadn’t thought about the song in years, and it had come to her out of nowhere, the grief raw once more.

Her tears fell as more memories of the farm surfaced.

The smell of lavender in the kitchen as her mother brewed tea; the songs of chickadees who nested outside her bedroom window; her mother sewing pretty dresses so she could pretend to be a proper princess; grandfather sitting on the porch with his morning coffee; spending every holiday in the kitchen cooking extravagant meals for just the three of them.

Her heart ached as she thought about how much she missed her mother and how desperately she wished she were here to help her.

But she wasn’t here anymore, and Ava only had herself to rely on.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her arm and spoke to the animal. “You’re safe here with me.”

She grabbed some old towels and blankets from the hall closet and piled them in the corner of the living room, creating a temporary bed for the animal until she could get to the store for supplies.

After a moment, the cat got up and padded over to the blankets, looking at Ava as it curled up and breathed a sigh of relief.

She walked over to it and reached out her hand as she crouched.

Without hesitation, it purred and rubbed against her.

Now that she had a chance to look closer, she realized this was not a bobcat.

The fur was lighter, almost white, and had a mix of swirls and stripes in place of the usual bobcat spots.

The tail was long, and solid black paws faded into stripes just above the ankles.

She—because Ava had discovered it was a she—still had ear tufts, but they were much longer, more reminiscent of a lynx.

Then there were her eyes. They were a lavender color, something she had never seen before in her years of working with wildlife.

Perhaps it was some exotic pet that had gotten lost?

Now Ava had a project for Henry. She’d swing by the hardware store and look for a pet door and ask him to install it.

“I’ll be back in a little bit,” she said to the now sleeping cat, hoping it would be fine alone for a while. She was probably crazy for leaving a feral animal alone in her house, but somehow she knew nothing would happen.