The Guest & The Change - By M. D. Bowden Page 0,17

unexplainable about him. I’m intensely drawn to him. I’ve never felt so strongly attracted to anyone before. The way he makes me feel, the way I gravitate towards him. It’s like I’m not in control, like he’s in control of me.

She started to move closer to Daniel again. He was still watching her, thinking, but she shook herself and made herself head for the car door, wrench it open and climb inside. Soon Daniel was next to her and she smiled at him. He gave her a glowing smile in return, making her insides melt again, and making her feel like everything would be ok.

‘I will go with you,’ he said, looking into her eyes, ‘but when we get out the car I want you to stay close.’

Sarah looked back into his eyes, so beautiful, and was lost to his words, his influence seeping in. When he looked away Sarah saw him frown and wondered what he was thinking. But her compulsion to visit this place persisted so she started the car and drove towards the woods.

Daniel reached out and brushed her cheek as she drove, then placed his hand, possessively, on her leg. Sarah couldn’t help but smile, and shot Daniel a look. He looked beautiful, still smoldering. It was a wrench to put her eyes back on the road.

The road wound around and they found themselves approaching the quarry and Quarry Bridge. Sarah drove carefully over, there were steep drops on either side, and entered the smaller roads. From here on the roads were surrounded by a dense canopy of trees. Sarah was quite familiar with them - she’d lived in the area all her life and had long been a fan of forest walks. She had walked all the trails for miles around, and sometimes explored off track too. As a teenager she had camped in the woods with friends, freaking each other out with ghost stories. She felt at home in the woods, and at peace. If only she could find Jo and sort this mess out.

Sarah saw the turning she’d been looking for, and felt Daniel tighten his grip on her leg as she turned into the forest, the tall conifers shading their way. The track was rough and stony but her car could handle it if she took it slow. She glanced over at Daniel again - he was looking around, peering through the trees, alert.

When she looked back on the road she saw the place she’d been thinking of, a little further down the track. A clearing where she’d parked before. When she reached it she pulled up and turned off the engine. ‘We’re here.’

‘This is the place you thought we should come?’ Daniel asked.

‘Yes, here and the surrounding woodland.’

‘Don’t be disappointed if we don’t find anything. And remember, stay close.’ And he gave her a grin, before exiting the car and dashing round to her side before she’d even finished undoing her seatbelt. Sarah watched, amused, as Daniel opened her door and extended his hand. As she took it fresh tingles shot up her arm and Daniel pulled her to him, teasingly, before closing her door.

This close, Sarah thought he was going to kiss her again, but he kept hold of her hand and walked back to the track they’d driven up, carefully inspecting the ground.

‘It looks like someone’s been here recently,’ he said.

‘How can you tell?’

‘These car tracks, they look recent. They would have washed away in the rain if they were more than a few days old.’

‘People don’t drive up this way often,’ said Sarah.

‘No, I don’t suppose they do.’

‘Let’s follow them, find out where they go,’ said Sarah, pulling him after her.

***

Sebastian smirked to himself. He had been listening very carefully and he’d just heard the sound he was waiting for; a car. It looked like his plan had worked. They were here. He was excited to see how his plan would pan out.

Jo had just taken out that deer and his face was smeared with blood, but he was still ravenous as animal blood didn’t compare.

‘Jo, it’s time to hunt again now. Listen carefully, try to extend your senses even further. When you find pray, draw it towards you.’

He watched as Jo closed his eyes and focused hard on the animals in the forest. Sebastian turned himself into a bat and flew up into a tree to watch the action, and to be out of Daniel’s way when he realized what was going on.

Jo’s ears pricked and Sebastian