Prologue
Five days before summer break:
Deja rushed from class to class turning in her midterms and projects ahead of schedule before the last day. As she sat in her last class watching as the minutes tick by her phone vibrated from the corner of her desk. Glancing up at her professor who didn’t hear the vibration while he drowned on with his lecture.
“Deja! You have to come to the lake party that me and my Sorority sisters are throwing when break starts!” -Jasmine
While reading the text from her best friend she received a second text from her boyfriend.
“I’ll meet you at our spot, after I’m done with practice.”-Tommie
Rolling her eyes at the second text she replied to the first one agreeing to go to the party and stared at the text from her boyfriend till she finally replied back.
“Okay, I’ll see you there love you.”
Putting her phone in her jean pocket she finished up her notes glad that her professor didn’t assign her class with a essay like her other teachers have. When the time ended for class she rushed out heading out of the economics building. She hopped in her car and drove to her apartment complex deciding to take her time with getting ready for that evening. With doing her hair in lose curls after coming out of the shower she tossed on a mid thigh summer dress that showed off her curves. Looking at her glasses that sat on her dresser, she decided to use them while she drove instead of her contacts.
Grabbing her jean jacket before she left out of the door. She locked it up and walked down the stairs in her wedge heels and sliding in to the driver side and pulled off. Stopping at the Sub&Cheese shop in town she grabbed a basket and ordered two subs and grabbed some drinks and cubed cheese with other snacks. Sitting the basket in the passenger seat she started toward their spot. After pulling up to Forest Lake park, she got out of the car with the basket on her arm and searched through her trunk finding her Navy blue blanket with black intricate patterns.
Making her way through the semi crowded park taking the dirt trail with its twists and turns till she stepped off the trail heading past the trees going further into the woods. Stepping out of the tree line into an open grove that Forest Lake sat with a short old moss covered boardwalk. Checking the time on her cell that read 4:45pm, while she laid out the blanket an sat the basket down. As she started to lay out the subs and other snacks she heard leaves rustling and twigs snapping behind her.
Jumping she spun around so fast causing the blanket to tangle up around her ankle an fell hard with a thud. “Ow crap!” She coughed out trying to get the air back into her lungs as she turned around sitting up looking down at her ankle that throbbed with pain. Sucking her teeth she unwrapped the blanket from her ankle when dirt covered black boots appeared in front of her. Shrieking as she backed away in a rush she looked up seeing a familiar face. “Damn you got a set of pipes on you.” The familiar voice said, uncovering their ears and looking at her while she laughed to herself shaking her head.
“Sorry you just startled me is all, but what are you doing here?” She asked, standing up slightly limping with a twinge of pain shooting across her ankle. “Yeah I was just coming from a hike actually when heard you fall.” The familiar voice said, with a sheepish smile ghosting their lips. “Right I forgot that you like to hike up the hill top. What’s it called um Hangers Look Out right?” She asked, snapping her pointer and thumb together while limping back over to the blanket to fix the knocked over food. “Yeah that’s right. So you’re waiting for Tommie?” The familiar voice asked, stepping close to help her reset everything back up.
“Uh, yeah I am we made plans to meet up here.” She stuttered, feeling nervous all of a sudden glancing up through her long lashes. “Well I should go before he gets here then.” The familiar voice said, standing up taking a step when they paused and suddenly turned around sweeping her into their arms as they kissed her. With her chocolate eyes going wide with a gasp they took that opening to swipe his tongue along her full pink bottom lip as they dove their tongue into her mouth. Swallowing her gasp they deepened the kiss with her heart pounding and her small hands gripping their hoodie...
Standing in the grove alone with red swollen lips that tingled with the lingering after affects that still felt like they were still kissing. Taking a breath she mentally shook her head saying to herself, “No, Deja don’t think about the kiss. What you were doing with him was just a fleeting moment that’s over.” Sitting down with her legs tucked under herself, she breathed out slowly still convincing herself that she didn’t feel anything for him. Till she heard the same rustling of bushes and snapping of twigs or was it branches this time.
Sighing with a slight smirk turning around, “So you decided to come-” with a intake of breath as something hit against the side of her head a ringing rung in her left ear. As everything went black for a split second, groaning with a throbbing headache and dizziness her vision was blurred. Rolling over onto her back squinting and blinking her eyes; the only thing she could see was a black outline of someone holding something in their hand. Sitting up on her knees she felt something wet trickling down past her ear.
Reaching up touching that spot that throbbed, wincing from her own touch of her finger tips she looked at them seeing blood. Gasping she looked up in time to see the hooded figure rushing back over to her. Screaming she stumbled to her feet with a wave of dizziness hitting her full force making her head swim. She ran with her vision clearing enough to see where she was going with the figures heavy foot steps getting closer as if she could feel their hot breath on the back of neck...
