Into the woods I P U B L I S H E D

„Everyone needs a fresh start in their life,

An adventure that they seek.”

-Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Leaving the place you grew up was always hard to think about, and even harder to actually leave it.

I will miss Stockholm.

I will miss its coldness and the people with whom I grew up with, people who over the years became my second family. I will miss the Stortoget – the oldest square in the city – the red and the yellow buildings, and the small coffee shop where I would spend most of my time with my close friends.

I will miss the time when I would explore the secret gardens of the Tantolunden park. The green park that gave me peace and helped me to make my mind clear whenever I needed it.

But most importantly, I will miss my mother, my butler Wilhelm and even my annoying best friend Anastasia. I had never thought that I would have to leave the town that was full of memories, the stupid mistakes that I had made in the past, my University for which I had worked so hard, and flee over 100,000 km to Canada, to my aunt Lena and her husband Louis.

People who knew me all my life would never have thought or even said, that me, Elizabeth Zemerlöw, a 20-year-old girl who never cried was actually crying in front of my friends at a local bar where we would always hang out.

„You better call me, message me and especially send me some postcards,” Anastasia cried hysterically against my left ear. She held me so tight that I could bearly breath.

„Let her go, Nia. She is bearly breathing,” Jack laughed, taking his glass and drinking the entire vodka in one sip.

Like she didn’t even hear a thing he just had said, Anastasia, squeezed me even more into her body. At first, I thought she was just joking about not letting me go, but now it was getting too hard to even breathe. It wasn’t as funny as I thought it would be.

I tried to push her away, but there was no way to make her let me go. „Seriously Nia, I can’t breath,” I sighed.

Realizing that I couldn’t breathe anymore, she finally decided to let me go. „I’m sorry, Ell.” She hugged me again, but this time, she gave me a hard kiss on the forehead.

„Yeah, she is drunk,” I said to the rest of my friends. Anastasia moved away from me and started to eye a blond guy behind us.

„What are you doing?” Chris asked her, but Anastasia being Anastasia, just walked over to the blond guy, clearly not caring that the redhead girl next to him could be his girlfriend.

„She will not remember a thing tomorrow,” Hana said.

„I know.” I took a sip of my water. „It’s such a shame that I will not be here tomorrow to see her face when you will tell her. Actually, do me a favor and record it,” I said a little louder.

The music in the bar was getting louder than before. People were dancing like crazy on the dance floor. A lot of men were grinding to the girls asses. Some of them, by some, I mean Anastasia, was on one of the guy’s shoulder, screaming to the DJ.

„She is crazy,” I said, still looking at her.

I will miss this. I will miss her and her psychotic nature. I will miss my crazy best friend.

„When are you leaving?” Hana asked.

„Tomorrow, I mean today, at 10 a.m.”

„That’s less than 10 hours,” Hana said. „Aren’t you gonna be tired?” She asked.

I shook my head. „I have 12 hours to sleep on the plain.”

„So what is it like there? I mean in Canada?” Chris screamed as the music started to get louder.

„It’s good. I’ve been there a couple of times and it’s really beautiful,” I smiled. „My aunt already did all the paperwork for the University and she already found me a job at some local library.”

„Which University? Are you taking the same courses or...?” Hana placed a lock of her hair behind her ear.

I shrugged. „They are the same ones. Ancient history and English literature.” Biting my lower lip, I tried to remember the name of the University. „I believe it’s called Nightclaw University. I’m not quite sure.”

Chris and Hana glanced at each other, their eyes widening as they looked over to Jack who was looking directly at me.

„What?” I asked, starting to get frightened. Their mood changed in a second. In one second they were good, happy, joking around, but at the mention of the Nightclaw name, their mood instantly changed.

„Haven’t you heard about the curse?” Oh, not them too.

„What curse?” I hoped it wasn’t the same curse that my mom told me about.

„About the beasts walking at night. I heard that the Nightclaw family owned a few of those beasts,” Hana said.

„Yeah, I’ve heard that they kill people at the University. Especially young girls.” Chris threw his hands in the air, letting out a ghostly sound.

I started laughing. „Where did you hear those stupid things? My mom told me some stories, but yours...I can’t even.” Rolling my eyes, I looked at them, and they weren’t even laughing. They were pretty serious about those stories.

„They are not just stupid stories, Elizabeth,” Jack said to me, his blue eyes staring into my green ones. „ Remember my cousin Monica? Well, she goes to that University. She told me what happens to the people who go there. They all die, Ell.”

„Okay.” I raised my hands. „I get it where you got those stories from, but from who did you two heard about them?” I asked Hana and Chris.

„Simply.” Hana shrugged. „From Jack.”

I sighed. „Okay. If it will make you feel much better, I will be more careful from now on.”

Placing his hand on my shoulder, Chris broke the silence between us, „I have to go now.” He nodded towards Anastasia. „I will drive her home before she does something stupid,” He joked.

„Yeah, I will leave too,” Hana also said. Assholes. They want to leave Jack and me by ourselves.

„You promised me that you will drive me home,” I said to Chris.

He shrugged, a small, devilish smirk appeared on his lips.

„I will drive you,” Jack said. I looked at him for a moment, trying to realize what did he want from me.

„Then it’s settled.” Chris clapped his hands.

Coming to me, Hana and Chris gave me a final hug before they walked off to the dance floor. „Good luck. Be safe.”

~ - ~

During the drive, a deep silence was settled between Jack and me. Almost like we didn’t even know each other at all. He was focused on the road, while I was looking at my phone, answering my mother’s ten missed messages.

„So this is it?” I froze at his question. Biting my lower lip, I locked the phone and turned to him, seeing the way his jaw was clenched.

„I don’t know what are you talking about,” I leaned on the seat, closing my eyes for a second.

„You know what I mean. I didn’t want to make a scene in the bar, but now that we are alone, I want to talk about it,” His voice is like a whisper that breaks the silence in the air. I tried to avoid this conversation since we broke up, but now I realized that there was no way to avoid it.

„I know. It’s just...We wouldn’t work out, Jack. You...I...What you did...” Seeing my house from the corner, I turned to him. „You can just drop me here. Thank you for the ride.” He slowed down the car, and before he could stop the car, I opened the door and got out from the moving car.

„Elizabeth, wait!” I heard him calling my name from behind.

As soon as I stood into my house, I slammed the door and locked it. „This was a close one,” I said to myself. Peaking from the window, I watched him drive off. „This is a new start Elizabeth. Everything will be okay.”

~ - ~

„Did you pack everything you need?” My mother asked me while we drove to the airport. It was the seventh time in the last 30 minutes.

„Yes, mom,” I said to her. Even our butler Wilhelm smiled at my answer.

„I called Lena and she will wait for you at the airport.” I nodded and looked outside of the window, trying memorizing the city. Every person, every brick. I tried to memorize it all.

„Honey,” I turned around, seeing my mother’s crying face. Her green eyes were red and looked like glass. She opened her arms for a hug, and like always, I gladly take it. Unplugging the seatbelt, I moved to her, burying my head into her neck.

„You know, you could have taken your father’s offer and go with the private plane. At least you would be here for two more days.” I took a deep breath. I know.

„I will call your all when I land or at least send an e-mail when I settle down,” I said, trying to change the subject. Turning around, I glanced over to Mr. Wilhelm in his black suit. Yes, he was our butler, but sometimes, he was more a father to me than actually my biological one.

He smiled at me. „I will miss you, Miss. Elizabeth. Don’t forget to send me a postcard.” I laughed at his comment. He was the third person to ask that from me.

„I won’t, promise.”

~ - ~

The whole flight went pretty much okay. Somehow I managed to sleep it. When I woke up, the plane had already landed in Canada. The blond stewardess had to wake me up.

Mumbling a quick thank you, I grabbed my backpack and started heading out of the plane.

„Thank you for enjoying our flight,” Another stewardess said. I smiled at her, climbing down the stairs.

The first thing that caught my eye, was the sky. It was grey, but it wasn’t as cold as it was in Sweden during the first days of September.

„Excuse me, can you please tell me where the exit is?” I asked an older man. He smiled at me, and I guessed that he understood English.

Turning around, the old man pointed to the exit sign. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before.

After I took my suitcase, I started to search for my aunt. Mom told me that she would wait for me next to the exit H12 at 11:30 a.m. Now it’s 11:45 a.m. She was fifteen minutes late, and now standing at the exit sign with a heavy backpack and suitcase, I felt like a complete idiot. People were staring at me like they didn’t saw a tourist in their life.

„Are you searching for someone?” I jumped at a female voice talking behind me. When I turned around, I saw my aunt Lena standing in front of me with her arms open. I dropped everything from my hands and hugged her, but not completely. Something wasn’t letting me hug her properly.

„I waited for you about fifteen minutes,” I mumbled into her ear, trying to hug her tighter. I didn’t saw her and Louis since their wedding.

„Well, this baby will not feed herself.” Baby? I moved away from her, my eyes landing on her round belly.

„Mom didn’t tell me a thing.” I was still in shock. How could she not tell me about this?

„I wanted it to be a surprise,” She smirked, wiggling her eyebrows. I laughed. She always found a way to make me laugh.

From the corner of my eyes, I watched Louis walking towards us with a phone on his hear. He didn’t change a thing. He still looks young for a 33-year-old.

„I have to go now. My niece just came. I will give you a call when I get home,” He said, hanging up.

I have to admit, when I first met him . when he first started dating Lena, I didn’t quite like him because he had that dangerous aura around him, but I don’t think that now. He makes her happy and he would always do everything she asked. There are not quite of men who would do the same for their lover.

„Hello, Elizabeth,” He greeted me.

„Hello, Louis.” He places his hand around Lena’s waist and pulled her towards him, giving her a small kiss on her nose.

„I see you didn’t change a thing. Are you ready for your new life in Shadowrose?” Lena asked, returning the kiss.

„I am,” I answered with confidence.

„But are you ready for the beasts?” I laughed, walking next to them. Louis threw his arm around Lena’s shoulder, holding her closer to him while we walked through a bunch of people.

„You mean the stupid stories that people are telling me?”

„You know, they aren’t just stories,” Lena said in a serious tone. Louis looked serious too.

„What do you mean?”

„There are wolves walking at night. Big, black wolves, Elizabeth. They aren’t something you want to deal with.”