The pranks stopped. I didn't know why. I assumed that Ashley had secretly keyed a few cars, or threatened a few people. But she didn't own up to it when I asked. All I knew was that Kristi stayed far away from me. She would freeze and bolt the other way when she saw me. She looked afraid and I had no idea why. It left me feeling strangely unsettled. The 'Ranch Girl' nickname stayed, but I had gotten fairly good at ignoring it.

I sat down in second period that Wednesday, with growing concern. I was having a hard time concentrating. My heart was beating irregularly and my ability to dish out sassy comebacks was not up to its normal standards. My brain kept getting pulled to thoughts of rain, a boy with dark eyes, and a strange tenderness that surprised me. 

When I had gotten home that day, I left his jacket on his front porch, and we hadn't spoken about it since. It felt more like a strange dream than something that actually happened.

Before class began, I leaned towards Ashley and whispered quietly, "I think I'm dying."

"What?" She giggled, assuming I was joking. I didn't blame her. That was a terrible way to start a conversation in the middle of the school day. "What from? Boredom? I don't blame you. This class is a snooze." She pretended to fall asleep.

"I'm serious," I hissed. "My heart has been acting weird. Irregular heartbeats. I can't concentrate. I keep seeing strange things. I think I'm dying. I think I caught something lethal."

Ashley looked suddenly concerned. "What do you think it is?"

Orion walked into class and sat down in his usual seat in front of me. He turned and smiled.

"Morning, Ranch Girl," he greeted in a deep wonderful baritone. His voice was annoying. Terribly, wonderfully, stupidly, irritatingly, fantastically annoying.

"Yep," I said looking down, ignoring his gaze. "Morning."

Ugh. My brain is totally dying. 

He chuckled as he swung around so he was facing me fully. His face was closer than I was prepared for, and my nose was filled with the intoxicating smell of citrus and pine. He needed to stop smelling so good. It was unhelpful. I refused to look up at him, pretending instead to be looking through my class notes.

"I've been thinking..." 

Suddenly a piece of paper slid into my view. I looked down, reading the information before peering up at Orion. I was startled by his beautiful eyes so close to mine and forgot for a breath what I was going to say. 

Focus! 

After a moment I gained my ability to speak again, and raised a brow. "The singing competition? I thought you said you didn't sing."

A ghost of a smile played at the edges of his lips. "I don't. You're entering."

I shook my head, my heart pounded in panic. I shoved the piece of paper back towards him. "Pass. Very, VERY hard pass."

"Too late. You're already signed up." He said pushing the piece of paper back towards me. "Just thought I would give you a heads up."

My cheeks flamed, anger and embarrassment warring for the top spot on my emotional ladder. "What? No. You can't—"

"I did. Trust me. You'll be great. You got the pipes for it."

I looked up at him in panic. I was past angry. I was terrified. It erased all other feeling. "I can't," I whispered.

"Why do you keep saying that? Obviously, you can. You have vocal cords. You can sing. So it isn't a matter of can't."

He turned around before I could say another word. I closed my mouth and ran my fingers through my hair in frustration, causing my red curls to bounce back up around my face. I crumbled up the flyer for the singing competition and shoved it into my pocket, needing it off my desk.

Ashley smiled widely at me, her eyes sparking with excitement. "Ohhhh, I think I know what you caught," she whispered softly, her voice taking on a playfully taunting lilt. 

I looked at her, bewildered. "What?" My brain was still stuck on the idea that I had to sing in front of several hundred people. There had to be a way out of it. I was going to get out of it. 

She pointed to Orion. "Meet your something lethal."

My mouth dropped open, utterly shocked. "No way," I hissed, jumping up to my feet before I realized that class had started.

"Ms. Brookes, is there a problem?" my teacher called.

I looked around the class, coming to myself as I discovered every pair of eyes staring up at me.

"I ummm..." My heart ran faster, sending me into a near panic. "I... need to go to the nurse's office. I think I caught something."

Something lethal. Actual death level. Not a fake disease that Ashley made up. I am dying. She's wrong.

Before waiting for permission I grabbed my bag and bolted from the room.

...

"Nothing. Your heart rate is fine. Have you been sleeping?" 

Ms. Larson, the thirty-five-year-old nurse with short brown asked as she put away her stethoscope. She wore a pair of large rimmed glasses that constantly fell down her thin nose. 

She pushed her glasses up against her set of brown brows and peered at me, doubtful. I assumed by the look on her face that she thought I was faking. Other students claimed to be sick to get out of class. But she didn't know me. Even when I was sick, I always attempted to fight through it. I grew up in a "rub some dirt on it," household. But this was something new and terrifying. I didn't trust it and I needed her to find something wrong. 

"Yeah. A bit of tossing and turning. But getting a normal amount of sleep," I supplied. 

I suddenly felt silly sitting in the nurse's office, claiming to be having a strange sort of heart problem. Why did I run out of the classroom like a crazy person?

"I think if you get a few nights of good sleep, you should feel better." She smiled kindly at the look of confusion on my face. "Take a nap in here. Better than napping in your next class." I nodded, too embarrassed to reply. She turned and left the room.

I sighed and walked over to the small cot they kept in the nurse's office for patients. Laying down, I stared at the ceiling. I had been pushing down something deep in my mind that was starting to break through. And with nothing but a ceiling to stare at, the thought burst through, hitting me hard, forcing me to think about the thing I had been ignoring for the last week. "Maybe it's not the coffee," I whispered.

Is Ashely right? Am I doomed to be taken down by Orion? I watched my dad nearly die when my mom did. I refuse to be taken down by a ridiculous crush. I don't want to be plagued by the disease of it. A stupid, stupid crush that is just... well stupid. 

Clearly, I could add eloquent to my list of things I had lost in the battle of Orion's lethal illness. No. It isn't Orion. I have to be dying. That makes more sense. My phone buzzed in my pocket.

A text from Ashely filled the screen. "Hey girl, you okay? You looked freaked. Maybe you really are sick." 

Relief filled me. That had to be it. I was sick. It was caffeine withdrawal, followed by a lack of sleep. In a few days, I would regain control of my mind and my stupid heart problem.

I left school early and went home, determined to get some sleep, and beat this strange illness as fast as possible. Dad was surprised to see me when I walked through the door. 

He was in the middle of changing out a lightbulb in our living room, tilting back on the step ladder to a scary degree, furrowing his peppered brows as he looked me over with concern. "Hi, hon. You're home early. You feeling okay?"

I shook my head. "Nothing bad. Just need a bit more sleep. Should be better in a day or two." I moved to the stairs.

"Orion told me you were signed up for the singing competition," My dad said. 

I stopped mid-step. And now I will have to actually make good on my plan to kill Orion. He's getting too chummy with my dad. What's wrong with him?!? 

My dad continued before I could get further with my death plan spiral. "I think that's wonderful."

I turned, surprised. "You do?"

My dad finished screwing in the light bulb and stepped down, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Yeah. You used to sing all the time with your mom and I think you'd do a wonderful job." He offered me a vulnerable soft smile. "I hope you didn't stop because of me."

"No." I lied. 

I just found other things to focus on, or not focus on. Work had taken up my life, leaving room for little else. A welcome escape from missing mom. But Orion had taken that away. And now he was pushing music back into my life. Why? What good will that do? What good will thinking about life outside of my daily routine do?

"Well I am glad you're gonna give it a shot," my dad said, pulling me back to the present. "You'll do great. I can't wait to see it. I'm proud of you." 

He offered me a big grin that made it impossible to refuse. A mix of emotions warred inside. Relief that he wanted to hear my voice. Fear at actually preforming. Anger at Orion. 

Crap. Now I have to do it. 

Weariness hit me. I did my best to match his smile with one of my own, hoping it reached my eyes. Then I headed upstairs before he could catch how terrifying the whole idea was. I collapsed onto my bed, not even bothering to remove my shoes. I was out as soon as I hit the blanket.

...

I woke up with a start, darkness coating my room. A chill ran down my spine. Something loud woke me up. The sun was gone, making it hard to see anything around me. 

Hearing a crash outside, I rubbed my eyes, groggily got to my feet, and walked to the window. Figures ran through the fields below, with no attempt to be quiet.

I groaned. Stupid kids. 

The Carlson children from a farm down the road had a habit of running through our ranch, stealing crops, and painting inappropriate images on the side of our barn on a monthly basis. I didn't want to spend all day tomorrow painting over phallic shapes.

I dashed downstairs, determined to stop them before they got too far with their artistic license. My  dad would be in town, playing poker with some friends like he did every Wednesday night. 

I glanced at the clock as I moved past. He wouldn't be back for a few hours. I'd have to handle it by myself.

Dashing to the barn, I quickly mounted my horse and readied my lasso, bent on scaring those kids so bad that they would never dare come back. My dad had always been nicer in his approach, but he wasn't there to reign me in.

I galloped towards the figures that were rushing through the tall grass and readied my lasso. I swung and threw the thick rope around the closest figure, catching him around the waist. The horse moved closer to the trapped figure and I jumped off.

"Why don't you kids ever learn—" The words died on my lips as terror snaked up my body.

I wasn't staring at a child, but a dark rock-like monster, that loomed eight feet high, its body as thick as a tree trunk. I took a step backwards, biting back a scream. The creature growled, shaking the ground with the sound. Large eyes dripped molten lava as its gaze bored into me. 

It attempted to free itself from the rope, eyeing me with rage. I suddenly realized that if I let go of the rope, I would be losing the only thing keeping the monster from coming right at me.

Oh shoot. 

I scrambled back onto my horse, body working on instinct, keeping a tight grip on the rope, and took off, dragging the creature behind me in a mad dash. I heard a roar of protest as the tall grass parted behind me, bending awkwardly to make room for the strange behemoth I had somehow discovered. I felt like I was towing a shark. Something wild and angry and far beyond my ability to control. 

A second roar ripped through the air to my left. I saw another creature coming towards me, it's red eyes filling the night with a terrifying red glow. I veered to the right but saw one coming at me on that side. I urged my horse to go faster hoping to outrun them all. The roaring protests of my captured monster grew louder, a war cry of fury. 

I forced myself to keep moving, keep thinking. I would have to panic later. I had to survive first. I had no idea what my plan was. All I seemed to be capable of, was urging the horse faster. 

Suddenly, my concentration shattered as the rope yanked me back, and I was flung off the horse as I tried to keep a grip on it. I landed with a painful thud, hitting my head on the hard-packed dirt ground, the air knocked out of my lungs. 

The monster moved into view, hovering over me, growling with jagged sharp black teeth made of a strange metal, heat wafting off of it, threatening to set me on fire. It's hot breath smelled like rot, the fumes sending my hair whipping out of my face with each guttural breath.

Air rushed back into my lungs and I heard myself scream, surprised by the strange animal noise I made. 

I saw a flash of bright colorful light consume the creature and suddenly, Orion stood where the monster was a moment ago. He lunged at the monster that was now on the ground, ten feet away, tearing it apart like tissue paper.

Orion began to glow. His hair turned red and levitated as if gravity was just a mere suggestion and not a rule to follow. His whole body turned transparent and took on a swirl of colors and constellations. My head throbbed as I stared. 

I quickly pulled out my phone, planning on calling the police, and then stopped. What am I supposed to say? Hi, there's some monsters and a glowing guy fighting on my ranch. Can you come break it up? Instead, I pulled out my camera app and hit record.

A second monster attempted to pounce on Orion from behind. But Orion moved fast, faster than humanly possible, and took down the creature, punching him straight through the middle of his rock body, leaving a large gaping fist-shaped hole. The creature shook and then exploded into a pile of crystallized ash. Orion moved onto the final creature, ripping his head off.

Before my eyes, I watched all three creatures explode into a pile of crystallized ash. The wind picked up and quickly blew away the debris, all evidence of their existence, gone. Orion watched the ash fly away, breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his brow. I stopped recording and put it away, not wanting Orion to see what I had done.

He walked over to me, still glowing as he reached my side. As he leaned down and looked into my eyes, I saw them spark with red flecks, small fires highlighting the dark twin skies of his eyes. The red quickly transformed into flecks of grey, highlighting the streaks of grey that took over the red that had filled the black strands of his hair moments before. 

My heart panicked, confused, overwhelmed, beyond words at the new person I was staring at. Who are you, Orion? What are you? What's happening?

The glowing left his body and I saw the Orion that I had grown used to seeing, leaning over me. I didn't realize that I was shaking until he touched my shoulder gently. I forced myself to stay still, afraid to watch him light up the night again if I made a run for it. Afraid that I was going to get burned, lit up like a firework. 

"Did they touch you? Are you okay?" he asked urgently. 

I just stared at him, stuck on what I had seen, incapable of understanding the words he was saying. He placed both of his hands on my shoulders, searching my eyes. What is he? What the hell is going on? And why aren't I screaming?

"Alina. I need to know if they touched you." He had never called me Alina before. The sound of it in his mouth felt strange. Too full of concern. No malice. 

It sprouted a warmth deep down inside that sent a shiver through my spine. I blinked, coming back to the present, and shook my head in response.

He let out a deep breath, relaxing his shoulders as he let me go. He ran his fingers through his hair and I watched it melt back to its normal jet black color. His eyes followed. I suddenly felt dizzy, overwhelmed by everything. My head throbbed. 

Orion reached out and gently touched my forehead. I winced as sharp pain cut across my temple, adrenaline giving away to dizziness. He pulled his fingers back, and I saw that they were covered in dirt and blood. I felt my head swim and the world went dark. 

---

Thank you for reading chapter seven! I hope you are enjoying the story! Or are at least curious to see where it goes!

UPDATE DAYS - A NEW CHAPTER EVERY WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY!

WHAT IS GOING ON?!? What just happened?

Will Alina remember what happened? 

What were those creatures and how did Orion know what to do?

What were the creatures after?

CHAPTER QUESTION - Have you ever had a crazy moment of bravery where you acted without thinking? What happened?