Nora didn't scream. She didn't make a sound. She didn't even move.

It wasn't because she was too brave to run away or anything like that. She was just so terrified, she didn't know what to do. Here she was, standing next to a snake that looked as big around as a watermelon. She couldn't see either end of it, and she could only guess how long the thing actually was.

It had deep, dark scales that looked almost the same shade of green as the leaves around her, especially in the dim light. That was how she'd managed to walk so close to the thing in the first place; the only reason she even knew it was there at all was because of the faint glow from the darkened sun reflecting off those scales. She watched, not daring to take her eyes from it as she tried desperately to form a plan.

Could she outrun it? She wasn't sure. She wasn't the world's best sprinter, and this wasn't open ground. So the odds didn't seem to be in her favor. As she continued to stare, she was pretty sure she saw it breathing. Nora shuddered, wondering how long she'd been standing next to the behemoth without even realizing it. Her blood ran cold as another thought occurred to her: did it already know she was there? And more importantly, if it did, what would it do about it?

She didn't hear any noises – no hisses, no rattles. That had to be a good sign, right? Or, a very bad one. Either way, it was time to leave. She started backing up slowly, trying her best not to make any sudden movements.

"Nor-a!" she heard again in that same raspy tone and froze completely. This time, she was sure it was someone calling her name.

Her heart started beating faster. First she'd come across a giant snake in the middle of the forest, and now some disembodied, guttural voice was calling her? She really should have taken those birds as the omen they so clearly were.

She darted her eyes around quickly, not daring to move. She wasn't sure which she was more afraid of – the giant snake or whoever was behind her. The voice wasn't exactly comforting at the moment.

"Nora! Turn around!"

She didn't want to. Maybe the adrenaline was clogging her brain, but she was having a hard time coming up with why she should. If she turned, who knew what she'd see? If she just ignored it, maybe this whole thing would go away.

Of course, if someone was here, calling her, that meant she wasn't alone, didn't it? And whoever was with her knew her name. She might not recognize the voice, but whoever they were, they obviously knew her.

So which was better? Should she turn around, try to figure out who –or what – was lurking in the shadows behind her? Or did she take her chances with the snake? Her eyes darted back to those deep green scales. Concerningly, they seemed to be moving.

Seeing the snake slowly slithering through the trees really helped Nora to make up her mind. She decided that it didn't actually matter who was calling her; being with anyone in the world would be better than facing a giant snake alone in the middle of a gloomy forest.

Slowly, heart beating a mile a minute, she turned and looked over her shoulder. But what she saw made her stop and stare. Amazingly, the giant snake was no longer her primary concern. And that voice? Maybe it hadn't been as unfamiliar as she'd initially thought.

Her brain felt like it was slipping out of gear as she tried to take in what she was seeing. She blinked her eyes. She squinted and tilted her head first left, then right. She tried everything she could to convince herself that it was just a trick of the light – or, lack of light. But no matter how hard or how long she stared, the scene before her never changed.

There was someone standing, shirtless, in the bushes. His dark hair was in dire need of a brush, and his cheeks were somewhat hollow. His eyes were filled with concern, but he still managed to have that same old, obnoxious grin he'd perfected way back in high school. But, it didn't make any sense. How could he be here?

He was close enough that he could reach out and touch her if he wanted to. Still, he didn't make a move. Nora just stared at him, afraid that if she reached out herself he might disappear. She didn't think she could take seeing him again if he wasn't even real.

Finally, she slowly reached her hand out. It connected with his chest. He felt warm and solid. She looked up into his eyes.

"Hi." he whispered, grinning.

"Ian?" she asked numbly.