Strangers in the Night

“Wond’ring in the night, what were the chances, we’d be sharing love, before the night was through?”

Frank Sinatra lilted through Laura’s headphones. She flicked a mosquito off of her face. The moon hung high in the sky, glowing with the light from the far off sun, but the warm, sticky, summer evening was getting to be too much.

She had vowed on New Years that she would go for a walk every other evening. Her beginning of year self-had been all about “wellness” but now she was tired and less inclined to listen. After all, she was older and wiser than she had been 6 months ago was she not?

A thick silence hung in the air, broken only slightly by the distant croaking of frogs and chirp of crickets hiding in the bushes. She had decided to take a route off of the normal path, winding through willow trees and looming oaks. The moon peaked shyly from behind the leaves, providing her with incredibly little light. She wiped sweat from her forehead. Her hair was already frizzing up from the humidity. Oh my god she had just straightened it this morning. Executive decision, it was time to turn around and go home. Just as she was about to turn around however, she suddenly noticed what seemed to be a pair of large, glowing eyes blink down at her from the trees. Startled, she backed up a few feet, squinting to get a better look. Probably just a cat. She turned around, but only got a few feet before she heard a rustling behind her, and a light sound hitting the dirt.

“Who’s there?”

She whirled around and was surprised to see a woman standing before her. She looked to be in her mid-twenties perhaps, but there was no way because, this woman was most certainly not human. Her hair hung down to her knees, in the moonlight Laura could see that it was an emerald hue. The woman’s skin was tinted a pale green, and vines seemed to sprout from her arms and legs. Her large eyes glowed ever so slightly in the dark and she slowly blinked below long eyelashes. Her dress was crafted from intertwining leaves and vines, and she was completely barefoot. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead of English came out a lilting song. The language, Laura could not identify. Instead, she stood there, astonished. The woman seemed to notice her surprise and cleared her throat.

“I am sorry, English is not my first language.”

“I-I-uhm it’s fine. It took me a while to learn too, up to the age of 5 I think.”

What on earth was she saying? And why was she even talking to this woman? No, this…creature? The woman smiled ever so slightly.

“Who are you? Why are you in my woods?”

“Y-your woods?”

The woman nodded. “I am the spirit of this forest. A dryad. People do not stray from the path here; it can be hard to find your way out.”

“Yes, I mean I was slightly concerned about that. I-I’m sorry, am I hallucinating?”

The woman actually laughed this time. “I should hope not, that would make me a figment of your imagination and I would hate to see this forest left uncared for. It is beautiful after all is it not?”

Laura nodded her head, still in a daze. “What’s your name? Even if I am imagining this, I may as well feed into this. The walk has been so terribly boring.”

“Well, I don’t truly have a name, but the name commonly given to me by humans would be Vedia. Holy spirit of the forest in Teutonic.”

“You’re a…forest spirit?”

“In a sense, yes. As I said, I am a Dryad, but more so I am the forest itself, a part of nature but simply personified. I am the life force of nature shown in a way that your human eyes are able to see.”

It was difficult, admittedly, for Laura to wrap her head around this. The night was hot, she was tired, this very well might all be delirium, but it was damn cool at that.

“Why would you, I don’t know, show yourself to me? I mean you know better than anyone the shit humans are doing to forests. I could kill you or something. I mean, I won’t, believe me I won’t, I promise. But…I don’t know.”

“The path you wandered to end up here does not show itself often. And it does not show itself to anyone.”

Laura perked up slightly, a small flicker of pride blooming in her. The dryad must have noticed this however because she quickly added on.

“You do not possess any sort of magic; you are simply a good human. No purity of heart is involved, I simply know that you do not wish to harm the environment here.” She smiled warmly, the sides of her eyes crinkling as she smiled. Laura’s heart picked up in pace.

“I-no, of course I don’t. I really was just going for a walk. I was actually thinking about turning around…but now I don’t want to.”

“It is best not to dwell for too long in these woods. Life force is concentrated here and is not the most suitable for humans to be around for long periods of time. As I said before, you will lose your way.”

“If I leave will I be able to find you again?” “If the forces allow it. I will guide you home.”

“Wait I-” But before Laura could finish her sentence, the woman disappeared. Laura cursed herself and turned towards the dark woods. Suddenly, a ball of golden light apparated before her and lazily wound through the trees. She was being guided back. Through the nearly black woods, she followed the light until she was spit back onto the park path. Damnit.

“Something in your eyes was so inviting, something in your smile was so exciting, something in my heart told me, I must have you.”

Laura’s manager called her in for extra shifts every single day that week. Lindsey called in sick, Derek had a family event, Portia was on a trip, so Laura was stuck shaking cocktails at the hotel bar until 2am. One of the nights was slow, and her mind was drifting, memories of her encounter with Vedia drifting to the surface. Laura did not think she had ever seen a being so beautiful in her life. The way she just seemed to radiate the moonlight, how light bounced off of her hair, and her graceful movements.

“Hey, can I get a Southside?”

A light voice broke Laura out of her head and she looked to see a young woman standing before her. She was on the shorter end, light brown hair fell just below her chest, complimenting her blue eyes. Freckles dotted her nose and cheekbones. Her brown lipstick set apart the rest of the look. She wore a navy suit, a white blouse blooming beneath the collar. She radiated confidence and beauty.

“Yes, of course I’m sorry.” She turned to grab the gin and limes from behind her.

“I don’t blame you for spacing out. I’ve seen you working late every single night this week. Co-workers bailed, huh?”

“Yeah, unfortunately. How often are you in here? It’s hard to notice that the bartender has been consistent every night.”

The woman chuckled. “I’m staying here for work, the lounge is probably the most relaxing space in the hotel, I’ve been working in here at night.”

“What do you do for work?”

“I’m a marketing consultant for the aerospace company in Seattle, I live in New York maybe three quarters of the year but during the summer they send me across the country to help them fix all the marketing strategies their team needs help with. What’s your name?”

“Laura, what’s your name?”

“I’m Margaret. Laura, can I take you out to dinner on Friday?”

“Sorry, what?”

“I said can I take you out to dinner?”

“Well, I mean I suppose so- yes. Yes, no of course you can.”

“Wonderful. Are you available to meet me in the lobby at 7:00 on Friday evening?”

“Yes.” Was all Laura was able to get out. Margaret smiled at her.

“Could I have my southside?”

Laura looked down; she had been in the middle of pouring the simple syrup into the shaker, but had seemingly stopped midway. “Yes, I’m sorry.”

Margaret gently took the drink from Laura. “I’ll see you on Friday.”

Friday evening Laura stood in the lobby for nearly half an hour. Well, in fairness to Margaret, Laura had gone down to the lobby at 6:30 fearing she had misunderstood the time. She wore a dark blue navy slip dress and black kitten heels. Her hair had been slicked back into a claw clip that her hair spilled over in the back. Layers of delicate gold necklaces lay across her chest and gold bangles clinked together as she pulled her phone out once again to check the time. 7:00.

“Not one to be late I see.”

Margaret stood behind her smiling, hands at her hips.

“Well, I wasn’t completely sure what time you said, so I just got here at 6:30, and I didn’t want to be late, and-”

“You look nice.”

“So do you.”

Margaret did look nice, really she looked gorgeous. She had on a dark gold midi dress and dark blue heels. A gold and sapphire layered necklace hung at her neck and blue rings of various sizes studded her fingers. Her hair had been swept up into a loose up-do, and she had traded in the brown lipstick for a dark red.

“Are you ready?”

“Well, I’ve got nothing else going on this evening.”

Margaret laughed and extended her hand to Laura.

Saturday morning, Laura thought she would go for a walk. The previous night, she had been out until nearly 3am with Margaret. Once they had been asked to leave the restaurant after they had overstayed their time, they barhopped for a few hours and finished the night with ice cream. Margaret was so easy to talk to, although many times Laura was at a loss for words when she would glance over and see Margaret staring deeply at her. Her skin tingled and her face warmed. She did not think she had had a nicer evening in a while. She grabbed her phone. The bright light of her lock screen glared back her. 8:00am. She wouldn’t have to go into work until 6pm tonight, she should definitely get out.

“And ever since that night, we’ve been together, lovers at first sight, in love forever”

Laura trudged through the back paths of the park, vaguely remembering a certain path in the back of her head. Where she was going she wasn’t sure, even what she was looking for she could not recall, but she felt pulled by some sort of energy. A sort of gravity leading her through the woods. She must have been wandering for nearly 2 hours when she came across a large willow tree. Pulling back the delicate hanging leaves, she was revealed to Vedia. Oh right, Vedia. She did not seem to notice Laura yet, and was kneeled at the base of the tree, melodically trilling to a rabbit that was cuddled in her arms. There was that foreign language again, and there was that quick heartbeat.

“Vedia.”

Vedia startled and the rabbit jumped out of her arms, darting into a hole underneath the tree.

“You scared him.”

“Oh, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to but well, I wasn’t expecting to see you. Or well, I was I suppose but something had fogged my memory. It is good to see you again though.”

“Hello Laura.” Vedia smiled and patted the ground beside her.

She looked slightly different today. Her eyes did not glow like they had a few nights ago, but rather sparkled green and blue in the rays of sunlight peeking through the willow leaves. Her hair was twisted into an elaborate braid falling beside her knees, and she seemed to glow in the sunlight.

“I’d like to teach you some things Laura. I can feel that you will be a constant presence in this forest. An important presence in my very existence.”

Weeks passed, months passed, a year passed, and nearly every morning Laura visited Vedia. She showed Laura the flow that nature had, the life within the forest, and the beauty behind the life force that coursed through every living being, including Laura herself. It was not hard to find Vedia, Laura was drawn to her in ways she could not explain. The moment she would lay eyes on her, energy zipped through her body and warmed her inside. One evening they layed in the grass, stargazing. Vedia’s voice was soft, her knowledge of the stars vast and beautiful. Laura quietly listened to her stories. She liked the idea that from nature she had been born and to nature she would return. They were less than an inch from each other, and she knew they could both feel the electricity in the small gap. The small gap that internally, Laura knew she could never close. She woke up the next morning that same distance from Vedia, so close she was nearly curled within her arms.

She had been officially with Margaret for 7 months now. It had taken a while for Laura to muster up the courage to ask her to be her girlfriend, but they were settling into a life together. Margaret was set to move in 3 weeks from now, and yet Laura would visit Vedia every morning. Her presence filling Laura with joy and a sense of belonging.

The day before Margaret moved in, Laura woke up early that morning, being sure not to wake her sleeping girlfriend and left to walk. Laura could have done the journey with her eyes closed by now. She came to the same tree, pulling back the leaves, but Vedia wasn’t there. Laura paced around the area, peering behind bushes, squinting up into trees, calling Vedia’s name. Nothing. Her eyes began to water, and her breath came in short spurts, had she lost her? Had she lost her love, her energy, her life force? Was Vedia gone?

“Laura.”

She whirled around to see Vedia standing behind her. Laura rushed over, gravity pulling her towards the dryad, towards her Vedia, but she stopped short in her tracks when Vedia extended her arm to stop Laura from coming any closer.

“What? What’s going on? Where did you go, I got so concerned I-”

“Laura, you need to stop coming to see me.”

“What? No, I can’t, I can’t do that you-”

“Laura. I am a holy spirit, I am not mortal, I am not of your realm, I cannot be with you.”

“That’s ridiculous, I’m with you every day, we see each other every day I-”

“You know what I mean. Laura I am not even truly the form that you see me in, you cannot spend a life with me. I am of the earth, and I am concerned that you do not realize that. I knew this from the start, at least I suspected it.”

“Vedia. Please you have to know-”

“I do know Laura believe me. I know what you feel, and the only reason that I had not stopped you from coming here every day was because I felt the same. The same connection to you. I felt everything that you felt in my own way, but you would never be happy with me.”

“But I love you. Every day this year when I have been in your presence I have felt an energy that nothing else can make me feel, not even…”

“Not even, your girlfriend?”

Laura’s head dipped in shame; her heart fell into the pit of her stomach. Margaret, she loved Margaret. She knew she loved Margaret.

“I feel a different way around you I can’t describe it it’s-”

“It’s the life force Laura. When you are with me it is within you, it flows through you. You are feeling it in your soul because it makes up everything that I am.”

Laura held back tears. “My feelings for you were real.”

“I believe you. But I also know that the life force eats away at those it inhabits if they take it in too much. This is why I told you the dangers of it. I should have stopped this earlier. Before you-”

“Fell in love with you?”

Vedia stepped closer to Laura. “Be with Margaret Laura. She is your future; she is what you need in your life. Not me. I’ll kill you eventually. My presence will kill you.”

Tears streamed down Laura’s face, she felt weak. Nearly about to collapse. “I can’t stop you can I?”

Vedia shook her head, gently reaching towards Laura’s face, but pulled away abruptly. “Go home Laura.”

“I’ll never see you again?”

Vedia did not reply but stepped closer. She gently kissed Laura, life force flowing through one body into the other. She opened her eyes to see a glowing golden orb floating through the sky, glowing with life and radiance. She wiped tears from her face and trudged back down the path.

Years passed, and Laura loved Margaret. She really did love Margaret. They moved in together, Laura proposed to her one day, and they got married 5 months later. It was a summer wedding, and their friends and family attended with joyous tears streaming down their faces. Laura picked a very specific spot. Right underneath a large willow tree. They were pronounced newlyweds, and as they kissed, Laura heard a whisper of love in the air, a warm breeze flowing through her, warming her soul.