A Story of Seasons Chapter 1

Rivers Edge

The subway train was packed, people where crammed near each other as the wagon moved a bit aggressive in each turn on the busy city. A young red hair woman was scrolling in her phone as she had her earphones on, hearing some disconnecting music for her sanity.

School was overwhelming her and also her social life that she didn’t require to have, but her friend dragged her in to it.

On her phone she could see an entire line of texts of her friend trying to convince her to come to the Halloween night party at her university grounds.

“Nebbi you need to be more social! It’s just one night...” the text read. She rolled her eyes while she thought what she was going to respond. Suddenly another text popped “Your favorite guy will be here… I know you wanna try and talk to him for the 100^th time” her hand twitched almost making her phone fall, she cleared her throat as she felt her face getting hot.

“fine” she replied, her heart raced as she typed it so quickly.

She passed her hand over her forehead and moved her red hair from her face. She whispered to herself “fine...”

She crunched her way out of the wagon as she got to her stop, there wasn’t a lot of movement on her station. She checked the song that was playing and skipped a couple of them as she kept walking. She checked her backpack and grabbed a bottle of water that she had started drinking before getting in the subway. As she climbed up the concrete stairs of the station she saw the sunshine of the exterior. The cold crispy wind of autumn caressed her face, she smiled as started walking towards her apartment. She had a little nice place in downtown, a bit close to some of her favorite food spots. Her college was in downtown and the little cafe where she worked was just around the corner to it. So taking the subway was just a way to get home… well her little hide-y hole.

The night started to creep on the sky, the street lights started to flicker and turn on as she started walking in the old streets. She could see the little apartment building just a few blocks ahead… and her phone started ringing. She checked as it vibrated frantically and indeed it was again her friend… she let out a sigh as she answered.

-What’s up Charlie? - she said as she kept walking to her home.

-YOU ARE COMING TONIGHT, RIGHT?- she loudly said, Nebbi stopped and sigh loudly.

-YES MOM- she said spitefully back to her.

-Dude… you need to go out more!!! It can’t be just work , school, sleep for you… I’m picking you up in an hour, at least… dress in black-

-That’s really hard… - She hated this type of gatherings but if she said no to her dear friend… it would not be the end of it there… probably a whole set of random calls and at some point at the night she would show up and dragged her in to whatever mischief she had in hand at the time Nebbi was probably already tucked and comfy in her bed.

-It’ll be fun! You can stay in my dorm, take your shit with you … I know you're a little bitch with what you sleep in – She always had a pack of IN CASE OF Charlie taking her to her dorm room set of pjs.

- fine… anything else mother?- she kept walking spitefully to her home.

-try and have a good time… I’ll see you in a bit!- she said and suddenly hanged up on her. Nebbi saw her phone for a second as the call ended and then kept walking, now with a bit of a heavy step. She saw how the lights of the street where lighting up more and more as it got darker… Ah yes that magical time where the sun went down earlier and had more time for the night time… she tried to get home sooner in those days, she didn’t feel comfortable walking by herself in the darkness… she was easily spooked.

She finally got in to the building, the old building used to be for offices and what not, but the landlord worked hard to make it an actual decent apartment building, it had the nice colonial-esque look, also the nice thing was it wasn’t a tall one, maybe 6 floors tops. Her place was in the first floor… she just needed to walk a bit to get to hers, it was down a hall and hers was almost at the end, like a horror movie set the light always blinked in the last part of it, she always complained about it but the land lord blamed it on the old electrical system. She opened the white door of her place and got in. As she turned the light on she took her shoes off in the front and walked on her socks the rest of the way. She had a little chair where she left her backpack. Even when she lived alone she tried to keep everything tidy and a spot for everything so she couldn’t loose a key or her little dumb things.

She walked to her room. For some insane reason she painted her room in a pale mustard yellow, it felt good for her and her bed, because she again thought it could contrast and got some purple dark colored covers and sheets to match. As she turned the light on she walked and just fell on her bed hard, trying to catch her breath before she did anything that night. She wasn’t thrilled with the idea… but her crush was going to be there. She looked at the clock… Charlie will be there soon she thought. Her and Charlie where friends since childhood… she was her only link to society even. When she decided to move out it was her idea to get on a dorm… but Nebbia wanted a place far from school and work. The little building in downtown was just instant love for her, her real wish was to get a place far from the city… not that she hated it, she enjoyed the easy way of getting things around and not walk or drive as far as it was required. Also she appreciated the little things this side of town provided and it was mostly the view of the maple trees growing and making everything so colorful and beautiful in this time of the year.

She got up and got a quick shower, after a long day at school and work she needed to at least clean up a bit from all that.

As she opened her closet she picked some purple leggings and a black hoodie. “this is the best I can do I guess...” she thought to herself. She grabbed a black t shirt and just dressed up a bit. She was thinking on putting some makeup as she watched herself in the mirror.

“what’s the point… he isn’t going to even pay attention to me” as she looked at herself in the mirror a weird thud noise startle her, she peeked outside the bathroom ,it was in the hallway from her room and the living room. It sounded like it came from the kitchen.

-Charlie are you here? - she asked as she walked out of her bathroom. It was dead silent. She walked towards the kitchen, everything seemed in place… it was an odd sound she heard. As she went to investigate a creak suddenly sounded on the bedroom… -what the… - she walked slowly to her room, slowly like if she was going to encounter something... terrible.

Suddenly the ring on her door rang loudly -OPEN UP!- Charlie screamed as she banged the door. Her heart jumped a beat, she grabbed her chest breathing deeply, she collected herself as she opened the door -you fucking scared me… jesus- she said while she walked to the kitchen grabbing a drink of water and sitting on a chair. Charlie came in closing the door behind her loudly.

-You look cute, and spooky… like a scared shitless girl- she joked. She too wore a skeleton hoodie and skeleton leggings with some sneakers; her purple hair was messy hanging all from her left side covering one of her eyes. She was obsessed with skulls...

-We both know you are being nice – she said as she stood up to grab her backpack, she walked back to her room, everything seemed normal. She grabbed quickly some sweatpants, pjs and a change of clothes in case of anything. She walked back to the living room while Charlie was fixing herself in a mirror she had in the entrance.

-yeaaah… you ain’t my type after all-Charlie said as she smiled at her.

-what… actually pretty?- Nebbia said with a smirk on her face, Charlie laughed hard as she opened the main door of her apartment as they both got out..

Nebbi closed the door behind her smiling -Not my fault every girl you date looks like a vampire on the creation- she said as she gave her a look.

-That’s the thing Nebbi… If you could be a bit paler and with bigger tits I MAY give you a shot- she joked hugging her from the back.

-Sorry, but I still like dick- she putted her keys on the hoodie. They both laughed as they walked out.

Charlie and her had a very intimate and close relationship, they almost grew like sisters, her family was always there for her when things got rough so they where always stuck like glue.

As they walked out Nebbi held her hand and stopped her from getting in the car…

-Is… everything ok? - Charlie said as she turned towards her. Nebbi looked back at her apartment and then looked back to her not saying a thing. -UGH are you worried again??? -

-I… I dunno if it’s a good idea...- she said in a timid voice.

-OH NO! You ain’t doing this again, this is YOUR NIGHT!-she said thumping her feet like a spoiled brat, but she stopped as she saw her looking towards her building and looked a bit shaken up.

-You ok though, right? - she asked grabbing her hand again this time in a concerned tone.

-yeah… just had a weird funny feeling -

-Come on, maybe you do need to get out of that apartment for the night- she said as she opened the cars door.

Nebbi followed her but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being followed or seen by someone … someone she could not really see.

As they drove on the little green Volkswagen towards the party; they talked and laughed as per usual and the night started to seem promising. As they got closer to the campus random parties started to pop in every corner, all sorts of people running around in make shift costumes doing what college kids do…

They finally got to the parking lot of the dorms and got out of the car, she usually parked close to the dormitories so if anything happened they had a quick escape plan.

-Lets just walk to the place it’s not that far. - She said as she locked the car. They both started walking down the street. There was a nice park with a river that crossed the entire campus, they liked to hang out there after Charlies adventures … or broken relationship talks like Nebbi called them. The night was brisk and it seemed like a good night to walk anywhere. As they kept walking and talking about their day they saw the concrete bridge, the lights where on making it a very romantic look of the place, you could hear the water of the river down bellow. It was a sizable stream and deep as well. In good days you could see fish lingering under it, and because it was part of the faculty they tried their best to keep it clean with not bothering the wild life.

- So… you think I get a chance with Sean? - Nebbi finally asked.

-Eh… you won’t know unless you try right?- she said as she passed an arm over her shoulders.

-It’s just… I am such a damn coward, I suck at doing this...- She putted her hands in her hoodie a bit nervous.

-Look… if I can get laid tonight you can do as well- she held from her tight as she kissed her on the head.

-You have it easy… You're pretty, confident… and like monster girls- Charlie kicked her in the shin.

-Stop it! You can do it… just...DO IT- she said as she shoved her around.

As they kept talking in the night they started hearing the music of a party closer in every step, more students and others dressed up started walking towards where the music and voices came from. Nebbi could feel her heart race a bit… not much from the party but that strange feeling she had when she got home, she really hadn’t shaken it off for some reason.

Charlie held from Nebbi’s arm shaking her while she was being loud and annoying. Nebbi only smiled at her but she kept her attention at every person she saw while walking to the place.

As the groups started to get bigger and the music was just across the street, they finally got to the place.

The area was a park section for all the campus, usually a plaza in the middle and most of the houses that where as well dorms and such, they had their own make shift bars and separate own groups and together it was one massive Halloween event.

Nebbi was more lost in her feeling. They stood looking at the crowds looking for someone to hang with, it was more Charlie’s bunch than hers… not even at school she had someone to be with, she just went to study and do her work…

-BETTY!!! - Charlie screamed as she jumped and just ran towards a little crowd of other people leaving Nebbi behind “As usual” she thought to herself… that was the other thing that she hated from social gatherings, every time she got dragged by her she was left alone till Charlie got bored or drunk.

Nebbi walked slowly towards Charlie’s friends till she stopped as her attention was driven to the other side of the street. A man in dark cloak stood under the trees, the light from one of the streetlight fell softly over him… but he was barely visible. She could feel his eyes, his attention to her… something made her just stop there… her heart beat hard almost wanting to jump out of her chest.

“am...i scared?” she thought.

-NEBBI COME ON!!!- Charlie grabbed her from the arm and pulled her quickly towards the group. She turned back to the trees but the man vanished as she was dragged... She could hear Charlie say something but she was lost in her attention to the strange figure.

-Hey you ok?- a familiar voice made Nebbi change her attention back, a young handsome dark hair guy smiled at her.

-S...Sean!- she stuttered – HI! Sorry I was lost in my thoughts – she laughed nervously…

-I can see that, didn’t think you where coming to the party, you don’t seem the type- he said, he wasn’t dressed up or anything, just a hoodie, jeans and his messed up hair. He held a red cup with some kind of beverage as he sipped it every so often.

- I brought her!!- Charlie hugged her from the back – She needs a break from her mopping – she kissed her on the cheek and pushed her a bit towards him making him almost spill his drink, Nebbi stopped almost instantly, like she wasn’t already embarrassed enough.

-Y..yeah… well Charlie said that I need to be more… social – she smiled a bit.

-Not a bad thing, want a drink or something?- he offered pointing to one of the make shift bar.

-Sure… - he smiled and walked towards the tables looking at her, Nebbi just followed him turning towards Charlie that was giving her a double thumbs up approving the move.

Sean was the type of guy that she always enjoyed looking from a far. Good looking, popular and every obvious stereotype you can think from a rom com… she liked something about him, she always thought that maybe he is just the bad boy that can make her life a bit more interesting, maybe just to have some fun… never really thought beyond that with him. She needed someone to connect more emotionally… but that was hard to find. Either way… she still liked to think that he would be that guy, just she didn’t know him enough to see it.

They started drinking while walking around the place, it just seemed like the night was calming down as time passed. She didn’t drank that much, it was more of a social thing for her… he seemed ok while grabbing a casual cup every so often tho, just so she looked more sociable.

They sat somewhere away from the crowd, there was a stoned wall that surrounded the premises and just started talking by themselves, just little talks. Nebbi felt that this was going towards a good place… or so she thought when he suddenly started loosing interest. Slowly but surely she felt his attention was in other places than her.

She was talking about her job when he suddenly said – I’m getting another drink I’ll be right back ok?- he said still smiling, she nodded … as he quickly got up and started walking back to the party.

- I am not interesting enough… or I am not easy enough? I wonder...- she said to herself while looking at her still half full cup. She just sat there waiting, she looked at the moon for a moment… it was full and hid shyly behind the clouds as the clouds moved quick with the cold wind that was suddenly blowing.

Almost an hour passed, as she heard everyone chanting, she turned towards the party down in the plaza and they had started a huge bonfire. She left her cup on the stones and walked towards the fire. She still had her backpack over her, she held from the straps as she walked lonely to the crowd. Tried to look for her friend but Charlie was probably somewhere with some girl she just met… so she just stood looking at everyone having a great time.

As she glimpse in to the crowd she saw Sean already with some other girl talking, he was even holding her from the waist talking to her closely. She looked at them for a moment lost in her disappointment till some person pushed her out of her thoughts.

-What was the point of all this...- she pushed herself off the crowds, and started walking away from to place towards the dorms, she can always get in Charlies apartment and sleep in the couch till she decided to show up she thought… nothing out of the ordinary or the usual social events she was dragged over and over again.

She walked fast as she could cleaning some tears that roll down her chin… and suddenly she found herself at the start of the bridge but something made her stop right before she got over it.She could see someone standing looking towards the river, a tall man. “is...that the man from earlier?” she thought, the wind blew softly … it was an odd chilly breeze.

She walked slowly grabbing tight of her backpack strips and stopped some steps from him. He seemed like he was looking towards the river in silence.

-Are you following me?- she asked him -cause if you are… I will call the police on you- she pulled her phone out from her hoodie pocket. He turned to her slowly, she couldn’t really see his facial details almost like the lighting was avoiding it.

-I mean no harm… - he finally said. She couldn’t see his eyes, the street light was shinning behind him making it hard to actually see his face, but for some reason she felt sadness emanating from him.

-What do you want?- she asked… he looked at the river again.

- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I was hesitant on getting close to the place… I can’t stand big crowds of people- his voice was soft and melancholic. Nebbi walked a bit closer as she leaned a bit on the bridges edge. She could feel the cold concrete of it. He was looking at his hands, touching his fingers looking at them. Nebbi sighed feeling kind of a jerk… maybe he was doing his own thing and made it her problem.

-No… I’m sorry, I thought you where creeping on me – she said a bit blushed and embarrassed.

- It’s alright, we just… crossed paths –

-Seems like…are you alright? - she asked looking towards the river.

-No, I just lost someone – he almost whispered, her heart sank even more. Now she did feel like a gigantic jerk.

- Oh… - there was a long silence, you could hear a pin drop from the tension of it.

- It was my fault though, all my fault… I just want to make everything right but I can’t do anything to bring her back to me – he said as leaned down putting his head over his hands leaning on the bridges rail. Nebbi could sense his grief in every word, almost as if every time he spoke her heart broke slowly… how strange she thought, she never felt like this with anyone...

- Don’t be so harsh on yourself- she said as she walked a bit closer and slowly.

- I loved her so much… she was my soul mate… my everything… and everything I did it was thinking of her… every beat of my heart every step I gave to be better was for her…-

Nebbi slowly lift her hand and gently put it over his shoulder, but as her hand touched his shoulder suddenly a flash came in to her mind… she heard a scream, a thousand images came to her eyes, like a million events flashed over her eyes and by the shock she fell on her back screaming as her hand was shaking… her body was trembling in fear. She turned towards him, his eyes shinned green, a very glowing green.

- I need a new sacrifice! -he screamed, she crawled and lift herself up trying to run from him. She couldn’t scream or shout for help, she was more desperate to run away from him. She whimpered in fear as she tried to get away from him but she felt something grabbing her ankle and bringing her hard down to the concrete. As she turned, from the man several long arms grew from him glowing like a ghostly apparition coming from his body and one of them caught her tight, it’s when she finally screamed.

The monstrous arms dragged her towards him and lifted her up, she screamed for help as she was lifted up in the air violently shaken and grabbed tight from the arms and legs lifting her up almost 8 feet in the air.

-WHAT DO YOU WANT??!! LET ME GO!!! - she cried, the man with glowing eyes looked up to her, no expression on his face.

- You need to go home Nebbia… and help me – he said as he threw her in to the river, she screamed as she fell in to the water, even when the height wasn’t that high it felt like forever to fall in to the cold freezing water. Her body sank almost like it was dragged down deeper and now silence was back in to empty area… only the water passing under it was to be heard.

In the now empty street a slight buzzing sounded in the concrete floor… a phone rang… It was Charlie.

---

CHAPTER 2 ON NOVEMBER 6!

Thank you for reading!

If you want to check the little prelude Check it here!

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