Come Love A Stranger

Seven

When Mariah got home, she saw her mother pacing to and fro in front of the house, her father was sitting on the bench with his head resting on the wall. She took a deep breath and walked closer to them, knowing that she was in trouble. When Lydia saw her, she couldn’t stop the tears from trailing down her cheeks, “Mariah,” she called in relief.
Mariah looked guilty, knowing she was the reason her mother was like that, “mother, I am really sorry, I did not mean to make you so worried.”
Lydia said nothing and just hugged her. Josiah sat up from where he was sitting and approached them, “Mariah,” he called and Lydia released her to look at him, “my dear, if you continue like this, how will we know when you are in trouble to start looking for you? You are always coming home late, should we stop worrying and believe at all times that you are okay?”
“I am really sorry, papa, I didn’t mean to make you and mother worry so much,” she apologized.
Josiah sighed and caressed her face, “I pray you should always be safe,” he smiled faintly to her, “come, let us go in, it is late.” He held his wife and led them in while Mariah followed them with a smile, her thoughts filled with the stranger with silvery white hair that she met in the forest. But what she didn’t know was that as she followed her parents in, at the edge of the forest, hidden behind a tree, stood the very man she was thinking about, watching them.
***
“Wake up, Mariah, wake up,” Mariah moaned to the gentle voice calling for her, she tossed and turned on the bed, her eyes still tightly shut in her sleep, “Wake up, Mariah, open your eyes,” the velvet voice urged and she couldn’t ignore it anymore. She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw were black and gold eyes, then followed by flowing silvery white hair. She sat up in shock, watching the smiling man that was standing in her room, very close to her bed. How did he get in? There is no way her father would have let him into her room and also, this is an abomination, a man is not supposed to be in the room of a woman who isn’t his wife.
Thinking to that, she quickly climbed out of the bed and rushed to lock the door, then she turned to the man who had moved to stand in the middle of the room, his very long hair reflecting the moonlight that was coming into her room. She tried not to be dazed by his handsomeness and asked the most important question, “how did you get in here?”
He smiled to her, “you called for me, you wanted to see me and...here I am,” he opened his arm to prove his claim.
Mariah furrowed her brows, yes she did wish to see him again and was hoping on doing that when she meets him tomorrow night in the meadow, not in her room, “but this is my room, it is a taboo for an unmarried lady to have a man in her room. You shouldn’t be here.”
He took steps closer to her and soon he was standing before her near the door, “hush, nobody shall know I was here,” his eyes were smiling as he raised his hand to caress her cheek with his fingertips. Mariah melted in his touch and she didn’t know when she closed her eyes. “The moon light looks alluring on your skin and I love the smell of the forest on you,” he drew closer and breathed in her scent.
Mariah shied away, it was also a sin for an unmarried lady to be so close to a man who is not her betrothed, even if there is a high chance she would never be married, she wouldn’t want to be remembered as the lady who lived her life immorally. She stepped closer to her bed, leaving him by the door, she licked her lips and turned to him, “I was in the forest tonight, so it’s expected I should catch the scent.”
“Aye,” he smiled, “and it smells great on you.”
Mariah hugged her arm and looked away to hide her blush, “thank you, my lord.”
“T’s my pleasure,” he replied and then he was looking around her room, “t’s beautiful here, you have a marvelous view of the forest.”
“Yes,” she followed him with her eyes as he walked around the room, “it is one of the reason I love this place, every night I use to look at the night sky and the stars from my window.”
He glanced at her and then at the window, “this same window you saw a dragon?” He asked, pointing at it.
Mariah looked away, not understanding why he was doubting her, “it’s true. I saw a dragon.”
“T’s okay, you do not need to be sad over it,” he smiled and walked to the window, “you are right, looking at the sky from here is alluring.”
“Indeed,” she approached him and stood beside him, staring up at the sky.
“Did you watch the stars tonight?”
Mariah blushed, she didn’t because she spent the whole time thinking about him and the questions she would ask him when she sees him again. “No, I thought of something else.”
“What is that?”
She looked up at him, his eyes were glowing like the midnight sun, it was scary but at the same time welcoming. Looking deep into his eyes, she felt like something was drawing her to him and also the feeling that she had known him somewhere, but where? “What is your name, my Lord,” she asked, maybe his name will jag her memory and she could be able to recall where she had seen him.
He smiled and backed away from the window, “you are trying to spoil the fun. I told you to meet me in the meadow tomorrow night and I shall tell you.”
“But you are already here, why can you not tell me now?”
“Because I want to see you tomorrow.”
“Are you not seeing me now?”
He shook his head and Mariah felt her heart missed a beat, just as she wanted to ask what he meant, he said, “I am only here because you called for me, I am only here to fulfill your wish.”
“Which is to say?” She questioned, it wasn’t making any sense, he is standing before her and she could see him just like she did in the forest, why is he saying in a way that he wasn’t actually there?
“Which is to say that I am not here,” he smiled.
“That’s not true, I can see you,” she said.
“Aye, you can because you want to.”
Mariah shook her head, he is messing with her head, he has to be, she looked straight at him, telling herself that he was right there, in her room. And to prove it more to herself, she approached him and touched his arm, she could feel his warmth, the solidity of his presence and she looked up at him, “I can touch you,” she accused.
He smiled and took her hand that was holding his arm, “come, Mariah,” he pulled her towards the bed, “I have fulfilled your wish enough for a night, t’s time for you to wake up.”
“I am already awake,” she reminded.
“Nay, you are not for this is a dream, I am in your dream, Mariah,” he smiled and pulled her close, “but do not worry, you shall see me for real tomorrow night. Meet me in the meadow and I shall tell you my name,” he looked deeply into her green eyes, “I shall be expecting you,” he smiled once more and kissed her forehead.
Immediately his lips touched her forehead, Mariah felt cold all over and the next thing, she opened her eyes and she was lying in her bed with no one in the room. Her room was just the way she saw it last before going to bed and the moonlight was seeping into her room just like it did in the dream. So it was really a dream? She wondered. But how? How could it be a dream when it felt so real? She touched her forehead where he had kissed her; she could still feel the softness and warmth of his lips. If it was a dream, could she still be feeling that? And if it wasn’t a dream, how could he have come into her room and leave in the blink of an eye?
The thoughts bothered Mariah so much that she climbed out of the bed and walked to the window, she wrapped her arms around herself to keep her warm, she could still feel the freezing cold she felt when he kissed her forehead. When she got to the window, the first place her eyes went was the forest and she gasped at what she saw, right there, sat the black panther like it the last time, it’s gold and black eyes glowing in the night and when she couldn’t take the intensity of how it was staring at her, she drew back and closed the curtain.
She heaved a sigh and walked to her bed, pulling up the covers, she climbed in and covered herself so that she could feel it’s warmth, perhaps it really was a dream, it would make more sense if it was a dream, she decided and allowed herself to fall asleep again trying not to think on why the panther was outside there, watching her as if it had been waiting for her to come to the window.
Outside at the forest edge, the Black Panther as if sensing she was finally asleep again, got up and entered the forest.