The continuation of my 7th grade novella, Shadows of the Night.

The fresh taste of morning air filled me with energy as I woke up. A cool breeze danced around me and ran through my hair. As I opened my eyes wider I thought I saw a glimpse of bright green eyes above me. Laurie, I thought.
Someone must have left the door open last night by accident. It was cold. Also the mattress was hurting my back. Then I realized with a start that I wasn’t sleeping on the mattress, or on the floor, for that matter, but on the ground in the middle of the forest.
Then it all came back to me. Where was Laurie? Where was I? I looked around me and thought there was no way I could have gotten here by being rescued from a fire, unless someone took me here purposely. I remembered those silver eyes (which were still vividly in my imagination), and thought someone probably did.
Then I remembered the green eyes I saw and realized it couldn’t have been Laurie’s green eyes, which I had thougt. Suddenly I saw her. One moment she wasn’t there, but now she was. I cautiously sat up, thinking she wasn’t really there, that I was just dreaming, but my conscience knew she was there.
The first thing I noticed were her eyes. They were the brightest green I’ve ever seen. My light blue eyes were nothing next to them, but her hair was just a shorter version of my waste-length reddish-blond hair. Big, soft curls complemented her perfect complexion. Her hair was pulled back and showed off her ears which were triple pierced. To tell the truth, she looked like an older version of me. Only, I have my ears pierced just once. She was wearing bleached jeans and a pink tie-die shirt. I noticed she wasn’t wearing any make-up.
“Hello. Did you have a good night’s sleep?” she walked over to me. “My name’s Cathy.”
“Actually, I had a terrible night’s sleep,” I answered. “Where am I?” Something made me feel at ease with her. I’m not sure what is was, but it was easy to talk to this stranger. I wondered if she was related to me because I’m adopted and I don’t know much about my real family. I started to stand up.
“Maria,” she said.
“How do you know my name?” I stumbled backwards and tripped over a twig.
“You look like a Maria.” She laughed. “Don’t worry, it’s just a guess.” I relaxed again. “Why don’t you come in my little cottage over here and talk over some hot cocoa.”
Just then I saw the log cabin behind Cathy. She must be a mother, I thought. The way she handled things for the last five minutes, I thought, she had to be a mother. It was strange thinking of a mother with her ears tripled pierced, though.
“I can tell what your thinking,” Cathy interupted my thoughts when we entered the kitchen. “You’re wondering if I have any kids. Well, I had one girl,” she looked away for a second. “She was killed in a plane crash when she was five.” A chill ran though my spine as she said that. I’ve always been afraid of planes even though I’ve never been on one.
“I-I’m sorry,” I stuttered.
“And the reason I have three holes in each ear is because I have a wild streak in me. At least, that’s what my mother always used to say.” I just stared at her.
“What are you? A mind reader or something?” I couldn’t believe my ears! How could this lady read my mind?
“Or something,” she replied.
“Well, anyway,” she continued, aren’t you going to tell me what you’re doing in the middle of the woods?”
“I-I don’t know. I was camping out with a class from school and there was a fire last night, but I ended up here somehow.”
“Did you notice anything strange last night?” she asked. Yes, I certainly did, I thought, as I remembered the events of the night before.
“Actually, I did,” I said. “I was being lead outside and then I passed out from the smoke, I guess. But right before that, someone laughed and I thought I saw silver eyes.” I turned towards Cathy. “I know that sounds weird. It was probably from inhaling too much smoke. I ended up here.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” she surprized me by saying.
“What do you mean ‘It’s not too bad’? I have no idea where I am, and you say it’s not too bad!”
“Shh, calm down! It could have been worse. Just think about it. They could have taken you.”
“What the devil are you talking about? Who could have taken me?” she was confusing me.
“Shhh! Don’t say that! They might hear you!” she clapped her hand over my mouth
“Hear what?! Who? What are you talking about?”
“Listen, Maria. Strange things are going to start happening to you and that’s why I’m here.”
“Are you my mother?” I burst out. I don’t know why I said that, but Cathy got real stiff.
Suddenly I felt something. A chill went up my spine as a breeze went by me. The sun seemed to dim and a shadow wrapped around us.
“So, Momma, you found your lost baby,” a familiar growl rolled out of nowhere. “Well, don’t expect him to be pleased,” it spat.
I was frozen in my seat even as the sun came out again. It wasn’t so much about the voice that scared me, or that Cathy was my long, lost mother. I just remembered her words.
“I had one girl. She was killed in a plane crash when she was five.”