And Then....... She Walked in!

This is from my novel, And Then... She Walked In. It is still in progress.

           Robert walked into the clearing at the center of his woods. The pale blue light from the full moon revealed a circle roughly twenty yards in diameter made of twelve large limestones spaced evenly every five yards. The stones were three to four feet high and a couple feet thick. In the middle of the circle was a massive rock, it stood ten feet high and four foot square. While it was rough like the rest, it glowed in the moonlight, almost gleamed. It was to this rock that Robert walked on his wobbly legs.

            Sweating as he approached the tall stone Robert leaned against it and smiled as its familiar coolness touched his hand and face. "I haven't drunk for years my old friend, over a century and now I need your power to help get this poison out of my system."

            He pulled out a pocketknife from his khakis and opened the blade. Slowly he drew it across his left thumb and held his hand so the blood flowed down his fingers to trickle on the face of the rock. His hair began to wave as if a wind was blowing through it, but the trees remained still. The air filled with a humming sound as the rock glowed brighter in the night. He closed his eyes and smiled.

            He took off his shirt and threw it on the ground at his feet. The shirt was followed by the rest of his clothing. He walked out of the circle to a nearby oak and pulled some small branches off. With deft fingers he quickly made a small wreath which he put on his head. He took a deep breath, with his eyes closed, and slowly exhaled. Suddenly he leaped back into, actually onto the circle.

            Eyes closed and his face held up to the full moon, his skin took on a mottled appearance, shimmering in the pale light. When he opened his eyes they were the color of gold, shining. His fingers and ears had elongated and his hair became silver.

            Slowly at first, he leaped from stone to stone. As he began to feel the alcohol's effects lose its grip his leaps began to become more acrobatic and complex. The simple leaps became somersaults, the somersaults became filled with twists and wild gyrations. All the while, Robert's smile grew.

            Soon he was moving so quickly he became a blur. The stones grew brighter as he danced and flew above them. The clearing was almost as bright as daytime when he landed gently on his feet at the base of the center stone.

            Eyes still closed, he let the light bathe him, sweat trickling down his body. A smile spread across his lips revealing sharp teeth.

            His moment was interrupted by the sound of slow clapping. Like a cat that was ready to pounce, Robert crouched to the ground, eyes searching the surrounding woods. Then, she walked in.

            The woman who only a few hours before had been the first to turn him down, walked up to him, smiling, "A wonderful performance Mr. Goodman, or should I say, Robin Goodfellow?" She wore the same simple, sexy black dress that she had at Eugene's.

            Robert relaxed and stood up, he allowed an amused smile to cross his face. "Yes, but I haven't gone by that name in, oh, maybe two centuries. And you are?"

            "Constance."

            Robert closed his eyes and took in a deep breath through his nose. He scratched his head and opened his eyes then repeated his breath. "Vampire?"

            "Yes."

            "There weren't many vampires in Wales. I can't believe I didn't realize you weren't human before." He paused and frowned. "What can I do for you Constance? And why do you think it is permissible to come into my circle?"

            "I would like to ask your forgiveness. I would not have turned you down, but I had not fed in a long time. You are fairy and if I were to have drunk from you while so hungry, I may not have stopped in time. Fairy blood is the most intoxicating of all. Also, I have not entered your circle."

            Robert looked at her feet which were just outside of the arc between two stones. "So noted."

            Constance looked at him and blinked. Robert could sense what she was thinking, "No, I will not invite you in. I am unsure of your intentions and my dealings with your kind are severely limited."

            "Oh?" Constance. She pulled down on the fabric of her dress near her hips and in a few seconds stood before him, just as naked as he was.

            "Well, it seems the parts are the same." He smiled and slowly transformed back into his human self. "I wonder if they operate the same."

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