Twilight had long since given way to night, and with it had come the winter chill of an overcast sky that threatened snow. Sofia preferred it that way. She liked the solitude of the night, where she didn''t have to be so careful to suppress her instinctive urges. She liked to feel the biting cold hitting her face when she went for a run with Kas. She liked to lose herself in that endless maze of gigantic trees and breathe in the smells as her faithful companion trotted by her side. That day was another one of many that Sofia put on her tracksuit and went for a run to exercise in preparation for the physical tests she would have to undergo in the coming months.


    That day, however, she had a new partner. After discovering that they were both preparing for the same public exam, Dave had suggested that they work out together to encourage each other and keep track of their times. Sofia thought it was a good idea, so she agreed. The bad thing was that his presence was bringing out her competitive nature, something he was able to do because he could keep up with her without breaking a sweat. She had no choice but to admit that the boy was fit, so she was pushing herself to the max so as not to falter. With rhythmic snorting and a constant pounding of sneakers against the ground, they moved along a dirt road that meandered between tree trunks, ferns and holly bushes.


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    Kas, who always paid attentionto his friend, broke into a gallop. Dave ran, and he was quite fast, but Sofia had the advantage of the blood she had inherited from her father, which gave her some extra strength and speed. It didn''t take her long to close the gap on him. That was the moment she realized that her lips were fully open in a wide grin, and in her throat bubbled a joyous laugh. That was the moment, when she tried to overtake him and he resisted, that she realized it had been a long, long time since she had had such a good time. In fact she couldn''t remember if she had ever felt this free, this happy, this normal.


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    Suddenly Dave stepped off the path and dived into the dark forest. A forest that was a maze of pine trees dotted with large boulders and low lush bushes. A forest whose tall canopies barely let a few moonbeams penetrate through its branches like a rain of silver drops. A forest that Sofia knew so well thatshe was aware of the dangers hiding in its shadows.


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    Sofia closed her eyes and allowed herself to take several deep breaths, inhaling the scents she could smell all around her. There were so many that they mingled in her untrained nose, almost overwhelming her, but at least those were smells of nature, vegetation, earth and life, not the bitter stenches of the city. Even her friend’s scent seemed to camouflage itself among that of pine and the intense musk emanating from Kas'' body, who had lain down next to her. In her head she drew a mental map of her surroundings simply by attending to the information she was receiving through her nose.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


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    “That’s what it seems, yes…” he laughed. “It''s an incredible place...” he added in a slightly quieter voice, as he observed the clearing with an expression of absolute fascination on his face.


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    Sofia looked away abruptly and fixed her gaze on the pond, disturbed by the ripples created by the spring that poured its waterinit. Doubts, fears, longings, an amalgam of feelings suddenly welled up inside her, reminding her that no matter how much she had hidden them, they were still present.


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    The water that gushed from the very bowels of the earthwas so cold that it was painful. However, that did not prevent Sofia from feeling that insecure, inexperienced graze, that caress of trembling fingers that sought and at the same time avoided the touch of her skin. When she felt his fingertips brushing the back of her hand, when she heard those words, when she perceived the tone of his voice, Sofia felt an explosion of butterflies in her belly and looked up suddenly. Their eyes met and her cheeks started burning with an intense blush. It was at that moment that she thought she saw it, though perhaps she imagined it. For a fleeting instant she believed she caught a brief greenish glow in his pupils. It was only for a thousandth of a second, for the young man, embarrassed and with his cheeks so flushed that they seemed to radiate a light of their own, abruptly pulled his hand away and lowered his gaze.


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    Sofia, who normally would have had some kind of cynical response ready, was completely at a loss for words. It wasn''t only because of the sudden rush of anger, nor because of the discomfort she still felt at having him around. It was also because if there was one thing she never thought she would ever hear, it was that she had given Lola food for thought to the point of getting her to apologize to someone else. Not to her, naturally, that was asking too much, but that she had apologizedto Dave was already quite an accomplishment. Of course she hadn''t done it out of the goodness of her heart, Sofia thought holding back the urge to growl. She liked Dave and was trying to get back to square one to see if she still had any chance after screwing up the way she did.


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    friend''.