Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 35349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers, giving her our first kiss as she slept on because I drugged her. I forced myself not to just fully take her right now. With one swipe of my tongue along her sweet lips, I pulled away and sat back in the chair.
I’d memorized her travel itinerary and made changes to my own to ensure my plan would be carried out without a hiccup. I whispered, “You’ll be mine soon, Dolly. So soon I can taste it—and you—on my tongue. When you realize we’re meant to be together, nothing will ever be the same for either of us.”
5
DOLLY
Ileaned back in my seat and stared out the window. I rubbed my head, a slight headache building behind my eyes.
I was on the third day of my trip south through the European countryside, and the hours and days were blurring together. But I enjoyed my time and didn’t take it for granted.
Although Paris had been wonderful, it was already becoming a faded memory just one week later. I could still imagine the lights and the noise of locals and tourists, but the farther I got from the city, the more it all dulled into the background of my mind.
My plan had originally been to stop in each of the many countries along the way and stay a day or two at each destination before ending my journey in Romania. But I’d woken up a few mornings ago in Amsterdam and made the snap decision to just travel to Romania instead. So after finagling my itinerary by moving up train tickets and adding a short bus ride, I was on my way to where it felt like it might be my new home.
I smiled at that thought.
The past week, especially the last couple of days, were a blur. I vaguely recalled each stop, as if I’d been cramming for a test, my first one being somewhere in Luxembourg after leaving Paris. After that, I headed north—through Brussels to Amsterdam. After my change in plans, I worked the train schedule to where I could hop off in each country, so I could still take in a miniscule number of sights while I continued my journey. I could’ve taken a special train that traveled through the night and got to Romania even faster, but I felt like I’d be doing myself a disservice if I missed at least seeing the beauty of it all in the daylight.
But now I was finally entering the country that seemed to be calling to my soul, and I felt a strange sense of anticipation building in my chest the closer I got to my final destination.
It wasn’t long before I spotted the mountains. They loomed in the distance, their peaks shrouded in mist like I was staring at some ominous setting in a suspense or horror movie. The scene seemed so… ancient.
The little village I'd call home for an undetermined amount of time was nestled at the foot of those massive rocks rising to the skyline. I became antsy until the train finally pulled to a stop, and then my excitement and anticipation grew even more when everyone started unloading.
I stepped off the train and took in my surroundings. The station was small but not unlike any other train station I’d visited thus far. It was when I took my first step outside that I just inhaled and stared out at the city. After getting on the bus, it was less than a twenty minute ride to the village nearest my rental.
The village was small, but as I hopped off the bus—the only person wanting this stop, apparently—I saw little touches of the modern world that had the miniature town catching up, so it wasn’t too far behind. I loved the cobblestone streets and old, time-tested buildings. The air was crisp, tinged with the scent of pine and earth from the forest close by. I was glad the bus stop was near the beginning of the town limits, a nice, long distance by foot to my rental because I wanted to walk and just explore. Especially after spending so much time on trains over the past few days.
I breathed in the fresh air and was already smiling before I knew I was doing it. I felt a calmness settle over me, as if this place had been waiting for me all along.
The streets were filled with the daily traffic of people out and about, their expressions curious as they glanced my way. It was clear they knew an outsider when they saw one.
I pulled my cardigan closer around me. Although the weather was pretty perfect right about now, there was a chill that came down from the mountaintops. Thinking about them, I glanced up at the mountains that towered over the village.