Eternal Love

By Nived

There’s fire in what slips from her lips, this woman that might not even exist. So much passion and way too much aggression, trying to teach me a lesson. What if your dreams were really a reality, an old life, or an alternate path based on a technicality? Her eyes, the eyes of a tiger, burned into the back of Devin’s mind after waking from that same nightmare, but the question upon waking is who is she and why is this happening? Who is this mystery woman?

Devin is your average college student, with dreams of seeing the world with her camera and her two best friends. Her past isn’t the most pleasant, but she grew up surrounded by love and compassion and won’t let anything stand in the way of her goals, and that includes dating. Women are a distraction, and honestly, Devin didn’t know she needed one until she “bumped” into Amirah. Confusion sets in when friendship turns to feelings and Amirah being in a long-term relationship, but the confusion was overshadowed by anger and frustration as it turns out Devin and Amirah have a complicated history.

As the truth slowly comes out, Devin learns she’s not who, or even what, she thinks she is and there’s more to her story. She must embark on a journey of love, betrayal, and discovery in order to understand that she is the key to changing everything around her. Primal instincts set in when she discovers whom those eyes belong to and wrongs must be righted, but what would you expect if you found the woman of your dreams?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781662409349

Book preview

Chapter 1

This lush green grass always felt so soft and cool between my toes, while a warm breeze wrapped me in the sweet scent from the ocean of bluebells that surrounded me. I felt so free and alive. I truly felt completely at home. In my mind, I knew this was only a dream soon to become a nightmare my mind feels the need to haunt me with.

On cue, I saw the storm clouds begin to roll in, dark and full. The bluebells began to glow around me before closing their petals and depriving me of their calming scent. I told myself that this time, this dream, and this nightmare, I won’t get up and run to her.

At the edge of the woods, I saw her as she began running toward me, and in my mind, I knew this was a setup, but my body reacted to her like metal to a magnet, and I was up on my feet. This time I didn’t run. I just stood there and let pride keep my feet grounded, but then my feet started moving in her direction, one step at a time. Soon I would be chained and feel betrayed, but why, and why could I never see who she is? Why was this a reoccurring dream that I can’t understand and I never see her face?

The rain began to heavily pour down as I started running while pulling out an arrow, steadying my bow, but before I was captured, I was woken up by a huge paw on my face. Liam always knew when I needed to be rescued from myself. He woke me for the bathroom like this every time he has to go, but I swear this dog has to use the bathroom more than a toddler.

I moved his huge paw from my forehead while trying to focus my eyes in the darkness of the room. While I was drenched in sweat, my heart was beating like it’s ready to jump out of my chest, but all I could do was smile at him as he turned to me with his big majestic eyes. His eyes are a combination of blue, gold, and red, like specially made marbles that could change to more of one color or another, depending on how he was feeling and what he needed. Guess it’s time for me to get up and let him out.

Now according to my clock, it’s three forty-five in the morning, but I knew if I go back to sleep I won’t get up in time for class, and I can’t show up late on the first day back. My next option was take Liam out, take a nice hot shower, and eat a good breakfast, followed by a cup of tea. I normally drink peppermint tea, but I was not feeling up to peppermints after my nice encounter with tiger eyes, so I thought I’d stick to something caffeinated.

I’ve been calling her tiger eyes since I can remember, plus I’ve never seen anything but her hazel eyes change to tiger eyes, so the name stuck with me since I was eleven. I felt like today would be a very trying day as I moved slowly through my thoughts of the past and the details of my dream, but I got up and threw on some shorts before heading into the bathroom. While I washed my hands, I took a good look myself in the mirror, from my dark-brown two-strand twists as they swept across my shoulder blades, to my almond-shaped chestnut-brown eyes, and my soft caramel skin. I splashed water on my face, watching it run down my nose and over my full lips while I noted just how tired I looked before I walked out of the bathroom. I grabbed everything I needed and saw Liam was clearly being impatient as he sat by the bedroom door with his back to me.

You’re going to Grandma’s before I head to class, then she can boost your head up about how your ancestors were great warriors. He turned his head and looked at me then stood up, showing me that he’s about the size of a small pony, but I could see the pride in his big eyes.

Come on, man, I don’t need you holding whatever it is you have to do. We managed to start our walk during the twilight of the day. It’s my favorite time, not dark or light, but somewhere in between when I feel completely connected to everything around me.

Our excursion to the bathroom started out at a nice even pace, and then gradually it turned into a stress-releasing, tension-relieving run. Swiftly, we shifted through the trees weaving in and out like wind in the leaves and the air that you breathe as the moist morning air entered my lungs. Jogging for about four miles nonstop, we slowed down for a water break and were about to head back when Liam started growling at a guy with a hoodie sitting on a bench. He turned looking in our direction, but all I could see under the hoodie was from the bridge of his nose down to his full lips, while his eyes remained in the shadows of his hood.

Sorry, sir, he’s never acted like this before towards anybody. The guy just smirked before looking down and focusing his attention on his phone.

At this point, I had no other choice but to put his leash back on, but I had never seen him act like this. He’s normally pretty friendly or just keeps his distance. I saw a woman walking in our direction, probably meeting up with the guy on the bench. I heard whimpering coming from Liam as he tried to walk in their direction, but I was able to pull him away and distract him by running part of the way back toward the house.

Once we got home, I undid his leash and made him sit. What has gotten into you? Since when do you start growling at strangers and trying to run away from me? All I got out of him was his head lowered to the ground and he placed a paw on my foot.

I love you, Liam. Please don’t scare me like that again. Oh, and I’m telling Grandma. When his paw went over his face, I knew he was embarrassed by his actions and sorry for what he had done, but I’d ask Grandma about it when he’s not in the room with us.

After a very interesting start to my morning, I finally had time to shower, eat, and get everything ready for class today.

Come on, Liam, off to see Grandma we go. I cannot be late on the first day of the semester.

Apparently, he understood because he went and sat by the door with his tail wagging so hard, I was worried the back half of him would fly off. The only other time I saw this kind of happiness from him was when it’s time to eat, or he’s happy to see me after we’ve been apart for some time. If he had hands instead of paws, I think he would’ve been in the car by now, but I opened the door and he was off down the driveway, letting out a loud bark when he got to the car. With all the energy he has, I was glad the ride to Grandma’s was only twenty minutes. I always wondered why my parents had a house built so close to her, but never got the chance to ask them.

Chapter 2

Now my grandmother isn’t your typical grandma, and you can tell that just from looking at her and getting to know her just how true that statement is. Most people, when they first meet her, assume that she is my mother and not my grandmother. As odd as it sounds, I can’t hold it against them because she looks like she’s only in her thirties and not her late sixties. She always gives the same talk about her diet and exercise and good genes, which I believe them all since it’s what she raised me on, and I still look like I’m in middle school.

She’s a wonderful woman, full of so much knowledge and enlightenment that I was more excited to come home and learn than go to school. The thing is I’d always felt like there was more to tell, more to know, like maybe she wasn’t telling me everything, but I stopped asking questions after a while. After a while, I figured it was just my curiosity, my thirst for knowledge that made me question everything, but I knew there’s something more to all this, especially since she kept me out of the basement. She would go in and lock the door and come out and lock the door. It’s just so mysterious, but my questions always went unanswered.

We got to Grandma’s, and I did my courtesy knock and waited a moment, but today there was no answer, so I just used my key. Once the door was open enough, Liam darted into the house like they were playing a game of hide-and-seek and he was determined to win. I closed the door behind me but noticed the house was dark and quiet, nothing like her usual open curtain, open-window type of day.

Grandma Ava, are you here?

Where did Liam run off to, and why was it so quiet and so dark in this house? Then I heard the faint sound of voices coming from the back of the house. My feet carried me slowly down the long hallway from the foyer to kitchen where I saw Liam sitting in front of the basement door as stiff as a statue. I had to do a double take as I realized that there was smoke coming from under the door and it was an ocean-blue color. It couldn’t be a fire or the smoke detectors would’ve gone off, right?

I took off upstairs, hoping to find my grandma to let her know there was smoke and I couldn’t get through the door without a key, but there was no sign of her anywhere. Her room was spotless, bed perfectly made with not a thing out of place. I checked all the rooms before heading back downstairs to check again because my only other option was trying to break down the basement door. Before I hit the bottom step, I heard water running from the kitchen sink and Liam whining, so I sped up, not knowing what was happening.

Once I hit the corner to the kitchen, I saw Grandma at the sink washing her hands with a treat for Liam, slightly hanging off the edge of the counter. He was big enough to get it, but he knew better than to take from Grandma Ava without permission.

Um, hey, Grandma Avalon. Is everything okay? I’ve been looking all over the house for you. I knew I sounded completely confused as I felt as I watched her long ponytail sway across her back while she cleaned her hands.

Hey, sweetie, I didn’t hear you come in. I was just in the basement starting a load of clothes, tiding up, and meditating.

It was at that moment I chose not to mention what I saw coming from under the door, just assuming it was incense.

You just called me Grandma Avalon. Is something the matter? she asked, still washing her hands.

No, Grandma, just nervous about school and tryouts. This is my last first day at college. I’m okay though, but I do need to speak to you in private.

She knocked the treat off the counter, and Liam caught it in his mouth, not even hesitating as he gnawed into it. We tiptoed out of the kitchen and into the living room while he was snacking on his bone. Getting comfortable on the couch was easy, but Grandma Ava asked me what was going on, and the concern on her face made me nervous.

I explained to her the situation that had happened with Liam earlier this morning, and it worried me how silent she was after. Grandma, did you hear me?

Yes, Devin, do you remember when I told you that Liam is a family dog? she said, looking intently at me with her deep-brown eyes.

Yes, I do, but what does that have to do with anything?

Well, baby, he’s only been known to do things like that when he feels the ones he loves need to be protected. Then she whispered, Maybe you didn’t know it, but Liam can sense a lot more than you can right now. All I could do was look at her with all the confusion that statement made me feel because I didn’t understand and it was time for me to head to class.

Thanks, Grandma, I love you. She reminded me to stay focused, keep my crystals with me or near me, and don’t worry about a thing.

Hopping in the car, I couldn’t do anything but think about what she said all the way to school, so my focus was completely off. Sitting at green lights was not the way I wanted to start the day, but I hoped once I saw my friends it would help take my mind off some of this stuff until after classes were done for the day. Maybe I just needed air, but even rolling the window down seemed to be a bit of a challenge, so I reached in my pocket and began to rub the smooth, cool surface of the tiger’s eye in my pocket. I began to relax immediately and could think clearly because even though I had my stones on my person, sometimes the feel of it between my fingers or in my palm was necessary. Thirty minutes later, I was parking in the student parking lot and leaning the seat back to close my eyes and meditate.

Deep inhale, slow exhale, completely clearing my mind and falling into something like a trance, until I heard a tap on the window. Slowly, I opened my eyes, wondering what the hell it could be now, not even caring about who it might be, but once I got past the brightness of the sun, I realized it was my best friends Sonny and Amethyst, the only couple who makes me want what they have.

I opened the door and got out to take a good long look at them, looking for differences. They had been gone all summer travelling Europe and spending time together before we graduated and entered the real world. Sonny’s dreads were now touching her shoulder blades, and she dyed the tips red. She had lost weight working on getting in shape, but she still had the same chill attitude and that same smile that just made you want to smile. Her complexion had gone from copper to brown from the kiss of the sun, and at five feet, seven inches tall, she was still the best dressed person I ever met. Amethyst had cut her curly brown hair from where it was past her shoulders to it now caressing her ears, but it was still this auburn type of color with big ringlets of curls. Her skin was still that smooth sandy brown, and her eyes were still gray as ever with the blue of the ocean flowing through them.

Well, don’t you guys look nice and relaxed after your vacation? I have missed you guys like crazy, I said while hugging both of them.

You were supposed to come, remember, so you could look like this too, Sonny said, giving me the I’m sorry, but I’m not face.

All I could do was look at her, knowing we had planned this trip a year and a half ago, but back then, I had a girlfriend who was a part of this plan and no drama. Right after the trip was planned and money was put up, we broke up after dating off and on since high school.

Yeah, well, I just wasn’t feeling up to being a third wheel or seeing all the places she thought would be romantic to go to, sorry.

Amethyst stepped in before Sonny could say anything smart and asked, Devin, don’t you think it’s time to start dating again, and I do mean someone new? You’re coming up on two years.

All I could say was that I didn’t want to talk about it, and we began to walk, and that was only because at that point I grabbed my things and walked away. I had truly missed these two. They are the prime example of a real and loving relationship outside what I saw between my parents. They always meant well when it came to me, so even when they were extremely blunt, I took the knowledge for what it was and knew they only wanted to protect me.

So, Devin, how was your summer? I know we wrote and called and e-mailed, but you were kind of, what’s the word for it, vague about what you had been up to and how you were really doing. I knew eventually it would come up since they’ve both known me since elementary school and had memorized my patterns.

Sonny, Aim, my summer was boring, lonely, and uneventful, but I’m okay with that. I do want details from the trip though, and pictures and my souvenir later, but right now, I’m going to head to my art class. I love you guys.

I managed to turn a five-minute walk into an eight-minute walk while heading toward the classroom. It was a nice setup with stadium seating except each tier had multiple drawing tables with high-back cushioned chairs. There was amazing artwork all over the walls of trees, waterfalls, portraits, and still life. The art was so diverse, but it should be after hearing that Ms. Benton was one of the best art teachers with the most expressive and creative thoughts for a professor at any school. She’s been said to push you to your potential, and I looked forward to the challenges she was preparing to throw my way.

I was twenty minutes early, so the room was completely empty, leaving me to my thoughts, so I did one of the few things I did best and pulled out my sketchbook. It started as me just doodling, playing around with different lines and shades, but my doodle turned into a pair of eyes, the same eyes that have been haunting my dreams. The shape of a human’s eyes the pupil that of a cat’s and then I added the color, a color like gold, copper, and bronze all mixed into one like the color of my tiger’s eye. Somewhere close by I heard Ahem, and that broke me out of my trance, realizing that ten minutes had gone by and some people had come into the room.

Good morning. I’m your instructor, Jean Benton, she said, reaching her hand out to shake mine as she studied my face.

So many thoughts ran through my head all at once, but finally, I got the sense to clear my throat like I just woke up from a dream and say, Hey, I’m Devin.

I noticed her looking at the eyes I had just drawn in my sketchbook before she finally looked back at me. What she said next I didn’t expect. Please see me after class. Talk about the start to a great day, and of course, the sideways looks from others who sat down nearby didn’t help the situation at all.

I sat through a getting-to-know-you session that every class has on the first day. I was more excited about the syllabus and getting into the meat of the work so I could try the new mediums she had on here. It was my turn to introduce myself, but afterward, I completely zoned out while doodling on the edge of the syllabus random symbols. By the time class was dismissed, I had completed a miniature hand holding a heart as the blood dripped off the hand and ran down the wrist. I guess boredom would do that to you.

Everyone left the room while I stayed seated and let the funny looks float on by. I’m sure they were wondering what the hell I did. Devin, if you could step over to my desk, please, I would like to take a look at your sketchbook.

Keeping quiet was my only option since I didn’t know what this was about, so I kept my mouth closed and did what was asked of me after I took my book back out of my bag. She flipped through page after page of everything I had worked on all summer. There was a very particular interest taken in my field of bluebells and the eyes that I had drawn before class started.

Devin, I’ve been watching the progress in your work since you were a freshman here. I want you to know that I will push you harder than anyone here ever has to unlock potential you didn’t even know you had.

As happy as I was to know that my work had been noticed, I didn’t know how much I like the idea of being in a situation where I could be singled out. She continued talking about the curriculum and my past work then asked me, Where did you come up with the idea for the eyes?

It took a minute for it to register that she was actually asking where my inspiration came from, which isn’t something I’m used to. I’ve never let anyone but Sonny, Amethyst, and my ex Madison know about my dream, but somewhere down the line Madison tried to make it about her. Plus seeing as though I’m a perfectionist, I don’t share all my work with everyone with the fear that they’ll think I’m weird for drawing what comes to my rather unique and always curious mind.

My brilliant response was What do you mean where?

Well, normally, Ms. Elliott, or are you okay with me calling you by your first name Devin?

Yes, Devin is fine.

Well, normally when people draw things, there’s some type of inspiration behind the picture itself. A thought, a feeling, a view you may have seen, a trip, or maybe even a dream of some sort.

I definitely noticed the pause before dream, but there’s no one who knows except for Grandma, my best friends, and she who shall not cross my mind right now. All I could do was speak the truth. They came to me recently in a dream.

I would like for you to finish this piece, and then I will give you a few extra points for the original copy if you wouldn’t mind me using it in the classroom. I will also give you a copy of it to place in your portfolio. Now at this point, I’m almost sure my face showed exactly what I was thinking, which is confused. Why this particular sketch?

Devin, I like to use some of my students’ work as examples for lessons. Usually I would wait sometime, but the combination of the colors and the layering of two different species’ eyes and the detail as if you could see who the person could be is amazing.

I have an hour before my next class, so I can finish it up now if you don’t have another class coming in now.

She told me she always has a two-hour gap between classes just in case students still want to continue to work, so I did just that. About twenty minutes later, I was drowning in my thoughts and finished with two very real-looking eyes and the bridge of the nose. She told me she would have a copy for me by the end of the week, so I took my cue, and exited her classroom as quickly as I could.

The way this morning had been going made me ready to find a hideout and relax away from the mass of students. The library was the best place to go for some peace and quiet, so I changed directions and started to head that way. Somewhere along the walk, I zoned out and, not paying attention to where I was going, bumped into someone, causing my sketchbook and her notebook to hit the ground.

I apologize, I just don’t seem to be here today, I said while we both picked up our things.

Shockingly enough, the young lady’s response was I don’t care. Next time, watch where the fuck you’re going!

I said I’m sorry. We all make mistakes from time to time. It’s cool.

She yelled at me, You and your mistakes can go fuck yourself!

I didn’t even bother to look up to see who she was or what she looked like. I just didn’t care enough to even give in to her negative energy. I didn’t even know a random stranger could be so rude. Well, I did, but toward me was different. The whole experience left me breathless with a sharp pain in my chest right under the left breast as if something was piercing my heart. When I was finally able to calmly compose myself, I continued my journey to the library to spend my last thirty minutes of free time. Once I hit the library, I found a couch in the back, sat down, and closed my eyes.

After a quick twenty-minute nap, I was ready to restart with a fresh clean slate and focus on the rest of my schedule for the day. Monday was a pretty heavy workday with the four classes I had since each class was so demanding. It started with my interactive art class, then a writing class, followed by my photography class, and ending with a fencing class. My schedule was different, but I did the things that I love to do and not things that I knew wouldn’t keep my interest. Either way I would be graduating this year with a degree in photography and fine arts by the time spring hit. Meaning, for the last five years, I have worked my ass off, and even with the setbacks, the pauses, just everything that could’ve stopped me, I kept pushing to complete my goal.

After everything is done, I have a few jobs lined up, but the goal is to eventually start my own company. There is a serious lacking in the creative field, and I feel like it’s my job to make a change and show the world what those with an imagination can do. Either way, I’ve always had goals, and I couldn’t let a rough day stop me from getting to the finish line.

Chapter 3

Photography class was, well, very different from what I was used to, seeing as Mr. Theodore Boykin was always one to push the envelope with our assignments. He asked us to do what our minds thought and not just focus on what our eyes see. I loved doing both and always had a passion for details in everything I put my mind to doing.

We went around the room introducing ourselves, saying what our majors were and a random fact. Outside this sharp pain I kept having in my chest, everything was going smoothly up until the next person got up and spoke. Hey, my name is Amirah Scott. I am a photography major who just transferred into this school from Spelman, and I was the top archer.

I had to close my mouth when I realized that my chin had just settled on the floor.