Chapter 2

Blaines body tingled and his skin seemed to buzz in a way he didnt recognize. It felt nice, comforting, even though it was unfamiliar. Slowly opening his eyes and squinting he realized he did not recognize his surroundings. His head hurt, but he couldnt remember why.

His vision was a little blurry as he looked up at the dark outline of tree branches above him and clouds passing across the moon. When his eyes cleared he noticed a figure hovering above him, but couldnt focus on their face because the light of the moon made them nothing more than a dark silhouette.

"Sam?" Blaine groaned, surprised by the scratchiness of his own voice. He tried to sit up but gentle hands pressed him back down.

"Dont move. I need to make sure none of your bones are broken." The voice was soft and calm and it flittered around Blaines mind like butterfly wings.

Blaine blinked rapidly and let out a soft moan as the words sunk in. Had he broken any bones? It didnt feel like it. His head hurt and he was cold, and the tingly feeling he had woken up with was fading, but he didnt feel any other pain. Gentle hands were moving over his body and he slowly came to realize his head was nestled in a lap. Who was this? Not Sam. One of the men chasing them?

"Im sorry about the money." Blaine said involuntarily, his voice still sounding strange. "We didnt mean to steal from you."

The person above him looked back at his face and from this angle Blaine could make out a pair of wide blue eyes.

The lilting voice spoke again after a moment, "I dont think youre badly hurt. Youve hit your head, though."

Blaine smiled a little, he liked this strangers voice, kind, melodic and soothing. He sat up slowly and this time the person let him. There was a blanket draped over him, and while he was still cold he was grateful for the added layer. He wanted to thank the man for helping him and get a better look at him but his head was still throbbing. Blaine leaned down and rested his forehead in his hands, groaning again. He felt a tentative hand on his back before it starting rubbing between his shoulders softly.

"How did you get even get here?" The man asked and Blaine lifted his head to look at him. Blaines voice caught in his throat as his eyes locked onto the gorgeous eyes of the stranger. He couldnt think of anything to say, they both just sat and looked at each other and before either could break the silence heard a noise, branches cracking, and then a voice.

"Blaine! Blaine where are you?"

"Sam," Blaine said, looking through the mist and up the hill. He called louder "Sam down here!" He regretted yelling immediately, the sound of his voice making his head pound. The person who had helped him stood and Blaine looked up at him, only able to tell he was tall and lithe as the moon shone brightly behind him.

"Wait. Dont go."

"Your friend will help you?" The stranger asked.

"Yes, but-"

"I have to go." The man said as he looked behind his shoulder nervously.

"No, wait-" Blaine reached out but the man was already walking away. Blaines eyes followed him as he moved through the fog. He was leaving before Blaine wanted him too, before he had a chance to thank him. Squinting against the moonlight and trying to focus on what seemed like the outline of a town through the edge of the forest.

"Blaine where are you?"

"Down here. I fell." He slowly stood on his feet, testing his balance, which seemed to be okay. The comforting buzzing feeling in his skin was less now and he felt a little empty without it. Sam came down the hill much more gracefully than Blaine had.

"Holy crap dude, I thought you had been eaten by Big Foot or something."

"I dont think they have Big Foot in Ireland." Blaine said, his lips twitching in a smile.

"Yeah, youre probably right. Maybe stolen by leprechauns?"

Blaine let out a huff of a laugh as his hand stroked over his head.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked, narrowing his eyes and reaching forward.

"Hit my head, but I think Im okay. There was this guy…"

Sam pushed some hair out of Blaines face looking for a bump or a bruise, "One of the guys from the pub?"

"No, no. He was helping me-" Blaine looked towards the edge of the forest but couldnt see him, or make out the town hed seen earlier.

"He went towards the town over there." Blaine said pointing.

"Blaine, buddy. There isnt a town over there." Sam stepped up closer and looked him in the eyes. "Maybe you hit your head harder than you thought."

"No, I… he gave me a blanket and..." Blaine looked around. There was no blanket. "He must have taken it."

"We should get you back to the hotel." Sam said.

"I dont have the key. It was taken with everything else."

"I have mine, it wasnt in my wallet."

Sam was significantly more knowledgeable with outdoorsy things than Blaine, and he used the compass app on his phone to help them find their way out of the forest. Blaine would have been lost for hours on his own. Finally they got back to town and to their hotel without running into any of the men from the bar. When they got to their room Blaine was exhausted, covered in dirt and twigs and ready for the day to be over.

He collapsed on the bed as Sam took a shower to get the traces of the woods off of him and the Blaine sluggishly took a shower of his own afterwards. After they had settled in their beds, with Blaine was warm and drowsy under the covers, Sam spoke up.

"What are we going to do Blaine? We dont even have money to settle our bill here at the hotel."

Blaine hadnt even been thinking about that All he could think about was the man with the lovely voice that had come out of nowhere to help him. He knew Sam was right; they were in trouble here.

"I could call my folks, but they dont have a lot of cash to spare." Sam suggested.

"I cant call my parents asking for money." Blaine said quickly.

"No. I know. I wasnt trying to suggest that."

It was quite for a moment before Blaine sighed; there was no way he was letting Sams parents get them out of this jam, they had just gotten back on their feet after years of financial struggles. "I could call Cooper."

"You dont have to do that, man."

"No… its okay. Lets just have him send us enough money to pay our bill."

"And then we head home. I mean we cant really afford to stay any longer."

"Yeah. Sure." Blaine said turning on his side, hugging a pillow to his chest and yawning. "But first I want to find that town I saw…" He added and then drifted off to sleep.

The next morning Blaine made a collect call to his older brother Cooper. Blaine had a troubled and difficult relationship with his parents, but he and Cooper generally got along. Mostly. Still he didnt really want to have to call from Ireland and ask Cooper to wire him money, but they were out of options.

"Hey Coop." Blaine said when his brother answered the phone, grateful that his brother had accepted his call.

"Youre calling from Ireland?" Cooper said in surprise. "What are you doing in Ireland Squirt?"

Blaine hated being called Squirt and Cooper knew it, but he decided not to mention it when he was about to ask for a favor. "Im on vacation. With a friend"

"Ooooh, a boyfriend?" Cooper asked. Blaine rolled his eyes at Coopers enthusiasm.

"A friend who is a guy, but no, hes straight." Blaine sighed heavily, rubbing his face with the palm of his free hand and realizing for the first time that his head didnt hurt anymore, "Listen Cooper, I… hate to ask this but Sam and I are in a little trouble."

"Trouble?" Coopers voice come out lower and tinged with worry.

"We were pick-pocketed, and they took almost everything. We still have our passports, and I hate to ask, but..."

"Say no more Squirt. How much do you need and how do I get it to you?"

Blaine smiled, feeling grateful that Cooper was so willing to help. Though he was sure Cooper would want some favor in return sometime down the line. The two men made arrangements and before they hung up Blaine knew what the favor would be.

"When you get back home you need to come out to California and visit me. Ive been asking you for ages."

"I know, but…" Blaine tried to think of an excuse not to go. He loved his brother, he did, but too much time with him was difficult.

"Blaine, no excuses."

"Yeah, Cooper. Sure." Blaine said resigned. "Ill come visit you."

They got off the phone and Blaine felt frustrated. He hated being in Coopers debt, but glad to have a way out of this mess. He and Sam were already packed; they just needed to give Cooper time to wire them the money to the hotel and pay their bill.

"We good to go?" Sam asked plopping down on the bed next to Blaine as he stared at the phone like Copper was going to jump out of it asking when exactly his visit would be.

"Yeah, Cooper is helping out."

"Your brother is the best!"

"You havent met him," Blaine said rubbing the back of his neck and wanting to change the subject. "We have time today to go back to the forest and find that town before we leave."

"I told you Blaine, there is no town."

"Then what did I see and where did that guy come from?"

Sam looked at him solemnly. "Blaine. You... maybe saw a ghost." Then he smirked. "Oooooooooo!" He howled trying to sound ghost like before laughing.

Blaine smiled a little. "Shut up. Just come with me and Ill show you."

Sam eventually agreed just to show Blaine he was wrong. They checked out of the motel after the manager received Coopers wire transfer, slung their bags over their shoulders and trudged out of town and through the woods. The forest was still a little foggy in the morning and they carefully made their way down the hill Blaine had toppled down the night before. They could see the edge of the forest but still no town.

"See, I told you." Sam said.

"But… how?" Blaine kept going, walking to the end of the trees and finally the mist cleared and as Blaines eyes re-focused. On the other side of the tree line was a large green field full of flowers and then beyond that a small town appeared on the other side of the clearing, bright roofs and cozy looking cottages.

"Ha!" Blaine shouted turning to Sam and pointing. "I knew I didnt imagine it."

Sam looked surprised. "What the hell? I swear that wasnt here before."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Yeah Sam, youre right. It just appeared out of nowhere."

"Hey!" Sam said. "You bumped your head and I couldnt see it and… well I guess Im glad you arent crazy after all."

"Come on!" Blaine nodded towards the town and started that direction with Sam following behind.

They walked through the field, past a large oak tree and into the town. As they looked around, they were surprised; everything was quaint and rustic looking. Cottages with thatched roofs, cobblestone roads and iron lamp posts with candles in them. Everything was old fashioned, like the whole town was from a different era.

"How is this not on the maps or, like, tourist pamphlets at the hotel?" Sam asked. "It is all story-book looking and tourists love that crap."

Blaine smiled as they walked into town, feeling a weird kind of energy he couldnt explain, his skin buzzing with the same feeling it had last night. Something about this place was special.

They followed the main road through the town and started feeling a little nervous when they realized that no one was around. The town seemed empty.

"Is this like… the Irish version of a ghost town?" Sam asked.

Blaine didnt answer as a pair of children came out of one of the houses, they didnt see Blaine or Sam as they laughed and held hands running down the road. Sam and Blaine looked at each other and then followed them.

As they walked the twisting road into town the sound of music filled the air around them. They turned a corner and entered the center of town. Brightly colored banners and ribbons fluttered in the breeze, people danced and laughed with one another, flowers in their hair and smiles on their faces. The buzzing feeling under Blaines skin grew, and the air here almost feeling thick, making him dizzy with happiness while his heart pounded and his fingertips felt twitchy.

He turned to Sam who seemed amused, but not as lost in awe as Blaine was.

"Well buddy." Sam said clapping Blaine on the back. "Looks like we found ourselves a party."

Blaine smiled and looked back out at the crowd of brightly clothed towns people and couldnt help thinking to himself, Maybe hes here.