I gathered my equipment before
heading out of the lab. The building had been emptied out a few hours ago
except for me, who was left alone doing paperwork especially reports. I use my
free hand to wipe away the beads of sweat rolling down my temple. Today was an
extremely hot day—the hottest so far throughout summer. I’m surprised no one
passed out in the lab today.
The
hallways are dark and the janitor had left a few wall lamps on. The buzzing
from some of the light bulbs gives me the shivers. I walk down the hallway,
heading towards the exit with a stiff posture. I’ve never seen the hallway so
vacant before. I only hear the constant slapping of my soles on the floor. Man,
it really is hot even when it’s night time.
I
push the glass door of the building, only to be greeted by the dry and cool air
of the parking lot. I swing the tripod stand over my shoulder as more sweat
trickle down my temple. I fish out for my car keys and unlock my car door. The
parking lot, just like the hallway, is empty. It’s just my car sitting in the
lot as I load all my equipment into my car’s backseat.
After
loading, I slide into the driver’s seat and ignite the engine. My head and back
are aching terribly in every way. While the engine finishes warming up, I rest
my head against the cool leather seat and close my eyes for a few moments.
What
a tiring day.
What’s
new today? Nothing. No exciting reports for the company? Nope. Just a bunch of
progress reports.
My
fingers reach out to touch my glasses’ frames and adjusting them to my eye
level. I sigh heavily.
My
engine eases its loud clanking noise into the sound of a well-oiled machine. I
slam the door shut and begin to drive out of the parking lot.
The
radio decides to play a 80s song that I’m not familiar with, but it sounded
horrible. So I switch it off. Just then, my phone decides to ring in the cup
holder by my side. I pull over to the side to answer (yeah, I’m a good
citizen). The street lights are long gone behind the stretch of road. And to
make matters even creepier, the highway too is empty. Strange, usually kids
would be up drunk and driving.
But not tonight.
I answer the call
without looking at the caller ID.
“Hello?” I say.
“David, are you still
in the lab?! Do you have any idea what time it is?!”
Dear L—ugh, it’s my
mom. I know what you’re thinking: how old
is this guy?
“I’m
on the way home, Mom,” I groan.
“You
better be.”
She hangs up after
that.
“Goodbye,
sweet mother of mine!” I say out loud to nobody but the dead line on the other
side.
I
toss my phone aside to the passenger seat. Ahead of me is just pitch black. Of
course I had nothing to worry about because my headlights are working. The
government should really do something about this road. It is, after all, the
shortcut to home.
A
pair of yellow eyes whizzed across the road in the darkness.
Wait
what? What’s that?
I
couldn’t believe my eyes. That sight made me sit on the edge of my seat and
freeze. Beads of sweat start to form; I could feel the heat from my head and my
blood rushing. My breaths are shallow from my mouth. I grip on tightly to the
steering wheel, hesitant about my next move. Should I drive or…
The
yellow eyes prance across the road, followed by a pair of green ones and
disappear in the nearby bushes.
I
don’t know what took over me next but I got out of the car. It must be my
reflexes. My heart is pounding so loud that my ears could hear the irregular
rhythm.
As
soon as I get out, I hear the rustling of the leaves from the other side of the
road. I stand in front of the headlights. It’s strange enough to have floating
eyes jumping across the road, the night is completely silent. No crickets or
frogs croaking at all. The atmosphere had gone cold in contrast with the lab’s
parking lot.
I
gingerly walk toward the bushes though it was the stupidest move I could make
as a defenceless human. The bushes rustled again but louder this time. I could
see a silhouette forming.
It’s
a thing with teeny tiny horns sprouting from its teeny tiny head. The eyes
blink for a moment. I stop approaching, and decide to let it come to me
instead. What do you know; it is coming at me but carefully.
As
it comes closer into the light, the silhouette becomes clearer. It had long
legs. Its head juts out, wanting to sniff me. It comes closer and the light
casts over it.
It’s
just a deer.
I
let out a sigh of relief and wipe away the heavy beads of sweat that has
accumulated on my nose.
“You
sneaky little woodland creature,” I say to it, smiling. I’m gladdened that it’s
just a silly little deer.
But
then, it opens its mouth, unveiling its sharp teeth. The teeth that could tear
a man to pieces bared themselves in front of me. The deer hisses at me. Fear
looms over me, numbing my body.
What is this?
Well,
it’s definitely not a deer anymore—not a silly little woodland creature. It’s a
man eating killing machine.
It
bites the edges of my shirt, and then yanks me into the dark forest.
“Wha—Hey!
Let me go, you… beast!” I thrash the muddy ground. It growls in response. I
don’t know where it’s taking me but I know it’s somewhere not good.
The
fallen branches and twigs are scratching my bare skin when it had the chance;
the mud coats my side and picks up a few dead leaves and some other stuff along
the way. I attempt to claw my way back
to my car but the vicious deer jerks me back. For a tiny animal, it has the
strength of an elephant.
After
a few metres in the forest, it suddenly picks up its pace. I keep my face
facing upwards as we run uphill. There was also no use of screaming. No one
would hear a screaming man in a thick forest anyway. This thing had to drop me off somewhere; there I
would just find my way back.
Finally,
the ‘thing’ reaches to what seems to be its destination: the top of the hill
(more of a cliff, really) that overlooks the sea. It bows its head, and
releases me. I quickly stand up, “Finally you nasty freak of nature! Go! Get
lost!”
I point at it, yelling
with all my might. The soothing wind definitely didn’t help calming me. It
snarled and hissed at me once more before charging at me.
“NO.
NO. NO WAY YOU’RE GOING TO—”
Before
I could finish my sentence, I was pushed off the cliff. After I’ve gained
terminal velocity, I curse at the deer which is probably prancing down the hill
with its stupid long legs. Flames of anger fill my entire body but wait, I’m
about to fall into a vast sea.
Hmm…
Sea against a deer.
The
sea is my main concern now. Apparently, from what I saw before plunging into
the waters, there is no shore to swim to. Well just great. Maybe my vision
wasn’t so good that time? There should be a cave or something! Anything!
My
body and the surface of the water slam into each other. I hold my breath as I plunge
down into the calm sea.
I
float and start gasping for air. I’m surprised that I wasn’t as anxious as I
fell. I wonder why.
I
felt like I was going to be okay when I was falling.
Can
this night ever get stranger?
Oh
yes, it can.
The
sea is calm which is a really bad thing to sailors or anyone. I start swimming
around the coast, trying to find shore or a cave or a stump.
The
water, now, feels unforgiving. The temperature dropped drastically, turning the
water’s temperature freezing cold. It feels like thousands of needles jabbing
into your flesh and through your clothing.
After
minutes of searching, my arms wince.
My
legs helplessly kick the water, trying to maintain afloat. My head is submerged
along with my whole body. I ignore the pain in my arms, and try to paddle up to
the surface but something is pulling me in. I gasp, letting bubbles out of my
mouth.
I
struggle harder but the force is too strong. It’s sucking me into somewhere. My
body couldn’t endure the lack of air and pain anymore, so the force overcomes
me. Right then, I was swirling into some water vortex.
***
My
chest feels heavy from the water that entered my lungs. I cough harshly. I was
jerked back into reality. Everything feels cold, soggy and musty. A finger
strokes my forehead. My eyes flutter open. I’m on a rocky platform.
A
wave of shock fills me. I jump onto my feet.
“Who
are you?!” I say, raising my arms to my jaw and ready to attack (or defend
myself—whichever).
A
slender woman stands before me with numerous odd tattoos marked around the
parts of her body. A few pieces of silky white cloth hangs from her chest and
stop by the end of her rib cage. It leaves her abdomen and back bare. Another
hangs loosely around her broad waist. Her hair is as red as flames and eyes
that are as bright as the moonlight. She’s holding a spear with a pendant tied
around the stick and is barefoot.
Her
eyes widened, her plump lips gapping at me.
She
mutters under her breath, but is looking at me solemnly as she does it.
“I-I’m
telling you, I can do major harm…” I stumble over my words, still frightened by
the way she was so close to me.
Again,
she speaks but not in a low voice. Her hand rises to show a sign of no harm,
and cautiously trying to reach to touch me.
I
inch away slowly, still in the same posture.
Suddenly,
I take in my surroundings.
Somehow
I’m not home, or in a cave, or anywhere on Earth for that matter. The sea
glimmers with the ever changing hues. My breathing had altered into a series of
wheezes.
The
trees stood tall, almost looking like palm trees but has strange purple fruits
bearing on their barks. The sky has strange colours like the sea. Waves of
different hues travel across the night sky.
Everything
is luminous.
I
suspect something’s wrong with my glasses, so I take them off and wipe them
with my damp shirt. That totally did not help anything.
She
comes closer after putting down her spear. Her walk is gentle; she’s light on
her feet. Her expression stays the same. I pant heavier as she comes closer.
I
almost swore I could see two moons living in her eyes with strange rocks
orbiting her iris. But it’s probably just me hallucinating. Maybe my head hit a
rock on the way here.
We’re
centimetres away from each other now. I look down at her, her face fills with
concern and doubt. She’s probably not seen someone like me before perhaps. Well,
same goes for me.
Her
skin tone is slightly dark; her lips are white like snow.
She’s
beautiful.
She
speaks again, smiling. Her teeth are perfectly straight but there’s something
odd about them. Her canines happen to be longer than a normal human. Not
extremely long but just a little longer, no one would notice it from
afar—except I’m not looking at her from afar.
I
feel heat rushing to my cheeks and ears.
“I’m
sorry, I don’t… Understand,” I cock my head slightly and shrug.
She
bites her lip and looks away for a moment. She clutches the cloth on her chest.
Abruptly,
a growl brews inside the tranquil forest. She darts at the origin of the noise.
The trees rustle. I back up slightly, holding onto an unfamiliar tree. She
picks up her spear and crouches.
A
tall silhouette appears with long antlers growing from the top of its head. She
sighs in relief and stands up. I don’t get it. What’s that thing?
A
brown furry animal approaches her.
It’s
a giant deer pops out from the shadows and nuzzles her neck. The deer’s antlers
spreaded out like the branches of a tree; they are wide and bulky. On the ends
of every antler, there are… light bulbs? They do look like light bulbs. They
glow in the colours of purple, magenta and yellow. She giggles as the deer
sniffs her neck.
She
whispers to it, stroking its long snout and the deer takes off into the forest
again.
The
girl looks back at me, “Do…”
She
speaks English. Hallelujah.
I
lift myself off the tree trunk and approach her slowly, shuffling my feet on
the rock.
“Uh-huh,”
I nod.
“Do…
you… understand?” she makes awkward hand gestures, trying to make eye contact
with me.
“I
do,” I say. English is definitely foreign to her, and so am I. There’s something
about the way she looks at me, like she’s not meant to be wandering around at
this hour.
“Goot,” she smiles at me.
Apparently
she’s no professional at this. I laugh under my breath.
“It’s
good,” I correct her. She blushes at
my correction. Her cheeks are as red as her hair.
“I
can… take you to… my tribe,” she points to the mountain above us. I feel unsure
about following her, who knows what the tranquil forest holds. I could tell
that it’s manifested with strange trees and let alone creatures of the night.
Yet
I say, “Oh… okay.”
Without
wasting time, she marches into the forest and I follow behind. As we got into
the forest, her nails, bangles, necklace and pendant glow in the colour of
cyan. I gasp quietly as I watch her scale a steep hill with nothing but nails
glowing against the rocks.
After
scaling, she says, “Vee are almost there.”
“It’s
we,” I sheepishly laugh and scratch
my head.
“Right,”
she turns around and gives me a sheepish smile in return. I think the
pronunciation errors she makes are rather cute. It’s nice to see something
strange learning something familiar.
We
soon find ourselves walking on a well-carved path which circles around the
mountain. I could see the peak from here and it’s not that far. I wonder why
her tribe chooses to live up the mountains but not down below.
The
higher we went, the more I could see the vast land that lies across the sea.
The sea’s no more a sea once we were close to the summit; it turns out to be a
bay, enclosed by more plains of forest. Looking farther, a chain of rocky
mountains enclose the forest. The mountain that we are climbing is just an
isolated one; far away from the chain.
“H-Hey,
what lies beyond the mountains?” I ask her. Her charms jingle as she marches up
the mountain.
Without
looking back or stopping, she says, “I do not understand.”
I
clear my throat before speaking. I feel the heat rushing to my cheeks again.
“The
mountains…”
“Yes?
What… What about them?”
“What’s
after that?”
She
gasps for a moment. I see her shoulders rise up a little and her back stiffen. After
letting out a mouthful of air through her lips, she slumps back to her original
posture.
“We
must never speak what is after the mountains, stranger,” her tone is strict and
shaking. This makes me even more curious.
Curiosity
killed the poor old cat.
I
let my mind wander to the skies.
Music
suddenly fills the air. She quickens her pace, “Hurry, we must get to the top.”
I
don’t know what was wrong about the music. It sounds delightful. The loud
banging of the bring drums echo into the forest. A patch of trees light up in
the colour yellow. Then another in the colour red; again in the colour blue. I
don’t understand any of these but they are definitely a sight to see. I don’t
get why they are a sign of alarm.
“What’s
wrong?” I ask, trying to get some answers out of her.
Before
she could say anything, we’ve reached to the summit. It’s just a big piece of
flat land sitting on the top of a rocky mountain. A cave rests just across the
land. On the left, a tower built out of rocks stands. Its entrance is lit with
torches that are up against the wall. A big bonfire dances in the middle with
muscular men covered in tattoos sit around it. They stand in attention as we
arrive.
Could
all of this have been a dream? Why do I feel fine?
She
pounds her spear on the ground and harshly speaks to them in a native language.
They bow, mumbling a few other things and then leave to the tower quietly with
their feet shuffling on the ground.
“Is
this your tribe?” I ask, walking closer to her back.
She
scowls at me, “Yes, the wretched tribe that I belong to.”
I
was taken aback by her stone cold expression. It feels like a few hours ago she
was a helpless little wanderer.
“I
can leave if you want me to…”
She
approaches me and her eyes soften, “No, stay. You are lost.”
I
play with my fingers, trying not to stare at her to seem rude.
“Come
with me, I’ll show you where to rest,” she beckons me into the cave. From
outside, the cave looks completely pitch black. She picks up a big stick, takes
an oily linen wrap and wraps it around the end of the stick. After that, she
lights it with the bonfire’s flames. I watch her anxiously. I’m not a big fan
of darkness anymore after what had happened on the highway.
She
continues to walk towards the cave while I stand motionless in front of the
bonfire.
“I
don’t have all day,” she turns around and flicks her tongue at me when she
pronounces ‘have’.
My
hands start to shiver out of nowhere. I feel faint.
She
sees me freaking out, sighs and approaches me with an ignorant expression, “You
won’t make it through if you lose me in there. Stay close and don’t make
noises.”
Her
words hurt but are helpful in a way. Like tiny daggers launching at you and
jabbing into your flesh but in a good way, I guess.
The
flames continue to flicker as we walk into the dark cave. As darkness looms
over us, I feel stuffy and something grabbing me.
It’s
just her nails sinking into my arm.
In
the darkness, this time, none of her luminous charms or nails radiated colours.
“Why
aren’t you glowing?”
She
moves her hand over my lips and squeezes them tightly. I yelp in surprise.
Right, no talking.
When
she lets go of her grip, she slowly moves her hand to my arm again. I fall
silent. I still have many unanswered questions. One of them is how to get out
of this place. I shouldn’t be so invested in this ‘world’. Why did the force
suck me in? Was it meant to be a trap? And why didn’t that giant deer have
vicious fangs like the tiny woodland deer I came across? Which part of the
Earth am I in?
So
many questions that I’m very sure that she would know.
Judging
from the way she treated the men back on the summit, she must be some special
person in the tribe. Yet she’s ashamed to be part of it.
I
watch her from the corner of my eye; she looks focused like she waits for
something that could attack us at any time. I decide to walk closer to her. She
darts at me. I move away slightly.
Finally,
I see light at the end of the cave. The cool air rush to my face and I breathe
easily once again. She throws the torch onto the ground and the flames
extinguish.
We
come to another flat area that is corralled by trees. The place is wide. It is
inhabited with running children that are playing wooden swords, giggling as
they run past us. Tents are set up in a linear arrangement. I see old women
weaving baskets and platters. They wear weird ponchos and have their hair tied
into buns.
She
walks in between the two neat lines of tents. The women look up at her and
mutter one word and nod. They return to their weaving after she has passed by.
The
terrain gets steeper as we head farther from the running children and old
women.
Bushes
grow on the sides as the terrain creates some sort of ramp.
“Where
are we going?”
“Just
stand behind me and try not to get hurt.” Her accent is heavy, but
understandable. She’s a very different person now. Her face is hard, the
definition on her skin start to show and dark circles appear under her eyes all
of a sudden.
Halfway
up the ramp, I’m wheezing and she isn’t.
More
strange lights glimmer from the sides and the music gets louder—the one I heard
at the mountain.
We
finally reach to another flat piece of land; it could be an uplift of the
ground. A giant tree with huge buttress roots stand before us. This one is not
your average giant tree. No, this has people hanging on its branches. Dead ones
I suppose.
The
one I notice first is a man with a slight beard, in a cloak and his head tilts
with his eyes closed.
“No…”
she whispers next to me. She gazes upon the many bodies that hang before her.
The leaves radiate a bright blue light that almost blinded me. Strange people
gather around the tree but not close to the roots or the bodies. Among the
crowd, stand a reptilian family. Their eyes have slits in them and their skins
shifted for a moment there. My goose bumps begin to peak on the sides of arms.
The
crowd mutters and gasps.
I
look at her again, “Would you please tell
me what’s going on?”
She
blinks at the tree and then looks at me with troubled eyes, “Bad things are
happening. Things that shouldn’t happen are…”
“Well
yeah, bad things aren’t supposed to happen,” I sarcastically reply.
Ignoring
my snarky reply, she continues with her sentence, “Wait, I must find you a
place to rest.”
***
The
official tribe quarters are just a few minutes’ walk from the creepy tree.
Thank goodness there were no more uplifts of the ground or else my legs would
fall off. The place is protected by a sturdy wall made from, well, rocks. The
gates are fairly high and guarded by both men and women in some uniform made
from animal pelt.
The
gates unveiled the little city before us. It’s strange—how their attire seems
to be from a very primeval development but the architectural designs are just
so modern.
“Whoa,”
I gasp silently.
“This
way,” she brushes my arm. We head to the left; a dark sector of the city. It
fills with all kinds of strange people and races too. A civilization here… How…
Fascinating.
Just
imagine if I were to write a report about this place—people will think I’ve
lost it.
I
follow her behind, keeping up with the pace.
Her
skirt sways side-to-side in a cool rhythm. With her body leaning slightly
forward, she starts jogging.
“Whoa,
wait, hold on!”
Before
I know it, I start to jog too. Her skinny legs suspend themselves in the air
when she encounters a wheelbarrow full of purple fruits with green spikes sticking
out.
The
concrete is an unusual hard against the soles on my feet as they slap on the
surface. I have a bad feeling about this place. The tree had given me the
impression that something terrible is going to happen.
The
tall buildings of the miniscule city are beginning to arch over me in a strange
manner. What kind of cement and bricks do they use?
I
focus back onto keeping up with her speed. Her long, shiny white hair flow in
the win and I hear the rattle of her bangles and charms. Somehow her hair had changed its colour. I wonder why. The city becomes
deserted as we move farther. Eventually the city buildings become ruins with bright
blue vines binding themselves onto the broken concrete slabs and walls.
Abruptly everything becomes a dull shade. We are still jogging—I don’t know
from what but perhaps this is the way to where she wants me to rest at.
She
stops.
My
feet can’t stop themselves so quickly. I couldn’t help but bang into her;
sending both of us plummeting to the ground.
“Watch
it!” she rubs the back of her head and barks at me viciously.
All
I can do is just give useless mouthing because I’m on top of a barely clothed
woman with our faces almost touching. I don’t have anyone back home (but my
mother), but I’m not into intimacy whether it’s having to hug a girl more than
two Mississippis or sharing a drink with anyone (excluding my family, duh).
Her
eyes fling open, revealing the bizarre moons that orbit her irises. The strands
of white fall over them while her chest moves up and down rapidly. I can see
she’s trying to slow it down. I tear my eyes away from her half-exposed chest.
Her skinny legs plant themselves by my side, in between them is me. I scramble
back up on my feet, clearing my throat. My cheeks start to burn and my heart
starts to race. I’m never going that near
to a woman ever again. Ever.
She
looks unamused. This seems dangerous—correction: it is dangerous. If her nails can glow and all that fancy stuff, I’m
pretty sure I’m going to be killed in an unpleasant way.
I
brace myself for a knockout but instead, her cheeks turn into a shade of
yellow. Is that blushing in her race or?
“Don’t…
No,” she shakes her head with her arms flailing in frustration.
My
cheeks continue to burn up, “The… rest place… thing. We should… go,” I start
making idiotic gestures again like I did the moment we met.
Then,
she turns around and walks in a stiff posture, the shade of yellow doesn’t
leave her face.
We
proceed to a bungalow in the midst of the ruins. It stands perfectly intact and
unharmed, comparing to the other ones around it. A giant brick wall painted
grey stand behind it. It seems that the entire city is guarded by this wall. When
a city builds up a wall that fence around the perimeter of the area, they do it
to keep something out.
The
thought whizzes across my mind—when she said that beyond the mountains should
be kept a secret. That secret must be that thing that they’re keeping out. But
hey, I can be wrong.
I
open the creaky wooden door and gesture her in. She doesn’t say anything but
keeps a straight face.
The
room is musty, hot and dry. I can feel the saturation of dust in the air and it
makes breathing completely uncomfortable. And not to mention that it’s dark.
Her
charms and nails glow again. They start moving. I follow her to the other side
of the room. Her nails grasps on something against the wall and then twists it
gently. Something clicks and squeaks instantly.
The
drumming song rings through the air again. Are we out again?
She
grabs my arm, her nails sinking into my skin. I’m dragged out of the room at an
instant.
The
scenery is a little different in contrast to the forest on the mountain. The
trees remain the same but somehow there are freaky statues of freaky things in
bushes with blazing eyes. I attempt to not show fear or my face because I don’t
want to seem like the weakling here (not being a stereotype with the ‘guys are
stronger and women’ thing). It feels belittling about how she has a very strong
character for someone who looks young, and I’m not. I’m older; I’m supposed to
know better than her. But who am I to say that when we literally live in two
different worlds (cliché, I know).
Honestly,
I’m getting tired of walking around. Does she know that?
“Almost
there,” she mumbles.
Wait.
Did she just…
The
banging of drums still goes on but it’s just as a background noise now. We’re
probably far away from it.
Sigh,
more strange and creepy statues lurking in the shadows and bushes of the
forest. How far is this place?
“Far
enough to keep you safe,” she says.
I
look at her, dumbfounded, “Did you just… Read my mind?”
The
shade of yellow returns as she gnaws on her lip, “I can’t help it… You’re so open;
it’s so easy to read.”
My
stomach starts to stir from more embarrassment. I like it better when everything
was awkward between us. How long has she been reading my mind and kept it to herself?
Oh no, she probably read my thoughts when I was on top of her. My eye suddenly
twitches for a while then stops. My belly churns deep and fast.
The
air becomes humid and my palms become sweaty. Please tell me this isn’t her
world’s version of a marsh or swamp. I get really sweaty, plus disgusting, in
swamps.
Ahead,
I can make out a little village with a bonfire burning. People like her kind
are walking around, carrying wood and throwing them into the fire. The women
dress in the same material but in different kinds of styles.
The men have pieces of
cloth tied to their waists and the cloth drapes from there to their thighs. All
of them have spears, just like her. I’m guessing this is the ‘wretched’ tribe she belongs to then?
She greets the villagers with a
stern shout and a wave of her hand. I survey the environment quick. The forest
floor is clean with animal pelt around the fire. Tents made out of some kind of
fabric make a circle around the bonfire. This is more of a camp site than a
village.
“Come,” she beckons me to a tent
after greeting.
I follow her into the tent where
inside, a bed is already laid out. It’s just a sleeping bag thing made out of,
of course, animal pelt.
She sits down on the ground while I
walk over to the sleeping bag and settle down.
“You’re permitted to stay for a
night. When the sky becomes light, you may return to your world. But note that
you may never speak of this place or I’ll send the Hakuvu to tear you to
pieces.”
Hakuvu? The deer menace?
“Right, of course. Since you read my
mind… and everything,” I shrug, starkly replying.
An airy silence rises.
I keep my eyes away from her. After
what had happened back there, I can’t look at her straight in the eye. What if
it’s like some molestation in her terms?
Great, I’m overreacting—the usual. I
just bumped into her, that’s all and it’s an accident! But we were so close. I
could smell her sweet breath and see the fine details of her face. Yes, she’s
beautiful however she’s no toy. The airy silence becomes awkward. She rolls her
shoulders uncomfortably.
I decide to clear my throat, “So,
how long have you been reading my mind? Since forever or?”
My gaze directs to her. She looks at
me sincerely with a goofy smile that paints her face, “Not forever; when I
found you lying by the sea.”
The shade of yellow appears every
time our gazes meet. Same thing happens to me, except for my cheeks turning
yellow. My stomach just does weird flops, I don’t know why.
“Can you read other people’s minds?”
She hums for a moment, “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I can’t,” she bluntly says.
Captain Obvious much.
“But why can you read mine? I don’t
understand your customs,” I put up
air-quotes.
There she goes again with her lip-chewing,
“Do you really want to know?”
I shrug, “If you care to share.”
She approaches closer, sitting
across me with our knee-caps brushing against each other.
“Well, people here say that… Uh…
When one finds one’s soul mate, he or
she… tends to read his or her soul mate’s
mind,” she stumbles over the words. The image of the bold and strong woman
wears down a little. I see an incredibly awkward woman, uncomfortable with
topics that involve intimacy. She said it like she didn’t mean it to happen.
The mind reading just… happened.
I don’t know what’s going on. If she
can read my mind, then why can't I read hers?
Trying to conceal my awed emotion, I
ask calmly, “Why can’t I read yours?”
She shifts herself a little forward,
“Um. Your kind can’t tolerate such power.”
“Oh.”
Never in my life have I thought
about having another life form my soul mate. No wonder all those blind dates I’ve
had since I turned 17 had worked out. Well, when I get back, my mother is going
to throw a fit or stare at me like I’ve gone loco crazy when I tell her that my soul mate doesn't exist on Earth.
Out of my curiosity and state of
shock, I ask, “Why me?”
“I don’t know. You can’t decide these
things. They just happen.”
My fingers lace themselves together.
My thumbs shuffle nervously at the new found information. So do I have to spend
the rest of my life knowing that I’m not able to court or marry my soul mate
because she’s completely fictional to the realistic world or.
My head’s in a swirly. I want to go
home now even if the sky is still dark. I don’t care, this is completely…
unbelievable. I’ve run out of words to describe the things here.
“I must get going. You should get
some rest now before heading back. You mustn’t stay here for another day.
Things are starting to stir and the outcome will be fatal.” She morphs back into
the woman I’m familiar with; self-assured and demanding.
I nod, not wanting to say a word.
But something happens. She starts grabbing
my face and nipping on my plump lower lip with lust. Each nip gets harder—causing
moans to escape from my mouth. Instinctively I would pull away, except for this
time. This time, I take her in. We barely know each other, assuming that she
doesn’t know who I was before I was washed up and brought here. A rush of
adrenaline courses through my veins, I pull her down onto the ground. Her hands
trail from my cheeks, down to my back then my waist. I hold onto her upper
back, pulling her closer to me.
I feel the intense heat wiping on my
skin. Her nails sink through my fabric. Soon, everything got humid in the tent.
My hands weave their way through her silky locks that feel as cool as ice
against the warm skin of my palms. All of a sudden it’s like I know her. It
sounds stupid now but when you feel it,
the feeling is indescribable. It’s like standing by the coast on a hot day and
letting the waves rush to up to your ankles and retreat back to the waters
again.
She finally pulls away, breathing
heavily also finally having enough of me. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten
enough of her. I jerk her back into a heart-stopping kiss. She shoves me away
after a few nips, “You must leave tomorrow.”
“But I don’t want to,” I run my
fingers through her hair, feeling the cold sensation. Why did I say that.
“You must.”
I take in a whiff of her—sweet and
minty. Right here, I know that I’m already attached to her.