Bad Temptations

Life is a Highway ( And I'm Not Driving )

My mind quickly gets into survival mode and—ignoring the pain—I jump out of the trunk and behind the incapacitated horse, just the nick of time.

An arrow flies past and I let out a quick breath before looking over the horse, trying to spot the evil woman. When I see she has moved positions and is now circling the hole to get a better angle, I shift my body around my hiding spot, keeping the horse between us.

She loads another arrow into her bow and I duck as I hear a cringe-worthy sound of the arrow embedding itself into the horse's flesh.

I look around and see the woman on the same side of me and try to run around the horse to get away, when I trip over a dead body.

Ew.

I'm going to die and It's going to be all Alex's fault because he doesn't know how to ride and drive a horse.

She smiles and reaches behind her head for an arrow from her quiver, but frowns when I see her hands grasp nothing. I smile and crawl back around the horse, barely lifting my head enough so I can see her. She looks down, grabs a knife that had currently been residing in a dead body's chest, and jumps down into the hole.

Oh hell naw.

I scramble and crawl away, using the small trailer as a divider between her and I. She smiles and walks towards me, keeping eye contact.

"I didn't think you would ever visit us, Mason. We're such a small town, what were the chances?"

She walks closer and I push the trailer into her and try running away.

I use the word try because I'm pretty sure what I was doing was not called running.

"ARG!! You self-entitled brat! You don't deserve the crown! None of you do!"

I ignore her useless words and make it to the dirt wall of the hole and begin trying to climb up.

With my tired body and the 'scratch' that feels more like lava at the moment, I know I can't make it up this wall.

I hear the trailer being dropped and I don't dare to look behind me.

"Hurry! Grab my hand!" I look up to see Alex covered in cuts and bruises.

I grab onto his hand and almost smile when he pulls me up. But I don't smile. Because I'm caught. More like my leg gets caught. On Margaret's knife.

"AHHHH! Alex she has my leg!" With half of my body out of the hole, Margaret has her knife fully imbedded into my calf, making the whole leg numb, but still throb in indescribable pain.

I grunt and groan in pain. My mind can't process the wound and thoughts don't have time to formulate in my head before I try spitting them out.

I can't pull myself up anymore, so I lay halfway on the grass until the tiredness finally catches up with me.

My eyelids close and the last thing I see is Alex pick up his sword.

*****

I begin to hear the sound of gravel on boots, but don't comprehend anything beyond that as I open my eyes. I look up to see the sky, then tilt my head to see Alex.

His jaw is set straight and his hair bounces with the steps he takes. I can feel an uneven walking pattern, as if one leg is in a ditch. I roll my head to see us walking on the road. Noticeably nowhere near where we were before at the hole.

I feel no pain in my leg. In fact, I can't feel my leg at all. Nor can I feel my back. Everything else is still tense, the adrenaline that should have left my body by now, is still coursing through my veins. It's keeping me from feeling my wounds.

How am I walking right now?

I look down and see shoes that are definitely not mine, nor my size. Is this a dream?

I look back up at Alex and see him looking back at me.

"You're okay. You just passed out. We're on our way to your friend's house, remember?" I subtly nod my head.

I close my eyes once again feeling the pain in my head.

"It's okay. Close your eyes, we're almost there. Just close your eyes. We're safe now. Keep breathing and..." Alex's voice drifts out as I give into the temptations of sleep.

******

When I come back to, I'm on a soft bed with light this time. I look around and notice almost all the furniture in the room is wooden.

I stare at the ceiling trying to remember what had happened. I try sitting up, but my (non-existent) abs were sore, making me lay back down.

I crane my neck to investigate the room. My attention is pulled to a bundle of blankets just to the left of me.

And I notice, this large of a bed, three people could fit on it.

I lift a shakey and weak hand and pull back the blanket. I am surprised to see part of a face. A sleeping face. I hope.

I am uncertain about someone being in the same room, on the same bed as I, while I was unconscious, but I like to think I'm very good at ignoring red flags.

I pull back the blanket more to see a familiar mop of black hair.

Despite being in pain, I smile at Alex. I feel relieved that he is with me and also seemingly okay.

I set the blanket back down slowly, but this time leaving a little off his face so he doesn't suffocate and die in his sleep.

I pull my hands into my lap and lace my fingers together. I stare back at the ceiling, again trying to remember all that happened. I vaguely remember this strange dream about being in a hole and having to run around an apparently dead horse while a witch chased me with a stick. Then I remember Alex and he was dressed in knight's armor.

I start to put pieces together and realize that only half of that was true. My eyes float down the wall to discover a door. I eye it for a moment before deciding I am perfectly comfortable and safe where I am. No need to make my unfavorable situation any more difficult, as I don't know the full extent of my injuries.

I try to glance back at Alex to see if he had awoken or if I could if he was hurt or not, but the blanket to all appearances covered every inch of himself besides the face.

I close my eyes and give a quiet yawn. I'll just rest my eyes for a moment.