Can't Catch Me!

Chapter 4 - The Quest

NZ Music - I Choose You - Stan Walker

Chapter 4 - The Quest

I was still shaking when we landed in the next dimension.  Luckily I was also still in Joel’s arms.  There was no way I could have pulled off a landing in the state I was.

Joel lowered me to the ground gently and then straightened up.  I gathered, from the depth of his frown, we still weren’t where he wanted us to be.

“You OK?”

I heard his words but I wasn’t sure I could confidently reply.  And the last thing I need was for him to see me in this state.  He was overprotective enough without seeing me a breakdown into a shaking and trembling mess.  No, that would only confirm his fears. 

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath.

“I’m fine,” I verbal said the words that I had been chanting in my head.

When no reply came, I opened my eyes to see him looking at me with concern. 

“I’m fine Joel, just a splattering of monster drool.” I cringed at the globules of sticky stuff all over my skin.  Whatever that monster was it had a huge gleek problem.   I physically wiped myself down only to find that I had just smeared the stuff around.   Great.  I am fine, I am fine, I am...

“Where are we?” I looked around at the landscape around us, farmlands.  The cows were chewing their cud and looking at me with big doughy brown eyes.  Well that was good.  I made a huge generalisation that I hoped was true, complacent cows equalled no monsters. 

I turned back to Joel realising that he hadn’t answered.  He was looking away his shoulders still taut. 

Ahhh, that’s right, we were still lost and Joel would be still blaming himself.  I signed and rubbed my face with the balls of my hands.  Joel had to get over these feeling of doubt.  I knew he was suffering from the revelations of D-zero but he was still in denial.  He needed to talk to me about what he was feeling.  But given he was male, I wasn’t going to hold my breath for that to happen. 

“Have you been to this dimension before?” I tried to change the subject.

“There are hundreds of dimensions Cissy.  I haven’t been to them all.  There are other dimensioneers you know.”

“Really?  Friends of yours?”

“I have never had much time for friends,” he looked uncomfortable.  

“Then I will count myself lucky then,” I smiled at him.  “Come on I need to wash.  I can smell myself which is never a good sign.”

“There is a line of trees over there. That implies a stream.”  He said dryly pointing.

“Will you scrub my back for me?” I smiled and ran my fingers up his back.

“Yeah, because that wouldn’t distract me, right?” He huffed as he turned and caught my hand. 

His face was frowning but I laughed at him, grabbing his other hand and pulling myself up close.

“But there’s this blob of monster spit right between my shoulder blades and I just can’t reach it,” I said in my most helpless voice, “Ohh what am I going to do?”

He rolled his eyes and groaned.

“Come on boyfriend, I promise I won’t distract you while you protect me from these ninja cows.”

“Ninja cows?  You need some sleep.”

I smiled suggestively, “I thought that was what we were talking about!”