The Moon's Fangs | 1

7 | double-edged

Amelia

When the guy I thought would be eternally grateful to me for freeing him turned psycho, it was obvious sunshine and daisies weren't in the foreseeable future.

After he threw me over a shoulder and stepped through a swirling cosmos created by a ring of his own, I expected another nightmare to come to life. Instead, he seemed at a loss for words when stepping into a wasteland.

The sky glittered with incandescent light, so much so, the sand appeared to absorb the moonlight.

When I craned my neck to see around his shoulder, a haven clashed against the barren conditions, standing out in vibrant colors against the encompassing badlands. Similar to the sphere which previously imprisoned Reks, this oasis had a dome-like barrier of its own, being see-through and tinted in a light amber-gold shade. It was hard to see from this far away, but I could make out architectures through the trees, like people lived within it.

His body tensed, mumbling something under his breath while staring blankly at the blanket of sand outstretched before us as if he could see something there that I couldn't.

"You can just drop me off here. I... I won't tell anyone about you." My throat ached after screaming my head off. He had not reacted in any kind of positive way I hoped for, and I was certain parting ways would be the best choice for me. This man was pissed and confused, and I wanted no part of that.

Pain blitzed through my ribs when he readjusted my weight. I clamped my jaw, sharply sucking in air.

There was a pause, then instead of offering a response, he tossed his ring in the air again and opened yet another portal.

My eyes flashed. A faint hope of being transported into the oasis pulled at my heart. If that happened and someone saw me as a hostage, someone would be bound to tell the authorities and I'd be saved! But... that all depended on if whoever lived within the strange barrier were good people, and not a bunch of criminals stuck in one big prison cell.

Either way, I wouldn't be finding out any time soon. When he stepped through, it was evident no one would be coming to my rescue.

We warped into a room covered in dust and grime, having to be the work of years of abandonment. Strange science equipment and tools, and coincidentally, sparse remains of dead plants, gathered dust from being unused and mistreated on counter spaces. A slithering trail could be faintly seen across the floor. Shattered, grime-covered glass littered the floor in the far back corner under a broken container. The fact the lights flicked on upon our arrival was surprising, seeing as this place hadn't been occupied in a long while.

The muscles in Reks' back knotted, and his arm holding down my legs twitched with agitation. I couldn't see his face, but a sinking feeling told me this place meant something to him. Maybe even belonged to him.

Oh hell, I realized. An evil scientist never trapped him in the first place. This guy is the evil scientist! Did that mean I got roped into freeing a villain? Please, no.

My heart rate escalated faster than the speed of freaking light. A weapon. I needed something to protect myself. Anything. I reached out towards a tool with strained fingers as he walked us by a table, but it was just barely out of reach. My finger brushed the corner of the table, only collecting dust. No!

Then both of his hands were grasping my sides before he pulled me off his shoulder. In one fluid motion, he set me into a chair before my feet had the chance to touch the grimy floor.

Before I could gather what was going on, something blue and snake-like slicked around my arms and torso, strapping me against the chair before moving to my waist, then darting down to snag my ankles in place. Rope? He held the opposite end, giving it slack despite not seeming to have any slack left to give. I went dizzy with terror, tugging ineffectually.