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Standing beside the flowing river, my eyes wavered to the tune of the wind. My hair began floating behind me. With my hands lying by me, I stared at the currents and folded my lips.I could feel the cold breeze brush over my eyes when I closed my eyes. Remembering this feeling, I couldn't help but hold back my tears.
Giggling, I fetched a handful of water and splashed it over two women who stood a few metres from me. They covered their faces just at each splash while laughing. "This girl's looking for trouble!" aunt commented trying to catch me off guard. Caught in splashing, I didn't notice when she got behind me.
But she did. With a little scream, she arrested me in her arms while mom splashed the water all over me. "That's cheating!" Laughing, I closed my eyes while the water soaked me, flipping over my eyelids.
When I bit her arm slightly, she winced and let go off me. I immediately rushed behind and started laughing. While mom looked up, the clouds had started getting darker. Turning to aunt, she sighed.
"I'll go prepare the tents for us. Don't overdo it." Nodding, I rushed over to aunt and held her legs to hug her. She brushed her palm on my head playfully before throwing me around her in circles.
With a sudden thunder strike, I stumbled on a toe. My slippers slipped from my feet and started floating away. "Let's get in. It's about to rain." I shook my head and walked towards the sea reaching out for the slippers.
"Clara! Come back!" Aunt yelled. I didn't want to walk barefooted so I moved forward and stretched my body. But a sudden push from nowhere made my balance fail me and throw me backwards. "Clara!" Falling into the cold water, I attempted to call out to her, but mouth got filled each time I did so. Flapping my hands in the air, I tried to breath afloat.
My eyes closed a few minutes after hitting my head beneath the sea. The only thing I could hear was the movements of the currents back and forth as someone carried me up.
I found myself on a hospital bed the next time my eyes opened. Looking around, I found mom crying. There was a covered stretcher standing beside mine. My eyes widened with a tear when I saw my aunt lying motionless on the stretcher.
Opening my eyes, I attempted to walk over to the water. He stared at me curiously for a few minutes as I walked over. But his eyes wavered when he saw me approaching over the reef.
"Hey! Stop!" he yelled and started running after me. Breathing in the breeze, I couldn't help but remember those horrifying screams. My face began to feel the water when i stepped in with my feet. Moving forward, I couldn't hold my breath any longer.
I let go off myself and dived down closing my eyes. I didn't have much reason to stay ashore. I needed to feel the breeze again.
He jumped into the river and swam towards my direction. Floating under the water, my body moved with the current speed. He took in a deep breath and swam down to grab my hand. I suddenly felt a hand grabbing my waist and pulled up into the surface. Reaching the surface, I felt the warm breeze of the land brush over my nose. Inhaling a deep breath, my eyes opened.
"Are you okay?" he asked looking at me with concerned eyes. My eyelids began to feel heavy with the dripping water from my face. Breathing heavily, I looked into his eyes reluctantly.
I nodded still shivering. The water was pretty cold but refreshing to stay in. As I passed my hand over my face to see clearly, I took another deep breath.
"Don't you know how to swim? Why did you jump into it? Did you want me to watch you commit suicide?" he asked angrily.
I stared into his concerned eyes and for the first time saw genuine concern in another person's eyes for me after fourteen years.
Looking down, I pursed my lips, "I wasn't. I wanted to feel the currents. Don't exaggerate." Staring at me in disbelief, he tore his gaze from me and started walking closer to shore. I bit my lips and followed up from behind. "You're unbelievable. You almost gave me a heart attack for an experience?"
"Well I didn't tell you I would. How does it affect you anyway? You don't even know my name. Neither do I." I complained while getting away from him to dry my hair.
I shook my head to shake off water my drenched hair. After a while, I managed to make a ponytail out of my hair. I wiped the shingles of water from my face with my palm. When I opened my eyes, I was astonished to find him staring at me. "I know how to swim too. Why that share?" I asked.
His facial expression changed drastically but he didn't answer me. He just moved with a sudden swiftness which made me confused. Looking into my eyes, he started approaching me.
The distance between he and I reduced after a few minutes. Being at sea I stood still and furrowed my eyes. "Hey. What are you doing?" I asked while he just kept walking slowly towards me. Eventually, he became this close to me making my heart beat irregular.
"I already told you I wasn't commiting suicide. I can get out of here myself." I snapped. But he stopped just by me and touched my face caressing it while looking into my eyes.
My heart began racing heavily as the water droplets crested ripples around me. With the sun setting, he used his finger to shift a single strip of my hair which lied discretely on my face towards my ear on the right.
"What's with you?" I complained and before I could continue with my statements, he lowered his head towards my face and withdrew his soft lips on mine. My eyes widened in shock as he pulled me closer to him. I had never felt this feeling before. He moved his hands directly to keep a close grip on my waist.
Lost in the moment, my hands fell beside me while I closed my eyes firmly, not wanting to open them again. I relaxed both hands on his shoulders and felt his warm breath and built chest against my body.
I felt attraction and servitude towards him .With his lips on mine, nose to nose, eyes firmly closed, bodies connected, we stood in the water. Finally opening my eyes, I was silent and so was he.
"It's Max. There are others who care for you to take your life leisurely."
As our eyes met, I couldn't help but to keep looking into them. I was speechless with his words. In silence, I nodded as a smile drew from the corner of my mouth.
Looking down, he turned around and started walking to the shore. I stared at him walking away for a moment before rushing after him. I swam to the end.
I threw myself over a tree and stated into the sky. Turning to him, I smiled, "Thanks. Even though I wasn't going planning on doing that." He sat by me and sighed, "So will you investigate the cottage?" I nodded and stood up cleaning myself up after a few minutes of resting.
I waved him goodbye. He nodded but when I was about to leave, he held my hand.
"Wait. Do you remember you asked me why I saved you a year ago?" he commenced. I nodded wondering why he brought this up all of a sudden.
"Well..I lied to you. The actual reason was because I saw how bravely you tackled him even knowing the obvious end," he narrated while I stood listening to every word.
"The first time I saw you in the woods was during my patrols. I was being pursued by the same person. But I but I felt the urge to help you," he explained.
"So you're trying to say that you risked your life for me?" I questioned.
"No. I'm not trying to brag. I just want you to know that you're not alone. I'll help you find out what happened to your mom and protect you as much as I can." A smile formed on my face after he said this. I hugged him tightly and said, "Thanks."
He shut me up softly by putting his finger on my lips. "I'm not done, I have a condition." His answer was quite an amazement for me. What condition would he demand for his help?
"Tell me how you see me. Who I am to you," he replied. "You're nice and you've helped me a great deal." I confessed while smiling.
"That's all?" he asked curiously looking away in disappointment. This made me laugh for a moment.
"What's so funny?" he persisted. "You're so funny." I chuckled lightly, "I was just kidding. My answer is whatever you're thinking." I gave him a peg on the cheek and run off happily.
It felt so enthusiastic to finally have someone who cared about me. I run back to my house and locked the door securely. When I closed my eyes, I heard cries and screams from somewhere.
I heard mom's voice calling out to me. But she couldn't come to me. Her hands were tied up to a tree while I watched the life being drained from her. I screamed in pain,getting up from the bed. I took to my heels to the washroom and washed my face with running water as I looked at my face in the mirror.
I scanned the fridge for milk to sleep in fear.
Deep within the woods, two voices are heard conversing. "Time is running. It's almost 18 years. I've finished off one. Where is the other one?" the master demanded holding his throat in the air as his eyes rowed, red as blood.
The servant coughed in pain as he was being strangled. His carnissal teeth emerged and he dug it into the neck flesh of the servant, feasting on him as he struggled to come off his lease.
The alarm clock rang loudly today. I dragged my body to the mirror, washed myself and moved to my dressing room. I put on purple top with blue black jeans touching my ankles and sped off to Beverly.
The bell had tolled already so I rushed to take my seat next to the quiet guy as usual. Miss Susan talked about what we had done the previous day.
When recess began, I took my tray and passed on for buffet service. "You guys won't believe what happened to me," I accentuated and received my share.
"We're all ears," they chorused before sitting down. "There's a guy whom I think I like," I confessed.
They turned back and walked around before sitting. "Are you sure? Is he here in this school? I want to meet him," Jess asked. Well I wouldn't blame them for behaving this way. I wasn't interested in any guy and refused to go on blind dates.
"No. He isn't a student here," I snapped taking a bite. They bombarded me with a lot of questions so I left before they could add up. I quickly grabbed a last bite of the hamburger and stepped back.
"I'm cutting Algebra. Take notes for me." With a sigh, they hesitantly watched me walk out on their questions. Rushing along the hallway, I accidentally bumped into someone. As I rose head up to my amazement, it was the anonymous boy again.
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A/N- Hope You're enjoying,this chapter conceals the beginning of a life and death race. Stay tuned for more...