We don't speak to each other after that, instead, we just eat our own separate piece of bread.
I smile at Jack, perhaps we shouldn't be enemies in all of this, maybe we can be friends after all.
We only had each other now, we'd both lost so much and now we needed to fight to get it back.
I suddenly feel my eyelids grow heavy, it has been a stressful day to say nonetheless and my body feels like giving into slumber once more. I try to stay awake but my body feels so fragile and then I look at Jack again and he gives me a nod telling me I can rest.
I feel terrible though, how can I do such a thing? This is not a safe place but Jack gives me a reassuring look so I allow my body to give in.
Visions of Andrew flash in between my dreams.
They are lucid yet horrible.
I can feel his hands traveling up my bare legs as I try to push him off but nothing works.
'This is just a dream, wake up, wake up!' I think while trying to control this nightmare but nothing works they seem to be getting stronger and surreal.
I yell and kick him but he only laughs at me as he begins to tear off my hoodie.
I am horrified and this feels too real to be a dream now.
"Get off," I yell at him but he only laughs like a mad man.
"Oh June...be a good girl now," his voice slurs into my ears and I feel myself weaken.
I want to die at this moment.
I want to end my suffering.
"June! June wake up!" Jack's voice is the only thing that allows me to wake up in a flash. I can feel tears dripping out of my eyes and I am sweating a storm, it's really gross.
"June are you alright?" he asks me with some worry.
"Huh? What happened?" I ask looking around, we were still on the boat.
"You were having a nightmare, are you alright?" he asks me putting a hand over my shoulder.
"I...I'm fine did I say anything?" I lie and I see him frown, was I going to live with this all of my life, did traumas ever go away?
I could only pray they did.
"You were yelling, I don't think anyone heard us though," he responds looking at me with the same amount of worry.
"I'm fine now though," I respond but he doesn't buy it, I must be terrible at lying.
"June what did he do to you to make you have such nightmares?" he asks me and I flinch at his question, I didn't really want to talk about it, it was too...horrible...horrendous...I don't know what words can describe it at this point.
"I don't want to talk about it," I plead but Jack's frown does not leave him at all.
"You'll feel better if you do...last night you said that he did as he pleased...did he do something bad to you...did he..." Jack's face goes from concern to horror and I feel embarrassed. His face told me he knew everything even though I didn't utter a word about it.
"NO! It didn't go that far but..." I felt my eyes welling up again, the memory of Andrew came back and I felt my breath quickening. I can still feel him touching me and I want it to end, I want it to end so badly.
I suddenly feel a pair of arms wrap around my body.
They feel so warm and comforting while the boy who I thought hated me is hugging me.
It is not a fake hug and for once it feels genuine to the point I'd consider this my first hug.
His arms feel so strong and I feel secure for some odd reason but I don't care at that moment.
He doesn't smell like the sewer and as rude as it may sound, I kind of expected him to stink but he doesn't, he smells like rain, and it such a nice odor.
I dig my head deeper into his arms and I feel my tears stop, instead, I am allowing myself into his embrace.
Then I get a funny feeling.
BA-DUMP!
BA-DUMP!
My chest feels warm and my heart is beating loudly but it is such a nice feeling, unlike those other moments when I felt I was on the verge of dying.
He smells so good.
'Wait, what am I thinking?!' I scold myself mentally.
"I'm so sorry June," he tells me softly until we both let go and I get to see him, he is crying silently and I don't seem to understand, didn't he hate me?
"For what? It's not your fault besides he didn't do much it's my fault for putting a lot of thought into it," I tell him wiping off my tears.
"No June! Ugh! That bastard, when I get my hands on him, he's gonna get it," he says angrily and I am surprised by his tone.
"I'm so sorry if only I knew what you had been going through," I can see his face has guilt all over it, he may seem tough but deep down he is a softy and cares for his family.
"It's okay Jack, I'm fine," I reassure him but he won't stop crying and I suddenly feel guilty, I shouldn't have said anything to him.
"I'm so sorry," he keeps repeating and I frown, he didn't deserve so much guilt, he only cares for his family and that wasn't something to feel guilty for.
"No Jack," I tell him and he looks at me with sudden surprise.
"It's no one's fault, you only wanted to protect your family. Andrew is the one to blame and that is why we are here...I'm just happy to be with someone so don't put blame on your shoulders for something you haven't done," I reassure him and his tears begin to slow down and I give him a smile.
"We need to look for resources," he tells me changing the subject and I feel relieved, it was also becoming difficult for me to keep up with this topic.
"Okay, where though?" I ask him and he gives me a serious glare.
"You should actually stay here, I'll come back," he says and I frown.
"I don't think so, we are on this together," I reply stubbornly and he looks annoyed.
"It's better if you stay here June, for your own good, it might be dangerous," he procrastinates but I raise a brow at him.
"I killed a rat to save you so don't give me that, I'm coming whether you like it or not," I tell him and he furrows his eyebrows, even his eye patch gets scrunched a bit.
"You better not make a sound," he huffs and I smile at my victory before following him.
This boat, although it is made of wood, has venting systems which makes life easier for us since we can crawl through them.
The boat does not smell bad as all the places I've been to in Pale City. It smells of burning coal mixed with timber which it's a lot better than death's odor so I don't complain.
Jack and I crawl endlessly through the vents looking through the small escapes until we come across what appears to be the kitchen.
There are chunks of meat and sausages scattered all over and my mouth waters, I'm so hungry.
We both get out of the vent and land on a kitchen counter, it looks so unsanitary but neither of us complains as we scavange for useful items.
Jack grabs what appears to be a very small knife before tucking it into a satchel under his cape, he also grabs what appears to be cloth to make a bag. He puts in small utensils and pieces of bread, surprisingly he does not grab any sausage or meat pieces.
I also look for something that may come in handy, I find a small flashlight and hand it to Jack, he smiles a bit before taking it. It is the first time I see him smile and my heart flutters a bit but I ignore it as I continue to look for items we may need. I find a small needle and tie it with some cloth around my waist, it is light and it may come in handy. I also stuff some bread and meat pieces into my own separate cloth bag. There are also some clean water containers so we make bags out of plastic lying around and fill them up.
Once we both felt satisfied with our materials we decide to make our escape until I feel Jack's grip on my hand all of a sudden.
My face feels hot for a split second but becomes pale when I see what he is looking at.
A sailor, his warped face is covered with a mask made of what must have belonged to another person's face. He has a gray sailor suit with a black cap to cover part of his bald forehead, he is hideous and I feel Jack clench my hand tighter.
I've seen so many types of residents at Pale City but this was new altogether, the monstrous man continued to pace around while stuffing pieces of sausage and meat through his warped mouth.
He smells horrible too as if a dead person was stuffed inside him and was rotting slowly. I try not to gag at the smell which is filling up my nostrils and focus on an exit.
The stench is so pungent that we both have to cover up our noses while crouching down, I can feel Jack's hand begin to sweat.
He was nervous.
I was terrified.
If we were caught, we'd both be toast.
He seemed to be minding his own business though so I look at Jack then signal at the vent, if we were quiet enough then maybe we'd be able to escape going unnoticed. Jack gives me a small nod and we both crouch trying to avoid any squeaky tiles.
We can hear him stuffing his mouth and gurgling anything that was on the counter while tip-toeing through the cold floor. I am silently praying that this thing does not turn around, we are so close to the vent and I feel my hands begin to tense.
'Please don't turn around,' my head is rambles over and over.
We are only a few steps from the vent.
CREAK!
Damn it.
He suddenly turns around and I see Jack grow pale, before running towards the vent and pulling me with him. We are both crawling through the vents quickly to our safe spot but he had seen us and sure enough, he was looking for us too.
A loud thud vibrates through the entire venting system and I begin to panic. We are practically running at this point even if it is harder while crouching down. We could feel his anger and determination as he continued hitting the vents with so much force.
I continued to hold onto Jack's hand until I felt a sharp pain in my leg and I let go abruptly. Something had stabbed me and I felt a warm liquid dripping on my leg.
"June!" Jack's sudden voice startles me.
I see the sharp point of a knife trespass through the vent in front of me only inches away from my face. I feel my color drain and I want to throw up all of a sudden but I know right now is not the time for freaking out.
"Hold on June," Jack tells me but I can see he is stressed while he pulls me through the narrow vents. The sailor wasn't giving up though, he kept stabbing knives through the vents in hopes of getting one of us.
"Damn it," I could hear Jack curse as he tried to pull us to safety. The sailor kept growling and yelling with impatience as he tried to get us.
My body suddenly begins to feel very weak and I am losing my strength. Then I remember, I had been stabbed and I was probably losing blood. I needed to keep moving forward but it was starting to become harder every second.
"Jack," I plead and he looks at me with full concern.
"Hold on June, just a little more," he pleads but I am losing all of my strength and I am not so sure if I'll be able to do this.
"Just go Jack, I do...don't think...I can..." my voice becomes slower and Jack looks worried but he sighs once we are in the storage room and I can't hear the sailor anymore.
I'm hoping he is gone or perhaps I am just losing my hearing.
"We are here, hold on June," Jack tells me while pulling me out of the vent then carrying me to behind one of the cargo boxes.
"Is...is it bad?" I ask him as he is examining my leg.
"Don't worry I'm going to help you," is all that he tells me but I can tell there is nothing good about my wound as he pulls one water bag and begins cleaning my leg.
It stings but I manage not to scream or yelp in pain as he puts some alcohol we had also packaged from a wine bottle.
It hurts really bad so I only grit my teeth while clenching my hands, the pain is so overwhelming that I also feel tears prick at the corners of my eyes.
Jack finishes his job by bandaging my wound with some cloth we had also gathered. I feel myself collapse when he finishes healing me until I feel something warm, I am wrapped with Jack's cape and I look at him feeling weak. He has a white buttoned shirt with rolled-up sleeves which reveal his strong and muscular arms. He is also wearing gray pants similar in color to his cape with black shoes. He looks so handsome yet I cannot say it. It was such an odd feeling, he had hated my guts earlier yet now we were something different, perhaps close to being friends now.
"Jack...thank you..." I am able to say weakly but he gives me a worried look.
"You need to rest June, here have some food and water," he tells me while giving me a piece of meat and bread along with one of the water bags.
I take it and nibble on it slowly, I feel so weak and I barely have any strength left. I feel my body fall and darkness envelopes me all of a sudden and I can't feel anything.
I wake up to the feeling of the boat rocking back and forth.
My leg still stings but it doesn't hurt as it had originally so I sigh in relief, I had Jack to thank for that.
I look around and the boat is dark except for that oil lamp.
How long had I'd been out?
Then I spot Jack, he is sleeping while laying in an uncomfortable position, he must be exhausted from all the stress he was put into.
I frown as I try standing up, my legs are wobbly but I manage to walk to where he is sitting while holding his cape.
I look at him once more before laying his cape over him and fixing his posture a bit so he'd be more comfortable.
He has some hair draping over his face so I move it to the side while he silently sleeps. I find myself unconsciously caressing his face, his skin feels so smooth, and then I realize he is the first boy with who I'd made the most contact. My cheeks flush at the thought and I remove my hands quickly feeling embarrassed for my actions. I would have looked like a creep if he had been awake and I feel my face grow hot once more.
I sit back down before taking another look at him.
His chest is the only thing moving up and down as he breaths silently.
He reminds me of my fairy tales for some reason yet Jack doesn't remind me of a prince at all, instead, I'd say he is a knight who fights bravely for his kingdom and those who he loves.
In all my fairy tale books, the only one that talks of a knight is The Knight and The Dragon. It wasn't my favorite, to be honest, I'd always imagined my true love to be a handsome prince who has a huge castle in a faraway land. Yet, after seeing Jack, I now believe that what defines a true hero is their love and will to protect those whom he cares about.
Jack was the knight and Andrew was the dragon in this story, I was afraid we wouldn't be able to win this battle though.
The dragon was powerful and had a lust for gluttony and so did Andrew, I could only have faith and hope at this point.
I looked again at Jack, his eyes suddenly began to open before sitting up quickly.
His gaze lands on mine and I feel embarrassed as the memory of caressing his skin filters my brain.
"June are you alright?" he asks standing up and walking towards me and I feel my face grow really hot as his hand comes in contact with my cheek.
"Ye...yes...I blam...I mean...I am totally fine," I stutter but he doesn't seem to care.
"Your face is red, maybe you have a fever," he says touching my forehead but I pull his hand down slowly, if he touched me furthermore I'd panic more than I am already.
"I'm fine Jack, thanks to you," I reassure him with a smile and he sighs while slumping next to me.
"Is he gone? The sailor?" I ask him and he looks at me quizically as if my question had an obvious answer but he answers it anyway.
"Yes, he must've gotten bored but we can't be haste about it from now on, you will stay here," he instructs me firmly.
"I can't-" but I'm cut off.
"I can't lose you too June, I've lost everyone I loved and we only have each other that is why you must do as I say," he says while looking at the floor and I feel guilty. It was my fault, I had led Andrew to the free zone and now our friends may be hurt or worse. I frown and Jack takes notice so he sighs before wrapping an arm around me.
"As much as I hate to say this June...I'd like us to be friends," he says trying to look annoyed and I look at him stunned but then I look at him questionably.
"You really mean that?" I ask him and he looks at me hesitantly.
"It's fine Jack, we agreed to only be acquaintances so you don't have to do this, I'll stay here if it makes you feel better," I tell him but he frowns as if what I had told him to hurt his feelings.
"No June, I do mean it, we only have each other now and I must recognize your parent's actions do not reflect on yours," he tells me while squeezing my shoulder and I feel relieved.
"I really like the idea but I do believe we should get to know each other a bit more in that case," I reply with a small smile and he nods in agreement.
"What would you like to know then?" he asks and I ponder in thought, to be honest, I was curious about everything but I didn't want to seem weird so I only come up with a simple question.
"How about...what is your favorite color?" I ask him and he looks at me in surprise before thinking a bit.
"I'd say green," he replies and I nod, it suited him.
"How about you?" he asks me and I ponder a bit too.
"I'd have to go with red," I say with a small smile.
"I can tell," he replies and I blush, I wore red practically every day, I was even wearing red at this moment but I never thought he would notice.
"Let's see it's my turn to ask a question," he ponders a bit until his serious glare turns into a slightly mischievous one.
"Are you really that clumsy or is it just in your nature?" he replies mockingly and I feel flustered.
"Are you being serious?" I ask slightly annoyed.
"Of course, why would I be asking if I wasn't," he replies but he is holding back a smirk and I can tell.
"No, I do not choose to be clumsy because I am not," I reply humphing.
"Sure thing princess," he replies with a smirk.
"Do not call me princess," I tell him feeling really annoyed at this point while my cheeks are scarlet red.
"Then what should I call you then?" he asks innocently and I can tell he is teasing me.
"How about June, J-U-N-E, it's not that difficult I thought I told you that yesterday," I replied crossing my arms.
"Mmm...maybe you are right, you don't look like a princess now that I am looking at you closely," he replies still holding that smirk and I want to shove a piece of coal up his mouth.
"Whatever," I replied turning my back on him until I hear him laugh, genuinely laugh and I turn around to see him. He is holding his waist while he is laughing uncontrollably and I don't know whether to feel upset or astonished at seeing him laugh.
"You...actually got mad...because of that?" he said while he continues to laugh.
"Wow...you are really a spoiled princess," he tells me in between laughs and I feel my hands clench onto his sleeves.
"I'll show you what spoiled is," I say getting on top of him and he suddenly stops laughing and his cheeks become flushed.
Bingo.
I had him pinned down and he looked so flustered but what I did next even surprised me more.
I feel my hands tickle his sides and he begins laughing again.
"June...stop...it tickles!" he pleads but I won't stop, he looked for it.
I tickle him for a good minute until I stop and he is panting uncontrollably on the floor.
"Don't tease me again," I whisper into his ear and his face is left red but I sit back as if nothing has happened, I am blushing too at my actions, they felt bold for me.
Too bold in fact that Jack is looking at me wide-eyed but then he smiles before leaning back.
That's when I knew we'd become good friends now.
Enemies, frenemies, friends...idk anymore what do you guys think? Drop your comments and let me know!
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