My heart is still beating quickly after he leaves. But I don't know why.
I feel terrified, like one wrong move and he'll kill me. But something about seeing him now triggers a rush inside of me, and I feel sick, but a good sick, like going on a really fast rollercoaster.
I take a deep breath and calm myself down. The feeling of excitement fades away, leaving me tired. I close my eyes and let sleep take me away and let the darkness envelope me in it's strangely comforting embrace.
My sleep is overcome with nightmares. The come and go too quick to be remembered, but slowly enough so that I may witness them in fear. I wake up at what I think is the next morning, drenched in sweat, hair matted, out of breath.
It's just a dream.
I tip my head back against the wall and close my eyes again. I picture the fear, stress, and all other emotions leaving my body, flooding out into the world to occupy someone else. The thought calms me and clears my head, ridding it of my nightmares.
I open my eyes again and yelp, surprised. Right in front of my cell, the dark man sits, watching me intently. His brooding stare pierces through the cell walls. He leans back against another wall behind him, arms crossed over his chest. In front of him, all the way on the other side of the cell, a small golden tray neatly piled with food sits on the floor. His emerald eyes flit down to the tray, up to me, the tray, and back again.
More cautious then scared, I stand and walk to the tray. I hadn't been hungry after being here ever before, but now that I see the food, my stomach growls like I haven't eaten in a month. And I haven't.
The man holds up one arm, snaps his fingers, and a small chair appears right as I get to the tray. He puts his arm down and continues staring intensely.
On the tray sits a plate that holds some kind of sliced turkey drenched in a crimson sauce with a heap of mashed potatoes on the side. On a smaller plate on the left holds a slice of bread, a small curl of butter on top. The tiniest plate on the right sits the cutest little dessert I've ever seen-- a vanilla custurd cookie cup topped with berries. Deep red wine in a golden goblet appears on the floor next to me.
I grab the fork that was balanced ever so gently on the side of the plate and dig in. The sauce drizzled on the turkey turns out to be some sort of wildly delicious berry sauce that tastes sweet and contrasts nicely with the savory meat. I drink the watered-down wine and crunch on the bread, all while the man stares down at me, his gaze softening as I eat.
"How is it?"
His unusally gentle voice brings my gaze up into his eyes. "It's good . . . Thank you." It's 100% better then 'good' but I dont trust him, not yet anyways, so I have to tread lightly. I don't know exactly what he is here for.
"How come I wasn't hungry before this?" I look back down at my food and nibble on it some more.
"You're in a place of immortal gods. Gods don't get hungry, and neither does anyone who enters. You don't have to eat, you won't die, but it's a good idea to sometimes." His gaze turns elsewhere, a small gesture of privacy while I eat. I finish quietly and dab a napkin on my mouth. When he sees that I have finished, he snaps his fingers and the mess disappears.
"So, who are you?" I blink at the odd question. If he is the one who kidnapped me, (and is apparently some sort of immortal god), shouldn't he at least know my name?
"My name is Alissa King," I say. "But most people call me Ali." I can feel my cheeks getting hot. Only my friends called me Ali. And my ex. Mixed emotions come with that thought. I push it away.
"Alli." He says it quietly a few times in his smoky voice. "Very nice."
What is he playing at, trying to hit on me? Does he remember, oh a month ago, when he kidnapped me? I settle for a cold tone. "Thanks."
The silence is loud as we sit, not talking. I'm not sure what to say because I'm not sure what he is here for.
Perhaps hundreds of questions that I want to ask him clutter my mind. But he is a mysterious and secretive person-- I won't be able to ask him anything and expect a simple answer, or even an answer at all.
"Where am I?" This is one of the questions that has been bothering me the most. The dark man takes a minute in replying, as usual.
"I'm not sure if you're simple mind can adapt to this thinking, but you're in a different realm. Asgard."
He holds up a hand and swirls his fingers slowly, still leaning against the wall, creating an image out of thin air, swirling the vision like a soup until it is fully developed.
The vision shows a tall and mighty golden castle, built high up into the baby-blue-turning-orange-sky, the sky of a brilliant sunset. The castle glimmers as if made out of real gold. Around it, a village lays surrounding it completely. Then on the outside of the village, huge walls with one ginormous gate. Connecting the castle door, gate, and far beyond it a shimmering rainbow bridge that shifts in the sunlight. The majesty of it all takes my breath away as I stand up walking slowly towards it, in a trance. Even though it is a mere mirage.
"Wow."
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him smile slightly, out of content. And the fact that he impressed me.
He swirls the image again and it disappears.
"So, I'm in a different world?"
"Realm. But yes. There are 9 realms in total-- Asgard, Midgard, Nidaviellir, Svartalfhiem, Vanahiem, Helheim, Niflheim, Muspellhiem, and Jotunheim." The way he says Jotunhiem is odd. Like something about that name stirs up old feelings inside him. Curiosity almost propells me to pry him about it, but I resist. I don't want to get killed (I still don't fully trust him).
"Humans live in Midgard. We are in Asgard, the realm of the Gods."
"You're a god? Well, assuming you live here?" I don't mean to be so friendly with him but once again, curiosity gets the best of me.
His lips purse. "That's no for you to know-- at least not yet." He says it in a silky but stern manner. My cue to back off.
"You live with someone?"
"Yes, that is, if you're talking about my roommate, Marie. She's the best. We share a dorm together while we take classes at the college," I bite my lip and look into my lap. I miss Marie. I just want to go home. "We're best friends-- have been since we were both little. She's been there for me always, and vice versa. Even when Evan dumped me . . ." My voice becomes wobbly and my train of thought is lost in emotion and memory.
"Evan?"
I gather the last bit of strength inside of me. "My . . . ex. I-- I don't want to talk about it." The wound from him leaving me is still fresh and open, the flesh gleaming proudly. I remember feeling worthless, not good enough-- it aches for what I had before. Tears well up in my eyes and I look away, praying that the man won't take advantage of my vulnerability.
The man must have some heart in him, because he looks down at the floor with a look of worry in his fierce green eyes.
I didn't expect that.
I quietly tell myself to be strong-- I can feel whatever emotions I want to feel later when I am alone again. I look up and catch him looking at me again. He looks away quickly.
"I'm sorry about Evan." He stares off into the distance. "I just want you to know that you aren't worthless or not good enough. You are perfect the way you are-- and if someone can't see that, then they must be blind." He risks a look back at me. He must have read my thoughts. I can feel my cheeks get hot and shy away, looking down at my feet again and smoothing down my dress. I can barely see him blush too out of my peripheral vision.
Something inside me forgets about Evan.
And starts to wonder about this man.
-
OOOOOH!
Somethings HAPPENING!!
omg so exciting! I already ship it even tho nothing's going on between them... YET!
Hehe
<3