by Owen Oakley
From, afar a blue Heron stares back at me. Beautiful. His long neck curled into an S while his pale blue and grey feathers unfurl spiking outward. It watches us as we drift by. But expands his wings, displaying the black underneath and taking flight.
After the rare moment passes, I plunge back into my current predicament. I pinch the bridge of my nose and see that my gloves are filthy from lying in the canoe’s bed, and it’s my only pair I have. Wonderful.
Roman clears his throat, grabbing our attention.
“So,” he begins. The silence was a comfort that blanked me from the strife. Demetri turns around and gives him a pointed stare.
“Sabine, what types of books do you write?”
Unsure if I should answer or not, but after I see that Demetri doesn’t object, I reply. “Fantasy and fiction.” I almost forget how my voice sounds.
Roman shifts closer, his eyes gleaming with fascination. “What are those?”
Okay. I wasn’t expecting that. I hurry in, sealing off the distance between us. Demetri turns his head slightly to listen. Where are these guys from?
“Fiction is something that’s made up; a story that can be romantic, humorous, sad, or scary,” I try to explain. “But the list is endless. Fantasy is the same thing only there’s made up things like fairies, faes, mages, witches, Incubus, and other mythical creatures. That list is long as well.”
I smile. If I could capture Roman’s face at that moment, I’d have something that would make me laugh daily. I sniffle my laughter, but his bewilderment fades, turning to Demetri and he whispers something to him.
I said too much.
Some people would flood their kidnappers with tons of questions, but not me. I’ll find out whenever we get there or just a stupid assumption, but it’s clear they don’t want to kill me.
If it’s money, they’re after we could have stopped at the ATM. I want answers, but it’s not a smart idea to annoy or upset them.
The men trade out spots, but it only makes me more nervous when Demetri takes his new seat where Roman had been. I turn to face the opposite direction, but there’s no point.
Demetri doesn’t consider me; he only closes his eyes, pretending I wasn’t there. He hates me for whatever reason. Roman was the only nice one, and I’m mad that I’m pouting about Demetri not liking me. It’s way too early for Stockholm Syndrome, isn’t it?
“Faes, Incubus, and Mages, huh?” Roman calls over his shoulders, chuckling a bit. “And they’re all fake, right?”
Demetri cracks open an eye.
“Yes,” I nod to him.
Roman shakes his head and lets out a low whistle. “Boy, are you in for a treat.”
What does that even mean?
Congratulations a few minutes of normal conversation and I’m right back in crazyville with these two. The trip down normalcy road was fun while it lasted.
The sun continued to beam down on us, and it shows no mercy with sharing its rays. It’s hot, even while floating on a bed of water. The south has always had a different type of heat. We’re swatting away insects, and these gloves are burning up against my arms.
I stare at the two for a beat. The guys’ skin tone seems to glisten and not from the sweat. Oh man, they are sexy. Roman arms bulge and his back muscles tighten with each row of the paddles.
I don’t realize I’m staring until a bird flaps in front of us with a loud shriek. Shit! Even worse, Demetri catches me looking at Roman, so now he’s staring at me. I would call him a creepier, but I was doing the same thing to his friend.
We’ve been going a while, and I have no way of knowing the time. No phone and watches always stop working when I wear them. I sure as hell wasn’t asking the two of them anything.
“So,” Roman starts again with a smirk.
Demetri groans. I realize that he’s the silly one out of the two.
I’m liking him more, at his attempts to annoy Demetri. The bastard deserves frustration and hell.
“Why do you wear gloves?” He asks. Geez! "I mean there has to be a story behind it. You were wearing them while you slept,” he shrugs, “I don’t know, figured they’re important, so I kept them on.”
“Thank you,” I tell him, ignoring his inquiry. The less they know, the better. My mind goes back to when I stabbed him. I wince at the memory. “Hey, I’m sorry for stabbing you,” I whisper.
“It’s okay, understandable, but I’m healed. See.” He turns to the side and lifts the bottom of his shirt. Sure, enough there’s not a puncture wound in sight on his coiled stomach muscles.
I almost want to touch them to see if they’re real. It looks like someone chiseled this man’s abs onto his stomach and made them out of pure granite.
How is that even possible? No one can heal that fast, and I don’t care how hyped up on PCP someone is, or if they’re the biggest nut job in the world, it’s not possible.
I only nod and face away, not bothering to question it. There’s an explanation, I just can’t think of one right now.
“I would have done the same thing if I were you,” he continues as he winks, and I smile back at me.
“Can you please row the boat? I don’t want to spend a second more than I have to in this God-forsaken realm,” Demetri spat with disgust. His once pale grey eyes now darker.
Realm? I’m official with two nut jobs for sure.
“What’s your problem? Ever since we got here, you’ve had a stick up your ass,” Roman growls at him.
“My problem is that she’s dangerous and the sooner we get back to Ardam, the better we can contain her,” Demetri growls back at Roman.
Ardam? You’ve got to be freaking kidding me. The magical realm that I’ve written about in several of my books. These bastards are fantasy and science fiction freaks. They’re crazed readers or something.
When I find Aiden, I will kill him. This shit can’t get any worse.
7
S hit gets worse. The argument between the two spirals out of control and intensifies. It goes from zero to one thousand within a matter of seconds. No one was rowing the boat. The poor canoe that looked a century old with questionable small holes throughout it rocked back and forth from the bantering and shouts. Their voices echoed over the water, scaring birds, and everything else with ears.
I don’t care how far out we were I’ll take my chances swimming back to shore rather than being with these two and their bromance quarrel.
To hell with burning out my energy swimming back. Trial by error and at this point I’ll take that risk, and the rest be damned.
“You want to know what Dem? I think you’re acting this way because you’re a self-serving, entitled prick. You think everyone has to follow your lead.”
Demetri doesn’t respond for a beat. “Do what you need to do and get us back home. I’ll handle her.”
“Handle her? Do you even hear yourself right now? Dude, she’s afraid of you if you haven’t noticed!”
A flicker of hurt trail across Demetri’s face and it softens only for a moment. Remorse, maybe?
I don’t need anyone to stick up for me, but I appreciate it. Demetri was wearing thin on my patience and if Roman could give him a reality check, then so be it.
I take a deep exhale when they both shut the hell up and just when I thought they had agreed to disagree — I was wrong.
Demetri came back with yet another insult to up the ante by bringing up past screw-ups and name-calling. I swear I’m about to jump right here and now.
I try my best to ignore the men when something outlandish catches my attention from my peripheral, my head whip around, and I pray that it’s not what I think it is.
There’s no way any can be this far from the shore. I’ve tuned out Roman and Demetri’s argument, with my gaze transfixed on the immediate danger that continues to emerge from the water.
“Uh guys,” I roar out but to no avail over their bickering and shouting.
“Guys,” I yell out with urgency. One danger quickly turns into five
. But as I do a quick scan around us, we’re completely surrounded.
Oh my God, we’re going to die out here.
To hell with this. I jumped up and jerk the paddles from Roman’s side and begin rowing. I row so fast my muscles burn.
Aware of what I was doing the men don’t question my actions but search around with curiosity, not the expression nor the response I was hoping for given the circumstances.
The universe has it out for me, I know it.
“What are those?” Demetri ask with genuine honesty.
“What are those? What do you think they are?” I shot back at him while continuing to row the boat.
“Looks like some giant fish, maybe?” Roman says, cocking his head to the side. Giant fish? I laugh at the nonsense they were spouting.
“Yeah, okay that giant fish is fifteen feet long and about three hundred pounds, if not more.” I pant between words. My arms were straining, exhaustion stinging them with every flex of my muscles.
They stared at me like I had three heads and I’m beyond frustrated with this naïve act they’re playing.
Placing the paddles back into the boat, I round on the both of them. If they don’t plan to kill me I sure as hell am not about to die in the Bayou, that’s for damn sure.
“Listen to me! Those are alligators about eight at least.” I look around to make sure and nod to confirm. “We need to get out of here and quick!” They began undressing, stripping out of their shirts with their muscular chest on display, I couldn’t tear my eyes away. But then the immediate danger pops back in my head and the fact that they want to jump into the water.
“What are you doing? Those things will kill you!” This isn’t a game! Crazy idiots!
“I’ve fought bigger,” Demetri brags, as he flexed out his ripped biceps.
I slap my hand across my forehead, but then an idea forms. Maybe I should entertain this delusion, and with any luck, they’ll both die, and I can row back while they distract the gators. Sounds like a plan to me and if need be, I’ll help. Anything to get away from these psychos will do.
“Roman stay here with her. I’ll go.”
Roman scrunched his face into a scowl. “Why, so you can be the hero? Nuh-uh! I’m going, you stay!”
You’ve got to be joking. I groan in utter disbelief. Now they’re arguing about who will die first because that’s what will happen if these idiots dive into gator infested water. Why does everything have to be a damn pissing contest with men?
“You know what,” I begin but don’t finish.
Before any of us can grasp what’s happening, one gator slam into our canoe, tilting us over into the water.
Talk about team effort from the gators’ side. I’m pissed though. I should have kept rowing and let those clowns argue, although if they hadn’t been quarreling, then we wouldn’t be in this predicament.
The water is cold but only for a moment. With my arms straight as an arrow I plunge deeper, seeing that the canoe was upside down; I make my way over to it to shield myself.
I don’t know where the guys land, and I shouldn’t care, but for some odd reason, I do. However, my focus is not being seen by the gators and turning the canoe back to its original position.
The splashing water make it hard to gain control, but my arms remain steady.
I press hard against the bottom of the boat and struggle to hold my breath. I have to swim up to the top and get some air.
In one fast motion, I swim back up and stuck in a breath of air, only to come face to face with a gator. Its mouth isn’t open, but it gazes at me. We’re only inches apart, and my heart and stomach are in my throat.
If ever there was a time to panic, it’s now, but I don’t. If the alligator wanted to kill me, I’d be dead. There’s no way in hell it’d let me be this close without striking.
I fall in a trance with no desire to swim away, and I do the craziest thing there is, I reach out and touch it. And for a moment it nudges into my touch. I smile, and its eyes look at me like I’m a long-lost friend.
The water creates a ripple effect and startles the gator. In a rapid motion, it turns, and my ribs catch the brute of its tail. Pain radiates down my right side, and I sink back into the water.
I see a blast of blue and crimson light spread through the water, brighter than the sun. I swim back under the canoe with the pain still coursing through me. Scared and hurting, I swim too fast, and my head connects with the bed knocking me unconscious.
I choked up a mouth full of water, and my head and ribcage splinter with insufferable pain. At least they know CPR. I’m baffled to learn that neither of the men have any wounds and shirtless.
I wince as I sit up. Roman was by my side and thank God Demetri was back rowing the damn boat.
“Just lay down,” Roman tells me. He had my hand in his with concern etched across his face. My breathing is still rapid, but I’m glad I’m not dead, and there aren’t any gators insight. Although, I’m convinced that I was never in any danger.
My memories flood me, about the gator allowing me to pet it and its recognition of me. Crazy.
“Those things had you surrounded. Why didn’t they attack you as they did us?” Roman ask. Hell, if I would know. I say nothing, shaking my head, and taking my time sitting up.
“You touched one of them,” Demetri says, more to himself than me.
“I’m okay, aside from the pain in my ribs, thanks for asking,” I say, rolling my eyes.
The bright light, what was that? I put my head down and don’t bother worrying about it.
We travel until we come to a beautiful waterfall, that blocks us from going any further.
Roman turns around and looks me in the eye. “Sabine we’re about to leave Louisiana.” He pauses. “Well, Earth.”
I nod with a look that screams, you’re crazy, but get on with it.
“We’ll travel up the fall, and once we level out, we’ll float the rest of the way to Ardam. The first time you float it'll suck. There’s no other way around it, but it won’t last long I promise,” he says.
Demetri all but roll his eyes at Roman as he talks. This is a joke, a prank, or some crazy dream, and considering I could have died back there this better be a good one.
When the boat reaches the base of the fall and nothing happens, I want to yell about how big of idiots they are, but my thoughts die down when the boat tilts, and I lose my shit. We move against the fall that flows down. Holy shit! There’s no way gravity is allowing this to happen.
“Hold on!” Demetri yells to no one in particular.
Oh. My. God!
“To what?” I panic and midway up the fall I lose my grip on the canoe. When I fall, Demetri grabs my wrist and pulls me into him with one arm. How they’re holding on with no problem is beyond me.
I straddle him and hold on for my life. Close against his chest, he’s so warm and smells like clouds, light and sweet, or my guess of what clouds would smell like.
He holds me like he cares, with one hand on the small of my back and the other around my shoulders. Maybe he has a thing for the damsel and distress, if so, he has the wrong woman because I can handle myself. But I love how he holds me. I belong in his arms.
The canoe travels in a mild stride and before long we level out. Demetri sits me down and brushes myself off. I roll my eyes, and he’s back to being the asshole I first met.
“Thanks,” I say. He grunts out something that sounds like “you’re welcome” in return.
“Now the bad part,” Roman announces. As if that wasn’t bad enough.
“What’s it like?” I ask curious, and the other half was attempting to prepare myself. If the impossible just happened I need to know everything. This entire thing still doesn’t seem real.
“Almost like you’re,” He doesn’t finish.
As we go through the mist, I choke and cough nonstop. My eyes water, and I only want to breathe again.
Roman rush over next to me with a gentle strokes to my back.
&nb
sp; A kind gesture that does nothing to help. I sound like I’m hacking up my lungs, and after we pass through the mist, my choking diminishes.
It was horrible and seemed to last longer than a few minutes. “You okay?” Roman ask with concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why doesn’t it bother you two?” I dart my eyes between the two men.
“We’re used to it,” he assures me, “it’ll happen until your body accumulates itself. But no worries it’s not the way we travel.”
Demetri and Roman’s eyes meet each other.
“What?” I ask.
“Most people don’t make through the mist they die within seconds of being exposed,” Roman says to me.
I shrug not following what direction he was going with this. “It just confirms our suspicion.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” I say.
“You’re not human.”
8
N ot human, the words ricochet in my head. I want to write these men off as crazies, but I can’t dismiss any explanations, not after the last twenty-four hours. If this is all real, I wonder what I could be? The guys sure as hell didn’t know, because they seem to think there was a fifty-fifty chance I’d survive.
“We’ll have answers for you as soon as we get home,” Demetri addresses me for the first time since we began this twisted adventure.
“Home?”
He points ahead, and over the horizon, thousands of large floating boulders with houses and buildings built on top of them. This entire time we’ve been floating in the air.
A wave of nausea hits me. I take a sit to keep from falling overboard. This place is familiar, other than it’s the world in which I created. I don’t understand how it’s possible. Everything in front of me is a detail that I’ve placed in my book about Ardam.
A flying dragons pass in front of us, tearing me away from my thoughts. Their backs wide enough to seat several people. Wow.
Strange enough, I seem at home. If only Aiden were here to see this.
The shimmer in the air wash over my skin, tingling, and it gives me a warm sensation.