by Evie Rendall
Chapter 3
Ride to the mainland was like incineration in silent fire. We hiked, he was ahead of me and I was following him. But the path was not an easy one. The surface was uneven; there were plants and trees to consider which were trying their best to hinder my progress by lying on the earth, by their sharp thorns hanging in front of your face. I know I was on snail speed but he seemed to be unaffected by those obstacles. He was acting like he was gliding on ice, jumping over the troughs, sliding through the hanging thorny branches. It was as if he was walking in his garden completely at ease. Though there was one thing that was annoying him and he was making no efforts to hide it by scowling in my direction at every minute when he has to stop so that I could keep up with him.
Finally after half an hour of silent treatment and tracking with devil himself the trees started to get less dense and I thought my ordeal was over. I closed my eyes and leaned on a tree trunk to rest my breathing for few moments. But when I opened my eyes I realized my mistake immediately. He was gone. There were only rocks and trees ahead of me. I thought he must be ahead waiting for me but I moved to the edge of cliff and he was nowhere. I couldn’t believe myself that I was missing that annoying person. My destination was only across the bay but I couldn’t come up with the courage to try another stunt like jumping from cliff and crossing bay to the other side.
I was accessing my options when “Are you coming or not? I don’t have all day.” His annoyed voice boomed. I was suddenly relieved but I still could neither see him nor could I localize his voice.
All that seriously pissed me. “You know it would be so much easier if you try to be visible to be followed”
“It would be easier if you could be more observant”
I took a deep breath to calm myself. Right then I needed his help; I could with those remarks afterwards. “I still don’t know where you are.”
I could hear him sigh, and he appeared suddenly between the rock creaks.” This way”
I reached the creak. It was very deep and there were rocks everywhere. It was actually a death wish. It was like jumping from one rock to other all descending to a clearing below where sand can be seen. But the problem was in the middle because if you missed one step you won’t be landing on the soft sand but on hard pointing rocks which would gladly stab you to death. I couldn’t figure a way out so I looked in his direction for some help and instantly regretted my action. He was standing on the lowest end of creak and was acutely watching me with smug expression. I won’t let him see me as a weak person; I would find a way through that. I started to descend taking very small steps tentatively, focusing on each and every turn. Now the big move, I won’t dare a glance at him. I took a deep breath and jumped.
I didn’t know why but I closed my eyes just the instant my feet hit the air. May be my subconscious knew I couldn’t make it and didn’t want me to see my own death. Then something weird happened I felt the same warmth as I felt earlier in the water and I was sure I smelled something woody as… walnut. May be I was hallucinating. May be my time was finally up and my angel had come to take me. But instead of feathers I was feeling strong arms. I was plastered against a firm chest in an iron clad grip. But who I was to complaint I was cocooned in the surreal warmth feeling safe though my journey was interrupted by few momentary breaks. I still didn’t open my eyes I was not ready to face anything right then. Then suddenly my feet touch the soft cool sand.
“You can open your eyes now” he whispered in my ear in a soothing voice. I slowly opened my eyes and was surprised. Rick was standing in front of me holding me in his arms. His eyes were not hard but tender. He was gazing at me as if trying to figure me out. He slowly removed his arms from my back and the warmth went missing. I came back to reality at once. I moved back and averted my eyes from him, I couldn’t look at him. I was used to cold and arrogant prick but I couldn’t keep my head around this changed person and over the top of all I thought he was an angel.
Waves crashed on my feet and interrupted my absurd train of thoughts. I looked ahead and was mesmerized by the view. That place was like a hidden paradise, because of rocks it couldn’t be seen from above or from the other side of bay. Sand was shining like crystals in sunlight. Smell of wood and salt was in the air. But the view that stopped my heart for a beat was him. Breeze was ruffling his brown hair; his muscular body was dragging a wooden row boat to the shore like it weighted nothing. He looked as a part of scenery as if he truly belonged to this heaven, as if he was the angel of this heaven. I wanted to look at this view forever but the waves again pulled me out of spell.
He pulled the boat in water, hopped in it and gave me a look to follow the suit. It was so quick that I couldn’t read his face. He sat in the front giving me his back. I hopped in and took the back seat. The boat rocked a little. Knowing that I was in, he started rowing the boat.
We rode back in complete silence. During whole time he rowed the boat, his back facing me. I couldn’t come up with anything myself. I was still confused between his two forms which were polar opposites.
He stopped the boat at the shore just few feet away from the point where I was standing in the morning. This place had few rocks and path to the trail was easy.
I wanted to thank him but I couldn’t utter the words. Probably it was the last time I would be seeing him and I wanted to prolong the moment. I wanted to see that tenderness in his eyes, I wanted to smell that woody walnut smell, I wanted to feel that warmth once again. But like everything I wanted this was out of my reach too. Just as I jumped out of the boat he rowed back the boat in opposite direction without even a backward glance and I stood there stunned for few seconds.
This tale has just begun.
It is my first attempt to share my stories with someone other than myself, I would really like to know how you feel about it.