Chapter 5: First Kiss

Finley's Point of View

'Am I to die again??'

My vision started to blur out. All I can see is a misty, grayish haze and no matter how much I blink, I can't see anything clearly. Blood's rushing out of my stomach and I'm just getting weaker by the second. I feel like it's going to be the end of me, again!

Damn! Those guys really knew how to work their magic, don't they? I never thought, magic could be so incredible and yet threatening at the same time. If I am really in some sort of a game, well...you! Yes you! The one who is reading this, I am pointing at you! If I am your chosen player, you have no hope in winning this, unless you can hand me some magic, for goodness' sake!

All I know right now is that the pain is real, and I might really see the light at the end of the tunnel any second now.

I was about to swoon from the pain when suddenly, I couldn't clearly tell but it looks like some sort of a warping space appeared out of nowhere. It looks like a gateway to another dimension when a lady abruptly rushed out of it.

Looks like my consciousness is keeping me alive for a minute perhaps so I can just catch a glimpse of this woman.

'But will she kill me too??' I thought to myself.

'Well, I won't mind that much. At least I would die in the hands of a beautiful lady." I teased myself, unaware of a smile forming on my lips with my eyes closed. But then I felt my body's about to finally succumb to the pain as it was about to fall.

I tried to peek a little bit as my brain's still conscious and boy, I think I might be starting to hallucinate as I saw the woman up close, and I am in her arms! My sight seems to deem clearer, when her mask fell down, letting me gaze upon such a magnificent and angelic face. Her eyes and hair were really something. She was like an angel that fell down from the sky as she repeals every magic thrown at her by the big guys, with me still in her arms. Oh, she must really be strong because boy do I love food in my belly, and I might be slim, but do I weigh so heavy.

She runs towards what I think was a portal and as soon as she stepped in, the portal mystically closed on its own.

I was just lost in the way she moves. She was extremely breathtaking that I felt like I literally lost my breath as my eyes began to close for real and it was great while it lasted.

My eyes slowly opens, and I found myself in a strange place. I tried to sit right up but I felt a sudden pain on my abdomen. Then I find it wrapped in a long bandage and what looks like some medicinal herbs.

A vivid image of the group of bandits suddenly flashed in my head and I finally remembered everything that just happened to me.

"Those boys got me really bad! Gosh, I'm such a weakling!" I mumbled to myself with my hands grabbing my hair in frustration.

Then I remembered that I was in a strange place and who wouldn't wonder where the heck he is after waking up anonymously in a stranger's house.

I got out of my bed weakly and tried to walk and wander around for a bit.

"Let's see...we have here some wooden walls, annoying, creaking floors and acck! What was that?? Something icky was dripping from the ceiling. This might be one of those spooky witch's houses and I might just be someone's dinner tonight!" I said in outburst.

"I'd prefer if you wouldn't call me a witch, mister." A voice suddenly uttered.

I turned around and there I saw a beautiful lady and I vaguely remembered her from my memory.

She doesn't look like a demi human, but she was out of this world, and I get to see her again!

Looking at her for the second time, I'm just mesmerized again by those gleaming blue eyes, those scarlet red, soft looking lips and such radiant skin. Her cheeks were lit up in a bright, rosy red and her white, long hair fell utterly perfect on her shoulders.

"Oh, dear God of all universes!! Is this the girl I'm going to marry??!!" my thoughts were internally screaming in my head that I didn't notice how long I was staring at her with my mouth open.

"Hello!!" I snapped out of my imagination as she was trying to get my attention and turns out, I was actually staring for few minutes now. How embarrassing!

"Oh hi, I'm...I'm sorry,"

"Here, let me close your mouth for you. A fly might just enter that hole." She suddenly said as she drew nearer to my face, touching my chin as she closed my mouth. My heart stopped upon her touch.

'What is this girl doing to me!!' I screamed in my head.

"Gosh, that was so embarrassing, I... I'm sorry!" I frowned with shame.

'Oh, just let the earth swallow me, just let the earth swallow me! I'm such a loser!!!'

My frown turned upside down as she smiled at me, and I am fascinated with how her eyes smiled even brighter. Eyes truly speaks!

"So, what's your smile, gorgeous? I mean, I haven't gotten your name, what's your name is what I mean?" I asked awkwardly.

'Gosh, why are you such a freaking idiot!!' I harshly said in my mind.

"I'm Scarlet Blaire Avery a prin-, an adventurer like you," she replied, stuttering at some point but I didn't really care. In fact, I'll stutter even more than she did if I continue talking to her.

"I'm Finley Scott Davis, an adventurer on a quest to Draco" I declared sounding confident in my head but in reality, I'm just awkward as always.

"Nice to meet you, Finley, but you don't seem to be from anywhere around here, so where are you from?" she asked me with curiosity.

"I'm from Ca---" I was interrupted when out of the blue, an arrow pierced through the wooden wall.

Oh, I'm so glad I left that post or it could have been my skull punctured and not that wall!!

What is it with me and all these close encounters?? Is the grim reaper hunting me down?? I think it's because I died and now that I'm alive again, he might need me to get back into my grave!

'Oh please, I don't want to die again, I don't want to die again!!' I panicked in my head and I'm trying to contain myself, but the worry is visible in my face.

"Seems like they have found us already." She whispered to herself, but I managed to hear it clearly. What's going on?? She must be hiding something...

"Quick, in here" she said to me, trying to sound as quietly as possible.

She lifted up the bizarre looking floor mat lying on the floor, and it revealed a wooden trapdoor beneath us.

"We'll hide here until they're gone." She said very softly as she dragged me into the small space beneath the trap door with her.

The intruders breached the doors and searched the place thoroughly. I can hear their heavy footsteps and brutish movements echoing on the wooden floor over my head. They searched for quite a while now and I am assuming they haven't found what or who they're looking for.

Meanwhile, underneath the floor, I can't stop blushing not because of the heat down where we are but because of how close her face is to mine. The space in here can only fit like one and a half person only, or like one adult and a very small child and that's like all there is to it so we're like sardines packed tightly into the can right now. I'm guessing she must have built and customized it for herself, to hide from whoever those intruders were which might be her enemies. So, I guess she wasn't expecting to have some company in it. And now, my heart keeps pounding hard and fast, already at the verge of bursting!

"Sir, she is already gone," a manly, deep voice uttered from above.

"She's pretty fast and clever," said another man's voice. "Alright, let's move out, she should not be far from here" the man commanded. They seem to be a troop of soldiers by the way they speak.

I can still feel my face burning red and I think I'm just going to pass out from the adrenaline rush that this woman is giving me.

"Just keep calm or you'll alert them." She whispered to me, and I can feel her breath brush off closely to my face as her face sat only few inches away from mine.

I don't know what to do and I am starting to panic. I can't actually feel my legs and hands. Boy, she got me so weak in the knees. My face is dripping wet. I've never been this close to a girl in my whole life. I'm all worked up because of this feeling I'm experiencing for the first time in my life.

The soldiers already left and are now a few meters away from the house. Then, here I am, I don't know what the heck I was thinking. I suddenly screamed and now I might have put our lives in much danger!

'What the heck, Finley!! Are you crazy?? Are you trying to get us killed?!' my thoughts kept rambling about, but I guess I might have just burst from the intense feeling that my heart couldn't contain anymore. Of course, the soldiers probably heard all of it and we can hear them coming back but Scarlet suddenly stopped me from this outrage I'm getting myself into.

"Sire! That sounded like an animal, let's not waste our time looking in there again." A man firmly spoken from beyond the doors.

My eyes closed from the moment Scarlet stopped me and I am feeling a soft sensation against my mouth. And I peek with one eye, if it might be what I think it is and when I opened my eyes completely, I just melted right there and then.

Scarlet's lips were pressed against mine.

~ To be Continued ~