Authors: Fiona Knightingale
I was almost to the top and the sun was just this flicker in the trees, when I spied something that made my eyes go wide and my fingers began to lose their grip. I was, so stunned that I didn’t even realize that I was falling, until I felt the air rushing by me at a rate that didn’t seem even possible. It wasn’t the fall that killed you…it was the landing.
Chapter two
I could see these strange red wings, but the sun was obscuring the face of the creature. I heard the flapping and I saw it coming closer and a sense of panic came over me to the degree that I was actually shaking like a leaf.
There was a strange sound, a screeching almost animalistic howl that followed its downward descent towards me. I wanted to scream, but I realized that I was screaming and that whatever this thing was had overshadowed me in decibel. It felt like everything was going in slow motion and then I saw the red eyes and the way that it seemed to look through me. For some reason, I concentrated on those eyes, never really getting a good look at the features.
I awoke with a start with a sheen of sweat over me that made it feel like the sheets were sticking to me like a second skin. It was a very vivid nightmare and I was glad to be awake from it. I reached for the clock, but finding it wasn’t there. I reached for my knee length robe that was hanging on the bedpost, but it wasn’t there either. My eyes were just adjusting to the darkness with the only semblance of light now a sliver coming through the dark curtains.
“It’s about time that you’re awake. I was beginning to think that you were going to sleep through the whole day.” I heard the voice and my mind was still a little fuzzy, but the figure of the man in the doorway with a tray in his hand was not anybody that I knew. “Before you go and scream your fool head off, I have to tell you that I was the one that rescued you from the cliff. You took a nasty fall, but I was able to hear your cry for help. You could call me your own personal savior.” I saw the cross around his neck and I knew that he was only teasing, but his long hair did make me think of Jesus. It didn’t help that he also had the beard to match and that open white shirt and the way the sun was shining behind him was a sure sign that he was a man of miracles.
“I don’t remember anything. The last thing I do remember is seeing something in the sky and then falling.”
He put the tray down beside me with some fresh water in a glass pitcher.
“You were very lucky and you didn’t fall more than 5 feet. Unfortunately, the jarring impact against the rocks knocked you unconscious. You were unresponsive when I got to you. I had to literally traverse those jagged rocks and carry you on my shoulders up to the top of the mountain. It wasn’t easy. I’m not saying that you’re fat, but dead weight is not good weight.” I tried to move and I had my silky caramel colored leg out of the sheet, when I realized that I wasn’t wearing any clothes. I pulled the sheet tight against me and looked at him for some kind of explanation.
“Was it necessary to strip me bare and leave me vulnerable and exposed like this? I’m not trying to tell you how to be a good hero, but I think you might have taken a couple of liberties that were not exactly necessary.” With his shirt open, I could see what looked like a small tattoo on the upper side of his left shoulder. It was red and as he got closer, I saw that it was a red dragon. That must’ve been what I had seen and for some reason it had manifested into a creature in my mind.
“I had to take your clothes off. They were ripped and you were bleeding and the only way to get to your wounds was to have easier access. I’ve seen all sorts of bodies. I was a medic in a past life. It’s not something that I like to talk about, but I know how to field dress a wound, while people are shooting at me. I think that I can handle a young beautiful African American woman that falls into my lap.” When he was within a couple of feet of the bed, I was finally able to see him more clearly.
Along with that dragon tattoo, he also had a couple of scars that were probably a byproduct of his time in the armed forces. I wanted to reach out and trace them with my fingernail, but I thought that might be going a little too far into his personal space. Then again, he had already stripped me naked and could envision me naked anytime he wanted to.
He was over 6 feet tall, at least 200 pounds of solid muscle with not an ounce of fat that could be seen anywhere on his body. I would’ve liked to get a closer look, maybe a detailed inspection of each one of those muscles, including the one that was showing a little bit excitement from seeing me naked and at his mercy. He had the weirdest eyes, where one was green and the other one had these yellow flecks. It didn’t look human.
He must’ve seen that I was looking at that one eye “I got injured and I’ve never found a reason to fix it. It doesn’t hurt and I find that it gave me back the eyesight I had when I was a child.” I instantly liked him and felt safe. I’d never imagined that happening to me with any man. Eric was my best friend, but he certainly wasn’t the manly sort that would jump in front of a hail of bullets to protect somebody’s life. I could see that this guy would do that for me or for any one and that was a testament to his character.
“I’m sorry for your injury, but where exactly am I. That might sound ungrateful, but it’s not every day that I wake up in a stranger’s bed with no clothes.” I remembered a few drunken binges in college that ended up exactly like that. It was fun while it lasted, but it left me with a sinking self esteem. After the third time, I swore off any more one night stands. I had no interest in shacking up with any one that had a kind smile and a nice package to boot. Speaking of a nice smile and a nice package, he had that in spades.
The intricate detail on the dragon tattoo showed some amazing artistry. Whoever had done it made it look like it was alive and the eyes seemed to follow me wherever I went. It must’ve been some kind of optical allusion, but it was definitely worth whatever money he had forked out to have it done.
“You’re in my cabin and we’re about 5 miles away from where you had your nasty spill. I think that you may have broken your ankle. You might be feeling a little numb and I had some leftover morphine that I used to inject into your blood. I have this chronic condition and I need constant injections to keep me from flying off the handle.” I turned towards my veins and saw the puncture mark.
I lifted the sheet and saw that my ankle was swollen two times its size and covered in a bandage to make sure that I didn’t move too quickly. “I don’t normally say this, but you are an amazing man. I’m very lucky that you came along when you did. If it’s all the same to you, I would like to call for an extraction team.” He gave me this face and I got this feeling like he wanted to tell me something, but didn’t know quite how to say it.
“Here’s the thing. My place is off the grid and I would really like to keep it that way. I enjoy my solitude and without the stress of a real job, I’m able to stave off that chronic condition for days at a time, before I need another injection. It’s the only reason why I gave you one of them, because I could spare it, until I’m able to go down to civilization and reissue my prescription. There is no cell service out here and I don’t have a land line or even a computer to contact the outside world. To be honest, I never had any need to have one and I like it that way. I do have a generator, but basically it gives me TV and all the hot water and electricity that I need for one person.”
The one thing that I had to do was make sure that he didn’t think that I was some dainty little flower. I had no interest in being coddled and I showed that by slipping my legs out of the sheet. I was standing in front of him completely naked with my bald bush calling the attention to his eyes. I liked the shaved look and I had no reason to be embarrassed about my body. My breasts were enormous and without the bulky denim shirt, he could definitely see that they were a mountainous terrain that was worth climbing both peaks.
“Unless you’re going to keep me here like your prisoner from the movie misery, then I would suggest that you move out of my way, so that I can go and find something to eat.” I tried to take those steps by myself, but that pain that was swimming up hill against the current of the morphine was more than enough to make me stumble and fall into his arms.
My hands came in contact with his bare chest and I inadvertently squeezed his pectoral muscles and gave them the once over. His hands had cupped my breasts from underneath and even though he had only done it to prevent me from injuring myself any further, it did feel damn good.
“I have a few things on the stove that I think that you’ll find to your liking. If you would allow me, I will be more than happy to escort you to the table. I brought you these and I doubt that they’ll fit, but it may still be sufficient for the time being.”
I got back on my feet and this was the first time ever that I had touched a white man, except for Eric. Usually, I kept with my own race, but I was starting to see that maybe I was denying myself a different low hanging fruit. The contrast in our skin colors was very erotic and brought to mind the first time that I had seen Eric naked. He wasn’t the only one that could call upon that image anytime he wanted to.
“I know that this might sound like a strange question to ask, considering that you did save my life and all. I’m just wondering if you’re just going to stand there and watch me get dressed. If you were a true gentleman, you would turn around and give me a little bit of privacy.”
“I was just going to leave, but then you got up and gave me quite the shocking sight. I thought that you might be telling me something, but maybe I’m just an oblivious man that has no idea what a woman wants.” I seemed to have struck a nerve and it was not my intention to make him feel that he had done something wrong. Before I could say anything with my mouth open, he closed the door and left me to my own devices.
I forced myself by sheer will alone to move with a few grimaces along the way to the window. I looked out and everything was surrounded by trees. There was no semblance of life or other cabins in the vicinity. I went back over and took my phone and brought it over to the window and tried to get a signal. It was in vain.
The pants that he had left me were a pair of blue jeans. I put them on and at the very least they didn’t fall back down. I didn’t know who they belonged too, but it had to be a woman of similar size in the waist. He had also left me my denim shirt and I could see that it was freshly laundered and my bra and panties were right there underneath it all. I could’ve taken off the jeans and put the panties on, but I decided against it. Going commando gave me a sort of freedom and I really didn’t have any need for underwear.
Chapter three
It took me a moment to get myself composed enough that I was able to leave the comfort of this bedroom. I walked down the hallway, stopping occasionally to look at the pictures that adorned the walls. There was this blond temptress that had the eyes of someone that was in love standing right beside the man that had saved my life. Come to think of it, I never did ask his name and that seemed pretty inappropriate under the circumstances.
I made my way into the living room and found that the place was immaculate. It had this opened concept and the kitchen was right there with him behind the stove with billows of steam coming from at least three pots. He looked like he was testing the sauce and then he looked at me and it was almost like he couldn’t believe his eyes. I’d purposely pulled my hair back into a dark and long ponytail, which of course gave my breasts a lot more attention than I intended. Then again maybe I was looking for him to look at me like that. There was something sexual about the way that he stared at me that made me feel almost like he had his eyes on something more physical happening between us. Like I said, I’m not one for one night stands, but I could certainly rethink my position on that with a guy like him.
“April, I hope that you like your steak medium well done. I have fresh vegetables on the stove that I planted myself and harvested just the other day. I don’t know how you feel about baby carrots and corn. I also have some mashed potatoes, or at least they look like they are mashed. I never can tell and usually I have lumps in the middle.”
“How did you know my name?” I’d heard everything he said about the food, but I also noticed that he had used my first name like we were best friends. “I know that I haven’t said it, which leads me to believe that somehow you figured out who I am.” I followed his eyes and I saw my identification splayed out on the coffee table. “I don’t think I have to tell you that I’m not very happy with someone going through my stuff. I do hope you have an explanation for this. If not, then I’ll leave here no matter how injured I am.” I was using the chair in the dining room to keep my foot elevated.
“I really don’t know what you want me to say, April. I’m not very trusting and to be honest, I thought that you might’ve been sent here to find me. I wanted to know who I was dealing with. I certainly didn’t want to make you feel that I was taking advantage of you. If it makes you feel a little better, my name is Avery Black.” I wanted to leave immediately, but I was almost compelled by his eyes to sit down and wait to see what culinary delights he had conjured up with his own bare hands.
“Why would somebody be looking for you? Did you do something wrong.” I didn’t mean to be intrusive, but I always believe that being forewarned was better than waiting to be surprised.
“I’ve had some strange things happen to me in the last few months. My fiancé and I were attacked in an alley. They moved quickly and I could barely put up enough of a fight, before I woke up to find that she was dead and looking at me with these cold dead eyes. I tried to explain this to the police, but they immediately suspected me of foul play. They couldn’t find anything on me, but I could see the way that they were looking at me and I thought it best that I make myself scarce. I didn’t tell them one thing, but I only left it out because it was such an innocuous thing to begin with.”