So soft… Evaan's lips were ever so slightly pressed against Rey's and she felt exquisite. His kiss was tentative yet warm, its heat spreading to Rey's cheeks and neck. She's waited for this moment for so long, her first kiss! And at fifteen years old, it couldn't come sooner. It was finally here and with Evaan of all people.
He pulled back blushing a deep crimson and raised his right hand to cover his mouth and cheeks. "Err.. sorry! Umm, I'll see you tomorrow!" And he quickly spun on his heel and ran off towards his neighborhood.
Oh my… Rey touched her lips gently, the warmth still there. He kissed me… She hopped into the air with a triumphant fist pump. It was only a little out of character, something she would have done at the end of a lacrosse game or martial arts match, not for a kiss but this felt like a big win nonetheless.
Rey turned towards home and started jogging without hearing the unusual splash of water which seemingly reached out for her.
Rey burst through the front door and called, "Hey, mom! Hi, dad! I'm hooome!" She kicked off her signature scruffy boots, hung her raincoat, ran up the stairs, turned right, and opened up her bedroom door which she shared with her older sister, Hala. Her sister's head snapped up from the textbook she was studying at her desk and immediately slammed it shut.
"Well?" She looked at Rey expectantly with a giant grin.
Rey returned the grin and giggled. "Kimora! Reeve!" She called for the other two Niima sisters who have been dying to hear, just as Hala was, what Evaan intended on telling Rey after school today. They both hurried into the room and shut the door conspiratorially, as they have many times before.
Reeve hadn't even sat down by the time she was demanding the story. "So, what happened?!"
"Well… he kissed me!" They all burst into squeals and giggles, everyone exchanging quick glances. "But! He quickly left right after! I mean, what am I supposed to think about that?" Rey knew there was little to worry about, his reaction was that of a classic teenage boy.
"Oh he is so into you, Rey!" Kimora was ecstatic for her sister. Rey laughed and all the girls talked about Evaan for longer, wondering what the next development would be for Rey and Evaan's budding relationship.
Hala's betta fish, Gilly, wiggled her way to the edge of the fish bowl as a small whirlpool formed in the middle of her bowl. The whirlpool grew.
Rey rolled her eyes, happy to give them an interesting update but not willing to tell them more especially since there wasn't exactly more to tell. "I have to take a bath. I'll tell you guys what happens tomorrow of course." The whirlpool went unnoticed and faded away.
Thinking about the events of the day, Rey sunk deeper into the water with a heavy sigh. She laid back in the bathtub, tipping her head back, wringing out the small washcloth and placing it on her forehead. Tomorrow ought to be another good day at school, Rey couldn't wait to see Evaan and hear whatever adorable excuse he would come up with for his behaviour today.
He was so nervous when he asked to meet after school, saying he had something to tell Rey.
She didn't expect him to just kiss her and bolt. Rey touched her lips again remembering the tender kiss, desiring to feel it again.
Just then bubbles starting springing up out of the tub and a pair of slender, pale arms, almost grey, with long manicured fingers emerged, wrapping their length around Rey's body. Where were these coming from? Rey screamed and struggled against them as they enveloped her and started to pull her deeper into the tub. Where even?… How is this possible? Hala burst through the door, Rey kept struggling against the arms but they were already gone. What just happened?
"What just happened?" Hala demanded, echoing Rey's thoughts.
"I don't know." She looked at me expectantly and with concern, Rey knew she had to say more but couldn't explain. "Umm, sorry, I guess the steam really got to me. Don't worry, Hala, I'll be out in a moment."
She nodded, concern still present in her eyes, and shut the door behind her.
Rey quickly got out of the tub, maybe too quickly, but she didn't want to be left in the tub alone when those disturbingly pale arms could… she shook her head, she was imagining things. Maybe the steam really did get to me.
Rey toweled off, rolled on some antiperspirant, and slipped on her nightgown. Time for bed.
Things seemed to be normal the next day as if nothing happened, much to Rey's relief. Rey dropped by the music room at the end of the day to find Evaan at the piano working on his solo piece for competition. His head bowed, a single droplet of sweat descended over his temple down the side of his face, his eyes were furious with concentration as his fingers danced over the keys, sometimes furiously and sometimes his fingers would soften and almost caress the keys. It was truly something to behold. Rey was transfixed.
She didn't want to interrupt him, not in the slightest, until she heard a gurgling coming from behind her. She turned to see the same pair of arms from last night spring out of Ms. Aphra's fish tank and reach for her. Rey felt the arms wrap around her again, pulling her in, she screamed for Evaan as she threw all of her weight forward to free herself. Evaan spun around in shock.
"Rey! What's going on- what happened?" His panicked eyes darted around searching for the threat until they landed on the fallen fish tank, water and debris covered the floor with small fish flopping helplessly on the floor. "Evaan! There were hands coming out of the tank!" The words came out and sounded ridiculous even to Rey. She was in shock, staring at the fish flopping… I can't explain it but I know what I saw! I know those cold wet arms were trying to take me with them.
He strode over to me and placed his hand on Rey's forehead. "Are you feeling okay, Rey? Here, let me take care of this… Ms. Aphra is very fond of these fish." He left the room and got some help and soon the fish tank was cleaned up.
Rey was still very freaked out on the walk home, paranoid about the rain clouds high above and each puddle she had to step over. She remained pretty quiet, still in shock and internally struggling to identify what in the world was going on. She was a few paces behind Evaan, lost in thought and thankful that he wasn't pressing his questions too hard because she simply could not explain.
Suddenly, she felt a strong grip on her ankle, those pale arms snaking around her legs and waste, impossibly long and flexible. They wrapped around her whole being, one hand covering her mouth so she couldn't call for Evaan's help and pulled her deeper into the puddle, this time there was nothing she could do, gravity working against her. Evaan heard the splash and turned around. Rey had vanished.
Rey was being dragged deeper and deeper into the freezing water, holding her breath for dear life. The farther she descended, the warmer the water got until it was lukewarm. All she could see was darkness. She writhed and struggled, managing to free one leg and kick the arms with all her might. They lost their grip on Rey and she saw a box of light above her, she kicked furiously to reach it, almost out of breath. Rey emerged, gasping desperately for air, from what looked like a stone spring, surrounded by people at work. They shouted their surprise in a language she couldn't understand but she didn't have time to even think about the strange world she just emerged into. It was all stone and tan and sand.
Armed men ran by and upon seeing her, pointed at her and shouted in the same foreign language. They were coming for her. Why is this happening? Rey turned and sprinted in the opposite direction, up some cobble stairs and stopped suddenly when she saw the landscape in front of her was unlike her own home, it was a stunning desert expanse with a bloody sun hanging overhead. No… two suns. Where am I?
She had no time to ponder that because the people she could only assume were guards were catching up to her and so she took off again. She weaved through the locals who scattered to avoid the soaking girl in a strange uniform. Rey couldn't even ask for help, these people also shouted in the same foreign language.
She ran down some more stairs and took a sudden right into a small opening, looking over her shoulder to see if the men were still on her tail, and she ran directly into a tall figure with a black cloak. Rey took a step back taking in her surroundings, the tall stone walls that seemed to define this town encircled a stunning olive tree that stood in the center. It was a dead end.
The hooded figure seemed to be appreciating the tree's beauty when Rey ran into him. The tall figure turned around quickly, revealing a beautiful man, with pale skin, an array of beauty marks strewn across his long face, a strong nose, larger lips, and blazing brown eyes.
He looked over her shoulder towards the direction of the shuffling footsteps that grew louder as the guards grew closer. His intense gaze returned to her and he said something in the foreign language. Blast! He would be no help either. Rey was ready to spin around and flee the way she came when the man quickly enveloped her in his cloak, spinning them both around and pressed his lips to hers.
What in the world? His kiss was entirely unlike Evaan's, hot and rough leaving Rey breathless. She gasped in response and the stranger took it as an opportunity to slip his hot tongue into her mouth. It was all wrong, his strong arms holding her tightly to his body, her back arched as she pushed her hands against his chest yet he only pressed forward, doubling over her and holding up her weight.
They were being surrounded by the armed men yet this man was completely unaffected! He was still kissing her when one of the guards demanded, "Hey you! Have you seen a girl wearing strange clothing run by here!?" Wait… How could I suddenly understand them?
The man stopped kissing her and gave the guard who spoke an intense glare, keeping Rey hidden behind his cloak.
The guard's hardened expression changed immediately, his eyebrows shooting up, fear entering his eyes. "Oh pardon me, my prince, forgive me, forgive me." He is a prince?! All the men quickly got down on one knee and bent their heads. "The queen is searching for a woman, err a thief, who escaped, please prince, if this is her, return her to us so she may receive justice." The queen?
The beautiful stranger's face remained unchanged. His deep voice nearly growled, "When I'm with a woman, I only have eyes for her. I have not seen this thief you speak of. Now get out of my sight."
The guards' eyes flickered to me, trying to get a good look at me from behind the stranger's cloak. "Must I repeat myself? Get lost!" The stranger barked his order and the men exchanged nervous glances, eyes flickering to me but then decided against pressing the issue and hurried out of the small olive-bearing alcove.
His gaze shifted back down to me and he smirked. "What did you do to get the queen's personal army after you?"