Chapter 11: Love and War
A few months ago.
"I don't understand." Lachesis sighed before sitting next to me under a tree. "Why did you bother to drag me out here. We can see the stars just fine at the tree house."
I didn't reply, instead, I hesitated before taking a deep breath. We were lying in a grass plain at the bottom of a hill. The grass stretches on for miles and miles, and so did a small creek. When the wind blows, all the grass bends in one direction in a way similar to the domino effect. The night sky had clear skies and no moon, however that's not important. Tonight was a very important night for me. I was about to say the words, that I thought I would never say. I didn't want Lachesis to "judge" me, nor did I want to hold back the thoughts that have plagued me for so long. I had two options, either hold back and regret my decision for the rest of my life; or relieve myself from these tensions that I call my imagination. What do I have to lose?
"Lachesis—" I started, getting her attention. I twirled my fingers around while avoiding eye contact, my face contorted with embarrassment.
"Yeah?" She replied.
I had spent so much time with her, so much effort to make her feel the way I did. Her magnetising stare, her smooth elegant curves. But all this time, I never felt that I could match myself up to her. All this time, I felt my muscles tensing around her, my brain wires firing from her every touch. I knew it for so long, and I still rejected it but I wanted her like no other.
"...I l-love you." I manged to mumble out.
After a few moments of silence, a steady of wave emotions erupted from my chest.
What was I thinking? Holy shit, I actually just said that!
Lachesis paused for a second, before giving me a questionable expression. It was almost like she didn't hear me clearly. I immediately felt my heart sink. The feeling of denial sunk every thought.
Oh no. What have I done! She doesn't like me. Why did I even bother asking!
"Wait... what? What the fuck are you getting at here?!" She yelped, a slight blush rising to her face.
I gulped and hoped for the worst.
Despite trying to avoid eye contact, I couldn't take my eyes away from her. We stared into each others eyes for a while. The only thing that could be heard were the sounds of running water, the brushing sounds of grass and the constant drumming sounds of my heart. I was so excited, yet I was also too embarrassed to look at Lachesis. Lachesis stared at me with a reassuring look. There was something about her that I always liked, it was her outgoing personality...maybe even her looks.
"But... why now? Why did you... I-I just... what?!" She stuttered, blushing even more.
She then moved her paws gently down from her waist. Seizing this moment, I leaned in holding her hips; pulling her closer and closer. Now we were face to face, and chest to chest. Lachesis seemed uncertain, backing away slightly. Turning her head away from mine, neck totally exposed. Her breathing intensifying, sweat covered body dragging itself across mine. It was almost like she purposely allowed me...
I leaned in a bit more, before licking the beads of sweat on her neck. Softly biting her collar, hearing her groans getting louder and louder. Her body rubbing against mine like a drumbeat. Eyes that looked so innocent and vulnerable, staring deeply into my own; pushing me forward, unleashing every strand of raw emotion upon her body.
Her arms wrapped around me, their grip tightening on my muscles. A slight smile now came to her face, pleasure twisting her every action.
"Do you like to chew your toys too? Wait... no. Stop... I've had enough." She murmured, now pushing me away from her.
…
Was that just a joke, a tease? Does she not love me?
"...I-I-I." She mumbled before standing up and dusting herself off. "I...can't. I'm sorry."
"What do you mean?" I asked, before sitting up with a worried expression. "Do you not like me?"
I felt shameful for forcing myself upon her like that, I just went and fucked it up. Just doing whatever the fuck I felt like doing, instead of letting her adjust and feel more secure. I treated her like a "toy".
"You did nothing wrong." She answered blankly. "I-I...like as well but I...I just can't."
She likes me. That's all I need to know.
Lachesis never told me why "she can't". Maybe because she doesn't want to relationship or maybe because she doesn't care. However, I'd imagine it to be something related to the war. It's her excuse for acting and doing things in a certain way.
"...do you want to know how I got here?" Lachesis said, trying to break the awkwardness by changing the topic. Usually, Lachesis wouldn't talk about anything. She wasn't good at starting conversations. She would only start a conversation, in order to change the subject or distract me from something.
"...yeah, sure."
"A'rite, let's get back to the house. I'll tell you a story."
We headed back up to the treehouse, the anticipation was gripping my stomach. This was my chance to know more about Lachesis. I didn't want to waste it. As soon as we got back, I tucked myself into bed; and sat up to face Lachesis. I was sure my eyes were sparkling, because she started right away as if I gave a "go for it" signal.
"I used to belong with the British Navy." She began. "One day a couple of us were sent to Asia to help with the war effort. We were sent onto one of the newly issued Chinese aircraft carriers patrolling the Pacific Ocean. I was there with my friend Isaac, he was a human and he was also my trainer. We were sent there because we were engineers. Isaac was good with the wiring and all the complicated stuff, while I was good at fitting into small gaps and tightening up the bolts." She sighed, face contorted with emotion.
"One day we went into combat, there was cannon fire everywhere and the smell of fuel lingered for hours on end. Isaac and I worked hard, keeping the planes in check. In the end, our fleet got destroyed and we were the last remaining ship. The Japanese boarded our ship and tried to hijack it because we destroyed one of their aircraft carriers. I saw men get impaled by bayonets, I heard their screams of mercy, and I saw the blood that dyed the ocean red. Twenty of us were taken as prisoners of war. For the next year or so, it was an endless struggle of slavery, pain, torture, whipping and horror for me. They made me lift a bucket full of lead 500 times each morning and if I failed, I would get whipped 500 times." She continued.
A single tear ran down her face, a genuine look of pain that no longer knew of its own existence.
"I kept myself alive for many months until the day that I could no longer lift the bucket. I was so weak and skinny that I didn't even have the energy to speak. I expected myself to get whipped, but instead... one of the guards gave me his gun and asked me to shoot Isaac. Isaac was in no better condition, he was just like me, only weaker. Of course, I didn't shoot Isaac. He was my friend and I loved him. So I turned around and shot the guard. However, the gun wasn't loaded. It only gave out a faint click. The guard smiled, he then snatched the gun off me. He then loaded the gun, and shot Isaac right in front of me. I tried to scream, but nothing came out. The guard picked me up and took me into a shed. He then... viola-violated me... and—"
Lachesis stopped talking, she took a deep breath in before concluding her sentence.
"...He expected to kill me in the process, but I survived. When I woke up, I found myself in a pile of dead bodies outside their camp. For the next year, I roamed around hitching rides on cars and ships; until I got back to the country that Isaac came from. Which was here."
Lachesis waited a while, she probably expected some questions from me, such as "what is an aircraft carrier?". Yet nothing came from me.
"...Are you even listening!?" Lachesis said, turning around.
I was asleep, lying in bed. I never had the patience to listen.
"...at least your mouth is shut." She murmured.
Despite my best efforts, I couldn't get what I wanted. In the end, I screwed up my opportunity to listen to Lachesis's story properly; as I fell asleep in mere minutes. But all in all, I was happy with the outcomes; but it left so much room for regret.