The Runaway Maverick

Chapter 4 -Unknown

The humming faded into a hushed sigh as I felt myself slipping into the simmering darkness behind my eyelids...

Tweet. Tweet.

Stirring from my slumber my eyes remained shut tightly in a grimace as the lacking of warmth shivered up my spine.

"Ugh" a groan was all I could manage in my groggy state. I fell asleep?

Promptly my numb senses bolted wide awake as realization instigated sudden panic. My instincts kicked in, in quick defense but to my bewilderment nobody was situated near. No footprints nor trace indicated a presence past or present.

Not only that nothing in my camp had been moved, taken or altered. That's impossible...

Had it all been in my head? Again?

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Three days had since passed and each rest entailed detailed experiences each different from the last. I can barely keep my sanity together as my reality and dream-like state seem to merge.

"How can I tell if I'm awake? There has to be som-" Then it hit me.

Anticipation pulsated through me as I fumbled for my knife strapped to my ankle. I had to prove I was awake. Even the past days were I had believed I was conscious could have been night terrors. I ha-had to know.

Positioning the blade I gently dragged the tip along my finger leaving a small trail of blood: It stung.

The faint murmur of pain convinced me enough to be confident I was at least awake within the moment... even if the hurt in my dreams had felt so real.

In actuality it never did quite mirror the harshness of the agony of my world. Such hurt was always less by comparison.

In that moment I caught myself wishing that it had all been a dream at least then this swollen ache in my heart wouldn't have disrupted my journey as much.

It wouldn't be such a distraction or a constant reminder of all I had lost in but one day. No more thinking. I don't want to wonder about what could have been if-f, if it wasn't for this goddamn stone!

A frenzy of bitter rage overwhelmed my slight frame and before I could rationalize my anger, I had found my fingers coiling around the rock. A contorted screech wailed through me as I stopped my feet till they pounded in pain.

I was losing control. I hadn't been ready for this to all happen!

"Why?!?" I couldn't stop myself. "Why my village? Why my family? Why us?"

Splat. Drip. Patter.

Strained and crackled, my sobs resonated into the sudden unforeseen rainfall.

My stance crumpled as I fell to my knees screaming at the sky. I couldn't stop the tears that fell nor could I stop the bitter truth twisting in my mind.

"Why me?"

I was weak giving into my fury but for once I knew I needed this. At least my sorrows were being drowned out by the thunder of the deluge.

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Wet.

The cold moisture still dribbled down my skin as a chill crawled from the icy gusts of wind. Damn I was freezing. Almost as if on cue the sky began to darken as flurries of snow started to drift. My

breathe froze into icy clouds as my teeth chattered uncontrollably. I needed to find shelter fast or I might soon become just another icicle shattered in the wind. Great.

I swear to God if this turns out to be another night terror I'm going to smash my head against a tree, smear the blood everywhere and wait for something to come and maul me to death.

Okay that's a lie but a girl can dream.

"B-bloody hell-ll itssss f*****g c-cold!" I muttered, my lips turning blue. "I just need a cave... something shelter-"

A small opening in a rock drew my attention as small clouds of smoke drifted from the crevasse. Fire!

It had to be. The only problem now was someone must have set it. I'm in no shape for combat right now but I have no choice.

"Its do or die Jess" dammit Fa not now! I shook my head throwing his words from my mind. Focus.

Hesitantly I stalked towards the tunnels entrance with my blade at hand preparing for self-defense. I needed the flames warmth to survive.

If I died here then I may as well just hand the stone over to the darkness. That is not allowed to happen.

Sighing from the defeat of my own logic I shuffled closer to peer into the now looming glow of a feint light.

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Unknown prov:

Just a couple more logs should do it.

Reaching for the firewood I had previously gathered, I turned to feed the flames further. Winter had recently begun to fall and I had to stay warm to survive the season.

Up here, in the North, most of the year was cold so I'm used to being numb but this amount of snow? I had never seen before.

Sure blizzards like this sometimes happened however it was too early in the year for such weather. Not only that but I personally had never witnessed such harsh winds. Never.

What was going on?

I found myself uttering incoherent words under my breath. God now I was talking to myself? Guess that's what I get for living alone.

"Damn it" I bellowed louder than I had anticipated. The ringing echo of my voice cascaded down the rocky walls.

"Stay where you are." a smooth harmonic voice demanded.

Astonished by the sudden interruption of a stranger I sharply spun around to the source of the command.

My breath caught in my throat as I stared.

She was... hypnotic.

Just by the entrance of my hideout a petite silhouette slumped against the rock face pointed a knife towards me.

From the small shudders that convulsed her body the girl, I assume, soon dropped her blade collapsing to the ground.

Without thinking I threw myself to catch her. I had no idea what possessed me to react in such a way but leaping forward I clutched her frame just before her head hit the stone.

She was as frigid as a corpse.

"Can you hear me? Hello?" My fruitless calls ended with no response. Was I actually huggi-no holding a corpse?

As if predestined a tiny quiver passed her lips in response. My heart lurched in my chest at her attempts.

"Its alright I'm not going to hurt you." What was I saying?

" I'm just going to wrap you up in some blankets" Why did I say that? I don't have anything spare.

"Your body was just shutting down from the cold so I'm going to warm you up" What the f*****g hell am I doing?

Her face was mostly hidden by her hood and my intrigue got the better of me. I was saving her life I was allowed to see who exactly I was saving right? I couldn't help but pull back the fabric.

All the oxygen was knocked from my lungs as I stared into the most unearthly celestial eyes I had ever seen.

"Oh my G-"

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Hey guys so this took longer than expected to put out but I hope you enjoyed it! What did ya think? I know its short so I'll make chapter 5 longer.

The story is progressing a bit now and I've been dying to introduce this "unknown prov" for a while now. Who do you think it is or could be?