Escape Your Past

THE SPRING

In the movies, when the damsel is in distress after seeing a monster she starts to scream, but in reality when you face something truly horrifying, you just freeze. Maybe that's the human version of playing dead and hoping the danger will go away. For a moment I thought I was imagining because of the play of the shade with the hot mist, so I blinked again. Mistake. When I opened my eyes he was closer. 

-"Run you i***t!"

 I can't run- he's one hand away from me! A big, strong man judging by the width of his shoulders that were barely showing above the water. His hair was dark and pushed back, probably curly when dry. His gray-blue eyes combined with high cheekbones in this light gave him a feral, wild look, like a human husky. His face was completed by a strong jaw and lips that were showing shock. I had surprised him. All in all, that's one fine specimen of a man.

And he looked oddly familiar. 

"Where have I seen you before?" -I asked bluntly. 

He raised an eyebrow.

-"Great, now he'll think I am hitting on him! Little red riding hood just met the big bad wolf and instead of running she's asking questions."

See, I've always had a problem with that fairy tale. It's supposed to be a lesson to little kids, especially girls to be careful around strangers, but what were her options, really? She wore a bright red cape and she was all alone in the woods. She was practically bait for any predator. Sending him to her Grandmother was her only way to postpone her death. Poor little girl was doomed and so am I.

I was paralyzed. My tortured brain was working on overdrive and the heat didn't help. He completely caught me off balance. I was so focused on the newfound water that I dropped my guard and rushed in it without looking around. Was he working for Mr X? Was he going to harm me? Maybe if I bought time I could get closer to the gun that was now in my clutch next to the pile that was my clothes.

- "That's it. Buy time. Go for the gun when you can."

I simply said:

"I didn't see you there."

Still no response, he just continued staring at me trough narrowed eyes. Maybe he doesn't speak English. After a moment, that to me seemed to be forever, he appraised my look and smirked. If I wasn't flushed from the heat already, I would definitely be blushing. He could see me completely naked from the waist up. The sudden reminder of my nudity made me crouch into the hot water so that now I was facing him on eye level.

"You, madam, are hard to miss." was all he said.