Just Like Magic

Chapter 6 Helping Out

Randalyn's POV

With how incredibly dark it is out here, I can't see any features of the man who is helping me. But with his sihiloette right there, I can make out his huge frame as he swiftly walks in front of me. I notice that he softly says something before reaching into his pocket just to hand the even bigger man some money. A conversation quickly gets ignited between the two of them as I start to look around to try and plan my escape. Between the multiple looks sent my way, not even trying to be subtle, they talk softly back and forth to one another.

They seem to be making their conversation that's obviously about me, look even more suspicious than what I think they intended. So watching them talk about me, makes the 'runaway before it's too late' natural warning in my head appear far too many times for my comfort. So much in fact that I find myself internally deciding to start adjusting my body and prepare to run at the next available moment that I get. I can see some open land behind me, so that's a start until I find somewhere to hide.

I strain my ears to try to hear anything they are conversing about, because I really do think that if I could hear what they're saying, then my mind wouldn't be going so crazy about all the possibilities. Even if it's a bad result intended for me from them, it would be good to know the intentions of these two men so I can put my mind at ease. I just want to know how to react right now, plus wanting to make sure that they are not planning to attack me the moment my back is turned. Or even if the intentions are for this 'nice' guy to use this help against me later, like blackmail, then I would like to know.

I would assume since he said he would pay for me, that they are discussing why I couldn't pay myself... or maybe why he would help me when that huge man wasn't going to give me the benefit of the doubt... But I seem to be wondering the same things myself. Why would this stranger help me? What does he want in return? I don't know where I'm at and the last thing I want to do is get taken advantage of by a stranger. So this is extremely intimidating.

He turns around and states to me as if it is not already obvious. "Ok... Miss, this whole ordeal is taken care of... Nothing to worry about." he quickly extended his hand for me to take, but no matter how genuinely sweet he sounds with his calming voice that just sings in my ears with every word said. I can't let myself be fooled by this siren because I still don't know who this person is and I can't even see his face to report him to the authorities if he were to try to attack me. So, in the spur of the moment, letting my fear take over, with my escape route already planned out. I find my head automatically shaking at him before I get up and start running away from the men.

I can hear the man who helped me yelling from behind me and its somehow lulling tone reaches my ears between the gusts of wind, "Miss? Please wait." this strangely doesn't alarm me, but I still can't trust it because I don't know him. I shake my head, keeping it down as I stay in my tunnel vision just trying not to collapse and throw up on myself before I can get out of sight.

I keep going down this open hill then through some trees and brush until I get behind this big building in the dark to hide. I'm panting as I lean against the cold brick wall, gasping for air to soothe my straining lungs. I hunch over feeling even sicker than before with the lightheadedness and crazy trip over here now hitting me harder than ever... I stay hunched over, using the wall to brace myself as I blow chunks onto the ground.

This is surprising to me because with how hungry I was and also knowing I haven't ate all day, I didn't think I had anything in my system to get out. I spit the little bits out of my mouth as I take a couple deep breathes to try to make myself feel better. Spoiler alert, it doesn't work as the smell plus the nauseating waves hit me again, causing me to throw up a couple more times until I definitely don't have anything else in my system. But throwing that up has made me feel way better. So that's a plus.

"Are you alright?" A man asks this from behind me, startling me as I jump and back up, away from him but into a corner, which isn't good. I thought I found a nice hidden spot to hang for a moment, but apparently not... I didn't expect anyone to follow me into this dead end.

It doesn't go unnoticed by me that he says this with a soft soothing tone and since he has a little bit shorter silhouette, I can tell it's a different man than the huge one that yelled at me before... but with the same soothing tone as the second man to show up, I think I can safely assume that this is the man who paid for me.

How did he catch up to me? and find me? Is he following me? probably.. trying to take advantage of the small prey that's all alone... That now owes him money.. what do I have to do to pay him back? I knew I would be looked at as an easy target. But I will try to do my best to make sure he doesn't think this will be an easy takedown.

"I'm... um.. fine... I was headed.. this way." I say pointing one way but quickly seeing there is a big wall there, so pointing the other way which is behind him, not trusting any man out in a dark alley at night. So I'm not going to tell him who I am or how I'm doing, let alone where I'm actually headed.. even though at the moment I have no idea, so it doesn't matter.

"Are you lost?" He asks me but I quickly shake my head. "Nope... I have been here plenty of times... I know exactly where I'm at, that's why I came here." I try to say as confidently as I can while looking around because I wanted to go around him to get out of this alley. Mostly to get out of a potentially threatening situation as I try to figure out where I am and where I go next.

"Ok.. perfect... then why don't you tell me where we are? Because I might be lost." He asks this, I think calling my bluff. I clear my throat, reaching into my pocket to try to look casual as I play with the small knife to calm my nerves by making me feel slightly safer, before I respond. "That's very unbelievable that you don't know where we are right now.. Seriously? Everyone knows this area... So are you really lost? Because I think you're trying to mess with me and I'm not the person to play around with." I declare threateningly while trying to walk past him. Hoping my 'confident' front will fool him.

"I'm serious. Tell me where we are at?" He demands from me but my pace quickens past him. He obviously notices me trying to escape as he reaches out and grabs my arm to stop me before I get too far away.

"Figure it out for yourself. I'm sure you're completely capable. So let me go... I do have bear mace and know how to use it" I declare to him, but this threat doesn't make him let go of my arm. "What is bear mace?" His tone is genuine in that question but how does he not know what mace is? and if he doesn't know what it is then that explains why he hasn't let me go.

"It's a stronger more effective pepper spray.. duh... you know, for taking down big beings like bears." I declare to him, trying to pull my arm away, but his grip just tightens. I was just trying to explain this if he really doesn't know what it is and maybe that will get him to let me go before I am forced to use this on him. But it's not looking that way... I'm just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Why would you ever want to do that to a bear? You know they're dangerous and could kill you, right?" he asks sounding genuinely confused. I smirk at that comment, not expecting that at all as I reply to him. "I wouldn't go out of my way to mess with a bear, I'm just saying if I sprayed this bear mace or pepper spray I could take down a bear," I explain to him but I don't think this helps him out too much.

I can see his head shake, but of course, I still can't see any features on his face. "Bear Mace? Pepper spray? Why would you want to bring something like that with you anywhere? To mess with bears? For fun? I'm sorry, I don't understand why you would have such a thing on you regularly." He asks me, sounding baffled. "Well, I carry it for moments like this... So I could spray you with it and put you through pain." I threatened him but he still doesn't let go.

"Why would you ever want to do that?" He asks me, sounding even more baffled as if I'm talking in a whole other language with my statement. "Well, because you're a stranger who is following me in the dark and you're hurting me right now." I declare to him as I try to pull my arm out of his grip, of course, it doesn't work but this comment seems to get his attention.

"I'm so sorry miss... I wasn't trying to hurt you." he declares slowly releasing his grip to let my arm go. I swipe it away just as fast while slowly backing away from this way bigger than me sihiloette. But this isn't the smartest thing I have ever done, because the plan instantly starts to backfire. I'm quickly tripping on hidden items that are on the ground in this dark alley. I trip and fall back yelling out as I flail my arms until one of my hands is quickly grabbed and pulled. I was flung back up until I collided with this man's chest.

I swipe and hit him in the chest once, but as I swing my hand to hit him again, it's stopped and freezes in the air. I notice that his hand is flat like mine, right in front of it to be exact. But the strange part is that our hands aren't touching. There is a gap between them as if a plate of clear glass was put there. My hand feels stuck as I try to pull it away, it's glued in this position. "What are you doing to me? Let me go!" I declare in a threatening tone, even though we both know, after all this, that I'm no threat to him.

"Why... don't you... make me?" He says this sounding like a legitimate question, as if he is testing me. But I don't know what he would be testing me for. I struggle to try to pull my arm away but nothing works. So I swing my other arm and the same thing happens. I'm getting frustrated at his invisible grip, not knowing how to get out now that both hands are stuck in the air.

So fine, I try to kick him, but surprise surprise, that action made my legs get stuck in this same hold as I start to lift off the ground slowly. I yelp out as I struggle not knowing what's happening. I look down realizing I'm at least a foot off the ground, so I struggle more. "What's happening?!" I yelp out asking no one in particular just stating the obvious.

"What do you mean? You're just levitating." He stated as if this is just the normal thing that people can do, but I know I have never flown before. "Why would I be flying?!" I panic not knowing how to get out of this.

"What do you mean? I saw you arrive here with a portkey. So why would it matter if you're levitating?" He declares sounding almost as confused as I feel. "A portkey? Like in Harry Potter?" I ask in disbelief as I continue to dangle in the air. "What's a Harry Potter?" He asks as I scoff, not wanting to do all this explaining thing again but knowing it best that I do... But I swear if I find out he is just playing dumb I'm going to punch him.

"Harry Potter books are based around a magical school that teaches students magic and stuff... there is more to the story than that.. but a portkey in that book would be magical ways to take people around to places with magic." I squeak out as quickly as I can, just trying to explain this so he can put me down.

"Yeah... I know that... I thought you did too since you arrived in one." He says this as if I'm the stupid one for not knowing and maybe I am. I think about that for a moment before I shake my head, not exactly knowing what he is talking about, but I guess that makes sense since I traveled the way I did.

"That's what that was? I have never done that before." I say to myself but of course, he heard it. "Really?" he asks as he stares up at me. "Yes, really.. now can you put me down please." I try to demand but it just comes out as begging. I feel my body slowly drifting down to the ground until my feet touch and he lets go of me with this invisible grip.

I'm still right next to him so I can tell that he is still staring down at me as I clear my throat before saying to him. "Thanks for setting me down... But... Next time, give me a warning before you do that or I might end it throwing up on you... moving around like that doesn't mix well with my stomach. You're just lucky that I got done doing throwing up, or it would have happened just now." I let out a couple of deep breaths before looking around the still very dark alley.

I listen to his rumble of his melodic chuckle at my comment as he replies. "Ok.. duly noted... sorry.. if I hurt you I didn't mean to, I was just trying to help, even though now that I look at it, I might have come off creepy following you around." He declares this so nicely to me as I shake my head not knowing how to respond. I don't know if I should try to make him feel better or not, because he sounds like he feels bad but he was being creepy. But I do also feel in my gut that he was trying to help, but he is a big stranger in a dark alley how can I trust that?

I'm still way too close to him for my comfort, but he smells absolutely enthralling with the pine and cedar scent filling my senses. I want to smell that all day. His breath feathers off of my face and neck, sending shivers throughout my entire body because of the nervousness and odd attraction I have for him... It's very strange to me, but he seems to automatically give me a calming and alluring feeling deep inside of me, making me crave to stay right there with him... But now that I think about it, that is probably not a good thing when I'm stuck somewhere I don't know, with a man I don't know, even though he makes me feel more comfortable than any person has in my life... I must be delusional about everything that has happened to me today.. That must be the reason for these insane feelings.

I felt his hands gently touch my forearms but I'm not having that, so I put my hands to his chest to help push me away from him before quickly replying. "It's fine thank you.. Just leave me alone, please... I don't know you and I don't need help from a huge stranger... I'm not that stupid.. please just leave me alone or I will be forced to use this mace on you." I say to him as I keep pushing out of his slightly tight grip. but he doesn't fight this or force anything, he lets me go and doesn't object to my warning.

"I just wanted to help." He says softly to me sounding sad. "Well thank you for that... I appreciate that, but I have to get going. Have a good night." I reply as I backed out of the alleyway... I look right and then left.. before I turn away from him and start walking in the area that looks the most crowded of houses.. So logically, for me, since there are more places down that way, if anything does happen, I have more chances of people hearing my cries of help before hopefully helping me... Plus, there might be town street signs that could help me figure out where I am, while helping me figure out which way to go. One could only hope.