by L K Walker
Ari let the feelings out of their hiding place. It was definitely him…the man at the funeral…coming for her…coming directly at her…much quicker than she could comprehend. She pictured his face. Those ice blue eyes, they were out there, looking for her. She turned to face in the right direction, but his course changed abruptly.
How was he moving that fast?
Ari turned with him, following his movements, walking in an erratic circle, waiting for him to show himself, waiting for him to come for her. But he held his distance. What were her chances of escape? Trees stretched as far as she could see, hemming her in on each side. She checked out the path, first looking in one direction, then, the other. Which way? They both looked the same. She couldn’t tell which would take her back to the carpark the quickest.
Ari was disorientated, alone and utterly terrified.
Her eyes flickered from side to side, looking for any small movement. A noise came from her left. She jumped. Panic seized her throat. Her head swung around, blurring her vision into a mottle of green and brown. A pine cone bounced on the forest floor and rolled to a stop two metres from where she stood. Gravity taking its toll. She breathed a sigh of relief.
A mocking laugh danced through the trees, severing the quiet. Ari doubted there was anyone nearby, but she screamed for help anyway. More chilling laughter was her only response. She was alone. And, it seemed, he knew it too.
“What do you want?” she screamed to the pines bristling in the breeze. “Just leave me alone.” Chest heaving, she threw the words into the abyss between them. Her eyes widened, not wanting to blink as she stood, waiting for a response—or an attack. She had never felt as weak or insignificant.
He started to move again, stalking her like prey. She stayed silent, following his movements, nudging backwards, trying to put distance between them. Her eyes scanned the area in front of her. A glimpse of black flashed through her vision before disappearing back behind a tree. Too fast—it moved too fast. This is what he wanted. Fear.
When the figure finally emerged, he was closer than she had anticipated. Only a few metres separated them. Ari’s heart thumped at the walls of her chest. He stepped towards her with slow and deliberate strides, pale eyes locked on her. This time, they showed no shock or confusion. He bared his teeth in a smile. Ari edged backwards.
“Pretty young girls shouldn't be out in the woods on their own,” he crooned.
“What do you want?” Ari's voice sounded like crystal shattering into thousands of pieces. She took a deep breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. All her instincts told her to run. She checked the track again. Nothing looked familiar. She would have to choose a direction and hope for the best. Not that she would be able to outrun him. But she had to try. Before she’d made a decision, he started to talk.
“I want your help—and before you refuse, I’d like to point out that I know enough about your life, where you live, where your friends live, to ensure your commitment. Asking is merely a courtesy.”
“Why?” She couldn't say no, but every ounce of her body didn't want her to say yes, either.
“Why what? Why would wonderful me need your pathetic assistance? Hmm, I must admit that does grate on me a bit too. It's not that I can't do it without you, but you’ll significantly speed up the process. Save me a few miserable years wandering blindly around in this boring hell hole by myself.”
Ari stood in silence.
“Oh, come on, be like all the other jabbering idiots I’ve talked to. I think the question you are now looking for is 'how'. Wow, I'm bored with this conversation already. I was ever hopeful you might somehow be special, you know, something other than your precious little gift. And perhaps you might have improved on the drudgery of human conversation, but apparently not.”
The man stood, feet firmly on the ground in front of her, hardly taking a breath as he spoke. Ari was not sure how she had annoyed him so much, especially when she’d said so little.
As he stood there, less than ten metres in front of her, she started to sense something else, coming from behind. Coming fast. She felt light, even happy. The fear eased. Then, she noticed a look of fury appear on the man’s face.
“Noooooo,” he cried out, his face contorting with rage as he lunged at her.
The movement, which somehow opposed gravity, transfixed Ari. He seemed to be flying above the ground. The loose dirt under his feet began to dance and billow in the air. He propelled himself forward, gathering speed as he did so. Whatever he was, his actions were unnatural. He couldn’t be human. The thought was enough to finally get her moving. Instincts took over, and she turned and ran. It was a pitiful attempt given the speed of the man.
“Leave me alone,” she screamed, looking back over her shoulder. He was right there, behind her, arms extended ready to grab. Ari expected the hands to seize her at any moment.
It felt like a freight train hit her from the opposite side, lifting her feet off the ground. The wind knocked out of her, she sailed through the air, but not gliding like the pale-eyed man. No, she flew more like a stone. She had felt the pale eyed man’s outstretched hands trailing across her shoulder, snatching at her, then, when the force hit her, he’d been unable to hold on. His disappointment culminated in a shriek of rage.
She reconnected with the earth, her left arm taking the brunt of the fall. Her momentum skidded her along the forest floor. Ari’s eyes, which had closed just after the point of impact, snapped open as she slid along a bed of decaying pine needles towards the trunk of a large tree. She came to an abrupt halt at its base, pain searing down her side from the impact. Her lungs struggled to fill, as she gasped for air. The figure that had sent her sprawling off the path got to his feet only metres from her, concern in his eyes.
All she could think was thank God those eyes aren’t soulless.
Ari propped herself up against the tree to get a better view. Her rescuers’ eyes followed her movements. He seemed to be checking she was okay. Then, after his brief examination, he turned and headed off in the opposite direction.
Ari stared at the man as he jogged away. Shirtless, the muscles on his back rhythmically contracted as he pumped his arms to gain speed. To Ari's complete disappointment the distance between them lengthened. The pale-eyed man stood in wait for him. Ari desperately wanted to yell at her rescuer to come back, but her lungs refused to suck in enough air for her to scream a warning. She saw her attacker in the distance, preparing to fight.
A deep and threatening, “let me have her,” tore down the path.
Her defender didn’t respond; he didn't even break stride. He launched himself, hitting her attacker at chest height and knocking him backwards into a nearby tree. The tree groaned under the impact, and a rain of fresh pine needles showered down. Both back on their feet, the assailant quickly struck in return. The fighting propelled them further into the distance, and Ari soon lost sight of them among the trees.
Ari sat back against the tree, able to take in full breaths again. Although still laboured, it was enough to get her moving. Her rib cage ached but, other than a scrape, there didn’t appear to be anything else wrong with her; nothing broken. She stood, then hesitantly put weight on her legs to make sure they could hold her. She steadied herself, relieved to find everything worked. She ran a hand over her head to free the pine needles interlaced in her hair. She looked around for her cap, but it was nowhere to be seen. At least, she was able to find the trail; she had been thrown only a few metres from it. Not knowing which way to go, she decided the opposite direction to where she’d last seen her new acquaintances might be the most logical option. Her sore ribs made her progress down the trail slow and arduous. The feelings that radiated from the two men were still intense, which meant they were still close by. At least, for the moment, they didn’t appear to be interested in her.
Nevertheless, they constantly drew her attention, making her nervous; like being forewarned of disaster then having to anxiously await its arrival.
&n
bsp; She closed her eyes.
“Enough,” she whispered to herself, but her words had little conviction.
“Enough,” the demand rumbled from her throat, more determined this time. Taking one deep breath, she mentally pushed the feelings, that were not her own, out of her consciousness. Their intensity was drowning her. She pushed them away, so that she could be by herself, with her fear, her sadness and her confusion. Emotions that were hers and hers alone.
She ignored the two strangers and their sharp movements somewhere behind her. Finally, she controlled the sensations, no longer letting them play her like a puppet.
A moment’s hesitation struck her. How can I be safe if I don't know where they are?
She dismissed the thought. At best, knowing their movements would give her a few seconds notice, nothing more. They could catch her whether she had warning or not. They had already proven that. Her aching bones a reminder of how quickly they could run her down. At least, this way she had a clear head, a chance of outrunning them. After all, they were preoccupied right now. With a new sense of purpose, Ari tore down the trail, hoping to reach the carpark before either of them caught up with her.
She didn't know how long she had been running; maybe fifteen minutes, maybe less. She vaguely recognised where she was, and it wasn't near the end of the track. Her lungs burned, screaming at her to stop. She kept going, begging to see her car appear through the trees.
ten
A blur of flesh and green registered on her retinas. It charged past, narrowly missing her. Once her vision cleared, she saw a crouched man in front of her, facing away, his knees bent to take the impact of his sudden deceleration. Ari put on the brakes too, trying to keep as much distance between them as possible. The broad shoulders of the man’s naked back bunched as he drew himself up before turning to face her. His khaki cargo shorts sat low on his hips. Her gaze slithered over his chest and up to his face.
Two emerald green eyes stared back at her. His face was serene and his gaze penetrating.
The feelings she had attempted to hide bubbled up inside her, trying to break free. They were electrifying, but she wouldn't let them escape, not now, not knowing what she might find.
The first words he spoke to her reflected his concern, the soft notes dancing over the expanse between them. As gentle as silk, they caressed her ears.
“Are you okay?” His face mirrored the concern in his voice.
“Yes,” Ari replied between gasps. “I think so.” She wanted to stop sweating, stop panting like a dog. His breathing was even, and he looked spectacular. Ari gulped as he moved slowly towards her, his palms facing her as if a sign of surrender. The man with pale blue eyes was just as delicious, Ari had to remind herself, and he was dangerous.
“I'm not here to hurt you.” She couldn’t place his accent, he pronounced the ‘you’ as more of a yee. It didn’t matter, she told herself, willing her feet to take a step away from him as she regained control of her thoughts.
“I hate to tell you this, but using me as a bowling ball wasn't exactly painless.” Her body still ached.
“I apologise for being rough with you. It was a necessity.”
How was it that watching his lips form words could be so mesmerising? Ari had to make a decision. Could this man be trusted? Was he even a man? He had saved her, hadn't he? Her confusion scrambled any semblance of rational thought she had left.
What choice do I have?
“Thank you—I think.” She shrugged the compliment to him, not wanting to meet his eye, instead, settling her gaze on his chest. A stray thought popped into her head. She wondered what it would be like to touch him, to drag her hand down and onto those abs. She bit at her lower lip. Heat prickled her face at her outlandish imagination.
“Who are you?” she asked, snapping out of it.
He took another step towards her, arms extended.
Ari mirrored the move, stepping backwards, knowing that, if he chose to grab her, he could cross the gap before she could react.
“Let me help you.” He didn't try to get any closer. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Again,” Ari chipped in.
“Again,” he agreed. “We need to get you out of here.”
“No argument here.”
Ari gulped down her fear. She closed her eyes for a moment and hoped she hadn’t made a fatal decision.
“Who or what are you?” her voice wavered. “What was that thing that tried to grab me?” Then, with awe, she added, “how did you fly?”
He cut her off before the list of questions grew longer.
“Come on, I'll walk you back to your car.”
He turned towards the direction of the car park and walked away, slowly, waiting until Ari was beside him before lengthening his stride. Ari, hesitantly, fell into step. Her head faced forward, but her peripheral vision was on high alert for any strange movements.
“Well, how about I start with the basics. My name is Nathaniel but my friends usually call me Nate. “I’m pleased to meet you.” He offered Ari a hand to shake.
“I'm Arianna, my friends call me Ari.” She took his hand, surprised that it felt so human. The handshake lasted a little longer than it should, as she dragged her fingers across his palm, checking it was real.
“Good,” he said, a small smile shimmering across his face, lighting up his eyes, before smoothing back once again to solemn. “And I'm a sentinel.”
Ari gaped at him.
“People generally get us confused with angels when they see us flying around like that.”
“I can see why.”
“No wings though, see.” He turned his back to her.
Without thinking, she stroked a hand down his bare back, wanting to confirm what he said. His skin was warm under her fingertips, and the muscles were firm.
“Then, what are you?” she asked.
“I’m more like a watchman. I keep an eye on what’s happening. I’m here to ensure free will is not robbed from people.”
Ari had no idea what to say.
“It's hard to get your head around,” Nate said, filling the silence.
“That's a bit of an understatement.” She looked straight into his glorious emerald eyes, then, just as quickly, looked away. “What was the other thing that came after me? Was he a sentinel too?”
“Oh yes, him. No, he is not a sentinel, he is—a huge pain in the arse.” Nate smirked a little.
Ari turned and stared at him. He was making a casual joke about something that had tried to—well, she didn't know what it had tried to do, but whatever it was, it hadn't been friendly.
“If he isn’t one of you, what is he?” she asked.
“He is what we call a seether. Complete charmers. Lucky you caught him on a good day. He seemed to be taken by you.”
“No, I was nearly taken by him.” Having her life endangered had put Ari in an unreceptive mood, even for the hottie in front of her. “What the hell is a seether?”
“Nothing pleasant. But I guess you’ve gathered that already. They can sense when people are emotionally distraught. Then, they can use a victim’s own pain to influence them.”
“To do what?”
“To grow sadness and pain in the world.” Nate frowned.
“They can do that?”
“They can try. That's where we come in. We sentinels. We try to stop them. Have been doing it for years.”
“How many of you are there?”
Nate shrugged.
“We have been here so long I’m not sure anymore. We have scattered ourselves throughout the world.”
“So it’s not going well then,” Ari suggested.
“That’s a bit harsh. The human race has yet to be wiped out, so it could get worse.”
“They’re trying to kill us?” Ari’s body shuddered. “How do you stop them?”
“In all honesty, they are not all as ruthless as him, but they all have a common goal. If they can rid this world of some of its hope, they have a good chan
ce of overrunning the planet and taking it for themselves.”
“Why? Why do they want to destroy us?”
“We’re getting into ancient history. That is a bit more complicated.”
Nate was trying to placate her. It didn’t go down well. “I think I deserve to know what's happening here, don’t you?”
He conceded with a sigh, “I have to warn you, it might not be easy for you to understand.”
“So far, this day hasn't been lucid. Just spill it.”
“I am not from here,” he paused for effect.
“Oddly, that’s not so hard to follow. The flying through the air thing was a bit of a giveaway.” Ari had already processed that little fact, so the shock factor he was hoping for was misplaced. He looked down his nose at her as if to say interruptions were not welcome.
“Earth sits on the cusp of two other existences, ours and the seethers’. Over time, evolution has occurred almost identically on all three of our worlds. But there are differences. One of the more noticeable is our ability to effectively move air behind us to propel us forward at faster speeds. This is what gives us the appearance of flying. Try and do the same in water, and we sink like everyone else. The seethers developed this ability too. We don't know why, but you humans didn't develop that little skill.”
“What? We're primitives by your standards?”
“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying. Different, that is all. We are two very similar species that exist parallel to your own.”
“Sorry, I’m just feeling a little protective.” Ari wasn’t making this easy for him. The whole ‘I’m from another world’ thing wasn’t sitting quite as comfortably as she had first thought.
“Your world, more or less, lies between the seethers’ and ours, like a pivot point.”
“So, are they all the same?” Ari asked.
“My world is bright, the atmosphere is thin and doesn't filter the light as it does here. This impedes our vision during the day, so we evolved other senses in order to identify one another.”
“Like smell?”
