by Jamie Gray
"So, what's next?" she asked, sprinting to walk beside him as she walked with more of a skip to her step. She gasped as an idea popped into her head. "Oh, tell me about Arespea,” she suggested, bouncing excitedly. “Are their monsters? Is it state-of-the-art, like super-advanced technology and architecture?" she asked, speaking like a speeded recording as she counted her questions on her fingers. "Is everyone there as serious and brooding as you?" She chuckled as he glared at her.
"Yes, no, and I'm not serious and brooding."
She laughed again, shifting to look down the path. Her expression brightened as she thought of something. Something she never thought she’d get to ask. "Could I go there? You know, to meet my birth parents." Her voice had become noticeably softer and quieter. A part of her worried to hear his answer, but she needed to know. She had wondered and searched for so many years that eventually she gave up. She’d accepted that her parents left no trace for her to follow, when in truth, her parents may have been waiting for her in Arespea all this time.
"I-Um… Lexi-" He paused, glancing to his side as she peered up at him. His expression softened, falling to come off as sad. Finally he nodded, mumbling, "It's definitely a possibility. I mean, not yet. You still have a lot to learn before you step into that world of chaos-and I wouldn't get overly excited. Arespea may not be what you expect."
"But you'll take me." Her smile spread wide as her face lit up.
"I-"
"Thank you so much, Daymian!" she cheered, her face radiating with energy and enthusiasm as she imagined herself leaping into his warm embrace. "You're amazing! I would hug you, but I kinda can't touch you.” She could have jumped for joy, she was so happy. She finally had the chance to see her birth parents. All she had to do was get to Arespea and find them. A dream she’d had for years was finally coming true, and it was all thanks to him. She couldn’t have been more grateful.
"That's okay," he replied quietly, appearing to be speaking more to himself as he turned his head forward.
There was another moment of silence, but it didn't take long for her to think of something else to talk about. "So, we’ve been talking about me for a while. Let’s talk about you.”
"I'd prefer not," he replied bluntly.
"Oh, come on,” she groaned, slouching her body dramatically. “Loosen up a little bit. I don't know anything about you… besides the obvious," she exclaimed, gesturing to all of him.
He looked down at himself as if she had just pointed to a stain on his shirt and he was trying to find where it was.
"What do you like to do for fun?" she asked impatiently.
He shrugged, furrowing his eyebrows as if he didn't understand the question.
"Oh come on, there's got to be something that you do that puts a smile on your face."
He didn't answer, his face still stern and brooding.
The silence between them was unbearable. She wasn't sure what to make of his response, but it didn't take much for her to recognize how disheartening her questions may have been for him. She cleared her throat as she looked around awkwardly, trying to look busy as she thought. She figured that perhaps it would be better if they focused on her for a little while. "Um-well, I love to explore places."
"You don't say," he replied sarcastically.
The two came to a crossroads. They could either continue walking straight, or turn right or left. She let her gaze wander as their pace naturally slowed. She glanced down the path to the right, the path that Daymian was nearest to. She smirked devilishly. “I think I just found a way for us to loosen up.” She shifted her focus back up at him, pausing for a moment as her smirk grew. "You afraid of heights?" she asked in a smug tone.
"No."
Her attention returned to their target behind him as her excitement grew. "Perfect. Not that you'd have much of a choice either way." She skipped past him, tempting him to turn with her and look back at what she had her sights set on. She heard him gulp as he turned with her. Down the path stood a fifty-foot, run-down Ferris wheel. The top of it was partly tilted as if a giant had accidentally bent it in passing. The poles holding it up were rusted all around and looked as though a strong enough hit could send the entire structure crumbling like a tower of cards.
Lexi wanted to climb this thing now more than ever. Had she actually decided to kill him after all? Daymian was sure now that she was utterly insane.
Chapter 8
It took them about five minutes to reach the broken ride as Lexi had challenged Daymian to a sprint race to see who could reach the structure first. But she wasn't prepared for his quick feet. He practically flew across the concrete, effortlessly leaving her in his dust. She was certainly breathing heavily by the time she reached its base, but she still felt infused with plenty of adrenaline, where he hadn’t even broken a sweat after the run.
She practically leaped onto the thin, unstable ladder that reached the very top cart. The wheel itself looked to be the size of a stadium turned on its side. Both of them had to lean their heads horizontally to see their destination at the peak of the ride. It was a wonder they hadn't noticed it sooner. The tipped top overlooked the entirety of the park-like an all-knowing towering eye. It was an intriguing sight. What had caused the wheel to bend in such a way? How many people had faced their perpetual fear of heights here? How much money did it cost to build a ride this grand? These were the types of questions Lexi pondered over as she began to climb the wobbly ladder. Each metal bar she grabbed hold of scraped at her palm. But she didn't care. She loved every moment of this. She couldn't stop smiling as she kept her attention locked on the ultimate destination at the peak of the ride. Every time she'd come there with her friends or sister, they had always forbidden her from climbing this ride. Said it was too dangerous. Well, now she was there with Daymian, and she'd show them how amazing it all would have been. Daymian? She paused, not hearing any echoing taps down the ladder behind her. She looked back to see him still on the ground, standing at the base of the wheel with his arms crossed. He was looking at her with an uneasy expression.
"I don't think this is such a good idea," he advised sharply, his expression uneasy. “This is not making me feel very loose.”
"Oh, come on! Don't be a baby! Get your butt up here!".
He exhaled, taking one last look up the Ferris wheel before slowly walking to the base of the ladder. She began climbing again. The ladder had become far more wobbly and unstable with two people climbing it, and so, he took every step with caution.
Once she reached the top she hopped into the cart next to the ladder and waited for him to catch up. The cart was clearly unstable and rickety, but she didn't care. She was having the time of her life, with the fresh air and whistling wind pressing against her skin and flying through her white hair. It didn’t take Daymian long to reach the top, as he held the ladder dearly. She waved him over as he cautiously reached one of his feet off the ladder and into the cart, then leaned the rest of his body inside, releasing his death grip on the rusted metal. The wind was notably more aggressive up there, and he appeared far more panicked, as he held desperately onto the sides of the cart. It was as if he feared being carried out by a strong enough gust of wind. It was hilarious to watch as she never pegged him as someone to be afraid of heights.
"All right, I think that's enough."
She extended her arms to her sides as she held her chin high, breathing deeply and calmly. She felt at peace with the world around her. Everything made sense up there. Free in the sky. "Just close your eyes.”
"I'd prefer not.”
She chuckled at his fear shaken voice. "Just do it. I'm not gonna do anything weird."
He took a few deep breaths before letting his eyelids fall shut. She smirked. She looked down into the inside of the cart and spotted a long thin stick. An idea dropped into her mind as her face morphed into that of a devious devil. She tried to remain as silent as possible as she squatted down, swiped up the stick, and rose back up until her legs were straight. She then ex
tended her arm with a stick in hand towards his face, trying not to laugh as she pictured his surely hilarious reaction to being scared by a measly stick.
"Put the stick down, Lexi." His blunt voice made her jerk back.
How did he know? She tapped him on the nose anyway, but as his eyes burst open, she whipped the stick behind her back to hide the evidence. She smiled at him, but he only acknowledged her with an unamused, aggravated expression.
"What?"
"Lexi.”
"Okay, okay, fine. I couldn't resist," she laughed, pulling the sick from behind her back and threw it over the side of the cart to prove she was done with it. "But actually close your eyes now. I'll be serious."
He glared at her, cocking an eyebrow.
"Please," she added, cupping her hands together.
He exhaled, shaking out his shoulders as he reluctantly shut his eyes again.
She smiled softly, closing her eyes too. "Okay, now listen to the wind."
"Are you serious-"
"Yes, I'm serious," she snapped at him. "And you're not going to be able to hear anything if you keep talking, so shut up for a second.” She took a moment to shake her arms loose as she tried to get back into her zone. It was her turn to teach. "Hear how it sings, whispers in your ear as it passes by. Relax your muscles, you're so tense. Just take a deep breath…"
∞∞∞
Daymian did as she told him, trying to quiet his mind and body, and simply listen to the world around him. He took a deep breath in and out as he tried to imagine he was back on the ground and not in a rusted cart attached to a broken fifty-foot ride. His heart was racing as he tried to fill his lungs with fresh oxygen.
"And as you let it go, feel your entire body fall loose as you completely clear your mind,” she instructed calmly, her voice echoing like a soft song through his mind.
He followed her direction, letting his shoulders sag, as he slowly released his grip on the cart. After a moment of catching his balance, he allowed his arms to hang loose at his sides as he tried to make his mind go blank. As if on cue, the musical symphony of nature filled his ears. It was like he could hear for miles, listening to the forest trees wave as their leaves brushed together, and the bright chirping of birds as they landed on the rusted bars of the wheel below them.
Suddenly, the wind began to pick up. He shot his eyes open as he felt the wind shake the cart below him. Ducking down to avoid being thrown off, another gust of wind, ten times stronger than what they had experienced before, smashed against the cart. He called for Lexi to get down, but she couldn’t hear him over all her laughing. As another wave hit, the strongest one yet, the cart started to rock out of control. Her body lurched, causing her to lose her footing and balance. As her heel caught on the seat, all of her weight fell back, and she tumbled out of the cart. Within the same instant that she fell, he dove to the edge of the cart, leaning over and catching her with one hand before she could plummet through the wheel and down to the concrete. A shock shot all throughout his body upon grabbing her bare hand, making him want to shriek in pain, but he held firm, only letting out a loud groan. As she swung, her head slammed against one of the rusted metal beams holding the cart up, knocking her out cold.
What do I do now? he asked himself, wishing he knew the right answer. He held so much in his hands. He knew that the decision he made now would define him from this moment on. But what was the right decision to make in this situation? He would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about dropping her. She was unconscious. It would be so easy to drop her. No one would ever know. She wouldn't suffer. She wouldn't know what happened to her. It's not his fault if he can't hold her, he's in unbearable pain, sooner or later his body would give out. Surely I could live with it, he thought. Yet, as he gazed down at her, her face clouded by the tears burning in his eyes. He knew he couldn’t bear to let her die. After all the time they spent together. How she confessed her unwavering trust for him. He couldn't betray her like that. He screamed as loud as his lungs would physically allow. He knew that this would definitely come back to bite him in the ass. But his needs didn't matter. It didn't matter that his muscles were screaming at him to let go and release his pain. It didn't matter that he could barely breathe in his position. He'd never forgive himself if he allowed her to die.
He did his best to stabilize the cart, panicking as the ground stretched further and further away. He shifted his gaze to her, trying to imagine himself standing on stable ground, and not in a rusted cart fifty feet in the air. He then carefully pulled her up. His arms and muscles burned, throbbing with pain as he made sure he kept a tight hold on her hand and arm. Once he had her back in the cart with him. He placed her over his shoulder and carefully secured himself back onto the rusted wobbly ladder, reminding himself not to look down as he went. The pain generating from his shoulder, where he held her, was unbearable. It was like she was covered in tiny sharpened daggers, puncturing his skin as he felt like he was being dug into. It made his entire body want to crumble and collapse, but he reminded himself that the faster he got down the ladder, the sooner the pain would stop, and the sooner he would stand back on firm ground. That was the only thing that would get him through this.
He flew down the ladder, every one of his muscles engaged. His hands shook wildly as he sped down the rickety ladder, trying his best to ignore the rough rust of the bars as it tore away at his palms. It slowed him down, but he had to focus all of his energy on getting down. He groaned loudly as the agonizing pain shooting through his entire body continued to intensify. All it would have taken was one of her fingernails to touch his bare skin, and his entire body would shudder with the shocking pain. He wasn’t sure where exactly her skin touched his, as the intensity of the pain had made it impossible to trace. He felt as though someone was slicing apart each one of his muscles, cutting him up internally. It was like nothing he had ever felt before, or ever wanted to feel again. Every instinct in his body told him to stop, move her off of him and be done with it. He would never have to endure this kind of pain ever again… but as much as he wanted to. As much as the voice in his head told him to let her go, Daymian held on. He ignored the voice, ignored the constant pain of his insides. He would continue. He would hold onto her for as long as he needed to… until he knew she was safe. Seeing her smile, laugh, and talk about her personal feelings had somehow turned her into more of a person. Someone who he had actually grown to care about. He cared if she lived or died. He cared about how she viewed him. Lexi was the only thing on his mind, the only thing he could stand to think about. He had never experienced emotions quite like this before. She had brought a new sense of Light into his life. Even though this would go against everything he had ever been taught, Daymian needed to know that she was okay and safe. He was nearly there.
Once they were finally back on the ground, he gently laid her down on the concrete, holding her head in his hand, trying to keep the pain off his mind for just a few more moments. Her eyes began to blink open.
∞∞∞
As Lexi’s consciousness returned, so did the pain. "What? Ow!" she shouted, pulling her head out of his grasp. Laying with her back flat against the concrete, she squinted her eyes open, taking in her surroundings. He slumped back onto his butt as he breathed heavily at her side, with the Ferris wheel towering over and casting them both in its shadow. He knew it would take her a moment to fully come to her senses, and so, he waited patiently. He looked to be in a rush, his arms hung limply at his sides as though he could not move them.
"What the hell happened?" she groaned.
"You fell out of the cart and hit your head on one of the beams. You knocked yourself out," he explained, speaking quietly as his head leaned to the side. He peered down at her, but didn’t appear mad or angry. He looked too weak and tired to experience either emotion.
She let out an audible exhale as she sat up, her hands softly pressed up against her forehead.
He threw his arms out to hover around her back and stomach
. “You should take it easy. You're lucky you didn't draw any blood. There’s a high chance you have a concussion.” he warned.
She scoffed as she pushed his chest away, luckily only touching his back t-shirt when she did so. She then quickly threw herself up to her feet, and froze with her arms extended to her sides. The world had begun to spin, whipping around her like she was on a spinning top. Daymian looked to get to his feet slowly. She hadn’t realized she’d lost her balance until she felt the weight of gravity pressing down on her chest. In quick reaction, she was able to catch her footing before she completely toppled over, taking notice of Daymian standing beside her, his arms outstretched. Upon locking eyes, he sternly crossed his arms frustrated with her stubbornness. "You don't like to listen, do you?"
She shrugged as a smirk spread back across her face. "Nope, not really my thing.”
"Well, you must at least let me walk you home.”
"Yeah, I'm good… creep" she joked, returning his gaze with a wink as she smiled. She then turned on her heels to walk back towards the gate, taking quick short steps as she tried to keep her balance.
Chapter 9
As the sun was beginning it’s descend towards the horizon, Lexi snuck in front of her house, keeping her back close to the brick wall to avoid being seen by anyone inside. Most of the lights were still on inside the house, and above her was her open bedroom window. In a cautious motion, she turned to face the wall and reached up with both hands. She dug her fingers deep in between the cracks of the bricks, and dug her feet in the same way. She swiftly climbed up the wall, not wanting to strain her fingers and toes with her weight for any longer than she needed to. They were the only things keeping her from plummeting back down to her grassy front yard. She threw her hand up, wrapping her arm around inside. From there, she pulled the rest of her body up and through the tight space of her open window. She always left it unlocked for instances such as this.
