Going Home (part 1)
The scorching hot summer day was slowly drawing to a close. The clamoring sounds of travelers walking by or settling near the gates of the airport filled the large hallways.
This cacophony of noise was being completely tuned out by Jayden, who had immersed himself in drawing some lifelike sketches of the many animals this planet has to offer... When out of the blue, his highly sensitive nose thrills picked up a faint, yet intoxicatingly pleasing fragrance.
After a couple attempts at resisting and trying to keep his focus, Jayden finally gave in and looked up to find the source of this distracting but oh so exquisite scent.
A sudden influx of neurons firing almost short-circuited his brain when his view was greeted by the picturesque scene of a gorgeous red-haired young lady who was in the process of seating herself across from him; Seemingly busy as she toggled away on her smartphone while listening to music via some red wireless earbuds.
As a result, Jayden had suddenly become entranced and completely oblivious to his surroundings.
It was a sensation he hadn't experienced for as long as he can remember...
Ever since he woke up a week ago, all five of his senses have been operating in constant over drive. Even now he had subconsciously tuned into the music that the stunning girl was listening to. It turned out to be a song he knew called "Not As We".
Just as he felt he had finally adjusted to the new status quo in regards to his condition, something like this happened to him. He couldn't help but tune out everything non-related to this captivating human being. His pale-blue eyes dilated as they scanned every aspect of this angel in front of him...
Her mermaid-like figure sat graciously on the typical airport gate seat. Her upper body was tastefully decorated with a white, gracefully crochet-detailed off-the-shoulder crop top, which stopped right below her uplifting chest. It exposed her tender yet athletically sculpted abs and external obliques. While below her gently hourglass-shaped waste, a pair of modest yet classy bleached mini-jeans were housing the firm, nicely curved parts of her lower body.
Her satin complexion had an impeccable creamy white hue and was contrasted by dark-ruby coloured, softy angled arching eyebrows that eased down gently to her silky eyelashes.
Her eyes were tea-green in colour and shaped like Almonds. But it was the contrast of their natural sultry charm and the air of loneliness they expressed that grabbed his attention. they made him want to hold her tight in his arms.
The perfection of her tender ears and straight-bridged button nose are hard to describe, unlike her naturally succulent and rosey lips which were slightly pout as she seemed in the process of texting someone. They exuded a constant sexiness that is playful yet innocent at the same time.
On the left side, her luscious blood red hair had been pulled into a single, tight braid that decorated the shape of her head from front left side all the way around her ear where it fell off her exposed shoulder.
And just as her mahogany-red polished nails ran along the whole sweep of her hair, from the upper left, her gorgeous spools of her hair plunged around the right side of her photogenic face, thus hiding the right side of her elegant and smooth swan's neck...
*splaf, kling~roll roll roll*
... The sound of both his sketchbook and pencil hitting the tile floor quickly startled Jayden out of his daze...
His cheeks slightly red and burning from embarrassment, Jayden quickly went to bent over to grab his sketch pad when he noticed his pencil had found its way over to the young enchantress' graceful & well manicured feet that were scarcely protected by white, delicately embroidered sandals.
An unblemished, jade-white hand entered his vision as it reached down, picking up the pencil with its cherry-red polished fingernails and lifted it towards him in an offering gesture.
Looking up, Aiden was greeted by an angelic smile. "Those are some beautiful sketches you have drawn there..." She spoke while her pale tea-green coloured eyed shifted over the sketch pad.
"Perhaps I should keep this naughty little pencil hostage." She grinned while playfully leaning back in her seat.
"Oh?" Was all Jaiden could come up with at the sudden shift in demeanor. He then resumed his posture he previously had and observed the kidnapper. "And what are the terms for its release?"
"Hmmm." Now feigning a thinking pose, the girl held the eraser end of the pencil against her pouty lips. "I got it!" She then exclaimed: "All I ask for ransom is... a little sketch of myself so i can take a picture of it and send it to my friends and grandmother. To show them I'm currently waiting for my flight." She then leaned over with a smile, her chin resting on her first. "Way more original than a text message or a selfie, don't you agree?"
Jayden couldn't disagree and nodded. "True, but what makes you think that is the only pensil I have?" He responded while reaching inside the backpack between his feet, and in his hand appeared a clean box that read "Professional Drawing Sketching Graphite Pencil Set - 12 Pieces". It looked new, just like everything else he was wearing and had on him.
Entertained by the resistance the boy in front of her was displaying, she playfully leaned back again, holding the pencil up before her eyes as she carefully observed it, looking at it from side to side.
"Poor little B here sure has a heartless owner... Not even considering how much its family members would probably miss it dearly. Let alone how abandoned it must feel now." Sadness filled her gaze.
Shifting over her gaze from the pencil to Jaiden, and he couldn't help but feel his heart squeeze tight. Though it started out as an act, the sadness that filled her gaze was definitely real.
"Oof... You certainly know how to make one feel bad." Jayden acknowledged her wit. "But you are right. It would be a crime to simply abandon little B, definitely now when I just started to get to know it." Jayden sighed dramatically. "Let alone how HB and B2 would probably miss their closest sibling." He gently stroked the box and stared the young lady straight in her eyes. "I guess I'll do what I can with the hour I have left." He glanced at the digital clock hanging above the Gate. "But you have to promise to return the hostage unharmed!"
"Of course! I'm not a monster..." She replied in good faith. "I have pencils of my own... I would be devastated of anything were to happen to them." She took out her smart-phone and took a photo of the pencil. "If you give me your number, I can send you proof of health." She winked.
Jayden couldn't help but be stunned and stare at her. Luckily he snapped out of it after only a couple of seconds before reaching into his backpack and pulling out a brand new smartphone.
"I literally received this phone 3 hours ago." A wry smile painted his face. "My old one got... broken." He then proceeded to type in his number and then perfectly tossed the phone in her lap.
"This being my first hostage negotiation, I am curious..." Jayden turned the page of his sketchbook to a clean slate and then opened the box of pencils, selecting pencil HB. "Are there any consequences if the kidnapper is unsatisfied by the delivered ransom?"
By the time he looked back up at her, a final tap of her dainty finger on her phone resulted in his lighting up with a buzz sound. "I hadn't really considered that possibility to be honest."
She cleanly tossed his phone back onto his sketchbook. "I guess we'll address it if such a predicament presents itself... But I have faith you'll do your utmost to ensure little B's safe return."
Jayden didn't really require his enhanced senses to feel the many jealous stares and the many silent curses being hurled in his direction. With just a quick glance around the still bustling area, he quickly spotted over 15 scorching gazes directed at him. While many others were stealing longing glances at the female sitting across from him... Some were just blatantly expressing their admiration by forcing themselves into uncomfortable poses, jus so they could have her in their sights at all times.
'Well...' Jayden thought to himself 'I would probably curse any guy in my current position as well to be honest.' "Let me quickly check of the hostage is indeed unharmed." He blatantly lied while subtly checking out the sender's name. But he was quickly met with disappointment as there was only a single letter inserted: A.
His actions and disappointment must have been very transparent as he heard her playful voice say: "Now what kind of self-respected kidnapper would give away their own name in the middle of negotiations?" The shook her head in disapprovement. "Now little B will lose that little bit of freedom it had." She sighed as she slowly slid the pencil in a place that made him jealous of "little B".
Jayden chuckled and shrugged. "Can't blame me for trying to be optimistic...One can always hope." Smiling while stretching his arms above his head, he readied himself. "Anyway, let's get started."
He then proceeded to blatantly study his new subject, his gaze turning dead serious.
The atmosphere had completely changed.