Hot With Troubles

Rising to the surface, I didn't think it has greeted me with anything different from when I dived and swam in the water. Confident that would be the case, I rise chest first out of the water. The gasp I heard and the crunching of small branches and leaves made me scream embarrassingly. My hands went across my chest and the other waded in the water to keep me afloat. The man in the black jacket and brown pants had his back on me, but I was too angry to notice anything else.

"What the hell are you doing? God, why can't I catch a break?" I said, splashing the water and fuming.

"I am sorry. I didn't know anyone would be here." He blurted as he fumbled with something in front of him.

I groaned loudly and asked, "You were looking so long at the water. How could you not see me?"

"I wanted to know what I was seeing. How should I know a woman would come out of the water this late in the afternoon?" He argued back.

I noticed his hair and realized someone else had this hairstyle too. Why can't I remember who it was? "God, just don't peek," I said, trying to calm myself down. Although it embarrassed me, it startled me more than a lot. "Wait a minute! You look familiar. Do I know you?"

"Should I turn around and let you see me?" He asked in an annoyed tone.

I pulled back a little into the water as he said that. Realizing he was only bluffing, I did not even try to argue with him as of now in case he got a brainwave and turned to look at me. I groaned and made my way slowly from the water. All around me suddenly got colder. A black liquid circulation lingered around me in the water. It was clouding the water and suddenly, something stopped. It jerked me back into the water. Before I could scream, my voice clogged, my brain frozen with fear, and only my hands were flapping rigorously in the water.

With one hand, I felt big slimy hands around my torso, but pulling them off was a nightmare as I kept losing air. The claws kept pulling me farther down into the water. I couldn't scream, just flapped, and as my eyes have gone cloudy with the water, I heard another big splash and a rustle. It was as though birds were flapping their wings in the water. Yet the hands did not move from my waist and I was tired of fighting. The water covered my head, seeping into my ears, and burning my eyes, and my head felt as though it were a balloon in water. It was an airy feeling.

A pull of my hand and someone enclosing their fingers in mine jolted me to open my eyes. Someone was rescuing me, I thought. It was only then I felt my ribs pulling, and I tried to wriggle the fingers from my hand. Whatever was holding on to my waist would rip me apart, rather than let me go. I didn't think the rescuer knew that, so I must let go. The claws were digging, pulling, and sinking its claws into my skin. It was as though it was making roots, so nothing could pull me up. The rescuer did not let go, instead; the hand that held onto mine never once slipped. It continued to follow me deeper into the water.

A pale hand extended in front of me, and with a bright glow, my eyes closed and open once more, I saw a magical sight. I saw a glowing man. He was handsome beyond words. He looked almost godlike. His lips were bright pink and pursed with determination. His eyes were dark blue, almost like a thunderstorm, and his hair was jet black. If this is what it feels like to die, then goodness! I think I would be exceedingly happy. He looked at me, cupping my face in his hands and pressing his lips on mine. Warmth coursed through my body, and I felt we were moving up in the water.

When I finally came through, I felt my lungs burning, my eyes and throat parched and burning too, and my body ached all over. I felt tied down, restricted from moving, and slowly turning my head I saw the man again. He was mixing something in a leaf. It was red, and he was using a brick to mix it.

"Who are you?" I whispered, struggling to push myself up with shaky hands. It was devastating in my throat to pull that off.

"You need water, drink this." Giving me a small flask to drink from, greeting my throat soothingly, I sighed.

"You will feel better. I have been tending to your wounds. Your hands are okay, bad ones they were, but the ones around your stomach might hurt for a day or two."

"Thank you. Something pulled me back. It had giant claws." I explained, almost to tears. I could have died.

Lifting my head a bit, I saw a white cloth over my stomach. Underneath, I was still wearing my bathing suit.

"Do you mind getting dressed so I could see your stomach? I would be over there."

Getting dressed was a little more difficult than I thought. I sat down and pulled the shirt over my head, and the pants only reached up so far. I had to lie down to pull it all the way up.

"I am all finished," I said, sitting up, which was a freaking battle, seeing my wounds were already opening and bleeding.

He came back and held the leap open with the red mixing inside. "You need to lie down. This might sting first, then it will numb, okay?"

I looked at his face. It was dry, his hair at the ends was still damp with water, and his eyes were. Slowly, he lifted the shirt, but he was looking away. "Okay. Hey, you never mentioned your name."

"Sorry, I am Michael. I should tell you; we met on the bus earlier today." His hands worked gently on the open areas and as softly as he could, he was replying to my questions, his accent present and warm.

"I thought so. You looked familiar. Are you a doctor? Your dressing is amazing." I lifted my hands and saw the neatly wrapped palms in new bandages.

He looked up at me now, his eyes never leaving mine. It took the wrong moment to realize how close we were and my face felt hot. He said with a smile, "No, I was a soldier. I served for many years. Tell me your name."

"I am Lucy Miles. Did you see what took me?" I asked, turning away so he could not see the fright on my face.

"No, but without your flapping, you could have died. I am sorry you had to go through that."

"Bad things seem to follow me everywhere I go. Today has been the most awful day of my life."

"Was all of it bad? Nothing good happened at all?" He went into his bag and unwrapped the thick bandage, which surprised me. Who would have something like that out here?

"For the first time in my life, I made two friends. We even got into pranking some bullies today." Saying it sounds back, but it was already done, so might as well move along with it.

"Not all good days have bad endings and not only good things happen to bad people." He kept wrapping, and I felt my skin warming up from the bandage wrap.

"I don't understand." His words were confusing, and I was tired of thinking about a deeper meaning.

"You said this is your bad day, yet you didn't see the good in it. You allowed the bad to shadow the good." Although he was explaining, I looked at him. Just him and didn't think about anything else.

I let the silence between us linger until we looked away from one another and he came behind me to get the wrapping better. He pressed my back forward and told me to breathe in to find comfort. It was the hardest thing I had to do. My lungs burned.

"I haven't thought about it like that. How come I have never seen you here before?" I wanted to change the topic for the better.

"I am new around here. I was looking for a root and I came looking here. My job is to export goods." While saying this, he came around to face me once more and he smiled, lips parted slightly, but his face was glorious all the more.

"Uh, do you live alone?" I realized I asked that a little too quickly, and I apologized.

"Yes, I live alone. I have been looking for a good place to settle, and I found one here." His smile was present, never faltering as he spoke.

"I am sure fitting in hasn't been a problem for you. You look fitted already," I said, more to myself than him.

"To be honest, you were the first encounter I had this morning on the bus. I had to admit, you really made me self-conscious." He was sitting right in front of me, like a boy and a girl in a movie would do when spilling secrets.

I gasped and cringed, asking him, "Why? Was it how I behaved?"

"Yes. Only then do I realize you're not used to certain things. You're reserved, unlike other girls I have seen before. Almost innocent." I don't think he could come closer to me, but somehow, he kept looking at my face as though examining it.

I moved back a little, and he turned away. Thank goodness! Too much of his hot closeness might just leave me burned. Just when I thought I was in the clear, his hands went around my torso once more and fitted the bandage from crimping when I slouched.

"Girls and ladies would fawn over you. You are very handsome. Accept it as a consolation for me, making you nervous this morning." I said, turning to the side, too shy to look at his face.

"Okay, now you're all wrapped up. How are you feeling?"

He got up and put some space between us, and I wrapped my hands around the bandaged torso. He completely covered it from under my breasts to my waist. This made me wonder how he had so many bandages, but tiredness made me not ask too many questions.

"I am feeling tired. I think I should get home."

He extended his hand and nodded for me to take it. Sitting for so long, my legs were half asleep, but I think he understood since he made no movement for a little. All he said was to wait, and he packed his gear and closed his bag.

"I would like to walk with you. Heaven forbid I allowed you to go home by yourself only to get jumped the next corner." He said playfully.

"I think that would be best, Michael." I looked at him seriously, saying his name. At this, his eyes swirled with color.

"I would be here tomorrow looking for roots. I know asking you to join me might be pointless, but if you prefer, you can." He was a little nervous and his voice was soft. He shrugged and waited.

"Thank you, but I have classes in the morning. How about Saturday? I would be free only for light chores." I said, inclining my head to him.

"That sounds great. Umm, I made you more medicine if the pain acts up again. I would advise you not to go in the water alone."

"I know. It seems I can't go anywhere alone." I saw we were coming out of the forested area into the clearing. The cool air was playing tunes in my ears. Leaves rustled lightly, and the moon lit the pathway to finding my way home.

"Well, if you need company, you can always ask me to accompany you. I would be more than happy to."

Swinging his bag from his shoulders, he looked younger, maybe like me. My backpack was also on his shoulders, and we laughed with one another as the silence was bearable.

"It would be unfair to ask you to do that. We don't know one another all that well."

"It would be the first step to knowing one another, Lucy."

Hearing him say that, I wanted to dance with excitement. I was positive my face was beaming.

"Okay, if you feel like hanging out with a college student who is always studying, sleeping, or assisting with chores, then I am the right girl to hang out with."

"You make that sound like a bad thing. I could help with your chores." He said it in a voice that sounded as though it was an obvious thing and that it shouldn't be a problem.

"I am not trying to be a little crude, but it is just how it is. You won't like my chores."

"I've taken notice. I would be there to help anytime; all you need to do is extend your invitation and I am there."

"You seem excited about this. My father is going to have a ball with you." I said, shaking my head at the thought.

"That can't be much harm, can it?" he said, turning his head to look at me wryly.

"Well, you would have to see and find out."

We reached my home, and I stopped right outside the walkway to go into the house. I looked at him, and he gave me my backpack, putting it gently on my shoulders. I tried to not wince, but it wasn't worth it. He already saw more of me than anyone ever did.

"Thank you for saving my Michael. I owe you my life and I can't repay that." I bowed and smiled at him.

He returned my smile with a bigger smile than his normal one. Darn him! He touched my hair and patted my head. "Take care of yourself."

I went to hug him, and he leaned a little so I could, wrapping me in his warmth too. Caressing his face with my palms, I kissed his cheek. Someone cleared their throat, and I pulled away from Michael. Horrified, it was my father and my mother. I looked at Michael, who smiled. Looking back, my parents were smiling too.

"Thank you for bringing her home. I am grateful." My father said, rarely, in a calm voice.

"You're welcome, sir. See you at work tomorrow." He said and went away with a wave.

"Well, you had an eventful night." Said my ever-smirking mother, looking as I walked closer to the door.

"Come on now, is that what you think about your daughter? Why are you outside?"

"We heard your voice. We saw a lot, too." My father said teasingly.

I whined and groaned as I went inside. Hungry and realizing how much now I couldn't wait for the food.

My mother trailed behind me and said, "if he is your friend, invite him over. Let him have dinner with us another night."

"I will ask. If he declines, that's on you."

"I work with him. I will invite him over. He is a fine young man. Well off, big exports and productions, I am quite impressed."

"I have not seen him before. Perhaps he is new?"

"Yes, he said he lives alone and works. I don't know how he does it." My bag was on the floor, my shoes neatly in the corner, and my fingers washed and ready to dig into my food.

"What do you mean? You do it. You're always alone and rarely talk to anyone but us. That's not strange to you."

"Are you guys feuding with me tonight? Oh, I should tell you, he and I are looking for roots on Saturday. I know I have chores. He said he is going to help."

"I am surprised. He offered?" My mother said, dishing out the food on the plates and passing it.

"Yes! I tried telling him off, but he wouldn't take it. He even insisted." I said, shaking my head as though it was a mystery. In fact, to me, it was.

"Well, if he stops by tomorrow, I would thank him. He sounds like the perfect guy for you."

The thought of having a boyfriend hadn't crossed my mind. Though the thought is appealing, and he is very handsome. Getting to know what he's like would be a better way to go. I am not crossing my fingers but I hope that this does not get complicated. I wouldn't know what to do if it did.