6 Part VI

Cold. Chilling in my bones. That's all I can feel. The weather is so unfriendly and freezing. How come summer ended so quickly. I can feel myself lying on a somewhat damp and sticky surface, cold air fanning my face.

My eyes are still closed but the unfamiliarity of this place is alarming. Slowly, I open my eyes, my vision blurry and my head heavy. One, two, three times, I blink and it's all clear and glaring that I'm not in the cabin anymore.

I'm in the woods, lying on wet grass, tall hideous tress hovering over me like giants covering the sun set.

Quickly, against my body's strength, I sit up and look around, taking in my environment.

This is where we passed through to get to the cabin. Why am I here? When did I get here? Where's Dylan? In the chilling cold, I get up, my knees cracking, holding the nearest tree for support to avoid the intentions of my wobbly legs.

My teeth start to chatter from the cold and I wrap my hands around my body but confusion and fear doing a better job than my slender

hands. Without knowing which way to go, I follow my instincts and walk east, on barefoot, dried grass and small sticks pricking my feet. Suddenly, after a few seconds, I hear rattling of grass from behind me.

Like the speed of lightning, I turn around but find nothing.

"Hello?", I try to say but my dry throat and croaked voice making me sound no better than a dying frog. Warily, I continue my aimless journey, but I barely take two steps when I hear it again, this time, in front of me.

I stop dead in my tracks, my breath hitching in my throat and my hands trembling from the cold or fright, I do not know. Slowly, I raise my eyes and I see human bare feet. It's getting dark and I can't really see clear but the black hair on his legs are so much he could pass for a bear. Daringly, I look up completely and regret it in a instant, stepping backwards in shock at the sight before me. It's not a human. It's not an animal either. It's more like a centaur. A reversed centaur, if I dare say, with human feet and animal torso and head.

A bull's head with horns as wide as an eagles' wings, holding a two edged spear in it's right hand, looking down on me from its almost 8ft height. It's eyes look like fiery red orbs, canine teeth peeking through it's mouth, looking as hungry and desperate as a starved lion that just found it's prey. Fear that I've never felt in my life, fear that roots me to a spot, going against my brain's idea to run and holding me in place for my predator to feast on.

Within the blink of an eye, his spear is driven into my chest, spewing blood all over causing a heart wrenching pain to overwhelm my whole body making me cry out a blood curdling scream, my voice echoing through out the forest.

Tears cover my vision and my body slowly loses life as I fall to the ground, the creature and his spear no where to be found, just a blood-oozing hole in my chest.

Lying in a pool of my blood, my heart struggling keep working and images of Dylan playing in my head. Our happy moments since when we met. I don't want to lose him. I don't want to leave him. But I can't help it now.

"Crystal", I hear Dylan whispering my name, but I can't respond. He must be close by. I hear him call me again, his voice sounding so distant. So close yet so far.

"Crystal", it gets louder this time, "I love you baby please come back". His voice seems really close this time.

"Please. Crystal. Crystal.", His voice getting louder the more he speaks, slowly the pain starts to return. The louder his voice, the more the pain.

"Crystal!!!", He shouts and the pain comes in full force, causing me to scream in acute pain and my eyes to jolt open finding myself back in the cabin, sitting on the bed with Dylan towering over me.

Looking at me with regretful yet somewhat happy eyes.

"You're awake", he says smiling with sad eyes. What happened? Was it all a dream? Quickly, I check my chest and find nothing. No wound, no blood, no pain. It was a dream. It was just a dream. Relief washes over me and I immediately remember everything that happened at breakfast and how I fainted.

"How...?" I start to say but my voice is too cracked and I start coughing.

Hurriedly, Dylan gives me a cup of water that was sitting on the dresser and I gulp down the whole glass greedily, feeling a lot better. He sits on the bed beside me, holding my hands gently.

"Are you feeling better?" He asks and I nod.

"I-", he starts but his voice cracks and I can see him trying to hold in his tears.

"I thought," he continues, "I thought I lost you babe". Betraying him, a streak of tear falls from him eyes making my heart leap. I've never really seen him this sad or vulnerable and it only triples the love I have for him. I can't imagine life without this broken man infront of me.

"I will never leave you alone", I say smiling and cleaning his face, pulling him in for a hug.

"You should get some rest. I'd go get you something to eat". "No, Dylan.", The appetite to eat is being replaced by curiosity, "I need to know what's going on first".

His eyes widen and he moves from me, looking away from my eyes.

"Look at me Dylan. I have to know. I know you know something, and you'd tell me if you really love me like you claim". Questioning his love for me is one thing that triggers his anger and it seems like the best weapon right now.

"What?", He says almost angrily, looking at me intently, "how can you even say that?"

"Then tell me what I freaking need to know?!"

"I don't know anything!"

"It didn't seem like that this morning though." He standing in front of the mirror by now and I'm kneeling on the bed, furious. I can't believe he's still hiding things when things are only getting worse for me.

"Aren't you going to say something?" I ask when he doesn't respond. "What? Are you scared I'd stop loving you? Wasn't that what you said before we left home? Or are you just being heartless and selfish?! Are you-"

"Fine!", He cuts me off, "I'd tell you if that's what you want". I stay silent, looking at him through the mirror with expectant eyes, praying no one comes knocking at the door this time.

"Tomorrow's my birthday". He says and I look at him confused. Is he freaking kidding me right now? Does he think it's funny?

"Are you insane? Your birthday's in December. Are you taking me for a joke or what?"

"No. I lied."

"What?"

"I couldn't tell you my actual birth date.

Because I knew this day would come."

"What the fuck are you talking about Dylan?"

"Tommorow, it's either you die or I die. Or the both of us dies".