A Walk to Nowhere
Nancy the tyrant dragged the man out of her house for the belated walk. And the man followed her as diligently as ever.
"Why were you late?" Nancy asked without giving him a chance to compose himself.
"Uh." Samuel paused for a moment to compile his thoughts. "I apologize. However, I cannot state the problem."
"Tch. Being secretive again." Nancy fastened her pace.
Why couldn't he just say it? Nancy believed she wasn't a nobody!
"I do not think stating such a matter will aid you in any way." Samuel further elaborated, trying to catch up to her pace.
"Samuel. Will you ever decide to tell me shit?" Nancy asked before vigorously stopping. "Do you know how hard it is for me to trust you?"
"I was late due to an illness." He bluntly replied. "I do not understand how it makes any difference."
Nancy narrowed her eyes. Her new features were working. She scanned him from head to toe.
{Health Status: Critical.}
{Problem: Unidentifiable.}
{Heart Rate: 60 BPM.}
{Temperature: Fluctuated.}
Nancy narrowed her eyes to the flood of information.
"What the fuck?" She muttered before looking straight into his eyes. "What kind of drugs did you take?"
"I do not do drugs, whether they are for medicinal or personal ecstatic purposes," Samuel replied.
"What's this unidentified problem then?" She muttered to herself in a whisper, only to catch Samuel's attention.
He was unusually surprised.
"So you did program yourself…" Samuel widened his eyes on her in utmost suspicion.
"Yeah. I did!" Nancy raised herself on her toes to match his height, looking straight into his eyes. "What are you going to do about it?"
Nancy was sure this dense man couldn't raise a finger against her.
"I thought we had agreed that you shall not practice live programming without supervision?" Samuel refused to make eye contact with her while standing still; their faces were just an inch apart.
Nancy turned her face as she scoffed, soon bringing it back to stare into his eyes that refused to make contact with hers.
"Then fucking supervise me, bitch." She wanted to intimidate him, but her eyes caught his beauty instead. Why did he have to be so handsome? It made her nervous.
Was she not intimidating enough for him? Because his reaction was as neutral as ever.
Samuel turned his eyes at her, fixated without a doubt. Why was he intimidating? Nancy nervously looked away.
"Very well."
Nancy backed off, her heels touching the ground again. She sighed subconsciously, making Samuel chuckle lightly.
"What?!"
"Nothing."
"Why did you laugh?"
"I did not?..."
"You did."
"That was a chuckle. There's a difference between a laugh and a ch-"
"I don't care. Why did you chuckle?"
"Am I not allowed to do so?"
"Only I can ask questions, Samuel."
"Very well."
"So?"
"It was discourteous of me, for which I apologize."
Nancy let out another sigh. This man was impossible to get through. She sulked and walked ahead. He followed, of course.
"What kind of perks have you unlocked?" Samuel asked.
"Why should I tell you?" Nancy bluntly replied.
Nancy kept fastening her pace so he would be left behind somehow. Her cheeks were going poppy red. She couldn't let him see it. Never!
Samuel followed her from a distance with his usual pace. If she wanted to be away from him, he'd let her be away.
Suddenly, a black car stopped in front of her. Samuel watched her stop because of the car from a distance.
The front door opened with a chauffeur quickly opening the backdoor. Samuel closed in on Nancy, in case it was someone dangerous.
A black wing-toe dress shoe emerged out of the car, standing up to an unfamiliar presence.
"What a coincidence!" The man put his hand out for a handshake towards Nancy.
Right. The General offering a handshake shouldn't be bad, right?
Nancy nervously received his handshake with a constant frown on her face, making Bradley eerily smile before turning his sight to Samuel, who had still not accepted the fact they met the General again.
"Hi… I guess." Fearless, Nancy muttered, catching the General's attention again.
What can a General do to a citizen in this democratic world? Nancy smirked at the thought.
Samuel just stood there with the same 'I just saw a ghost' face.
"Samuel? Greetings?" Bradley raised an eyebrow.
Upon hearing a salutation request from the General himself, Samuel quickly saluted.
"Sir!" He hesitantly uttered while trying his best to sound loyal.
Nancy looked at him from the corner of her eye. What was his connection with the General? She focused on Samuel as he seemed tense.
{Temperature : 104° Fahrenheit.}
She narrowed her eyes, wondering how this man's very existence drove Samuel insane.
Bradley snapped his finger to catch her attention.
"Are you guys dating?" Bradley asked with a smile. His smile was cozy but not genuine. Anyone could tell.
"Ew." Nancy irked. "Who are you to ask anyway?"
"Hm… Who am I?" Bradley raised an eyebrow playfully. "Samuel, Tell her my boy!"
'MY BOY?! What the fuck?!' Nancy thought while her jaw dropped.
What exactly did he mean by that? Nancy's mind map fell deep into the ocean of failure when she realized he could be the General's son. And he ran away too. Only that explained his connection.
But Samuel refused to talk. He just looked down at the ground as if he'd start crying any second now.
"Why are you two always together?" Bradley ignored the previous question, and it seemed as if he was warning Samuel.
"I-I.." Samuel stuttered before he could utter a word. "I am her bodyguard, Sir."
Why did he say it to a nobody?! Nancy eyed him down.
"I know." Bradley smiled wider. "I was just asking to see if you still lie."
"I do not, Sir."
"You've learned the best from me."
"I have learned the best from you."
Nancy narrowed her eyes, raising an eyebrow as she tried to analyze the situation.
"You liked my company the most."
"I liked your company the most."
"You are forever loyal to me."
"I am forever loyal to you."
What was this ritual?!
"You want to come back to me."
Samuel stopped and his eyes widened under the pressure. He gulped nervously and opened his mouth to reply to the General.
"He's mine!" Nancy announced.