Dragonfly

Bears are magnificent creatures steeped in primal allure, commanding the attention of anyone lucky enough to lay eyes upon it. Every lumbering step impresses upon the observer a sense of both trepidation and respect, for the bear embodies the untamed magnificence of nature itself. It is not surprising to see how even nature draws them in its dark canvas every night with stars.

Theo's dull grey eyes sparkles with amusement as he observes these mighty creatures of the wild. He can almost read the rich history of the city on its tapestry coats of these wonders of the jungle. His mouth remains ajar in awe as his body becomes stiff in reverence.

"I am pretty sure insects don't have great taste," Zoey grins teasingly while pointing at the slightly open mouth of the younger man beside him.

Theo clams his mouth shut and smacks Zoey on his shoulders repeatedly, "Zoey! Can you not for once?" He says with a evident pout on his lips and scowl on his face.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! How do you store so much strength in this tiny body of yours?" Zoey tries to save himself from the fury of the shorter bloke, howbeit he is not going to halt anytime soon, "Stop it, Mr. Angry Bird. "

"You are so dead once we reach home, Zoey Christen," Theo huffs out puffing his cheeks with anger like a hamster. He is not going to embarrass himself in public as there are plenty of ways he can torture this gorilla after returning.

"Sorry! I am sorry. I will stop now. Let me go and buy some snacks. You stay right here," the teasing man says while wiping one stray tear of laughter from the corner of his eye, "Hungry Bird is more dangerous than Angry Bird for mankind," he says once at a safe distance from Theo and then sprints away.

"Zoey! You... " Theo starts but Zoey has already vanished into the thin air, only the sound of his manly laughter can be heard from a distance, "Idiot, " he mumbles under his breath as unknown to him a small smile adorns his lips.

Having nothing else to do, Theo starts rummaging through his tote bag and pulls out the keeper of his days and secrets, his journal. He has this habit of jotting down each and every event of his days in this journal and reliving his days once more at night. Some will say it is a nice habit but for him it is his instinct of fear. At the end of the day he needs assurance and proof to judge the actuality of his life.

Theo blinks himself out of these sinking thoughts and starts searching for a place to sit down. Through his peripheral vision, he spots an empty bench and plods his way towards skillfully forgetting Zoey's instructions of staying there. Once in front of it, he plops down on the bench and starts working on his journal. Words after words flow from the nib of the pen decorating the page with easy on eyes handwriting.

Attracted by the serenity of the moment, a dragonfly, another wonder of nature, decides to take rest upon the journal. Light passes through tinted glass-like pellucid wings and falls on white background of the page creating a sorcery of ombre. A poet will be desperate to capture this scene with his words and an artist will be yearning to bring this scene into his canvas. But Theo is neither a desperate poet nor an yearning artist. He freezes upon seeing the creature yet his hands shake ceaselessly.

The next moment an ear piercing scream breaks out of him as he falls down with a loud thud and his stuff lay scattered around him. People gather. Some out of concern. Some out of curiosity.Theo fails to witness the crowd as he is gripped by the overwhelming intensity of a panic attack. His previously calm demeanour evaporates, and his body succumbs to uncontrollable trembling. His heart races in a frenzied rhythm and beads of sweat glisten on his forehead. Struggling to catch his breath, he feels invisible walls closing in on him, engulfed by a suffocating sense of dread. Even when paralyzed by fear, he tries to fight against the engulfing panic threatening to consume him. But fails miserably.

"Zoey! Zo…ey, where… re… you?" he sniffles out through the tightness of his throat as he curls himself in a protective cocoon.

World begins to blur out, his ears ring with voices inside his head and with all his remaining strength Theo screams out the first word that comes into his mind, "Sky…"

***

"Sky!" Paves gracing the field of his tongue even before Lorenzo can realise it and his hand stretches out as if to take hold of something…or someone.

"Honey, you are so romantic. Trying to hold my hand on our very first date," Emilia speaks out from where she is sitting across Lorenzo in the cafe. She grasps Lorenzo's outstretched hand and starts stroking it with her long and extravagantly manicured nails with a sluttery grin painted over her dark maroon tinted lips.

Sudden touch brings Lorenzo out of his dazed state and gaze falls on his hand where it was clasped in Emilia's. He sees red and feels an utter sense of disgust. He tries to jerk his hand out but fails, "Leave.My.Hand," he says in a dark voice.

"Why? You are the one who offered me your hand," she tilts her head trying to display innocence while continuing to run her fingers across Lorenzo's hand, "Stop showing your fake anger. I know you are attracted to me."

If eyes can burn then not only Emilia but this whole place will start burning in the fire of inferno. "Attracted? I am grossed out by your shameless advances, Miss Bieri," Lorenzo gritts out trying his best not to make a scene in public.

"Then whom were you daydreaming about on our date?" Emilia asks, emphasising on the word 'our date'.

Hearing no further response from the man in front of her, her aura shifts abruptly to something sinister, "Perhaps about your dead little lover?" she voices out with a wicked smile as her nails now dig into Lorenzo's hand painfully.

For the first time Lorenzo lets his eyes meet with Emilia's and every emotion leaves his countenance. He finally snatches his hand out of the death grip only to grip the edges of the table.

"What happened? Cat got your tongue? I knew it, " she says with triumph in her voice and smirks, "How dare you think about that gold digger when you are with me? Thank god that homo bastard died or I…"

"Emila!" Lorenzo shouts cutting her in mid sentence and stands up as the chair behind him falls to the with a clatter catching the attention of everyone there.

Lorenzo's eyes flashes with anger as Emilia's cruel words pierce through his heart. His breath hitches as he struggles to contain his fury. The surrounding fell silent, the tension thickening in the air. With measured restraint, Lorenzo takes a step forward towards the woman like a predator of the wild, his voice trembling with uncontrollable rage and unspoken grief, "Don't you even dare say his name with this filthy tongue of yours. You are the gold digging leech here" with this he returns to his place.

"I will not let my anger consume me and I will not sink to your level because my Noe hates it when I do that," he says, his tone laced with a mix of sorrow and steely resolve.

"But next time if you ever dare to insult my Noe or our love, you will come to know who Lorenzo Andros really is," his voice sends shivers down every soul present there as he turns away and walks towards the door leaving a stupefied woman behind.

As he advances towards the door his steps grow heavy and droplets of tears roll down his anger flushed cheeks. His heart aches with every word of insult thrown towards his soulmate. Why can't these people leave his Noe alone even in his death?

He clutches the door handle and pulls it with so much force that it makes the person holding it from the other side stumble into his arms. Out of instinct Lorenzo's hands grab the waist of the person preventing them from falling. He takes in the scared and closed eyed expression of them and feels his anger melting away. Lorenzo's stares at them… with awe?

***

"Now he can't stay mad at me for long," Zoey says grinning from ear to ear while gazing at the paper filled with mouth watering snacks.

He reaches their spot but fails to locate Theo and panics, "I told him to stay here. This boy never listens to me," he says while his eyes dart around frantically searching for the younger.

Finally his gaze lands on the crowd of people gathering around something or someone just a few feets away from him and Zoey feels his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. Without wasting any moment he strides towards the commotion and tries to squish his way towards the middle.

The scene in front of him drains out colours from his face and stirs his inside in a sickening way. Theo's curled form was shaking like a leaf as he was rocking himself while muttering incoherent words. Occasional hiccups and sniffles can be heard as the pitiful boy looks just one second away from getting engulfed by darkness.

Contents fall from Zoey's hands as he takes careful steps towards Theo. Once he reaches near the quivering figure, Zoey crouches down and gathers Theo in his arms, "Theo! Theo! It's me, Zoey. Everything is okay. Theo, breathe please," he softly whispers while trying to compose himself as well.

"We have done this many times before, haven't we? Follow my breathing and try to copy it," Zoey tightens his arms making his presence known to Theo who is having hard time registering his surroundings.

He sighs in relief once the frail man begins to breathe properly, "That's my good boy. Now can you look around and name three brown things around?" He again lets out his words in soft whispers and rocks both of them in a comforting rhythm.

"Be.. nch, B.. Bea..r, Jacket," replies Theo in a cracked voice as he clutches Zoey's brown leather jacket in his trembling grip.

"Well done sweetheart. Now look at me and tell me who am I? " Zoey praises him while cradling Theo's face tenderly helping him to focus.

Theo blinks a few times to adjust his focus, "Zoey! " He cries out in recognition and launches himself into the man in front of him sobbing.

"It's okay Theo. It's okay. Now lets take you somewhere better," Zoey feels fright finally leaving his body and he keeps patting the back of Theo in assurance.

He gathers Theo's tote bag, slings it over his shoulder and hoists Theo up in his arms who sticks to him like a koala and finally makes his way away from the good for nothing crowd.

"Zoey, I am hungry" comes a tiny mumble near his ear which makes Zoey smile.

"There is a good cafe two blocks down from here. Will you prefer a car ride or a walk, tell me?" Zoey asks as he sets the now stable Theo on the ground.

"Walk," Theo answers, feeling the weight beseeching for catharsis for some fresh air after such an episode.

"Aye aye Captain! Let's go," Zoey jokes, trying to lighten the mood, seizing hold of Theo's hand and proceeding towards the mentioned place.

Upon reaching the cafe, Theo reaches out and grabs the handle. But before he can, a person from the other side draws it with utmost vigour which sends Theo tumbling into the burly arms of a complete stranger— or is it?

Theo draws the curtain on his eyes, a fear whirling, what if he falls down? It never happens. His eyes meshes with this stranger's…Soft Grey meets Charcoal black.