Their Runaway bride

Chapter 8

I was at a loss of words at that moment.
The person I thought as a little child was actually a grown up man.
Just how could that be?
But then, I had never asked Mr Svaboda how old his son was, I just assumed.
The man standing in front of me was a tall, handsome and dashing man, even with the bad boy look.
It was what I would have imagined Mr Svaboda and his uncle to look like when they were younger, with only a few minor differences of course.
"H...h.hi" I stuttered.
I had prepared myself to meet up with a young lad but now, standing in front of this man, I felt so weak in the knees.
If I had met with this guy before I met his father, I would have definitely chosen him.
But how cruel life was. Here I was, falling in love for the second time only for it to be far from my reach. The man was supposed to be my step son.
"Is she the one?" I heard him ask his father.
So, he even knew that his father had married again.
I was sure he was thinking me a gold digger seeing the age difference between the two of us.
But to my surprise, he smiled at me and pulled me into a hug. I had no choice but to hug him back as well.
I couldn't think a body could be as fit and built as his own was.
He pulled away.
"Wow, nice to meet you, keethana right?" he asked.
So, he even knew my name.
"I've heard a lot about you from my father but I didn't think I'd meet a beautiful lady like you, the old man has a poor taste when it comes to women you know" he whispered the last part to me.
"But you, are absolutely exceptional" he added.
The two men proceeded to us.
They both placed their hands on Spear's shoulder.
"Glad you really did like her, now I'll be at peace" Mr Svaboda said and then he smiled at me.
The three of them all seemed to have the same smile.
The two men left the two of us to get to know each other I guessed.
But my brain and my heart kept on giving me all those inaudible disgusting thoughts but I shun them away.
It wasn't right for me to think of my husband's son in such way.
When the music was played, Spear asked me for a dance and I obliged. We both danced and danced till my legs were cramping.
I didn't even dance with Mr Svaboda that night.
Later in the night, I retired to my bedroom as I was feeling rather beat up.
**********
The next morning, I woke up early and took my bath, then I walked down the stairs in only a pair of sports bra and a short.
I was planning to take some drink down from the bar.
I was halted in my tracks when I saw someone sitting on the couch.
His back was facing me, so I couldn't see who it was actually.
But my guts told me it might be Mr Svaboda. I hadn't seen much of him that week.
"Good morning" I greeted him happily.
But when he turned, I saw he was a lot younger.
I was starting to wonder just how he could have become young all of a sudden when it dawned on me that it was actually his son, Spear.
How could I have forgotten so soon?.
And to think that I was actually planning on hugging him from behind but I stopped midair.
"Good morning" he answered and smiled at me.
He examined my awkward position and I tried to adjust myself quickly but he was faster than I am and so, he pulls me into hug.
I felt so safe in his embrace and I lost myself in his freshly showered scent.
But then I knocked some senses back into my head.
He was supposed to be my husband's son which literally made him my step son.
Well, step son was actually overrated at that situation because the guy was literally older than I was.
"Are you going for a morning jog?" he asked.
That was when I remembered the clothes that I was wearing.
I wanted to say no but then, he would think me a weirdo when I did so.
"Yes" I answered.
"What brings you here?" I asked, diverting the question away from me to him.
How clever of me to pull myself out of an awkward situation only to be pulled into another.
"I was thinking about you all night, that's why I decided to come see you early in the morning" he answered.
I could feel my cheek heat up when he said that but I quickly straighten myself.
It was true that I was attracted to his young man more than I could have done his father but doesn't still make it any better.
We both stood there, staring at each other and no one said a word for a while.
I noticed that he was all wearing some sports wear, as if he was also getting ready for a run or something.
But if he was, then why did he come to me.
"I am also going for a run, would you care to join?" he asked.
Just what I was thinking about, I thought.
I wanted to decline but then I thought of how lonely I have been in this house since I moved in.
Mr Svaboda had been really busy all the time that I hardly get to see much of him.
Uncle used to come visit me as well but he also got busy as well and so, I was left all alone with sometimes Naeemi to keep me company.
But she too was busy a times and during such times, I would only be stuck with Felicia. It always seemed awkward for me to have a conversation with a robot that I could not even actually see. But Felicia was a good listener none the less.
So, I was quick to accept the invitation.
"Ok" I said.
The smile on his face widened and I could see more resemblance between him and his father and grand uncle.
The three were really cut out from the same cloth.
"Shall we?" he asked.
I nodded at him and then he pulled me away with him.
Finally, I was going to step out of the house since I first came in.
**********
For the past few days that went by, I and Spear had grown so close to each other as close as good friends could be.
In him, I found a brother and a friend that I yearned for the most.
I was sure his father would have been the same too if we had gotten the opportunity to spend time together.
But I wasn't complaining though as I knew he was a very busy man and he has many obligations to fulfill to others. Like for example, the project TO-X1 he was launched in my town.
But I was glad I had Spear to keep me company all those times.
I had actually portrayed him to have such a bad boy persona just like the way he was dressed but then, he turned out to be the complete opposite.
Infact, he was a kind and gentle man.
I found out from him that he had gone for a whole year world trip as he was a singer.
I didn't even actually believe him when he told me but when he sang a song to me, I was awed.
He really was a singer and a good one at that.
How could one person have it all, I had wondered.
He had all the money, all the good physique, all the talent.
What more could a person want of you ask me.
Anyways, enough about Spear and his talents.
I could remember one day as we were walking down the streets of the estate, I saw a field filled with children of about five to ten years old at most.
The children were not running about like all the children of their own age were supposed to do, but instead, they were busy training in combat.
I was so curious that I couldn't help but ask as to why those children were trying to fight instead of play.
"Oh! They were children that we picked up from the streets and keep here, they are thought all kinds of self defense mechanisms that would allow them survive out there in this cruel world" he had answered.
I thought that was a noble deed indeed.
But then, one of the children, a little boy of about six years old went out of control while fighting and he ran off from the field.
He jumped into a field with herds of sheep and within a few minutes, he had killed more than half of them.
Two hefty men who looked rather dangerous themselves proceeded over to tame the boy but surprisingly, the boy took down one of the men who underestimated the ability of the boy. But the other one did no such thing as he slowly walked back.
Out of nowhere, a helicopter flew over the boy and some ropes were thrown to restrain the boy. Even after being restrained, the boy still was powerful enough that he almost took down the whole helicopter.
I could see a man holding a gun not far from us as he focused on the boy and soon, he managed to shoot at him and whatever he shot, made the boy collapse to the ground.
"No, what have they done to the poor boy" I cried in agony.
"They have killed him" I cried out again in real tears.
I've never seen such a brutal thing ever unfold in my life.
Spear walked over to me and held me by the shoulder the support as I was shaking all over from the scene.
"Don't worry, he had just shot a tranquilizer at the boy and so, he's just fainted now and soon, he'll be back to normal" he tried to pacify me.
But I was still not convinced. I felt that something was off here. How did the boy even managed to do all this. We're they giving them something to make them all so powerful. Like some lethal weapons or something.
My investigative mind just couldn't wrap around that scene.
I had remembered asking him what exactly they do to the young children as a means of teaching them self defense but he only told me that they trained them too well that they sometimes go out of control, like the poor boy did.
I had to let go of the conversation since I had no one to tell me what exactly they do to the children.
And from that day onwards, I never saw any glimpse of the children once again and everything seemed to go back to normal.
That is, untill three months after my arrival at Mr Svaboda's house, I fell sick.
Real sick.
I didn't know exactly what was going on with me but I kept on throwing up till I had nothing else to hurl out.
I became so skinny that you could count my bones if you look carefully.
Even Felicia could not diagnose what exactly was going on with me.
Naeemi on the other hand, suggested that it might be the virus that had infected Spear's mother that had infected me too.
To make matters worst, all the three men had all traveled and no one knew when they were coming back.
I had also given a strict warning to not inform any of them. If it was true that I was dying just like she said, then it would be better if I die alone and not let them suffer the sight of another loss once again.
I could vividly remember that day like it was yesterday as it was late in the night and I was laying lifeless on my bed.
Naeemi had came to feed me and help me up even though I had told her a zillion times that I do not want that, afraid that she could also catch the virus.
But she never listened anyways and told me that she would have caught it as well while she was taking care of Mr Svaboda's late wife.
Ok, back to the main point.
I was laying on my bed when suddenly, I felt like my bones were cracking. I felt as if needles were being poked into my veins to my heart.
The pain felt so unbearable. I wanted to scream out for help but it was like my mouth had been shut.
I tried to get up from the bed but I felt so paralyzed.
The pain kept on increasing with each passing minute to the extent that I could not bear it anymore.
No, I could not die like this, I am not supposed to die like this, I thought. There are many things that I needed to do in life and I haven't done much of them yet.
With all the courage I could muster in this world, I managed to lift up my hand and it came to my view.
What I saw before my eyes made me scream out in fright.
There it was, my veins, moving inside my body like snakes trying to get out of their cave.
I didn't even know when I sat up right and looked at my other hand and it was all the same.
The veins were all moving weirdly and they we trying to force themselves out of their position.
"Help, somebody help" I cry out in pain but nobody was there to answer.
Even Felicia who had always been online seemed to have gone offline at that moment.
Before, I was only feeling the pain but now, I was also seeing it as well.
This seemed to have doubled up the pain. And now that my mouth was also opened up, I kept on screaming in agony, calling out for help.
When I was certain that no help was coming, I rolled off the bed and when I tried to walk, I felt that my leg has gone numb and because of the way I jerked myself up, I fell to the ground and hit my head hard.
Slowly, I started to feel dizzy and the pain seemed to be going away as well and darkness started to engulf me.
I have heard of so many death scenarios but I have never heard any as mine.
I slowly let the darkness consume but but just before I could give in to it completely, I heard a distant voice call out.
"I think she's ready" the first called out.
"What are you waiting for, take her quick" the second voice echoes.
"Please, hang in there, you will be alright, you have done so great, keep on fighting" the third voice says and then, all went silent.