Emperor of Annihilation

EIGHT

she was mysterious.

🦢

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DO THAT." a voice—Ezekiel's. I look up and what do you know, he's standing over me, practically hovering above me like a cloud about to pass its fury down on the earth.

I'm sitting outside, underneath a tree that Autumn likes to refer to as 'Big Tim.' I have no idea where she got the name from. "Do what?" I ask because I am generally confused as to what he's talking about.

He took a step closer. My body tenses when his hand reached down for my lap. I struggle to keep a straight face the entire time. My eyes follow the movements of his hand when he grabs the book I had been reading off my lap, flipping through the pages with furrowed brows and a frown. "Writing and drawing in your books." He answered.

Oh. "It's called annotating. I do it because I like it."

He makes a noise that sounds like he understands, nodding. I hold out my hand for the book when he does the unexpected—but expected of Ezekiel Ambrose—and chucks it at the river nearby where some people swim. My eyes widen in absolute horror and I'm running towards the body of water, my mind only on the book.

No. This can't be happening, I think as I hurriedly strip myself of a top and jump into the lake. I hear Ezekiel call my name but I ignore him and swim below.

A stinging pain hits my eyes when I open both eyes under water. I see the book. But I can't reach it, so I add on my body weight even more. I feel a surge of hope fill the emptiness of my corrupted heart when my fingertips brush against the spine.

Just then, a pair of arms wrap around my body and I struggle against it, uncaring who it is or what it was. My attempts to attack were slow and futile against this person's build.

I open my mouth and scream, but the only thing that leaves my mouth is crushed hope and pained cry, followed by muffled bubbles.

The person hikes me up and onto the surface again. I had to say goodbye to my book. I breathe in the fresh air, gasping for air.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You can't swim." Ezekiel's angry voice greets me and so does his face as my vision begins to become clearer. A face that looks like it was pulled out of a fairytale. Except this time, he stars as the villain.

I peeled my body away from his. I'm wet and so is he. His breathing is heavy and so is mine. "I hate you." A harsh whisper. This time it comes for me: This time, I mean it.

"I just saved your fucking life." He countered, his muscular visibly tightening. There's a shift in the cold breeze.

"Why would you save me when you claim to hate me?" I say, slowly regaining my balance. Anger bubbles in my body. "Why would you throw my book in the lake?" I began to stand up, slowly but surely. I continued. "When it belonged to him." This time my voice reached an all time low. Whisper.