Cupcake & I

45

pov : aira

The alligator laid motionless on the mud with a mouth gaping posture. Its sharp teeth and battle scars on its face made my heart race. It's still body was basking in the moonlight. I was two feet away from it and I didn't have any weapon with me. I didn't even have anything with me. A sweat droplet rolled down the side of my face. I gulped, fearing for my life. I have never been more awake than I am now in my entire life. My fear awakened pain, the pain of the past that always haunted me to this day. I whimpered a little.

The reptile predator's tough and scaly skin was glistening with water. It looked like a still statue but suddenly at a flashing speed, it crawled towards me, its kill. Immediately, I screamed in fright and ran into the dark forest, without a second thought. It stopped, not daring to step into the shadows and I was trying to calm down my racing heart.

I stiffened and tears brimmed my eyes at the unfortunate events that are taking place right now. I didn't dare look behind. I couldn't move. I was immobilised with utter fear and all I wanted to do was control my sobs. I couldn't breathe, it felt as if someone was choking me. From my peripheral vision, I could feel something move on my right.

Where are you, Samantha? Please come quickly.

I turned around a little. Just a little. And, I froze. There was a large form standing a good thirty feet away from me. It hasn't noticed my presence yet.

My heart was racing and all I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and wait for someone to save me. A drop ran down my cheek. It seemed as if this was the end of the road for me. I wasn't crying due to the fear even though it was there. The pain of the fear that I felt made me cry. The pain reminded me of memories that I have buried deep down in my heart that burned a hole inside.

I don't want to die in an animal attack. Not like them. Anything but an animal attack.

Suddenly, I heard something crawl beside me and looked down to see the alligator from before. The long snouts of it were going to latch onto my leg and I screamed, running away towards the forest. Escaping in seconds from the danger.

Suddenly, a hand came onto my mouth, and circled my waist, muttering sweet words into my ear whose voice I recognised as Oliver. He pulled us behind a huge tree and I couldn't feel safer. I turned around and buried my face into his chest, trying to control my sobs and he whispered comforting words to me. Words that I couldn't hear, sounded muffled due to my pain and he held me close. I could hear other voices from the distance. I could highlight one of them as Samantha's. But my eyes were closed and I wanted nothing but Oliver.

Silence filled the air all of a sudden. "Don't open your eyes, love," Oliver whispered into my ear. His body tensed up and I nodded, not wanting to look at anything. He stilled, grabbing me completely flush against his body as both of us stilled.

Immediately, my ears perked up, my sense of hearing heightened by the fear I felt crawling into my bones. Letting Oliver hold me close, while we were behind the huge tree, I tried to calm my breathing. I opened my eyes slowly to meet Oliver's shirt and looked up. He pulled me towards him protectively, his eyebrows scrunching as he glared at everything he was looking at. He looked almost feral.

The snap of a twig, and an unmistakable crunch of dried leaves, echoed through the forest. Chills ran down my spine.

The sound of the roar was closer than before. Sweat trickled from my forehead, all my senses were on alert, resurfacing memories of the past. The pain of the past. The particular memory where I feared this way. This exact way. I swept an uneasy glance around the thick trees and gulped.

The snap of another twig behind us followed and I glanced a look at Oliver who was looking calm and serious. His eyes were widening in fractions as if he was seeing something terrible. His arms were snaking around my waist as he held me close. Another twig snapped and the crunching of leaves followed, I couldn't help myself but hug Oliver's waist as he held me close. I turned around, my head still laid on Oliver's chest, and I could hear his heartbeat speeding.