The Runaway

Chapter 18

He sits on the ground with his legs crossed around me. This would be nice if my leg didn't feel like it was burning.

"I never got shot with an arrow."

"Must be nice."

"You're so dramatic."

"You aren't dramatic enough, getting shot with an arrow is worth being dramatic over."

Being curled in a ball can't be helping this. I stretch myself till I'm sprawled out across him. The tips of my hair touching the ground.

It isn't helping. He puts his hands under my back and pushes me off of him. I land on the ground stomach down. My life flashed before my eyes.

"Ow... Why would you do that?"

He shrugs. "I thought it was funny."

"You're evil."

He nods. "Extremely."

I would get up, but it hurts too much. I'll stay like this, even if it's extremely uncomfortable. The ground is hard and cold. I can hear everything under the dirt when I press my ear against it. All the little insects doing whatever they're doing. All The footsteps from the villagers inside the walls. The grass moving from the wind, the roots growing and animals in the distance.

I hate when my ears work like they're supposed to at the most random times and the other times they barely work. They need to pick a struggle, can't have both of them. I hate this but can't move for some reason.

"What are you listening to?"

"Everything."

He lays on the ground, facing me. He is facing the light, and I still cannot see him, we're too far away. This isn't fair- well actually, he might be really ugly and hiding his face.

I'm so mean, no one is ugly.

"Are you hiding yourself because you don't like something about yourself?"

"No? I'm hot as fuck. I need to stay mysterious so no one knows who I am, and I can kidnap you easier."

"You can take me right now."

"That would be too easy."

"Oh, pardon me for not overcomplicating everything."

"Too simple of an apology."

He rolls onto his back. The pain is lessening. The sky is still bright. Hopefully she isn't done with the dress. I'm going to miss them, Callista, Zephyr and mystery man.

After making myself sad for some time, the tortuous pain stops. I sit up and fling my hands in the air.

"I'm fixed!"

He stands up and holds his hand out. I give him mine and he pulls me up. I feel completely fine, as if nothing happened. How spectacular.

We walk back to the kingdom. It's a little far away.

"Would you shoot me with an arrow if I try to run away right now?"

"No, enough has been wasted on you. We're having an arrow shortage crisis and need to preserve the remaining few."

"Then what would you do?"

"Bet with the gods that you wouldn't make it a day and go back to my kingdom since I've failed to kidnap you."

"I'd survive more than a day. I would even get back home."

He nods. Eventually we get back to the gate.

"If you help me get home, I'll show you the unicorns. We even have some babies and I'll let you have one."

He stops walking for a second before walking through the gate.