Steal My Soul

21 | asia

Asia

The line of trees we walked through was etched with carvings, drawings I didn't recognize that were stained with blood.

I swallowed, holding Darius's hand so tight, I could hear his bones crack between my fingertips. He squeezed my shoulder, pulling me closer to him.

"It's not too late to take you back home," he said.

A fresh slash across his face blooms crimson. I tug on his elbow, making him halt. "This is going to sting a little," I say. He winces as I clean the cut the best I can with water and a paper towel I found in my bag.

I shook my head, fear curling into the pit of my stomach. "No. I want to be here with you,"

He nods. "A new scar to add to the collection," he grumbles.

When I am finished, we continue our walk in the roar of the creatures that live in the woods at night. Twigs and leaves crunch beneath my feet. I had lost my shoes ages ago when we ran into the woods for cover.

Darius and I were on our back home from the movies when we were ambushed outside. I thought this had something to do with Darius's past and tried to reason with him but he was tight-lipped. I could feel the bottom of my feet, picking up tiny particles of dirt.

I tried to look for his face in the darkness but I could barely see his features in the faint glow of his lighter. "Who were those guys back there?" I ask him.

"I don't know," he says.

He glances at me, a flash of confusion sparking in his eyes before he looks away from me. I shiver, my skin trembling against the cold. He takes off his jacket and wraps it over my shoulders, rubbing my arms with his hands.

"So what do we do now?"

He quickens his pace, moving quickly through the woods. Darius sighs, running his fingers through his hair. "I should be taking you home," He says. "It's not safe for you out here,"

"What about you?" I interjected, pulling his arm. "You're the one that is trouble. Tell me what I need to do, to help you,"

He halts, not turning to face me. "There's nothing you can do, I need to do this one on my own,"

I put his face in my hands, pulling his nose towards me. "You don't have to do this alone,"

"Yes I do," he says through his teeth. "I would never forgive myself if I dragged you into this,"

I stare at him, my nose scrunched up. He stares back at me, his eyes going soft. "How is that fair?"

He laughs, but it's bitter and cold. "Nothing is ever fair. You make the most of what you have," He takes my hand gently and continues walking through the dark trees.

"It's your life you know?" I said softly. "If you wanted things to be different then make them different,"

"It's not as simple as you make it seem," he says.

"Isn't it?" I ask. There was a sharp pain in my chest and I could feel a slight pressure beneath my eyelids. Tears were threatening to fall but I wouldn't let them.

Things were so good between us but now Darius was being hunted all over again and I had no idea why. He never tells me what is truly going on. Maybe if I had an idea why this was happening to him, I could help him end this once and for all.

I know I can help him end this.

This was the one thing that was putting a strain on our relationship. I couldn't sleep at night anymore. I was haunted by nightmares that crawled beneath my skin, breaking out in a cold sweat in my bed. Every time I left him I was afraid it would be the last time I would get to see him.