The Nobody's Angel (danisnotonfire fanfic)*ON HOLD*

Chapter 2: Dan

CHAPTER 2 

 -DAN-

There's no time to run. Time seems to move in slow motion as a man slams into me head-on at full speed, crashing down on top of me in a huge wave of snow and ice. Blinded by fear, I frantically stumble to my feet but slip and fall instead. I'm now on the ground, coughing while my chest burns with sharp pain from the impact. Still unbalanced I try to haul myself up again, but my legs feel shaky and unstable, and suddenly I'm dizzy and cannot stand. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my attacker moving closer, and wrap my arms over my head for protection and prepare for the worst. 

"Stop! Stop! I'm not trying to hurt you!" He shouts, but I don't hear. There's a loud ringing in my head and  I have a vague idea I might be hurt, but everything has gone numb. I thrash my limbs in an attempt to regain balance and they hit something hard to the right of me, and I hear him cry out. Suddenly my wrists feel like they're being pinned to the ground and I jolt away violently.

"Get away from me!" I wail. I'm desperately trying to steady myself but my head is pounding and the woods looks like it's spinning in circles. I find the willow tree next to me and grasp onto a low branch for balance before getting to my feet again. Puffing frosty air as I try to regain my breath, I slowly look up to see him.

On his face is a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and snow. I've cut his face in the process of my thrashing and he rubs his cheek gingerly where a large red welt is starting to form. His black jeans look uncomfortably frozen with snow sticking to the pockets and I'm sure his feet must be numb in just white adidas trainers. I suddenly realize he's  not a man but a boy; probably in his early 20s, and unusually tall.                                                                      

"Are you okay?" He asks, still panting slightly. I'm taken aback by his concern and loosen my tight grip on the branch. He's not attacking me...

Without warning, my fear is quickly replaced by hot anger. "What the hell was that for?!" I snap crossly, but as soon as I say it a headache hits me like a brick and I caress my forehead. My arms hurt and my whole body aches; it feels as though I've been hit by a train! The boy stands in front of me awkwardly, still in shock and unsure of how to help.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I did'nt see you standing there, I was just run-"

"It's fine" I cut him off. He looks down at the layer of snow now covering the ground and sees Bandit's frantic litter of hoofprints trailing over the hill, back to my house.

"Was that your horse?" He asks, still looking past the hill. I follow his eyes to the small enclosure by my house and see Bandit's blue coat covered in a constellation of white specks, a mixture of her dappled fur and snow. She seems calm and safe, and I let out a huge sigh of relief, sending a cloud of icy mist into the evening.

"Yeah. She spooked and ran," I reply, avoiding his eyes. He looks so innocent and sympathetic, I suddenly feel embarrassed for my dramatic freak-out. Why did I even think he was going to hurt me in the first place? I shove my frozen hands into my coat pockets and try to recollect some thoughts.

"I-I'm so sorry. I should help you back to your house," he says, interrupting my thoughts. He's picked up a fuzzy brown trooper hat that must have fallen off when we collided, and is brushing the snow from it. Fixing it back on his head, I realize for the first time his face: straight chocolate-brown hair that is swept to the side over his forehead, soft even-toned tanned skin, and intense brown eyes that have now locked onto mine. His nose is slightly pink from the bitter cold and he looks physically exhausted. What the hell was he even running from in the middle of the woods?