Tales of Juniper Davidson: The Sword of Biremes

Chapter 11

I did what any girl would do after being saved from being squashed to death. I slapped my savior. "Ouch! What was that for!" He exclaimed. "What were expecting, Lawson?" I screamed at the practically glowing man in front of me. "Oh! My hero!" I pressed the back of my hand to my forehead and pretended to swoon and faint. "I would have never been in this situation had you not given me that stupid hilt thingy!" I tried to push him off the tree branch. "Die you fool!" Somehow I had succeeded in pushing him off. A variety of emotions surged through my body. At first, I was dazzled. Next I was rejoicing. Then I started to panic.

"Did I just kill someone? Oh my gosh! I am a murderer!" I started to pace back and forth. "It's okay. No one has to know, right?"

"Boo."

I screamed and crouched up into a ball.

              A low chuckle filled my ears, and I whipped my head to look behind me.

           There was Lawson with an infuriating smirk plastered on his face. "You should be dead!" I exclaimed as I stared at him slack jawed.

          Lawson chuckled some more and flexed his arms. "It would take more than a little push to get rid of me."

            I just stood there wondering how the heck he survived. Maybe we weren't that high up?

             I looked down, and my mind started to swarm. My legs gave out, and I started to fall off of the branch.

             "Whoopsie Daisy!" Lawson stated as he held on to my arm and pulled me towards him. He had a pretty firm grip.

               He leant forward until his lips were brushing against my ear. "Already falling for me?" He whispered in a raspy voice.

               That comment snapped me out of my daze. "What!" I yelled incredulously. I pushed him off of me and fell to the rough surface of the branch. "I am not a damsel in distress!"

                I pointed a finger at him. "Leave me alone you glowing freak!"

                "A freak? You wound me, Sweetheart." He placed a hand over his heart and pretended to be hurt.

                  "Don't call me 'Sweetheart'." I glared at him. "We are not lovers."

                  I looked down once more. I gulped uneasily as I was unable to see the ground. "How far up are we exactly?" I asked.

                  "I don't know." Lawson shrugged. "Pretty high up I presume."

                   I gave him a disbelieving look.  "Well that is pretty obvious."
"My bad. My bad." Lawson raised his hands up in surrender.

                   "But how were you able to get back up here if I pushed you off? I was worried." A sudden wave of fatigue rushed over me. The adrenaline from earlier had faded.

                     "Aw. Was the little tigress actually worried about little ol' me?" I took notice of the new nickname, but was too tired to actually care.

             "Well yeah. I was worried that the only person I knew in this world was gone." I covered my mouth as I yawned. "I mean, I just carelessly jumped into this box. If I had been thinking properly, I would have thrown out that hilt right when you gave it to me." I rubbed my eyes sleepily.

              I let out a self-depreciating laugh. "I guess this shows how just how stupid I can be, huh?" My body started to feel heavy, and my consciousness was fleeting.  I felt my legs give out from under me as I tilted to the side.

Then I felt nothing.

The last thing I remember was the sound of rushing of air in my ears and the distant call of my name.