I'm surrounded by darkness. No light, and a cold breeze wrapping around me and stiffening my muscles. I hear a faint crying sound, though I don't know weather it's quiet because of distance or due to my ears ringing. Maybe both. I blink a few times, stretching my neck. My head is throbbing, and when I pull my hand off of it, I feel a wet, sticky substance. I decide to sit up, trying to locate the crying. My ears have become extremely good at listening after the years of listening for danger. Standing up, the world around me begins to spin, but I ignore it. The crying seems to be coming from my right; I limp towards the sound, comforted that I'm not completely alone. When I reach it, I find what looks like a young boy- only it can't be- this is a battlefield, no place for a boy. He looks tiny, huddled up like a child. Not only that, but last time I checked, not many men cried like that.
When he realises I'm standing over him, he jumps and our eyes meet. My mouth almost drops open. Despite the dark, his green eyes glow with such brightness. This isn't any normal man; this is a Pweden. I close my eyes, inhaling loudly. I am stuck in the middle of some tunnels with my enemy. Instead of killing him, like I would do, my instinct tells me I must keep him alive. That I'm going to need him alive. I hold out my hand, staring down at him with a cold expression. In return, he stares at me with wide, green eyes full of fear. I have never been this close to his kind before. Not alive, or fighting me. He takes my hand, and I take my time staring at him, taking it all in. He seems different to the rest of them. His long, brown-blonde hair is brushed over one eye, and I am confused when I realise I want to brush it away so I can see both eyes. It scares me slightly, but I shake away the feeling by lifting him from the floor. He sniffs and stands up. I realise he is about the same height as me, only a little smaller. He is skinny with barely any muscles, the opposite of me; tall, lean and muscly. He doesn't speak- I don't expect him too, either. If my thoughts are correct, he is just as shocked and panicked as I am to be down here with someone I have hated since the beginning.
I turn around in a full circle, trying desperately to decide what to do next. I can't talk to people; never have been able to, probably never will. It doesn't help that the person I need to talk to is a Pweden. When I turn back, I find him staring at me-still- with his lips trembling. I open my mouth, but close it straight away. I have nothing to say. Eventually, he speaks, though it is so quiet I almost miss it.
"We're trapped, aren't we?" He gazes at me as if I know the answer.
"Well, unless you know the way through these tunnels, I guess so" My reply comes out more arrogant than I had expected, and he bows his head immediately. I want to apologise, ignoring that he is my enemy. I take the risk of telling him my name. I can't give him any other information, but we can at least have each other's names, right?
"I'm sorry. I think so. I'm... Christopher." I hesitate, deciding weather it was reckless to give him my real name. He glances up at me, then his eyes dart back to the ground. My eyes are beginning to adjust to the darkness, but there is nothing to see; we are surrounded by soil and tunnels. I begin to think he doesn't speak after 5 minutes when he replies.
"I'm Theodore." He murmurs shyly. Theodore. I like that name. I smile at him softly, not realising I am doing so until he smiles back.
"Well, Theodore, I guess we should start searching for an exit.." I frown at myself. Why am I being so kind? I feel a strange connection with this soldier, in a way I've never felt before and I'm petrified about it.
Theodore nods and I turn to walk away, until I realise I have no idea where I am going. I glance at him awkwardly, trying to ask him which direction without actually saying anything. He doesn't understand the hint, and I sigh in annoyance. I think of what my mother would do- always go right. In that case, I wonder, I'm going right. I point my finger towards the right tunnel, glancing once again at his green eyes, and he nods in agreement.
We walk in silence, the only noises heard are the loud treading of our heavy black boots on the hard muddy ground. The walk gives me time to think. What are the odds that I am stuck down here, wherever here is, with a Pweden boy? Surely there should at least be more than just the two of us. I still cannot shake the feeling that there is something different about how this should be playing out, but I push it to the back of my head when I feel a small tug on the back of my shirt. I whip around from my instinct, ready to shoot until I see a pair of wide eyes staring back at me in fear. I lower my gun and raise my eyebrows. He waits until I have dropped my gun before speaking.
"Your head is bleeding." His simple words stump me and I blink with curiosity and confusion. I tilt my head slightly and frown. Raising my hand to my forehead, I feel the same sticky warm substance as before, melting into my palms. I shrug at him.
"I'm sure I'll be fine." Before I can start walking again, he shakes his head.
"No. Head wounds are one of the worst. Especially when we are constantly walking. It needs stitching up, else you could lose too much blood and won't ever get out of here." He speaks with so much confidence, unlike the other times he spoke. His voice is clear and his expression serious, as though he is a medic. The thought hits me like a smack in the face- maybe that is why he is so skinny- he is no soldier, but a medic. That would explain his knowledge on such a subject I would never have thought to touch on. Usually I would brush off his comment like a fly, but, it maybe something about the way he said it, or that we are stuck underground, I listen.
"So, what do we do?" He orders me to lie down and I do so gratefully, my head thanking me as soon as it lays on the bag Theodore has placed beneath it.
Somehow, Theodore already has out the things he needs to clean and stitch my head. He does it with such care and gentleness I almost don't feel it. I hold my breath when it hurts, trying not to sound like a baby. His hands are warm and soft like a child's, whereas mine are rough and dirty from the war. My head tingles wherever his hands go, leaving me warm and wanting more. I stare up at him, watching his face of concentration, making sure he doesn't hurt me or do it wrong. It's almost... cute. I shake the thought from my head, but continue to stare at him. When he has finished, our eyes meet. Theodore breaks it, looking down at his knees.
"You should rest. We can carry on in the morn- later." He glances back up at me before lying down on the other side of the tunnel, about a metre away from me. I feel slightly offended, craving his warmth back, then I remember we're enemies. As soon as we get out, I'm going to have to fight him.
"By the way," I am snatched out of my thoughts and turn my gaze towards Theodore. "You can call me Theo." He smiles at me warmly, and my temptation to pull him closer is overwhelming. Instead, I smile back and close my eyes, falling asleep with his face in my mind.
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Caged Birds
Romance"Not all birds are born to fly. Some prefer the safety of their homes, instead. So why do we cage up the best ones; the ones born wild and free, the ones born to fly?" Christopher has been a part of the war since 67. That's four years. He has grown...
