In Your Arms

Farewell, Windsburg

Farrah had never felt so soft and clean in what felt like ages. She kept rubbing her bare naked legs as if hypnotized by how different they felt.

It was hard to fight off the gleeful sensations building up inside her, and it was obvious to Isen that he had done the right thing in coming after all. With a satisfied snort, he took one bold step towards Farrah, distracting her from her fixation with her legs. She immediately recovered and stood straight up like a soldier prepared to receive a good yelling from her officer.

"Now all is forgiven," Isen stated in a reassuring, confident manner, nearly tricking Farrah into agreeing with him. She bit her tongue, crossing her arms over her chest as she gingerly stepped back away from his tall, intimidating demeanor.

"Now that I'm done, are you going to leave?" The girl responded, half expecting the monsters' response to be 'yes', though in all honesty she knew that wouldn't be the case. Isen's claw suddenly flew up, and Farrah tried hard to pretend she hadn't just jumped and gotten a mini heart attack. 

Isen pointed towards the distant, vast forest, his vacant face expressing no emotion at all. "The world is empty, but that does not mean you must stay here until your dying days."

Farrah couldn't understand what he was trying to tell her at first, but as an uncomfortable silence settled among them, she seemed to comprehend what he was suggesting.

"No," Farrah's voice did not waiver, "Windsburg is my home. It's all I've known."

"Why stay confined to one place?"

"I'm not like you. I need a place to stay-a place where I can get all my supplies and feel safe."

Isen's jaw smacked together as he contemplated what to tell the small human next. He didn't seem to come up with a satisfying response, though, and ultimately nodded in defeat. He pivoted on the heels of his dandy shoes and rotated the ridiculously small umbrella in his claws, slowly departing from the girl. "I suppose I shall roam the earth on my own."

Farrah wasn't planning on saying goodbye or wishing the monster a safe trip back to wherever he came from, but his next words made her rethink her previous decision.

"If I somehow cross by another human, I do not think they would object to accompanying me."

"What-wait? I thought you said there are no other humans?!"

Isen pretended he didn't hear her, or perhaps he really didn't at all. Either way, he continued walking away, his wings beginning to unfold as he prepared to take flight and leave the human all by herself.

Farrah couldn't let him go now, not after what he had just told her. With a loud holler, she waved her arms wildly above her head in hopes that Isen would stop and turn back.

The clever creature rotated his head, a blank face revealing no emotion. As he watched Farrah in her dress practically flying towards him, his pointy smile grew.

"Hold on!" The young woman hollered, failing to notice a couple of barbed wires tangled on the ground before her.

"Wait for-," Farrah collapsed with a cry as a stinging sensation rose from her feet. She gritted her teeth as she glanced down and realized that her ankles were being strangled with sharp wire.

"That does not look good," Isen commented, suddenly beside the surprised human. She reached out to untangle herself, but her companion stopped her from doing just that.

"You will only make it worse. Allow me." Isen opened his gaping jaw and quickly began to munch away at the excess loads of wire bunched around Farrah's legs. She watched him with raised eyebrows, too afraid to ask how in the world he was able to eat the material without getting injured.

Isen was soon finished, and he was able to carefully pry away the rest of the barbed wire from Farrah's skin. She winced as a few scratches were left behind, but she knew it would have been much worse had the creature not helped her.

Still lying on the floor, she hesitantly glanced up at the dark being in his suit. "Thanks. I guess. Now can we- woah!"

Isen suddenly grabbed a firm hold of Farrah and hoisted her up on his shoulders. She unintentionally latched on to the horns on his head, petrified and afraid of making any sound.

"You must rest for now. If you continue walking on foot, there is a chance your cuts will become infected." Isen shook his body, crouching down on all fours as a pair of large, bat-like wings protruded from his back. He didn't even warn Farrah to hold on, but it appeared he didn't need to. She was practically digging her fingers into his hard skin.

A small yelp of fear managed to escape her lips as Isen began to trot down the fields, picking up speed as his wings flapped furiously. Before she knew it, they were already a few feet off the ground and heading straight for the forest in the distance.

Farrah would not let go of Isen's horns, but as time passed by and they were now even higher off the ground, she felt her grip began to loosen. Awe overcame her, and her terror was instead replaced with surprise.

She could see everything, and the wind beating against her skin was such a liberating feeling. Her loose locks flowed behind her like a cascade, and her eyes dashed around wildly in an attempt to take everything in.

Though Isen had no eyes, he had other ways of observing the young woman at that moment. He was pleased to see her loosening up a bit, and he was sure that she would feel even more relaxed once they made it to their destination.

Farrah glanced behind her, as if a small voice was beckoning her to look back one more time. Windsburg- the place she had come to love ever since the end of the world started- was fading into nothing. Her place of refuge and comfort was vanishing before her eyes, but she made no attempt to prevent it from happening.

With sadness in her soul, Farrah whirled away one final time and set her eyes straight forward on the path before her.

Isen was right. There was so much out there she had yet to see. It was time for an adventure.