Cherry Wine: a Hozier Fanfic

Harrison's Grasp

      I begin to say Hozier's name but choke on my words, covering my lips. Suddenly the figure begins to squat down holding the lantern there first. I squint and hold my breathe as I feel my heart in my throat beating tremendously fast, the light blurs my vision as my eyes are unaccustomed to the brightness. Raising a shaky hand to cover the light, I find someone there familiar. They know I'm here.

"Ah, there you are-" the voice hums but I use the rest of my strength to push past them and, of course, end up tripping over my own feet. I quickly race to get back to my toes, looking over my shoulder as I stumble and run. Run, in this case, as taking a few long strides before my mind caught up to me as to who was there, which in turn I slow and spin my feet to look at my guest.

I puff out and bend my hips forward, my nails grabbing a chunk of my thighs as I let my head droop in exasperation. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Shut it." I snap as he chuckles, the light of his lantern swinging in the morning fog that surrounds us as he approached me.

"Come, honey." he leaves his free arm open to me. Looking up at him, my heart a fluttering, horrid mess, I give in.

I'm too weak around you.

"It's morning." he whispers to me as he leans down, our steps crunching the leaves beneath us as we walk in whatever direction he's deciding to lead in. I look up from my bare feet and look at the pink illumination around us expelling from the sleepy sun.

"Are we safe?" I ask in a short panic, his dark eyes, as breathe taking as they may be, haunt me as we walk. He hums in response, a sad expression on his face, refusing to answer me. Looking up at him I sadly smile, accepting his hum of dismissal, neither one of us sure of the future from this moment on.

"Don't you worry none, the best of you belongs to me." His words bring me no comfort comparing against the sweet dewy mist of morning. As we walk, my vision pans down to the lantern illuminating the grass beneath my bare feet. 

I raise my brows in discomfort, the stray and fallen crumble of leaves crushing between my toes. The morning brings light of safety for we know we can rest at ease due to the agreement, but, where would we? We can't trust going back to the cabin. What's the point of us just walking meaninglessly into the debts of the woods?

Just then, behind us we hear footsteps crushing the ground and the sound of heavy sighs filling the air, Hozier and I both look behind us and spot Harrison and his goon coming at full force, their own lantern swinging about recklessly, scraping against the skin of the trees that they pass in a fury. 

We both make eye contact and quickly dash in the direction the herd(all of us here) seemed to be racing to; the depths of this never-ending forest. Damn, just when I thought we were about to get out of this retched place. Well, I mean, it's not SO horrible here. It's practically a wonderland protected by this forest being of a man. Why would I want to leave anyway..? It feels as though I should-

Suddenly I felt my wrist nearly being crushed by Hoziers fingers as I came out of my mind, finding him swiftly in the lead, dragging me along. I must have started to drag my feet.. Fuck, why can't I get it together?

Focus, fucker!

Luckily this isn't our first time running through the uneven ground of green hell, giving us an advantage to be quick on our feet. Over the uplifted roots of the Scots Pines and hopping down to dash through the narrow and hollowed trenches snaking beneath the tree roots, we were quick, but they stayed on our heels no matter what obstacle we threw at them.

"Don't trip don't fall don't trip don't fall" I told myself.

I was careful to raise my knees just a bit higher to prevent any tragedies from coming my way, after all, my story can't end here.