Falling
Night came onI looked out into the dense forest. “Where the hell?” I heard a shuffle to my right and quickly snapped my head that way, lowering myself into a fighting stance. I didn’t see anything, but I could feel something, a growl rumbled in my chest. “Who’s there?!” My eyes darted around in the darkness, but all I could see was trees, trees and oh look more damn trees. “Goddamn vampires, show your spineless faces so I can stake you and go home already.” I heard the soft cracking of leaves directly in front of me and my fist snapped out on instinct but it didn’t make contact and I jumped back quickly trying to get a glance at whatever was there with me. “oh you gotta be freaking kidding me!” My eyes fell on the black wolf approaching me slowly, its head bowed slightly, its tail slightly between its legs. It was a submissive position… What? Like I can’t watch animal planet?!
I turned my attention back to the wolf and regarded it carefully, not backing away as it approached sniffing at my foot. I let out a warning growl and its head bowed further down, I reached my hand down to place it on his head. Suddenly I felt something move past me to my left and I spun just in time to see a fist coming towards my face. Just before it made impact I saw a flash of black furriness jumping up and taking my would be assailant to the ground. I shuffled back quickly and took in the sight in front of me. What the hell was that thing?! The demon was huge and almost entirely muscle. I winced when I heard the wolf whimper as it was thrown to the ground. “Hey! Don’t hit him, you bastard!” I raced towards the demon slamming my fist into him as hard as I could. Its head snapped back but not before it’s left hand swiped at me sending me back a couple of feet. I stumbled but I didn’t fall and I chanced a quick look at my new furry friend.
“Well that’s new…” I mumbled as I noted that the wolf had grown three times its original size and its eyes were glowing. I dropped back into fighting stance as I waited for one of them to attack, but in a moment the wolf was breezing past me launching itself at the giant demon. I watched in awe as they fought. It was almost like a dance. They were so evenly matched that neither of them could get the upper hand, the result of which was such rhythm and grace in motion that I couldn’t peel my eyes away. Just as soon as I was about to move in to help my wolf buddy out I felt a strong hand on my shoulder stopping me. I whipped around quickly grabbing the hand in a steely fist and I saw the glowing green eyes boring into mine. What the is she doing here? “Krys?” She didn’t say anything, just looked over my shoulder and I notice the distinct sound of fighting has stopped. I whirl around again and both the wolf and the demon are staring us down. Damn. So much for having the wolf’s back, looked like he changed sides. I stepped into fighting stance.
“You gonna help me out here Krys?” I shot a quick glance at her and she just kept staring past me, “Soojung what the fu-“ My words were cut off by my hiss of pain, I looked down to my stomach where Krystal’s hand was resting and I watched as black fluid raced up and around her hand. I looked up at her quickly and saw a pain behind her eyes.
“Let me help you.” I growled again as her hand pressed harder and just before I passed out I noticed the wolf and the demon edging in closer.
Just my ing luck, not only had the damn wound not gotten better there was some kind of black gunk coming out of it. Gross. Not to mention that crazy dream. What the hell was that anyway? I hoped it wasn’t a shared dream, the last thing I needed was Krystal wigging out on me about this damn thing. I groaned again looking down at the ugly gash on my stomach. I was about to start cleaning it out when I heard my cellphone ring, the familiar ringtone bringing a grin to my lips before I walked over to the dresser and picked up my phone.
“Hey Boo.”
“Hey Boo! Where have you been I haven’t seen you in like a decade!” I laughed rolling my eyes at Key’s dramatic over estimation.
“It’s been a week Key.” Key hummed in response and I continued to search through my closet for suitable clothes to wear to train with Krystal.
“Yeah, yeah yeah, same thing. Anyway, when are you coming to headquarters? I wanna play…” I heard the mischievous edge in his voice and I raised an eyebrow at that.
“Play? What did you have in mind Boo?”
“Well, Minho and I ha-“
“No.”
“But you didn’t even hear what I had to s-“
“No.”
“But Amber!!!”
“No, Kibum!” Key whimpered into the phone and I heard a deep laugh come through the line before I heard another voice speak up.
“Hey Amber.”
“Hey Min, do me a favor and tell your boyfriend that I’m not going to do any roleplaying stuff with you guys no matter how cute he thinks the outfits are.” Minho laughed wholeheartedly at that and I heard some shuffling on the other line before Key spoke up again.
“Yah! What did you tell him?” I chuckled at the whine in Key’s voice.
“I told him that I’m not interested in being your third wheel.” I could almost see Key’s pout through the phone and I had to force myself not to laugh at his expense.
“But Amber! It’s a really cute sailor outfit and all you have to do is swab the decks.” My eyebrows furrowed in response to his words.
“What?? That’s so weird!”
“You mean hot?” I rolled my eyes at his words.
“No, I mean weird. How do you even come up with these ideas? That’s even worse than the time you wanted me to dress up like a French maid and yell ‘not on ze good sheets’ with a French accent.”
“That would’ve been HOT! …. I still have that outfit by the way.” I chuckled again.
“No, Key. Geez you vamps are so weird sometimes. Is this what happens when you live for so long? You start going crazy?”
“I’m not crazy… I’m creative, like an artist.”
“Yeah a regular friggin’ Divinci, anyway I’m meant to hit headquarters later today. I’m supposed to train with Krys.”
“Oooo Krystal… when you say train you mean…?”
“Train.”
“Yeah but you really mean…?”
“Train.”
“… God you’re so boring sometimes Amber.”
“Love you too KiKi. Anyway I gotta go, I’ll come find you after our training session though.”
“Kay, tell Krystal I said ‘hi’ while you guys train.” I chuckled at Key’s insinuation before I agreed and hung up the phone. He knew about my feelings for Krystal, because one night I had unwisely gotten drunk with him and some of the other defectors. (That’s what we called demons, or vamps that switched to the good guys side.) I confessed to him that I had loved the girl for as long as I could remember, but that ever since my year of lunacy our friendship had never been the same. Key teased me about it incessantly, insisting that I confess to her but I had threatened him to a horrible ashy death if he ever uttered the words to anyone else, so his teasing didn’t bother me, since I knew he’d never tell.
I sighed and whipped out the first aid kit that I reluctantly bought when my wound didn’t heal by Wednesday. I cleaned it up as best as I could then wrapped it up like a mother, I needed to pad the hell out of the wound, the last thing I needed was for Krys to land a good punch in while we were sparing.
A couple of hours later and I was standing uncomfortably across from Krystal in the gym. I had to wear something baggy to cover up the excessive padding around my midsection. Which wasn’t so bad considering I always wore baggy clothes, but I also hadn’t done laundry in a while and Krystal was giving me this strange once over. What like she’s never seen a pink t-shirt before?! Why did I even own this? “Laundry day,” I said casually as I tossed my bag on the table. “So what’s the what? No big baddies lurking around?” She seemed to accept my excuse and shrugged lightly in response.
“Nope, all is boring in hybrid world.” I smirked and leaned a little too close to her.
“So you called me to get out some ugh.” I grunted into her ear and watched the hair on the back of her neck raise before she jumped away from me flustered. I chuckled. “Relax Krys. I’m just messing around, though you do seem a bit tight wound, need some help unwinding?”
“I am not tight wound Amber! I am completely unwinded, and I don’t need to ugh.” She tried her best to imitate my grunt and it came out so girly and soft that I couldn’t help but let out a belt of laughter, forgetting of course my stomach situation. I grabbed my side and hissed in pain before I could stop myself. “Hey, are you okay?” She stepped closer to me, concern in her voice as her hand gently rested on top of mine. Her head was bent slightly and her hair draped over her face, so close to mine that I could pick up the smell of her shampoo on the air and something else that I couldn’t quite place. It smelled like someone else, but no one I recognized, it was musky and I leaned in closer inhaling deeply before I could stop myself. Damn it, since when do I ing sniff people?! “Um...” She backed away a little looking up at me. “Did you just-“ I pulled away from her quickly.
“I’m fine. I had a run in with a Vamp last night, no biggie, just caught me off guard is all.” She nodded slowly at that, not completely convinced but deciding to let it go.
“Okay, so sparring? Or are you not ok to spar?” I threw a smirk at her.
“Why? You scared you can’t take me Princess?” She grinned back at me.
“No I just don’t want to hurt your little oo Josephine.” She gave me an exaggerated pout and I had to force myself not to laugh at that.
“Just so long as you kiss it better, I’m ok with that Krys.” I circled around her already getting into sparring stance. Her stance shifted as she watched me circle her. She was about to respond when I sent a left jab at her side. She took the hit in stride and swung around with a right kick of her own. I dodged it quickly gritting my teeth at the pain that rolled down my side. “What’s the matter Krys? Can’t get a leg up on the injured hybrid?” I grinned again before unleashing a series of punches that somehow ended with me on the floor and her straddling my midsection, my arms were pinned above my head and a panting Krystal was leaning over me with a smirk of her own. Normally, this is where innuendo girl would come out and play, but me Krys was sitting right on top of my wound. I let out a howl of pain and she jumped off me quickly, rolling up my shirt before I could stop her. “Krys it’s-“ I was cut off by the feeling of her fingers gently prodding at my bandage. I growled and her eyes flashed to mine.
“Amber what the hell?! Why didn’t you tell me it was this bad?! And what is this black stuff?! Did you try disinfecting it with dirt?!” I scowled at her.
“Yeah, Krys. I thought ‘oh well I don’t have alcohol, let me just rub some mud on it.’” She rolled her eyes at me before helping me up.
“Well whatever you did obviously didn’t help, I’m cleaning it up properly! God, I could’ve really hurt you…” She trailed off looking intently at me as she sat me down gingerly on the table. She shook her head as if clearing her thoughts and motioned towards my shirt. “Take it off.” I chuckled.
“If you wanted to get me you should’ve just said so Krys.” I winked at her and she just laughed shaking her head.
“Are you always this much of a ert?”
“Only with you sweetheart,” I blew her a kiss just before I peeled off my shirt as seductively as I could with the intense pain shooting up my side. She looked a little distracted before she shook her head and laughed again.
“Oh, good, now I feel special. Wait here I’m getting the first aid kit.” I nodded and leaned back on the table the pain started to subside a little and then all of a sudden I was spinning. That’s funny I don’t remember standing up… how could I be falling?
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