1 November 2012
I woke up with the shock of Alek not lying next to me. I looked around, searched everywhere at the cave, walked into the forest a few meters, but he was nowhere to be found. A million questions surrounded me: where was he? Did he get kidnapped? By who? Did he die? How? Did someone kill him? Was this another trick of that cruel, dark master? Pacing ferociously back and though forth, I went through all the possible happenings until they drove me insane.
"Alek!" I screamed. Hoping to get a reply. But no reply came. "Alek! Alek!" I continued shouting, the sound of my voice travelling through the entire forest and echoing back to me.
"Woah. You look stressed!" A familiar voice rang in my ears.
I turned around, to find Alek smiling up at me, with a little bundle of sticks, and a his rucksack on his back. In his other hand, he clutched a small bouquet of poppies.
"You!" I shouted. Frustrated with him.
"Yes your majesity?" He replied simply, giving a cheeky smile.
"Alek. This isn't a laughing matter! I thought you were kidnapped. Killed. I thought you ran away from me! You left me without saying a thing, and making me stress" I said. Realising seconds later that I sounded like my mother. Even exactly like her.
"Oh Natasha, you silly girl. I only went because we needed something for breakfast, and wood for the fire. Oh, and these I got for you" Alek explained, his soothing words instantly calming me like a sip from a hot cup, of mint flavoured tea.
"Oh, Alek that's so sweet, thank you... But I still don't accept your apology!" I replied stubbornly. Turning my back to him like a ten year old.
Alek walked towards me, and hugged me from behind, while whispering the words "I didn't wake you up because you looked so beautiful while you were asleep. I didn't want to disturb you. I'm sorry if I worried you"
I turned around, kissed him gently on the cheek, and said:"why do you have to be so cute".
After breakfast; which was the eggs that Alek collected from his treehouse, and the bag of crisps that we shared between us that I found in my satchel, we began debating.
"So what do you think he will do next?" I asked. Rolling up the sleeping bag.
"All I can say is that we're not safe. We need to keep moving, or else he'll locate us any day" Alek replied, blowing out the fire.
"What about my family? I need to get back to them. You do know I have school, a life at home" I said.
"Yes, I know. But that will be too easy. He'll find you one day, walking through the woods without me, and there, he'll cut your throat" Alek continued.
I clutched my throat gently. Releasing the imaginary knife that plunged into my throat.
"My parents are going crazy though. I need to check on them"
"If you check on them, they'll ask you where you were, and... And..."
Suddenly Alek's voice stopped.
"And what?"
"Natasha, you do realise they are in danger too".
I froze.
"What?"
"Like my family was, and even after their deaths, I'm constantly fighting battles with him. Missing the ax by millimetres, and now that you betrayed him, you think he's going to let it go? He'll do anything for revenge. Including. Including..."
"What?"
"Including, doing what he did to my parents, including kill them, or use them as prisoners for information"
I was rooted to the spot. A single, clear drop of water dripped out of my aqua eye. I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know what to feel. Only questions that chanted in my mind over and over again. And the most fearful one- Was my family alive?
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Chapter 20: Warnings • Opuss № I