Mystery Savior Ch. 7
#6 of Mystery Savior
We both ran as fast as we could, not daring to look behind us to even see if they were following us. After crossing an empty street, we dashed straight into the woods. We followed a small path that was barely noticeable to the naked eye. After running for about half an hour, we stopped out of compete exhaustion. Both of us collapsed, panting.
When both of us had calmed down enough to stand up, we looked at our surroundings. All around me were trees that looked ancient yet sturdy. A bit farther to the right was a small waterfall with smooth stones on either side that were large enough to sit on. I could hear the musical sound of the water flowing that had enticed me since I was a little pup.
I looked at Rendall to assess the damage that Loki and his gang had done. It looks like he didn't have any cuts, but I could tell that he was going to have a bunch of bruises tomorrow morning. He noticed me looking at him, and flashed a smile in my direction. I returned the smile, though rather bashfully.
"Let's walk over to the creek. You look like you could use something to drink." Rendall said.
I laughed slightly. "I do feel kinda thirsty."
We both stood up and walked to the waterfall together. Even with the five inches that separated us, I could feel this unbelievable amount of heat coming from him. Despite how hot I already was, it somehow felt good. I wanted to feel more of the heat by moving closer, but I didn't want to make it seem like I was coming on to him. First off, I'm pretty sure that he's straight. That should be enough of a reason. Secondly, there is a time and place, and now is neither.
When we reached the waterfall, I kneeled down and started taking long gulps from the stream. It was somehow way more delicious then the fluoride-filled water that you would get from a sink. It was actually somewhat sweet.
After a few minutes of guzzling water, I sat on one of huge stones that was next to the one Rendall had sat on. We sat in silence for a few moments, doing nothing but listening to the nature that was all around us.
Rendall was the first to break the silence. "So how the heck do you know how to fight?"
"Nu uh!" I exclaimed. "I first want to know how the heck you happened to be there when I was being beat up last Friday. I know for a fact you live in the exact opposite direction."
Rendall looked at me with an expression that I couldn't read, and then sighed. "Fair enough. I guess I owe you that."
"Do you remember what we were doing in gym that day?" He asked.
"Yeah, we were playing football," I said, a little confused.
He looked up at the sky while talking. "Well, Loki, his two goons, and I were all on the other team. While we were in huddle to decide the next play, I overheard them talking about ganging up on you after school. I wanted to warn you, but I couldn't think of a way to do it without letting them know. I had spent most of the time in the locker room coming up with the plan just to ask you if you would like help carrying your project home. Unfortunately, subtlety isn't my thing.
"So I decided to follow them, knowing that they would pounce sooner or later. Unfortunately, I had to stay several yards away from them to prevent them from noticing me. That's why it took me so long to get there."
He then looked down from the sky over to me. "Did I leave anything out?"
"No, it's just. . . Why did you help me?" I asked rather confused.
It was Rendall's turn to be baffled "Would you rather I have left them to continue pulverizing you?"
I shook my head. "I don't mean to be ungrateful, but Loki bullies a lot of people. Why did you specifically stop him from bullying me?"
Rendall's brow furrowed apparently lost deep in thought. "Rendall?" I called, waiving my hand in front of his muzzle. "You still there?"
"Give me a moment," he replied. "I'm trying to think of how to word it."
Even though I was confused as heck, I waited patiently. The seconds passed by. After about two minutes, he began to speak slowly.
"There's. . . something about you that seems different from all the rest. Most kids who are bullied by Loki's gang turn cynical and tend to start staying to themselves. You, however, refuse to let anything he does get you down. You just seem to have this. . . this unbelievable amount of optimism that refuses to let anyone get you down. Have you ever been in a fight before?"
"No."
"Whenever I've seen someone get beaten up their first time, they usually end up crying. It especially happens with black eyes. However, your eyes didn't even moist up the entire time that I had helped you get to your house. I could tell that you were in pain, and that it was definitely bothering you, but you refused to let it get you down. This unbelievable strength also allows you to be who you are, no matter what other people think of you.
"To see someone try to torture someone like you would be torture in and of itself."
I looked at him for a moment; then suddenly burst into tears.