The Tall Man In Black: [Part 12]

We sat there, exchanging feelings for awhile.

I was so at peace with him,

under this cool sky.


I stood up and put on my backpack,

turning to him, and offering a hand.

He looked at me, and took my hand,

but he needed no help getting up.

Everything about him was graceful,

his movements,

his emotions,

everything.


I pulled his hand, and started to walk deeper into the woods.

He followed easily.

I walked in the dark forest, my eyes adjusted to the blackness.

I crunch on the twigs, laughing louder now.


We walked for awhile, before he squeezed my hand, and I came to a halt.

I looked at him questioningly, and he pointed in front of me.

I turned back around, and looked.

I couldn't see that well, so I tugged him a little closer to see.


"Oh."


There was a cliff,

right in front of me,

If I had taken one step further, I would have fallen.

I started to deepen my breathing, a little scared at what could have happened.

I backed up, bumping into his chest.

I turned around and buried my face in his chest,

trying to calm myself down.

He put his arms around me,

holding me to help.


"Thank you."


I felt him nod, and pull me tighter.

I stayed there for a moment, and pulled back a little, enough to look up at him, but

still in his arms.


"What should we do?"


He hesitated for a moment, thinking, then stroked my hair and took my hand, leading me

away from the edge.

He seemed to know where we were going, and I asked no questions.


I watched him walk in front of me,

graceful.


Upon watching him, I tripped on an uprooted tree root, immediately falling.

But with my quick reflexes, I landed on my hands and knees.

I grunted, the pain flooding my hands.

I sat up, and looked at my hands,

There were several scratches and blood seeping out more and more.

I looked at my bloody hands, no expression on my face.

He knelled down to look at me, worried.

I looked up at him, and them back down.

I looked at my bloody hands, and started laughing.


"Ahahahahahahahahahaa!! I'm okay, don't worry."


I laughed a little bit more before calming down, wiping the blood on my shirt.

He grabbed my hand, looking at it closely, examining it.


"I'm fine, I promise."


He nodded, still worried.

He helped my up, and waited for me to wipe the dirt off my jeans.


He pulled my close, worried I might fall again.

We continued along what seemed like an old path,

the trees bending over us like an archway,

until we reached a shed.

It was weathered, worn, old.

I looked at him, then back at the shed.

I walked over to it, letting go of his hand to peek inside.


There were broken boards on the floor, and a symbol scratched into the wooden wall.

It was a large O with an X crossed through it.

I giggled, not quite sure why I was so pleased.

I walked to the wall with the symbol, and sat down against it, back to the wall.

He joined me, sitting down next to me.


We sat for awhile, enjoying each others company, before I finally fell asleep.


....