Contradicting Worlds 7 My Wound Won't Heal

I THINK IT'S BEEN YEARS SINCE I'VE HAD A COMFORTABLE SLEEP. I squint when I open my eyes. My head is still groggy from last night. I didn't know how I came from this bed. Did I crawl? No, no. I remember someone carrying me.

The door bang open. I look up, startle. "Sorry," Rave said. He's holding a tray with food on it. "I figured you are hungry perhaps?" he looks at me with wary eyes as though my answer would be the cause of his death. I press my lips so that a laugh won't escape. Wait, what am I doing? Yesterday I talk to him. And today I am laughing because of him.

I cleared my throat. "Put it here," I motion for the table beside me. "You brought me to your room," I think he's the one who carried me since there's just the two of us here.

"Yep," he sit at the edge of the bed. He places his hand on my forehead.

"What are you doing?" His eyebrows were furrowed.

"You were burning last night," he gets a gla.s.s of water and a tablet. "Here, take this," for a moment I just stare at his open palm before I take the medicine. "It will help ease your headache," Headache? "You were literally crying all night. I found that in the cabinet in the kitchen. Now rest," he pushes me gently and cover me with the blanket. "And sleep." I slowly close my eyes and drift into sleep.

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A week had pa.s.sed. This is probably the first time in my life that I feel grateful for having someone taking care of me. Even help from Micha I would resist, I don't know why I am letting this guy take care of me. What is wrong with him? Or rather what is wrong with me?

On Monday morning my fever had finally gone away. I get into my clothes. A black tank top, a dirt coloured trouser, and military shoes. I tied my hair in high ponytail before I went out for my daily routine.

I found Raven punching a tree outside. He's half-naked and I feel my cheeks burn. His bare chest is heaving slightly, sweat is p.r.i.c.kling on his skin making his necklace stick onto his chest. I clear my throat, he turns. Now I have a better view of his chest. I feel heat rising on my face. Bad idea. "D-doesn't that hurt?" I finally recover my senses.

"Nope," he said. "Look," he holds out his fists to me. I narrowed my eyes in interest. His wounds heal themselves. "You don't seem surprised,"

"Nope," I shake my head. "Not at all." I smiled at his confused expression. I get my crossbow inside the tree trunk. I hold the arrow, take a deep breathe before I plunge it in my body straight through the chest. I let out a shuddering breath. I don't really feel anything at all. It's as though someone just pinches me.

I remove the arrow from my body and blood runs out. He gasps. He moves towards me but I stop him. "It's okay." I feel the wound just now, slowly healing. "So we are the same," I said when the wound was completely healed.

He stares at me. "Do you perhaps know why?"

"Nope," I said. "But now I know that I am not the only different among all of the different ones."He looks at me in comfusion.

He moves away from me to get his s.h.i.+rt and he slips it on. "What are you doing outside anyway?" I said changing the subject.

"Nothing, just running my daily routine." Silence envelops us then his bare chest rush through my memories. I can feel myself blus.h.i.+ng. He strides towards me.

"Are you alright?" He asks, placing a hand on my forehead. "Are you still sick?"

I wave his hand away. "No," now I'm more embarra.s.sed. Then my eyes widen as I realise something. "Wait, can you teach me how to use that thing? What was it called again? G-gu--gums? No, but it's a g-word." He laughs at me. Probably because I look like the dumbest person he's ever met. Well, he can't blame me it's my first time seeing that thing.

"You mean gun." He said with a gentler tone. "Well, if you're ready why not."

"I am always ready," I blurt out.

"I like that confidence of yours," then he smiles. His dimples are waving at me. I blush again. "Wait for me, I'm gonna get my weapon." He turns and leaves.

I walk to a tree and lean against it. My breathing quickens. Earlier this morning I thought that the wound on my leg would be fully healed that's why I stab myself with my arrow to test if I am not healing myself anymore. I bite my lower lip to fight off a scream as a searing pain cuts through me. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I turn around to see Raven standing before me hands on his hips. "Yeah," my voice betrays me. "Yeah," I pull myself upright.

"Here," he hands me his gun. The weight felt different than my crossbow. It's heavier and smaller. "Look at the tree over there?" I frown.

"It's 25m away from us. It's too near," I said. "I don't have a problem with shooting range. I just need you to teach me how to use this."

"Right, okay." He puts his hand up as if he's surrendering. "How about that one?"

"100 meters away. Pretty good. Okay, I'm ready." I said.

"You see that little circle over there? The one in the middle of the trunk?" I nod. "You try to shoot that yea?"

"Yeah,"

"Okay so first," he started. "Hold the gun with your dominant hand the one you use in writing," I do as he said. "Now your thumb should be on the one side of the grip while your middle, ring, and pinky fingers curled on the other side. Your index finger should be the one to pull the trigger. Your other hand should steady the gun." I follow his lead. "Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. The opposite foot of your dominant hand should be one step away from the other." I gasp when his hand went in either side of my hips. He rightens my position. "You might want to bend your knees a little to hold your ground. The impact of the gun may knock you out of balance." I nod in determination. He removes his hand from griping my hips. "The sound of the gunshot may hurt your ears but since we don't have the proper equipments---"

"I don't need it," I said through gritted teeth.

"Okay," he steps away from me. "Now, hit it." I take a deep breathe and pull the trigger.

He's right, the impact nearly knocks me over but I hold my ground. The sound of it echoed in my ears. I stagger backwards. An arm caught me. "Nice shot," he points his chin to the target. I look at it. The bullet hit the trunk just a few cms shy away from the bull's eye.

"Thank you," I step away from him. "It's almost noon, let's go back inside and eat."

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When midnight comes I do what I usually do. Hunting. I walk quietly. Earlier after we have eaten Raven and I had a few shots. He taught me how to use that gun and I taught him how to use my crossbow. He also taught me a few ways how to hand to hand combat.

I made my stop when I found a tall tree. I place my crossbow on my back and start climbing. I waited and waited. My eyes are searching for warriors like they are designed to do it. Then I heard a fierce scream. From up here I can see someone running with two people following her. I glance down, I am probably 50 feet up from the ground. My eyes dart at the girl again. She's got cornered. They are advancing on her. By the time I climb down the girl will be most likely dead. Well, it's all or nothing. I let out a shaky breath then jump.

My feet landed on the mud. I fight the urge to scream when I felt the searing pain on my leg. I look down. s.h.i.+t. My wound opened, blood is running down omit. I shook my head. Gotta move.

I run as fast as I can but when I reach the tree where the girl was cornered just now I found nothing. Then I heard a gunshot behind me. I whirled around to see Raven towering over a girl who's now clutching her leg. "Wait, what---" I said.

"I followed you," he said not taking his eyes off to the girl. "When we were practising you were breathing heavily I thought it was because it's hot but it's not. You kept glancing at your wounded leg. Then I saw you earlier heading out," his voice started to rise. "What were you thinking?"

For once, I was lost for words. "I-i-i----" my words were cut off when I see a girl behind him. "Look out!" I shout. Then I shot on the girl. My arrow hit her shoulder. She let out a yell. She runs away from us. I look around me and Raven did the same. Somehow the girl he pinned earlier was out of sight now.

We stand back to back now without letting our guard down. I squint through the darkness, letting my eyes adjust. That's when I see them. "Hey," I whisper to Raven. "Can you see them?"

"Yeah," he said. "There are almost 10 of them encircling us."

"There's 2 of us," I reply. "They've got knives and swords while we got a crossbow and a gun including my super knife here."

"I've only got 5 bullets here," he said.

"Well that makes 10 cause I got 5 arrows here," I said. "One for each of them."

"Hey hey hey," a voice said. "If it isn't our little hero here. The black hunter," they are advancing towards us.

"Are you afraid?" I tried to sound calm. "You brought friends with you. What? Scared on a one on one?" Warriors hate being called scared or anything. She advances to me with lightning speed but I am much faster. I dodge her knife, rolled to the side, then I release an arrow. It hit her straight in the stomach. She let out a scream.

"NOOOOO!" one of them said. "I WILL KILL YOU!" She runs towards me knife in the air. Raven shot her on the chest but not close to the heart, she will live.

Then all of them come running towards us. The next moments went in a blur. Raven and I manage to dodge every blow. We're shooting them either on their legs or shoulders or sides. We move in a very sync motion as if we are fighting together for so long. Both he and I were breathing heavily by the time we've finished fighting. A wide grin appears across his face. I smile back.

Then he stares at me in horror, he points his gun to me. I whirled around just in time to have a knife buried in my ribs. My knees buckle under me. My vision began to blur, black patches filled my sight. The next thing I know, Raven is leaning over me. I brought my hand to cup his face telling him that it's okay, it will heal. But I know that I am wrong because I can feel my energy draining out.

Then I see a little girl sitting beside me. A very beautiful girl. She runs a hand gently on my hair. I feel sticky with my blood. My breathing slowed. The last thing I remember is Raven telling me he's sorry.