Estela by Miu

Seven days.

Just seven days . . .

I sighed.

I glanced left and right, checking if the man followed me in the falls.

In the past days, I was avoiding him like the plague. Even though he was nothing but persistent to strike a conversation with me –– I didn't oblige and continued to ignore and avoide him.

When the coast was clear, I undressed and submerged in the cold refreshing water. Hopefully, the darkness of the night could hide my presence.

It was a while that I took a bath. Not because I couldn't, but because I was too afraid he would attack me like what happened last time. So I sneaked out and took baths at night when he was fast asleep.

Ahh . . . this is the life . . .

I'll miss this kind of life when I get back to the city. Though this way of living had its own inconveniences and danger like poisonous frogs, spiders, scorpions and snakes and sometimes massive creatures like bears, tigers, and wolves –– but living at one with nature proved to be much more peaceful than the city.

I hummed while I bathe myself.

Then I paused humming when my ears picked crackling sounds –– like someone was stepping on dried leaves.

I became alert.

I observed my surroundings when the sound grew nearer. I submerged in the water with only my narrowed eyes peeking at the direction of the sound.

My eyebrows knitted when Zhander toppled my view.

It was a good thing I hid my clothes behind a big rock, and with this darkness with only the moon as our light, it was near impossible to notice anything nor anyone.

He didn't seem to know I was here since he was glancing left and right, assisting his surroundings.

I felt suffocated, and my vigorous beating heart was not helping. I raised myself from the water until my nose could breathe again.

I gulped when he didn't leave anything behind!

The darkness wasn't enough to hide his sculpted body, and the dim blue lights from the moon shining on him only made him even more enchanting. The shadows teasingly covered some of his muscles, and it made me salivate imagining what lies hidden beyond the dark.

I snapped out from ogling at him when he made his way towards the waterfall, which was just two meters away from me.

Oh, dear! Oh, dear!

I didn't breathe. I didn't blink. I carefully, slowly, quietly crept away from him, putting distance between us.

When he stopped, I stopped.

I thought my heart would leap out from my throat when he turned his head towards my direction.

. . .

. . .

After a while, he submerged in the river.

I wanted to sprint and jump from where I was, but my feet were trembling too much. It felt like it couldn't carry my weight if I move.

I turned my head, desperately finding him in the dark.

SPLASH!

My eyes went to that sound and breathed a sigh of relief when he emerged ten meters away from me.

He didn't notice me!

My sighs turned into awe as I watched him in pure amazement and adoration.

He was running his fingers through his wet hair. His head was lowered as droplets of aqua fell off from his hair, from his face, and into the stream. His amethyst eyes appeared glowing under the moonlight as he stared at the river, seemingly lost himself in its depth. His sculpted body glistened, and all around him were sparkling.

Thump

Thump

BATHUMP!

My heart slammed against my chest. It felt like my ribs would shatter from its vicious thumping. My lungs constricted as I was gasping for air. My head was pounding in rhythm with my heart, and I felt dizzy, suffocated.

I could even hear my own heart, or was it the pounding pain of my head?

I felt like any moment, I'd lose consciousness.

Holding my pounding head and heart, I closed my eyes as I staggered backward, trying hard to maintain my balance.

The noise I created was all the man needed to turn around and steady his eyes in my direction.

"Little Stela . . ."

Oh Crappy P***