Mystery Lights

Chapter 17

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Saint's  POV

Perth walked beside me as I followed a path that led deeper into the forest.

Then I stopped at the edge of the path that led into a clearing. The clearing.

As I stood on the exact same spot where my first cousin Tanya and I had stood several years ago, everything came flooding back to my memory as clearly as if it was yesterday, or should I say as if it was happening right at the very moment.

We had sneaked away from the cabin that my parents and her parents had rented for the weekend. We had wanted to explore the deeper parts of the forest.

We were running and laughing and holding hands as we brushed away some overgrown bushes along our path.

Then we came into this clearing. This exact same clearing where I am standing now.

We stopped and stood facing each other and took in several deep breaths to get some much needed oxygen into our lungs.

Then suddenly Tanya grabbed me and pulled me close to her.

She moved her face close to mine. And then closer ... and closer ...

My brain was telling me 'Stop, this is wrong' but for some reason I felt myself getting drawn more and more ... and more ... until our lips met.

"No!" I screamed internally.

I shuddered as a streak of something like an electric shock rushed from the lowest part of my spine all the way to my head.

In the next second I had lost consciousness.

I felt myself being shaken awake.

I heard two voices talking to me at the same time.

"Saint! Wake up!" I recognized Perth's voice.

"Saint! What happened?" I recognized Zee's voice.

I felt Perth raising me to a sitting position on the ground.

Then I felt Zee placing his arms under both my armpits and bringing me to my feet.

I couldn't find any words to describe what I had just gone through so I kept quiet the whole time that both Perth and Zee were holding me up while I weakly walked back to the inn.

The receptionist gave the three of us a curious look as we stepped into the lobby but did not say a word or ask any questions.

Perth unlocked the door of our rented room and opened the door.

Zee assisted me inside and made me lie down on my bed.

"Are you going back home within today or are you staying till tomorrow?" Zee asked Saint.

Before I could answer, he added, "I suggest that as soon as you feel stronger you head back home today."

"Not yet," I responded. "I need one more full day in the forest to do some soul searching."

"What do you need soul searching for?" Zee asked angrily. He did not bother to hide his impatience with me.

Before I could respond, Perth went over to the door and held it wide open.

"If you are going to be rude or mean to Saint, you have to go," Perth said, still holding the door open for Zee.

Zee turned angrily to Perth.

"Don't tell me what I can or can't do," Zee barked at Perth. "You are just his driver and companion or personal assistant, whatever service you do for him. I am his psychiatrist. I get to tell him and advise him what to do or not to do, according to what I believe is good for him."

I decided to say my piece.

"Zee, I am not at your office right now doing a consultation with you," I said firmly, although my voice still sounded weak. "Please leave me for now. I would like to be alone with my thoughts."

Zee stood where he was, staring thoughtfully at me. I could not tell what was going on in his mind. 

After a few seconds he turned to Perth and said, "Did you hear him? He said that he wants to be alone with his thoughts. That means you have to go as well."

With those words Zee walked towards the door and then stopped short of walking out of it.

He stretched his arm towards the door with a flourish and then turned to Perth and said, "After you, Mr. Personal Assistant of Saint."

"I need Perth to stay," I said to Zee, ignoring the dark look that he gave me before he walked out the door.