Ash: Shattering Illusions

Chapter 9

The very next day, Renzo could still feel the spot where Ash had kissed him. He could still feel the slight pressure of her lips, her outtake of breath against his skin as she kissed him there. Renzo shivered involuntarily and wondered whether he should be taking a cold shower. Thinking about Ash kissing his ass was turning him on. It was rather perverse.

He got out of bed and made himself a cup of coffee, drinking it slowly, the burning liquid coming close to scorching his throat and mouth. He still couldn’t figure out what was so off set about Ash. She wasn’t like any woman he had ever known. Wasn’t like any human woman alive. Was she even human? He shook his head, trying to rid himself of those thoughts. Of course she was human, what else could she be? Some where in his mind he heard ‘a faerie, she’s a faerie.’ He hit his forehead, trying to stop thinking these foolish thoughts. Faeries weren’t real, they were just some made up fantasy story characters for young imaginations. ‘if faeries aren’t real, then what about Nala and Milo?’ Renzo stopped dead in his tracks, suddenly realising that he was pacing back and forth. He’d forgotten about his childhood imaginary friends. But they were imaginary, he knew they were since no one else could see them but him. Plus he hadn’t seen them since he was nine.

Renzo mentally slapped himself, he was being stupid. Ash was a real woman, she wasn’t anything but that. Albeit she was a woman with some weird quirks. For example she was totally convinced that someone knowing her full name would give them the power to command her to do whatever they wanted. That was just plain ridiculous. Though, in all fairness, it was not all that displeasing, he did get his ass kissed… Literally.

He grabbed his coat, still unable to think straight. He needed some fresh air to clear his head, he needed to go for a walk. Maybe he should go back to the woods and see if there was anything there that could reassure him that she was a real human being.

It was still mid-day, but from inside of the forest it felt like the dead of night. Renzo was standing next to a giant mound, the tall grass that covered it was up to his waist. With no idea how he even got there in the first place, he looked around searching for any sign of Ash, or any movement in the bushes. It had already been ten minutes and he still didn’t see anything except for the forest wildlife. Renzo sighed and plopped himself down, leaning back on the mound, sighing in defeat. First he couldn’t clear his head so he’d gone for a walk, and then after being unable to find the exact place where he’d found Ash just a short time ago he managed to get himself lost. Maybe a few minutes of inactivity would help him to remember how to get back to civilisation.

He must have fallen asleep, because he was awoken by someone or something pinching him quite hard. Renzo sat up quickly, hitting at the air around him to smack whatever pinched him. Looking around he noticed the bushes move and heard some giggling.

“Who’s there?” He was getting scared. Bad enough he got himself lost, but he fell asleep too and now someone pinched him and was giggling in the bushes. What kind of twisted perverts would do that?

“It’s only us.” The thing had a voice that sounded like tinkling bells. There was another giggle. Renzo furrowed his brow.

“Who’s us?” He tried not to let the fear creep into his voice.

“Have you already forgotten us? Forgotten your past?” Another voice spoke, also sounding like little bells. Ray rubbed his eyes. Perhaps he was still dreaming.

“Well I would answer that if I knew who was speaking.” A hint of annoyance was lacing his voice.

“Tsk, tsk. You shouldn’t be so hasty, it can get you into lots of trouble. Remember the time when you were so eager to catch a frog and slipped into the deep end of the lake, almost drowning?” Both of the creatures laughed again. “And we had to save you?”