Til Death Tears Me Apart Once Again [Discontinued]

VIII: Stranger

???'s POV

The moment I hit the water, I was expecting a cool, calmness to wash over me.

Instead, the very fires of hell exploded across my entire being.

I reflexively screamed, only for water to enter my throat and start choking me. Something wraps and slithers around my body as I writhe and struggle against it. What is that? A demon? Is that why the water burns so much? The pain and pressure in my chest is the only thing that is getting better...what is going on?

I try to open my eyes, but they burned so I couldn't open them for long, only glimpsing blue and black before returning to darkness once more. I reached my mind into it.

Bro? Are you there?

There is no reply.

...How strange. If the pain in my chest is gone, that should mean...

The burning stops, a sudden jerk and a solid thud, leaving only pinpricks of numbness all over.

My body turns on its own to cough out all the water in my lungs, leaving my throat burning. I lay back down, opening my eyes now that all that bothered my body was gone. My ears were stuffed though, and maybe I was hallucinating because I heard muffled screaming.

A surreal feeling washes over me at the sight of the clear, azure day sky, a part of me having expected the night one instead. Or the cave ceiling. A gentle breeze blows, cooling my seared skin and the scent of sweet flowers fill my being. Another difference, it's better than the stale air I am used to.

Feels like I am dreaming...

Something -no, someone- fills my vision. In the same instant, I feel my heart start to pound, the sound of blood rushing loud in my ears. Why? The last time this happened was when I first killed someone. This young lady was anything but...what was the word again? Scary? Yes, scary. She was not scary at all.

In fact, she was very beautiful.

Mesmerising blue eyes rest atop perfectly proportioned features, her cherry pink lips slightly parted. Long, silky locks of black hair cascaded below her bare shoulders, a few slipping from behind her bejewelled ears to tickle my face.

I grab a lock of hair and pull it towards me with one hand-

"Wha-!"

  -while the other free hand materialises a black dagger to point at her throat.

Her face, so close to mine, freezes with...fear? Surprise? No, annoyance. She's annoyed. When a knife's at her throat. Interesting.

"What is your business with me?" I croaked, voice weak and sounding raspy. 

"Business?" She looked confused and angered at the same time. "Um...none? Other than can you let go of my hair?!"

"Be glad that I have not slit your throat yet."

"...What on-" She cuts herself off, gaping, disbelieving. "Wow. I- What am I...Am I supposed to thank you?" 

I was about to reply 'no, why would you do that?' before pausing. What was it that bro told me this was again? Oh yes. "Sarcasm."

"Eh?"

"You were being sarcastic."

"No shit, Sherlock." Her delicate eyebrows furrow, a million thoughts flashing through her eyes within a second, then recognition dawns, then nothing again. I feel myself tense up, strange.

"Sarcasm again."

"Oh for fu- goodness sake." She corrected herself, clearly exasperated. "Is this how you treat everyone who saves you? Point a knife to their throat?"