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Love Adventures

It was a warm summer day in the end of August.  The sun was shining over the freshly cut soccer fields and school had just started again.  The air was damp and there was fresh dew on the ground.  The school buses were arriving and the teenagers were getting off the buses and heading into an eight hour school day.

I am Alexis Johnson.  I’m fifteen years old, and I go to Ampery High School.  My best friend is Bailey Thompson.  I also have three other friends that are awesome: Julie Ferow, Ashley Surge and Heidi Reed.  We’ve been friends since first grade and been inseparable since.  Everyone at school likes me and has nothing against me.  All the teachers love me; I guess you could say I’m a perfect student.  I get all A’s and was voted prettiest girl in the school last year when I was a freshman.  Oh, and did I tell you this really annoying guy named Trevor has been asking me out for a year?   He’s the captain of the soccer team and has something for me.  I know that I’m the captain of the cheerleading team, but this guy is only a gold-digger and wants to get in my pants and that’s it.

The area where I live is a small town surrounded by meadows, farm land and forests. I live in a wealthy community of lawyers and surgeons.  My mom is a lawyer and my dad, you guessed it, is a surgeon.  My life revolves around money and getting good grades.  Oh sure, you think that’s the life.  You might think so.  My life has no adventure.  I want to go out and live free and not be all cooped up inside with piano lessons.

It was at about twelve-thirty and the bell rung for free time outside.  The teachers stay inside to work on papers and whatever teachers do.  I went out with my friends, and we were hanging at the top of the hill over looking the guy’s soccer game.  Heidi said that she had to go to the bathroom, and you know girls, they have to go in a group.  So, Bailey and Julie got up to go with her.  “Are you coming with us?” Bailey asked.

“No,” I replied.  “I’m gonna stay here.”

“Ok,” Bailey said.  They walked to the building and went in through the side entrance.  I looked back at the game and saw that Trevor was jogging up the hill.  I sighed in annoyance and leaned back on my hands.  He came up and sat right next to me.

“Which team are you rooting for?” he asked giving me a wink.

“Any other team that beats you into the ground,” I said.

“Ou, harsh, cheerleader girl,” he said grabbing my dirty blonde hair and smelling my raspberry shampoo.  “Mmm, my favorite,” he said giving me a seductive smile.

“Get away from be you big boar,” I said pushing him off me.

He let go of my hair and replied, “Make me.”  He was leaning in to kiss me and I was ready to punch him in the face, when I saw a black figure run around on the soccer field grabbing the team’s bags and water bottles.  I started laughing because he was taking Trevor’s bag.  “What?” Trevor asked leaning away.  I was giggling and pointed down to the field.  He glared down at the field and saw that the figure was taking his bag.  “Hey, that’s my bag,” he said standing up.  “My cell phone is in there.”  He ran down the hill and after the black figure that was already running to the boundaries of the school and where we couldn’t go.

I stood up and ran down the hill after Trevor and went and hid in the tall grass near the boundaries.  I crossed the boundary and saw about five different black figures.  They had different black clothes and black ninja-like masks covering everything on their faces, but their eyes.  I started to follow them and heard behind me that Trevor was yelling for the figure to come back and give him his stuff.  I giggled because he would never get it back.

I was out of the grass and into the forest now.  I saw the figures heading toward the light at the other end of the forest.  I hurried toward the light because I was losing them. I ran and found myself in a huge field.  I had a feeling that I was not in my hometown boundaries anymore.  I couldn’t see where the field ended, and it was full of long grass and wild flowers.  I took a few steps forward and the seven black figures all jumped out of the grass from where they were hiding and were surrounding me with hand-made knives and spears facing me.  I screamed when they jumped out, and when I did the one that was caring Trevor’s bag put his hand over my mouth.

“Alexis, be quiet.  Do you want them to here us?” the figure said and I realized it was a boy speaking.  He took his hand off my mouth hesitantly waiting for me to scream again.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice shaking.  “How do you know my name?”

He took off his black mask, then he finally looked familiar and replied, “I’m Alister O’Shea, don’t you remember?  Two years ago I was one of your best friends.”

I blinked twice remembering the good times we had when he was one of my neighbors.  When we were little we said that we would get out of this gated community and find some adventure.  Two years ago suddenly he went missing and I was crushed.  Who would I go on adventures with?  I couldn’t believe he was here in front of me.

I hugged him like I would never see him again.  Everyone else put down their spears and took off their masks.  Alister hugged me back with the same energy.  I released him and looked around at everyone else.  I realized that I’ve seen them before.  They were kids on Lost signs at the gas station and everywhere else in town. All six boys went missing in the last two years. They looked the same age around the time they went missing.  Alister still looked seventeen.

I turned back toward Alister. “Why didn’t you come home?” I asked him.  He glanced down.

“I’ll tell you on the way back home,” he said turning toward the big field.

“But, home is that way,” I said pointing toward the forest.

“You said that you wanted adventure.  Right?” he asked me taking my hand, smiling.

“Yeah,” I said a little apprehensive.

“Well, you can have an adventure,” he said with a grin and walked toward the giant field.  Finally some adventure.  I don’t mind leaving home.  I don’t care about leaving everyone I love behind.  All my life I’ve been looking for adventure, and I’ll be able to have it.

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It took about two days to get to our destination.  During that time Alister told me that he met this kid that lived in the awesome place, and said that if he wanted adventure that he should come with him.  Alister did, so he went with this kid to Joraushy city.

The trip went pretty fast.  The meadow glowed at night with fireflies.   During the day the butterflies would fly all around me and land on the top of my head.  The grass was a light green and it was up to my knee.  It looked like my adventure had just started.

We arrived at our destination and it looked like one of those villages that you see on the Travel channel with people in loin cloths and such.  But this was different, they had clothes that they had back home, but they were a little ratted.  They were also, it looked like, just kids between ten to eighteen.  The people looked like normal kids, fine with just leaving their parents for themselves.  They looked happy.  I wonder if they ever thought about their parents. The whole town came to the town square to greet Alister and the others home.  Then they noticed me.  Maybe they were not used to new comers, and that they might not like me or not want me to become like them.

“Alexis, this is Joraushy City, the city of teenagers, “Alister said gesturing toward the town.

I waved my hand and said, “Hi.”

They looked at me for a moment, and then all of a sudden they start clapping and cheering for me.  The crowd roared with joy.

Alister starter leading me through the crowd with the others walking behind us.  “Alexis, you said that you wanted adventure and here it is, Joraushy City.  If you want to be part of this city, you need to be betroved to someone and that someone is already picked out for you.”  We were arriving at the fountain in the middle of town and this one blonde boy was standing in front of it with a blank expression with his arms crossed.  We walked up in front of him and stopped.  He looked down at me because I was shorter than him.  He looked about six-one.  And I was only about five-four.  “Alexis, this is Evan Carter.  He guards the city at night,” Alister said gesturing toward the hot, model like boy who he called Evan.  This kid was the hottest guy I have ever seen.  I was instantly attracted to him with his blonde hair and his pine green eyes sinking deep into my soul.  Ok, that thought was corny but true.  His body was built like one of the guys in Abercrombie and Fitch.  He had no shirt on which made it even better.

I looked toward Alister with a curious expression and asked, “Why does it need to be guarded during the night?”

“Because the enemy towns try to come in here and steal stuff and kill us,” Evan said warming up to me.

“Oh,” I said, blushing because he was so darn cute.  “So are you the one…?” I started to ask before he interrupted me.

“Yes,” he said.  “I am.”

“Well then,” I said clearing my throat and looking away into the distance. “That’s awesome.”

“You’re really pretty,” he said toward me when we were standing alone once Alister left to find someone.

I looked up when I acknowledged that he spoke.  “Oh.” I said.  “Thank you.  I was voted most prettiest in my freshman year.”  We started to walk around the town talking, and he was giving me the grand tour of the city.

When we were done walking around the town he took me to his house which would become mine also.  All the houses were built mostly open because it wasn’t very cold often from what he told me.  When I first entered the town it did feel really hot like ninety to one-hundred degrees.  If it was that hot during the day, it must only get down to seventy in the evening.

When I walked in everything was open.  The bed was in the right corner on the back wall and the kitchen was in the left corner in the back of the house.  The dining room, well, a table and a few chairs, were right before the kitchen and that was it.  There was a little wall between the kitchen and the bed.  It was quaint, and it was cute for two people to live in.  We went inside and walked over and sat on the bed and just talked.  He asked me what my old life was like and my friends at school and my family.  My family wasn’t that special.  My brother was a senior in high school and wanted to go to Harvard, and my sister, who was a junior in high school, wanted to go to Africa and help with the hunger problem and me, I put on a show that I wanted to become an actress and get and Oscar at the age of twenty-two.  But that was all show. When I was done with college I was going to go travel the world, but I wasn’t going to tell my parents that because their dream for me was to be an actress and not go waste money on traveling and not to have a job.

When we talked he never once told me about his family.  Not once.  I finally got enough courage to ask him.  He told me that they were dirt to him and he didn’t care about them.  After that I kept quiet about his family.  I didn’t want to pressure him to telling me.  I knew how he felt.  I didn’t really care for my parents much.  He was asking all these questions of me like what was my favorite thing to do when I was little in my free time, and weird things like would I ever slip and slide in green jell-o with a hobo.  It was late when he finally stopped asking me questions.  He must have run out.  Then all of a sudden he got up and was walking to the door.

“Where are you going?” I asked alarmed.

“I have to go watch the city,” he said turning back toward me before turning the handle and walking out into the dark.  “I do this every night except on Fridays and Saturdays.”

“Oh,” I said facing downward.  Then I thought of an idea.  “Can I come with you tonight?”  I asked hoping he would let me.

He just glared at me for a couple seconds.  “No, absolutely not.  No way,” he said shaking his head.

“Why?” I asked turning my unbearable charm on that works on anybody.

“Because I don’t want you in danger.  The enemy could come at any time and just kill me or you if they wanted,” he said.  I barely even knew him and he didn’t want me in danger like that.  I guess when you are betrothed to someone that you care for them even before you love them.

“Just tonight,” I said using my charm against him.

He looked at me for a couple minutes scrutinizing his answer and what could happen in one night.  He finally sighed in defeat and said, “Fine.”  He looked up and pointed at me and became very serious.  “Tonight only, and that’s it.”  My charmed worked like I knew it would.

“Ok,” I said grinning.

“Come on,” he said gesturing for me to go out the door.  I jumped off the bed and ran to the door and stepped outside.  I watched him shut the door behind us and he grabbed my waist and started to joke around with me like we we’ve been a couple for months.

We headed to the side of the city and there was a rock sitting a few feet where the field started again.

“Is that where you sit every night?” I asked when we stopped just looking at the rock.

“Yeah, that’s were I am every night.  The reason I don’t work on Fridays and Saturdays is to spend time with you,” he said looking down at me and smiling at me.

Evan was gorgeous in the moon light.  His blonde hair was white from the moon gazing down on him.  His model face was more white than his hair.  His deep pine green eyes stared down into mine with deep concentration.  Suddenly he whisked me off my feet into bridal style in his arms and carried me to the rock. The whole time we were laughing.  He set me down and sat on the rock.

“You said that you were captain of the cheerleading team.  Well, show me your routine,” he said gesturing for the field in front of him.

“Ok,” I said.  I showed him the routine I just made up last Tuesday.  When I was finished I walked back over to him and he was gleaming at me with a smile that Tom Cruise would pay to have.  He must have liked what he saw.  It made me feel good that he liked it other than the squad.

“What?” I asked him putting my hands on my hips and leaning my hips to the side.

“Nothing,” he said turning me one hundred eight degrees and sat me on his lap.  We sat there for the longest time gazing at the stars until I fell asleep in his arms.

When I woke up I was in a little cottage that I remembered. I sat up and looked around; it was the cottage that Evan and I talked for hours in.  The sun was gleaming through the skin hide, home-made curtains and brushing across the floor making the house light up.  I looked back up at and out the window by the front door, and saw Evan talking to Alister and a boy I’ve never seen before.  He looked about eighteen.  I pulled back the covers which were also hide, and walked toward the front door.  The door was already propped open and I stepped out onto the small covered porch that ran across the whole front of the house.  Evan’s back was to me and was in deep conversation with the other two.  I walked toward them, and the two boys stopped talking when I started to walk to them.  Evan noticed and turned around.  When I reached him he was turning around to give me a hug.  He put his arms around me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. The other two waited and Evan turned back toward them.

“So it’s all set?”  Evan asked the boy I didn’t recognize.

“I think we are,” said Alister.  Evan shook both boys’ hands and they left.  Evan stood there next to me with his arm around my waist watching them walk away with that same blank expression like when I first met him.

I looked up at him and asked, “What was that about?”

He looked down at me and said, “I’ll tell you later.”  I detected a hint of fear and joy in his voice, and I knew he was trying to hide it the best he could.  I knew better to just let it go like that because I know guys and they’ll hold it off until the last minute; then you know it’s bad.

“Let’s go meet my friends,” he said leading me off the porch and to the direction of the middle of town.

“Ok, then you’ll tell me?” I asked with him leading me around the waist.

“Yes, I’ll tell you, but not now,” he said holding it off more.  I was getting nervous when he held it from me.  I’m not one that’s good with patience.  We came up to the middle of the town and I saw about five people sitting on the fountain.  They all looked like gods sitting waiting on Mount Olympia.  We were arriving in front of them, and they were all just staring at me.  I pretended not to notice and just kept my head down looking at the ground.  We stopped in front of them, and I could still feel their gazes right on me.

Then I heard one of them speak. “Evan, buddy what’s up?  Who’s this pretty little lady?” the kid said pointing all the attention to me.  I was usually alright in front of people but not now because I never knew these people.  All the kids at school I know but with these kids they were complete strangers except Alister and Evan.

“This is Alexis,” Evan told him proudly hugging me closer around my waist.  I could see why he’s so proud because I am gorgeous.

“Well, hello Alexis.  I’m Michael Brady.  It nice to see Evan with someone.  Especially after he’s been alone for so long.  And lucky him that the most handsome boy gets the most prettiest girl,” he said making me blush even more and that’s not easy.  “This is Dylan Shaw, Cory Wright, Sean Wilson and he’s betrothed to Natasha Jones,” Michael said, pointing out them each.

I finally looked up and said back to all of them, “Nice to meet you all.”

I was examining them, and I saw a weird marking on the guy’s left arms and on the girl’s stomachs.  The girls only wore shirts showing their stomachs.  I was concentrating and found out that they looked like initials.  The only one without these initials was Michael, Evan and I.  “What are those?” I asked pointing to the marking on the girl named Natasha’s stomach.

“Those are betrothed scars.  That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Evan leaned down and whispered in my ear.

“Oh, I see,” I whispered back.

“We have to go see Dr. Sherman before he closes up.  So see yeah later guys,” Evan said louder so the others could hear.  They all seemed to understand, everyone but me.  I was angry because I felt left out.  I was never left out.

“Have fun,” said Sean said.  Once he said that Natasha hit him on the arm.  What for? I don’t know.  I was starting to like Natasha.  She reminded me of Bailey with her tough love.  Evan and I started to walk to the south end of town.

“Will you tell me what the betrothed scars are all about now?” I asked once we were far enough away from the others so they couldn’t hear.

“Well, betrothed scars are the initials of the one that your betroved to.  With Sean and Natasha they have there initials on each other.  Sean has an NJ on the top of is left arm and Natasha has an SW on her full stomach.  How you get them is that our partner cuts them on you with a blade.  When they heal it leaves a mark on their arm or stomach of their partner’s initials.  It hurts briefly, and then it’s over, but it bleeds like hell; that’s why the doctor has to see us before, so he knows how well it will heal,” he finished when we reached a building that looked abandoned.

He opened the door and it made that creaking noise like in those Halloween movies when the place is haunted.  I stepped in with Evan behind me and he shut the door, and it made a slam and the sound echoed through the dusky empty rooms.  The room looked like a dusty hospital, with chairs and normal stuff.  We walked to the front desk and there was a girl my age sitting there writing something on a piece of paper.  “Where is Dr. Sherman?” Evan asked her while he reached over and grasped my waist pulling me tight.

I hated doctors.  Everything about them.  When I was at my old home I had to go to the doctor’s when I was twelve.  It was horrible.  I was supposed to get a tetanus shot that visit, and I despise shots.  They had the needle ready and were about to sterilize my arm, when I hopped down from the table and was cornered in the room.  The nurse was in front of the door, my only escape.  I kicked the boy nurse in the groin and ran out the door and into the lobby.  A person ratted me out that I was hiding under a couple of seats in the waiting room.  The nurses grabbed me and dragged me out from under the chairs.  It took about seven nurses to take me back into the room and then hold me down for the shot.  It was the worse day of my life.  Ever since then I hated the doctors.

I started to shiver from the thought of doctors.  Evan felt the vibration of my fear and quickly stiffened.  “What’s wrong?” he asked embracing me with both his arms and holding me close to him.

“Nothing,” I said hugging back still shivering.

“Then why all of a sudden did you start shaking?  It’s not cold here,” he said looking at me with concern in his pine green eyes.

“I’m just really afraid of doctors,” I said digging my face into his chest.

He was rubbing his hand up and down my arm to calm me down and it worked.  I stopped shivering to hear what the girl at the desk said.

“He’ll be out in a minute,” she said with a smile and looked toward me.  “You can go have a seat.”  She gestured toward the chairs in the corner.

Evan led us to chairs.  He noticed that I still looked apprehensive over seeing the doctor, and instead of having me sit on the chair next to him he sat me on his lap.  He put his arms around me, and we sat there waiting.

It was ten minutes later when he came out to see us.  I stood up and Evan followed my example.  “Hi, Evan, and this must be Alexis.  Wow, you’re very beautiful,” he said shaking our hands.  He made me blush.  Why did everyone here want me to blush in front of them?  “Well follow me, or would you be fine just talking here?” he asked us.  I looked up at Evan and he was staring back.

He lifted his head and replied, “Here will be fine.”   Evan gestured to the seats that we were sitting in.  I sat in a chair this time and just held Evan’s hand.

“So Evan you want to do the betrothed ceremony as soon as possible.  Am I correct?” the Dr. Sherman asked with a pen and a clipboard with a form.

“Yes, that’s correct,” Evan said with a look of determination in his eyes.  I also sensed a hint of pride and joy in his glistening eyes.  I was confused.

“Is it to this girl right here with you?” Dr. Sherman asked after writing a couple things down on the form.  “What’s your last name sweet heart?” he asked and he could only be about eighteen.

“Umm,” I cleared my throat. “It’s… Johnson.  Sir, Alexis Johnson,” I said shyly.  I turned my head to face the floor.  Then Evan squeezed my hand with reassurance.  I looked up at him and smiled.  I was finally realizing what we would have to do for the betrothed ceremony.  I looked back at Evan and my eyes were wide with fear.  Evan would have to carve an EC into my stomach and watch me bleed.  And I would have to………cut an AJ into his left shoulder.  What if I put too much pressure on skin with the blade and cut a major artery?

“I see that you’re apprehensive about this ceremony, and I can assure you that you will not mess up and it will be ok.  In this city it’s different.  If you get hurt it’s not supposed to bleed for long because we don’t grow old, and we live until the end of time.  If you go back to the outside world then you will start aging. Do you understand?”  Dr. Sherman asked me looking at me to see if I understood.

“Yeah, I understand.  It’s just a shocker and a kick in the butt,” I said shaking my head.

“Well, it will at first, but once it’s done then you’ll understand.  Because when you get betrothed to someone then you are entitled to them and can’t be with anyone else.  You can marry someone else, but you still belong to the one you’re betrothed to,” Dr. Sherman said, and I was glaring at him like I was confused when I really wasn’t.  “Like if you are betrothed to Evan then you leave and marry someone else then you still belong to Evan and not the other person.”

It was clear that Evan would own me soon enough, and he had been waiting for a long time for this to happen, I didn’t want him to wait any longer.  “So, when do we do it?”  I asked looking excited to get this over with, and be with Evan for the rest of eternity.

“Well, in an hour I guess.  I just have to take both your blood pressures and then you’re out of here.  But, just to remind you that the cut heals fast.  In half an hour it will be healed completely.”

“Ok,” I said holding out my arm.

He took both our blood pressures, and we were ready to get out of there.  I skipped out the door with Evan behind me.  I turned around to face him, and I ran and jumped into his arms.  He caught me.  We were like an official couple now, and I loved every minute of it.  I was staring into his eyes and he leaned his head up to place his lips firmly onto mine.  I was getting more excited to be his.  We parted and he set me down.  We were smiling and headed back to the house.

We sat there waiting and setting up for the ceremony and waiting for the hour to go by, and waiting.  It felt like that it was going a second an hour.  I sat there fidgeting with my hands. Evan noticed and sat there staring at me with my anticipation. He chuckled when he saw me sitting there all proper, and looking all high and royal.

I looked over at him and asked, “What?”

“Nothing,” he chuckled again.  Just then someone knocked on the side of the door because it was already propped open.  It was Dr. Sherman.

“You can go ahead and start,” he said handing me the blade.  “You know what to do.”  Then he left.

We were left there.  Evan stood up and went to shut the door.  The door shut with a slam.  He walked back over to me.  “Ladies first,” he said looking absolutely fine with this.

“Ok,” I said shaky.  I got the courage and Evan sat down in the chair next to me.  I gripped the blade in my hands.  It looked like I was going to write something on his arm with a marker, but instead of a marker it was a sharp blade.  There was no white out to cover up the mistake, and it would show forever.  I touched the blade to his skin and he flinched.  I automatically took the blade from his arm.  A long strip of blood was dripping from is arm.

“Sorry,” he said setting his arm back in my hands.  I started again where I left off and wrote my initials on his arm.   Once I was done I leaned back and looked at my work.    They were a cursive A and J.

The cut was bleeding a lot, so I took a towel and started to wipe away the blood.  When it stopped I went to the sink and wet the towel to clean his arm.  After I was done I realized it was my turn.

I got up on the table because my cut was on my full stomach and it would bleed a hell of lot more than Evan’s had.  I was wearing my shirt that showed my whole stomach.  Evan took the knife from me and wiped off the blood on the blade with a towel.  He leaned down to make sure he was in deep concentration.  He put the blade on my skin and put some pressure on it to cut my skin.  I screamed because it hurt really badly.  The tears came instantly.  He lifted it back off.

“I’m fine,” I said.  I needed to get through this for him.  “Go on.”

He put the blade back on my stomach where he lifted it from and marked a pointy E and C.                The whole time I was biting my bottom lip to keep from screaming.  Evan went and wet the towel to clean the cut.  After he cleaned it, it was perfect.  I now belonged to him, and he belonged to me.  We threw the towels away because we could never get out the stained blood.  I hopped down from the table and hugged my now husband figure.  He hugged me back and lifted his arm to raise my chin up to his face.  He kissed me with a new energy.  He ended the kiss too soon and walked over to the bed.   It had been a long day and we both needed sleep.  He let go of my hand and walked to the other side while I crawled in.  He turned off the lights and slipped in next to me.  I snuggled up to him and closed my eyes, not feeling any more content than now.  Evan had his arms around me and he was mine forever.  How could this get any better?  How could it go badly?

The next day I woke from the coldness of the bed and noticed that Evan was not there.  I jumped out of bed and ran outside with my hair and makeup a mess.  I stopped right in front of the house and looked around.  Not only did I not see him, I didn’t see anyone else.  I ran to the rock where we went the first night I arrived.  Maybe he was working overtime.  I ran as fast as I could.  I stopped flat ten feet from where the rock sat.  It was empty.  I turned and ran back to the house.  I came up to the house and saw Evan step out of the house alarmed.  He looked around and saw me running up to the house.  He came down the steps and I ran into his arms.  “Where were you?” he asked me kissing my hair.

“I was about to ask you the same question,” I said hugging closer to him.  “I thought we might have been attacked and you, and everyone else were taken.”

“I wouldn’t let them leave you here without me, and I wouldn’t let them separate us for any reason,” he said making sure I know what he will do if they did.

“Thank God.”

“Don’t run out of the house like that again.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

“Good,” he said burying his face into my hair.

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Later in the day we went to meet up with his friends, and Natasha grew on me.  She had the same problems I did.  Family, losing the one you loved, and normal teenage girl problems.  She was pretty, her hair jet black and her figure like a dancer. Her eyes were a piercing aqua and her lips full.  Her whole face was proportional. Natasha and I started to hang out more and became the best of friends.  She showed me dance moves and I showed her cheerleading moves.  We bonded when the boys were off being boys.

She was one of the only girl friend I had in Joraushy City.  All Evan’s friend’s girls were jealous of me.  Oh well, I didn’t mind.

One day when Natasha and I were walking around the town Evan ran up to us with a horrific expression on his face.  So were the other guys that were with him. “Evan, what is it?” I asked grabbing his shoulders in my hands.

I took them off and he grabbed my arms and said through breaths, “They’re…….. coming ……We………have to go.”  Just then Sean came up and grabbed Natasha and ran.

“We have to go.  Now,” Evan said, grabbing my wrist.  But it was too late.  The enemy was coming and we couldn’t beat them even if we tried.  They had armor on and weapons.  We had neither.  They were bulky because of the armor, but they looked scary.  We stayed where we were and were frozen with fear.  They surrounded us and Evan stood in front of me guarding me from them.  They charged and five grabbed Evan and held him, so he couldn’t get away which left me in the opening.  “Let her go you a**wholes.  I will kill you if you lay a hand on her,” Evan said, flailing.  They came from behind me and clutched me so hard it hurt.

“Ow,” I screamed when they grabbed me.  Evan stopped and stared straight at me and burst out at them like a tiger let out of a cage.  When he heard my scream it made him angry.  He warned them to not hurt me and they did.  He thrashed and kicked at the people holding him down.

“She’ll be perfect for the master,” a soldier said, and Evan was furious.

“You sun of a b****’s.  She’s mine.  You can’t have her.  She’s my property. And I told you not to hurt her and you did.  What the hell,” Evan screamed at the people.

I looked around and saw Sean and Natasha in the bushes hiding and staring at us with wide eyes.  The enemy picked me off the ground and started to carry me away.  This made Evan even more furious.  He got away at one point and was grabbed again.  He stopped in defeat because he knew he couldn’t win.  He stood there in the grasp of the enemy drenched in sweat watching them take me away from him.  We rounded the corner, and I could not longer see the only one I cared about the most.  I saw the soldiers that had him before.  They had their knifes out.  “NOOOOO,” I screamed, thinking the worst.  They probably killed him.  “EVAN.”  I would never see him ever again.  I wouldn’t hear his beautiful voice whisper in my ear at night.  Not again.

I was walking by now with my hands tied behind my back and wanting my life to be over and knowing it couldn’t.  We arrived at the other city and it was like my city, but something was different.  It looked like a castle was where everyone lived.  We headed through the gates and walked into the main room with two big thrones at the back of the room.  The thrones were on a pedestal.

Some teenagers with trumpets played their horns to summon the king, I presume, to enter and greet us.  A teen about eighteen walked out with fancy robes on and a gold crown on his head.  Wow, that’s special, not, I thought.  He sat down in one of the thrones and just looked at me.  One of the guards pushed me down on the floor, so I was kneeling in front of the king.

“You will be perfect for my wife.  What is your name?” the king asked checking me out.

I lifted my head and replied, “Alexis Johnson.”  I faced back down and stared down at the black and white floor.

“Do you have any special talents?” he asked.  What was he getting at?

“I can sing,” I said hoping he didn’t think anything of it.

“Wonderful, you will sing every night in front of the town.  And I mean every night.  If you can not show then there will be consequences.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”  Oh, boy now I have to sing in front of a bunch of people, goody.  I had nothing to lose.   The only one I loved was dead, and I couldn’t live without him.

They brought me up to a really fancy room.  I was to get dressed and head back downstairs to practice a song.  I would have escaped, but every door and windows were being guarded.

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I went down the grand staircase and met the king at the bottom.

“Wow, you look beautiful,” he said complementing my new wardrobe.  I would change this outfit to be in my old ratty ones.  He wasn’t not good looking; it was just that Evan looked a whole lot better.  His hair was chocolate brown and his eyes were brown.  They were a little close together.  My arm was locked with his, and he led me into the great ballroom where I would sing.  Everyone was staring at us and standing.  There were about five thousand people there.  The king led me up to the stage and took his place in the front row.  I sang a song that I’ve never heard before.  If this was it to keep me alive I would do it.  But that king better keep his dirty little paws off me.

I sang every night.  A different song every time.  But one day I came down with something and I couldn’t sing.  I couldn’t even talk right, let alone sing.  The king heard about this, and had me return to my old clothes and sent to the dungeon.

It was a cold wet cement brick room. A steal cage door was in the middle of a wall.  The bed was straw and there were rats running everywhere.  I couldn’t believe I was in a place like this.  I walked over and sat on the bed which was so uncomfortable compared to the one at Evan and my house.  I just sat there crying.  I could feel myself getting sicker, but I couldn’t help it.  My true love was dead, and I was here to die myself.  What a bad place to die.  I could see it now.  The guards were coming to bring me food and seeing rats pick at my cold flesh.  Thinking of this made me cry harder.

I was down in the dungeon for a couple weeks.  I was so weak I sat in the corner and refused to eat.  One day I heard people yelling and racing everywhere in the dungeon.  I heard people outside saying things like, “Look everywhere.”

“Got to be here somewhere.”

“We have to find…”

I could barely make it all because of my condition.  I knew I was on the brink of death.  I could barley keep my eyes open.  Just then I heard only people racing to find something.  I couldn’t hear any fighting.  All of a sudden my cage door was pried open and a figure stepped in the door way.  I opened my eyes to see a soldier standing front of me.  I cowered in the corner.  It was the enemy coming to kill me.  I focused on the face.  He rushed over to me and knelt next to me.  It was Evan.  He couldn’t be alive.  Then I knew I was dead.  He felt my forehead.

“Alexis, thank God I finally found you.  I missed you so much.  You’ll be ok,” he said with a hushed town.  I noticed several others in the door way watching us.

“Evan hurry, they’re coming,” one said.

“Ok.  Come on sweetheart,” Evan said lifting me from the cold, cement floor.  “You’ll live, hold on.”  He felt so warm.  He carried me out of the dungeon and up the stairs.  Some people were in front of us and some behind.  They were trying to shield me the best they could from the mess they had made.  I was almost out when I noticed a familiar face.  It was the king dead on the floor and there was fire everywhere. We headed out of the fire and away from dead bodies everywhere and into the peaceful field leaving them to their mess.  Evan held me as close as he could without hurting my fragile body.  I was close as I could get to warmth when I was in his arms like a bride being whisked off her feet.  I finally lost my control and fell into sleep.

When I awoke we were arriving at the entrance to the city, and saw everyone gathered outside.  They all looked around and saw me limp in Evan’s arms.  They gasped and the girls covered their mouths.  They thought I was dead.  Evan had a sad face on him and he was staring straight ahead and not looking down at me.  I wouldn’t blame him; he must have thought I was dead and to have me in his arms almost dead would make him unemotional.  He was followed by everyone that came on the rescue mission with him and everyone else followed.  He walked up the steps to the front porch of our little cottage and walked into the house.  He brought me over to the bed and laid me down on the soft, feathery mattress.  All the soldiers followed us in and were standing where they could fit.  One brought Evan a chair and he took it from him and sat it down by the bed, next to me.

They all patted his shoulder after a couple minutes and left so the doctor could come in.  The doctor was sitting in Evan’s chair while he closed all the curtains because the whole town was outside our cottage.  The doctor did a bunch of stuff that I couldn’t really see because my lids were mostly shut.  I would have kicked him and run outside, but I was  too weak to get up or even move. “She’ll live.  But only barely.  In other towns you can still die and get hurt.  It’s only here that that doesn’t happen.  You found her in time Evan.  She would have died if you hadn’t found her when you did,” Dr. Sherman said to Evan.  “She’ll be better by next week with the healing process.  But keep her covered and dab cold water on her forehead.  She has a temperature.”  He stood up and walked over to the door.

“Yes, Dr. Sherman,” Evan said not taking his glance from me.

“Ok then,” Dr. Sherman said turning the handle on the door.

Suddenly Evan jerked his head toward Dr. Sherman and said, “Jason…..Thanks so much.  I really owe you.  You saved her life.  I hope there is some way for me to repay you?”

“It’s nothing.  And don’t bother trying to pay me back.  I was happy to help.  It’s why I’m here.”  He stepped outside and closed the door behind him.  Evan glanced back at me and smiled knowing he could see me live and see my smiling face soon enough.

I had found my adventure and came out with the love of my life.

Description

Love Adventures

It was a warm summer day in the end of August.  The sun was shining over the freshly cut soccer fields and school had just started again.  The air was damp and there was fresh dew on the ground.  The school buses were arriving and the teenagers were getting off the buses and heading into an eight hour school day.

I am Alexis Johnson.  I’m fifteen years old, and I go to Ampery High School.  My best friend is Bailey Thompson.  I also have three other friends that are awesome: Julie Ferow, Ashley Surge and Heidi Reed.  We’ve been friends since first grade and been inseparable since.  Everyone at school likes me and has nothing against me.  All the teachers love me; I guess you could say I’m a perfect student.  I get all A’s and was voted prettiest girl in the school last year when I was a freshman.  Oh, and did I tell you this really annoying guy named Trevor has been asking me out for a year?   He’s the captain of the soccer team and has something for me.  I know that I’m the captain of the cheerleading team, but this guy is only a gold-digger and wants to get in my pants and that’s it.

The area where I live is a small town surrounded by meadows, farm land and forests. I live in a wealthy community of lawyers and surgeons.  My mom is a lawyer and my dad, you guessed it, is a surgeon.  My life revolves around money and getting good grades.  Oh sure, you think that’s the life.  You might think so.  My life has no adventure.  I want to go out and live free and not be all cooped up inside with piano lessons.

It was at about twelve-thirty and the bell rung for free time outside.  The teachers stay inside to work on papers and whatever teachers do.  I went out with my friends, and we were hanging at the top of the hill over looking the guy’s soccer game.  Heidi said that she had to go to the bathroom, and you know girls, they have to go in a group.  So, Bailey and Julie got up to go with her.  “Are you coming with us?” Bailey asked.

“No,” I replied.  “I’m gonna stay here.”

“Ok,” Bailey said.  They walked to the building and went in through the side entrance.  I looked back at the game and saw that Trevor was jogging up the hill.  I sighed in annoyance and leaned back on my hands.  He came up and sat right next to me.

“Which team are you rooting for?” he asked giving me a wink.

“Any other team that beats you into the ground,” I said.

“Ou, harsh, cheerleader girl,” he said grabbing my dirty blonde hair and smelling my raspberry shampoo.  “Mmm, my favorite,” he said giving me a seductive smile.

“Get away from be you big boar,” I said pushing him off me.

He let go of my hair and replied, “Make me.”  He was leaning in to kiss me and I was ready to punch him in the face, when I saw a black figure run around on the soccer field grabbing the team’s bags and water bottles.  I started laughing because he was taking Trevor’s bag.  “What?” Trevor asked leaning away.  I was giggling and pointed down to the field.  He glared down at the field and saw that the figure was taking his bag.  “Hey, that’s my bag,” he said standing up.  “My cell phone is in there.”  He ran down the hill and after the black figure that was already running to the boundaries of the school and where we couldn’t go.

I stood up and ran down the hill after Trevor and went and hid in the tall grass near the boundaries.  I crossed the boundary and saw about five different black figures.  They had different black clothes and black ninja-like masks covering everything on their faces, but their eyes.  I started to follow them and heard behind me that Trevor was yelling for the figure to come back and give him his stuff.  I giggled because he would never get it back.

I was out of the grass and into the forest now.  I saw the figures heading toward the light at the other end of the forest.  I hurried toward the light because I was losing them. I ran and found myself in a huge field.  I had a feeling that I was not in my hometown boundaries anymore.  I couldn’t see where the field ended, and it was full of long grass and wild flowers.  I took a few steps forward and the seven black figures all jumped out of the grass from where they were hiding and were surrounding me with hand-made knives and spears facing me.  I screamed when they jumped out, and when I did the one that was caring Trevor’s bag put his hand over my mouth.

“Alexis, be quiet.  Do you want them to here us?” the figure said and I realized it was a boy speaking.  He took his hand off my mouth hesitantly waiting for me to scream again.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice shaking.  “How do you know my name?”

He took off his black mask, then he finally looked familiar and replied, “I’m Alister O’Shea, don’t you remember?  Two years ago I was one of your best friends.”

I blinked twice remembering the good times we had when he was one of my neighbors.  When we were little we said that we would get out of this gated community and find some adventure.  Two years ago suddenly he went missing and I was crushed.  Who would I go on adventures with?  I couldn’t believe he was here in front of me.

I hugged him like I would never see him again.  Everyone else put down their spears and took off their masks.  Alister hugged me back with the same energy.  I released him and looked around at everyone else.  I realized that I’ve seen them before.  They were kids on Lost signs at the gas station and everywhere else in town. All six boys went missing in the last two years. They looked the same age around the time they went missing.  Alister still looked seventeen.

I turned back toward Alister. “Why didn’t you come home?” I asked him.  He glanced down.

“I’ll tell you on the way back home,” he said turning toward the big field.

“But, home is that way,” I said pointing toward the forest.

“You said that you wanted adventure.  Right?” he asked me taking my hand, smiling.

“Yeah,” I said a little apprehensive.

“Well, you can have an adventure,” he said with a grin and walked toward the giant field.  Finally some adventure.  I don’t mind leaving home.  I don’t care about leaving everyone I love behind.  All my life I’ve been looking for adventure, and I’ll be able to have it.

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It took about two days to get to our destination.  During that time Alister told me that he met this kid that lived in the awesome place, and said that if he wanted adventure that he should come with him.  Alister did, so he went with this kid to Joraushy city.

The trip went pretty fast.  The meadow glowed at night with fireflies.   During the day the butterflies would fly all around me and land on the top of my head.  The grass was a light green and it was up to my knee.  It looked like my adventure had just started.

We arrived at our destination and it looked like one of those villages that you see on the Travel channel with people in loin cloths and such.  But this was different, they had clothes that they had back home, but they were a little ratted.  They were also, it looked like, just kids between ten to eighteen.  The people looked like normal kids, fine with just leaving their parents for themselves.  They looked happy.  I wonder if they ever thought about their parents. The whole town came to the town square to greet Alister and the others home.  Then they noticed me.  Maybe they were not used to new comers, and that they might not like me or not want me to become like them.

“Alexis, this is Joraushy City, the city of teenagers, “Alister said gesturing toward the town.

I waved my hand and said, “Hi.”

They looked at me for a moment, and then all of a sudden they start clapping and cheering for me.  The crowd roared with joy.

Alister starter leading me through the crowd with the others walking behind us.  “Alexis, you said that you wanted adventure and here it is, Joraushy City.  If you want to be part of this city, you need to be betroved to someone and that someone is already picked out for you.”  We were arriving at the fountain in the middle of town and this one blonde boy was standing in front of it with a blank expression with his arms crossed.  We walked up in front of him and stopped.  He looked down at me because I was shorter than him.  He looked about six-one.  And I was only about five-four.  “Alexis, this is Evan Carter.  He guards the city at night,” Alister said gesturing toward the hot, model like boy who he called Evan.  This kid was the hottest guy I have ever seen.  I was instantly attracted to him with his blonde hair and his pine green eyes sinking deep into my soul.  Ok, that thought was corny but true.  His body was built like one of the guys in Abercrombie and Fitch.  He had no shirt on which made it even better.

I looked toward Alister with a curious expression and asked, “Why does it need to be guarded during the night?”

“Because the enemy towns try to come in here and steal stuff and kill us,” Evan said warming up to me.

“Oh,” I said, blushing because he was so darn cute.  “So are you the one…?” I started to ask before he interrupted me.

“Yes,” he said.  “I am.”

“Well then,” I said clearing my throat and looking away into the distance. “That’s awesome.”

“You’re really pretty,” he said toward me when we were standing alone once Alister left to find someone.

I looked up when I acknowledged that he spoke.  “Oh.” I said.  “Thank you.  I was voted most prettiest in my freshman year.”  We started to walk around the town talking, and he was giving me the grand tour of the city.

When we were done walking around the town he took me to his house which would become mine also.  All the houses were built mostly open because it wasn’t very cold often from what he told me.  When I first entered the town it did feel really hot like ninety to one-hundred degrees.  If it was that hot during the day, it must only get down to seventy in the evening.

When I walked in everything was open.  The bed was in the right corner on the back wall and the kitchen was in the left corner in the back of the house.  The dining room, well, a table and a few chairs, were right before the kitchen and that was it.  There was a little wall between the kitchen and the bed.  It was quaint, and it was cute for two people to live in.  We went inside and walked over and sat on the bed and just talked.  He asked me what my old life was like and my friends at school and my family.  My family wasn’t that special.  My brother was a senior in high school and wanted to go to Harvard, and my sister, who was a junior in high school, wanted to go to Africa and help with the hunger problem and me, I put on a show that I wanted to become an actress and get and Oscar at the age of twenty-two.  But that was all show. When I was done with college I was going to go travel the world, but I wasn’t going to tell my parents that because their dream for me was to be an actress and not go waste money on traveling and not to have a job.

When we talked he never once told me about his family.  Not once.  I finally got enough courage to ask him.  He told me that they were dirt to him and he didn’t care about them.  After that I kept quiet about his family.  I didn’t want to pressure him to telling me.  I knew how he felt.  I didn’t really care for my parents much.  He was asking all these questions of me like what was my favorite thing to do when I was little in my free time, and weird things like would I ever slip and slide in green jell-o with a hobo.  It was late when he finally stopped asking me questions.  He must have run out.  Then all of a sudden he got up and was walking to the door.

“Where are you going?” I asked alarmed.

“I have to go watch the city,” he said turning back toward me before turning the handle and walking out into the dark.  “I do this every night except on Fridays and Saturdays.”

“Oh,” I said facing downward.  Then I thought of an idea.  “Can I come with you tonight?”  I asked hoping he would let me.

He just glared at me for a couple seconds.  “No, absolutely not.  No way,” he said shaking his head.

“Why?” I asked turning my unbearable charm on that works on anybody.

“Because I don’t want you in danger.  The enemy could come at any time and just kill me or you if they wanted,” he said.  I barely even knew him and he didn’t want me in danger like that.  I guess when you are betrothed to someone that you care for them even before you love them.

“Just tonight,” I said using my charm against him.

He looked at me for a couple minutes scrutinizing his answer and what could happen in one night.  He finally sighed in defeat and said, “Fine.”  He looked up and pointed at me and became very serious.  “Tonight only, and that’s it.”  My charmed worked like I knew it would.

“Ok,” I said grinning.

“Come on,” he said gesturing for me to go out the door.  I jumped off the bed and ran to the door and stepped outside.  I watched him shut the door behind us and he grabbed my waist and started to joke around with me like we we’ve been a couple for months.

We headed to the side of the city and there was a rock sitting a few feet where the field started again.

“Is that where you sit every night?” I asked when we stopped just looking at the rock.

“Yeah, that’s were I am every night.  The reason I don’t work on Fridays and Saturdays is to spend time with you,” he said looking down at me and smiling at me.

Evan was gorgeous in the moon light.  His blonde hair was white from the moon gazing down on him.  His model face was more white than his hair.  His deep pine green eyes stared down into mine with deep concentration.  Suddenly he whisked me off my feet into bridal style in his arms and carried me to the rock. The whole time we were laughing.  He set me down and sat on the rock.

“You said that you were captain of the cheerleading team.  Well, show me your routine,” he said gesturing for the field in front of him.

“Ok,” I said.  I showed him the routine I just made up last Tuesday.  When I was finished I walked back over to him and he was gleaming at me with a smile that Tom Cruise would pay to have.  He must have liked what he saw.  It made me feel good that he liked it other than the squad.

“What?” I asked him putting my hands on my hips and leaning my hips to the side.

“Nothing,” he said turning me one hundred eight degrees and sat me on his lap.  We sat there for the longest time gazing at the stars until I fell asleep in his arms.

When I woke up I was in a little cottage that I remembered. I sat up and looked around; it was the cottage that Evan and I talked for hours in.  The sun was gleaming through the skin hide, home-made curtains and brushing across the floor making the house light up.  I looked back up at and out the window by the front door, and saw Evan talking to Alister and a boy I’ve never seen before.  He looked about eighteen.  I pulled back the covers which were also hide, and walked toward the front door.  The door was already propped open and I stepped out onto the small covered porch that ran across the whole front of the house.  Evan’s back was to me and was in deep conversation with the other two.  I walked toward them, and the two boys stopped talking when I started to walk to them.  Evan noticed and turned around.  When I reached him he was turning around to give me a hug.  He put his arms around me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. The other two waited and Evan turned back toward them.

“So it’s all set?”  Evan asked the boy I didn’t recognize.

“I think we are,” said Alister.  Evan shook both boys’ hands and they left.  Evan stood there next to me with his arm around my waist watching them walk away with that same blank expression like when I first met him.

I looked up at him and asked, “What was that about?”

He looked down at me and said, “I’ll tell you later.”  I detected a hint of fear and joy in his voice, and I knew he was trying to hide it the best he could.  I knew better to just let it go like that because I know guys and they’ll hold it off until the last minute; then you know it’s bad.

“Let’s go meet my friends,” he said leading me off the porch and to the direction of the middle of town.

“Ok, then you’ll tell me?” I asked with him leading me around the waist.

“Yes, I’ll tell you, but not now,” he said holding it off more.  I was getting nervous when he held it from me.  I’m not one that’s good with patience.  We came up to the middle of the town and I saw about five people sitting on the fountain.  They all looked like gods sitting waiting on Mount Olympia.  We were arriving in front of them, and they were all just staring at me.  I pretended not to notice and just kept my head down looking at the ground.  We stopped in front of them, and I could still feel their gazes right on me.

Then I heard one of them speak. “Evan, buddy what’s up?  Who’s this pretty little lady?” the kid said pointing all the attention to me.  I was usually alright in front of people but not now because I never knew these people.  All the kids at school I know but with these kids they were complete strangers except Alister and Evan.

“This is Alexis,” Evan told him proudly hugging me closer around my waist.  I could see why he’s so proud because I am gorgeous.

“Well, hello Alexis.  I’m Michael Brady.  It nice to see Evan with someone.  Especially after he’s been alone for so long.  And lucky him that the most handsome boy gets the most prettiest girl,” he said making me blush even more and that’s not easy.  “This is Dylan Shaw, Cory Wright, Sean Wilson and he’s betrothed to Natasha Jones,” Michael said, pointing out them each.

I finally looked up and said back to all of them, “Nice to meet you all.”

I was examining them, and I saw a weird marking on the guy’s left arms and on the girl’s stomachs.  The girls only wore shirts showing their stomachs.  I was concentrating and found out that they looked like initials.  The only one without these initials was Michael, Evan and I.  “What are those?” I asked pointing to the marking on the girl named Natasha’s stomach.

“Those are betrothed scars.  That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Evan leaned down and whispered in my ear.

“Oh, I see,” I whispered back.

“We have to go see Dr. Sherman before he closes up.  So see yeah later guys,” Evan said louder so the others could hear.  They all seemed to understand, everyone but me.  I was angry because I felt left out.  I was never left out.

“Have fun,” said Sean said.  Once he said that Natasha hit him on the arm.  What for? I don’t know.  I was starting to like Natasha.  She reminded me of Bailey with her tough love.  Evan and I started to walk to the south end of town.

“Will you tell me what the betrothed scars are all about now?” I asked once we were far enough away from the others so they couldn’t hear.

“Well, betrothed scars are the initials of the one that your betroved to.  With Sean and Natasha they have there initials on each other.  Sean has an NJ on the top of is left arm and Natasha has an SW on her full stomach.  How you get them is that our partner cuts them on you with a blade.  When they heal it leaves a mark on their arm or stomach of their partner’s initials.  It hurts briefly, and then it’s over, but it bleeds like hell; that’s why the doctor has to see us before, so he knows how well it will heal,” he finished when we reached a building that looked abandoned.

He opened the door and it made that creaking noise like in those Halloween movies when the place is haunted.  I stepped in with Evan behind me and he shut the door, and it made a slam and the sound echoed through the dusky empty rooms.  The room looked like a dusty hospital, with chairs and normal stuff.  We walked to the front desk and there was a girl my age sitting there writing something on a piece of paper.  “Where is Dr. Sherman?” Evan asked her while he reached over and grasped my waist pulling me tight.

I hated doctors.  Everything about them.  When I was at my old home I had to go to the doctor’s when I was twelve.  It was horrible.  I was supposed to get a tetanus shot that visit, and I despise shots.  They had the needle ready and were about to sterilize my arm, when I hopped down from the table and was cornered in the room.  The nurse was in front of the door, my only escape.  I kicked the boy nurse in the groin and ran out the door and into the lobby.  A person ratted me out that I was hiding under a couple of seats in the waiting room.  The nurses grabbed me and dragged me out from under the chairs.  It took about seven nurses to take me back into the room and then hold me down for the shot.  It was the worse day of my life.  Ever since then I hated the doctors.

I started to shiver from the thought of doctors.  Evan felt the vibration of my fear and quickly stiffened.  “What’s wrong?” he asked embracing me with both his arms and holding me close to him.

“Nothing,” I said hugging back still shivering.

“Then why all of a sudden did you start shaking?  It’s not cold here,” he said looking at me with concern in his pine green eyes.

“I’m just really afraid of doctors,” I said digging my face into his chest.

He was rubbing his hand up and down my arm to calm me down and it worked.  I stopped shivering to hear what the girl at the desk said.

“He’ll be out in a minute,” she said with a smile and looked toward me.  “You can go have a seat.”  She gestured toward the chairs in the corner.

Evan led us to chairs.  He noticed that I still looked apprehensive over seeing the doctor, and instead of having me sit on the chair next to him he sat me on his lap.  He put his arms around me, and we sat there waiting.

It was ten minutes later when he came out to see us.  I stood up and Evan followed my example.  “Hi, Evan, and this must be Alexis.  Wow, you’re very beautiful,” he said shaking our hands.  He made me blush.  Why did everyone here want me to blush in front of them?  “Well follow me, or would you be fine just talking here?” he asked us.  I looked up at Evan and he was staring back.

He lifted his head and replied, “Here will be fine.”   Evan gestured to the seats that we were sitting in.  I sat in a chair this time and just held Evan’s hand.

“So Evan you want to do the betrothed ceremony as soon as possible.  Am I correct?” the Dr. Sherman asked with a pen and a clipboard with a form.

“Yes, that’s correct,” Evan said with a look of determination in his eyes.  I also sensed a hint of pride and joy in his glistening eyes.  I was confused.

“Is it to this girl right here with you?” Dr. Sherman asked after writing a couple things down on the form.  “What’s your last name sweet heart?” he asked and he could only be about eighteen.

“Umm,” I cleared my throat. “It’s… Johnson.  Sir, Alexis Johnson,” I said shyly.  I turned my head to face the floor.  Then Evan squeezed my hand with reassurance.  I looked up at him and smiled.  I was finally realizing what we would have to do for the betrothed ceremony.  I looked back at Evan and my eyes were wide with fear.  Evan would have to carve an EC into my stomach and watch me bleed.  And I would have to………cut an AJ into his left shoulder.  What if I put too much pressure on skin with the blade and cut a major artery?

“I see that you’re apprehensive about this ceremony, and I can assure you that you will not mess up and it will be ok.  In this city it’s different.  If you get hurt it’s not supposed to bleed for long because we don’t grow old, and we live until the end of time.  If you go back to the outside world then you will start aging. Do you understand?”  Dr. Sherman asked me looking at me to see if I understood.

“Yeah, I understand.  It’s just a shocker and a kick in the butt,” I said shaking my head.

“Well, it will at first, but once it’s done then you’ll understand.  Because when you get betrothed to someone then you are entitled to them and can’t be with anyone else.  You can marry someone else, but you still belong to the one you’re betrothed to,” Dr. Sherman said, and I was glaring at him like I was confused when I really wasn’t.  “Like if you are betrothed to Evan then you leave and marry someone else then you still belong to Evan and not the other person.”

It was clear that Evan would own me soon enough, and he had been waiting for a long time for this to happen, I didn’t want him to wait any longer.  “So, when do we do it?”  I asked looking excited to get this over with, and be with Evan for the rest of eternity.

“Well, in an hour I guess.  I just have to take both your blood pressures and then you’re out of here.  But, just to remind you that the cut heals fast.  In half an hour it will be healed completely.”

“Ok,” I said holding out my arm.

He took both our blood pressures, and we were ready to get out of there.  I skipped out the door with Evan behind me.  I turned around to face him, and I ran and jumped into his arms.  He caught me.  We were like an official couple now, and I loved every minute of it.  I was staring into his eyes and he leaned his head up to place his lips firmly onto mine.  I was getting more excited to be his.  We parted and he set me down.  We were smiling and headed back to the house.

We sat there waiting and setting up for the ceremony and waiting for the hour to go by, and waiting.  It felt like that it was going a second an hour.  I sat there fidgeting with my hands. Evan noticed and sat there staring at me with my anticipation. He chuckled when he saw me sitting there all proper, and looking all high and royal.

I looked over at him and asked, “What?”

“Nothing,” he chuckled again.  Just then someone knocked on the side of the door because it was already propped open.  It was Dr. Sherman.

“You can go ahead and start,” he said handing me the blade.  “You know what to do.”  Then he left.

We were left there.  Evan stood up and went to shut the door.  The door shut with a slam.  He walked back over to me.  “Ladies first,” he said looking absolutely fine with this.

“Ok,” I said shaky.  I got the courage and Evan sat down in the chair next to me.  I gripped the blade in my hands.  It looked like I was going to write something on his arm with a marker, but instead of a marker it was a sharp blade.  There was no white out to cover up the mistake, and it would show forever.  I touched the blade to his skin and he flinched.  I automatically took the blade from his arm.  A long strip of blood was dripping from is arm.

“Sorry,” he said setting his arm back in my hands.  I started again where I left off and wrote my initials on his arm.   Once I was done I leaned back and looked at my work.    They were a cursive A and J.

The cut was bleeding a lot, so I took a towel and started to wipe away the blood.  When it stopped I went to the sink and wet the towel to clean his arm.  After I was done I realized it was my turn.

I got up on the table because my cut was on my full stomach and it would bleed a hell of lot more than Evan’s had.  I was wearing my shirt that showed my whole stomach.  Evan took the knife from me and wiped off the blood on the blade with a towel.  He leaned down to make sure he was in deep concentration.  He put the blade on my skin and put some pressure on it to cut my skin.  I screamed because it hurt really badly.  The tears came instantly.  He lifted it back off.

“I’m fine,” I said.  I needed to get through this for him.  “Go on.”

He put the blade back on my stomach where he lifted it from and marked a pointy E and C.                The whole time I was biting my bottom lip to keep from screaming.  Evan went and wet the towel to clean the cut.  After he cleaned it, it was perfect.  I now belonged to him, and he belonged to me.  We threw the towels away because we could never get out the stained blood.  I hopped down from the table and hugged my now husband figure.  He hugged me back and lifted his arm to raise my chin up to his face.  He kissed me with a new energy.  He ended the kiss too soon and walked over to the bed.   It had been a long day and we both needed sleep.  He let go of my hand and walked to the other side while I crawled in.  He turned off the lights and slipped in next to me.  I snuggled up to him and closed my eyes, not feeling any more content than now.  Evan had his arms around me and he was mine forever.  How could this get any better?  How could it go badly?

The next day I woke from the coldness of the bed and noticed that Evan was not there.  I jumped out of bed and ran outside with my hair and makeup a mess.  I stopped right in front of the house and looked around.  Not only did I not see him, I didn’t see anyone else.  I ran to the rock where we went the first night I arrived.  Maybe he was working overtime.  I ran as fast as I could.  I stopped flat ten feet from where the rock sat.  It was empty.  I turned and ran back to the house.  I came up to the house and saw Evan step out of the house alarmed.  He looked around and saw me running up to the house.  He came down the steps and I ran into his arms.  “Where were you?” he asked me kissing my hair.

“I was about to ask you the same question,” I said hugging closer to him.  “I thought we might have been attacked and you, and everyone else were taken.”

“I wouldn’t let them leave you here without me, and I wouldn’t let them separate us for any reason,” he said making sure I know what he will do if they did.

“Thank God.”

“Don’t run out of the house like that again.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

“Good,” he said burying his face into my hair.

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Later in the day we went to meet up with his friends, and Natasha grew on me.  She had the same problems I did.  Family, losing the one you loved, and normal teenage girl problems.  She was pretty, her hair jet black and her figure like a dancer. Her eyes were a piercing aqua and her lips full.  Her whole face was proportional. Natasha and I started to hang out more and became the best of friends.  She showed me dance moves and I showed her cheerleading moves.  We bonded when the boys were off being boys.

She was one of the only girl friend I had in Joraushy City.  All Evan’s friend’s girls were jealous of me.  Oh well, I didn’t mind.

One day when Natasha and I were walking around the town Evan ran up to us with a horrific expression on his face.  So were the other guys that were with him. “Evan, what is it?” I asked grabbing his shoulders in my hands.

I took them off and he grabbed my arms and said through breaths, “They’re…….. coming ……We………have to go.”  Just then Sean came up and grabbed Natasha and ran.

“We have to go.  Now,” Evan said, grabbing my wrist.  But it was too late.  The enemy was coming and we couldn’t beat them even if we tried.  They had armor on and weapons.  We had neither.  They were bulky because of the armor, but they looked scary.  We stayed where we were and were frozen with fear.  They surrounded us and Evan stood in front of me guarding me from them.  They charged and five grabbed Evan and held him, so he couldn’t get away which left me in the opening.  “Let her go you a**wholes.  I will kill you if you lay a hand on her,” Evan said, flailing.  They came from behind me and clutched me so hard it hurt.

“Ow,” I screamed when they grabbed me.  Evan stopped and stared straight at me and burst out at them like a tiger let out of a cage.  When he heard my scream it made him angry.  He warned them to not hurt me and they did.  He thrashed and kicked at the people holding him down.

“She’ll be perfect for the master,” a soldier said, and Evan was furious.

“You sun of a b****’s.  She’s mine.  You can’t have her.  She’s my property. And I told you not to hurt her and you did.  What the hell,” Evan screamed at the people.

I looked around and saw Sean and Natasha in the bushes hiding and staring at us with wide eyes.  The enemy picked me off the ground and started to carry me away.  This made Evan even more furious.  He got away at one point and was grabbed again.  He stopped in defeat because he knew he couldn’t win.  He stood there in the grasp of the enemy drenched in sweat watching them take me away from him.  We rounded the corner, and I could not longer see the only one I cared about the most.  I saw the soldiers that had him before.  They had their knifes out.  “NOOOOO,” I screamed, thinking the worst.  They probably killed him.  “EVAN.”  I would never see him ever again.  I wouldn’t hear his beautiful voice whisper in my ear at night.  Not again.

I was walking by now with my hands tied behind my back and wanting my life to be over and knowing it couldn’t.  We arrived at the other city and it was like my city, but something was different.  It looked like a castle was where everyone lived.  We headed through the gates and walked into the main room with two big thrones at the back of the room.  The thrones were on a pedestal.

Some teenagers with trumpets played their horns to summon the king, I presume, to enter and greet us.  A teen about eighteen walked out with fancy robes on and a gold crown on his head.  Wow, that’s special, not, I thought.  He sat down in one of the thrones and just looked at me.  One of the guards pushed me down on the floor, so I was kneeling in front of the king.

“You will be perfect for my wife.  What is your name?” the king asked checking me out.

I lifted my head and replied, “Alexis Johnson.”  I faced back down and stared down at the black and white floor.

“Do you have any special talents?” he asked.  What was he getting at?

“I can sing,” I said hoping he didn’t think anything of it.

“Wonderful, you will sing every night in front of the town.  And I mean every night.  If you can not show then there will be consequences.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”  Oh, boy now I have to sing in front of a bunch of people, goody.  I had nothing to lose.   The only one I loved was dead, and I couldn’t live without him.

They brought me up to a really fancy room.  I was to get dressed and head back downstairs to practice a song.  I would have escaped, but every door and windows were being guarded.

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I went down the grand staircase and met the king at the bottom.

“Wow, you look beautiful,” he said complementing my new wardrobe.  I would change this outfit to be in my old ratty ones.  He wasn’t not good looking; it was just that Evan looked a whole lot better.  His hair was chocolate brown and his eyes were brown.  They were a little close together.  My arm was locked with his, and he led me into the great ballroom where I would sing.  Everyone was staring at us and standing.  There were about five thousand people there.  The king led me up to the stage and took his place in the front row.  I sang a song that I’ve never heard before.  If this was it to keep me alive I would do it.  But that king better keep his dirty little paws off me.

I sang every night.  A different song every time.  But one day I came down with something and I couldn’t sing.  I couldn’t even talk right, let alone sing.  The king heard about this, and had me return to my old clothes and sent to the dungeon.

It was a cold wet cement brick room. A steal cage door was in the middle of a wall.  The bed was straw and there were rats running everywhere.  I couldn’t believe I was in a place like this.  I walked over and sat on the bed which was so uncomfortable compared to the one at Evan and my house.  I just sat there crying.  I could feel myself getting sicker, but I couldn’t help it.  My true love was dead, and I was here to die myself.  What a bad place to die.  I could see it now.  The guards were coming to bring me food and seeing rats pick at my cold flesh.  Thinking of this made me cry harder.

I was down in the dungeon for a couple weeks.  I was so weak I sat in the corner and refused to eat.  One day I heard people yelling and racing everywhere in the dungeon.  I heard people outside saying things like, “Look everywhere.”

“Got to be here somewhere.”

“We have to find…”

I could barely make it all because of my condition.  I knew I was on the brink of death.  I could barley keep my eyes open.  Just then I heard only people racing to find something.  I couldn’t hear any fighting.  All of a sudden my cage door was pried open and a figure stepped in the door way.  I opened my eyes to see a soldier standing front of me.  I cowered in the corner.  It was the enemy coming to kill me.  I focused on the face.  He rushed over to me and knelt next to me.  It was Evan.  He couldn’t be alive.  Then I knew I was dead.  He felt my forehead.

“Alexis, thank God I finally found you.  I missed you so much.  You’ll be ok,” he said with a hushed town.  I noticed several others in the door way watching us.

“Evan hurry, they’re coming,” one said.

“Ok.  Come on sweetheart,” Evan said lifting me from the cold, cement floor.  “You’ll live, hold on.”  He felt so warm.  He carried me out of the dungeon and up the stairs.  Some people were in front of us and some behind.  They were trying to shield me the best they could from the mess they had made.  I was almost out when I noticed a familiar face.  It was the king dead on the floor and there was fire everywhere. We headed out of the fire and away from dead bodies everywhere and into the peaceful field leaving them to their mess.  Evan held me as close as he could without hurting my fragile body.  I was close as I could get to warmth when I was in his arms like a bride being whisked off her feet.  I finally lost my control and fell into sleep.

When I awoke we were arriving at the entrance to the city, and saw everyone gathered outside.  They all looked around and saw me limp in Evan’s arms.  They gasped and the girls covered their mouths.  They thought I was dead.  Evan had a sad face on him and he was staring straight ahead and not looking down at me.  I wouldn’t blame him; he must have thought I was dead and to have me in his arms almost dead would make him unemotional.  He was followed by everyone that came on the rescue mission with him and everyone else followed.  He walked up the steps to the front porch of our little cottage and walked into the house.  He brought me over to the bed and laid me down on the soft, feathery mattress.  All the soldiers followed us in and were standing where they could fit.  One brought Evan a chair and he took it from him and sat it down by the bed, next to me.

They all patted his shoulder after a couple minutes and left so the doctor could come in.  The doctor was sitting in Evan’s chair while he closed all the curtains because the whole town was outside our cottage.  The doctor did a bunch of stuff that I couldn’t really see because my lids were mostly shut.  I would have kicked him and run outside, but I was  too weak to get up or even move. “She’ll live.  But only barely.  In other towns you can still die and get hurt.  It’s only here that that doesn’t happen.  You found her in time Evan.  She would have died if you hadn’t found her when you did,” Dr. Sherman said to Evan.  “She’ll be better by next week with the healing process.  But keep her covered and dab cold water on her forehead.  She has a temperature.”  He stood up and walked over to the door.

“Yes, Dr. Sherman,” Evan said not taking his glance from me.

“Ok then,” Dr. Sherman said turning the handle on the door.

Suddenly Evan jerked his head toward Dr. Sherman and said, “Jason…..Thanks so much.  I really owe you.  You saved her life.  I hope there is some way for me to repay you?”

“It’s nothing.  And don’t bother trying to pay me back.  I was happy to help.  It’s why I’m here.”  He stepped outside and closed the door behind him.  Evan glanced back at me and smiled knowing he could see me live and see my smiling face soon enough.

I had found my adventure and came out with the love of my life.