How did you get so wet?

~Nariya Patel~

Waves of pleasure surged through me, as gentle fingertips traced patterns on my skin, igniting a delicious warmth that traveled down my spine. I couldn't help but wonder about this unfamiliar sensation, my eyelashes fluttering in confusion. Suddenly, I felt it again, a cool touch against my back, leaving me burning with desire. The person's long fingers, roughened by years of experience, now lightly grasped my waist. A warm breath tickled my most sensitive spots, as his thick Russian accent whispered seductively in my ear, "Why so giddy, Moonpie?" The sound of my nickname on his tongue sent shivers down my spine, and just as I turned to look, the predator vanished once more.

I found myself amidst a myriad of mangroves, their labyrinthine branches forming a dense canopy around me. As I looked down, I discovered I was standing in the midst of a maze of mangrove trees, with the wet stickiness of swamp waters beneath my feet.

"Hello?" I called out, receiving no response. I pondered how such a scenario could be possible. There were only a few places on Earth with mangroves as thick and intertwined as these, casting an enchanting spell on any beholder. Yet, a nagging part of my consciousness suggested that I wasn't truly present in any of those known locations. The vividness of my surroundings ruled out the possibility of a simple hallucination.

Worry gripped my throat as I swallowed hard, and a sudden fear surged through my thoughts. If I truly found myself in a mangrove forest surrounded by swamp waters, there was only one predator in these jungles—an unrivaled ruler with unmatched speed and strength.

In realization of my situation, my feet instinctively started to move backward, and internally, I screamed, "Nari, remember all those survival shows you watched as a kid, thinking that one day you too would find yourself in a situation like this? Today is the day for you to shine!"

My brain churned as I scanned my surroundings for any signs of danger—bubbles on the water's surface, splashing, or any ominous noises. I remained on high alert, desperate for any clues. "I need to get to higher ground," my mind snapped. In the middle of a swamp, I was like a sitting duck, ready to be served to the unknown predator lurking beneath the murky waters. Attempting to shift my feet, I discovered they were stuck in the swamp's mud. The movement not only intensified my immovable situation but also pulled me a bit deeper into the mire. Panic surged in my heart as the emptiness of the swamp echoed my ragged breathing.

"Shit, is this a quagmire?" I hissed. "Okay, okay, calm down and don't move." Desperately, I scanned my surroundings for something to pull my weight on, but there was nothing; the long, lean roots of mangroves seemed to elude my grasp. Unable to think clearly, I pressured my brain to function, urging it to conjure up a survival plan. "Oh, please, gods... Bear Grylls... anyone, help me," I prayed.

A sudden recollection of a Man Vs Wild survival episode sparked an idea. Yes, shift my entire upper torso weight to crawl out slowly. So, I tried just that. The sparse water was now soaking up the soil around me as I crawled, grasping any kind of support within reach. "Alright," I motivated myself to continue, feeling so close to escaping. Mud clung to my face and body as I twisted to free myself, the gates of freedom seemingly just a threshold away. I smiled in victory until, all of a sudden, I was pulled in deeper. A shriek escaped my lips as I cried out, "Alexie!"

With a gasp, I braced myself for the imminent engulfment and suffocation in a whirlpool of mud. Instinctively, I took a deep breath, ready for the impending struggle, but instead, my senses were enveloped in a cool sensation of water all around. Eyes shut tight, the urge to fight still etched into my system, I gradually opened them to find myself submerged in a deep body of water. Splashing around in an attempt to swim, it felt as though I was suspended in place, unable to move. My head spun at the sound approaching me gently, yet I couldn't locate the source. A cool coo grazed my back as a familiar voice spoke, "Where do you think you're running away, moon pie?"

I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to be in the company of someone familiar. With that thought, I turned around, only to realize it was a big mistake. My eyes widened as they met his seductive smile. My gaze traveled down the bare expanse of his neck to the valley of his sharp shoulder blades, down to the firmness of his pecs. A silver set of abs adorned his lean waist, the contours sharpened as I dared to look lower, tracing the lines of his pelvic area. My eyes widened at the long slab of a tail that hindered my view, projecting from his back. Startled, my gaze snapped back to his face. His smirk widened, revealing amusement at the mysteries my imagination conjured.

Slowly, he moved closer to me, our bodies just centimeters apart. His grey eyes bore into mine as his plush lips inched closer, meeting mine—

"Aaaaaaa!" I screamed, gasping for air, my surroundings hazy from the vivid dream I had just experienced. As I struggled to catch my breath, the tears in my eyes cleared up, and I took stock of my surroundings. I was in my room, on my bed—familiar territory, where I had slept the night before.

Just as my breathing began to calm, my head whipped around at the pounding on my door. I was about to answer when the door clicked, the hinge broken, and a worried face entered the room. However, what caught my attention wasn't his concern for me or the black shiny piece of ammunition he carried in his hands; it was the stark nakedness with which he entered. He scanned the room like a trained soldier in a hostage situation, searching for any possible threat, but there was none—just him, my predator.

I gulped, my eyes fixed on his muscles clenching in tension as he scrutinized the room, checking every nook and corner. His gaze snapped to mine as he approached, asking, "Are you okay?" Still in a daze, I nodded, my own eyesight fixated on the defined rows of his stomach muscles. I observed him move carefully, bending to look underneath the bed, his back muscles flexing in the process. Once satisfied, he nonchalantly pushed the gun he carried into the band of his sweatpants and walked toward the window to close it.

However, my mind was fixated on a singular thought as I moved behind him, my hand instinctively reaching towards his back. The dimples on his back tensed at my touch, and he swatted my hand away. Curiously twisting his body, his brows furrowed as he looked back at me, asking, "What are you doing?"

Perhaps it was the coolness in the air or the resonance of his deep voice, the same one I had heard in the dream, that jolted my brain into realization. 'What was I about to do?!'

"I...I..." Flush crept up my face and neck as I looked away, and suddenly I felt the coolness of his fingers pressing against my forehead. A worried expression came into my line of vision as I stared into those grey orbs of his, a memory of what had occurred prior to this flashing in my head. "How did you get so wet?" he asked. "You are sweating so much... fever maybe?" he wondered.

I moved back from his touch and stammered, stupidity spouting from my mouth, "It...it's nothing, just..."

"Just?" he tilted his head.

Unsure, I stared at him and in a slow whisper said, "Crocodile's tail." His eyes widened in deadpan confusion. "...what?"

Blushing, I twirled around, rushing towards the door. "Washroom!" I announced.

My hand clasped onto the handle, only to find it completely broken out of the wooden structure.

"Um..." he helped, "the other door for the washroom."

Without meeting his eyes, I moved my body inside the correct door, shutting it. I slid down, blushing at the thought.

"What an absurdity was that!" I hissed.