Chapter 3

One day before that

Something always happens to me!

I used to come across abandoned kittens and puppies that needed my help along the way. I always dragged them home, as long as I can remember.

But a man, and such a huge and dangerous one at that – this is the first time. What should I do with him?

As soon as I turn off the road into the dark arch leading to my house, my gaze immediately catches the eye of a stranger.

Whether it's a sixth sense that has suddenly awakened, or something else, I understand that he feels very bad. I just know it, as if I felt bad myself.

The man stands, leaning his back and the back of his head against the wall of the arch, breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling steadily. And I am growing convinced that all his remaining strength is spent on this – standing and breathing. His breathing sounds too slow and strange.

And he is dressed strangely - in some kind of dark overalls, vaguely resembling a military one.

Coming closer, I can see stripes, and on the chest, in the open collar of the overalls, two metal tokens on a chain. Definitely a military man.

But the shape is unlike any I have ever seen.

It smells like burning, melted plastic, a complex scent of danger, fire, and something else that I can't quite identify or put a name to.

Instinctively, my legs buckle from his powerful aura of power and strength. And also - I want to hide immediately.

The only problem is that I can't just leave him and walk past him as if nothing happened.

My gaze falls on the stripes on his chest, which are located right at my eye level. I'm no expert, of course, but they look strange. Very strange.

Okay, I'll google it later, I promise myself, tearing myself away from looking at them.

- Are you feeling unwell? Do you need to go to the hospital? - I say, swallowing the lump in my throat and looking closely at his sickly pale face.

He slowly opens his eyes and looks at me in surprise.

As if he didn't expect to see me here. Or he did. Some vague feeling flashes brightly in his gaze.

The stranger's dark eyes are like black holes, drawing you in at breakneck speed, not letting you look away. It's like an electric shock runs through me. I feel even more acutely how hard it is for him to stand and focus his gaze on me, to pronounce words.

"No!" he refuses, "I need you."

I frown, desperately trying to remember my first aid lessons. The man is clearly delirious.

I rummage through my bag for my phone and try to dial a number, but there is no network. I twist the suddenly useless piece of plastic in my hands and put the cell phone back in my pocket.

Cursing under my breath about the unreliability of mobile operators when they are especially needed, I look at the man again, assessing my strength.

I won't budge him from his place!

He looks like big as a rock. And just as motionless.

Oh my god, is he even breathing? I don't think so!

My eyes widen in fear and I quickly press my ear to his chest to hear the beating of his heart.

Panic is overwhelming, I can't let him die when I'm around. I have to do something! But what?!

But before I have time to think about what I should do if I still don't hear the beating of his heart, the man's strong arms, like metal handrails, grab me completely, as if in a powerful, huge trap.

They squeeze on his back. They pull me towards themselves, pressing me even harder into his chest.

The heart starts racing like lightning. It beats deafeningly.

It's as if a stranger is invading my consciousness, commanding me.

I stand unforgivably close to him. He crumbles my will like a piece of paper, and I make no attempt to break free, frozen in his arms.

I look into his face with apprehension.

I'm afraid to move in the grip of his arms. Under my palms, resting on his chest, steel muscles bulge. If he wants, he can flatten me without even trying.

And at that very second two things happen simultaneously.

On the road leading to the house, a muffled pop is heard. We both hear it. I flinch from the sound, the man sighs and closes his eyes, immediately unclenching his hands and letting me go.

From the unexpectedly received freedom, I take two steps back and freeze in place, watching as two men dressed in a uniform similar to the stranger's enter the arch.

They are surprised to see me next to their friend, but they don't comment on it in any way.

The men who appeared move in a coordinated and precise manner. They walk hand in hand, filling almost the entire space of the semi-dark arch. Both of them have such broad shoulders that they completely block the light coming from the road, and it becomes even darker in the arch.

The well-tailored overalls make me stare at them with wide eyes. Suddenly, one of them, a blond with short, spiky hair, winks cheerfully at me, "Like, nothing terrible is happening, everything is fine!"

I smile weakly at him at this sweet sign of concern.

While the two men silently push me away from my stranger with their shoulders, lift him onto themselves and walk away.

And I close my eyes, trying to calm my frantic heartbeat. I even have to lean against the rough brick wall of the arch, so as not to immediately collapse on my suddenly weakened legs.

When I open them, a massive bracelet lying nearby comes into my field of vision. Apparently, the stranger dropped it while he was standing here.

"Hey, wait!" I shout after the men. I run out of the arch after them, but they are nowhere to be seen.