End of Chapter 22
"Maija, I got a call. We have to leave, your...family is coming for you." He said softly, yet sternly.
"I can't just leave, my aunts.." I said as I was interrupted.
"Dale and Elise will tell them, we have to go now. Please just grab what you need, we're going to have to take the horses."
"Um..Michael, can't we talk to everyone about this?"
"No...someone...we can't stay. Please trust me." He said softly, his hands dropping from my face.
"I do." I said equally soft.
"Please hurry then, we have to go before they get too close."
I looked at him for a few minutes trying to figure out what he wasn't telling me, but his face was like stone..unreadable. I believed Dale when he said that Michael was going to be my traveling companion..and because of that I turned and started stuffing things into a backpack as fast as I could.
Chapter 23
I stuffed as much into the bags as I could, trying to hurry since Michael was pacing from my window and back. Every time he got to the window he would peer out into the darkness for a second before turning and marching back to my bed to begin the pattern again.
"That isn't helping you know." I snapped at him as i stuffed a sweatshirt into the bag.
"Stop watching what I am doing and pack." He replied as he turned and sat on the bed.
I glared at him for a second, my thoughts going so fast that I was getting a headache. I heard Michael mutter something to himself and before I realized it I turned and threw my bag at his head as hard as I could.
"Ya know, you have all the answers don't you?" I yelled as the bag burst open, my clothes flying around my bed. "And I am dumb enough to just fallow along."
"Maija." He said softly.
"No.Ya know what...NO." I yelled as I turned and walked towards him slowly, my entire body shaking from the anger. "You know what Michael, just go without me. I'm done."
"Maija."
"Stop talking to me...ya know what? Just go." I said as I turned and walked to hold the door open for him.
"Please?" He said sadly.
"Ya know what? No. Goodnigh.." I said, but was interrupted when Michael's hand reached up, holding my face still as he kissed me.
Part of me wanted to pull away, to punch him in the face for trying to use my emotions to help him...but the bigger part of me shut down. I just lost myself in the kiss, his lips hard against mine as he held my face in his strong hands.
I felt his grip relax on my face, the fingers of his right hand tracing down my neck, past my shoulder and stopping at the small of my back where he pulled me closer to him.
I know this sounds strange, but I had a moment while kissing him that I wondered why I wasn't angry. I knew that I should be, that he was just distracting me but all I could think of was how soft his lips were, of how warm his hand was against my back and how hard my heart was beating at that moment.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked as he pulled his lips from mine. "Maija you're blushing."
"I...I was wondering why I wasn't mad." I whispered.
"I'm sorry. Please forgive me. We have to go." He said, each sentence interrupted by a kiss.
"Michael," I sighed as I stepped away from him, his arms wrapping around my waist keeping me close to him.
"Maijalissa, I.." He said as he looked deep into my eyes. "I lo.."
I held my breath as I waited for him to finish the sentence that I was longing to hear...but before he could finish he spun as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the window.
"We have to go, please trust me. They're almost here." He said and for one of the first times I heard fear in his voice. "Grab your things."
I looked at him for a minute before I turned and stuffed everything back into the bag, I pulled it on my shoulder as he grabbed my hand and run out the front door and down to the barn where I found Piper and Concho saddled and ready to go. Michael smiled at me as he walked over and helped me up onto Piper, his hand lingering on my hand for a moment before he went and got on Concho. We turned and ran the horses off to the north, towards the river. We had been running for about an hour when we first saw them, two cloaked riders who were almost invisible in the night.
"Maija, I got a call. We have to leave, your...family is coming for you." He said softly, yet sternly.
"I can't just leave, my aunts.." I said as I was interrupted.
"Dale and Elise will tell them, we have to go now. Please just grab what you need, we're going to have to take the horses."
"Um..Michael, can't we talk to everyone about this?"
"No...someone...we can't stay. Please trust me." He said softly, his hands dropping from my face.
"I do." I said equally soft.
"Please hurry then, we have to go before they get too close."
I looked at him for a few minutes trying to figure out what he wasn't telling me, but his face was like stone..unreadable. I believed Dale when he said that Michael was going to be my traveling companion..and because of that I turned and started stuffing things into a backpack as fast as I could.
Chapter 23
I stuffed as much into the bags as I could, trying to hurry since Michael was pacing from my window and back. Every time he got to the window he would peer out into the darkness for a second before turning and marching back to my bed to begin the pattern again.
"That isn't helping you know." I snapped at him as i stuffed a sweatshirt into the bag.
"Stop watching what I am doing and pack." He replied as he turned and sat on the bed.
I glared at him for a second, my thoughts going so fast that I was getting a headache. I heard Michael mutter something to himself and before I realized it I turned and threw my bag at his head as hard as I could.
"Ya know, you have all the answers don't you?" I yelled as the bag burst open, my clothes flying around my bed. "And I am dumb enough to just fallow along."
"Maija." He said softly.
"No.Ya know what...NO." I yelled as I turned and walked towards him slowly, my entire body shaking from the anger. "You know what Michael, just go without me. I'm done."
"Maija."
"Stop talking to me...ya know what? Just go." I said as I turned and walked to hold the door open for him.
"Please?" He said sadly.
"Ya know what? No. Goodnigh.." I said, but was interrupted when Michael's hand reached up, holding my face still as he kissed me.
Part of me wanted to pull away, to punch him in the face for trying to use my emotions to help him...but the bigger part of me shut down. I just lost myself in the kiss, his lips hard against mine as he held my face in his strong hands.
I felt his grip relax on my face, the fingers of his right hand tracing down my neck, past my shoulder and stopping at the small of my back where he pulled me closer to him.
I know this sounds strange, but I had a moment while kissing him that I wondered why I wasn't angry. I knew that I should be, that he was just distracting me but all I could think of was how soft his lips were, of how warm his hand was against my back and how hard my heart was beating at that moment.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked as he pulled his lips from mine. "Maija you're blushing."
"I...I was wondering why I wasn't mad." I whispered.
"I'm sorry. Please forgive me. We have to go." He said, each sentence interrupted by a kiss.
"Michael," I sighed as I stepped away from him, his arms wrapping around my waist keeping me close to him.
"Maijalissa, I.." He said as he looked deep into my eyes. "I lo.."
I held my breath as I waited for him to finish the sentence that I was longing to hear...but before he could finish he spun as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the window.
"We have to go, please trust me. They're almost here." He said and for one of the first times I heard fear in his voice. "Grab your things."
I looked at him for a minute before I turned and stuffed everything back into the bag, I pulled it on my shoulder as he grabbed my hand and run out the front door and down to the barn where I found Piper and Concho saddled and ready to go. Michael smiled at me as he walked over and helped me up onto Piper, his hand lingering on my hand for a moment before he went and got on Concho. We turned and ran the horses off to the north, towards the river. We had been running for about an hour when we first saw them, two cloaked riders who were almost invisible in the night.
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
'Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!'
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood a while in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One two! One two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
'And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
'Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!'
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood a while in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One two! One two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
'And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.