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Tonight of all nights my bike just had to brake down in the middle of … where am I again? I pulled my jacket around my body closer as the chilly air continued to creep past all defenses.

“What am I doing?”

Talking to myself as my breaths formed these cute little puffs that swiftly disappeared.

I looked down at my already pale hands turned even whiter. If it gets whiter I will be Casper the next friendly ghost. Well more like one of the uncles, the skinny one. What was his name again? What am I doing, I don't have time to be thinking about ghosts; I need to get out of here. I fiddle around in my pocket, the Medallion is still there.

“What am I doing?”

This time saying it a bit louder.

I turned and sighed at my bike for the work to come. I can't leave it in the open, but damn if the thing doesn't weight a ton against my fly weight. I did manage to get it off the road and behind some rocks and bushes. It barely hides the thing but it will have to do. I use my shoe to erase the tire tracks, also lousy work but I have no more time to dawdle. When my older sister said that this bike will be the death of me one day she has no idea how right she is right now. Though I am pretty sure she would have never imagine it would like this.

I sprinted down the road going… Somewhere. Definitely the opposite of where I came from. The air stabbed my lungs, the pain becoming shaper and sharper as I run. My legs and arms shouted protest against this unusual activity. My long braid whips against my back like I was a shrewd horse.

My body crumbles to the floor from the overuse of limbs that isn't buse to such movements. My sister was always the over achieving athletic one and I was the brains. Or the mad one according to a handful of our closest friends. My only grace tonight is that there was no one else here but me. I must have run a good mile, is what I thought until I turned around and could make out the inkling of my bikes outline.

Damn!

My baby deer limbs shook as I struggled to stand up. Putting my hands in my pocket to make sure it is still there. I reached down to my very small will to live to get me moving, running. Or at least walking, I'll even attempt to crawl at this point. Ok body I get it, if I survive I am definitely taking this fitness thing seriously.

Drrrrrrrrrrrr.

Someone is coming. Or something. Shit, shit, shit shit! There is no place for me to hide.

DRRRRRRRRR.

I braced myself for whatever. I grasped the medallion, getting ready to incite the trigger words. I shouldn't use it here. Technically I'm not allowed to use it at all but this is a survival emergency.

DRRRRRRRRRR!

It, it sounded like it was right on top of me, but I don't see any thing. Where …

Over my head there was a hoverboard coasting the night sky. And a rider, A rebel! It took me no less then ten seconds to contemplate my next move. I grasped the medallion this time audibly saying the words out loud. There was a sting that rode its way through my arm to the very core of my heart. My breath was snatched by some ghost of winter’s night. I only had one shot and I didn’t want to hurt the rider, but I needed his hover board. I clenched my now bluish glowing hand into a fist. I position my feet into a fighting stance. The magic buzzed in my head. I took a deep breathe before unleashing my sonic punch.

The rider shook but didn’t fall.

Damn.

He regained his balance and turned to where the shot came from pinning my location.

Shit.

I ran faster and harder than before. Whatever pain I felt before numbed under desperation. Not that it mattered. The rider and cut me off and hovered in front of me clad in all back from head to toe. Even in the dark I could make out the shine of metal in the tip of his pants’ legs. A black scarf covered most of his face and head. Only revealing his eyes, which twinkled a bit like the stars that shined above me. My breath was snatched, held hostage by those eyes that were scowling me.

“Did you shot that sonic blast at me?” He was not even hovering that close but his voice still managed to tickle my senses.

“No,” I denied instinctively.

‘There is no-one else here. So…,” he cocked an eye brow and stretched out his arms displaying the empty roads and the stretches of empty lands.

I remained quite.

“How did you do it?,” he started to circle around me as I kept still, “I don’t see any weapons on you?,” my heart beated hard against my chest while an unfamiliar heat crept in filling my entire body. It was the most intense around my chest but I wasn’t touching the medallion this time, what gives.

“If I don’t have any weapons on me then it clearly wasn’t me.”

He narrowed his eyes. He doesn’t trust me, I wouldn’t.

“What are you doing out here anyway, all alne on this road, walking?”

“I wasn’t walking, before. My bike broke down, : I pointed to where my terribly hidden bike was with my head.

He turned his head in that direction but just as swiftly refocused his attention back to me. He circled me again my eyes followed him as he studied me.

“Hmmmmm, seems like you could use a ride, but since I’m not sure I trust you…” he hoverd up and away from me.

“Wait! Wait! Wait! I ddi it but I can’t tel you how! … Can you please give me a ride.”

“And why should I trust that you won’t blast me off once you’re on or throw me off?”

“You shouldn’t”, that came off more honest than I wanted, “but I need at least one hand to recreate the blast. Which means I wouldn’t be able to do it because both my arms will be wrapped around you,” I smiled coyly as I did a quick study of his torso.

Despite his black clothes camouflaging him into the night I could still make out his firm and well built stomach. The heat in my chest traveled through out my body.

Focus!

My survival and getting out of here is the only priority right now, “plus do you really think these scrawny arms are strong enough to throw a strong man like you?”

He studied me again. He came closer and held out a hand for me. I tried to hid it, really I did, but a big smile couldn’t help spread across my face. His hand was big and firm compare to mines. I jumped as he swung me around to the back. In one smooth action both my get landed on his board ad my arms around his body. As expected, it was rock hard. What almost knocked me out was his scent! If there was someone somewhere out there selling this scent I would like to by it by the gallon load please!

“Are you… sniffing me?” He looked at me over his shoulder.

“No!” I turned my face while my cheeks gradually got hot. As well as my neck, forehead, and my entire face and neck, “Lets just go.”

He didn’t laugh out loud but the virbration that bubbled through his chest and stomach. Focus on surviving, focus on getting to the city.

We were off faster than expected. I had to clutch on to his clothes tighter to make sure I don’t fall off. Though we were hovering closer to the ground now, one tumble will still be painnful. The scene was going by fast I could still tell the sun was rising by the halo effect it created around his body. How much further, how much longer? My question was soon answered when he slowed down.

“Why are slowing down.”

“No hover boards in the city. I thought you knew that, assumed you were a city girl, my bad,” there was a teasing tone in his voice as he looked back at me over his shoulder with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes as I got off. He followed suit after me. As soon as he got off the hover board it shrunk to the size of a thumb. My eyes widen. Magic.

“From the way you were running alone, at night, with a broken bike, and attacking poor unassuming passers with that mysterious sonic booms. You will keep this a secret,” he smirked at me while he tucked his mini hover board into his sleeve.

I shrugged my shoulders as he walked ahead, “maybe”.

No need to dig a deeper hole than the one I'm already in. We made it to the city edge. The sun was higher in the sky now, making it bright and sunny despite the cold. The city was already a buzz with noise, though I couldn't make out a single word. Not that far in but already a buzz with noise, though I couldn't make out a single word. Not that far in but already surround by a clutter of mid-sized tall buildings against a bright blue sky. All the building looked old and if it was made out of dirt.

“I am guessing you don't need my help from here,” his was eyes scanned the area, looking everywhere but me.

“I—” , a blue and red uniform caught my eye and caused my throat to constrain.

There, about ten feet way from where I stood, was three enforcers aggressively questioning a neighborhood shopkeeper. No wonder I didn't see any of them on the road, they were already here. Were they waiting for me. Or could they have already been positioned here and I was just a sloppy addiction to the list. One of them “accidentally” bumped into the shopkeepers wares causing them and the entire table to fall to the floor. I felt my body stiffen. I felt pools of blood pour out of my ears, but when I touched it nothing was there. I turned to see that hover board rider was still here. He was stiff too but unlike me, his face looked like he would and probably could take on those enforcers. Then he turned to me. And we locked eyes. That was when I, we knew we were in the same shit. There was a low whistle coming from one of the nearby walls shrouded in shadow. I couldn't see anything but apparently he could. He gave a quick subtle nod. He turned back to me, no words his eyes says it all, he gestured with his head and I just nod.