This place

5.

I felt weak. I had a serious headache. I was soaking wet and I didn't know why. My eyes were still closed. Someone was gently touching my throbbing forehead. My eyes were still closed mainly because I was too afraid to open them. Then I decided to take a leap of faith and open my eyes wide. What I saw next almost startled me to death.

"Ahhh!" I screamed while sitting upright
That man was in my face again. That abnormally handsome man was tending to my minor injury. I felt so uncomfortable thus I did what seemed like the best solution. I grabbed a branch on my right and used it to scare him away.

"Don't try anything funny with me sir. I know karate okay!" I said while standing in a pose known as 'the jaguar'.

Then the man started laughing.

"What are you laughing at?"I asked him.

"I'm sorry it's just that;you amuse me miss." the man said while laughing.

"I amuse you?I have no idea where I am and you think that the best word to describe me is amusing?"

"Let me tell you why I find you amusing,"he said while leading me towards a nearby rock. He gently touched my hand. I looked at him as a lost puppy would look at a stranger.

"I won't bite." he said.

I calmed down and sat down. Carefully.

"So?"

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Why in the world do you find me amusing?"

"This is will be quite a long explanation,but I have all the time so,I'll just start from the beginning."

"Go ahead. I'm listening."

" Firstly I was just trying to get some water for my horse then I saw you. I was only trying to say hello,then you suddenly jumped into a shallow and rocky river. Then you hit your head. Anyway what were you thinking?"

"Nothing. I was scared. You frightened me! What if you were some serial killer huh? I had to do what I had to do okay." I said while rubbing my throbbing forehead.

He laughed again.

"That was not my intention miss. Do you have a surname Miss?"

"Miss McAthy."

"Miss McAthy,I'm Mister Saleem,it's quite a pleasure  to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." I said while shaking his hand.

I eventually started laughing. I never met anyone in such a very unusual manner. I also didn't like the fact that we were being so formal. I mean,I already had enough of that at work.

"You can call me Opal .I don't like being so formal. What can I call you?"

"You can call me Raphael or Raph for short."

"Raph will do just fine" I said before shaking his soft and big,yet manly and hairy hands.

It was pretty nice meeting a new person in an unusual way,but I couldn't ignore the fact that I needed to get back to my real life. At least I met Raphael. Perhaps he had the answers to some of my questions.

"So Raphael,are we just gonna sit here or are we gonna get moving. It's getting pretty late you know."

"You wanna leave with me? Aren't you afraid that I might be a serial killer?" he asked.

"I don't have any other place to be,so yeah. I'll go with you. And if you were a serial killer, I would've known by now."

"Yeah. Anyway you've got a point. It is getting quite late." then suddenly he blew a whistle.

A horse showed up. It was majestic,especially with the wind's presence. A stallion with eyes as dark as the night and hair as black as mine. Raphael moved slowly towards it. He patted its head. I could swear that I saw it smile or maybe it was the headache talking.

"This is my horse,Ferrari" Raphael said to me while patting its head.

"Ferrari?Where'd you get that?"

"Somewhere" he said with this 'look' in his eyes.

Something was up,but I chose to ignore it.

"Okay then."

"Lets go Opal."

"On that?"

"On him,sorry buddy she's just rude."

"It's a horse!Anyway I can't ride it. I have some phobia of horses.

"That's the reason why I'll be in front of you Opal."

"Fine then" I said with confidence but deep, deep inside I was petrified.

I waited for Raphael to get on the horse first. He seemed so natural. He seemed so confident .Whereas I was scared and anxious.

"Come on" Raphael said while giving me his hand.

I held it tight as I got on the saddle. Ferrari's hair was rough and prickly. I held on to Raphael's sturdy shoulders.

"Is this thing stable?"

"Yes Ferrari is very stable Opal." Raphael said with this piercing look in his eyes.

And without me even expecting it, Ferrari started to move and FAST.
I felt the wind blowing my short black hair in different directions. My heart was beating faster than a crazy drummer on the snare. I held Raphael tightly.

"Sorry for that Raphael. This is unusual for me."

"Refreshing isn't it?"

"What?!"

"This feeling huh?"

"Of course it is" I replied sarcastically .

Raphael was practically smiling. He looked happy and at peace. I wondered if I could ever be like that. Smiling genuinely without a care in the world.
You could see through the expression on his face that he loved this. He was on  Cloud 9.

"Just relax Opal and close your eyes. Just breathe. Just chill."

For the first time since meeting him ,I didn't reply. I just decided to take his advice. And it worked for me.

I looked around me. It seemed unreal. I took one arm out and I touched the air. Figuratively because everybody knows that gases are intangible,but inside I felt like it was so real.
I closed my eyes without fear.
I felt so free. For a moment I forgot about my job and about the fact that I was riding a horse named Ferrari with a guy I didn't even know. The latter looked back and smiled in my direction as I opened my eyes.

"So where to?"

"Where ever my Ferrari takes us."

Ferrari 🚘🐫🌟