The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)

Chapter 55: The Bodyguard

Part 2/4

“First of all, don’t call me that. Second of all, I don’t care about what I have to do to let us escape. I will do whatever it takes to keep the ones close to me safe and to have them leave this island ALIVE and WELL. I will not let morals get in the way. So get out of my face or there will be a problem.”

The two just stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, and Aurora glared her teeth. Star yawned, not liking the tensions currently going on, and jumped up, karate kicking Aurora in the nose. Aurora dropped Samuel, and rubbed her nose which was starting to grow a bump.

“I think Star is telling us to hurry up. Now, let’s go. We can talk about this later, valedictorian.”

Aurora scoffed, but a look of regret flashed her face once more. Then, that regret turned to sorrow.

After a few minutes, the three made it to the top of the waterfall. Nestled within the sequoia trees up top was a small cabin made of wooden logs from their surroundings. There was a pen of dodos that idly waited for someone. There was also an open window in the wall.

“Someone lives here?” Aurora murmured.

“Seems like it, let’s go check it out.”

The two walked up to the home, and the dodo birds’ heads instantly turned to Star. Star looked at them with a raised eyebrow… But then Star realized that birds do not have eyebrows.

“I’m going to look in the window,” Samuel decided. Samuel walked up to the open window and as he stared inside…

Someone was staring right back at him!

A brown eye was staring right at him, wide open, and Samuel was taken aback. He quickly began to back off, but the stranger was already making his way to the front door.

The front door swung open, and a large, muscular man with bulging biceps began to march toward the two. He had a tee on that looked like it was about to tear off at any moment, and he had a fresh buzz cut. A black graduation robe was tied around his waist, and he had a mean look on his face.

“What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here!” the man barked, “This isn’t your home! Please leave!”

“Huh? Sorry, is this your home? We’re just looking for someone,” Samuel assured the man. He looked Samuel up and down, and then stomped his foot into the grass. The earth shuddered.

“You and your friend look mean!” he declared, “You’re here to hurt me, aren’t you?”

“What? No-”

And immediately the man swung a fist at Samuel. It was so sudden that Samuel couldn’t dodge in time, and the impact was so strong Samuel could feel the pain on the other side of his face!

Samuel was launched away so hard he slammed his back into a sequoia tree. Star let out a squawk of fear, and quickly retreated into the crowd of dodos. The man paid no attention to her, but as Samuel stared at him, he saw his fists glowing a bright white, and his implant was shining brightly.

“Enhanced strength is his attribute?” Samuel wondered as he got up from the ground. Aurora got her spear out, pointing it at the man. He flinched in fear.

“Samuel, should I just stab this punk right now?” Aurora asked, her eyes unwavering, “His fists can’t stop a spear.”

“NO. Remember we don’t know what happens if you kill someone. *I* have to be the one to do it, if it comes down to it.”

The man’s right eye began to twitch, and his face began to get wet with perspiration. He clenched his fists harder and his implant shined brighter.

“I KNEW you were going to hurt me… I KNEW IT!” the man cried. He lunged his hand forward and grabbed onto Aurora’s spear. She let out a gasp in surprise and tried pulling away, but she couldn’t even budge the spear. With a yank, the man pulled the spear out of her hands so hard she stumbled forward. The man snapped the spear over his knee, and then tossed the broken weapon to the side.

“He’s dangerous,” Samuel realized, eyeing the broken spear, “TOO dangerous.”

The man let out a cry, and hurled his fist back, ready to pummel it right into Aurora’s face. Samuel quickly dashed forward and pushed her out of the way. The man punched the air so hard that wind began to blow Samuel’s hair to the side.

Samuel stared down the man with pity. Samuel could literally sense the fear inside his heart. He didn’t fight them out of malice, he fought them out of a pure fight response.

“But he’s acting on impulse,” he felt himself thinking, “And those people are never good, are they? Remember what my Dad said. Only care for yourself and the people close to you.”

But was that the right thing to do here?

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Samuel firmly told the stranger. The stranger’s lip quivered, and the glow on his fists began to fade.