Cherry smiled as the breeze played through her hair, fluttered over her skin and pulled at her clothes. Something about the sensation felt good. Another feeling rose, overpowering the first; a yearning so deep it almost frightened her. The desire to dive into the waterfalls lake as she had when she was a child sang through her. The water had felt like warm silk on her skin, cosy and encompassing. She wanted to go to the lake again, but something else needed to be done first. A book her mother read her years ago came to mind.

Where had she put it?

Not at the cabin, not in the mountain. In vain, Cherry turned in circles searching ... frowning as the waterfall and lake disappeared; looking up, she took in the periwinkle sky ... what was she looking for?

Something kept her from remembering ... what was sapping her energy, thoughts, and memories?

What was wrong with her?

The sound of a bubbling river and the smell of a fire filtered into her senses as she forced her heavy eyes open. The gurgling river and the rockface above her came into focus. Turning her head, she found the fire burning next to her, keeping her warm. Rolling on her side, she tried to lift herself off the floor. Pain lanced her side and along her arm. Strange that her entire body ached before, but now it was just the arm and shoulder.

"Why does it hurt?" she moaned, a vague memory of similar pain from years ago slammed through her; looking down at her arm, she gasped, "what is that?"

Steve stirred on the other side of the warm fire. Slowly, he woke as she muttered to herself, trying to pull the moving thing under her arm.

"Cherry," he muttered, "you're going to hurt yourself. Please stop doing that."

"Have to get it out," she whimpered, "it's trying to make me into something ..."

A low growl from the doorway brought her fear-drenched gaze to the menacing cat stretching there.

"Oh no," Cherry gasped, "I promise I didn't tarnish myself intentionally. Please, you have to know I didn't want this. I didn't know."

"Cherry, what are you talking about?" Steve asked, pushing into a sitting position.

"Protector de garras," she pointed at the cat.

"You keep saying that, but I don't know what it means," Steve said, rubbing his hands over his face, "sometimes I wish you'd speak English."

"Clawed protector," she whimpered, "the one who keeps our home ... pure."

"That net could be for this bad boy," Steve said, nodding, "why are you so afraid of him? He has protected us all night."

"I drank from the river," Cherry said, "I drank while I was tarnished," she whimpered, clawing at her arm, trying to get the frantically moving object out.

"Here, let me help you," Steve said, pulling out his knife and moving toward her, "I'll cut into your arm and get it out."

"Quickly," Cherry sobbed, "he's coming."

Steve moved toward Cherry, knife in hand. Before he could kneel to help her, a large paw connected with his mid-drift throwing him across the space and into the rock wall.

"Steve ... no," Cherry sobbed, looking frantically around for anything to protect herself, "please don't be dead."

The cat moved toward her slowly, his eyes on her arm as though she were prey to be stalked.

"Please," she begged, "don't kill me. Please don't kill Cherry Anastasia Nadeleine Nadesha Odelette Neala Bassett.

The cat hesitated before snuffling in her direction, suddenly pouncing and slashing at her arm. Cherry screamed in terror, raising the now injured arm to fend the cat off. The animal moved away as several metal contraptions fell to the dirt. Cherry sprung to her feet, looking down at her arm.

"Oh my word," she sobbed, almost hysterical, "you got them out."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

The cat stalked her until her back struck the wall, and debilitating fear sliced through her. She was going to die. She was a few days from being twenty-six, and she was going to die because of something done to her that she never knew about. The large cat rubbed against her gently before rearing up and slicing along her shoulder.

Cherry cried out in pain, crumpling to the floor.

"Cherry, are you okay?" Steve asked, coming toward her and noticing the damage. Weary of the large cat, he kept the fire between them. The large cat moved away and took its position at the door again.

A glittering caught Cherry's eye. Looking down, she found metal pebbles running along the tendon in her shoulder.

"What are those?" she whispered, "get them out ... please get them out now."

"I will. Stay calm," Steve said, cleaning his knife and gently moving it inside, wincing as Cherry continued to cry.

"I'm so sorry," Steve murmured as he pulled them away from the tendon and flicked them from her body, "they seem to be metal parasites. Did you know you had them?"

"No," she groaned in pain with each of his movements. "I have problems holding on to thoughts and memories ... even my energy levels have dissipated. My sleep patterns are disturbed, and I came here to escape everything I thought was stressing me."

"From what I've seen in the past few days, your body is trying to return to normal. It must be these tiny balls of metal causing the chaos," Steve said, scooping them up and throwing them into the fire, "I wonder how the cat knew."

"It protects our home," Cherry whispered, "it wasn't after me earlier ... it was after you. Somehow it seems you're not on the hit list anymore."

"I saved you from drowning," Steve said, "it arrived as I was trying to set up camp and pull you from the river. He sat at the door and has been there ever since ... until it threw me against the wall and sliced you open." Glancing at the door, the two took in the grooming feline, "I've never seen something this big."

"Neither have I," Cherry whispered, "but my parents and I never came to our home this way. We always took the front entrance."

"Did you know about this entrance?" Steve asked.

"Yes," Cherry said, "but it was seen as an emergency way to or from .... our home... that is how they have been coming and going ..." Cherry gasped, "the net."

"What?" Steve asked, bandaging her arm.

"The net may be to catch my parents. The Tenderhooks know they are still alive and in our home. The cabin is not my home," Cherry whispered, seeing the confusion in Steve's gaze, "where I'm heading for the coming of age ... is my home, and I have to get there before the end of my birth date."

"What happens if you don't?" Steve asked.

"I don't know," Cherry said, "my mother used to say that all mankind would lose something sacred ... maybe even their soul."

"That sounds awful," Steve said, grimacing, "let's make sure you make it to wherever we're going."

"Steve?" Cherry whispered, "why are you here with me? You see the rock structure don't you?"

"I do," Steve said, nodding." I didn't see it before ... I admit. After seeing you drinking the water and nearly drowning in it, I decided it may be good to rest here for the night. I spoke to ... the space. The safety of the rock structure showed itself to me."

"What did you say?" Cherry asked.

"Ah, that would be like a chef giving away his secrets," Steve smiled, "to answer your question ... I'm here because you cannot do this alone."

"But why you?" Cherry asked.

"Why not me?" Steve asked, feigning offence, "what is wrong with me? Would you like somebody else, perhaps a Rambo-type guy who can protect you?"

Cherry gurgled with laughter, "Even if there were a Rambo-type guy who would come with me, the first sight of the cat, and he would have wet his pant and run."

"That or shoot it," Steve said, shrugging.

"Oh, that could never happen," Cherry shook her head, "it saved my life."

"Yes, it did," Steve said, frowning as her eyes drooped, "do you need help getting back to the fire?"

"Please," Cherry whispered, "I feel strangely tired ...more sleep ... maybe ... necessary."

"Come on," Steve said, pulling her uninjured arm about his neck and tucking his arm around her waist, "let's get you back to sleep."

"You will stay with me," Cherry asked, looking at Steve hopefully, "I ... " she sighed, "I don't want to be alone ... not right now."

"I'm not going anywhere," Steve said, slowly walking Cherry to the fire, "you're going to rest, and tomorrow, we'll get closer to your ... home."

"Thank you, Steve," Cherry whispered, her eyes barely open, "you're a good ...man."

Steve gently settled Cherry on her sleeping bag, cushioning her injured arm while covering her with a blanket.

What would his father say?

What would her father say?

Why did he care so much?

Remembering what he learnt while studying for his degree about dangerous situations and the need for emotional release. Steve clamped down the budding emotional bond. Perhaps this was all it was. If so, it should fade soon, and she would return to her life and he to his own. Until then, he needed to keep her alive, moving and complete the journey of getting her home.

Silas had been correct; whatever was done to her during her time, she had been taken. It had messed with her mind. Somewhere inside was everything she would need to get to the place she called home, and they didn't have much time for her to remember what it was.