y

ackyard. My hand flies to my forehead. What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? Oh, my Go

man whispers,

rld. Men are cruel, violent, and sadistic to their very core. To help him would be to

through my heart. But...he doesn't look like the monsters they've told us about. He looks jus

g how we've been taught what will happen if we break the rules, yet never given a true explanation as to why those rules exist. W

The thought of understanding the male nature from the source is almost intoxicating. Bu

ople. But my heart... my heart tells me to help him, to learn, to challenge what I've been t

unding in my chest. My mind waver

I whisper, my voice tremb

lantern. Back outside, I kneel beside him. I cut

me before I see the infection-yellow, cloudy fluid

ected." H

shelter-somewhere no one would find him. The Sur caves, hidden and abandoned

I am nothing i

r drawers and quickly I find her special candies. What makes her stash uniq

out. I place the warm cover over the man and then bring the

is too weak to protest

o his forehead. He has greyish-blue eyes, a straight nose, and a jaw that is covered wi

ilate and his eyes o

p?" If this works, I will be

t from left to right and then back a few times. "I can see everything. It feels like

I smile and rise to my fe

urely, the m

head barely reaches his chin. The man has broad shoulders, a muscled chest, and biceps thrice the size of mine. If this is wha

quilt and wraps

medical bag, lift the lantern,

n says and wal

y but his eyes reflect pain an

here. It is either to accept my help or be killed. I'm not sure he un

'll be able to treat you undisturbed and

g moment, his eyes pierc

ue into t

to the solitude of the darkness, you hear noises-the low grunt of a deer, the distant howl of a wolf,

at night time, I steer clear of them. So, I keep my pace

it hundreds of times. Not much else is visible, but occasionally, the light from the lantern spills on an anthill, a large c

Soare-Luna?" the man as

ha

Luna," he repeats. "I

think I have heard that name before. It isn't

," he whispers, almost to himself. "Mom,

don't need to see his expressions to know he's in pain. T

s meet mine. "It's been... s

n us. "We'll get you better first," I say, though

anxious. Men and women might be different, but the inherent need t

uilt centuries ago, by an ancient civilization, the caves are seen as

eyeing the darkness warily. "It's just a cave," I r

e of a four-armed half-man half-woman with a crown on their head. In some, they are sitting on a throne, in others they are fighting a demon with an an

s fingers over th

lace?" His voic

et doors and passages that lead God knows where. I've only discovered a handfu

t couple of years, this place has been my refuge-a place I come

by memory, I move from lantern to lantern, lighting each one. By

ound, taking in

as entirely bare, except for a massive seven-foot sculpture carved into the wall on the left. The

jute bed on one side and a chair and table on the other. I also have a pot to s

n I can't decipher. "You really

m here. And I like to hunt," I say and bring the medical bag

mattering of golden hair covers his arm. His forearm is corded with thick, sinewy muscles that shift or flex with his every movement. Veins snake th

ip. I have never se

a. The man

, and oozes blood and pus. The edges are so sharp it looks like someone has used a

illed with herb infused water and a clean cloth. I pou

at him. He is staring so deeply into my eyes, it is unnerving. Although n

remarkable shade of ha

t skips

d tucks a curly, erran

ng under my skin spreads through my

"Apologies," he says sincerely. "I stepped out of

d nod, my he

our help means everything

ysa. "It's getting quite late. I should

cour

ons. I apply some coconut oil on the skin around the wound and then wrap his entire

" I say, quickly putting everything back inside the bag. He will be asleep for a couple of days, but instinc

r. I shouldn't leave him alone, but the restlessness in my chest is overwhelming. I n

ut

I rush out of

e power, alright. There is no other reason for my body to react that way to his words or his touch. He ba

be capable of when

strategy. There can be no oversigh

ly to ensure he stays inside and partly because ven

and come back with important supplies – a

entrance, observing the

I say

es sleepin

s my eye is the sculpture, particularly the fox's head. It might just work... I appr

s to either end, and bring them over to the man. Silently and

o another chamber. He won't wake for at least

have to d