Chapter 10
Faith
“I am so fucked!”
She stared at the alien leaning over her and started to hyperventilate a little. Her breathing grew deeper and more rapid than normal. She felt lightheaded; her heart was beating so fast, she almost vibrated with it.
“Are you okay?” the alien asked with concern.
Faith tried to respond but she had a hard time catching her breath. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. She remembered the trick her mother taught her.
She breathed out, then breathed in. She counted out loud.
“One elephant, two elephants, three elephants, four elephants.”
Faith held her breath for four, then breathed out slowly while counting.
“Five elephants, six elephants, seven elephants, eight elephants.” Calmer now, she opened her eyes to find the alien frowning down at her.
“What are elephants?” the alien asked.
She ignored him, closing her eyes again, and began repeating the steps until her breathing was under control. Opening her eyes, she took in her surroundings and frowned.
“Where are we?”
“In a type of box under a bridge.”
“How did we get here?”
“You were injured and unconscious. I carried you here to provide us with shelter until the sandstorm is over.”
Faith winced as she tried to sit up. Her head spun and she lay back down. It was too soon, and she lacked oxygen. She didn’t want to pass out again and she needed to reserve her energy.
“What are you called?” the alien asked.
It was pointless to try to keep her identity from him now. They were trapped temporarily, and she needed him in order to stay alive. Just until the sandstorm was over and then she would escape and go back home.
“I’m Faith.”
“Faith,” he repeated her name. She liked the way her name sounded so sexy when he said it. She never saw herself that way. Imagining what he must think of her, all dirty, wearing torn and worn clothing too big for her.
He, on the other hand, was sex personified. He had dark brown hair trimmed in a military fashion. His cheekbones were sculpted, and she was sure his skin tone would be tanned. It was too dark to tell the exact eye color but knew it would be intense because he was intense.
His uniform fit him perfectly. His muscles bulged and she liked how wide his shoulders were. They were strong, sturdy shoulders. He was strong. Clearly, he had to be if he carried her all the way to the bridge. She wasn’t as skinny as a lot of other women in the subway.
“How long was I out?”
“You were unconscious for nearly an hour.”
“You carried me for an hour?”
“Yes.” He reached behind him, and she jerked from him.
“What are you doing?”
He held out a hand with a type of bottle. “Easy, I’m getting us some water.”
Her mouth was extremely dry, and she probably had bad breath. Toothpaste and mouthwash were scarce. She used lemon juice and water to keep her mouth clean. He poured her water into the lid and handed it to her. The water was chilly, clean and so sweet. She couldn’t stop herself from gulping it down fast.
