One Lone Man
A fantasy romance. Jake finds himself alone on an island, stricken with amnesia. The woman in his dreams is his only clue to his true identity.
Who am I... Why am I here?
These thoughts ran through his mind as he roasted the meat of a deer over a fire.
Digging his toes into the powdery sand, he stared at the waves that licked the shore. A large bird swooped and caught a wriggling fish in its beak. Life was peaceful, though lonely. There were no other humans on these shores... not that he knew of anyway.
He closed his eyes and thought of her. That woman who visited him in his dreams. Her golden tendrils caressed her face as she lowered her emerald eyes. She would peek at him through long, fluttery eye lashes and her cheeks would turn red. He could feel her love embrace him as her soft, luscious lips touched his. Then she vanished.
The fragrance of ripe apples wafted towards him, reminding him of her, though he knew not why. Who was she? Was she real in the first place.
Opening his eyes, he looked up in the sky. A flock of seagulls flew over him. Flight. He could almost feel himself in the air... with her.
Peering carefully, he saw a woman flying behind the seagulls, chasing them mischievously.
He blinked and stared again.
She saw him. Her face lit up in a radiant smile. She was even more beautiful than what he remembered from his dream.
"Jake!" she cried as she embraced him.
Startled, he stepped back.
The woman from my dreams... she seems so real.
"Who are you lady?"
Her eyes welled up with tears. "Don't you remember me? I'm your Sarah."
"I'm sorry lady. I don't remember anything. Not even my name." Gently, he wiped her tears away.
"Come back with me," she said as she flew off.
He looked up and pinched himself to see if he was still dreaming.
"What are you waiting for?" she flew in circles above him, presuming he would join her in the sky.
"How do you expect me to follow you? Fly?"
Sarah landed in front of him. She tilted her head as she scrutinized him. That scent. Forest fires mixed with pheromone-laced sweat – Jake with his fire.
If I can just get him to use his power, it might jolt him out of this...
She took his hand and flung it, like a cat might shake a mouse around.
"What are you doing?" His eyes twinkled as he laughed.
"Trying to get you to do this." In exasperation, she threw a bolt of energy to stun him.
He stood there totally unfazed. "What's with the light?"
It dawned on her that he had his full power.
He was still indestructible. If I throw everything I've got at him, it might snap him out of this trance.
Her heart beat wildly as she poured out all the raw energy she could muster at him.
When the flames died out, the land around him was charred. A green fire danced in his eyes.
Hope filled her heart. He's back.
"Listen lady, what are you trying to prove?"
Her heart sank at his words. "Jake! Stop it!" Tears ran down her cheeks. "Don't you remember who you really are? Have you forgotten about us?"
She felt his sinewy arms around her as she rested her head on his massive chest. His warm touch comforted her, the way it did in what seemed like a lifetime ago.
Sarah wrapped her arms around him and took off in the sky, carrying him with her.
"Don't you remember this? The times we spent together up here?" While speaking she lifted him with her and flew high above the clouds.
Jake's cheeks turned cold. What sort of being is she? What does she want?
Abruptly, she let go.
Jake found himself plunging through the clouds like a stone thrown down from a cliff.
She's mad... trying to kill me...
"You can fly. Come on, fly here with me," said her melodious voice.
He crashed deep into the rocky ground. Brushing off the dust, he found himself unhurt. Didn't feel a thing... should be dead by now... fall from that height should have killed me... What's going on?
"Are you out of your mind? You could have killed me."
"No, you can fly on your own. Besides, you're indestructible."
"Crazy lady," he muttered as he climbed out of the crater created by his fall. Ignoring her pleas, he strode away in a huff.
Crouching in front of the fire in the shelter of a cave, he watched the flames dance. A golden flame seemed to take the form of a woman, a fiery figure identical to the woman from his dreams. That strange flying woman whom he missed sorely. She was real. He held her.
How did he survive that fall? He could see the crater from where he sat. She set the entire shore on fire. Everything around him was destroyed but he was unscathed. How? She called him Jake and seemed very familiar with him.
His mind was still foggy. Latent memories were unable to surface. Images of her bubbled to the surface in all his dreams. As if his unconscious mind was trying to tell him something.
Like the nights before, he sat by the fire, staring out through the opening of the cave, trying to remember his life before these shores.
"Hi," said a melodic voice, jolting his heart.
Sitting beside him, her soft hand in the crook of his arm, was the woman from his dreams. She rested her head on his chest. Her hair glistened by the fire as the golden tendrils caressed her breasts. She was breathtaking.
Instinctively, he put his arm around her slender body, drawing her closer to himself. Her breath was an intoxicating mix of tuberose and vanilla.
He found his eyes fixated on her. Her lush lashes fluttered as she lowered her eyes. Her pink cheeks turned bright red.
"Please humor me one last time," she said, when their eyes finally met.
He could not bring himself to turn her down. She took his hands.
Bristling momentarily, he sensed her presence in his mind. The warmth of her love flooded his mind, soothing away his apprehension.
She was at the door knocking. He welcomed her in. His mind was in a mess. A convoluted web fogged his thoughts. Intrigued, he watched her work. One by one, she tore the bonds tore apart.
A strange warmth welled up within him. A comforting spark at first. Then it grew. Like a spark thrown into a tub of gasoline, his insides caught fire.
"What are you doing to me?" He was uncomfortable with the flames that burst through the net. The fire strengthened him in a strange way that worried him as they burned merrily at the restraining web.
"That's enough, lady. You can let go now," he said.
Ignoring his protests, she worked on the web with increasing efficiency.
The net tore apart. The fire flooded through him, igniting the dead furnace deep within him. Yet Sarah continually tore through the offensive web that held his mind captive.
"What's happening to me?" His mind burst free, unleashing a violent barrage of energy that vaporized the web altogether. The fog cleared. His memories returned.
Beside him was his Sarah. Her body lay flat on the ground. She was barely breathing. He held her limp body, caressing her soft, pale cheek.
Like flower petals in a breeze, her lashes fluttered. Her eyes opened as she returned his gaze. Groaning, she rubbed her head.
"My sweet Sarah....I'm sorry I hurt you." He looked into her dazzling eyes as he tenderly caressed her cheek.
Sarah smiled radiantly. Her Jake was back.
**
Note From The Author:
This is the first chapter of the book The Dark Warriors By SFX Fantasy , available at SFX Fantasy Bookstore
The Dark Warriors
More about this fantasy romance book
These thoughts ran through his mind as he roasted the meat of a deer over a fire.
Digging his toes into the powdery sand, he stared at the waves that licked the shore. A large bird swooped and caught a wriggling fish in its beak. Life was peaceful, though lonely. There were no other humans on these shores... not that he knew of anyway.
He closed his eyes and thought of her. That woman who visited him in his dreams. Her golden tendrils caressed her face as she lowered her emerald eyes. She would peek at him through long, fluttery eye lashes and her cheeks would turn red. He could feel her love embrace him as her soft, luscious lips touched his. Then she vanished.
The fragrance of ripe apples wafted towards him, reminding him of her, though he knew not why. Who was she? Was she real in the first place.
Opening his eyes, he looked up in the sky. A flock of seagulls flew over him. Flight. He could almost feel himself in the air... with her.
Peering carefully, he saw a woman flying behind the seagulls, chasing them mischievously.
He blinked and stared again.
She saw him. Her face lit up in a radiant smile. She was even more beautiful than what he remembered from his dream.
"Jake!" she cried as she embraced him.
Startled, he stepped back.
The woman from my dreams... she seems so real.
"Who are you lady?"
Her eyes welled up with tears. "Don't you remember me? I'm your Sarah."
"I'm sorry lady. I don't remember anything. Not even my name." Gently, he wiped her tears away.
"Come back with me," she said as she flew off.
He looked up and pinched himself to see if he was still dreaming.
"What are you waiting for?" she flew in circles above him, presuming he would join her in the sky.
"How do you expect me to follow you? Fly?"
Sarah landed in front of him. She tilted her head as she scrutinized him. That scent. Forest fires mixed with pheromone-laced sweat – Jake with his fire.
If I can just get him to use his power, it might jolt him out of this...
She took his hand and flung it, like a cat might shake a mouse around.
"What are you doing?" His eyes twinkled as he laughed.
"Trying to get you to do this." In exasperation, she threw a bolt of energy to stun him.
He stood there totally unfazed. "What's with the light?"
It dawned on her that he had his full power.
He was still indestructible. If I throw everything I've got at him, it might snap him out of this trance.
Her heart beat wildly as she poured out all the raw energy she could muster at him.
When the flames died out, the land around him was charred. A green fire danced in his eyes.
Hope filled her heart. He's back.
"Listen lady, what are you trying to prove?"
Her heart sank at his words. "Jake! Stop it!" Tears ran down her cheeks. "Don't you remember who you really are? Have you forgotten about us?"
She felt his sinewy arms around her as she rested her head on his massive chest. His warm touch comforted her, the way it did in what seemed like a lifetime ago.
Sarah wrapped her arms around him and took off in the sky, carrying him with her.
"Don't you remember this? The times we spent together up here?" While speaking she lifted him with her and flew high above the clouds.
Jake's cheeks turned cold. What sort of being is she? What does she want?
Abruptly, she let go.
Jake found himself plunging through the clouds like a stone thrown down from a cliff.
She's mad... trying to kill me...
"You can fly. Come on, fly here with me," said her melodious voice.
He crashed deep into the rocky ground. Brushing off the dust, he found himself unhurt. Didn't feel a thing... should be dead by now... fall from that height should have killed me... What's going on?
"Are you out of your mind? You could have killed me."
"No, you can fly on your own. Besides, you're indestructible."
"Crazy lady," he muttered as he climbed out of the crater created by his fall. Ignoring her pleas, he strode away in a huff.
Crouching in front of the fire in the shelter of a cave, he watched the flames dance. A golden flame seemed to take the form of a woman, a fiery figure identical to the woman from his dreams. That strange flying woman whom he missed sorely. She was real. He held her.
How did he survive that fall? He could see the crater from where he sat. She set the entire shore on fire. Everything around him was destroyed but he was unscathed. How? She called him Jake and seemed very familiar with him.
His mind was still foggy. Latent memories were unable to surface. Images of her bubbled to the surface in all his dreams. As if his unconscious mind was trying to tell him something.
Like the nights before, he sat by the fire, staring out through the opening of the cave, trying to remember his life before these shores.
"Hi," said a melodic voice, jolting his heart.
Sitting beside him, her soft hand in the crook of his arm, was the woman from his dreams. She rested her head on his chest. Her hair glistened by the fire as the golden tendrils caressed her breasts. She was breathtaking.
Instinctively, he put his arm around her slender body, drawing her closer to himself. Her breath was an intoxicating mix of tuberose and vanilla.
He found his eyes fixated on her. Her lush lashes fluttered as she lowered her eyes. Her pink cheeks turned bright red.
"Please humor me one last time," she said, when their eyes finally met.
He could not bring himself to turn her down. She took his hands.
Bristling momentarily, he sensed her presence in his mind. The warmth of her love flooded his mind, soothing away his apprehension.
She was at the door knocking. He welcomed her in. His mind was in a mess. A convoluted web fogged his thoughts. Intrigued, he watched her work. One by one, she tore the bonds tore apart.
A strange warmth welled up within him. A comforting spark at first. Then it grew. Like a spark thrown into a tub of gasoline, his insides caught fire.
"What are you doing to me?" He was uncomfortable with the flames that burst through the net. The fire strengthened him in a strange way that worried him as they burned merrily at the restraining web.
"That's enough, lady. You can let go now," he said.
Ignoring his protests, she worked on the web with increasing efficiency.
The net tore apart. The fire flooded through him, igniting the dead furnace deep within him. Yet Sarah continually tore through the offensive web that held his mind captive.
"What's happening to me?" His mind burst free, unleashing a violent barrage of energy that vaporized the web altogether. The fog cleared. His memories returned.
Beside him was his Sarah. Her body lay flat on the ground. She was barely breathing. He held her limp body, caressing her soft, pale cheek.
Like flower petals in a breeze, her lashes fluttered. Her eyes opened as she returned his gaze. Groaning, she rubbed her head.
"My sweet Sarah....I'm sorry I hurt you." He looked into her dazzling eyes as he tenderly caressed her cheek.
Sarah smiled radiantly. Her Jake was back.
**
Note From The Author:
This is the first chapter of the book The Dark Warriors By SFX Fantasy , available at SFX Fantasy Bookstore
The Dark Warriors
More about this fantasy romance book
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