Pillars of moonlit, purple light shone above as I looked at the vivid mirror image of myself staring back under the blanket of the cold, fresh lake.
It was midnight, with the million stars twinkling brightly amongst the heavens. Tiny yellow lights floated endlessly above the center of the lake, seemingly illuminating the dim landscape with a vivid color.
"It's pretty..." A familiar voiced awed, sitting beside me. As I took a deep gaze at the night sky, thousands of lush, violet and blue canopies dotted the margin.
"Have you ever wondered what it's like beyond the horizon?" The girl said.
I glanced at the figure for a short moment, and fell in a deep trance as I adored her deep, golden hair and fierce green eyes.
Even as she was wearing a worn out cloak, her beauty was still blooming under the night sky.
"Sometimes." I said, realizing I was still gleaming at her. I hastily looked back at the still lake, blushing, as I caught her smiling back at me.
A cold breeze gently rushed by and swept her hair along by it, entrancing me in deeper in this make-shift paradise.
I looked back at the now-rippling waters, looking closely at her destorted image in the surface.
...
"It's Alex." She said. "My name I mean."
I observed as she picked up a mossy rock beside, and threw it across the lake with the rock skipping along the surface.
"Nice try." I said, grinning.
"Let's see you do better, mate-- err, friend."
...
"Don't mind if I do..." I stood off the cold ground and looked at her face staring right back at me with a hopeful glance.
"Ok so uhm, the trick here is to go find a flat stone and position yourself in just the right angle." I said. "Here, I'll show you."
I searched the moist earth below for a flat rock, with myself walking back and forth until a perfect one caught my eye.
I picked up the stone, and with a brief silence, I quickly thrust forward and threw the pebble towards the face of the lake, it skipping for up to nine bounces.
Man, I'm good.
" *Whistle* You're good!" She said. "How'd you do it?"
"Take this one." I said as I handed over a piece of rock.
"So, you position your forearm like this." I said. "Also, your waist should be lowered down a bit more for better control, and..." Without realizing it, I overstepped my bounds. My hands were guiding her own, taking her palm along with mine. I soon realized that I was no inch closer to her, my body literally glued to her by the back.
I felt my head pop like a sore tomato.
"U-Uhmm... sorry--"
"Is this angle okay?" She said as she looked back at me from behind, her hair swinging as she looked up to my burning face. Her eyes enchanted me for what seemed like an eternity, but I found the strength to break free from the evil curse.
"Yes. Perfect." I said as I slowly forced my body to be ripped away from her's, breathing a sigh of relief and slight disappointment.
It was just for a brief moment, but it seemed like I entered paradise a second before. I told myself.
"Oii! Sis! Return to the commaner's tent, the unit leaders want to have word." A hearty voice hollered over the forest.
"Oh, hey brother." She said as she looked at the big guy, then to me with an uneasy look.
"Who's this daft cow?" The man said as he swayed his flashlight.
"Just a friend. Anyways, what did they want to talk about?" She said as she dropped the flat stone to the cold dirt.
"It's for the targeted Hive's structure and colony. I doubt it wouldn't help you in the mission tomorrow." He said as he raised an eyebrow towards me.
"I'll go on ahead then." She said as she rushed off to the camp through the darkened woods, with the pillar of light seemingly following her shimmering figure. I expected a goodbye or atleast a farewell wave, but it never happened.
...
"So... you're on the pull, huh mate?" The buff guy said.
"What?" I baffled as a cold gust of wind blew past us both, lightly playing with my milk-white hair.
"Nevermind. Goddamn, it's monkeys outside." He gritted. "Why don't we go to the fireplace and have a bit of a chit chat?"
"Sounds good... uhh?"
"Oh, it's Jason bud'. You?"
"...Just call me friend."