There was a shortcut Wren was heading towards that could get them through the next checkpoints, but she was worried for her friends. 'It won't be easy on their body. Gosh but what choice do I have!?' Wren was thinking to herself when Naya suddenly screamed, "Watch out Wren!" Wren looked up and quickly slammed on the breaks.
Naya and Wren's bodies were jolted forward and then backwards with the harsh stop. They both looked to the direction of the drivers side window and were panting. Outside the car stood Michael with his hands on the window in order to distance himself from the speeding car. He was breathing heavily, his loose fitting shirt and dark colored pants were torn in multiple places, and Wren could see blood seeping out from the tears in his clothes.
"Get in already Michael!" Naya yelled at him and he quickly opened the rear door behind Wren and jumped inside the car. "Naya, get the kit from under your seat. I need you to use your accumulated energy and stop the bleeding. I'm going to go through a short cut. He can't be bleeding when we go through." Wren had already started driving again in the direction of the shortcut as she gave Naya directions. They could still hear the stomping and sounds of cracking in the distance. However, it seemed as though the rate of the noise was slowing down, as if it were no longer after them.
Naya reached under the seat and and carefully maneuvered herself into the back seat next to Michael. She opened the kit, doing her best to follow Wren's instructions, and began applying a thick paste to Michael's obvious wounds. She focused all she could into lacing her spiritual energy into the paste in order to help her friend. Michael had his eyes closed and was holding onto the door and the headrest, his face was scrunched in pain, and his breathing was ragged. Wren looked towards the rearview mirror of the car and noticed that Naya was already looking exhausted. 'I guess she wasn't quite as far along as I thought. Damn Maverick.'
"Ugh- Naya, lean towards me." Naya looked towards her friend confused but did as she was told. Wren put her own hand to her mouth and bit the wound she recently made, causing it to start bleeding again. With the same hand she swiped her thumb into the blood and in the same move, swiped her thumb across Naya's lips. "Pff-bleh! *spit, spit* Wren *spit* what the hell *spit* Eww!" Wren ignored her friends protests and spit that occasionally reached her arm.
"Finish tending to Michael and stop being so dramatic it could have been worse." Without another word Wren focused on driving and evading the fallen branches and other debris from the forest. They were well off the main road at this point, resulting in a rougher ride in the car. Naya wiped the blood off of her lips and shook her head in disbelief. She then reached for more of the paste and began to lace her energy as she did before and was shocked. 'Do I feel this energized because of Wren's blood?,' Naya thought to herself as she looked up towards her friend.
Michael groaned in pain as Wren drove straight towards a bump in the road. "Oops sorry." Wren said while trying her best to hold back a smile. "No wonder they picked you." "Huh? Did you say something Naya? I can't really hear you right now. We are getting close to the checkpoint. Let me know when you're done." Naya shook her head, "Ha- I didn't say anything but okay I only have the wound on his neck left to go." There were only two wounds of the many he had on his body that seemed severe enough to cause problems. The others were mostly shallow and looked as though something was simply toying with him.
Wren hit the breaks as they came towards a thick area of trees that hung over the small walking path, seemingly making a tunnel that got smaller and smaller the further you went. Wren parked and turned off the car. "We're out of time Naya. I need you to go ahead towards the tree with white bark. Once you are there hide under it and wait for me. Go now! I'll take care of Michael." Naya was reluctant but nodded and opened the car door and began running towards the 'creepy looking' tree tunnel.
Wren climbed into the back seat and gently lifted Michael into a sitting position. "Michael, can you hear me? I need you to focus okay? We are almost at the hidden checkpoint but I need to stop all your bleeding first. I'm going to take your shirt and pants off to check for other wounds okay? Don't freak out on me." Wren waited to see if Michael would answer her. After a moment his eyes shot open and his face turned a deep shade of red. "Pff haha, Oh Michael come on. It's an emergency. I won't do anything improper. Just pretend I'm your doctor and I'm helping with you in-okay forget it. Just deal with it okay? This is no time to be bashful."
Michael turned his head away from Wren and reluctantly nodded. Wren chuckled to herself and began slowly lifting the tattered shirt off his body. Wren noticed that Michael seemed to turn even more red and his breathing and heartbeat seemed to speed up. She looked over his toned and muscular torso, "Still training just as much as ever I see." Wren liked teasing Michael whenever she could. Michael looked towards Wren and reached out to grab her chin and face her towards him.
Wren was startled my Michael's actions and was about to protest when he moved his hands from her chin and put a finger to her lips to shush her. "Wren-" his voice sounded a bit lower than usual, 'He sounds kind of se-' Wren shook her head to clear away those thoughts. The were facing each other with their eyes locked. Neither one of them dared to move, only the sound of their breathing could be heard.
Everything else seemed to fade away. Michael hesitated but slowly began to get closer to Wren, causing her cheeks to turn a light shade of pink. "Michael," her voice was barely a whisper, but it caused Michael to shiver. 'Gosh, why does she do this to me?' Michael was lost in his thoughts gradually getting closer to her face. Wren stayed absolutely still, unable to tear her eyes away from the serious and fascinating look on Michael's face.
Wren hadn't studied his face this close before. She noticed his jaw was strong, his dark brown slightly wavy hair fell lazily to one side of his face, the scar on his left eye that traveled up through his eyebrow. The light scent of the forest and his hair care products filled her nose with every breath. The beauty mark near the corner of his eye, and another near his mouth. 'His mouth,' Wren looked down now focusing on his mouth. His lips were somewhat plump and were a constant shade of pink. Michael's mouth fell open slightly, causing his breath to lightly move Wren's hair that had fallen loose from her braid when she passed out.
'Gah...Why is she giving me that look? I can't take it! Her gorgeous hazel/green eyes, soft fluttering eyelashes. Her beauty mark on her cheek, not to mention those cute faint freckles' Michael softly brushed his hand over her cheek, 'Her cute nose, her plump, full lips, always a pretty shade of pink.' Michael lifted his hand and slowly ran the pad of his thumb over Wren's lips, her mouth slightly opened and he could feel her warm breath on his hand.
'She's not stopping me, what's going on? I-is she...Her eyes are so intense. Her hair looks so soft and shiny.' Michael noticed that his breath had been moving her hair that had fallen and he carefully put her hair behind her ear. 'She always looked good with braids and her hair WAS super soft. I-I don't think I can hold back much longer.' Michael moved closer to Wren until their foreheads were slightly touching and they could feel each others breath on their faces.
'...,' Wren's mind was blank, all she could do was stare at him but now that they were so close, she had no choice but to close her eyes and feel. Feel the way his chest moves up and down, feel his warm breath on her lips, feel his hand that was now at the nape of her neck and trembled ever so slightly. "Michael," again her voice was barely a whisper and seemed somewhat breathless. "Wren..."