Chapter 3 Three

December 22, 2121

13:01

Romeo woke up. He looked straight up at the sun as memories of the previous night came rushing back like a flood. He closed his eyes, stood up on his feet, and walked to the rock where Mona had sulked. He slowly sat on the rock, his elbows resting on his knees, and his head supported by his large palms. Very quickly, he became lost in thoughts, mindless of the afternoon sun beating down on him without mercy. He did not even notice how sweaty he got, nor did he notice when the rain began toward mid-afternoon.

The rain started as a light drizzle, as if a black baby cloud was merely passing by. The rays and heat from the sun were barely affected. But, the drizzle didn’t stop. It slowly wet the ground, the trees, the rocks, and Romeo. As it approached nighttime, just before the sun was completely lost past the horizon, the drizzle turned vengeful.

Wind began to blow, bending the trees, capturing the old leaves and twigs, and bothering the fishes in the river. The raindrops increased in speed, individual size, and density. Dark clouds came out of seemingly nowhere and covered the sky.

Romeo, who had remained in the same position, finally moved. He suddenly stood up, took a look around him at the flying twigs, tree branches, plants, and even some unlucky small animals. He turned around towards the rock downstream that held quite some memories and bore witness to their relationship and breakup. He slowly advanced toward it.

As he approached the lifeless piece of nature, he gathered his thoughts and planned his next line or lines of action. He had been thinking all this while and had decided to leave the forest. But before he did, he was going to let Mona know a few things.

He stopped in front of the rock and went down on a knee, stroking the rock gently as if it were a pet, and then continued towards the forest.

As he walked through the trees under the heavy rain, his thoughts kept drifting to Mona. He recalled the moments they shared, the stolen glances, the tender touches. He remembered the way she laughed, a sound that could melt the coldest of hearts, and the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke of their dreams. These memories fueled his determination.

His walk soon transitioned to jogging. And in another minute, it had become a full-speed sprint. He ran very quickly through the trees, jumping over large, exposed roots and young trees that blocked his way, weaving through large trees and small spaces without slowing down. Every move he made was a testament to his skill and experience and adept knowledge of that area of the forest especially.

The Den was a seemingly disorderly yet orderly mesh of buildings and businesses of different sizes, shapes, and colors. Each house in the Den usually spoke volumes about the personality of the owner of the house. This night, as the rain fell heavily, the interiors of every house in the Den were brightly lit. Two burly men standing at heights of six feet and six feet five stood vigilantly outside the heavy main gate that led into the Den. There were two unlit towers at the edges of the tall, fortified wall whose tops could not be seen through the hazy rain and fog.

In each tower waited three men and women, ready to hit the alarm button and activate the emergency barrier at the slightest hint of an invasion, attack, or any large-scale brawls.

A woman standing in one of those towers was the first to see Romeo fast approaching the gate. All she could see was a fat blur; the distance, the rain, and the condition of the atmosphere prevented her from seeing his face. Before she could call their attention to him, the other defenders had seen him as well.

"Stop!" One of the Defenders outside the gate yelled at Romeo.

Romeo skidded to a stop, right in front of the defenders.

"Oh! It’s you!" One of the defenders said.

"What do you want this time?" the other asked. He was the shortest of the three, standing at a height of six feet and being hostile.

Romeo neither liked him nor did he have time for his constant trouble.

"Step aside, Brutus. I don’t have time for your nonsense today." He said and tried to walk around him.

Brutus moved to block him.

"Where do you think you are going? Do you think because you are taller than I am, I will be intimidated?"

"Seriously! Brutus! I don’t have time for all this. Just let me pass through." Romeo said and tried to pass by Brutus again.

Brutus grabbed him by his shoulder and pushed him backward.

"Romeo, you are not passing here until I say so. Do you understand?"

Romeo was fast losing his cool. His right eye began to show small, almost invisible red lines.

"Brutus! Don’t make me beat you up!" He threatened.

"Do you think I’m the same fat kid as five years ago? Take one more step and find out!" Brutus yelled back.

Romeo looked at Daryl, the other defender at the gate. Daryl looked away as if he was not standing merely two strides from them.

Daryl was much older than Romeo and Brutus and was very experienced at crowd control and night watch duties. He had been single all his life and was still single even as he approached old age for reasons most likely known only to the elders. He was one of the most dedicated men to his work and was respected for it. Even Romeo had a little bit of respect for him. After all, not only was he a very patriotic, dedicated defender, he was also one of the few that held no bias against Romeo. That was why Romeo had given him a look to see his stance on the matter before doing anything.

Daryl, as if wanting to ensure they fully understood his stance, spoke, "You both are free to beat yourselves up. Regardless of who wins, you will both learn very valuable lessons. Just don’t touch the gate or attempt to kill or maim the other, and we’re good. Anything else goes."

Romeo, taking a deep breath, let his thoughts wander back to Mona. He couldn't help but think of the last time they were together, the warmth of her body against his, the softness of her lips, the way her fingers had traced patterns on his skin. These memories, more than anything, fueled his resolve. He needed to see her, to tell her everything he had kept bottled up inside.

Ignoring Brutus, Romeo stepped forward, his mind focused on Mona. Brutus, seeing the determination in Romeo’s eyes, hesitated for a moment. That brief pause was all Romeo needed. With a swift, practiced movement, he dodged Brutus’s grasp and made his way toward the gate.

Daryl, recognizing the urgency in Romeo’s demeanor, didn’t interfere. He knew that sometimes, matters of the heart needed to be resolved without external obstacles.

As Romeo walked through the rain-soaked streets of The Den, his thoughts were consumed by Mona. He remembered the night they had confessed their love for each other under the stars, the way she had looked at him with such intensity and vulnerability. He recalled the feel of her lips on his, the way their bodies had moved together as if they were meant to be one.

The rain poured down, but Romeo felt a warmth inside him, fueled by the memory of Mona's touch. He could almost hear her voice whispering his name, feel her arms wrapped around him. His pace quickened as he neared the place where she stayed.

Finally, he reached the small, cozy cottage where Mona lived. He hesitated for a moment, the weight of their past weighing heavily on his shoulders. But the thought of losing her forever spurred him into action. He knocked on the door, his heart pounding in his chest.

Mona opened the door, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw him standing there, drenched and shivering. Without a word, she stepped aside, letting him in. The warmth of the cottage enveloped him, but it was the sight of Mona that truly took his breath away.

"Romeo," she whispered, her voice trembling. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you," he said, taking a step closer to her. "I can't stop thinking about you, about us. I know things haven't been easy, but I can't go on without you."

Tears welled up in Mona's eyes as she reached out to touch his face. "I missed you," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.

Romeo took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "I missed you too," he said softly. "More than you can imagine."

In that moment, all the pain and distance between them seemed to melt away. Romeo pulled Mona into his arms, holding her close as the rain continued to fall outside. Their lips met in a kiss that was both tender and passionate, a promise of the love they had always shared.

As they stood there, wrapped in each other's embrace, Romeo knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together. For in Mona's arms, he had found his home, his heart, and his forever.