Chapter 9 - A Reason To Live

I arrive at my tent by nightfall, my body is aching from the encounter with the goblins, I double check the rope perimeter to see if its been tempered with I think to myself.

"Everything seems fine."

I then get a campfire going, and start carefully skinning the animal, and as my food is being cooked by the flames, I sit down on one of the roots of a huge tree that's sticking out from the ground, I sigh as I look up at the night sky, I ask myself.

"what am I doing anymore?"

I think back to that night I spent with Rosie, she asked me.

"would you like to spend the night with me?"

I feel my jaw drop, and i stammer.

"uh uh ex-excuse me, I dont th-think I heard you right, but did you just say if i want to spe-spend the night?"

she is clearly a bit fl.u.s.tered with my response, she doesnt say a word and nods, I think to myself.

"say yes! say yes! you wont get another opportunity like this!"

I can feel a silly on my face.

she playfully shoves me and nervously giggles, and then says sings in a teasing manner like a kid would do.

"I can already tell what your thinking about with that creepy perverted smile."

I blurt out laughing and respond in kind.

"You also have that excact same smile."

and with that whatever awkward atmosphere in the air disappeared, after a long night we couldn't sleep, it was somewhere around midnight and all I can think about was that I am no longer v.i.r.g.i.n, and how I have experienced the long awaited Valhalla for v.i.r.g.i.ns, we just quietly lay on the bed still awake and I can still feel her warm body next to me, I slowly turn over to my side and I'm facing her, I gently c.a.r.e.s.s her arm and the break the peaceful silence by saying.

"I really do want to come with you, especially after tonight."

Rosie asks.

"so what's stopping you?"

I can't tell her that I'm looking for a way to become stronger, because in this moment and knowing how she feels about me I feel like I could abandon that goal and just live a life with Rosie, but that lingering thought of me being weak still runs in my head, because this world's peace is not steady and a war could break out at anytime, and now that I've confirmed my feeling for Rosie, I can't help but imagine having scenarios of me helplessly watching Rosie die in front of me, because I was to weak to do anything would play in my mind on repeat, I reply to her

"I want to explore this world and experience unknown things without regrets."

what I said is not a complete lie, but I can't tell her that I'm looking for any means necessary to become stronger, she c.a.r.e.s.ses my cheek and says.

"I understand."

she kisses me and then whispers softly.

"I'll wait for you to come back and when you do I'll have you tell me stories of your adventure."

and with that I have found a good reason why I will do any means necessary to stay alive, I made an incredible memory with Rosie that night and it's something that I will hold close to my heart, my imagination then gets interrupted by the smell of something burning, I reach out over to the burnt animal and I take a bite, I fight the urge to spit it out, I think to myself.

"tastes of burnt chicken."

I finish up my burnt food, I then put out the campfire and start heading towards the tent, but as I'm about to enter, I hear the rattling sounds of cans from the perimeter, I quickly grab the short sword and dagger from the inside the tent, I take a deep breath and I slowly start heading towards the sound.