FORBIDDEN AFFECTIONS: ADDICTED TO MY STEPMOM

“No…No… The tribe!” Mom exclaimed with a loud gasp as she moved and was about to run back to the village when I caught her hand in time.

“Mom!” I held her.

“Aki, t-they’re in danger…!” She exclaimed, her eyes round and full of worry. “They need our help, Aki!”

I tightened my grip on her and pulled her to my side. Then I turned to Bon and Norman, waiting for them to speak. Even they were too shocked and seemingly unable to think what to do next. I looked up again, thinking… Then I stopped, finally realizing what it could be. Sh*t… Crista… Her men were the cause of this, weren’t they?!

I gritted my teeth, the anger spreading throughout my chest. I turned to Bon and told him, “Head back to the tribe.”

Bon seemed to snap back from his shock. He looked at me, clenching his hands into fists as he suppressed his emotions. “No… We can’t. Nana’s order was for us to take you two to the nearest town.”

“Aki! We need to go back!” mom almost cried when she said that.

I tried to think of the situation. If we go back now, Crista and Ryan’s staff would most probably already be there waiting for us. In short, it could be a trap. If they knew this forest as Bon and his group did, then they would’ve thought of the possibility, that mom and I had been in that village. And with that, they finally decided to come after us and check whether we were there or not.

I couldn’t help but feel a pang in my chest as the scary idea of mom being taken away from me crossed my mind again. I couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t let it happen again. In addition, the tribe would be in more danger if those bastards knew we were hiding there all this time…

“Bon,” I called to the only person who could understand well. “All right, let’s do it this way. Mom and I… can do it. You and Norman should head back to the village.”

“But …”

“Hurry up!” I said angrily to it.

He looked at us, his eyes wide and almost enduring it before he turned around and made a loud grunt through clenched teeth, “We’ll be back!!” With that, they hurriedly ran back to their tribe.

“Aki….” I heard mom call in a soft, breaking voice.

I turned to her and let out a breath, “Mom, please calm down. We can’t head back to the village… If they are really there, it would be more dangerous to the tribe.”

Mom’s worry was immediately replaced by fear, more intense fear from the realization.

I pulled her close and tried to comfort her. “When we get to the town, we’ll ask for help right away. Okay? So we need to hurry.”

At the thought of the situation, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated and anxious in my heart. Even so, I had to keep them first inside and not show them outside. I could already feel mom trembling, her face still full of shock and seemingly unable to think properly. At such times, I should be the one mom can lean on and rely on.

No matter what happens, I need to get her home safe and alive.

I looked up at the sky to the south where we came from, the smoke getting thicker and thicker. Though still feeling a heavy brick inside my chest, I forced myself to move and pulled mom with me as we walked together. I followed the direction Bon had specified earlier when we rested.

Mom and I walked for a few minutes. With every step, I carried the conscience and painful feelings of turning away from those who helped us. The trees and grass we passed by seemed to be endless. Each step became heavier and heavier, the wind turning colder and harsher. At some point, I winced and had to clench my teeth when I felt so much pain in my side. Still, I tried not to make a sound. I had to hold it in… Just a little bit more…

“A-Aki…!” Mom called me and stopped me immediately.

When we looked at my wound, we found it opened a bit and started bleeding again. I saw the panic in mom’s eyes. She started to pull the bag and grabbed whichever cloth she could to wrap around my wound.

I tried to calm down myself and thought about our situation. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if mom was to get hurt again. No matter what happens, she should get home safely.

In the end, I decided to say what I knew would be good for us, “Mom… I think it would be better if you go first. I… I’ll follow you quickly,” I lied to her.

With the pain I was feeling from my wound, I knew I could no longer walk and keep up. Even so, I wanted Mom to get out of here. She needed to get to that town, safe and alive.

Mom was stunned and shook her head while looking at me, “N-No… No, Aki. I can’t. I can’t do that…”

“I’ll be fine…” I forced myself to smile to ease her worry. “… Please, mom. Go.”

Mom’s tears ran down her face. Even if I tried to wipe them with my hand, I could hardly do it. I felt a great tremor and my vision gradually became blurred. I looked up at the sky. The thick smoke still continued, clearly not stopping any time soon.

Mom was crying and I could barely move. Is this the end of everything? Gradually I was losing hope for mom and myself. How can I save mama, how can I take her to a safe place if I am so useless now?

In the midst of self-anger and thoughts of cold restlessness, I felt the familiar warmth of the body of the person my heart had always loved and cared for. Mom hugged me so tightly as she cried, her body shaking uncontrollably as she held me even tighter in her arms.

“I will never leave you, Aki. Do you understand me? I will never leave you…” she said which made my heart ache and made me cry.

I hugged mom back and when she pulled away, I kissed her on the lips. With that one kiss, I made her feel my love, my overflowing affection for her that she could forever take with her. Even now that it has come to this point, until the end, I am with the person I love the most. And because of that, I am not afraid.

Gradually, I felt the drop of water. Mom halted to look up. Suddenly, the rain came down. We were stunned for a second before we looked at each other, smiling as we pulled each other into a hug once more.

Perhaps, there really is a god. Because it heard our prayers for the tribe.

I couldn’t stand anymore and slowly fell to the grass. I heard mom’s voice calling me over and over. But I could not move my whole body, only faintly sensing her move with the sound of her voice.

Moments later, I heard the sound of familiar voices, the sound of an ambulance, and a group of vehicles along with hurried footsteps and movements with the rain pouring down. Amidst everything, I could feel a hand gripping me that even though I could no longer open my eyes and see, my heart already knew who it was.

I smiled, slowly losing all my consciousness.

With her holding me like that, I knew I was ready for anything to happen.

Even death didn’t seem to be that scary anymore.