Fan Fiction / Zoids Fan Fiction ❯ Trapped in the Desert ❯ Lost in the Desert ( Chapter 1 )

Trapped in the Desert
Chapter One

Blake cursed his bad luck as he wandered around in the desert in the middle of a sandstorm. He had abandoned his worthless zoid a while back. The berserk fury was so damaged from his battle with the liger zero that it couldn't even walk any more.

"Stupid, useless zoid," he muttered, trying his best to keep walking. He didn't know where he was going; however, he did know that he was quickly becoming exhausted. Fighting against the wind for the past few hours had really done him in, and his outfit was beginning to feel suffocating. The worst part was he didn't know how much longer he could last.

His mouth felt dry, his muscles ached, and the sand stung his blue eyes. The violent winds whipped his brown and copper hair about his head and shifted the sand around him. He couldn't see, and he could barely breath.

'I feel like I have a coating of sand on the inside,' Blake thought as he trudged on. He knew that he was doomed if he didn't find shelter soon. If he collapsed in the middle of nowhere, then the winds would cover him in layers of sand.

He coughed and spit out some of the grit that had collected in his mouth. The action didn't help much, because the sand was quickly replaced.

Blake could slowly sense his muscles begin to give out on him. First his legs gave way, then his arms. As he went toppling to the ground, he struck his head on something hard, and then everything went black.

~*~

Tori jumped in fright when she heard something hit her door. Her dark green eyes wide, she placed a delicate hand over her rapidly beating heart, trying to calm it. As her shock and surprised ebbed away, curiosity took its place. She wanted to know what had caused the noise, and nothing was going to stop her from finding out.

A thoughtful expression on her face, she stood up, the tip of her red braid brushing against the waistline of her black skirt. Taking a deep breath, she went over to the door and jerked it open, instantly being blasted in the face by the sand-filled wind, which reduced her visibility to zero. Silently grumbling, she took a step outside, one of her feet colliding with something hard on the ground.

Without thinking, she bent down to find out with her hand what she had hit. Her fingers found hair and cloth. 'It's a human being!' Tori thought, instantly grabbing onto the cloth and dragging the person inside. 'Dang... he or she is heavy.'

Huffing with the effort, the redhead deposited the person on her floor and then forced the door closed. Sighing in relief, she slid down to the newly sand covered floor. 'I hate sandstorms,' she thought as her eyes drifted over to the human being on her floor.

It was a male with chocolate brown hair highlighted with lighter, copper-brown streaks that accented a handsome face. He was dressed in a black bodysuit and purple jacket, both decorated with pieces of metal and designs.

"Oh my..." Tori whispered, wide green eyes drinking in the sight of him. He was the first non-family member she had physically seen in years. Sure, she had seen people on the television, but it just wasn't the same. The man on her floor was real.

It was almost too good to believe.

Not sure if she could trust her eyes or not, she reached out with one hand and gently touched the man's hair. It was soft but gritty from the sand it contained.

Amazement in her eyes, Tori slowly moved to touch his face. The instant her fingers grazed his skin, she gasped. It was like he was on fire. His flesh was so hot that she knew he was sick.

'What do I do? I know that a high temperature is bad.' She began to frantically think through her options. 'I need to lower his temperature... cool him off. But how?'

Tori bit down on her lower lip, closing her eyes in concentration until an idea hit her. 'ICE AND COLD WATER!' Jumping up, she ran to her freezer and grabbed all her ice trays. She raced to her bathroom, dumping the ice-cubes into the tub and turning on the water as cold as she could.

As the tub filled with cold water, she went back to the male and began to drag him to the bathroom. By the time she finally pulled him next to the tub, the waterline had risen to about two-thirds of the way. She shut off the water, and then turned back to the man.

'I need to cool him off quickly, so his clothes have to go.' Without further ado, she moved him until she could pull off his jacket. She tossed the thick garment aside, and then went to work on his bodysuit.

It took Tori some time to figure out how to remove it. Once she did, she quickly realized just why he was so heavy. 'Compact muscle. This guy is nothing but compact muscle.'

The redhead admired his sexy boxer-clad body for a few moments before coming to her senses. Shaking her head to clear it, she somehow shoved him over the edge of the tub and into the cold water, making sure that his head did not submerge in the process.

Once she had shifted his position to her satisfaction, she resigned herself to wait.

~*~

Blake awoke to the sensation of being cold and wet. 'It's better than being hot and dry,' he mused before opening his eyes. The sight that greeted him nearly took his breath away. 'I've either died and gone to heaven, or an angel rescued me.' He immediately crushed that idea, mentally smacking himself for that thought. Angels didn't exist on Zi, and he was too cold to be in heaven.

A redheaded girl was watching him with green eyes that reminded him of the color of pine needles. Her angelic face was perfect with soft lips and gracefully arched eyebrows. The girl's fair skin was flawless, and it appeared to be baby-soft.

"So you're awake now. Good. I was so worried." Her sweet smile sent a strange sensation through his body. 'He has the most beautiful dark blue-green eyes I have ever seen,' she thought. 'They're like the color of the deep ocean I always see in the television shows.'

"Where am I?" he croaked out, mouth and throat dry. He coughed, hoping to clear out his breathing passages.

"You're in a bathtub at my house," she answered with a musical laugh. "Where did you think you were, silly? Still out in the sandstorm?"

Blake scowled at that insult to his intelligence until his mind fully began to work. He suddenly noticed what position he was in and how little clothing he had on, causing a light blush to cross his face. He had never been in such a situation before, and he found it immensely uncomfortable.

The redhead didn't seem to notice his pink cheeks, because she reached out and felt his forehead with her wrist. "Your temperature has gone down. Excellent."

She moved away from the bathtub, giving him a full view of her long legs, short black skirt, dark green tube top, and red braid. The girl was the most beautiful female that he had ever seen.

"You can get out of the tub now," the green-eyed girl stated as she opened up a cabinet and pulled out a large fluffy towel.

Blake did as she said, climbing out to stand on a dark blue rug. He noticed his clothes in a pile near the door, but the girl stood between him and them.

"Who are you?" the redhead asked, handing him the towel. "I rescued you, so I believe that's the least you can do for me."

The man began to dry off. "Blake." His voice was like gravel, but it sounded better than before.

"Hmmm... Blake," she repeated, a small smile on her face. "I'm Tori, and it's very nice to meet you."

"Yeah, can I have my clothes back?" His gaze flicked from her face, to the pile of garments, and then back to her.

"Oh, of course." Tori bent over and gathered them up, not knowing what kind of view she was giving the male. She stood back up and handed him the clothes just like she had handed him the towel. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Blake responded gruffly, beginning to pull on his bodysuit over his wet boxers. He didn't want to stay mostly nude in front of her any longer than he had to... for more reasons than one.

"Is there anything else you need?" she inquired politely. "Are you hungry or thirsty?"

He nodded his head. "Water and food would be nice." 'Why am I being kind to her?' he asked himself as the girl left. 'Oh yeah. She rescued me.'

As soon as he was fully dressed, he left the bathroom and began to explore. The first room he came across was a green and cream bedroom containing a queen sized bed, a dresser, a walk-in closet in the corner, and a small desk littered with a few romance novels.

'How pathetic. I don't see how women can read those things,' Blake thought, leaving the bedroom and going out to the hall. A small laundry room was connected to the hallway, but he didn't even bother to explore that. Another door led to the living room, another to a closet, and the final one to the kitchenette.

He found Tori in the kitchenette, heating up something in the microwave. A glass of water was sitting on the small table in the corner of the room. Picking up the glass, he quickly guzzled the liquid down, enjoying the feeling of the cool substance sliding down his parched throat. It was the best thing he had felt and tasted in hours.

"Would you like another glass?" the redhead asked as she heard him set down the empty glass. "If you do, there's a pitcher of water in the refrigerator."

As Blake poured himself more water, he watched the girl out of the corner of his eye. "Where exactly are we?"

"Somewhere in the desert," Tori answered. "I'm not exactly sure where. Daddy has never told me. I do know that there isn't any form of civilization within a day's walk of here in any direction."

He mentally cursed his bad luck. 'This is just great. I trapped in a house out in the middle of nowhere with this beautiful girl...' He thoughts stalled when he noticed how close the female had suddenly become. Her face was a mere two inches from his, her dark green eyes watching his face.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked innocently. "You had a strange look on your face."

Taking a step away from her, Blake ignored the question and chose instead to ask his own. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the desert all by yourself?"

"Daddy put me out here," Tori answered simply. "He visits once a month or so to bring me food and such stuff."

"Why?" The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it. 'I really don't care, so why did I just ask that?'

She shrugged. "I'm supposed to stay out here until he finds a husband for me."

Blake nearly blanched at that. 'He still believes in those archaic ideas of arranged marriages? What a fool.' He couldn't even imagine someone still going by the backwards traditions. It just seemed wrong.

He suddenly felt something soft stroke his cheek. His attention snapped to the girl who was once again in his personal bubble, her fingers tracing the edge of his face and his jaw-line.

"Why do you make that face?" Tori inquired, voice soft. "Every time you become quiet, you get this..." She paused, trying to think of the best way to say what she wanted. "You get this dark expression on your face. It's so serious, and it makes me worry for some reason. I don't believe people are suppose to make that kind of face."

"How long have you been out here?" Blake asked, frowning. 'This girl is almost too naive to be true. She's either acting, or she is still a child at heart.'

Dark green eyes blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected a response like that. "Since I was ten."

"And how old are you now?" he wanted to know, his eyes not leaving hers.

"Eighteen. Why do you ask?" She watched his face, patiently waiting for an answer.

'Eight years. She's been out here for eight years, living all by herself. No wonder she acts so innocent and has no sense of personal boundaries,' Blake thought, his mind drifting off once again. 'She's only a year younger than me, yet she's spent so much time alone that she doesn't have a clue how to act around other people.'

"Blake?" Her sweet voice called him back to reality, and he once again found her face a few inches from his, her warm breath caressing his skin. He instantly had to fight back the desire to kiss her.

'Where did that urge come from? I barely even know her,' he wondered, feeling confused. "Yeah?" Raising a brown eyebrow at her, he took another step back.

Tori frowned slightly. "Why do you keep going so silent on me? Is everything okay?" The timer on the microwave suddenly dinged, signaling that the food was done and saving him from having to answer.

Smiling, she went over to the contraption and pulled out a plate covered with spiced rice mixed with other pieces of food items. "Here you go," the redhead said, placing the food on the table along with a fork. "Here's the food you wanted."

Blake looked at it and slowly took the first bite. The instant the food hit his tongue, there was an explosion of perfectly blended flavors inside his mouth. 'This is good,' he thought with wonderment as he finished off the meal in record time.

"Did you like it?" Tori asked the instant he was done, earning a nod in response. "Would you like more?"

"No. I'm fine."

She shrugged, collected his dirty dishes, and then went over to the sink to wash them. "Blake, how long are you planning on staying?"

He thought about that question for a few minutes. 'I don't have my zoid or any other means of travel; I don't have a clue where I am either. There's a good chance I will only become lost again if I try to leave here without even knowing what direction to head in.'

"Until I can safely leave," the blue-green eyed male answered finally.

"Can you safely leave now?" Tori inquired, tone laced with curiosity and some nervousness.

Blake shook his head. "No. I don't even know where the nearest city is."

The girl smiled, and he realized something. She was lonely. Even though she was used to living alone, she was lonely.

'Poor girl. She has spent almost half her life out here by herself,' he thought, moving to where he could easily watch her.

"What do you do all day?" Blake asked, leaning up against the fridge.

Tori shrugged as she rinsed off the plate. "I watch television, clean house, and read those books Daddy gave me."

He snorted, not impressed with that last piece of information.

"He claims that there's nothing bad in them so I can't get any ideas," she added, turning around to look at him. "He made that same sound when he told me that someone suggested bringing me those sweet books. It seems that some people have something against them." She licked her perfect pink lips before continuing. "I like them though, even though every single one is about arranged marriages. It becomes boring after a while."

'Her father must want her to accept his judgment with open arms,' Blake mentally noted, slightly scowling. 'How crude.' "Do you do anything else?" he asked after a moment. 'I'm going to be bored out of my mind within two days if there's nothing to do.'

The redhead finished washing the last dish. "Ummm... I do sing and write some."

'Make that one day.'

"And there's this cave nearby that I like to camp out in. It has a naturally heated pool and everything. There's holes all over the walls, so sunlight filters through... moonlight too," Tori stated. "Maybe I can show you it sometime."

"Sure." The brown-haired male really didn't care whether she showed him the place or not. More than likely, it was nowhere near as interesting as she made it sound.

The female began to put away the dishes. "I use to have a friend like you before I moved out here. She didn't talk much either, but she was very sweet. She loved flowers." She put away the glass and looked over at him. "What about you? Do you have any friends?"

Blake thought about it, and then he shook his head. "No."

Dark green eyes widened. "None? But how is that possible?"

He shrugged. "I have a rival named RD and a few co-workers."

"And the co-workers and this RD are your friends, right?" Tori asked, a self-assured smile on her face.

"No."

Her smile vanished. "That's too bad." The redhead began to walk out of the kitchen. "You can watch TV or do something else if you like. I need to clean up all the sand by the front door."

"Thanks," the male replied. `Not that there will be anything good on.'

"I believe there's a zoid battle on today," Tori stated, and then she left him alone with his thoughts.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

CotA: Well, what did you people think of the first chapter? Was it good, bad, just okay?

RL Cassie: Chapter two should be posted next Saturday.

CotA: And chapter three the saturday after that. Of course, if everyone says they hate it, we'll just take it off. No big.

RLC: Reviews would be nice though.