Cool..” I examined the wooden instrument in Greg’s hand. “How long did you have this?” 

Greg flipped and swung the makeshift sword around like it was a toy. “It's been awhile since I made this one. This one hasn't been used before so it’s still in good condition. Now your sisters on the other hand..” 

That looks kind of fun. “Can I hold it?” 

“Sure!” Greg held out the sword but snatched it away at the last second. “Brace yourself.” 

“Sure.” Brace myself? It’s a wooden sword. 

Greg held out the sword for me to grab once again. I grasped it, and immediately snatched it away before he had the opportunity to snatch away again. 

“Ahhh!!! Why is it so heavy?!” I almost toppled over from the weight of the wooden sword. It was way heavier than it looked. 

Greg’s lips curled into a sadistic smile. “It has to be sturdy. It’s going to take a lot of abuse.” 

A chill ran up my spine as soon as I saw Greg’s smile. 

Did I make the wrong decision? 

“Here, let me show you how to properly hold it.” Greg walked behind me, and grabbed my hands. He showed me how he wanted me to grip the handle of the sword, and twisted my legs into a weird stance.   

Greg walked around me, examining my stance and how I held my sword. “There you go! This is the most practical stance for you!” 

Man this sword is heavy as shit! “So what do I do now?” 

Greg contemplated for a moment before he began to speak. “I’ll show you a few different swings, and I want to practice them almost everyday after basic exercises. Once you become accustomed to it, then we’ll begin sparring.”

 Hey! Why are you so happy?! 

LATER

“Shit!” I threw down my practice sword and wiped my brow. 

After showing me some basic swings, Greg left me to my devices and I’ve been swinging this hunk of wood ever since. 

“H-hey!” The all too familiar feminine and pleasant voice entered my ears. “Here’s a towel!” 

“He-“ Good God almighty!!!

Juliette was dawning her thin grey sports bra and shorts again. She was drenched in sweat which caused her outfit to be even more translucent. 

She held out the towel with a beautiful smile on her face. Her smile slowly began to change once she took notice of my lecherous gaze. Two blushes of pink appeared on her cheeks and her expression morphed into something incomprehensible. 

I grabbed the towel from her hand as if it was the most precious thing in the world. “Thank you so much.” 

Juliette nodded her head before sprinting away. 

And yes, I did watch her ass bounce up and down as she ran away. 

I am beginning to accept the Alabama lifestyle. 

I mean, I’ve caught her staring at me for no reason. And she’s been oddly nice to me lately. Like offering to start baths for me and even bringing me fresh towels after a workout. 

Does she actually… “Pffft! Nah, there’s no way! She’s just awkward.” 

*BOOM*

“What the fuck was that?!” 

The sky looked like something straight out of a nightmare. Golden bolts of lighting were furiously swirling around in the clouds far away. Every so often the lightning would strike the planet, and despite it being so far away I could still hear it clearly and feel slight tremors from the ground. 

“Gold? That’s fucking cool..” 

Suddenly from where the lighting was, a pillar of bright white ice rose to the sky.

“Am I the only one seeing this?” I looked around to find myself all alone. “What the fuck?” 

The trees around me were slowly being covered by a thin layer of frost. “Are those… snowflakes?!” 

Is this because of the ice pillar? “I’m so fucking cold…” 

Ugh, why am I so tired? I can barely keep my eyes open. Would it be okay to sleep? Just for a little bit?

I felt myself wobbling, but before I could hit the ground something soft caught me. 

Violet light clouded my vision and a sweet flowery aroma filled my nostrils. 

“Warm..” I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer and fell asleep.