The Proposal

For all of you who have been asking me to put up something new. I wrote this extremely short and fast story for EPIC Magazine. As I told Phoenix this is definitely not one that's my style, but I guess its cos I've become more critical of my work and can't shorten stories anymore. This is the first post I'm putting without images. Do let me know if you prefer it this way or like the images. Anyway I hope you all enjoy it.  - Terror #1

The Proposal

She slips and falls on the soft sand. She feels the sand against her body. A shadow falls over her. She looks up and squints as the sunlight hits her eyes. A hand reaches out to her. 'Here let me help u up.'

She moves back a bit and looks up at the figure in front of her. She notices his chiseled face. She gives him the once over and let us her eyes fall on his eyes. He smiles at her and offers her his hand.

She grabs his hand and let us him pull her up. She stands up and falls onto him. Her hands touch his well toned chest and she starts to blush. She turns her head away and moves back.

'Hi my name is Ronnie.' She smiles and stares at him. Ronnie adds 'Well this is where you're supposed to say Hi Ronnie my name is...' and he grins at her.

'Oh sorry' mumbles the girl. 'My name is Shyla' she says as she offers her hand to him. He takes it and shakes it and then bows 'Honor to meet you.' Shyla starts giggling. 'Who the hell does that anymore?' She then turns around and moves away.

'So when do I see you again? Don't I get your number for being a true gentleman' says Ronnie still grinning at her.

'Just because you helped me doesn't mean I have to give you my number. We'll meet if we have to meet again' says Shyla as she turns and walks away.

He just stands and watches her run back to her friends. He notices the sun dance of her black hair as she flicks it. She turns around looks at him, smiles and then she and her friends turn away. All he can do is just stand and watch her walk away.

3 days later.

Shyla is walking down the small market place near the beach when she see's him standing there. She looks at his close cut hair and his chiseled features. She takes a breath and walks up to him.

'Looks like somebody is stalking me' she says to the man in front of her.

The man turns around and looks at her and says 'Excuse me? I think you have made a mistake'.

'You are Ronnie right? We met at the beach a few days back' adds Shyla.

'Oh Ronnie. He's my twin' says the man.

Shyla starts to turn red in the face with embarrassment. 'Oh but you look identical. Damn I'm sorry.'

Shyla looks the man up and down. 'Actually now that I've had a chance to look at you properly I can see the difference. You've got a better physique and more attractive eyes.'

The man smiles and thanks her. 'So what's your name?' Asks Shyla.

'Uhmm. Well my name is Ronnie' replies the man with a mischievous grin.

She looks at him with disbelief. 'What are you talking about?'

'It's me Ronnie the guy you met yesterday. You should have seen your face when I said I'm his twin brother. Oh and thank you'

Shyla slaps him and turns and walks away. He runs after her. 'Hey what the hell was that for?' He calls out as he catches her hand.

She turns around and bursts into laughter. 'I just felt like slapping you.'

He grins at her catches head and kisses her on her lips. He pulls away and says 'I just felt like kissing you.'

Shyla slaps him and immediately kisses him. She pulls away and says 'That's for stopping.'

She turns around and walks over to a table at a nearby bristo and sits at a chair. She looks over at Ronnie. 'Are you going to leave a lady all by herself?'

Ronnie shakes his head and walks up to the table and sits down.

6 months later.

'Ronnie this restaurant is absolutely beautiful. Isn't that where we first met?' Says Shyla pointing her finger out over the beach.

'Why do you think I brought you here' says a grinning Ronnie.

'So why go all out like this?' asks Shyla.

'What's the hurry? Just sit back and enjoy the afternoon' Ronnie replies with a mischievous smile.

'I don't like that smile Ronnie. You have this sly smile.'

'Shyla what would you like to have' enquires Ronnie as he studies the menu.

At the moment the doors of the restaurant crash open and 5 armed and masked men run into the restaurant. They start firing at the cieling. People at the tables duck for cover.

Ronnie pushes Shyla behind their table and covers her. Shyla grabs Ronnie's shoulder 'Ronnie get behind the table.'

Ronnie pushes her aside. 'Listen they are after me. What I wanted to tell you was I am a secret agent. Those guys there, they work for a Columbian drug lord I've been tracking.'

Shyla's jaws drop but before she can say anything Ronnie whips out a .45 magnum and takes a couple of shots at the masked men as he stands up and runs to a nearby window. One of the men drops to the ground just as Ronnie leaps through the window.

2 of the remaining 4 masked men run out of the restaurant and the other 2 walk around the restaurant. They reach the table behind which Shyla was crouching.

'Shyla Ramiraz?' Says one of the men with a gruff voice while pointing his shotgun at her head.

Shyla stares up in shock and nods her head.

He motions her to stand up. He turns to the other masked man. 'That guy thinks he can draw us away? Well we got what we came for let us leave. The boss will be waiting for her.'

They push her out through the doorway to a black sedan. They bind her hands behind her back before they make her get into the car. When she sits down in the car they pull a cover over her head.

Shyla feels the car start and she shivers at the thought of being taken hostage by the Columbian drug lord.

The drive is silent. Not a word is spoken. Suddenly they stop. She is heralded out of the car. Her foot hits hard ground. She suddenly hears a distinct thump of helicopter blades rotating.

Shyla feels a hand on her head pushing it down. She gets lifted up into the chopper. The sound inside is loud and she feels her head throb.

She feels the chopper take off as she is fastened to her seat. The fear in her growing with each passing minute.

After about a 5 minute ride which felt like an hour to Shyla she feels the chopper descend.

When the chopper lands she is carried off it and set on the ground. She is led over a cobble stone path to what Shyla could only imagine to be the drug lord’s mansion. Suddenly they stop and the bag is lifted off her head.

She stands and stares at the site in front of her. She is standing at a Gazebo at the edge of a cliff. The cliff over looks a beautiful white sand beach. The view is breath taking. She starts to turn around and notices she's standing next to a beautifully laid table. She starts to wonder what's going on.

Just then from the corner of her eyes she sees a movement. She turns and almost screams. There in front of her a man with a chiseled face, with brilliant blue eyes and with nice short black hair wearing a cream suite was knealing down.

'Shyla Ramiraz you once said that you like drama and so I give you drama. What I guess I'm trying to say is I want to be that drama. Will you marry me?' Says a dopey eyed Ronnie.

Shyla stares at him with disbelief. She slaps him then kneels down and kisses him and says 'Yes.'

Shyla then stands up and backs up 'So how did you manage all this? I mean the restaurant the helicopter.'

Ronnie lifts up a pair of binoculars and gives them to her. 'Look down there' he says pointing at a building at the beach.

'But we drove so long and far and then flew for ages' says Shyla in disbelief as she sees the restaurant they were in just a while back.

'Well Shyla it was all part of the scheme.'

'But the restaurant and the damage and the people the guns the bullets. This mansion and property. What about them' enquires Shyla.

'Shyla I left one thing out all these months we've been dating. I own this island we all live on. From the restaurant to this mansion. All I had to do was ask the manager at the restaurant to inform everybody about the scheme.'

'Oh my goodness. So is anything we've shared or done real?'

'Shyla everything was real. I just never told you I owned this place because I knew you'd never love me more or less and it dint matter to you.'

She smiles at him and says 'After all this what if I had said no?'

'Well I would have said it was your loss and not mine.'

Shyla gives him a shot on his shoulder. 'You fool.'

Ronnie offers her his hand and says 'Now my lady will you join me for a meal by the cliff?'

Shyla takes his hand and sits down at the table and they stare at each other. Ronnie pours a couple of glasses of champagne and they raise their glasses.

'Here's to the rest of our lives' and they clink their glasses.

The end.