Sliding through the mud of the track, the bike came to a halt.


    Rachel’s hands were clutching tightly onto the fabric of Ryder’s v-neck. Her chest was heaving, up and down.


    Ryder turned his head, and gave her a glance, then he looked away, a smile tugging at his lips.


    “Hey, Get off now.” He patted her arms.


    Rachel’s body halted, and her lips pressed together. She slowly moved her head up, staring at Ryder’s back.


    “Ryder…” She murmured, quietly moving her head around, eyeing the trees around her, “Can we not just go back?”


    Her face scrunched up further.


    Ryder heaved a sigh, and then he was about to stand off the bike, but as he noticed how tight her grip was, he stopped.


    He pinched his nose, “I told you not to come. You were the one being adamant as fuck.”


    “Sorry,” Rachel said, as she wrapped her hand around his waist, interlocking her fingers, “Let’s just go back, you aren’t going either.”


    As she clenched on her stomach, Ryder flinched, and almost instinctively stood up. Yet he clutched the handle of the motorbike, “Yo! Aren’t you being too touchy? Do you love me or something? Yuck.”


    He turned his neck towards her, glancing down at her, meeting her eyes.


    “Phuf,” Rachel looked away, scoffing, as she squinted her eyes, glaring back at him.


    “It''s a survival tactic.”


    Then, she shoved her hand further into his stomach, “Just move away now, I’m not gonna ask again.”


    “Hey,” Ryder, clasped Rachel’s hands, “Are you… Hah! Now I’m definitely gonna go.”


    Rachel tightened her nose, as she pulled Ryder to the left.


    “Let’s just –-” Rachel said, as she halted.


    She stiffened up, as Ryder caught a moment and balanced himself and the bike again.


    He turned back at her again, as he noticed her. Her eyes were twitching, and her lips were trembling, as she couldn’t close her mouth.


    Ryder quickly followed her sight, and turned her neck to where she could be looking. He could hear Rachel’s breath hastening, and how she’d completely removed her hands from him.


    As Ryder looked to the right, his eyes dilated on instinct.


    It was a humongous snake. Much thicker than what he’d ever thought a snake could get. Its white scales were mudded, and even standing in the middle of the track, its body was disappearing into the woods.


    “What the fuck?” Ryder mumbled to himself, as he suddenly twitched his head, shaking out of it.


    He turned back, and pulled Rachel in, by her hand. Resting her hand over his waist.


    Rachel instantly clasped tight on it, jumping forward on the seat, close to Ryder. And buried her face on his back.


    Ryder instantly turned on the bike, and swung the handle. With one leg on the ground, the bike drifted on the mud towards the exit.


    He just kept accelerating, as the bike zoomed its way through. Ryder said, “Hold as tight as you can, Rachel. Please.”


    And he clenched the handle of the bike, his muscles tensing up. The bike was springing, and hard to control, in the uneven terrain at such speed.


    His face tensed. He doesn’t move his head, but just shifts his eyes down the mirror, and the snake was keeping up.


    Ryder’s breath hitched for a moment, as he stuck his tongue out, breathing through his mouth, controlling his panic.


    He clenched his teeth, as he accelerated again. He was using every ounce of strength and awareness, from letting the handle wriggle and lose control.


    The motorbike was jumping through the path. It flew off a couple of meters, as it raced over a big bump.


    As the bike heavily landed from the impact, Rachel whimpered, in a muffled tone. And Ryder’s face scrunched up further.


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    “Just a bit more, Rachel, we’re here. I can see it.”


    Rachel sniffed, as she shook her head, rubbing at his back, “Mhm.”


    Ryder gave the mirror, yet another look, but the snake wasn’t behind them. His eyes instantly moved, fleetingly looking at both sides of the track, which were covered by thick trees.


    Not noticing anything, he breathed a sigh, yet in a jiffy, his lips tightened together. His body was aching from the heavy run, and somewhere in it, his wrist had twisted in the handle pretty badly.


    He focused forward, where the trail was leading out to the road. As, from the corner of his eye, a blur flew towards him. He reflexively ducked, his eyes closed. Then, he felt a needle poke, and tear through his eyelid.


    The pain made Ryder jerk forward, but he bit his lip, as he let out a muffled, “Mmph,” in faltering breath.


    Noticing this, Rachel looked up, towards Ryder.


    “What happened, are you fine?” She said, hurriedly tapping him on the shoulder.


    “Mhm,” Ryder replied.


    Rachel squinted her eyes, looking at Ryder. She gulped, as she slowly turned her neck backwards. When she didn’t catch sight of the snake, her breath quickened, but her lips curled up.


    She heaved a sigh, as her breath finally relaxed.


    “Is that thing gone, Ryder? Did we lose it?” She asked, looking up towards Ryder’s head.


    “Yeah,” Ryder said, his voice slightly faltering, “We are gonna reach the hotel pretty soon now.”


    The bike hit the road, and Ryder turned it to the hotel direction. He then pulled a handkerchief out from his pocket.


    Rachel’s hands twitched, as if thinking of leaving Ryder’s back, but then she just leaned in.


    Ryder’s eyes moved to the edge, wanting to look backwards, but he didn’t turn back. His lips slightly curled up, but soon, his face twisted in pain again.


    Blood drops were about to trickle down to his shirt, when he rushed to put a handkerchief over them, stopping them at his cheeks.


    Rachel quietly rested her cheeks over the brown fabric of his jacket, peeking at the scenery of woodland, beside the road.


    Ryder, not making obvious moves, wiped the blood off of his face, and wrapped the handkerchief over his right eye. He held the corners of the handkerchief at the back of his head, as Rachel turned her face to look at it.


    “Rachel, can you tie this up for me?” Ryder said.


    Rachel immediately pushed herself back, resting her hands on Ryder’s back, to take a better look at it.


    “What happened?” She said, as she peeked through the mirror that he had covered his eye.


    “Are you injured?” She leaned in from the side.


    Ryder looked away, hiding from Rachel''s sight as he replied, “A bit. An insect bit me I guess.”


    “Huh?” Rachel moved her hands towards his eye, as Ryder clasped it.


    “I’m still riding the bike, you idiot. Sit still.” He said, then he pushed her hand, pointing it towards a building, before them.


    “See, the hotel’s here too. Just tie it up for me right now. It’s just a bit swollen.”


    Rachel glanced at Ryder’s face, a bit longer than she intended, as she pulled her hand back, “Don’t grab me like that.” She complained, as she took the corner of the handkerchief and tied it for him.


    They reached the hotel, and Ryder pulled the bike at the roadside. The building was at a natural platform, so they both took the stairs up.


    Inside, they checked in, and both of them, faring each other a good night, trudged their way to their rooms.


    As Ryder locked the door, behind him, his body immediately slouched. The pain from the driving, and the discomfort at his wrist, as if it had gone hollow. The constant, writhing and poking pain at his eyelid. It all hit him.


    “Aah!” He unintentionally let out a cry, as his hand reached for the handkerchief and pulled it out.


    He ran towards the bathroom, and his fingers tensed, wanting to pull the pain out from his eyes, but all he could do was rest a palm over it.


    His hand twitching and his face grimacing from pain, he looked at the mirror, removing his hand. There was a proper strike on his eyelids, as if cut by a knife.


    His breath quickened, and he switched the tap on. He rested his hand on the basin, his breath quickening.


    He gave another look, to his eye as he looked away, closing his eyes, gathering some composure.


    He exhaled, as he reached for the water and splashed over his face. His fingers rubbed at his skin, around his eyes, where there were blotches of his blood.


    He continued to splash at his face, not stopping. His breath quickened, and his teeth clenched. The water dripping over his right eye felt awful, but it needed to be rinsed.


    After having splashed enough, he leaned himself over the basin again, catching a bit of his breath. As he looked at the wound again. It was much cleaner now.


    I need to use the sanitizer. He thought.


    He was about to move, but his hand instantly clutched the door frame. A beat of pain rushed through him, like a wave inside. The pain in his eye intensified, but his eyes were closing and his breath was staggering. His body, slightly convulsing.


    He was losing his senses, as he staggered out of the bathroom and fell straight over the carpet.


    “Ugh,” He let out a strangled voice, as his eyes completely closed and then, he didn’t move.