The pistol dropped out of Ishtar's hand down on the floor.
Like a no-good alcoholic who needed help for her problem, Ishtar could barely stand on her two legs steadily at the moment. She had lost too much blood from the injury she got from a brutal assault lately, which was intended to take away her life.
Ishtar needed to lay her body down for some good time in a serious rest so she can build a healthy conscious mind and a steady muscle performance.
Quickly, the grey bearded grownup man got her in his hands before she fell off her feet to the floor in a weak state.
"Got you!" Softly, he lifted and supported her to balance on her feet, and walked her upto a one person bed, on which she was laying before she stubbornly ran outside, where he gently laid her again to make her rest.
In the midst of laying her down on the bed he cautioned, "cut the stubbornness and allow me to nurse you through this hard time if you wanna see tomorrow."
Only for her to keep an open eye on him, and watched him hurrying out of her sight for a few seconds and back, holding a medium metallic tool box. The only option Ishtar had in this trying time was to calm her fears and anxiety down and comply with whatever the stranger man was about to subject to her.
First, as soon as he pulled out a small sharp blade from the tool box and Ishtar saw it, she fainted.
"Thanks to the heavens," mentally, he gladly said, happy that she wasn't gonna give him a hard time in what he was about to start.
Setting up cotton, nurisng spirit and a pair of scissors on the bed side, he observed her wound clearly and began to dress it carefully, hence he gave Ishtar the required medical attention.
As time went by, in two hours time, Ishtar woke up on a heavily bandaged head when she lifted a hand to touched it.
Just nearby on an arm chair, the grey haired and bearded man relaxed, all along watching her like a catching program on the television.
"You're awake now?"
His voice startled her. Softly, Ishtar pulled her body up to sit, getting off her back.
"What's your name?" On a frowned face due to her heavily injured head, Ishtar needed to get to know about the stranger's identity.
"Call me Beard!" He answered, completely confidential.
.... seconds of silence.
"So, Mr Beard, now that you didn't use me for a delicious creamy soup like I thought you'd do, are we friends?" She started plotting how to thanking him for his hospitality.
"No!" He replied.
"Why not yet you've taken good care of me? Are you sparing me for the next winter meal?" "I don't see any animal skins around here like bushmen do _ you may be a bad hunter," In a joking way, she asked teasingly.
Mr. Beard maintained silence, looking at her keenly though.
His silence got her stepping off the bed, "um, I don't remember anything about myself, and I'm scared!" On her feet, she came and stood infront of him.
She turned away from his face and began to loiter around like a tourist in the zoo, touching the tempting gold collections and weapons including crystals in diamonds, one after the other.
"Did you steel these?" She turned her face at him.
Mr. Beard stood up from the arm chair, "How did you end up in the rough river? He dodged her question with a question.
"I don't know," she replied.
"Get out!" He growled angrily.
"What?" Ishtar asked for a pardon, seeming to have not heard him clearly.
"I said get out!" He raised his voice, barking at her rudely.
"It's not safe out there!" She timidly stated.
Mr. Beard pulled out a gun, put a bullet in the chamber and placed it on Ishtar's head, "do not force me to blow your brains out!" Angry on the face, on a very serious not he ordered her to move.
Outside was still dark and cold when they Mr. Beard opened door. He threw her out and got back inside, left the door open and in just a couple of seconds he returned with her black dress, threw it at her, "go!"
Memories of the voices of the wild creatures whispered threats which haunted her mind. And now, with each step she took hesitantly, a sob broke free from her lips in the silence of the dark night, too afraid that even the softest whimper would betray her presence.
Mr. Beard had already locked himself back in his home.
Furious winds lashed against the leaves and branches of the thick woods. Ishtar couldn't wait to become a meal of one hungry wild creature. In panic, fearfully she turned eyes at the hill house and ran back to it.
Confoundedly, not knowing what to do next, she spotted a dark corner which was right to it, in which she huddled.
Her breath was coming in quick with shallow grasps as her heart pounded. At this moment her face was pale and streaked with tears.
Trembling, Ishtar clutched her knees to her chest, with instincts that danger was nearby.
She pressed her face into her knees, trying to silence herself, too afraid.
Foot steps on the ground heading her way, "Please no!" She whispered to herself.
Tears streamed down her cheek, leaving wet trails on her skin. In that moment, Ishtar felt utterly alone, waiting to face the deadly jaws of a lurking predator as she had it in mind. The tears flowed freely now, a fierce release of terror that stomped her way, as footsteps paused right nearby, and she held her breath, praying the beast doesn't see her.
"How did you end up in a river?" The lurking movements where of Mr. Beard, he asked her once again, "I give you this last chance!"
"I swear I can't remember anything," Ishtar cried out loud in total fright, "not even my name!"