The night has yet to cease to amaze me.
With all of the rain that showered down on us, it wasn't until now that I realized we were truly lost.
I mean this whole trip seems surreal. Terribly surreal. Two women (one drastically younger) lost in a tropical rainforest in some unknown land after being separated from the rest of the family whom all also went through a plane hijacking. There are no cameras. This is no joke. We have very little experienced traveling outside of Hillwood, nonetheless another country. How we made it this long is a mystery to me.
I also realized that we are being followed.
Most people would be worried about animals -and I am- but I am more so weary about whatever else is out there. Something moved us next to the river while we slept that first night in this enigmatic labyrinth. There is no sign of dragging underneath our makeshift beds, so we must've been carried but by what?
Miriam doesn't see it. She doesn't see anything anymore, ever since she fought off that naive snake. She doesn't acknowledge the fact that I have stayed up every night for the past five days just so we can be safe; so that thing won't return.
My eyes are red with weary, I can feel them get dryer with each passing hour, and the world is slurring into mixed colors, however I will not close my eyes. No matter how tired I am.
How tired I am.
"Helga, are you okay?" Her voice is too gentle for me. I need to stay awake. I need to keep moving my feet.
"Yes Miriam." I sigh. "Why do you ask?"
"Because your walking in circles." I stop walking and fully open my eyes. Sure enough, there's a ring around a tree beneath my feet. A gentle frail hand rests itself onto my shoulder and I look up to meet Miriam's eyes, her mouth in a line. "Maybe we should take a break."
I take a good look at her, but only to remind myself why I can't take a break. Miriam is thin. Too thin. Even the amount of sun that breaks through the looming canopy cannot tan the moon-shined paleness of her skin, or tighten the extra skin which dangles off her boney arms. She shouldn't have to groan in hunger in her sleep at night, a melancholy sound that helps keep me on guard. With a sigh (I've been doing that quite often lately) I lazily brush her hand off my shoulder.
"We can't Miriam we have no-" I see something zoom past my field of vision and almost get whiplash from how fast I ten my head.
"We can get more food eventually, Helga." I hear from a distance, but I'm too focused on the motion to care. I swear I saw an animal, I know it! They've been avoiding us for some odd reason, and for a moment I thought this whole adventure was nothing but a trick in some foreign prank show, but not anymore. It's going up the tree into the canopy and I will get it.
"Miriam did you see that?" I whisper to her. "I'm gonna get it."
"Helga, what are you..." But she drowns out her voice. All I can concentrate on is the taste of meat over an open fire.
Each branch brings me closer to my prize as I sneak up on it. All sound has died, all other things are gone; I am completely focused on my prey. A ray of light hits my eye but I shall not let it faze me. Nothing will faze me!
And that was the problem.
My vision is so focused I failed to notice how the branches were broken off the higher you went. The impotent bird took one glance- one belittling glance- at me before pecking my fingers off. I tried snatching the wretched thing from its high perch, but only swiped air as I began my graceless descent. There was a sudden thrilling in my head...
I tried to feel the roots passing me but they only caused me pain. I hit my head...
My back...
...and the walls scratched up my back the longer I fell until the feeling of a dozen prickly arms catching.
The soft glow of the gem sent vibrations through my chest as it rested underneath my garment. It was like a voice traveled through my mind, speaking to me with noted that struck me deep.
"Tenga cuidado con las sombras." Two voices harmonized, flowing through my body like the hushed breathing of the animals deep into their slumber. The hole looks deep enough to keep me safe from the two men, but try as I might I won't make it out.
The empress put her trust in me, and I let her down. How could I? The whole village-her people- are dependent upon this jewel. Where dod it come from? Where did she get it? Why did she give it to me? I am nothing but a child trapped in the heart of battle between us and strange, foreign men with even stranger contraptions and no morals!
My stomach grumbles in hunger, seeing as I didn't get to leave before the empress signaled our departure from the heinous camp. The light on the jewel is beginning to brighten, giving me enough light to truly take in my surroundings.
The walls seem to have been curved, an obvious sign of my people's doing, but I have never been this way. The arched walls stand short to the point where I can barely stand up straight. The light only goes a few feet ahead of me, leaving the rest alluringly dark.
One shaky step after another, I travel down the surprisingly warm hallway, cub fused as to where this leads. After what seemed like moon wanings later, I see the dim glow of a flame. The flame began making noises, soft mundane hummings so inaudible it seems ethereal. I press my back against the smooth arched walls, inching closer to the growing light with vigilant steps. The closer I get to the sound, however, the more audible it becomes. It is less menacing and more mournful; remorsef is growing deep inside at the Earth's choir.
Wait- I hear sniffling in the song, the notes coming out in quivers, breathes coming out in gasp as the tune is starting to have a familiar ring to it.
"-que hace girar la luz blanca
que cura mis impurezas.
dulce silencio Madre Luna
que nos dio ojos he azul-"
It is an old song; a prayer to the moon goddess the mothers would sing before their children slept every morning. The mournful music stops with a chocking sob, the voices growing soft whimpering into grueling wails of despair. The pressing feeling of water underneath my eyelids distort my vision as each broken wail strikes into my wall of concentration, leaving large, hair thin incisions that leak profusely. I cannot cry though. I must be brave.
For my people.
Inhaling air to temporarily clog those cracks in my foundation and hiding the jewel, I move the last few steps into the light. Not to my shock or surprise, I found my fellow village kin sitting in a wooden nest floored with leaving, giving me the impression of baby chicks without their mommy.
They gasp once they see me, which is understandable. Not everyone has hair of the wretched sun.
*Warning: This conversation will be in English in an attempt to reduce screen scrolling frustrations. I apologize to any and all who like to translate on their own. Warning~
"Who are you?" A girl asks me.
"My name is-"
"Where are you from?" Another girl asks me in a timid voice. "Are you lost?"
"No!" I exclaimed, making everyone flinch. "I-I am one of you."
Everyone eyes each other, some muttering one word or another, when they all began making a small circle in the far end of the room.
"Look at her hair! It is yellow!"
"I've never seen her before. Have you?"
"She can't be one of us! Look at her hair and her clothing, there is no way she is one of us!"
"Maybe she is one of those traitors from another world like papa used to tell! An ugly creature clothing herself to look like us, only to annihilate us once she gains out trust!"
"But look at her eyes."
It was that voice above them all that I heard. The boy turned his head to look into her eyes while everyone else bicker. The others were fearful where he is curious. I wonder why.
"She speaks our language," He says a little louder so he can be heard. Everyone quiets down to listen to what he has to say. "and by her eyes she is with us in servitude of Mother Moon. I say she is one of us and she stays stays."
The group all stared-and many glared- at him.
"He does have a point." The first girl from before said. "'We should accept anyone who is willing to believe, and who is more willing than us?' Is what I remember Empress telling us."
"Empress!" The timid girl exclaimed. "I hope she is doing well."
Should I tell them? Would Empress want me to reveal the stone or leave them in question?
"My mommy told me not to listen to Empress." A boy dogmatically."She said that Empress did a horrendous deed."
The timid girl gasped. "What did she do?"
"I don't know." He answered. "Something about the tree dwellers."
The kids began spewing tales of falsehood about our dear Empress, half of them slandering her and the other half advocating her. Just watching them biker and hearing their harsh words make my blood boil, and the jewel glows a soft searing red warmth on my chest.
Eventually, with us being kids, they stray off topic and squabble through idle conversation. I stand there and watch them all with slight contempt. No I wonder my mother didn't want me to play with them.
"Hey!" I hear next to me, and turn my head to meet the eyes of the boy from earlier. He has his hand held out and nods to a small wall away from the group of bickering imbeciles. "Come with me."
The moment our bottoms hit the floor he starts shooting off his questions. "What's underneath your dress?"
"Um..."
"Also, you came last. Do you know anything about our parents or Empress?". His eyes are so curious and innocent, I don't want to taint that with the foul honesty. It seems I don't have to though, for the longer my silence survives the bleaker his eyes glow. "Is she..?"
All I can do is shrug. "I was forced down the hidden top way so I could not see. I heard the bang of...their strange...contraption oh dear Luna!" I try to surpress my sobs by covering my mouth wirh my hand but they still come out in short gasps. My eyes burn painfully and it takes me closing my eyes in order to ebb the tears.
Only he notices.
I have had such a long writers block for this story, but the story is coming along. I apologize it took me four-nearly five- months to update this. Life can really work at your disadvantage sometimes. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
Translations:
"-who spins white light
that cures my impurities.
Sweet, silent Mother Moon,
who gave us eyes of blue-"