Author's Note: Forgive me! I seemed to have taken forever to update again. It probably take a long time again since I have TCAP next week. I took advantage of today's snow day from school to watch some Harry Potter and get the next chapter written. As you already know, I suck at writing prophecies so I may rewrite it to rhyme later on but I'm thinking of something different since she has those burns. Things are gonna get interesting soon, I promise! Also leave me a review and tell me who you think Lilly should end up with, if she should end up with anyone at all. Now on to the story!

I had fallen back asleep quickly after Jack had healed me. When I woke once more, I found that the boys had set up camp and lay on both sides of me, fast asleep and snoring softly. Carefully and quietly, I clambered out of my makeshift bed and made my way to the window. Outside had turned to night, meaning I had slept for half of the day. My eyes swept the outside terrain, looking for any sign of the snake woman who had tried to kill us all. I leaned my head against the cool window pane, the coolness tingling against my warm skin. My breath fogged the glass and beads of condensation slid down, like tears. I drew a heart in the moist fog. A movement outside lifted my eyes away from the fog drawing. I blinked and rubbed my eyes but what I say still remained.

Outside in the orchard stood my mom staring at me. Glancing back to make sure my companions were still sleeping; I tiptoed my way to the front door. When I opened it the rusty hinges creaked making me flinch. David mumbled something in his sleep about a flower and Jack just snored loudly, then returned to his soft snores. I snatched a jacket from a hook by the door and darted onto the porch. Within seconds I had the jacket on and was stumbling my way through the orchard. It took me a second to realize in my haste to get out here I had lost sight of my mom and was blindly wandering.

"Mom," I shouted, then reprimanded myself for giving away my position to anyone who could hear me. Somewhere in the distance I heard her calling my name. I forgave myself for the moment in my haste to find her. My chest ached with longing and my lungs burned with a need for more oxygen. My legs begged for me to stop running while my head and heart urged to go on. Eventually I came to a clearing where she stood staring at a tall apple tree.

"Mama," I whimpered sprinting to her. I reached out to touch her but as my hand grasped her arm she disappeared. I stood there staring at my hands. A drop of water landed on my palm and I looked up. Raindrops began to fall from the sky, quenching the sun soaked earth and the thirst plants that grew in it. I heard a collective sigh from the plants. I sat beneath the apple tree, escaping from the harsh pelting of the rain but still getting drenched from the drops that found their way through branches and trees.

"You grieve for your lost loved one little one," came a deep voice. I jumped up and glanced around, looking for who it came from ad silently wishing I had grabbed my sword.

"Who's here," I called out hoping I sounded fierce and dangerous.

"There is no one here but you and us trees," it replied. I stared and the trunk of the tree I stood under.

"It's you," I whispered back, in case this was someone's idea of a joke. The tree's branches groaned in such a way that sounded like a yes.

" I am the who knows everything and everyone. I have seen the rise and fall of many. Tell me child, why are you so unable to let go of the past," asked the great voice. I stared at my feet and thought about it's question. Finally I came up with an answer.

"The past is all I have now. Everything I once knew has been taken from me and I no longer have the courage to look forward. So now I look to the past and blindly make my way to the future."

"Your way of thinking may lead to your downfall Lilly Everlen. You walk the edge of the cliff with a blindfold over your eyes. You best be wary or you'll fall." I went back to staring at my feet while I kicked at the muddy ground. The tree sighed gently.

"This rain won't let up anytime soon, you best run back to the farmhouse before you get sick. I'm sure the others will wake and wonder where you are soon." For a moment I stay standing still. I quickly hugged the tree and sprinted toward the direction I thought was the farm house.

It didn't take me long to get there. Carelessly I walked through the door and shut it without any thought about the sleeping guys. I turned to hang up my coat only to come face to face with David. I held back a scream and instead settled for a gasp. His expression was dark and said that he was not very pleased.

"You should not be wondering alone in the night with things out there that won't think twice about killing you," he chided me. I suddenly felt like a kid who just got caught with their hand in a cookie jar.

"Sorry," I mumbled walking past him and throwing the soaked jacket onto the hook I hand got it from. David followed behind me.

"Sorry doesn't cut, Lilly. You- Hey Lilly, watch ou-." He was cut off by a loud crunch that came from underneath my boot. My stomach flipped as I reached for my locket and found it wasn't there. I groaned as I lifted away my foot. My locket must have fallen off when I was fighting the chimera and now I stepped on it. I scooped it up in my hand and opened it. Tiny springs and metal pieces flew off in my hand the lid split in two. I bit my lip to suppress the tears and anger. I walked slowly over to the window sill and laid down the pieces. The moonlight glinted off the broken metal trinket.

"Lilly," he started but I cut him off.

"It's fine. It was my fault I should have realized it fell off earlier and watched where I was stepping. You should go back to sleep, it's still too early to be up. I'm going to plan what our next move is." For awhile he just stood behind me, not saying anything. Then he walked back over to the makeshift cots and laid back down. I slowly made my way over to the chair in a dark corner of the the room. I sat there and covered my eyes with a hand, biting my lip so hard it started to bleed. The burns on my arm ached and the trees lecture echoed in my head. Water dripped from my hair down to my back as I shook from the cold and the grief. All the while a deep voice echoed through my mind 'you best be wary or you'll fall.'