Ahaha, this was kind of hard to write, but hey it's almost twice as long as my usual chapters?
Only one more chapter left, I'm so excited!
I couldn't wait for my journey to end
But now that it has
I think back to the beginning
And long for the time we once shared
Bittersweet
The sun was high when Holly emerged from her house, a basket hanging on the crook of her arm. She paused on the doorstep and allowed herself a moment to enjoy the warmth. Now that the snow had melted and the land had awakened from its hibernation, winter seemed like a distant memory; thick canopies covered the once bare trees and fresh green grass grew plentiful in the nearby field. On the first day of spring, Holly had planted a new batch of seeds – pink cats, tulips, lavender, hyacinths and pansies – although, they had yet to sprout. She couldn't wait for the flowers to bloom and immerse the farm in their sweet scent.
For now, though, she still had one last batch of anemones and snowflake flower bouquets to deliver. After locking the door, she set off down the road, headed out towards the Ganache Mine District.
Strangely, the streets were deserted; it may have been early in the morning, but there was always someone around – like Chloe playing outside as Owen and Ramsey got ready for the day, or Luke warming up with some axe practice, or Mira sweeping the porch clean. Maybe everyone was just having a late breakfast?
Holly first approached the carpenter's. She raised her hand to the door. Knock, knock. No answer.
Dale might've taken his apprentices to the Praline Forest to collect some more lumber. With that thought in mind, Holly moved onto the next store in line, the General Store. And then the next, and the next, trying again and again. She knocked at the doors, peered through the windows and even called out to her neighbours, but she received the same reply every time – silence.
Apprehension fluttered in her stomach. Where could everyone be?
There had to be an explanation. A town meeting she'd forgotten about perhaps. Holly slowly exhaled, feeling silly for getting so worked up over nothing. She'd leave the bouquets for them to find when they came home.
Holly extracted a bouquet from the basket. She let out a gasp. Brittle and dried stems crunched beneath her fingers and she dropped it, scattering shrivelled petals across her shoes. The flowers had wilted.
What was going on?
A strong gust of wind swept through the street and the sky darkened, grey clouds suffocating the sun. Snow started to fall, heavier and heavier; it only took a split second for the entire area to be covered by a thick sheet of ice. Holly squinted into the distance, but she could barely see an inch past her nose. The area looked different and not only because of the sudden storm.
This wasn't the Ganache Mine District.
She could make out the vague outlines of familiar buildings – the Sundae Inn, the Meringue Clinic, the Chiffon Tailors. How did she get to Waffle Town? Though, something was off about the structures; they no longer stood tall and proud. Their exteriors were dilapidated and weathered, as if they had gone fifty years without any maintenance, unable to even withstand the force of the wind and snow.
The whole island was a wasteland.
The ground suddenly trembled. The buildings rattled, foundations splintered, walls collapsed.
Finn, Maya, Kathy, Gill, everyone – what had happened to them? Were they safe?
What about Chase?
Holly wanted desperately to call out, to move, but her body wouldn't respond. All she could do was watch in horror as her home came crashing down around her.
A weak, wispy voice reached her ears.
"H… He...l...p me… h-help me… H…olly…"
Holly's eyes shot open. For an instant, she was lost, her eyes darting wildly from one corner of the dark room to the other. It all came rushing back. That dream again. She'd been having the same dream for a week now, but it hadn't been this clear before. And that voice was so familiar. It couldn't have been…
Panic seized her mind. She quickly tossed her sweat drenched covers aside, threw her legs out of bed and jumped to her feet.
Bad idea. The next second, Holly found herself sinking back down onto the mattress edge, her head simultaneously feeling too heavy and too light. There was no way she could make it to Waffle Town like this – she doubted she could even make it to the front door. That dream had awakened a new sense of unease however, and her mind wouldn't be able to rest until she saw everyone, safe and well, with her own eyes.
Holly tried again; taking slow and unsteady steps, she managed to cross her bedroom.
"Fi… Finn? Finn, are you awake?" She called out into the living room, using the frame to hold herself upright.
The Sprite didn't reply. The space beneath the sunflower on the windowsill was empty – a few dull yellow petals sat in the space he usually occupied. Had Finn gone out to visit the Goddess already? Then again, he never went out without saying good morning first, and even if he did, he should've been able to hear her calling.
The room was spinning faster. Nausea churned in her stomach but Holly fought it down.
"F-Finn…?"
Nothing.
Bile rose to her throat – uh oh. With a hand clamped over her mouth, she bolted to the bathroom, where she collapsed to her knees in front of the toilet bowl, just in time. She stayed like that, doubled over, until she was sure there was nothing left in her stomach to bring up.
Groaning, Holly slumped against the sink cabinet, letting her clammy forehead touch the cooler surface. It was official; there was nothing worse than having the flu with no one else around to ease the misery.
The irony of this whole situation was that last week, her family was supposed to visit, but their plans had been shot down by the flu. When one of her siblings caught a bug, it wasn't long before all of them had it. Their mother dreaded days like that, but to them it was a holiday. Holly remembered huddling together with her brothers and sister under a blanket on the couch, watching movies and cartoons or playing video games, until exhaustion took over and they all nodded off with their heads rested on each others' shoulders.
She pulled herself to her feet and rinsed out her mouth. It was just the flu. Nothing compared to the dangers looming over Waffle Town and its inhabitants. All she had to do was take some pills and drink some water. If only her head would stop throbbing.
Wait, that wasn't her head.
Someone was knocking at the door.
Holly staggered through the house, using the doorframes, the walls and the couch to help her along the way. Finally, she reached the front entrance.
"Hiya Holly!"
The sight of the cheerful girl in the puffy navy blue dress made her eyes turn misty. It had been a very realistic fever induced reoccurring hallucination, that's all it was.
"M-Maya, hey. What brings you here?" Holly asked, keeping her tone light.
"I'm here to take care of you again!" Maya replied and invited herself inside, "Look, I brought some soup! But don't worry, I didn't make it."
"But I'm feeling better today–"
"Stop that, Holly. You can't fool me," The younger girl cut her off quickly.
"Then I must look as bad as I feel," She said with a weak smile. Feeling light-headed, she edged her way over to the sofa and sat down. "Which is why you shouldn't stay here too long. You don't want to catch what I have."
Maya waved a hand at her, "Don't worry about me. My parents made me get the flu shot ages ago."
"Still–"
Her protests fell on deaf ears. Maya leaned forward and touched a palm to her forehead. "Wow, you're really burning up. You better get back to bed," She ordered – it was almost scary how she could sound so much like her grandmother sometimes. "But not before you have something to eat."
"O-Oh… I'm not really hungry," Holly murmured uneasily. Just the thought of food was making her feel queasy again.
"You're sick so you need to eat to keep your strength up," She insisted, "You know what they say: 'starve a cold and feed a fever!' …Or is it the other way around?"
There was no escaping Maya's watchful gaze. Holly had no choice but to return to her bed and await the dreaded meal. She could hear her self-appointed caretaker humming a soft song as she rummaged around the cupboards for a bowl and spoon. A few minutes later, Maya called out, "It's ready!" and reappeared at the door with a tray, on top of which sat a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup and a plate of dry toast.
The smell alone was too much to bear. It attacked her senses, a sickly combination of too many herbs and stale chicken. Her stomach lurched and a sour taste burned the back of her throat.
Not again.
The food almost went flying as Holly pushed Maya aside and made another dash to the bathroom. Poised over the toilet, her head stayed up long enough to see a pair of pale blue eyes timidly peek around the doorframe.
"Are you okay…?"
Holly's reply was drowned out by a retch.
Maya knelt down next to her and place her hand on her shoulder. Though she winced every time Holly heaved, she remained by her side, gently rubbing her back. When it seemed that Holly's stomach had calmed down – for the moment – Maya handed her a glass of water. With a grimace, she forced herself to take a drink.
"Sorry about this…"
"Don't apologise. It's not your fault," Maya said, patting her arm, "How long have you been sick like this?"
She touched a shaking hand to her forehead, "Uh… only today. I've been feeling nauseous for the whole week though…"
Maya's brows furrowed, "Are you sure you're not pregnant?"
"It's just the flu," Holly said. The other girl hardly seemed convinced. It compelled her to add: "Doctor Jin said so."
Even the diagnosis of a trained professional wasn't enough to dispel Maya's suspicions. Still, she was nice enough to not bring it up again, letting Holly lean into her shoulder as they slowly walked back to her bedroom – thankfully, the soup had disappeared from sight and smell.
Leaving Holly to get comfortable under the covers, Maya made a quick trip to the kitchen and returned with the plate of toast. She sat at the foot of the bed and offered it to her bedridden friend, "Here, have a piece."
"I don't think that's a good idea…"
Maya moved the plate closer. "Come on, just take one bite. You haven't eaten anything today, right?"
And yet she'd still ended up with her head hanging over the toilet, twice.
Holly reluctantly took some toast and started nibbling at the corner crust. This seemed to be satisfactory enough; she received a smile for her efforts. After a few more bites, she was surprised to find that some food was doing her good. She almost managed to eat both pieces, leaving only a half remaining on the plate.
"I guess you're feeling better now," Maya noted happily.
"Yeah, a little." But even though her stomach felt more settled, exhaustion was quickly catching up on her and her eyes were growing heavy. Even Maya sounded distant as she scurried around the room, tidying up the dirty clothes that had been forgotten in her sick daze.
This was nice; dosing off to the sound of someone else's voice, knowing that she wasn't alone in the house – like how it used to be when she and Angela shared a room. They used to talk long after the lights were turned off, trading secrets until it was early in the morning and the other had fallen asleep.
There was one last secret Holly had to ask about before she could rest easy.
"Hey Maya…" Holly murmured. The younger girl paused in the middle of folding a shirt and glanced over. Her head felt light, but she knew it wasn't from the fever, "How… how is Chase doing?"
"Irritable as ever," Maya said huffily. She looked away, sympathy suddenly softening her expression, "He must really miss you."
Tears prickled at her eyes. Holly rolled over on her side, curling her arm around her face.
"…I don't know about that."
It seemed like she always picked the wrong man to be involved with – her brother's friend or a man who travelled too much, for example. She had hoped that this time, with Chase, it would be different. No matter the argument, no matter what hardships they faced, this time she would fight and make it work; this was her resolution. But she had made one crucial mistake: she had let herself believe, if only for a little while, that the feelings she had for Chase would last forever.
She closed her eyes, letting the tears drip down her cheeks. Her breathing slowly evened out. Silence fell over the room.
"I'm gonna get going now," She heard Maya whisper, "I'll come back later, okay?"
Holly sighed into the fabric of her pillow, "Thank you… for looking after me…"
Just before she left, Maya leaned over her ear. "By the way, Holly, Chase made that soup."
"Holly… Help me… please… the tree is… d… ing. Hel… p me…"
For the second time that day, Holly awoke with a gasp, breathing hard and drenched in sweat. It was the same dream again; she had been standing in the middle of a white-washed Waffle Town, only this time, when she looked across the street, there was a winged figure in the distance. The Harvest Goddess.
Her body ached in protest as she pushed herself up on her elbows. Faint sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, colouring her comforter with an orange hue; afternoon. She still had enough time to visit the Goddess Pond. Holly manoeuvred herself to the edge of the bed, but once she was upright, her head drooped forward. Sleep had done nothing to ease her fever.
"Holly! You're finally awake!"
She glanced around in search of the familiar voice, "F-Finn? Where are you?"
"Down here!" Was his muffled reply.
Then she spotted him: a pointed orange hat was sticking out from underneath the gap in the door. It wriggled and Finn's head popped out. He shot up into the air, zooming around the perimeter of the room.
"Where have you been all day? I've been calling for you!" Holly said, following him with her eyes – which was another bad idea; his frenzied spinning was giving her motion sickness.
Finn skidded to a halt in front of her nose, anxiously fidgeting on the spot. "M-My powers won't work anymore!" He cried, "I-It's the Harvest Goddess! She's… and everyone… the tree…!"
"Slow down." Holly cupped her hands around him. "What's wrong with the Goddess?"
The Sprite looked up at her with wide, tearful eyes, "She… she can't move or talk or anything! Oh, Holly, what are we going to do?"
Everything started to fall into place. What if those dreams hadn't been dreams at all? The Harvest Goddess was trying to show her what would happen, a vision of the future, and she'd ignored it for an entire week. Did this mean Waffle Town was truly doomed?
Holly set her mouth into a determined smile, "We're going to help her, of course!"
"But you're sick…" He sniffled.
"I'll be fine!" To emphasise her point, Holly rose to her feet, ready and able – she swayed slightly on the spot, but managed to steady herself before Finn had the chance to notice.
Finn waited outside while she got changed – after spending almost an entire week cooped up in bed, it felt good to be wearing something other than pyjamas. To her relief, her stomach seemed to have settled down as well (for now), although her appetite still bordered on nonexistent, despite it nearing dinnertime.
Wearing two of everything and wrapped in a thick winter jacket, Holly shuffled out the front door. The cold air pierced the layers of her outfit like a knife and sent a shiver through her body, but it also served as a momentary relief from her fever, cooling her temperature a few degrees.
The clouds above were grey and heavy with snow, an incentive to move faster. Finn was a few paces ahead, zigzagging down the road, and Holly followed along, her gaze trained intently on the ground in front of her. The last thing she needed was a sprained ankle or to slip and fall into the river again.
By the time they arrived at the Ganache Mine District, Holly was trembling so much that her footsteps had grown unsteady. "Are you okay?" Finn asked fretfully, circling her head. She just shooed him away. They couldn't turn back now.
A few steps away from the carpenter's, Holly staggered to a stop. Why was everything so blurry all of a sudden?
Someone called out: "Boss, sit, stay, play dead…!"
"H-Holly, watch out!" Finn yelped.
Her surroundings came into focus.
A giant Great Pyrenees bounded towards her, tongue lopping about in the wind. The dog reared up on its back legs. Holly had no time to react. Wide paws crashed into her ribs, pushing her backwards, and she felt her feet slip on the snow. She landed on the ground with a dull thud. Winded, Holly groaned as the dog began to lick her face, leaving sticky trails of slobber on her cheeks.
"Boss, no! Bad dog! Down!" Luke appeared over her. After a short one-sided tug of war with the leash, he finally wrestled the dog under control, and Holly was set free.
"Sorry about that Holly!" The blue haired carpenter said sheepishly as he offered her a helping hand, "Boss must really like you." The Pyrenees barked on cue, as if he was agreeing.
The farmer laughed shakily, still trying to regain her bearings, "N-No harm done."
"Woah, you look like you're about to pass out!" Luke exclaimed. "What're doing out here in the snow anyway?"
"I uh, felt like... taking a walk," She mumbled. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Finn frantically gesturing at the path that led to the Goddess Pond.
His eyebrows shot up. "In weather like this? That's crazy!"
"I've… got a lot on my mind."
Luke grinned, "Well… if you need to talk to someone, you can talk to me. I mean, you probably think I'm dumb and stuff, but I'm not too dumb to listen!"
Holly turned away from Luke's gaze, blinking back an unexpected onslaught of tears. Even when she felt so alone, overwhelmed and out of control, Maya, Luke, Kathy, Gill, all of her friends and neighbours, would never let her fall.
The sun had sunk behind the trees. Orange light filtered through the branches and reflected off the snow, bathing the entire area in a warm glow. Inside the stores dotted around the base of the mountain, she knew the townspeople were hard at work, building, crafting; just living their peaceful lives.
The entire fate of the island was resting on her shoulders – if she failed, she would never be able to forgive herself.
"Sometimes I wish I could run away…" Holly whispered to the wind.
Luke hummed thoughtfully, "Then how 'bout you and me run away?"
"L-Luke…"
"I promised Selena I'd take her around the world, so we could all go together!" He said, punching an arm up in the air – Boss mimicked the stance, standing on his hind legs. "I've always wanted to wrestle a crocodile… or maybe we could like, skydive over a volcano, or kayak down a waterfall! Wouldn't that be awesome?"
Holly giggled softly into her palm, "I think I'll pass. But… thanks Luke."
He winked at her, "Go straight home, okay?"
She nodded. Luke gave her another grin, before he surrendered to Boss' incessant tugging. The huge dog dragged him off in the direction of the bridge, and when they were just far enough out of sight, the farmer made her move.
Sorry, Luke.
After surveying her surroundings a final time – the coast was clear – Holly disappeared past the forest entrance, where Finn had waited for her. Together, they followed the path deeper into the woods, never slowing down, until they arrived at the Goddess Pond.
A strangled cry escaped Holly's throat.
The Mother Tree once again looked on the brink of death. Frost had burnt away every leaf, and its branches, knobbed and gnarled, reached towards the sky as if begging for mercy. The sky darkened and the tree cast a long shadow across the snow covered clearing. The five Harvest Sprite guardians were gathered at the Mother Tree's base, around what at first glance appeared to be a sculpture.
A second later, the truth dawned on Holly and another wave of nausea passed through her.
The Harvest Goddess was encased in ice.
This is all my fault.
If she hadn't been so caught up with Chase and their ridiculous relationship drama, she could've summoned the Harvest King. The Mother Tree could've been revived properly. Waffle Island would have been saved.
"Holly, thank goodness you're here!"
She snapped out of her trance. The Harvest Sprites had noticed her presence and were hurtling towards her, Alan in the lead. What could she say to them, knowing that it was her selfishness that caused this predicament in the first place?
The Sprites soon had her surrounded. They all gazed up at her – through tears, in Edge's case – seeming as frenetic as she felt, but with a spark of hope shining in their eyes.
It was all too much; panic washed over her and her breathing shallowed. Holly broke away, staggering through the snow until she was a few feet away from the Mother Tree. Now that she was closer, she could see the helplessness that had been frozen into the Harvest Goddess' face. Her hand lifted, almost wanting to reach out, before it fell back to her side.
"How… did this happen?" Holly asked.
Ben floated forward. "We're not quite sure, honestly. The Mother Tree is protected from the elements, or to be more accurate, it was," He explained.
"The Goddess' power had been growing weaker…" Alan murmured, with a worried glance at his fellow guardians, "She never said anything, but we could feel it."
"O-Oh, G-G-Goddess, whyyy…! W-What are we going to d-do without her?" Edge bawled.
"I-It's not too late!" Finn piped up, though he couldn't hide the tremor in his voice, "Right, Holly?"
Ben nodded sagely, "Indeed! We must think about this rationally and formulate a plan!"
The other guardians traded nervous glances at the suggestion. They all knew there was little they could do, especially with the tree in such a state.
Grim tension settled over the group.
Collin's voice cut through the silence, "Hey, hey, whaddya get if you cross a snowman with a shark?"
No one answered.
"…Frostbite!"
"Really, Collin, this isn't the time for jokes," Ben scolded.
The yellow sprite lowered his head, "I'm just tryin' ta break the ice! Everyone's so gloomy…" He motioned to the others.
Daren was muttering to himself, "Maybe I'm still asleep… maybe this is all just a nightmare…"
"T-The G-G-Goddess…!" Edge continued to wail.
"Everyone calm down!" Alan yelled over the clamour, "We have to think this through!"
Holly gazed above the trees, to where the mountain towered over them all. "If… If I talk to the Harvest King, we can save the Goddess and the Tree, right?"
"That'd be our best bet," The red sprite nodded.
"Then that's what I'll do."
"But Holly… are you really feeling okay enough to do this?" Finn asked worriedly.
"Like I said before, I'll be fine," She told him with a smile, "And I won't be alone."
Alan twirled through the air, "That's the spirit, Holly! Now, just leave the rest to us!"
"The rest?"
"We can't do much to help you, but let us at least make you a shortcut to the Harvest King!" Alan looked to his left, meeting the eyes of Ben and Collin, then to his right to Daren and Edge. They all nodded.
The Sprites moved, forming a straight line at Holly's feet. They closed their eyes and held out their arms. As they began to concentrate, their bodies became engulfed with energy. Five bursts of light – red, yellow, green, blue, purple – shot into the air.
Holly gasped, almost falling backwards as she craned her neck too far. A vibrant rainbow streaked across the sky, so high that it extended far beyond the clouds. Would it really lead her to the Harvest King's throne?
"Go on, it's perfectly safe!" Ben said.
She tentatively placed a foot on the rainbow-coloured pathway. It felt as sturdy as any other bridge on the island.
"This is it," She murmured, "Are you ready Finn?"
Finn sat down on her shoulder. His warmth was comforting. "Whenever you are Holly!"
Encouraged by the cheers and cries of "Good luck! You can do it!" from the Harvest Sprite guardians below, Holly took her first step across the rainbow road. The first step towards the end of her journey.
As they walked further along the rainbow, the higher up they climbed into the sky, until the Goddess Pond and the surrounding forest seemed like nothing but a green splodge in the distance. Holly kept her eyes locked on the clouds, knowing that once she looked down she would fall to her doom. There was an excitement to being up this far above the ground though – the closest she would ever be to having her own pair of wings.
The hazy mist nipped her skin and dampened her clothes, weighing her down. Her movements were growing sluggish, her every limb quivering violently from the cold. She pulled her jacket closer around herself in an attempt to retain the little heat left in her.
The sun faded and the air thinned. Holly's breaths became laboured and a coughing spasm wracked her body. It felt like they had been walking for an eternity.
"Come on, Holly," Finn urged when she started to slow down, "We're almost there!"
The rainbow finally came to a stop at a flattened area of Ganache Mountain. Ice coated the uneven surface and she had to take extra care to stay balanced. At the other side, there was a cave opening with strange hieroglyphs etched along the border; probably one of the mine exits. The cliff edge narrowed into a broken off stairway.
It was a dead end.
But before the thought could set in, there was a burst of light. Bright white flames suddenly engulfed the staircase. It blazed upwards on the diagonal, revealing the rest of the steps of the hidden path.
The Harvest King knew she was here.
Holly and Finn continued on.
The stairs led the way to another rocky platform, one that appeared to be suspended in mid-air with the aid of a huge cloud. Set in the middle of the floating island was a stone-carved throne.
They cautiously approached the throne. A voice boomed through the sky like a clap of thunder.
"What is it that you desire, human?"
Heart racing, Holly wildly looked around. Finn cowered closer to the nape of her neck. The Harvest King was nowhere to be seen.
"M-My name is Holly," She uttered to the air – maybe she should have bowed? "Please excuse me for disturbing you, Your… Your Majesty. I'm in need of your help. The Harvest Goddess sent me."
At her words, the throne caught alight. The flames twisted into the tall figure of a man – but not a human; his ears were pointed and he stared down at her with eyes that burned red like the fire he had materialised from. Equally fiery hair snaked down his back in a long braid that reached his feet, and he wore a toga of gold and crimson.
Holly quickly lowered her eyes. Unlike the Harvest Goddess whose smile radiated warmth and serenity, the Harvest King's stare filled her with fear.
"You, with such a weak heart, are the one with whom the Goddess entrusted the fate of this island?" The King scoffed, sweeping his cold gaze over her trembling form, "…How foolish. You are not worthy of my time."
Holly's head snapped up. "B-But… but I rang the bells!" She gasped, "The bells you created to save the island!"
The Harvest King bared his teeth, "Insolent human. It was not I who created the bells. Those worthless monuments belong to the humans who destroyed this land."
"I don't… understand."
"Long ago, when the Mother Tree was first sent to earth, its size rivalled that of this very mountain and its roots extended through an entire continent. Eventually, it gave birth to six additional saplings, which were homes to the Harvest Sprite guardians." The Harvest King clenched his fist; the following words echoed with the force of an explosion, enough to send a tremor through the ground, "And those humans! Their neglect and egocentricity drained the life from the land, until the Mother Tree and its children withered away into nothingness… It was only when their resources began to deplete that they turned to prayer. They built meaningless shrines where the saplings had once grown, hoping that it would placate me enough to spare their pitiful existences."
Holly didn't know what to say, what to even feel. Nausea rolled in her stomach again and the world around her began to distort and blur. "B-But the Goddess… if you don't revive the Tree… the island will die! You can't… you can't abandon the town…"
"What concern of it is mine?" The Harvest King snarled, "Humans never learn. I have existed for longer than you can imagine, and in that time, I have overseen the lives of millions. Year after year, the same cycle occurred, again and again. And you are no better than the others."
Memories flashed through her mind. How the island had been so lost a year ago, and how their faith was gradually restored with the ringing of the bells. The whole time, the community supported each other, never giving up even when it became too overwhelming.
"No… th-that… that's not true."
Blood red eyes narrowed at her, "The Goddess has been losing her power for many seasons, yet you've waited until now, when the Tree is near death, to seek my assistance."
"I-I know. Please, Your Majesty, don't punish everyone… because of my mistake," Holly pleaded, "We need your help!"
The Harvest King was unfazed by her words. He turned away, "I've grown weary of your pathetic drivel. Be gone with you."
"No! I can't… I can't give up! Please!"
Her feet were slipping in the snow, her vision growing dim.
"Leave here."
"You have to help us…" She cried.
Her legs buckled. Holly dropped to her knees and fell face down into the snow.
"Never return."
Her head felt so heavy. Finn called out her name, begged her not to give in – he was close, right next to her ear, but he sounded so far away as if he were shouting at her from the end of a tunnel. She just wanted to sleep… just wanted to forget…
"Please… help us… plea…se…"
She couldn't fight it any longer.
Her eyes fell closed.
For so long, Holly was lost in darkness.
What… happened?
Everything hurt. Nothing hurt. A strange paradox.
Where am I?
Not home – this place was too cold, too unknown to be her cosy little farmhouse. There was a constant beeping sound, the pungent smell of disinfectant, and the feel of the stiff sheets against her skin. It reminded her of when Greg had broken his arm falling out of a tree, the day Angela complained of a stomach ache and needed an operation to remove her inflamed appendix, the time Kevin had his tonsils taken out and was allowed to eat ice cream for a week.
Am I…in the hospital?
With this realisation, her memories slowly began to trickle back, fragment by fragment. The Sprites and the rainbow; the Harvest King denying her request to save Waffle Island; fighting against but losing to the cold.
At least I'm not dead. I think.
But what about everyone else? The Mother Tree must have died by now. It was only a matter of time until Waffle Island collapsed completely. She had failed.
Please forgive me. I tried my best…
Her days were unchanged. She willed herself to open her eyes, to cry out for help, but she couldn't; every nerve in her body seemed paralysed.
Somebody please… help me.
At certain times of the day she heard speaking. Different voices drifted in and out of the room, low and unfamiliar with stiff tones – doctors and nurses – their words too long for her to understand. It made her think of Jin's soothing manner or Irene's reassuring smile, how different they were to doctors in the city. They would prod her with needles or move her limbs slowly to prevent sores forming beneath where her stationary limbs sat, and once they lifted her hospital gown and slathered her abdomen with a cool gel.
What's wrong with me?
Other times, she heard a cluster of voices. She knew those people, the ones who talked of the house she grew up in, of memories from long ago. They kissed her cheeks, stroked her hair and held her hand, laughed and joked with her as if they knew she could hear. Their energy radiated throughout the whole room, making her feel safe and secure. Mum, Dad, Greg, Kevin, Angela. Family.
I've missed you all so much.
Late in the evening, when the voices left and only the hum of machinery reached her ears, she felt warmth pool on her chest, over her heart, and she knew Finn had never left her side.
I'm sorry, Finn. I'm so sorry I failed you.
Then one day, the scent of orange and spice filled the air. A man sat down beside her. He leaned forward and murmured, "I'm so sorry… Holly… I'm so sorry… I love you… I love you so much… please wake up… please don't leave me alone…" over and over, until it became too much and his whispers dissolved into short, breathy sobs. He kissed her and she felt his tears on her skin.
Oh, Chase… don't cry. I'm here. I'm right here.
And that night, a voice spoke to her.
"Holly…It is I, the Harvest King."