"What is it about the water," Tea thought as she approached the
river's edge "that makes me want to cry?" She watched her reflection dance
in the moonlit glare. "Because it has no memory," Tea thought. "I wish,"
she sighed "I could be like the water." She silently held herself in the
open forest hoping for some sort of closure. But what closer was there to
be had?
The sun was set—the full moon was at her peak—and yet the atmosphere still reeked of shadows. Everything was so hopeless... so endless... and all Tea had was a memory and all the time in the world to think about it. Every ounce of Tea's mind was sinking slowly into the bottom of the black river. It is the type of depression only the broken-hearted know. The despair of spiritual arrest.
But heartbreak was not the only thing Tea was guilty of. Tea kneeled down to the water's edge and began to dip her hands into river, rippling colorful waves of red clouds.
"I knew you would be by the river," Joey said. "A girl like you doesn't just go running in the bushes somewhere. You stayed straight on the path."
Tea hardly acknowledged his presence. She continued to repeatedly dip her hands and watch her reflection change by the droplet's force. The silence spoke volumes to Joey. Tea was at the end of her rope. "But why?" Joey thought "And for goodness sake, what?"
Tea stood. Joey watched her silhouette take shape against the darkened sky and cool water. He motioned to go closer but the scowl on Tea's face could have been seen by a blind man. It was clear as day.
"Everyone thinks that I'm that kind of girl," Tea spoke.
"Whadda ya mean, Tea?" Joey said impatiently. It was clear that he was getting frustrated by her non-sense.
"Not the type of girl who goes running in the bushes," she whispered. "But...the girl who's always there. The girl who just...is always around. There's nothing special about me."
Joey stared at the figure before him...this shadow of a former friend. There was no warmth, no light and no face to respond to. Where Tea's blue eyes once existed there was only darkness. It was as if she had been wrapped in ribbons of black silk.
"Look Tea," Joey gently said as he took two steps closer "what did you do that's making you like this? Cause this ain't the Tea I know. The fact that you're always there is what I like about ya. You'll always be there for us. We'll always be together."
Tea's voice began to break. "I've done something horrible," she whimpered. "If you've ever thought of me as a friend..." Tea stopped.
"What, Tea? What do you mean?" Joey urged.
Tea's eyes were slightly visible now that Joey was closer. He could sense something deeply wrong with her. He could see the tears falling down her cheeks.
"Do you think we'll ever get out of here?" Tea said as she looked up, revealing another tear.
Joey slowly approached closer. Tea was filthy. Her skin, from her feet to her knees, was covered in mud. Her hair had its share of dirt as well. Her clothes had been snagged by the countless thorn bearing bushes through the path.
"I don't know" he said.
"If you've ever thought of me as a friend... you'll leave me here," Tea mumbled.
"Look," Joey sighed "Yami and Yugi sent me out here for you. I'm here for them. So I don't care what you ask me to do, I ain't doin' it. I'm taking you back right now."
"Yami...wanted you to come get me?"
"...and Yugi," Joey added. "They're waiting for us back at that cabin...or whatever you want to call it. So, c'mon let's go back already."
Tea smiled. "I don't wanna leave."
Joey sucked his teeth. "Why not Tea? Do you wanna die out here?!"
Tea turned her back to Joey and once again looked at the water.
"I can't go back to that place...after what I've done," Tea grieved "he could never forgive me." Tea lowered herself to her knees and embraced her waist.
Joey frowned and hesitantly guided her landing so she wouldn't hurt herself. He gradually kneeled beside her and held her shoulders.
"What have you done, Tea? You need to tell me now." Joey spoke.
"I know now...that the love I had... can never be returned. This whole thing...is my fault." Tea sobbed as she grabbed her chest.
Joey rolled his eyes. "You're not talking about that thing back there with Yami are you? When you froze up when he was about to die? Look, I'm...I'm... sorry for saying those things about you. I'm not saying I didn't mean it" Joey added "but I was way too hard on you. I think this experience had just been way too much for you to handle. You're right, everyone thinks you're not the type of girl who goes running in the bushes... because you're not. I'm sorry you had to go through this. But if we leave now we can start over."
"I'm not going back, Joey so just leave me alone!" Tea shouted.
Joey released his grip on her shoulders.
"It's official...you're crazy," he said.
"Yes..." Tea whimpered "...I was crazy...am crazy because of my love."
"What?"
"I can't do this anymore anymore, Joey," Tea said as she looked him in his eyes. "I almost let Yami die...because I love him."
"You almost let him die cause you're crazy."
"No, it's not like that," Tea said, wiping her eyes "It's...It's...my fault."
"Can we resolve this in the cabin?"
"No, you're not hearing me! It's my fault...everything is my fault!"
"I'm going back to the cabin... I would tell you to call when you're ready, but there's no phone. So just come over when you fell like it...no advance notice required."
Joey turned his back to the water and began the journey back "home." Tea was proving to be crazier than he suspected.
"Joey...please," Tea pleaded "please understand... that when I say I loved him...I really did."
"If you "love" him how could you just stand there when he was bleeding to death?" Joey said.
"Because it was my fault he was bleeding...my fault that you, Yugi, and I were in the woods to...to begin with. My fault that they were separated...my fault," Tea cried "that they were bleeding to death."
"I don't understand why or what you're talking about?" Joey complained.
Tea let out a chuckle as if feeling the truth pour out of her stomach. "In other words," Tea added "I arranged it all."
Joey stopped breathing. His entire body froze in place as he suddenly felt something very wrong with the atmosphere. He slowly pivoted in place and saw her on the floor, half-smiling half-crying.
"You mean..." Joey felt his chest tighten "you mean...that all this" he hesitated "is your doing?"
Tea slowly nodded. "I know..." Tea swallowed "...that you're confu..."
"Stop," Joey demanded "this can't be true."
"Yes it is. We've all...known each other for a lot of years. And I've given up a lot of things I've wanted to do to follow you guys. It wasn't because I was nice, or dependable...," Tea scoffed at herself "it was because I became...insane. I was angry that after all those damn years that no one thought much more of me as a dependable friend. Especially Yami," Tea stated.
"You loved Yami...all that time? Why, Tea? Yami is a spirit...how could he ever love you back?"
"That's why we're here. I... met someone...who said he could help me. Yami has such great power... I thought that...there must be another spirit out there powerful enough to give him his own body. So...I did my research and...he found me. He said he had felt my pain...he said he understood what it felt like to be alone, like I was. He said he could help me," Tea said, lowering her head further. I was desperate. I wanted Yami to have a body...to be alive so badly. So I set it up."
"You mean you knew...that all this would happen?!"
"I didn't know we would get lost. I didn't know Yami and Yugi would almost die. I didn't know anything! I was just so...insane. I didn't think. And now, I can't be forgiven." Tea looked up at Joey. "Please understand that when I saw Yami dying in front of me, because of my stupidity, I froze up...because it was all my fault. Every second of it."
Joey inhaled deeply. "So we're all gonna die because of you?"
"Do you hate me?" Tea inquired.
Joey didn't respond.
Tea began to speak but Joey cut her off as soon as she began. There was silence. Joey noticed how the calm wind brushed against the tropical plants. He noticed how tranquil the water was. He noticed how nature always seemed to set itself right. Joey felt tears of hatred stream down his face. He became envious of that tranquility. And yet it was this very tranquil natural world that left all three lost and starving. How could something so beautiful be so harsh?
The sun was set—the full moon was at her peak—and yet the atmosphere still reeked of shadows. Everything was so hopeless... so endless... and all Tea had was a memory and all the time in the world to think about it. Every ounce of Tea's mind was sinking slowly into the bottom of the black river. It is the type of depression only the broken-hearted know. The despair of spiritual arrest.
But heartbreak was not the only thing Tea was guilty of. Tea kneeled down to the water's edge and began to dip her hands into river, rippling colorful waves of red clouds.
"I knew you would be by the river," Joey said. "A girl like you doesn't just go running in the bushes somewhere. You stayed straight on the path."
Tea hardly acknowledged his presence. She continued to repeatedly dip her hands and watch her reflection change by the droplet's force. The silence spoke volumes to Joey. Tea was at the end of her rope. "But why?" Joey thought "And for goodness sake, what?"
Tea stood. Joey watched her silhouette take shape against the darkened sky and cool water. He motioned to go closer but the scowl on Tea's face could have been seen by a blind man. It was clear as day.
"Everyone thinks that I'm that kind of girl," Tea spoke.
"Whadda ya mean, Tea?" Joey said impatiently. It was clear that he was getting frustrated by her non-sense.
"Not the type of girl who goes running in the bushes," she whispered. "But...the girl who's always there. The girl who just...is always around. There's nothing special about me."
Joey stared at the figure before him...this shadow of a former friend. There was no warmth, no light and no face to respond to. Where Tea's blue eyes once existed there was only darkness. It was as if she had been wrapped in ribbons of black silk.
"Look Tea," Joey gently said as he took two steps closer "what did you do that's making you like this? Cause this ain't the Tea I know. The fact that you're always there is what I like about ya. You'll always be there for us. We'll always be together."
Tea's voice began to break. "I've done something horrible," she whimpered. "If you've ever thought of me as a friend..." Tea stopped.
"What, Tea? What do you mean?" Joey urged.
Tea's eyes were slightly visible now that Joey was closer. He could sense something deeply wrong with her. He could see the tears falling down her cheeks.
"Do you think we'll ever get out of here?" Tea said as she looked up, revealing another tear.
Joey slowly approached closer. Tea was filthy. Her skin, from her feet to her knees, was covered in mud. Her hair had its share of dirt as well. Her clothes had been snagged by the countless thorn bearing bushes through the path.
"I don't know" he said.
"If you've ever thought of me as a friend... you'll leave me here," Tea mumbled.
"Look," Joey sighed "Yami and Yugi sent me out here for you. I'm here for them. So I don't care what you ask me to do, I ain't doin' it. I'm taking you back right now."
"Yami...wanted you to come get me?"
"...and Yugi," Joey added. "They're waiting for us back at that cabin...or whatever you want to call it. So, c'mon let's go back already."
Tea smiled. "I don't wanna leave."
Joey sucked his teeth. "Why not Tea? Do you wanna die out here?!"
Tea turned her back to Joey and once again looked at the water.
"I can't go back to that place...after what I've done," Tea grieved "he could never forgive me." Tea lowered herself to her knees and embraced her waist.
Joey frowned and hesitantly guided her landing so she wouldn't hurt herself. He gradually kneeled beside her and held her shoulders.
"What have you done, Tea? You need to tell me now." Joey spoke.
"I know now...that the love I had... can never be returned. This whole thing...is my fault." Tea sobbed as she grabbed her chest.
Joey rolled his eyes. "You're not talking about that thing back there with Yami are you? When you froze up when he was about to die? Look, I'm...I'm... sorry for saying those things about you. I'm not saying I didn't mean it" Joey added "but I was way too hard on you. I think this experience had just been way too much for you to handle. You're right, everyone thinks you're not the type of girl who goes running in the bushes... because you're not. I'm sorry you had to go through this. But if we leave now we can start over."
"I'm not going back, Joey so just leave me alone!" Tea shouted.
Joey released his grip on her shoulders.
"It's official...you're crazy," he said.
"Yes..." Tea whimpered "...I was crazy...am crazy because of my love."
"What?"
"I can't do this anymore anymore, Joey," Tea said as she looked him in his eyes. "I almost let Yami die...because I love him."
"You almost let him die cause you're crazy."
"No, it's not like that," Tea said, wiping her eyes "It's...It's...my fault."
"Can we resolve this in the cabin?"
"No, you're not hearing me! It's my fault...everything is my fault!"
"I'm going back to the cabin... I would tell you to call when you're ready, but there's no phone. So just come over when you fell like it...no advance notice required."
Joey turned his back to the water and began the journey back "home." Tea was proving to be crazier than he suspected.
"Joey...please," Tea pleaded "please understand... that when I say I loved him...I really did."
"If you "love" him how could you just stand there when he was bleeding to death?" Joey said.
"Because it was my fault he was bleeding...my fault that you, Yugi, and I were in the woods to...to begin with. My fault that they were separated...my fault," Tea cried "that they were bleeding to death."
"I don't understand why or what you're talking about?" Joey complained.
Tea let out a chuckle as if feeling the truth pour out of her stomach. "In other words," Tea added "I arranged it all."
Joey stopped breathing. His entire body froze in place as he suddenly felt something very wrong with the atmosphere. He slowly pivoted in place and saw her on the floor, half-smiling half-crying.
"You mean..." Joey felt his chest tighten "you mean...that all this" he hesitated "is your doing?"
Tea slowly nodded. "I know..." Tea swallowed "...that you're confu..."
"Stop," Joey demanded "this can't be true."
"Yes it is. We've all...known each other for a lot of years. And I've given up a lot of things I've wanted to do to follow you guys. It wasn't because I was nice, or dependable...," Tea scoffed at herself "it was because I became...insane. I was angry that after all those damn years that no one thought much more of me as a dependable friend. Especially Yami," Tea stated.
"You loved Yami...all that time? Why, Tea? Yami is a spirit...how could he ever love you back?"
"That's why we're here. I... met someone...who said he could help me. Yami has such great power... I thought that...there must be another spirit out there powerful enough to give him his own body. So...I did my research and...he found me. He said he had felt my pain...he said he understood what it felt like to be alone, like I was. He said he could help me," Tea said, lowering her head further. I was desperate. I wanted Yami to have a body...to be alive so badly. So I set it up."
"You mean you knew...that all this would happen?!"
"I didn't know we would get lost. I didn't know Yami and Yugi would almost die. I didn't know anything! I was just so...insane. I didn't think. And now, I can't be forgiven." Tea looked up at Joey. "Please understand that when I saw Yami dying in front of me, because of my stupidity, I froze up...because it was all my fault. Every second of it."
Joey inhaled deeply. "So we're all gonna die because of you?"
"Do you hate me?" Tea inquired.
Joey didn't respond.
Tea began to speak but Joey cut her off as soon as she began. There was silence. Joey noticed how the calm wind brushed against the tropical plants. He noticed how tranquil the water was. He noticed how nature always seemed to set itself right. Joey felt tears of hatred stream down his face. He became envious of that tranquility. And yet it was this very tranquil natural world that left all three lost and starving. How could something so beautiful be so harsh?