CHAPTER 14: The Return
I couldn't believe that I was actually leaving home. Home, where I almost died two times, and the same home in which I slept in.
"Think about Peater, Elsi. Don't need to worry about anything else . . ." I muttered as I stole down the stairs.
Just then, an image of my grieving parents popped into my head, almost steering me away from the front door. Putting that picture out of my mind, I opened the door, stepped onto the sidewalk, and started running towards the Eaton Center, not going to the trouble of stopping at least once.
"Elyssia! Elyssia!" I heard a voice call out to me in the distance. I was blistering hot, and it was nine o'clock in the morning ― or so the Old City Hall's big fat clockface said.
"Who . . . who is it?" I asked, swivelling around.
I saw a figure coming closer and closer . . .
. . . until it finally came to a halt in front of me. When I squinted my eyes, I saw Peater. Seeing him made me angry, happy and just plain speechless at the same time. Because of this weird mix of feelings, thoughts and emotions, I had absolutely no idea as to what to do at that moment.
Should I just slap him silly and walk away?
Should I just kiss him and leave it at that?
Should I just stand there and stare at him not unlike the way a sprout would?
I eventually decided on the latter and submitted myself to staring at him, my crystals a neutral blue, and my eyes unblinking. After what seemed like decades of staring at each other in this weird, awkward and out of depth way, I realized that somebody would have to break the ice, and make the first move. So I cleared my throat.
"Hii, Peater. As you can see . . . I've . . . uh . . . um . . . I've . . . returned." I said in a voice softer than an angel's.
Peater took my leaf in his and smiled.
"I can see that." he whispered before he pulled me into a hug. I could not help but wrap my arms around him in response to his action.
"So... I knew that you tried killing yourself not long ago. Is that... true?" he asked.
I gasped.
"H-how . . . how did you know that?"
"Well . . . let's just say that the necklace that I gave you actually did have bonding powers. I mean, I saw you trying to consume more of that poisonous drug, and I somehow knocked it out of your leaves!" Peater answered.
Instead of getting mad at him, I tightened my embrace around him.
"Thank you, Peater. I think you actually saved my life, even though I was a good ten kilometres away."
Just then, I heard a female voice in the distance saying, "Ohh, little girl, little girl, come here and have it! Little girl, little girl, come over here this instant before I run over there and choke you!"
I immediately broke away from Peater's embrace, and looked around for any signs of an assault. I only saw a tiny light bobbing up and down until it disappeared inside a building.
"What's wrong, Elyssia?" Peater asked, with his voice full of concern.
"I could have sworn that I saw a Plantern behind you, and I could have sworn that I heard a voice . . ."
I trailed off, looking around to see if the Plantern would make him or herself visible once more. No avail.
"Well, I'll be honest. I heard the voice, and that voice seemed to be calling for . . . you . . ." Peater said.
"Oh well. What are you doing out here at this hour, in any case?" I asked.
"Ever since you left, I've roamed about this area just to find you. You know . . . I wanted to check to see if you've returned." Peater answered.
I threw myself onto him again, putting as much warmth into my hug.
"Thank you . . . for everything." I whispered.
"And . . . can you promise me something?"
"What is it?" Peater asked.
"Never do what you did a few days ago. Don't be so mad that I'd want to kill myself. Now I realize just how valuable my life is . . . to others." I answered.
"I learned my lesson, and I think that's what saved you from dying. Of course I'll never be that mad again!" Peater replied.
"Thank you. Anyways, why did I feel so much anger coming to me that fatal day?" I asked as I disconnected myself from the boy-plant's body.
"I guess it's because I felt hurt and abandoned because you left. And that made me kinda mad because I was without a friend in the world. I mean, Ash is nice, but lately, we've been having arguments, and . . . we're just falling apart." Peater answered.
"Thanks for being honest with me, Peater." I whispered.
"So . . . do we head back?" I suggested.
"Where else would we go?" Peater joked in response as we started to walk in the direction of the base.
"Hey Ash! We have a newcomer!" Peater yelled as we entered the base.
"TELL THEM TO STAY AT THE ROYAL YORK! I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH RANDOM PLANTS WALTZING INTO THE BASE LIKE THEY LITERALLY OWN IT!" Ash yelled as he came down with a broom to chase the "newcomer" out of the base. When he saw me, he dropped the broom and practically sprinted to me.
"Elyssia! You've come back!" he exclaimed as he swept me up into the air, causing me to feel light-headed.
"You've returned . . . I'm so happy . . ." Ash whispered as he hugged me.
"Whoa there! I need to breathe!" I cried as I detached myself.
"I see that you've finally achieved something from searching high and low. Congratulations." Ash said as he hugged Peater.
"Oh . . . I just got lucky . . ." Peater replied, giving me a wink.
"Did you just say that Elyssia came back?" I heard Annika ask as she came out of a side door.
"Of course I'm back, Annika!" I shrieked as I ran over to the blooming girl-plant.
"I thought I'd never see you again!" Annika whispered as I hugged her.
"Didn't I say that I'd be back?" I asked.
When Annika shook her head, I said, "Well, I'm back, and that's what matters."
It felt good to be up in the room that I shared with Peater, and it felt even better to have him sleeping with me in our little bunk bed.
For once, I felt as if I was at home.