Revamped!
[My current plan is to finish Cress's arc by the end of the year and start the next one after my January 2018 exams.
Copyright - Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (for a song)]
Beyond the Crescent: Moon Part Nine
The sun slowly peeks over the horizon and Cress and Thorne are still walking in some unknown part of the forest. They still stand close to one another, feeling more and more hopeless about the fact that they might never find a way out the longer they walk. Their phones have no service so they can't even call for help. The fatigue from being up all night and the walking is slowly starting to catch up with them.
"I feel dead," Cress groans.
"Same," Thorne replies. His head suddenly perks up. "Do you hear singing?"
"You mean the birds?"
"No, I hear an actual human voice."
"I think you're hallucinating."
"No, just listen."
Cress pauses and she and Thorne remain silent. They hold their breaths as if that'll help them hear better. If they mute out the nature sounds, then the singing is actually audible … and beautiful. It's like a princess. Cress looks at Thorne with hope in her eyes again.
"We are standing by a wishing well."
"We can get out of here!" Cress exclaims at him.
"How?" Thorne asks.
"Make a wish into the well. That's all you have to do. And if you hear it echoing, your wish will soon come true."
Cress quickly clears her throat. "I wish you will help us, oh mighty voice!"
Her singing was way off-tune and not melodious at all but Thorne has no time to cringe or comment on it (that and it's not like his is any better).
"Please, oh mighty voice," Thorne sings awfully, trying to match her awful tone. "I wish you would show us the way out."
They wait for a response, hoping that they weren't hallucinating the whole thing although that's impossible since they both can't hallucinate the same thing.
"I'm wishing… I'm wishing…"
It echoed. That means their wish must come true because the voice said so. It's the best logic they have now. Without another thought, Cress and Thorne sprint as fast as they can as the voice continues to echo throughout the forest. Hopefully, it's not a trap to lure them in but, at this point, they want to get the hell out of here.
-o-
It's seven in the morning as Scarlet stands behind the counter at the Rampion, brewing a fresh batch of coffee. Since she was taking an earlier shift than usual, her manager allowed her to wear her red hoodie with the skirt of her usual waitress uniform. Scarlet usually doesn't take shifts this early in the morning but since Kai and Cinder were sitting in one of her booths, she couldn't say no to that. (Also, maybe Kai and Cinder would tip her well since they're both her friends and loaded with cash.)
"Okay," Scarlet says as she hands them both menus, "so you both know why I'm here so early, but why are you two here so early?"
"I work at noon," Cinder replies.
"Okay then, what about a date in the afternoon?" Scarlet suggests.
"I work in the afternoon," Kai replies.
"Evening?"
"Winter's dragging me to the mall," Cinder says.
"My dad's taking me to a business dinner," Kai says.
"Night?" Scarlet suggests.
"There's a math test tomorrow," Kai and Cinder say together.
"Wow," Scarlet says, nodding in admiration. "So that's what it must be like to have actual lives."
Kai and Cinder nod in sync. The three of them enjoy a moment of silence before Kai and Cinder give Scarlet a look. It takes Scarlet a moment to realize that she's currently acting like a third wheel. She excuses herself and says that she'll be back in a moment to take their order before spinning on her heel and heading back to her counter. As she subtly watches Kai and Cinder chat amongst themselves, she calls Wolf. She knows that she told him not to call unless he either sorted everything with his gang out or planned a date, but this moment is an exception. Besides, he's not that far.
"Hey," Scarlet says once she hears Wolf pick up. "I don't think Cinder's being awkward."
-o-
"You are," Wolf laughs.
He can almost hear her rolling her eyes through the phone.
Scarlet: Where are you?
"Spying from my car in the parking lot. I gotta make sure my student is doing fine. However, my girl doesn't seem to take a hint."
Wolf watches Scarlet inside the diner. He sees her look outside from behind the counter for his car. Once she spots him, she doesn't even try to be subtle about giving him the finger. Wolf just smirks from his car seat.
Scarlet: How was I supposed to know I was being intrusive?
"The silence didn't tell you anything?" Wolf questions.
Scarlet: Nope. Maybe I would know a thing or two about a date if you bothered to take me out on one.
Wolf rolls his eyes. "First the gang thing and now this? Aces, woman, you're killing me."
Scarlet: I think a corpse would actually take me on a date.
Wolf groans. "Do I have to take you on a date?"
A second round of the finger from Scarlet inside the diner answers his question.
Wolf hangs up and slumps in his seat. It's not that he has anything against taking Scarlet out on a date, he just doesn't know what to do that would possibly top the whole freeway chase that happened a while back. A restaurant would be an obvious choice for a date like Kai and Cinder, but Scarlet works at one.
This would be harder than he thought. It's so much easier to run from the police.
-o-
Cress and Thorne pick up the pace as the singing gets louder. The fatigue is replenished with adrenaline as they continue running. The voice they follow starts to vocalize and stretch its notes out melodiously. Up ahead, they can see the trees opening which indicates an opening in the forest's borders. Cress and Thorne run through and find themselves liberated from the confines of the forest. They fall to the ground, grateful and relieved that they can finally rest knowing they're safe. Thorne pants heavily, a laugh staggering out of his mouth. He throws an arm over Cress but ends up sprawling on top of her. He feels Cress's chest vibrate due to her either laughing or crying out of joy. Likely both.
"Crescent Moon, we're free!" Thorne exclaims.
He kisses the back of her head repeatedly but stops when he sees a shadowed figure approaching them. Thorne and Cress look up and see Winter standing above them. Of course, it's Winter. Why does that make sense? Cress and Thorne are confused as to why Winter is there but then they see the Blackburn mansion up ahead. Then, it hits them that they have been in the forest behind Winter's house the whole time.
"You were the ones singing back in the forest?" Winter asks. "What were you doing in there?"
"Looking for a way out?" Thorne answers.
"You were singing?" Cress replies. Winter nods. "Not only is your voice beautiful - I mean, is there something about you that isn't beautiful? - but weren't you questioning why people were singing back to you?"
Winter shakes her head. "I thought that birds have evolved into being able to adapt their singing to match those of humans. Have you ever thought of Darwin's theory of evolution? Survival of the fittest? If birds can adapt to sing like humans, it would draw predators away."
Thorne and Cress are still confused but nod since they think it's too early to deal with this.
[Wolflet will eventually go on a date… I just haven't planned one yet.]