I waited patiently for Jaxon to pull out some spears, although I was nearly redy to burst with excitement. We walked through the thick branches since Jaxon refused to let us use the path. I was swatted in the face several times from branches. As I carefully stepped the way Jaxon told me so I'd be soundless.
After walking for about an hour, I think, we came to a large clearing. In the center of it was a beautiful pearl-blue lake.
"Wow" I whispered in awe. As my eyes widened and my jaw dropped.
We walked a little closer and in the water I see silver, blue, and plain, brown fish swimming around. The drawings didn't even come close to capturing the fish's image. In some drawings, they walked. In some, they had feathers and were v\basicly birds in water.
The scales looked nothing how I imagined them either. The scales were like beads lining their small bodies, and they had red gills, that looked like scars where I imagine their ears would be.
This tops it all, tops the flowers, the trees, even the beautiful butterflies. The stars sparkled in the lake which reflected the sky like a mirror, the moon looked like a huge pearl sitting at the bottom of the lake, and the dark sky reflected as a beautiful deep-blue color with faint ripples and bubbles from the sea life.
Back home, Each home had a bucket, when it rained, it'd fill up, and that'd be our water for the next however long, this, this is so much better, it was like an infinite bucket.
Jaxon chuckled at my awe-struck face.
"Ok, do you know how to catch fish?" he said scooping up some water for later. "how could I? Not sure if you remember home, but there's no animals let alone fish."
Jaxon sighed annoyed and showed me how to catch fish, "look, right here," he said and wrapped his arms around me to show me the position to throw the spear. I felt his heart beating and my own speed up I heard his breath in my ear as his warmth wrapped around me like a blanket.
"And you swing like this," he said gently before he recoiled his arms to let me try to swing. His warmth and disappeared with him. I almost wanted to grab him.
I swung my spear quickly striking a fish as a cloud of red appeared. "Good job Oberon!" Jaxon said excitedly "Another talent to add to your long list!" he said laughing a little. "Well you're much better I've only got one!" I said embarrassed "This is your first time though!"
I almost felt bad for the small animal now laying lifeless in a bucket. "It's okay." Jaxon says. "You'll get used to it. If we didn't get it a bear or somthing would've anyways."
"A bear!" I say excitedly, breaking the sad mood. "What's a bear look like? Show me!"
"I can't just show you a bear, it'll kill us both!"
"But we could just look from a distance, couldn't we?"
He sighed. "Oberon, trust me, you don't wanna meet a bear."
We were both surprised to see Willow catching fish too, just the brown small ones, but he seemed to enjoy them, I suppose Willow had to have eaten something though, before I found him I mean.
"So, do you ever miss your mom?" I asked, trying to start a conversation. "Well, she raised me so yes. But she kills innocent people, and she wants me to do the same, so, also no." He stuck his spear in the ground and looked at me.
"It's just- so complicated," he looked up at the stars, his expression filled with hurt.
"I'm sorry and- and I see where your coming from." I said "I'm sorry for how I acted when I first found out, I just- it's a lot"
He put his hand on my shoulder as his warmth transported to me. "It's okay," he said. And at that moment, it was only us. Me and him. It reminded me of how I felt with Graham. He leaned forward, so did I, his long lashes fluttering close covering his big blue eyes, as mine closed over my brown ones, and the next thing I knew, his lips were pressed against mine. I leaned into him and embrace his warmth.
◈◈◈
I walked alongside Graham in the warm spring air to go pick up food at the market. "You wait here, I've got a list I'll be right back, I promise," said Graham. The market consisted of several small shelters and paths too and from each one. I found a table near the market to wait at. The warm breeze running through my hair.
From here, I could still smell all the wonderful foods: fresh bread, cheese, rice, and more fresh vegetables all blended together creating a wonderful smell.
A man who looked like he was in his early twenties, wearing a black shirt and jeans approached me. "Hello, I'm Kayden." he said cooly
"Oh! Hi," I said not really sure why he was here. "Would you like to sit?" I signaled to the chairs around the table.
He didn't say a word. Just said, "You stole something that belongs to my company," and it was then I noticed his badge, the ASD Amaury Science Department.
My smile drained from my face. "I-I'll give it back I swear I was young and-"
"If you give it back, you'll be put to death" my eyes widened
"No! I didn't-"
"Calm down, I'm not here to arrest you, though I won't hesitate," He says, looking right into my eyes. "I'm here to give you a way out,"
◈◈◈
"How'd you end up here anyways," I asked, my voice lined with curiosity.
"Well, I was an orphan and we went to a park near the forest. I wandered into the forest. My mom, Cora, found me when I looked into her eyes, I didn't see a murderer, she had loving eyes. She led me to a small cottage where she lived. And she took me in that is, until I saw her kill those men, she begged me to stay, but, I-I couldn't"
I put my hand on his shoulder. There was silence for a while. "I sometimes wonder if she wasn't always a murderer, if she somehow changed,"
I didn't say anything. What could I say? We sit there In silence until it's time to go.
We got some fish and we, along with Willow, headed home in silence. I felt my backpack begin to shake and some meows came with it. "Jaxon we-" I began, but it was too late. We were completely surrounded.
I looked around at the people, all men, all expressionless and red-eyed. They began to move closer, each step in perfect unison, like an army. I had no idea what to do, there was no way out, and with each step, the less of a chance we had.
"I'll go after that one," he signaled to one to the left of us "But you have to run straight to the cave, I'll join you soon," Jaxon whispered.
"No it's too risky, what if-" they stepped forward again. There was no noise at all, not Willow, not the birds, Not even bugs. It was as if the whole world stopped.
"We don't have time to argue," he kissed my cheek, "Go."
I hated the plan, but the next thing I knew I was running through where the man once stood, as Jaxon was tackled to the floor three ran after me, three stayed with Jaxon. Willow shook, and everything in me wanted to go back, but I couldn't. I had to keep going.