The next few days go by too quickly for my liking. Of course I know the day will come advenchaly, but this is too much too soon. I still haven't decided whether to take Willow or not. But there are more important things to decide, one of them being whether or not to tell my mother goodbye.
I'm not sure she deserves a goodbye. Of course if I make it out I'll have to talk to her at some point. But when? I don't have much time left to decide. I also don't wanna think about "if I get out" because I know I probably won't get out. It's too late to go now today.
After tonight, it'll only be one day until it's time to leave. I sit on my bed thinking about my mother and about the forest, and how I may die. It really is hopeless, especially if Cora's even stronger like they said.
I begin to fall increasingly tired. My eyes widen. I try to scream but I'm too quiet. I'm too tired to try again. This is all too familiar. I do my best to stay awake, but I know I'm gonna have to give in at some point. Maybe soon she'll stop trying maybe soon- I stop thinking. I feel too tired to even do that. Finally, I succumb, finally, I'm asleep.
"Wow, you held up for quite a while. I'm impressed,"
I turn. "Cora, why am I here?"
"Oh, you know, I just wanted to talk." she says. I see Cora's drained face and expressionless eyes, but it's not nearly as drained as last time. Cora still doesn't smile. I remember when Cora only had a smile on, and if she didn't it meant bad news. I can't imagine our fight for survival will be easier in the forest.
"About what?" I say, watching Cora as she draws nearer.
"About your arrival of course!" she says. "How do you-"
"Your god, granted me a proficy, actually a few, and no matter how hard you try, you always end up here. With me."
She looks like she's in deep thought for a moment. "Anyways, I thought you should know, things are quite different here now. For one, that plant, won't be easy to get, I had them- moved,"
A satisfied look is on her face. Cora still doesn't smile. "Why haven't you come yet?" I ask. "Well, I've been, busy, you're not my only project you know,"
"Wait! Wait, what do you mean? Are there more humans?" I begin to panic, not because of what she said, but because there are walls surrounding me. I can't see the walls but I can feel them.
Cora smiles and I flinch. Water begins to fill up the invisible box, quickly. It's up to my knees. Thighs. Waist. Shoulders. I take a deep breath. It covers my head. I try to hold my breath but eventually I try to gasp for air that isn't there. I see bubbles blub up as I flail around. My chest burns and water fills my mouth and nose.
I look outside to see Cora wearing a prized smile. The one I almost wanted back. The one that I once believed to signal safety.
I wake up gasping for air, no matter how much I have I feel I'll still need more. My vision is a little dizzy and my chest feels ready to explode. I look outside. The sun is already beginning to rise. I've made up my mind. I'll tell my mother goodbye. This experience made me discover how preshions life really is, and how much I may regret it if I don't say goodbye.
I walk out of my room, dressed in a deep army green long sleeved shirt and black pants. Graham looks up at me, "Jaxon wanted to get to the market early to get better for-" he stops talking.
"Yeah, I get it. I'm going out too. I want to say goodbye to my mother. You should do the same for yours."
He grabs my arm when I try to leave. "Oberon, you don't really think we'll die do you? I mean, if you guys could survive on your own, won't it be easier with a whole squad of soldiers with us?"
"The only reason we're alive right now, is because she needed us. Now she doesn't. So, if you want my honest opinion, I think we're gonna die and this whole place is gonna burn."
"But how do you know she-" he begins. "I just know ok?"
"She visited you again, didn't she?"
I ignore his question and walk out of the house. It's none of his business, what's happening.
I'm at my old home's front door before I know it. Mom usually is eating breakfast at this time, so I shouldn't be intruding or waking her. I knock, and almost immediately, the door opens. "Oberon?" she hugs me without any sort of hesitation. "It's so good to see you!"
"You too, Mom, look, we should go inside to talk, it's kinda important." I say. She smiles. "Come on in."
We sit across from each other at our small wooden table. I sigh. "Mom, you see, a couple days ago I got this letter. The letter instructed us to go to a meeting at the auditorium. There were a lot of important people there too." I say. I look up, trying to figure out how to word it. My mother's watching intensely with her worried brown eyes.
"See, they want Jaxon, Graham, and some soldiers, to go back-" before I could even finish, my mother says, "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry, I know how much they mean to you."
"Mom, they asked me to go too," I say sharply. "Well, if they asked then you refused right?"
"Mom, I didn't have a choice. They had a long list of crimes for people I love yours included. But even if I did, I'd choose to go with."
"Hon, there has to be a way out. A way-"
"Mom, I came to say goodbye. I'm not wavering, and I'm not going to go along with another one of your selfish plans like last time! Besides, if I don't do this we're all dead anyways." I say. She looks stunned. She begins to tremble a little.
"Well, when are you leaving?" she asks, refusing to look me in the eye. I take a deep breath. "Tomorrow." I say. A sad look crosses my mother's face. "Okay honey, get home safe." she says. A single tear runs down her cheek. "I'll do my best." I respond. She kisses my head and I go, planning to never see her again. I'm okay with our very last meeting. It wasn't perfect but it was enough.
I decide to go to the market to see if Jaxon is still there since it's not too far out of the way anyways. And sure enough, he is. I see him at the weapons stand and walk over to him. "Hey," I say.
He tears his eyes away from the long silver blades of swords and knives. "Hi, I just thought I'd look, I don't really trust the government to supply us. I guess I don't really trust these either."
I smile a little. "Me either, we'll make some of our own when we get there. Or just get ours out of the cave,"
"Yeah, that sounds good, let's get a couple for until we get to the cave though. I already got some food too," Jaxon says. "Sounds good." I respond.
A stubby man is standing at the desk. "Hey! You gonna buy or what?" he says in a scratchy voice.
"We are going beyond the wall, so we need something good," Jaxon says. The man laughs. "Yeah, I bet you're gonna go kill the one that killed my son too!" he says. Then he turns to me.
"Or was that you?" he says in a sharp voice.
"Look, honestly, I don't have time to explain this, nor do I have to, so why don't you show us some good weapons and not these flimsy ones that aren't meant to be used," I say.
"Look, honestly, I'm not too hasty to give you a thing and I could have them kill you for even mentioning going past the wall," he signals to some guards. "So I suggest ya leave!"
I smile a little "Tell them. Go ahead," I say.
"Wha? Fine! I will!" he turns to the guard and yells, "Hey!" the guard looks at him.
"Ya you! This idiot is tell'n me about how she's gonna leave with him!"
The guard marches over. "Is she trying to get weapons?"
"Wa-- ya? What's that gotta do with this?" says the man. "Sell 'em to her." the guard says. "Or we'll have you thrown in jail."
"Wha- but I didn't even do anything!"
"You're about to defy an officer." the officer says. "Whatever. Here."
The man slams a bow and arrows on a red velvet cloth in a wooden case in front of me, along with two knives in similar cases. "I'll take them all." I say.
"Don't pay," says the guard. "Not like you commoners have enough anyways,"
"I can pay." I say. "No, ya can't," he says. "Fine, whatever, if you're gonna make a big deal out of it," I say, and I grab the three cases. I almost pity the man, but not enough to fight with an officer about it. If I fought with the officer, the crime might be added to the list or I'll serve the crime if I come back.
Jaxon follows closely behind me. "Hey, we should get some sweets!" Jaxon says. I laugh a little. "Look, I hadn't had sweets in like a decade until I came here! They might lighten up the mood a little anyways."
I smile. "Okay," I respond and we head to the baker's.
"Hi," I say smiling at the baker. Of course, like most people, I only get a cold, hard, look in return. I sigh. "I just want a dozen cookies and three dozens of dark chocolates."
The baker goes to get the things I asked for, eyeing me the whole time through the doorway to the back, as if I was about to explode and kill the village at any second. The baker and I were never close, but we were pretty friendly, and liked him we had a couple nice conversations. He's a plump man with stains all over his white apron, and usually has a friendly smile to greet me.
I let my smile fall, if he's gonna drop his act, why should I make such an effort to be friendly on this horrid day? "Here," the baker says, handing me a full bag of sweets. I put my money on the counter and leave without another word.
Jaxon and I walk out. "So, were you two- close?"
"No,"
"You seemed a little disappointed with his behavior, I thought it was sorda- ya know- normal?" he says like it's a question. "It- it is. It's just- hard." a sad look crosses my face.
"He was so friendly." I scoff. "But it was all just an act. All of it. From everyone. Everything was only an act."