I wake up. The sun shines in my eyes, blinding me. I close my eyes and continue to lay on my cot until I finally force myself to get up.
I roll to the side of the cot and sit up, opening my eyes slowly. For the last six months, I've been staying in Cora's old cabin. It haunted me at first. The horrible memories. But I slowly got used to it.
Over the last few months, I managed to get used to the woods again. I get fish sometimes but it's gotten so hard to visit that place without him. I don't think Cora was lying anymore. In the beginning I thought there was a chance but I know there isn't. I don't go to the village often but I do occasionally for weapons and other supplies including the plants which I heard grew great and when our group finally joined the general's, the seeds were spread amongst them all.
Unfortunately, today I have to go to the village today. Although I haven't had encounters with Cora in a few weeks, I've been dealing with the minions daily as well as the village who quickly deals with them because of the plants.
I grab a sack I wove for trading. This time I'm bringing a rabbit. I grab a dagger and open the door. Willow runs in for the day. I head out the door and soon I'm walking through the woods silently and carefully in the direction of the village.
I quickly duck behind a tree. I peek out and notice the minion. He's a particularly tall tree minion. He clearly knows I'm here and looks behind a large boulder first. He then checks a bush, and a tree, it's only a matter of time before he checks this tree. I should leave the safety of the tree before he checks so I'll still have the element of surprise.
I peek out behind the tree again but the tree is right in front of it already. I yelp a little and nearly stumble over but regain my balance. I run past the tree and he quickly grabs me. His branches curl around my neck, blocking my air.
I lift my right hand and grab it's arm. The area I touched immediately europes in flames. It slips up a little allowing me to have a gasp of air but the rough wood tightens even harder. I use my left hand and claw at the rough wood to try to get free but as I know already, it's no use.
My legs swing wildly trying to kick the tree but it's body is far from the end of it's arm. Where I hang. I can feel my consciousness slipping away as the flames begin to get closer to me.
Without thinking, I grab the end of the tree's branch as a final desperate attempt. Flames erupt around me and the tree finally lets go. I fall to the ground and grab my neck, coughing and breathing heavily. I know I won't have enough time to catch my breath before I have to run.
I look at the tree. The fire is nearly covering it but it'll recover. They always do. I stand wearily and force myself to run. I don't have much further. I think. I feel ready to stop and fall over but I keep going. I have to. The tree might already be making its way towards me. I stubble over a large root but I regain my balance and continue running.
I can see the village in the distance. My chest hurts and I just want to walk the rest of the way but I need to keep going.
The village gets larger and larger as I near. I finally get to one of the plants surrounding the village and I allow myself to fall to my knees, next to it, and breathe. The pressure in my chest finally begins to disappear. It feels like I haven't had air in a long time, like I was released into space and brought down to Earth.
I finally stand and although a few people stare, this is relatively normal. I calmly walk down a dirt path towards several small stands with various different things. One has a straw roof held up by wooded branches and sells beautiful colorful jewelry. The next stand is one I go to regularly. It has gel from various plants and other things found in the woods which help with healing. I've also heard, if used correctly, the plant that retracts Cora also has healing properties. I'll buy some stuff in a little while, right now I have somewhere else to be.
I continue down the dirt path until I near the houses built by the general's men which are all the exact same in a neat line. I near a house with a man in the window. I don't bother knocking, I just walk through the door. "You really need to learn how to knock."
"I know how to knock, I just choose no to."
I look at my father who grins and hugs me. "Good to see you, dad."
"You too, Oberon."
"By the way, Oberon, Happy birthday! I got you a gift." My dad hands me a small bag. I smile. I honestly forgot it was my birthday. I'm surprised he even knows when it is. "Thank you dad. How did you know it was my birthday though?"
"Every year I've thought about it. I've almost came to tell you happy birthday a couple times but I was never ready." He says, regretfully. "Ready for what?"
"As you may know, Oberon, I used to have problems- and when I dealt with them, I regretted my past and I couldn't face your mother or even you."
"Oh. I guess Mom wouldn't have appreciated that too much." I respond. He smiles sadly. "I wish I would've tried though. I would never want her to forgive me but maybe I could've still apologized."
"How's it been here?" I ask, eager to change the subject. "Great! The first child was born! And some of the soldiers have retired for a civilian life already!"
"Wow, a baby already?"
"It's been a while, Oberon. Maybe you can move here soon. It's perfectly safe and maybe you can make more friends other than that cat."
"My safety is not what I'm worried about and you know that."
"Oberon, you don't have to see Graham. You can stay at these houses or even here!"
"Thanks Dad but Graham isn't the only reason I left."
"Then why-"
"I shouldn't be around people."
I cover my ring unconsciously. He looks more sincere. "I thought you could control it."
"I can. Sometimes. When I'm mad or stressed, I can't really control it." I move my hair revealing a burn on my neck from earlier. "I could hurt someone."
"Oberon- it's not safe out there." my father says. "I know but here-" I sigh. "I want people to feel at least a little safe in their own homes. If they found out about it-" I remember how everyone used to treat me when I returned home las time.
"They won't. Not if we're careful."
"Dad- I- I'll consider it."
"Thanks sweetheart." he kisses me on the forehead. "See you next time."
I walk out into the busy village again. I walk to a booth which advertises fresh meat. "Hello ma'am. I don't suppose you wanna buy anything this time,"
I put the sack on the counter of the booth. "I have a rabbit. What will you give for it?"
He opens the sack to look at the rabbit. "He's rather large, isn't he?" the man says. He sits there thoughtfully. "Anything in particular you need?"
I think for a minute. "The gel over there," I point to the booth with the gel I use for my wounds. "Do you have any of that?"
"Why not trade her the rabbit?"
The woman who makes the gel is an elderly woman who was found wandering the woods from Reece's colony, nearly starving, who trades people in gel to get her the items. It's a miracle she got close enough for the men to find her and she even survived. I look at him, skeptically. "What would she do with a dead rabbit?"
"Okay, okay, I'll give you this," He puts a large colorful leaf on the counter. "She trades pieces of the Chrombene plant for gel."
"Chrombene?"
"You know, the stuff that repels the trees and stuff."
"Ah, I didn't know it had a name." I say. "The young men that grew it named it."
"How much do I need for one can of gel?" I ask, changing the subject from Graham. "Depends. Usually two or three leaves. But two leaves is quite a lot for one rabbit."
I pull the bag down revealing the entire rabbit's body. "This rabbit is quite large I'd say. If you don't wanna trade two leaves that's fine but I'm quite sure someone else will."
He looks at it thoughtfully. "Fine. you can have two but you should know, someone else that's willing to trade probably doesn't have it."
"Why not?" I ask. He sighs and grumbles, "Of course she doesn't kno. She's from out of time."
"The men who grew it- they have an arrangement with the general. The general chooses who gets pieces of his plants that he has and the men over there can keep their own plants without trouble."
"How'd you get yours?"
The man looks around, suspiciously. "Stole 'em. Sometimes I can grab a couple leaves from the plants around the colony when nobody's looking."
"Who gets the plants without stealing then?"
"No one. The men over there aren't allowed to share and the people who work for the general only get a couple leaves for working for him."
The man pulls a second leaf out of his pocket. "Thanks." I say.I take both leaves and leave to get the gel.
When I am near the woman's stand she smiles at me. "Good morning, how can I help you today, Oberon?"
"I have Chrombene leaves. Two."
"Wow that's quite a lot. People can't usually get their hands on this much" she thinks for a moment. "I'll give you three quarters of a can."
I shake my head. "I'm sorry. I'll only accept a full can."
She hesitates then smiles. "Okay, but I'd appreciate you not telling anyone, this offer is more than what I'd normally give."
She turns and takes a thin tin can off a shelf and hands it to me. "Thank you ma'am."
She nods and I turn only to see Graham in front of me walking down the path in the direction of the woods where I was about to go to leave. I take a deep breath and follow slowly and put my head down but he quickly notices me and turns towards me. I pretend I don't notice him and walk past him. Graham stands there for a moment, stunned, but then grabs my arm. I pull away and turn towards him.
"What do you want?"
"I uh- I didn't know you lived here."
"I don't." I turn and try to walk away from him but he runs back up to me. "Oberon! Wait! I need to talk to you!"
I ignore him and continue walking. I I just need to get into the forest. If I keep talking to Graham he might turn into a pile of ash in front of the whole village.