"Hey! Oberon, please! Just one moment!" Graham pleads. I feel like the whole village is watching. If I ever do talk to Graham again, we'll need to be alone, somewhere without people where I can keep calm easier and even if I can't-
"I can't talk right now. Just leave me alone."
"Oberon, I didn't even know you were alive. Please, let's just talk for one moment!"
"I can't, Graham, you should really go."
"Look, I'll follow you all the way to wherever you're staying if I have to."
I turn around quickly. "Fine! What do you want!?"
Graham almost bumps into me when I stop walking. He looks around at all the people watching. "Can we, maybe, go to the cabin? I'll leave you alone after that. I promise. I just really need to talk to you."
"Fine. I'll go but you better hold up your end. I never want to see you again."
He clearly looks hurt but I don't care. If he would've just tried, Jaxon may still be alive.
We walk in silence and the stares slowly stop. We enter the now fully-built cabin. In the middle of the room, is a circular table with three wooden stools around it. Graham sits on one of the stools and signals me to sit on the one across from him. I walk up to the stool but only stand behind it. "You can um- sit- if you'd like."
I don't sit. I just stand there. Even if I wanted to sit, my feelings are all over the place right now and if I grab the stool it'd probably burst into flames. "What do you want to talk about?" I demand. "I just- you know- miss you. We all do. Even the two younger boys seem to want you here."
"Well you can tell them the reason I'm not here is because you and Jordan threw Jaxon out of the camp and then he-" I cut myself off. "He what?"
"That's none of your business. What do you want to talk about. If you wanted me to come to convince me to stay, you're only wasting both of our time."
"No. I mean- sort of… I needed to talk to you about that night." He looks at me as if to see if he can go on and then looks down at his folded hands. "I um- I didn't want to kick Jaxon out he just- he-- he's dangerous. Cora raised him and he could very well want to go back to her."
"Or he could very well not. He might have needed our help but you only kicked him out like he was a piece of trash. Maybe he was even trying to help us by-"
"By helping her?!" Jordan appears standing by a ladder to what must be the attic.
"Yes. You have no idea what his circumstances were."
"Jordan, you should go- maybe you can talk later-" Graham says. "Yes. I agree. You should go." I put my hand over my ring as if it'll stop the power that will come from it.
"No! You don't get to blame me. Or him, for that matter. I understand you care for him but he's too dangerous to be around the last of the human race."
"Cared," I say. "What did you just say?" Jordan responds. "You're right. I cared for him more than the entire human race together."
"Last time when you said he was gone..." Jordan whispers. He looks completely stunned. Graham looks like he can't even process that. "You don't mean he's-" Graham starts. "Dead. He's dead. I tried to tell you last time..."
"I thought you meant- Oberon, I'm so-" I slam my hands on the table, cutting Graham off. "Don't you dare apologize. It means absolutely nothing. You guys did this and neither of you can ever fix it."
I notice beneath my hand bright orange flames are blazing. I pull my hand back. My right hand can't get burned but the rest of me is not invincible to them, and neither is the house or people in it. One of the younger boys come in with a bucket of water. "I smelled smoke and-" He nearly drops the bucket when seeing me.
I see my chance. I run through the open door. "Oberon!" I hear Graham yell behind me. "Oberon, wait!"
I just keep running. I run past the ring of plants to protect against Cora, which seems especially thick by this house, I reach the trees, I go into the trees, I stop. I look back at the house where I see Graham running out and towards the woods. This time he runs past the ring and towards me.
Unlike Graham, I know how to step quietly, even while running. I could hear Graham's steps from a mile away. "Oberon!" He screams. Is he stupid? Doesn't he know this place is dangerous? He can't just go around screaming. I think.
I hear some loud steps- not Graham's- something bigger. That idiot! He attracted them! I should be safe if I just keep walking- but he won't. Why do I even care? He's the reason Jaxon's dead. He's also the reason I'm alive.
I walk towards Graham who seemed to notice the loud steps and has stopped walking. I'm behind a tree peering over at Graham who's just standing there in the open. He notices something to my left. I slowly turn but it's not looking at me. It's looking at him. It's just a regular tree minion. Why in the world would Cora want him? Aren't I a bigger threat?
Graham's eyes are wide. He turns and runs as fast as his legs can take him towards the village. The minion darts after him. The minion- of course- is much faster and grabs him after only a few steps. It holds him by his neck, choking him. It could kill him way faster then chocking him so why isn't it? "Fuck!" I whisper.
I run out from behind the tree and towards Graham. I can't light it on fire- the small chance of Graham not knowing would be lost. I don't have the plant on me- the gel! I have the gel! It might be enough for us to escape safely.
I pull the small can from my bag, grab a fist full, and throw it at the arm holding Graham up. The arm turns a dark grey and freezes. It drops Graham. I grab his arm. "We need to go- now!"
It's not even trying to chase us. Perhaps it's just distracted from it's arm. We still should run. The ring is in sight. Graham falls to his knees. "No, no, no, no! Not now! We're so close just a little further! Come on!"
"I can't- it's no- not even- chasing us." He gets out between gasps.
"You don't know that! We need to go. Now!"
I'd probably try to drag him but unfortunately I can't use my right hand at the moment. He slowly rises to his feet. "Okay. Come on, we're almost there."
I grab his hand and we slowly make our way to the ring. He falls several times but I force him to his feet. When we get there, I allow him to sit.
When he finally has enough breath, the asks, "Why didn't it follow us?"
"I'm not sure. It probably has something to do with Cora though."
"Cora… I saw her." He says. I look at him. "What? Where? Here? When?"
He smiles a little. "When I was sleeping. She told me you aren't gonna be alive much longer. I was scared."
"Well," I say, "It seems she may have had a change of heart. The tree let both of us run."
"Shouldn't she not be able to reach us with the ring around the town? Even if it's only in my dream."
"She's much stronger now. She'll likely be able to be in the village soon- if she can't already."
"Oh. what can we do about it?"
"I don't know. It's your village- your problem. I need to get going."
"Oberon-" He stands. "Your gel- it's expensive- what did you trade for it? I'll give you more."
I hesitate. I certainly need the gel I wasted on him. I sigh. "I used three leaves for it."
I only used two but the lady gave it to me for less. Even if she gave me a can for two again, I'd feel bad. "Three? Wait! I have something for you. Don't worry. It'll be helpful. It's inside."
I follow him into the cabin. Inside, the table is charred and destroyed. I notice Jordan eyeing me in the corner. "She can't be here." He says. "Don't worry. I'm just bringing her in to get something." Graham says. "I don't care. Bring it out for her then. Did you see what she did to that?"
"That wasn't-" He cuts me off. "She could mess everything up. Burn the place down."
"I didn't do that."
"Then how did it happen?" He walks over to me and grabs my right hand. "Dont-"
"And look! Not a single burn."
I pull my hand away quickly. "It wasn't me."
"Then how did it happen?" Jordan says. "I'm not sure."
"Right. And what about that ring? It's not normal."
"Jordan, stop. It doesn't matter." Graham grabs my hand and begins pulling me towards the ladder. My eyes widen. "Graham that's-" I pull away. "I'll just follow-" I say.
Graham looks concerned but nods and goes over to the ladder. He signals for me to go up. I hold my breath and grab the sides. It's, of course, wood as well. I slowly ascend up the ladder to the attic. I look down at Jordan who looks so mad it looks like he's going to explode. But he's also watching intently, waiting for me to make a mistake. I finally reach the top and let myself breathe again.
The attic ceiling is lower on the sides but high in the middle. In the lower parts, I see rows of plants and it makes me think of old work. It makes me think of when I got caught. It makes me think of when Graham got caught. It makes me think of my mother. It makes me think of when I did wrong and Jordan-
I'm gasping for the air that I'm already getting. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I jump and turn quickly. "Oberon, are you okay?"
I try to calm myself. "Fine. Uh- what did you want me to see?"
"Oh! We grow these plants for the ring."
"For the general." I say, sharply. "Yes. for him."
"He doesn't share y'know. He bribes people to join him and then he pays them with the leaves. They shouldn't have to work to be safe. You should already know that."
"Oberon, I know. It might be the only reason we're still here though."
"Fine. Whatever. Are they growing without sun?"
He perks up a little. "Yeah. Cool, isn't it?"
I nod. He walks over and grabs a couple things. He comes back with a small, bright plant in a small, clay pot and three leaves in the other hands. I grab my backpack and take the leaves, shoving them in. I then grab the plant and put it in careful, not to spill it.
He smiles. "Happy birthday, Oberon Rose."
I smile too. "Thanks." I quickly wipe the smile off my face. "Oberon, you can stay. It's safer here."
"I don't think so. You saw Jordan. I'm going to be kicked out. Just like Jaxon."
"I won't let that happen."
"But you'd let it happen to Jaxon? We shouldn't argue. I need to get going, anyways." I put my bag back on.
"Oberon?"
I sigh. "Yeah?"
"Do you know for sure that he's- that he's dead?"
"Yes."
"But how-" he asks hopefully. "It doesn't matter."
"But maybe he is still alive."
"He's not!" I yell.
I wonder if I truly believe that or if I just want to believe it. It's not that I want him to be dead. It's just that I've already decided he is and I've already grieved and accepted it. I can't deal with it again. Still- part of me still does wander-
"Thank you for the plant. I need to get going now."
"Oberon- you should know- you can come back anytime."
I nod and walk down the ladder. I walk outside but I'm stopped. A hand grabs my mouth and slams me against a wall. I try to scream for help but it's muffled. I then feel something cold and sharp on my throat. A blade. Jordan stands in front of me, blocking me from moving. He moves his hand away from my mouth.
"You're Cora, aren't you?"
"I'm Oberon. What's gotten into you?" I say. " You're Cora in Oberon's head! I heard you talking. The tree didn't follow you? And the fire! You're Cora!"
"I'm not her! I don't know why the minion didn't follow us! And why would I save Graham?"
"Graham will let you live here. Graham will tell or show you anything. Graham is blind as long as you look like her."
I push him hard with both hands and I can't tell if he's more caught off guard by the fact I pushed him, or that his shirt is being devoured by flames. My eyes widen. He jumps back and tears his shirt off. "See? It was you!"
He slowly walks towards me holding a blade in his hand. "Jordan, wait! I'm not Cora. I was leaving anyways!"
"I can't let you do that." He says. "Jordan- stop! It's because of this stupid ring! I can't take it off and I can't control it! It creates fire! Even if I was Cora, a blade wouldn't even kill her."
"Why? How did ya get it?" He ignores the last part and just skips to the part about the ring. "I don't know, okay?"
He keeps getting closer. "Jordan, stop!"
"Why? What are you gonna do?"
I begin to tremble. "Jordan- I can't control it!"
I have nowhere to go. I'm against the wall and can't go anywhere without him reaching me. This is just like how it used to be. I'm defenseless with nowhere to run- only I'm not- I'm not- I'm not defenseless at all.