I ran into the woods and up onto the bluff above the cabin. I know Jake doesn't know where I went because I can see him below still looking for me, and now it looks as though Lexi and Aidan are in on the search. I am surprised Aidan hasn't just tried telecommunication, he can find me easily if he really wants to. But I should let him know I am ok. "Aidan I am fine. Please just leave me be right now."
"How did you do that Kenna?" Aidan asked in wonder.
"Do what?"
"I couldn't find you, I have been trying to reach out to you for a while now and I couldn't reach you."
Interesting, I must be able to block myself from Aidan. "I honestly don't know Aidan, I was surprised you hadn't tried to contact me yet."
"Maybe when you are so angry your anger blocks everything out. Are you ok?"
"No, but I will be I just can't deal with Jake anymore."
"I am sorry Kenna, he is just trying to protect you."
"No Aidan, he isn't trying to protect me he is trying to rule me. Don't worry about it Aidan I will work it out. I am a lot stronger than anyone realizes."
"I know you are, I will tell everyone to stop the search, and that you are fine. Don't stay out there past dark though, then I will start worrying about you."
"Ok, thanks Aidan."
I can see Aidan tell Lexi I am ok, but when he told Jake it looks like an argument started out between them. Damn, Jake is like a ticking time bomb. Crap someone does know I am up here, I can hear them walking this way. At least only one person knows to look for me here.
I turn and see Rick walking up to me, "Hi Rick, what are you doing?"
He looks at me with concern, "checking on you, is everything ok?"
"As long as Jake isn't following you I will be fine." I said as I turned back to look at the scene below.
"That bad huh?" He said as he walked up to stand next to me.
"Worse than that. I can't do this anymore Rick, I won't stay here doing nothing while Jake tries to dictate everything for everyone." I said as I looked at him in earnest.
"Don't really have a choice, he is the only pilot we have." He said with a shrug.
"I am going to hike out of here. The weather is nice, there is nothing in the woods I am afraid of, and I have to do something."
"That isn't really something we can do on a whim. We must plan this out. We also don't know which way to head."
"We will plan Rick, do you think we can have everything ready in a week?" I asked.
"A week?" Rick thought for a minute, "Yeah we can make that work, we will have to start taking things from the cabin without anyone noticing."
"The weather is nice enough that if we take the blanket and sheet off our beds we should be fine. It is the food I am more worried about. We are gonna have to sneak food for a week without anyone having the slightest idea."
"Ok, how about we start taking a picnic lunch every day for a week?" Rick said.
"How is that supposed to help us?"
"Think about it Kenna, we take a picnic lunch up to our cave every day and only eat a little of it or none at all and leave the rest in the cave."
"Yeah, heck yeah that would work great for food." I jumped up excitedly, "That will work for a lot of stuff, if we take it up to the cave and then in a week we meet up at night and go from there."
"Is it just going to be you and me?"
"I am not taking someone from down there with us. Besides the fact that all of them would object to this plan, they would for sure tell Jake."
"I mean the others Kenna, I mean Corrie and Dane." Rick asked with concern.
"You're right, we should take them with us when we go. We will have to try and get stuff for them all week and take their bedding at the end of the week when we get them out of the cells."
"So, we have a week to prepare, do you want to head back down to the cabin?"
"In a little bit, I just want to be alone for a little while longer. Lexi will have dinner soon, I will come down for dinner." I said.
"Ok, see you later."
I watched as Rick walked away and I just keep running through our plan in my mind. Can we really do what we are planning to do? Hell, yes we can, I will do whatever it takes to get us out of here and back into the fight!
I have hardly slept the last three days. Rick and I have gone on our picnics every day and put the food in our cave for our getaway, but I am not sure it will be enough with taking Corrie and Dane with us. I can't back out on taking them with us though, they don't deserve to stay locked up here. We did take a picnic blanket with us yesterday and we left that up in the cave, so we at least have one blanket so far. I also took a box of matches, a few rolls of toilet paper, and two pocket knives up to the cave, but we still have a lot to do before our week is up.
"Good morning Kenna, need some coffee?" Lexi asks as she walks up to me.
I smile at her, "Please Lexi that would be great."
"Are you sleeping at all girl? The bags under your eyes could hold a quarter." She asks in concern.
"Thanks, subtle way to say I look like crap. And no, I have not been sleeping well." I say as I shake my head.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Lexi asks gently, "I am always here for you girl and I can tell there is something going on with you."
I shake my head no, "I am just staying inside my own head right now. I will let you know when I am ready to talk about it."
"Ok, I am here whenever you need me." Lexi gave me a quick hug.
God I am going to miss Lexi, she has been like a sister to me since we were little. But I can't take the chance of telling her and her telling someone else. "Thanks Lexi, and thanks for the coffee I really do need it."
"No problem, here you go." She hands me a steaming cup. "Why don't you go out and enjoy it outside in this glorious morning."
"That sounds like a brilliant idea." I try for a smile as I walk out, but know I fall short.
Oh man Lexi is right, this is one of those mornings you just want to sit down and savor. I need this, just a time to relax and not think about anything. Ah, the smell of the coffee wafting up with the birds chirping in the trees, I wonder if there is a nature lord. Kinda like the earth lord, but nature. Well, maybe Mother Nature really is out there somewhere. "Nereus? Do you feel like a morning chat?"
"A morning chat?" Nereus immediately responds.
"Yeah just had a questioned and the morning is very beautiful today, thought you might like to enjoy it with me." And he immediately appears sitting right next to me. "Good morning Nereus, how are you today?"
"Are we friends now Kenna?" He says with a smile.
I thought for a moment. "You are more of a friend to me than Aedus, and yes I consider you a friend."
"Keep in mind child who I am," Nereus cautioned, "and though I can be calm and nice there are times I can rage worse than Aedus."
I nodded, "I believe that, but I don't really want to get into all of that this morning. I have just had a lot on my mind and I let it wander this morning and thought you might enjoy sitting with me."
"Of course, where did your mind wander this morning Kenna?"
"To nature, as in mother nature." I said with a real smile.
Nereus also smiled and immediately knew what I was wondering. "Ah you are wondering if she is real."
"Yeah, or is it another lord like you or something completely different altogether?"
"There are many that would say Dagan is the lord who oversees nature as earth is a main component of nature."
"Dagan, which is the lord of earth right?"
"He is."
"Ok true, but most people believe that nature is nurturing, that is why it is referred to as Mother Nature. I have never actually met Dagan, but it just doesn't seem right that a male oversees nature."
"He is not child, there is a Mother Nature, well to us she is not Mother but more like a sister."
"You know her?"
"There is a lot I know that your mind would never be able to fathom. But no image of Mother Nature you conjure would be correct. She like us will appear to others as she wishes to appear. Her true form is only known by very few, and none of them human."
"Have you seen her true form?"
"I have not, she and I get along, but we are not close. It is hard for any of us to truly be close to one of the others."
"Why?"
"There is too much that we do not like about the others. For Mother Nature she does not like that water erodes and kills some of her creations."
"Erodes? Wouldn't that be something Dagan wouldn't like not Mother Nature?"
"He dislikes it also, but she dislikes it because it causes death to some of her creations. She dislikes fire as it destroys everything she creates when it runs free, and wind destroys as well."
"What about earth?"
"When there are mudslides or such she gets upset with him, but she also needs him more than the rest of us and knows it, and mudslides have to do with too much water also."
"That doesn't make since, she needs you too, you are water. Things don't grow without water."
"I know, but without earth there would be no where she could create her masterpieces. We have had eons fighting with each other, it will not end soon."
"Huh, well I don't know her, so I am on your side."
"You do not need to be on anyone's side. She won't really like you as you have all four of our elements inside you. I don't know that you will ever meet her as it is. She is not big on revealing herself to ones she does not like."
"That really isn't a big deal. I just wanted to know if she was real. Kinda cool to know that she is. I wonder what else out there is real."
"More than even you would ever believe."
We both sat in silent contemplation for a few minutes, "thanks for sharing the morning with me Nereus. It was nice getting to sit and talk with you."
"Just don't forget you need to remember who I am." He cautioned again.
"I will, and if anyone from the house saw me they will think I am going crazy because I have been talking to myself." I said with a laugh.
"I have no doubt you can handle that." Nereus said as he stood.
"I can," I agreed, "have a good day."
"You also," He said with a bow, then he looked up with a smile, "we are all ready for your next adventure."
"Good to know you guys are behind me on this."
"Good day child."
And just like that Nereus is gone. Man, if I could do that it would be nothing to get out of this place! But of course, I cannot. Huh time to get back to it I guess. Still have a few more days before Rick and I are ready to leave, and time is a wasting.
Somehow magically Rick and I were able to get pretty much everything we would need for our trip off the mountain. Well as long as the trip didn't take longer than a week and we all ate pretty lightly. But we couldn't get much more anyway and now we are set to leave tonight once everyone is asleep. I am scared actually, I am not afraid of anything in the woods, but I have never done anything like this before and I just hope I can keep all of us safe.
Everyone went to bed a few hours ago and I am sure by now they are all asleep. Rick and I decided to meet over by the dungeon and he is already there waiting for me. I have never been this nervous, I know what we are about to do is going to seriously hurt some people I really care about but I can't stay here doing nothing anymore. Jake is never going to let me leave if I wait for him and right now he and I are still not talking. He has tried to talk to me a few times this week but I can't, I have never had someone disrespect me the way he did and I will not get over that quickly. Time to focus Kenna you have things to do.
"Rick are we truly ready for this?"
"I don't see how we could be any more ready Kenna."
"Ok let's do this." We walked into the dungeon, but something isn't right. All the lights are on and the lights are always shut off at night to allow everyone to sleep. I grabbed Rick's arm just as Jake came out of Luke's cell. We exchanged looks and I just hope Jake can't see anything amiss in my face.
"What are you doing here Kenna?"
I still haven't let go of Rick's arm. "Rick let's go, I will visit Corrie another time." I just rolled my eyes at Jake and turned Rick around. We are gonna have to figure something out a little later.
"Kenna wait, please?"
I didn't even turn around, "Jake some bridges that are burnt can't be rebuilt. Rick let's go." We walked out and I steered Rick towards the path to our spot. At least there he and I can talk without being overheard.
"Kenna?" Jake said as he grabbed my arm.
I didn't want to hurt him but him touching me was making my fire rage inside, I sent a shot of heat down my arm. Hopefully not enough to really burn him, but it was enough that he let go.
"Ouch." Jake said, I can feel him watching me, but he isn't following or trying to grab me again. How on earth did he and I get this far gone? Man, life can change so much in less than a year.
Rick and I just kept walking until we got to our cave. I know no one followed us, but just to be safe we didn't talk until we were safely in the cave.
"Kenna are you okay?" Rick turned me to him and asked.
"Yeah Rick I am fine, but what in the world are we gonna do now?" I said in frustration.
"Wait until early morning I guess." He said with a shrug.
"I guarantee Jake won't sleep until he knows I am safely tucked back into my room. We also need as much time as possible to get as far away from here as we can before they know we are gone." I said with doubt.
"Crap, I didn't know Jake went in there at night." Rick said as he threw a rock across the cave.
"I didn't either Rick. I think we are going to have to wait another day or two." I finally conceded. "Dang it we have been planning this for a week now."
"Another day won't kill us, we are still going to get out of here." Rick assured me.
Rick and I did some more planning and decided that we would try again tomorrow night, but we would wait an extra hour before we went to get Dane and Corrie. Then we just talked long into the night and ended up falling asleep in our cave.
"Oh my God Aiden stop yelling!"
"Kenna finally!"
"What on earth is the matter" I opened my eyes and found myself using Rick's chest as a pillow. Gosh I hope I didn't drool on him.
"What is the matter?! Where are you?" Aidan continued to yell in my head.
"Rick and I went for a walk last night and just fell asleep under the stars." Not a complete lie. I sat up and nudged Rick awake. "What time is it?"
"Um it's four in the morning."
"What!" Crap, Rick and I didn't mean to fall asleep up here.
"We have been worried. Jake said you never came back in last night."
"Oh my God Aidan I am not a baby. We will be down in a minute."
"What's going on Kenna?" Rick asked groggily.
"I guess Jake is sending out the cavalry to come find us, we better head down before they come up here." I said as I got up.
"Oh alright." Rick said as he rolled over and got up also.
We both walked groggily back down to the cabin and I just glared at Jake the minute I walked into the house. Aidan on the other hand ran up a gave me a hug.
"Sorry sis, I know you can take care of yourself, but Jake really had me worried."
"It's fine." I said as I hugged Aidan back.
"FINE! It's FINE!" Wonderful half awake and Jake is already yelling. "We had no idea what had happened to you and you were out in the woods with him, what do we really know about him?"
Being the classy lady I am I just gave Rick's hand a squeeze, flipped Jake off, and told Aidan I was going to bed and that is exactly what I did.