The Odd and The Mundane

The not-so-great escape

The air was tense and dry. Petios the wood nymph slumped over the edge of the clay pot he was confined in. Not that it was worse than being perpetually encased in the hollow of a tree, as he used to be.

He was barely mistreated here. Sure, his new family (aka Aisha's parents) would throw him into the dark muskiness of the storage closet when they had visitors, but it was for his safety. They didn't really explain why, they only told him that he must not be seen. Not by anyone, not by anything, except them. They could have at least let him share a room with Aisha, but no amount of whining and reasoning would let them change their minds so the kitchen was where he stayed. But hey, at least they complied with his request to replace the soil in his pot with charcoal and coconut husk.

However, it was apparent. He was not needed, he was not wanted. Their parents treated him like he could possibly a hazard to Aisha, their suspicious stares had not gone unnoticed by the little wood nymph. And now they were getting rid of him. Aisha was still her bubbly self, but only on the surface. She was talking and Petios pretended to listen. But he wasn't listening, he was thinking.

And he was terrified; of the future, of the unknown, of this "Ms Summers" who was apparently going to take him away, and of never seeing his only friend,Aisha, again. Momma, that was what he called Aisha's mother, had told him, in her usual sweetness that masked her fear and dislike, that Ms Summers was a good person. In fact, the only person who would accept a request like this. She lived at the edges of town, in a particularly foilage heavy area.

They all told him he would feel right at home. They didn't understand. He wouldn't feel at home just because there were a bunch of trees there. He needed someone to talk to. Not as a monster, not as a pet, but as an equal- as a friend.

The electric doorbell startled Aisha out of her socks but all Petios felt was a sudden lump in his stem (no not a literal lump, it was not a tumor at all). Momma hurried over to answer the door, her face smeared with emotions Petios had never seen on her before. Uncertainty? Guilt? He was not sure but it felt genuine.

Aisha got up to greet the visitor, as prompted by Momma, with tears in her eyes that betrayed a stretched smile.This visitor was a young dark skinned woman with a beaming face, and noticeably muscular arms that emerged from her bright yellow graphic t-shirt. Her hair was jet black and held back by a broad hairband. This could only be Ms Summers.

She took one look at Petios, blinked in surprise, then turned to Momma and whispered," You didn't tell me it was a kid..."

"He," Aisha hissed.

"Uh, um... right!" the woman replied with an awkward lop-sided smile,"I think...I'll have to talk with your mother."

"Petios," Momma said," you can go have one last look around the house before you leave, alright?"

So while the strange lady and Momma negotiated, the two kids were left to say their final goodbyes. Or, maybe not.

Aisha dragged the plastic cart, on which she had brought Petios here and let him remain on it for mobility's sake, into her room.

"We can't let this happen," the girl cried," She knows nothing about you! We know nothing of her!"

"It's...it's not going to h-happen," replied the boy,"......right?"

"You're right! It won't !"

"You've got a plan?" Petios perked up.

"Uh...no"

".....eh?"

"But I know you won't go down without a fight!" Aisha was at it again, trying to push away her worries and her sadness with positivity,"Neither of us will!"