Evolution

Chapter Twenty Four: Amelia

I shouldn't have said anything. I shouldn't have pretended that I would be okay. I was not ready to tell my story and most definitely not to a large group of people. I had been weak. I had been over-confident, traits that were useless, dangerous.
I hoped that I would be left alone, that I would be allowed to cry and vent my emotions without witness, but like the last time I had disappeared into the trees, I had been followed.

"Leave me alone" I called out behind me

I didn't care who it was, I needed breathing space

"I'm proud of you" Ronan spoke softly towards me

"Don't be" I shot back, leaning my hands against a thick tree

"Talking about it, it helps"

"I said leave me alone Ronan" I growled, turning to face him as my eyes stung, forcing back tears

Ronan's face fell, but this time I didn't feel bad. He didn't understand, he couldn't

"You shouldn't be out here alone"

"Ronan" I warned, gritting my teeth

Slowly, he nodded and with another sympathetic smile and glance, he strolled off out of sight. The moment he was gone tears began to fall. I had broken.

I turned back to the tree and leaned my forehead against it, my throat dry and my lungs constricted. Moisture tickled against my cheeks as I held back sobs and gasps. I could no longer control my loss of Leo, I could no longer ignore the fact I had cost my brother his life. I had been selfish, I had been ignorant, but most of all, I had gotten my own brother killed. It was my fault and I could never forgive myself.

I didn't know how long I had been weeping. I had allowed it out, and it had made me feel both better and worse. I sat on the ground, twigs and rocks bending into my legs and thighs. I sniffled and wiped my face clean with the backs of my hands. My eyes were heavy, my lungs tight.
I wanted to fall asleep right where I sat, curled into a ball as I clutched my knees for warmth. I couldn't face returning to the crowd, I couldn't face the questions and the half fake sympathy I'd receive. I didn't want the attention. I didn't want the weakness of it, so I remained still, silent and recovering from my little episode all the while hoping sleep would take me. My eyes drifted, but before I could allow it to swoop me up, a crunch of leaves sounded from behind me. When I shook my head and woke myself up, I realised the sound had come from the opposite direction of the camp site.

Someone was close, too close, someone that shouldn't have been so close. I was quickly wide awake as I slowly leaned up, getting to my feet. For once in my life I had left my bow and arrows behind, all I held was a knife. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, but I squinted out of habit to catch sight of the noise. The crunch of sticks and stones became closer, seconds later I began to see a figure, a figure that wasn't human. It was a creature.

I leaned forward, silently pulling my knife out of place. I wasn't going to let this Creature near the camp, I was going to take my emotions out on it. I was going to kill it. I moved forward between trees, using them as cover as I kept low.

The closer I crawled to the Creature, the more I could make its features out. It was male, teenager, its teeth snapping and snarling, but that wasn't what caught my attention. The Creature stumbled, its leg half hanging off. It was broken, much like I was inside.
I wanted to feel sorry for it, but I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried. It wasn't like me anymore, it was demonic, it was evil and if I had stood up it would have killed me without second thought. The fact that I couldn't see its human soul eased me a little, Arrow was still within me.
I crept forward until I was about two meters from it. I could smell its dead flesh, I could feel its cold aura. I was going to remove it from the earth, I was going to end the evolution of life it had.