Crown of Shadows

Chapter 17

Anika was finally starting to act normal again, after a few days. I could tell she was still in pain, though. She still wouldn't tell me what happened either. I didn't want to pry, but my curiosity seemed to get the better of me. I knew I said I would give her space, and I did, but every once and a while I felt the question burning in the back of my throat. She'll tell you when she's ready. Just wait.

I had to do most of the hunting, too, which wasn't good for either of us. No matter how much Anika tried to teach me, I would never be as good as her. She was sort of like Laila in that way. Always believing that it was just a matter of learning and practicing. But for me, it never was. I was only ever good at one thing, and that was flying. Now I was completely useless when Anika needed me most. Though, I suppose I was completely useless the entire time, considering I didn't have a clue about surviving in the wild.

But now that Anika's shoulder was injured, there was more pressure on me than ever. I told her that she should avoid using her arm, so it didn't get any worse, but I didn't realize how much work she really did. We put her arm in a sling, to take pressure off of her shoulder, which meant she wasn't really able to lift anything. Anika had me get up at the crack of dawn the past few days, helping me learn how to do the chores she normally did before I woke up. I didn't understand why she woke me up so early when we had all the time in the world, but she said she liked to get things done early. It had been a long few days and when the moon finally began to rise, I was glad.

We were returning to our huts for the night, as the moon shone above us. Anika wished me a good night and I did the same for her. I could see she was still struggling with her arm. But that wasn't strange, of course- anybody would be struggling with a wound like that. I wasn't sure if it was getting better, either, as she didn't let me look at it. Not that I would be much use anyway, seeing as I knew barely a thing about the medical field. But it wasn't just her injury that was slowing her down, I noticed. She seemed less enthusiastic than usual. Anika wasn't the type of person to let anything slow her down, certainly not an injury, but she seemed... down, somehow.

Anika and I retreated into our huts, settling down for the night. I stared up at the thin ceiling, moonlight pouring through it. I wasn't sure how long I stared up with my eyes wide open, but it must have been a while, considering I began to hear snoring from Anika's hut. Even with my aching bones and bags under my eyes, my eyes refused to shut. Maybe it was because my mind was still whirring with thoughts. Or maybe it was because of the feeling. The one I'd been having since the first day Anika left for the Factory. The way it called me towards it, making my stomach knotted with the anticipation. Like my body knew what was going to happen before I did.

I decided to go for a walk. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep that night. Or maybe it was because I knew I was under the cover of darkness. Either way, I walked out of my hut. I glanced over my shoulder. Anika was still asleep, snoring softly. Quietly, I tip-toed towards the edges of the Time Bubble, grass tickling my toes. I got the same exact feeling I did that day, when I first touched the Time Bubble. My stomach fluttered anxiously and my hands buzzed, like there was lightning coursing through my veins. With each step my breaths grew more shallow, until I felt like I couldn't breathe. Before I knew it, I was there, the Time Bubble just within reach. I shuddered but didn't budge.

All I wanted to do was test it out, one last time. See if I was hallucinating, or if maybe there was actually some kind of hole in the bubble. At the very most, I expected it to do the same thing as I thought it did last time. I reached out carefully, my arm trembling. All I did was tap it. I guess that was all it took to make a Time Bubble shatter like glass.

It turned black again, though it was less noticeable than last time, since it was already dark out. Then, it broke. Shattered. Collapsed. I could feel exactly when it disappeared, like a pressure that was weighing on me was finally lifted. I gasped. I couldn't believe it. I stuck my arm out, and this time there was nothing to stop me. No invisible force, no bubble. We were free. Free. But why was this happening now?