Beyond the Rift ✔ (Completed)

Chapter 16: Detachment - Part-2

For the first time in my life, I find myself alone. Curled up in the corner of the bed, I weep silently to the creaking sound of the overhead fan. Its blades whoosh heavily in the air; as if whisking the life away from me, by each passing minute. The trees outside stop rustling, the bushes turn inanimate as the stones, birds abandon their nests leaving behind partly woven twigs. I know how they feel when they are held captive in giant cages; all alone and terrified.

The dim light in the room flickers occasionally. I feel like a small child again. Mom isn't here to soothe me, nor is Jake to make me laugh. It is just me. Alone in this cabin in the woods. I close my eyes as a silent tear runs down my face and onto the wet top. The muscles of my face ache and so does my body. I have been cramped up here for hours, constantly pouring buckets of tears.

Ethan didn't return. I have no precision of time, but several hours have passed since that happened. It is pitch black outside. What should I do? Should I leave the cabin and head back to Papillion? But how do I get a ride, also, making my way out of this maze of a forest in this darkness seems quite impossible. Or, should I stay here until Nick or some altruist finds me? But no one knows about our whereabouts. I guess I'll have to survive on packed foods and energy drinks until I run out of them. Then, I'll starve for a couple of days. Eventually, I'll die and my soul can leave this aching body and wander off to heaven or hell; whatever I am destined for.

"You are not going to die here."

I yelp, loud enough to disrupt the silenced cabin.

"Jeez.. Could you care enough to not scare me to death!" I say to the voice.

"You were in despair for a long time, you finally came to the solution. What have you decided?"

"Decided what?" I ask, confused as I wipe the tears off my face.

"Your next step! You have to leave this place; you can't afford to stay here." The voice sounded impatient today.

"But, what about the tridents?"

"They might soon be here, that's why you should go back to your town."

"I can't. Ethan said..."

"Forget about what Ethan said!" The sweet voice is no longer velvety and calm, it turned edgy and livid. For some reason I feel more scared than before, what is he trying to say?

I hear him sigh. "Ethan doesn't care about you. Look, he left you all alone in the woods to die."

I gulp.

"Sorry, I just want you to be safe, that's all." Again, I sense feigned concern in his tone. But, before I could speak again a vigorous thump on the door makes shiver run down my spine.

I look at the moth-eaten wooden door frame which barely held the door on its hinges. I slowly raise from the bed and tip-toe my way to the window. Peeking through the stained-glass panel, I try to examine the figure. However, the darkness is too black to make out anything.

I bite my lip. Who could it be? Tridents?  My heart starts doing its thing where it makes me unable to hear any noise other then it's pounding. I back away from the thumping door and decide to leave from the back, but I freeze midway when I hear a meek muffled Ethan.

"Let me in."

I let out a breath that I didn't know I held. Pure relief washes over me and I immediately unlock the door.

Warmth fills me when I find him leaning against the trim. Like a silent wave that approaches the shore and sweeps away the ruffled sand, making it even and beautiful. For the first time in the pass few hours, my body and mind relax. In that moment, there are no expectations upon him, no beef and nothing to complain. He is in, he'd made it and I didn't care about our fight.