If I Had Wings to Fly

Chapter 8: Honey Berries

We walk away from the beach, me stumbling, her supporting my weight. She's surprisingly strong for her thin frame. When we get to a shady spot, under a leaning willow. I sit on colder, damper ground. Lauren sits beside me as she rifles through her bag again. She pulls out a metal tin, and other supplies. I watch as she opens the grey can. Inside is a yellow sludge that smells of fish and mint, a ghastly combination.

"You survived the barrier. It's a sign." she says sternly, but more to herself.

"Did you see the plane wreck? Are there any other survivors?" I ask while she starts applying the yellow cream to my face. The stench makes me gag.

"Plane?" the girl says dumbly

"You know...? An... aircraft?" I stutter, not able to find the words to describe a plane. Lauren doesn't respond and continues to apply the horrible salve to my face and neck. 

The disgusting cream starts working immediately, and my whole face goes numb. She applies it on places where there is swelling, save for my eye, and on scratches. 

"Are there any... metal pieces?... Or fires? Have you seen anything strange wash ashore?" I ask trying again. That's the only explanation right? 'I must have survived a plane crash.'

Lauren looks thoughtful and nods.

"I found you, and that is strange."

"That doesn't help." I say exasperated.

"Indeed." She says furrowing her brow. "I have many questions, but it's important you heal, else we won't get answers.

She continues applying the pungent cream. Her fingers stop at the collar of my Charles N' Cheesy shirt. She pinches the fabric, and mouths something I can't understand. 

"This is where I work." I say looking at my shirt. "All my clothes got burnt off." I say, but the statement leaves me puzzled. If I think about it too long, my head starts to hurt. 

Lauren hands me some of her belongings. A little bundle of thin cloth, a loaf of bread, and a small jar of floating-white-blobs. She also pulls out another metal tin and places it on my lap.

"There isn't much, but this will help you regain a little strength. 

I unwrap the bundle of clothe and find a lump or soft cheese. I taste it with the tip of my pinky. It taste like goat cheese, one of my favorites. The delicious flavor of garlic, thyme, and rosemary bloom across my tongue. I open the lid to the metal container and find eight large berries.I pluck a berry from the pile and pop it in my mouth. The succulent meat tastes like a honeycomb were mixed with a peach. Juice dribbles down my chin.

"What kind of fruit is this?" I ask apologetically.

"They are honey berries. You don't have them where you are from, correct?" 

"No, but they're delicious." I say licking my finger tips. I feel warm and light, like all the pain is washing away. I go to eat more, but she stops me.

"Save them for last, you won't regret it. You should eat those." She says gesturing to the little jar.

I try not to grimace as I lift the jar closer to my face. The color is a dark green and yellow with little black specks floating around. I specifically did not want to eat these, but I decide it would be very rude to refuse. I unscrew the lid carefully.

"Don't look so frightened. They are pickled quail eggs. The vinegar keeps them from spoiling, but you should definitely eat them. They're good."

I gulp dramatically and reach for a tiny floating egg. I place one in my mouth. The flavor isn't terrible, it is a strong white vinegar. Very nervously I chew, hoping to get this over with. Flavor explodes in my mouth as I bite down. The striking vinegar combined with sweet boiled eggs, and unknown herbs are delicious. I don't know what the spices are, but they're sweet, and aromatic. The egg is soft and once I've taken a bite, I quickly devour it and go for another.

"They'll restore your strength and increase your fertility." Lauren says casually.

I choke on a quail egg and cough a little. Lauren doesn't notice. I decide I'm done eating quail eggs for now and wash it down with water. Ah... sweet water.

I set the eggs aside and go for the bread and cheese. 

The shade, the water, the food, everything helps me retain a sense of clarity.

My first observation is how strange Lauren is. Not strange in a dangerous sense. She just acts so different than what I'm used to. She seems intense and purposeful. Something about her strikes me as confident, but not just confident. She seems strong. 

I think about Elise. What would she do if she were here instead of me? At the thought, water wells up and spills out of the corners of my eyes.

Lauren is kind enough to let me cry, but her jaw is tense with mixed emotions.

"Very human." she mutters softly to herself. 

I stop crying and look at her strangely. She uses the attention to speak.

"I saw the flames from a near-by village, but I'm the only one who came. Even the children seemed bored." She pauses, as if she's contemplating how much of her thoughts to reveal.

Her words are strange to me, but I don't feel afraid. Just lost. I don't know if it's the concussion, or the utter nonsense of her words, but I can't understand anything she's saying. Still, I nod along to indicate I'm paying attention. 

"The others are used to the Gulls getting burned on the shore, but I insisted I'd see for myself" She continues, "The flames were too bright to be an idiot bird. It is miraculous. You haven't got a single burn."

"My backpack didn't catch on fire either" I say quietly, finishing the last berry. I feel warm and comfortable, comfortable enough to take a nap. "My backpack! I forgot to grab it!"

I start to get up, but find that I can't move. 

"I grabbed your backpack." Lauren says bringing it's singed black shape into view. 

"When did you..."

My head lulls to the side. I jerk, only to fall the other way. I place my head on my knees. Suddenly it's too heavy to carry. Blackness starts to wrap around me like a blanket. I try to shake it, but it's relentless. It covers my eyes. I feel myself fall over. My arms and legs are slow. I can't lift myself up. I just want to sleep.

"Now we can get moving." I hear Lauren mutter.

"What's happening!?" I shriek, but I can't tell if I spoke out loud, or in my head. My breathing quickens, and I think I'm hyperventilating.

"Don't panic. It's the berries. They're putting you to sleep." I hear a voice from the darkness.

"Why?" I ask.. but I don't hear anything else.