The Battle of Rabid Earth

8

He's lying.

"My mother had that vision 20 years ago. She wasn't in this city when she had the vision, she was with my dad in New York." My eyes become heavy with tears threatening to spill. "You're lying."

He looks up, taken aback by my accusations. "No. She came to visit, to tell me about everything. After her sister didn't believe her, she had no one else to trust." He frowns, his eyes becoming drenched in chaotic emotion. "She came here right after you and Dylan were born."

I look down to the book, eager to take it from him. He doesn't own it, it's not his. It's mine. It's hers. "Give me the book." I whisper, not looking up to meet his eyes.

He sighs, knowing he can not win this fight. He leans down, pulling out a chair and handing me the book.

She was the visionary.

I take the book, hugging it to my chest, closing my eyes.

I can't help but cry.

I stand there, in front of someone who once knew my mother,

and I cry.

My knees buckle before me as I fall, tears pouring out of me.

Everything makes sense. She just wanted to live a normal life, away from everything. She only moved back because she knew it was close, she needed to see for herself if it was true.

She was cursed.

I feel two gentle arms wrap around my body, as the person embracing me shushes me softly.

"Rubes.." Dylan's voice snaps me from my thoughts as I look up to meet his own teary eyes. "Rubes it's okay, it's going to be okay."

I look past him to see another pair of eyes watching me intently at the entrance. The look of concern is soon wiped from Echos face and replaced with disappointment as he walks away towards the crowds.

I am not weak.

I stand, collecting myself and my thoughts. Dylan steps back, holding my shoulders to make sure I don't fall.

you're not weak.

I embrace the voice this time.

I smile softly, handing the book to Dylan. "Read it?"  My statement comes off as a question, my emotions still stirring in my mind.

He cocks an eyebrow at me, and I nod.

He removes the strings lining the book, opening it to see the familiar squiggles on the page.

Syrus sighs, waving a finger towards the book. "No one is able to read it. It's all mumbo jumbo. I researched every language and none of it matches whatever that is."

Dylan just smiles. "I can."

Syrus' eyes widen, sitting up straight in his chair. "That's right. She told me there are only two people in the world who can read this other than her. She never told me who. I imagine she meant you." He points towards both of us.

I shake my head. "I can't. It's only Dylan." Syrus leans back, his hand on his chin.

Read them with your soul, not your eyes.

You still don't believe you can.

I contemplate for a second before my eyes widen, a gasp coming from my mouth.

Dylan and Syrus look at me, confusion lacing their features.

I grab the book from Dylan, and close my eyes.

The trees.

The river.

Her.

I think back to my mom. She was always so open minded, so free spirited.

I have to read it as if i'm her. Because I am. I am a part of her.

I open my eyes slowly, taking in the symbols on the page. Soon they morph into this beautifully written cursive writing I was so used to seeing before.

I can read it.

"You can read it." Dylan eyes me, taking in my excited expression.

"I can read it."

I smile, thinking back to the first time he read it.

He was sad.

He was opening up to me, about how he could feel her too.

He read her beautiful writing with his heart.

Not his eyes.

I glance over the first margin of words on the page.

'The battle. It begins:
The vision was blurred at first. Sitting right above my minds eye.
It got cleared all too soon. All too fast.
I saw the wind, turn blue, as ice washed away the desert, and oceans collided with the steel buildings.
All too fast.
She takes her rabid earth home.
I saw the date.
It was 6 months.
6 months after my two moonstones 19th birthday.
All too fast.
All too fast, it begins, all too fast,
As it ends.'

"No..." My voice is soft, taking in the visual. That's too soon.

She did write it down.

She wrote it all down.

She was cursed.

Cursed to write it down.

I nudge the book to Dylan, looking through the tent, and out towards the river.

I imagine the water flowing out.

I imagine the screams of drowning soldiers.

I imagine myself. Standing there. Willing to drown.

No.

I'm not weak.

"This can't be right." Dylan's eyes linger on the pages before him. Taking in the details I have engrained into my mind.

"What is it?" Syrus stands, eager and impatiently waiting.

Dylan doesn't look up from the book. "We have 6 months."

Syrus paces towards us, eyes narrowing in confusion. "Six months until what?"

Dylan looks to me, worry lacing his eyes.

He looks back to Syrus, his words ringing through my head.

"Until the battle of rabid earth."

         ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Oh my gosh he said the title that's crazy.

I like this chapter but it made me cry :(

So much character development comin though so I don't mind :)