The Destroyer

2

Chapter 2

After more hours of pointless walking I was beginning to think I'd never find a way out. I made a few turns; just hoping I didn't get lost deeper.

I'd be more scared if woods weren't like a second home to me. I've always loved nature. Always. I can't point out what I like the most about it and what attaches me to it so much, but when I get in the forest, I never want to leave. Of course, knowing where you are is a part of the pleasure.

I was thirsty, tired, hungry and sleepless, but my energy was pumping up. I haven't been so alive in my entire life. I felt it. I felt life in me. I felt life around me. I felt it everywhere. For the first time I was alive.

I stopped walking and looked at the trees around me. The oversized leaves slowly fell down one after the other, some have already fallen and become a part of the beautiful carpet. I breathed in fresh air and closed my eyes, feeling everything around me. My lungs were refreshed, my feet were tired, but I didn't mind. For the first time in a while I felt that the world around me was good, I could feel it being kind. For the first time in a while I felt like I was where I belonged. So I closed my eyes and sat down on the ground. I leaned back until my back collided with dirt and lied there, looking up at the small pieces of blue sky through the leaves.

I breathed deep.

I am alive.

I don't know how long I've been lying there, I don't know how long I've been feeling it, but when I stood up, I wanted to do it again.

"Your family is worried," I told myself. "Shade is worried."

That was enough motivation for me to look around and choose the best way. I felt like I knew where I was going and it turned out to be enough to find a way. The sun was setting when the trees around me thinned down. There were less and less of them and in just a few second I was standing on the pavement. This wasn't my neighbourhood, but I've been here before.

It took me half an hour until I stood in front of my house.

"Thank you," I told to whoever made this happen. Maybe I told this to myself, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that I was home.

I walked up the front porch and turned the doorknob, opening the door and walking in.

My mother appeared in front of me in a second.

"Where have you been?" She scolded. "You scared us! What is with your clothes?"

Shade walked down the stairs before I could respond. He appeared by my side in a matter of a second and wrapped his arms around me.

"I will kill you! Where have you been?" He asked with an angry voice.

"I... kind of got lost..." I said with sour face.

Mother stared at me.

"Where?" They asked at the same time.

"Woods."

"You took woods again?" Shade asked.

"This is dangerous!" Mother said. "Wait, again? What do you mean, again?"

"It's a short cut and I needed to get home until my Timer was out."

I was lying, but it wasn't as bad as saying I wanted to feel the forest and for that I was lying on the ground without a single care in the world.

"Your Timer?" Shade repeated and stared down at my wrist. It clearly read 0 seconds. "What was it?"

"I don't know," I said and took the wristwatch off. I didn't need it anymore. "It stopped when I got lost, but I don't know why it's so important."

But I could guess.

Shade looked at me in a strange way. His Timer will go off in a year and he always believed it would be something great, something unbelievable and amazing - I hope I haven't crushed his dreams.

"Come eat," mother said. "You must be hungry."

I nodded and followed her to the kitchen.

Now we will find out how major this major life event is.

I sat down at the table. Mother put a plate of fried potatoes and bread in front of me. I took a bite after the other. With each swallowing I felt energy leaving my body. I became scared. What if something got me while I was in the forest? How could I be so irresponsible?

I understood what was happening. I didn't know how, but the food that I was eating had a terrible influence on me. I no longer felt alive. All I felt was exhaust.

I hoped those five bites didn't change a lot. I decided to make an experiment: I will stop eating everything unhealthy and see where it leads me. From now on, I'm on a mother nature diet.

"You should go to school and take your homework," said mother.

"Mother, let her rest," Shade protested.

"No," I said, "I'm sick of resting. I'll go," I said and went upstairs to my room to change.

I put on my casual clothes and put my dirty hair in a bun. I grabbed my bag and went straight out. No, I did not take the woods.

My school teaches on two routines: one from 8 am to 3 pm and another from 3 pm to 8 pm, the second one is mostly for freshmen.

My teacher was in his class. Fortunately, he didn't have students at the moment.

"Mr. Turner?" I knocked and entered, not waiting for his reply.

"Miss Ren," he greeted. "I missed you in class today."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I wasn't feeling good. May I take the homework?"

He nodded and handed me a piece of paper.

"Write a 1000 words essay about Macbeth."

I smiled at him and thanked him politely, but I could stab him in the eye.

Next I went to my history teacher - thank God he didn't give us any homework. But maths did - she handed me two papers full of different problems to solve. I smiled at her, too. I've never been so fake in my life.

I started writing an essay as soon as I got home. Essays have always been a big problem to me, but this time the words just came by. I put them on paper and, soon, I had a 1200 words essay about Macbeth.

Math problems turned out to be easier than I expected. I remember teacher explaining it all, it turned out to be really easy. I was done with 20 problems in an hour. This is a personal record and it only proves that I was right. The food supply is doing something to us and even though I ate a couple of hours ago, the whole day without the food turned out well on me.

When I woke up the next day all I ate were fruits. During the whole day I managed to get an A+ in history for knowing answer to everything and cheers from all the other teachers. Mr. Turner looked at me strangely when I handed him my essay. I've never written anything more than I had to - sometimes I never even hit the word count. I've changed during last two days.

I walked home with a feeling of satisfaction. I was standing on my grass when I heard something like water in the pipes. Oh no. I always forgot about the irrigating hours. I would be soaking wet in a second. The watering mechanisms turned  on before I had time to get inside.  I put up my hands as a sign of defence and closed my eyes, waiting for water to hit me, but nothing came. I opened my eyes and saw water drops stopping a meter away from me as if hitting a glass. I looked down at my hands, which seemed to be making an invisible shield. I turned them around and immediately felt water hit me. I put up my hands again. When I opened my eyes I saw that the water had stopped a meter away from me. Again.

The drops looked like they hit a too clean glass and dripped down, creating a wet path.

I put down my hands and ran in the house.