Emerald

Chapter 18: The Duel

Lea's Perspective:

The sunrise was amazing. It was like warm watercolors were painted across the sky in asymmetrical patterns. All of these years I've spent crammed away in orphanages, I've been missing things like this. I've been missing out on people like Jake. The sunrise lasted another fifteen minutes until it was officially morning. A little while later, Jake and I climbed down from the tree and started walking back to camp. We made small talk on the way there until we arrived back to see Julian and Sam waiting for us. I waved goodbye to Jake and walked towards the huts hoping to have some alone time. I walked in front of the hut and started to open the door when Pan burst out and gave me a heart attack. For a split second he seemed just about as startled as I was, but of course his face just morphed back into his permanent grimace.

"Where were you last night?" he interrogated.

"Went on a walk" I made up on the spot.

"Really? You went on a walk last night and just got back?" He asked drowning with sarcasm.

His face was stern as he looked me in the eye waiting for my answer.

"I just needed time alone that's all" I finished.

Pan was about to say something but he held his tongue. I was honestly surprised he didn't make a smart-ass pun about me wanting to be alone considering I was "alone and unloved".

"Your new hut is the last one on the left, considering this one's mine" he started.

Wait, I slept in Pan's bed?!

We both looked in the direction and through the trees to where I could just see it.

I looked back at Pan and spoke genuinely before heading back.

"Thank you...for everything I guess"

At first he seemed a little taken back, but Pan's face relaxed a little from his natural grimace.

"...You're welcome..." he responded. He didn't smile but he wasn't frowning either. Nor did he look as pissed as he was yesterday.

I turned my back to him and walked to the hut he directed me to. I guess Pan can have his moments...though I haven't really succeeded since I haven't seen him smile since I got here.

As I walked in front of the hut, I examined it from top to bottom. It seemed older than the others and looked a little more rustic. I reached my hand toward the door handle and pulled it open. The door squeaked a little when you opened it up all the way. I stepped inside the dark hut and tried to see in the pitch black. All of the curtains were drawn to where only a small crack of light could be seen. I carefully maneuvered myself through the hut towards the closest window. Once I reached the window only stubbing my toe once or twice, I opened the curtains. Light shined through illuminating the hut. I moved from window to window opening more curtains to brighten the room to the point where I could see. The hut itself was layed out opposite of Pan's with the bed in the upper right corner of the room and a vanity mirror across from it. The bed was made and the hut was fairly clean. I walked over and sat on the bed which was actually quite comfortable. As I examined the bed, my eyes noticed something carved in the headboard of the bed. As I looked closer, my heart stopped.

"Gail Green; 1976"

This hut, it was his...the boy that went missing...the boy that was banished...A chill was sent down my spine. Just thinking about it haunted me a little. I heard a knock at the door when I zoned back into reality. I got up and opened the door to see nobody standing there. As I started closing the door, I noticed my bow and arrows laying on the ground in front of me. Looking around seeing no one in sight, I picked them up and brought them inside. Setting the bow on a table in front of the bed I layed down on the bed with one of the arrows. I noticed all of the hand carving and detail work near the tip and near the feathers. Somebody really must have had a lot of time on their hands to do this kind of work on all these arrows... Fumbling with the arrow, it fell out of my hand and fell down the crack between the bed and the wall. Groaning, I got off the bed and onto my knees on the floor. I lowered my head to see underneath the bed where I saw the arrow. Grabbing it, by hand touched something...something cold...Looking farther underneath the bed I saw some sort of object towards the wall. Out of curiosity, I reached and grabbed it with my right hand and brought it to the light. In my hand, I held a dagger with a six inch blade and a wooden handle. What was this doing under Gail's bed? On the back side of the handle, my finger tips felt an engraving. Turning over the knife I read the note.