The Pestilention

Chapter 32

Tilly didn't run very far. I found her curled up in a ball at the edge of the path. I had nearly given up on finding her until I saw her tiny figure, and I didn't hesitate to run and sit next to her.

"You really have to stop doing that," I teased. She didn't reply. I inched closer to her. I could feel her arm trembling against mine.

"Tilly, what's wrong?"

The young girl didn't speak for a minute, and when she did, her words came out shaky and unconfident. "I-I've seen him before."

"Who?" I inquired. She shook her head, telling me that that was all that she was going to say. I stood up, sighing in defeat, and motioned for her to stand up, too.

Tilly obeyed but froze in a lunging position. The leaves rustled behind us. I froze. A thin silhouette came toward us. Tilly's fingers clutched tightly around my arm. My stomach was just as tight, and I swore that if it turned into any more knots that it would explode. How many people are here?!

"There you guys are." My heart nearly stopped in relief as I noticed the brown curls and the glasses that were now stuck on his face. They were dull from dirt, but he appeared to be seeing fine with them.

Tilly kept herself behind me. I squeezed her wrist reassuringly.

"Don't worry," I said, "Aster is a... friend of mine."

The word "friend" didn't sound right, but it was too late to take it back. I wasn't even sure of what we were. Not enemies, but not allies. Friends couldn't describe our relationship, either.

Acquaintances—that's the word.

Aster came up to me, his nose nearly touching mine. I caught how close our bodies were and held my breath. Okay, this is not how acquaintances are supposed to treat each other.

"Um," Aster scratched the back of his neck, "I need help with something, would you mind?"

I nodded breathlessly. He clapped his hands together, flashing me a grin before turning and running back off the path. I shot Tilly a nervous look, and she responded by rounding her eyes. I made sure that she was still behind me before chasing after Aster.

Aster hopped over the bush, his toes barely brushing the leaves. I stumbled through the branches, cursing at him for being taller than me. He chuckled as he watched me nearly fall over myself.

"Thanks for the help," I muttered.

A groan escaped from someone's lips. I jumped back in shock. Aster leaned next to the man on the floor, placing his fingers against the figure's neck. When he sat back in relief, I plopped myself down next to him.

"Where is she? Where did she go?" The man rambled. "You have her, where is she?!"

He thrashed his fists into the earth, digging his heels in the dirt. Aster placed an arm out protectively in front of me.

"Watch out; I think he's having dreams again," Aster muttered. He slid his fingers to the guy's shoulder, opening the hole in the fabric. Aster's fingers turned red, and he swore under his breath.

"I'm going to get him some water to clean his shoulder," Aster announced. "Can you stay here with him?" I nodded. Aster gave me a reassuring smile before snatching an object off of the ground and leaving.

Jesus, why was he always smiling?

It was quiet with Aster gone. The man's rambling soon became part of the air and Tilly had fallen asleep. Her face was serene, and I couldn't help but smile. Throughout the whole scene, I never realized the best part about finding Aster was that we finally had a time-out from the Pestilention.

I crossed my knees and propped my elbows on them. My eyes were heavy, but I couldn't help but examine the features of the man. His hair was growing out, brushing his cheeks. Facial hair sprinkled his chin. He was handsome, yet there was a hardness within his features.

His fingers twitched. My eyes snapped towards the movement. His hand brushed my leg. When he acknowledged that the object was a limb, his eyes fluttered open. They met mine, and I nearly backed away from his stare.

"Water," he muttered. Okay, that was one word that I understood.

I rubbed my hands on my knees. "Aster is coming back with water, just wait."

He only stared at me. I began to grow uncomfortable under his stare. "What's your name?"

"E-Ed," he stammered.

I nodded. "Can you sit up?"

Ed gazed up at the sky, sighing before placing his palms on the ground. With a groan, he hoisted himself to a sitting position. He winced as he placed his weight on his arm. Ed's hair fell in front of his eyes, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Better, now that I'm awake," Ed replied. "It's hard to know when it's day or night."

Before I could reply, Aster came into view with what appeared to be half of a water bottle full of liquid. His eyes widened when he saw Ed. He looked at me. I shrugged, flashing him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. It seemed to work, for Aster broke eye contact and began to pour the water on Ed's torn fabric. Ed squeezed his eyes shut, sinking his teeth into his lip as the water fell down his arm.

Ed placed his hand on mine. I squeezed it encouragingly. He squeezed back. I couldn't help but smile. Aster and Ed were good people, and they seemed to have worked well together with their lack of resources. Tilly and I, as much as I dreaded the thought, needed people like them.

And all it took was a simple shake of a hand.

Hello, happy Monday (or Tuesday, for some people). How was your day back at school, or working, or relaxing? This week seemed to go by slowly, and I'm happy to finally write this chapter!

Ed was introduced! How do you like him? Do you know what he was saying? Do you understand what it means? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments. :)

Also, don't forget to comment, love, read, and tell your friends about this story! Don't forget to vote with your knuckles. Stay cool. :)

This song is Someone New by Hozier (once again). We definitely meet someone new in this chapter, don't we?