Marigold

Chapter 11 - Meira

The next morning, Meira woke up to Ashton knocking on her door. She stumbled to let her friend in and then to the coffee maker. 

"Ash, it's so early why are you here?" Meira asked with her eyes still half open.

"Meira, it's past nine in the morning and we have work to do today, remember?" Ashton giggled. 

"Let me get some coffee first," Meira leaned on the counter to watch the black gold drip into the pot.

"Well while we wait, dish!" Ashton demanded.

"About what?" asked Meira her brain not awake yet. 

"Desmond," Ashton says, "He is so sweet with you, and total head over heels for you."

"He is not," says Meira, "Besides I've only spoken to him for a few days. How do I know I can trust him? The best I can do right now is try to be friends and get to know him more." 

"Friends is one place to start, but friends with benefits is even better," Ashton wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

"Pass," said Meira pouring the coffee into her travel mug so they could get to work, "If he is telling the truth, mate bonds normally cement with sex so that's way off the table. Besides did you see the size of the box Juniper handed me?"

"Oh yeah!" said Ashton, "What all did she put in there for you?"

"The point of the box is that no one would know and that includes you," Meira told her friend rolling her eyes. "Come on we don't want to be any later for work than we are." Meira led the way to the door locking it behind herself and heading up the road to their job assignment for the day.

************

Reaching the park Meira looked around. "What are we suppose to be doing today?" she asked. 

"Pruning trees, clearing paths, emptying trash cans, and making sure the park is up to having everyone here," said Ashton. "Want to use rock, paper, scissors to see who has to empty the bin?"

"Not a chance!" said Meira, "You cheat so I always have to do it. We can each empty two."

"Ugh! Fine, but it's so gross!" said Ashton.

"I know, that's why I don't want to do all four of them, but if we save it for last, maybe we will run out of time and Hunter can do it," Meira smirked at her friend. 

"You know he would never stoop to emptying the bins out," Ashton said shaking her head, "He's worse than a girl when it comes to getting his hands dirty. I don't know how he had his job before we were around to do all the work."

"Probably talked other people into doing it as a favor or some shit," said Meira, "I think I'll get started with the trails."

"That's fine I'll start on pruning," said Ashton. 

"Just be careful not to hurt the plants too much," said Meira, "just trim the dead parts off."

"Mmhmmm," said Ashton turning to get the hedge clippers.

Meira walked up the path and into the woods. As she walked she tuned into the world around her. Her powers always came to life when she was in nature. She could feel the animals moving through the underbrush and join with the trees dancing in the wind. Most people don't believe that the trees and plants could feel anything, but with her magic Meira could feel their pain when she was close. She could also communicate with them. The trees sounded like a hundred voices all speaking in harmony. It was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world like voices from all throughout time being united in the plants. 

As she walked, she reached out to touch the plants on the side of the path. She could hear them rejoicing in her return. Sometimes she questioned why she didn't just live out here permanently, but realized the woods would be the first place her family looked for her. 

When she came to a part of the path mostly covered in low shrubs, she stopped and knelt down digging one hand into the dirt and laying the other on the closest stem. 

"Welcome back!" she heard projected through her mind, "We missed you!"

"I missed you too," thought Meira, "but I have a favor to ask."

"Hmmmm..." said the plants. 

"I need you to stop growing this way. You are going to get trampled and torn down if you grow out here," said sadly told the plants.

"We can't see the sun from there," Meira heard across her mind. 

"Let me see what I can do," Meira said aloud. 

She spent the next several hours trying to negotiate with all the plants around her. With the exception of a few stubborn old oak trees, most were willing to help each other and shift how they were growing. Meira felt ready to fall over from exhaustion, but it was barely even lunchtime and she had more to do. She made her way back toward the main park where Ashton should have finished up with her first task of the day. 

As Meira got closer being careful to not touch the plants, she saw her friend with a large pair of clippers held up to a branch. "Ashton, no!" Meira called out watching in horror as her friend closed the tool cutting off a healthy branch that was just a little over grown, "What are you doing?"

She ran forward accidentally brushing against one of the trees nearby in her haste to reach her friend and stop any more harm befalling the plants. With the contact, the plants were back in her head screaming like someone who had lost a limb might. Meira couldn't take the pain and hurt and felt the world start fade away. The last thing she heard was what sounded like dragon off in the distance.