A faint memory from childhood was the only thing guiding her from the grips of death charging towards her. It was the last choice; the only choice she had if she wanted to survive. Even at full throttle, she was only barely able to outpace the wall of bugs. She could feel the ground shake with the force of a million tons of assassins, pounding the earth like a living sledgehammer.
Flower didn't know how much longer she had to drive. Heck, she didn't even know if she was going down the right path. The saltiness of tears still stung the edges of her lips, but she didn't care to wipe them off. More would come anyway. There was just too much to take in, yet ironically she had nothing at all. She had tried to focus on simple things—the soft, rolling, purple hills, the endless groves of berry bushes—but everything she saw only led her back to her family, or lack thereof. Not to mention the hellish abomination she would be reminded of every time she looked in the rearview mirrors.
Suddenly, a strip of blue came into view over the horizon. As she got closer, she could see the roof of a small house poking over the edge.
"YES!" Flower cried, pumping her fist in the air.
The closer she got to the sparkling azure water, the more of the small house was visible. To the front of it was a small floating dock with a couple of watercraft close by. A small wooden rowboat, a white speedboat with racing stripes, and even just a flat board with some stubby oars on top. The boats bobbed up and down with each wave sweeping onto the sandy beach. Next to the house, a rusty old pick-up truck was packed with some fishing poles hanging out the back end.
Flower looked back at her predators. They were close, but not as close as before. She estimated that she had—at most—less than 5 minutes before they caught up.
Okay Flower, you've got this. Just walk in there, grab a boat as quickly as possible, and leave.
She slammed down on the brakes, jumped out, stuffed as much as she could into her handbag, and ran into the boat-renting house.
"Hello? I need to take a boat right now. Here's my card, there should be about a hundred dollars left on there. Take it all," She instructed the only other person in the room, who did not appear to be paying attention to her.
"Woah there miss, what's the hurry?" the other object asked.
He was an old sea captain's hat, with bits and pieces of fabric missing here and there. A pipe balanced in his mouth as he spoke. Between words, puffs of smoke came out the end and floated up until they disappeared into the air. A polished cane with a curved top rested in the palm of his left hand.
Flower gasped. She knew this man. He was the same person that her parents spoke to when they first went to the canal. And as she recognized him, he, too, recognized her.
"I remember you now!" he chuckled, "You're Flower Dewpetals, aren't you? Oh look at you, you're all grown up. The last time I saw you, you were still a little seed! So, how's the family doing?"
"They're..." she faltered. Tears had started to well up in her eyes.
"Did... did something happen?"
She coughed. Now was not the time to cry. The bugs were still coming for her.
"No," she asserted, "nothing happened. I just need a boat."
"Well, if anything does happen, you can always tell me." He paused. "About the boat, I will need to see your boating licence and proof of insurance."
"I don't have any of those. Just take my money and give me the boat."
Captain Hat looked hesitant. "Come on now, miss, no need to act like that. I'm just trying to make sure you're staying safe," he reasoned.
Flower's vision turned red. She could feel the ground shaking more and more with every second. If she stayed any longer, well, she didn't want to think about it. And the only thing standing between her and living another day was an old man with a cane. Her lips curled into a devilish grin. It couldn't be that hard to take down an old man, would it?
"Give. Me. The. Boat," Flower growled.
His tone stiffened. "I really can't miss, there are laws about this and I'm concerned for your health-"
She pushed him.
It was a strong, forceful push. A shove, even. Regardless of the terminology, it worked. He tried to use the cane to stabilize himself, but a quick kick knocked the pole out of his hands, sending it clattering to the floor. His mouth widened as he fell back. A second later, he hit the ground. The snapping of a bone echoed through the cabin. She looked down; his leg had bent at a sharp angle and a pool of blood had come pouring out.
"Why... would... you... do... this..." he gritted out.
"I was just looking for a boat," she replied nonchalantly.
Flower turned her attention to a pegboard behind the old captain. There were a few studs with keys on them, with small tags labelling the use of the key. On the far left was the key for the speedboat. Perfect.
"Oh right, here's your payment," she said, leaving her card on the counter. There wouldn't be a use for it where she was going.
He choked. "No, wait!"
"What?"
"Take a lifejacket. If you're going to need to take a boat, at least stay safe." He pointed towards a rack of yellow vests ordered by size.
She did as she was told. It was the very least she could do after sentencing a man to death.
The thundering of footsteps started to grow louder. She needed to go. Flower ran out of the side door onto the floating dock, where all the boats were waiting for her. She threw the handbag into the speedboat, then scrambled herself in as well. They were getting close. So close, that the shadow created had covered her.
"What do I do, what do I do?" she mumbled to herself. "There!"
Flower stuffed the key into the keyway and gave it a turn. The engine turned on, but the boat didn't move. The bugs, however, did. The black mob had entirely surrounded the house, and a few had begun to approach the dock.
Now's not the time for this! She thought while hitting the helm. Can you, I dunno, go? Oh, right, the throttle.
She pushed the lever as far as it would go. The boat finally started to inch forward. Gradually, it began to pick up speed. Flower turned the boat out to the canal, then stopped.
The bugs did not chase after her. A few tried to enter the water but quickly backed out after barely contacting the canal. It was like they were scared of water. After a few more attempts, they gave up... and turned their attention elsewhere.
She watched as the insects scaled the walls of the house, encasing it in a black cocoon. Then, as quickly as they climbed up, the house came down. Shredded, eaten, or whatever the bugs did to eliminate structures. Captain Hat was nowhere to be seen. And just to top it all off, a crack. One that could only come from breaking a thick, wooden rod in half. Then, the bugs turned in unison, marching towards what she could only guess to be Yoyle City.
Flower turned her gaze away, heading off in a very specific direction: south.
<=======>
It was not long before the reality of what she had done hit her. A dark, empty force washed through her every limb. She felt it seep into her mind, whispering to her.
You killed him, it said, you could have taken him with you.
She replied, But he was in my way.
Does that really matter? You could have told him what was happening. Let him go with you to safety. He cared about you, you know. And you left him with a broken leg, to be killed by those bugs.
I... I... Wait a minute, why am I even talking to you? You don't exist.
It laughed. I am you. You are talking to yourself.
Then I wish to stop doing that, Flower grumbled.
And what, lose someone else?
Her jaw clenched. I will do what I want. I will do whatever I feel can justify my loss in this world. And if that means ending the life of an old man, so be it. Do you think that man had to see his entire family dead in front of him? The tears sprung up again. Now leave.
The voice stopped talking.
She sighed, then reached into her bag to grab some fruit when her fingers closed around a small metal object—the locket. After all that had happened, she had forgotten to open the single thing she still had of her family. And so, Flower released the latch.
The locket opened up like a clamshell. On one side was a picture of her as a baby, still wrapped up in a blanket, being cradled by her mom. On the other was an inscription: "Flower Dewpetals, the most beautiful baby girl."
It was dropped into the water with a plop and a lot of salty water.
<=======>
A week had passed since the events at the dock. A week of staring out into the borderless blue, of consuming the dwindling strawberry supply, of crying for hours on end.
But as the sun rose on her 8th day in the speedboat, she saw something other than blue on the horizon. Land. She had crossed the Goiky Canal. And on that land was a colour she had never yet seen land in. A green expanse, covered in patches of vibrant grass and enveloped by a sky that wasn't yellow.
The boat came to a stop on the shores of this new world. Flower stepped out, tingling with the radically different ground texture. She took a deep breath of the crisp morning air.
"Here I am. South Goiky."