𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟐 - 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠...
The wind howls loudly, sounding as if a clamorous flood of children crying as though it's a child tripping down in pain as it harshly passed me. Some brushed past my face, nudging my hair out of its place.
The cloud starts to grow dark. High, dim and unbothered. The dark cloud doesn't bother me. Nor does the noisy and frosty wind.
Waiting is what's horrible. I can feel fear eating me up constantly the longer I wait for them to come out from the mouth of the deep wood. The vines below my feet start to prick onto the back of my calf, probably trying to tear the skin of my feet away. At this point, after all, that I experienced, I'm not even surprised if that was the case.
The world felt numb to me as I kept staring. Hoping for them to come back. Desperately hoping for him to come back.
I unconsciously started to fidget with my fingers, picking on them occasionally as I felt a metallic taste run down the side of my mouth. Wiping it with the sleeves of my dress in one slow movement, I pulled it up to stare at the small red blot left on it.
I must have been biting onto my lips too hard again, without me realising it. Though, It's nothing new and worth worrying about. My eyes danced around the area in search of something. Something that I don't even know what it is that I'm trying to find. What did I want to find? What do I want my eyes to fall on? What would I need to find to be able to help them and not just... sit here, doing absolutely nothing but worry?
Is the hag really that strong?— too strong that not even two people is enough to beat her up?
Did I just send yet another innocent soul to their doom?
I should've known. Nothing ever works out for me. Nothing ever works the way I want it to.
But it's Pierre. I had to try. He's worth every sacrifice I'll make to save him. He was one of a kind, a good friend of mine.
A brilliant friend of mine.
"Don't tell me you've fallen in love with her instead of with me. I did save you first, so this feels a little unflattering," he said.
"I'm not in love with her," I stated emphatically. "I'm not crazy about you, either!"
He gave me a sidelong glance before nodding. "Sure, I believe you."
Smiling at the recollection, a gush of warmth filled my heart. A small smile crept its way to my face but as fast as it comes, it goes away just as quickly. I can feel my smile faltering, shredding itself bit by bit.
Where have those days gone by?
It was all less traumatic back then. How did I end up entangled with this list of misfortune?
For as long as I remembered, I've done absolutely nothing wrong and been very careful with what I do during my stay here.
Or at least, I believe I've done nothing wrong to deserve any of this.
In the corner of my eyes, a gleam of rays shines my way as if to tell me I can stop worrying about the inevitable fate that the world has placed on me. As if to tell me that he was alright and was on his way to find me. As if to remind me, for the time being, that's all that matter.
My chest feels lighter at my interpretation of what the world might be telling me but it doesn't completely chase my worries away. I've forgotten how cruel, dark and dangerous the world could be. The olden days seem to be just as horrible as the future. Something changed for the better but still, terror exists among the people that walked the earth.
Sighing, I pulled my necklace to stare at it. The key glimmers under the ray of the sun. I hope my mother isn't worrying too much about me. Stress isn't good for her.
"Addie! Why are you still there?" I heard his voice, scolding and concerned, interrupting all my thoughts and pulling me back to reality. My head whipped around fast as I merely stared his way, not quite believing my eyes.
Is it really him?
Are my eyes not playing tricks on me?
"I told you to run and leave me!" His cries of blabbering motherly concern echoed as he ran out towards me.
It is him.
It's my Pierre.
I looked at him with a large grin splitting my face, my heart was overflowing with gratitude and my eyes brimming with tears. Choking back a sob, I ran up to him and the moment our distance close in, I immediately pulled him into a hug. "Oh, It's you! You're okay!"
Pierre stopped moving, his arms in an awkward position as his voice completely quiet down. Slowly, his hand came in contact with my back, patting me lightly, comforting me. "I'm fine, Addie. Were you that worried for me?"
I nodded, slow and weak as my knees grew weaker. "I'm s–sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to come here with me." I pushed him lightly, enough to get a distance between us. My eyes run around his figure, capturing the sight of all his wounds. Red cuts and scratches everywhere.
"If you went alone, It would have made me feel worse knowing that I wasn't there for you."
"I know, but–"
"I'm okay. It's nothing serious. We've come this far and you even made a new friend. Now what we need is the witch's book," he said, his eyes stern as he looked into my eyes, trying his best to assure me.
"Pardon me for interrupting," the red-haired girl started, "If the book you're looking for belongs to a witch who has a pet werewolf, you're going the wrong way."
I cran my head over to see past Pierre's figure, catching sight of the girl. "Really?"
"Wait, Addie. Why should we trust the carrot-deer?"
"I did save your life."
"I would've gotten out of it without your help, carrot."
"Sure, green but my name's Odell. Not carrot, red or deer," she stated, her voice flat. "The east side is where that one guy keeps insisting where his friend, Petal, was held captive. Not really sure why."
Petal?
I stared at Pierre as he did the same. Certain confusion was bluntly written on Pierre's face. One person came to our mind at the mention of 'Petal'.
Nicholas.
"Have you ever gone deep into the woods on the far east side?"
He shook his head. "Why?"
"I have a feeling that people from there know how I could go home. I have a feeling that Pier-..."
"Home?"
"Yes. Home."
"I see. What were you trying to say after that?"
"Nothing."
He must have thought that I was taken there while trying to find my way home. To think he went down this forest alone trying to find me while he was on a high chance of exposure to danger sent a shudder down my spine.
"Did he see you?"
"Did you see me the first time you came here?"
No. I was hypnotized to walk back to town when I met her for the first time.
"He didn't see me, but he came every day. He was very persistent."
Sniffling as I nod, I stared at the two, my head turning from one to the other. Pierre's hand rises and rests on my cheek as he wipes my tears away. "Pierre," I sniffed. "Let's just try following her once."
"But–"
"My, don't you pity the lady?" The girl spoke again as she turned her gaze towards me. "Is it because you wanted to get lost with her all day long?"
"That's not true–"
"Right. Now follow me," she started walking away from us, her strides long, firm yet quiet. "Hurry along. I don't want anyone to know you guys were here."
Nodding lightly, I grabbed hold of Pierre's hand, holding it tightly as I dragged him with me. He made a small protest but despite how much he wanted to argue, he ended up showing his defeat as he dragged his feet following my steps.