The Future of Eden

Chapter 12

*long chapter warning lol*

(Rowan's pov)

The more I try not to think about it, the more aware I become of it. I've been here for nearly five days now, and I've heard nothing of Lachlan. I asked Rook when he came by yesterday, but he was vague. He said he didn't really know, but that Lachlan mentioned that there was something weird going on in Eden and that he was going to check it out. I feel sick to my stomach, as even Rook was concerned with Lachlan's absence. I try to focus on the people I have here, rather than the person I'm missing. Ash warned me that Lachlan and Lark haven't exactly been getting along, so I don't dare express my worry around her. I love her so much, and I don't want to do anything to hurt her, but I can't help it. I need to see him. Or at least know he's okay. Mira said he wasn't doing too good mentally, but that he was starting to feel better. Other than that comment, no one will tell me anything about him. I can't tell if it's because they really don't know or if they just don't want to tell me.

I walk through a field of wildflowers and tall grass. Ash walks next to me. We walk quietly until the pasture becomes a shoreline of a beautiful mountain lake. Earth, is it beautiful. I wish I could stop time and savor this moment of calm and peace. Ash and I sit on the warm sand, looking out on the water, mountains in the reflection. We just sit for a while, listening to the playful breeze running through the tall grass behind us. I break the deafening silence. "So, you and Angel, huh?" I say, smiling and nudging him. The way he can't hold back a grin when I mention her tells me he really does love her. He looks down. "Yeah... kind of weird how these things work out, right?" he chuckles. "The way Lark described Pearl... she seemed so awful. I can't even fathom Angel doing half the things I've heard about," Ash says. I remember how horrible Pearl was, how cruel and cynical she acted. It's hard to imagine that was all just some person messing with her brain.

I can almost feel Yarrow cringe as I think about how Pearl treated me. Yarrow would talk to me all the time when I was trapped in the EcoPan. Now, she's quiet nearly all the time. Maybe four or five times in the past few days, when she just couldn't resist making some snarky comment or giving me advice. As much as Yarrow can be obnoxious and mean, she's literally in my brain. She's the only one who's truly honest with me sometimes. I miss her.

It feels good to be appreciated. Thank you.

Yarrow says sarcastically, but I know she means it. I smile to myself. Where have you been, lately? I ask.

Busy watching you crash and burn. She responds. I can feel her smirking at me from the corner of my brain. I internally roll my eyes.

Really. It's like watching a dramatic soap opera. All these hidden secrets and love triangles. You should turn your life into a tv series. Yarrow scoffs.

How about we deal with those 'hidden secrets' and 'love triangles' first, then we can talk about soap operas and tv shows? I say playfully, but meaningfully. No response.

"What are you thinking about?" Ash asks. "Soap operas," I answer simply. Ash laughs, and I join him. He must think I'm joking. Suddenly, Ash's face lightens up. "I have something for you," he says, searching his jacket pockets. He pulls something out and hands it to me. I gasp. It's my crystal necklace. "It fell out from under your mattress in your bedroom," he says. That's right, I hid it between the mattress and a wood plank because we weren't allowed to keep anything from Eden. I managed to smuggle in the crystal with ease. "Thank you, Ash," I say, giving him a hug. He smiles. "I'm so glad you're back home," he whispers. We pull away and I laugh. "You have no idea," I say, beaming back at my brother.

It's early evening as we walk the short distance back to Harmonia. Ash tells me about pointless drama and funny incidents that occurred while I was gone. It reminds me of the times when Ash would come home from school and tell me about his day. His friends, his classes... Lark. My cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing by the time we get back to the village is buzzing with dinner preparations. Ash breaks away to find Angel. I wave goodbye as I walk close to the treeline. I'm lost in thought when I suddenly feel something yank my arm back. I'm spun around, only to be faced with Lark. I grin. "Hey, I didn't hear you-" I start, but she interrupts me with a kiss. "Don't speak," she breaths between kisses. I smile under her lips and kiss her back. She's significantly shorter than me, by at least six inches, yet she has me pinned to a tree in seconds. I take her face in my hands as we connect.

A beautiful moment is interrupted by a young man running over a hill in the distance, he's yelling something but he's too far away. I look up but Lark pulls me back into her. The man is closer now. "Medic! I need a medic!" he yells. Lark and I both look up, glance back at each other, and start moving back into the village as people whisper and gossip. The man has stopped in the middle of the crowd. He looks strange. He's wearing all black clothes with a rack of weapons on his belt. He has shaggy, black, wavy hair with silver frosted tips, a style you don't see in Eden very much. The most noticeable thing, however, is his mask. He wears some sort of tight black cover over his mouth and nose, only is amber second child eyes visible. "Please, you have to help me. He's already lost too much blood," he stammers, gasping for breath. My mother emerges from the crowd, and talks to him. I can't hear what they are saying, but I see my mother gasp before she runs off to the Elder's hall.

Moments later, a team of people, including my father, exit the building carrying a stretcher and tons of equipment. The strange man leads them away over the hill. "Please, everyone, go back to your tasks," my mother calls out. The crowd slowly disperses back to their work, respecting the orders of an Elder. Lark and I run to my mom with a million questions. "Who was that guy?" She asks. "What's going on?" I plead. "Why did he come here? Who's he with?" Lark persists. My mom shakes her head and holds her hands up defensively. "Slow down, girls. Please, I promise to answer your questions when we can assess the situation," she says, nervously. My breath quickens, something deep inside of me screaming that something is horribly wrong.

"Who was that man?" Lark repeats, picking up on my panic. Mom sighs. "He's a second child from the Underground. He just got back from a mission in Eden with-" she stops. My heart drops to the floor. My mom looks at me, realizing her mistake. I look at Lark, then back at her. Lark holds my hand tightly, and I think she knows, too. Before either of them can stop me I start sprinting after the medics. At the bottom of the hill, a small group crowds around a motionless heap on the ground. I feel lightheaded, like I'm about to pass out. They have him in a stretcher, covered with a red sheet. No, a white sheet, soaked in blood.

There's so much blood.

I start running down the hill as Lark and my mother scream for me to stop. Suddenly, I'm wrapped in big, strong arms. I fight and scream and flail uselessly against him. I throw my head back as tears roll down my cheeks. It's Rook. He loosens his grip and I hug him, sobbing into his shoulder. Lark, Mom, and now Mira, Ash and a few others have caught up. I look up into Rook's flat, first child eyes. In my heart I already know, but I ask anyway. "Is it him?" I whisper, barely able to get the words out. Rook can't meet my gaze. He nods. "It's him."

It's Lachlan.