The Faithfuls

Chapter 17: Jinx

Chapter 17: Jinx

I wake up in my circular bed, with Brandon and Muse sitting either side of me. I woke up. I’m not trapped anymore! But...how? I feel extremely weak, so when I talk it’s only a whisper.

“Hey guys.” I smile up at them. “Where’s Ursa and Zeth?”

“After Ursa used that healing star to dispose of the shadow inside of you, it took up a lot of her energy. So she’s having a lie down.” Muse says helping me sit up. “And Zeth went into the forest a few hours ago. Saw him near the bioluminescent pond. He needed some time to himself.”

“What happened while I was possessed?”

“Well, you destroyed a lot of nature, but it’s healing back up now since your healing. And you may have broken Zeth’s heart.”

“What? How? Not literally, right?”

“No not literally. When the shadow was in you, the shadow said it has access to your memories and thoughts. The shadow said you never loved him.”

“I’ll go look for him later...Tell him the truth.” I sigh. “How are nature’s repairs going?”

“Same speed as your recovery.” Brandon stands. “We don’t know how to use that water stream thing, but it may help.” I splay my hand so that a stream of water flies into it. I put it on where the shadow first originated. Automatically, I feel better. I look outside to see all the nature repairing. Trees connecting back to their stumps, the black veins fading. I smile a giant grin.

“We are amazing.” I look over to the boys.

“Are you kidding? Of course we are!” Brandon laughs. “We stopped the destruction of the dimensions! Also, Muse did you tell her about Lucenthia?”

“No I forgot to.” I stand up to face him. “Lucenthia assembled an army and stopped Raiku and Jazzmozzelle. They’re now in an elemental prison, bound there for eternity.” I hear a groan from a hammock on the far side of the room.

“Ursa!” I laugh. She wakes startled.

“You’re awake!” She pulls her dress down while sliding out of her hammock. “Do you need a recap?”

“Nope. Muse told me everything.” I nod my head towards him.

“Birds of a feather think and stick together.” Ursa smiles. I give her a hug, same to the boys.

“I’m going to go check how nature is doing. Don’t get drunk while I’m gone.” I see Brandon’s face turn sad.

“Aw...” He moans as he slumps downstairs. I laugh at his sadness, open a hole in the tree and flip onto the forest floor.

The woodlands are healing well. With not too many injuries left and all the leaves green and growing. I just wander, singing the chorus of ‘Freedom’:

I know I will find my fate,

Before it will turn out too late,

I don’t know what to do,

But I sure do when I’m there with you...

It takes a little while to reach the bioluminescent part of the forest. I don’t come here that often, but it’s always beautiful. The plants letting off a mysterious glow, the towering trees above cutting off sunlight, making it seem like a shrine. I decide to stay quiet in case Zeth is close by. I come across a little stream further into the glow. I sit down beside it quietly and think. What am I even going to say to him? Love is hard...kind of like tree jumping.

But out of my peripheral vision, I see a dark figure a little further downstream on the other side of the bank. Zeth, maybe? I cup my hands over my mouth and make a bird noise to get a better look at the figure. It just stays where it is. Not even a head tilt. I quietly get up, my ears twitchy, and sit opposite the figure that I have now distinguished as a depressed Zeth.

He’s muttering something, but I only catch a few words: “Happened...My Life...Bother...”

“Zeth? You ok?” He looks up, his eyes glassy, like he’s been crying.

“Jinx? What did they tell you...” He sniffs a little.

“They told me what happened while I was possessed.” I pity the poor guy. “I think I know why you’re here.”

“I don’t fancy a long conversation.” He stands, and so do I. “Just answer this for me and I’ll see from there: Was what the shadow said true?” I shed a tear and create a path of water I can walk on. I run into a hug, my face in his shoulder.

“Of course it wasn’t.” I smile, even though he can’t see it. I pull back and see him smile the biggest grin I’ve ever seen on any human being. Or Anthrofauna for that matter.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” He bows a little.

“It was my pleasure.” I kiss his forehead and skip back into the forest, keeping the water bridge there for him to walk across when he decides to come after me.