Love In The Forest

Jack Lotus Chapter 1

Prologue

A young, 19 year old woman named Calantha Delphinium is on a journey. A journey to find her brother, Oleander. Oleander went missing in the deadly Sivion jungle wilderness. Calantha dropped everything and traveled to the tiniest town of Sivion Springs to find out what she can do to find her beloved brother, dead or alive...

CHAPTER ONE

Quitting my two barista jobs to leave the city was easy for me. My brother meant more than money. However, taking all that I had in savings to pay for immediate passage to the western Sivion isle was daunting. A nowhere town Sivion Springs to find a stranger named Ash, was more nerve-wracking. Ash sent me a worrisome warning letter from my brother only Oleander.

Oleander, oh god, he did not make it back from the Sivion wilderness journey.

I was to meet Ash at the bar. Ash sent me a letter about my brother Oleander being lost in the northeastern Sivion wilderness. I was skeptical. In the letter, Ash worried Oleander might be dead. I hadn't seen my brother in a year, not on purpose, Oleander was not one you could count on. His style was fearless, reckless, abandon. For Ash had a personal, possibly final note from Oleander to me. I dreaded it.

I spotted him at the bar. Exactly as he described himself. Ash was rugged and enormous with muscles. Ash seemed shifty as I dubiously asked, "Are you the Ash who sent out that letter to Cala Delphinium?"

"Ah, Cala Delphinium... You are prettier than your brother described. Honestly, I never thought I would have to send that letter out. You know he was a good guy, your brother. I wish he hadn't gone into that deathtrap Sivion Forest alone."

I looked down at the letter in my hands and I told Ash the truth, "I wasn't going to stop searching for my brother Oleander until the absolute end."

Ash looked at me bizarrely and inquired, "Do you mean your brother Olly?" Oleander had changed his name to Olly. Figures.
Ash continued, "Olly wanted the Treasure of the Roses at Mt. Rose so bad he went alone into the jungle-like Sivion forest that swallows anyone crazy enough to go in there. It's rumored to have the rarest red diamonds but it's so dangerous I only know of one person demented enough guide Olly into Sivion Forest: Jack Lotus. Even Lotus wouldn't go to Mt Rose all by himself. Your brother's guide would have warned him repeatedly. I mean, the only way there is on foot. The trees are so thick only way through is over white water rapids and then climb up a steep mountain. For the diamonds you must rappel into the base cavern. Olly was greedy enough to go in there, no offense Cala. Only way in I would take is in a helicopter, and no helicopters come close until you get to the metropolis of Evergreen which is faraway on the southeastern Sivion Peninsula.
You should know, I have lost people, good people in that hazardous Sivion Forest. Creatures you don't want to know about in there. At night you can't sleep hearing the beasts of the Sivion at night creeping around." Ash shuddered at the thought.

I shook my manicured nail at him and demanded, "How did my brother get in then?"

Ash explained, "Of course, your brother would have needed an experienced guide. Only one guide into Sivion Forest: Jack Lotus. Fearless and insane, Jack Lotus would show you the way there if you promised him a cut of the Treasure of Roses. A hoard of jewels and red diamonds for guiding but to get there... Jesus. Just know Lotus is not a guy you want to know. A very eccentric man from Sivion Flats. Jack Lotus is anonymous to the townspeople, but not to me. I never heard it spoken aloud, and you never will hear it in town. Lotus lives by himself, getting drunk and shooting at stuff or going into the Sivion Forest by himself. Lotus is the only one that hell does not want apparently. People in this small town, Sivion Springs, never see him, but he comes in and steals supplies or visits the ladies. His life is interesting. Lotus lives off the land and has signs up that he will shoot to kill. Now you see that I am a big man. So I could outfit myself with every weapon I had, but if I was a stranger to Lotus, I would never set a foot on his property alive if I attempted to defend myself. This man does not like people. He is very private. If people find him accidentally they will run away from his property never to return. Lotus is gossiped as folklore, a legend of a monster in Sivion Springs. Rumors are that he used to be a veteran of a war or some kind of Special Forces nightmare gone rogue. However crazy it all is, Jack was kind enough to give this sealed envelope to me last week."

Ash handed the sealed envelope to me with his large hands. I opened it quickly. It was a Polaroid photo of a rough looking man around thirty with a blue eye and a green eye. Heterochromia. I studied him. His eyes were clearly his selling point as a person. Eyes so enigmatic they spoke of his entire self personally even though you could tell he was closed off to people. This man may have lied to strangers, but if you knew him, he was unabashedly truthful and loyal. The man seemed put off by everything, frowning. The man needed a haircut and to trim his beard. This man could be good looking if he ever cleaned up himself no doubt. Would I dare utter it? He was sexy in his own way. Such a funny thing to feel toward a stranger. I don't understand. I curiously turned the photo over. It read,

Calantha Only:
I love you. I won't come back if I am not out in two weeks like Lotus says it takes to get to Mt. Rose and back. Beware of the guide that "has no name" in town. His real name is Jack Lotus and everyone calls him Lotus. I stole a map from him and went after the Mt. Rose treasure. There is new life out there little sister; if I come back I will share my riches with you. If you come after me & I know you will, you can't do it alone Cala. You have to take Lotus with you is my only advice. You must beware of Lotus. Lotus is shifty and devious, but he will help you stay out harm's way. Just do what he says and trust your instincts. I know you though. Lotus is a hard headed, opinionated and obstinate recluse. The only way you can get him to go is if you talk about me to him. Jack Lotus has no use for money.

This is the picture of Jack Lotus on the back.

--LoveYourbrother Olly (my new spirit)

I felt all these tears betray my strong stance. I cried in fear for Oleander in front of the big man asking, "Ash where is his location and what do I need to bring?"

Ash explained that he was in a place called Sivion Flats.
Sivion Flats was a long opening in the forest next to the ocean. The psycho guide lived on the very end corner of the land that he acquired from the government somehow. I just knew that my brother was in Sivion Forest and dead or alive, I was the only one to save him. Ash told me what stuff to buy at the Sivion Springs local store and put it in my storm gear from the extreme sports/grocery store. I would set out tomorrow for the end of Sivion Flats.