Love In The Forest

Jack Lotus Chapter 4

I pulled out the couch bed for it was pitch black outside. I heard crawly eerie things outside and proposed a prayer for my younger brother. "May god guide you through the dark to me." I climbed into bed with Lotus and I wanted to hear his heart again to get the outside noises out of my head but I felt embarrassed after a day of what I could only call some foreplay, too many emotions and painful realizations. As soon as he saw me with a freaked out face he pulled my upper body on top so I could hear his heart.

I asked, "Lotus why are you so-?"
He stopped me saying, "Because you are family of my only good friend-."
I interrupted, "Let me finish. Why are you so kind to me now?"
Lotus explained, "I care about you as I have learned from you today. There is something missing in my life and you and Olly are it."
I kissed his forehead and teased, "I am ready to be schooled by you in survival."
I smiled and he proposed, "Go to sleep already before I change my mind." I knew he liked me on his chest more than any single thing on earth.

And I didn't know how to navigate a relationship with him whatsoever.

I trained at the gym for eight weeks before the letter even came. I knew something was up in my heart and I was doing my martial arts and yoga every day since I felt Oleander's absence. He stopped calling or writing. Oleander left me and that letter was all I got if he died. I wanted a body, a semblance of him, whatever I could get. I was in shape to find him however he may be. Lotus lead him in and left him alone at the walking point as he figured Oleander could make it the rest of the way without him. That was two weeks ago. Fuck, he better be breathing somewhere in that creepy ass forest.
Come on!

The next day we packed backpacks with warm clothing and set off on a horse with a pack horse into the dark jungle. I looked at his hair while I held onto him on that big horse. Lotus was terrifying to me. I saw white houses with not picket fences, but gray cinder blocks piled around as a barrier. Why was he doing this to me? I was just supposed to save Olly and start him a new life over where I could be with my only family, Oleander. Instead I was outside grasping the Psycho of Sivion (not even an original name, but that's his local name) the ex-Mayor of Evergreen population 1 million. What the hell? Lotus would look back at me during the day of riding the horse together through the most alarming place I have ever ventured in my life. I held onto the most alarming person I have met thus far in life. Handsome though when in a good mood. I would keep my emotions close so that he would not get close to me like yesterday. I paid with a hangover for that -that had been dangerous, more so than innocent flirting at the coffee shop with a major hot guy for longer than I should and taking his number and wondering if I should keep it. I was going to keep my guard up now. I would not falter on my plan to stay single. Men were a diversion to keep me from my goals in life.

The day ended with us stopping at a cliff at sunset. We were to share a tent. We didn't speak but he looked at me strangely.

I innocently asked, "What?" And he continued being unusual even while heating dinner up. I was a failure at dealing with this so as we both ate I asked, "What is this?"

Lotus replied, "Chicken I think?"

"No what is going on with you?"

"I like sleeping outside. As soon as you fall asleep tonight I will sleep outside. To protect you."

"It's you guarding and it's not me in tent bothering you, are you sure this is chicken?"

Lotus laughed, "No its chicken."

I laughed with sincerity. Grateful to have a guide I remarked, "Thank you for helping me get to sleep out in this tonight. I thought it had been bad back at the house. This is a nightmarish place out in the Sivion Woodlands."

"It's nothing more than I can offer a lady."

"When did I become a 'Lady'?" I smiled happily.

"I think you have a bug in your hair." I felt my hair as Lotus leaned up and grabbed a gigantic bug out of my hair.

I yelled, "What the hell?!"

Lotus explained, "You need to pull all that hair back into a bun or something to where you don't attract the Jarmas flies. They like scents and your hair smells good. I should know, it's all over my face in the morning." I stood back from him.

I smiled suggesting, "I have a large scarf to pull it all in with in a bun."

"You tired yet Calantha?"

"Yes I am. Thank you."

Lotus watched me in awe while I stretched before bed. I saw it out of the corner of my eye. He was protective of me like I belonged to him. Maybe Lotus was absolutely crazy like the whole town said he was. Once in the tent I leaned on him listening to the sounds of his heart and not of the creepy ass forest of unending bugs/birds/creatures. Lotus spoke nary a word and neither did I until the screeching.

Then in a hushed voice I hissed, "Lotus!"

"Just a bird Calantha. Jesus. Listen to my heart and you will go to sleep." Suddenly I feared him leaving for some reason.

I bargained, "Thank you for coming out here with me. Is there anything I can do for you coming all the way out here for me?"

In a serious tone he reassured, "You're safe with me. I promise I wouldn't leave you out here for the world." I wanted to say those words that meant I cared but all I could think of was that that would impede me from getting to Oleander. Where was my Oleander?

I sighed.

Lotus assured me, "It'll be alright Calantha."

"Why don't you call me Cala?"

"Because Cala is not who you are, you are a very beautiful Calantha flower." I grinned, flirting,

"Night Lotus."

"Night Calantha."