Bloom

42: The Shortcut Cut Short

Every bit of time that passes by to Tulip feels like a blur. One minute they are trekking along the path Pepper is leading them with, hand in hand, the next they are ducking for cover with the other two deities as they watch an angry goddess scour the fields with a spear tethered to a golden, glowing chain.

"Keep going," Pepper whispers to Tulip while grabbing their hand. "We're near the halfway point."

From behind Tulip can hear Dante mumble to himself. The kind of talking that tries to grip onto your sanity while the adrenaline accelerates.

"Shh!" Pepper says to him.

"I'm sorry," Dante says, "I just, she was so close she would've sensed-"

Pepper lifts a finger to their mouth at Dante, making him zip shut. Tulip can feel his nervousness waft to their own anxious body. Each step they watch their surroundings, then take glances at the outline of the forest. They didn't realize how long it was. No wonder I struggled to find the end.

Up ahead, the view is clouded by hazy mist from the waterfall. There are several faded rainbows dancing with the mist. It's a gorgeous sight, but Tulip's mind is riddled with concern and questions. Something tells them Mortelline might have changed her mind, but why? What would make her divert her attention? What did Pepper say to her? Their eyes look to Pepper, who's completely focused on the path.

"She's over there!" Dante says in a half-whisper.

Everyone halts. Stellalume is a far distance away, but her figure towers high above the grass and dried foliage. She's looking the opposite way, so they all hide behind nearby boulders for cover. Dante peers over to watch her movements. After several seconds, he gives the command to continue.

Rhythmically, the elevated tension is felt between the three. The shortcut is guiding them closer to the destination, yet Tulip cannot seem to shake away their paranoia. The more they walk, the more they realize the dense foliage easing away until the ground is nothing but dirt and rocks. They grip Pepper's hand tighter, which makes Pepper turn to them.

"It's okay," they say softly. "We're nearly there now."

Tulip swallows, then nods.

"I think we lost her," Dante says with a hand shading his forehead. "Which is either a good thing or a bad thing."

"Don't worry," Pepper says. "Once we get into the mist, it'll be impossible for her to find us."

In this moment, Tulip holding tight to Pepper's hand, they try to reminisce on every good thing that happened to them. Learning how to make tea, twirling about in the garden, reading the flower book. Further back to the wheat field, the pink sky, the light clouds. Their eyes travel to the deity holding their hand. Nearly every memory path leads to Pepper.

"You feel that?"

Dante's voice snaps them out of their trance. They see his hands stretch high above him, reaching for the mist floating around. They hear the familiar roar of the waterfall to their right, though they can't see it. Pepper takes in a whiff.

"Smells amazing, right?" They giggle.

"Tulip," Dante says, "raise your hands up high."

Tulip blinks. They lift their head to the mist. A small rainbow flies overhead. With curious fingers, they try to reach the rainbow. Up, up, up. Pepper's giggles, Dante's voice, starts to fade out with the fluid music. They feel the mist tickling the sprout on their back. It's refreshing to the touch.

Then, everything goes cold.

Blurred.

One second the spear strikes Tulip.

It just barely grazes their skin, but the spear stabs right through the flower that was barely growing out of their back. It pins itself into the earth, making Tulip collapse to the ground.

The next second all the noise filters out from their loud screams in agony.