Experiment X

15 | Ambush

15 | Ambush 

    Afternoon sunlight filters from above through the wavering leaves of the forest, basking onto the leaf-carpeted terrain below, as they continue their journey, Teran lingering toward the back. He glances at Sera every so often. She is so silent…But why?

    Teran had seen her change, day to night, since they had left the cabin. She avoided eye contact with anyone, especially her own uncle. Odd. He had considered on asking her what is wrong, but never really had the chance to, or couldn’t figure out an exact way on approaching the topic, without being blunt. He would probably ask her about it tonight.

    She keeps her eyes either dead ahead or zoned in on her moving feet. What is the feeling coming from her? Melancholy? Whatever it is, Teran can see it is bothering her immensely. He sighs quietly, and sticks a hand into pants pocket, feeling. It’s crinkled, thin edge. He smiles.

    “Teran?” he hears his mother call. “Hurry up…Come here, up this way!”

    He quickly lets go, and noticing how far behind he had had become lost in thought, he sprints to catch up with them.

    Sera feels the words that she just couldn’t cope with releasing boil her tongue as they sit together for a short break. It’s near evening now, and they are all exhausted of walking; exhausted of everything, but they must continue to go on. There is no stopping. There is no going back. The forests now had become minimal, and sparse woods, being slowly replaced with endless green flatlands. Sera has chosen to rest herself onto the speckled face of a smooth boulder at the peripheral of the group. Her hands are slightly stained from the juice of the berries she had munched, just for something to do, to quell the perpetual ache of hunger as much as possible. But there is no satiating it completely. Those days are long gone.

    Now she just feels awkward, and nauseous; the pain of what her uncle had said still swelling within her like continuous toxins, a sickening reoccurring nightmare. Why are the things one wishes never to want to believe, the things one cannot forget? The truth spread into her thoughts, and appeared abstractly in her dreams, as she barely remembers skies of black, a hell-storm of raining bombs, and fire. Fire. Fire. Everywhere. Smoke. Crying…This is what Manu’s words have stirred within her…She would have to talk to him about this: it is driving her crazy. But for now she just wants to be alone. To think things over. She grumbles to herself, and glances at Manu who is hunched over, eating the same berries she recently devoured. There is no doubt, that she loves him, with all her heart; that Manu to her is the closest thing she would ever have to a father, but…Why did he lie to her? For her own good? Why couldn’t he just say the truth?

    And if he lied about that, what else is he hiding? Behind those mysteriously dark eyes of his…There has to be more…But he remains just as silent as she does, which truly doesn’t help anything at all. Reaching a decision Sera mounts to her feet, and mummers, “I’m going to go pee.”

    “Okay,” Manu says, without even looking over, “just don’t wander off too far, and don’t be gone too long.”

    “I won’t,” she lies, because that’s her main intention. Getting away. If just for a little while. Sure it might be not the best idea, but there isn’t much better to work with, so she’ll settle for what she does have left. Her legs. That’s all she really needed. To walk. To escape.

    Manu is talking to Teresa as she leaves, and eventually their voices drift from becoming distant to completely fading away. Walking aimlessly, she watches carefully the ground, where her feet go, not wanting to trip over a jutting root, or a pitted area covered by the mottled, dead leaves. She hears a faint rustling…Maybe of footsteps? She feels the wind brush against her face and hair, and decides that’s what it is, not even pausing, and goes on, thinking.