SUMMER'S RAIN

CHAPTER 59

CHAPTER 59

It’s been three days since we have been put in this hut. The tree people deliver food throughout the day. Rachel and I play games to try and pass the time. To put it simple we are going crazy! We have not seen nor heard from the prince since we have been locked in the room. I told Rachel how sorry I was for the way I yelled at her, and she had told me she had deserved it for being so gullible. I told her she didn't deserve to be treated the way I had treated her, and she needed to accept my apology and stop arguing with me about it. After that we laughed and everything went back to the way it had been. To which I’m glad, because I can’t imagine being locked in this room without anyone to talk to for three days I’d be crazier than I am now.

Rachel and I are playing I spy when two of the tree people walk in. One standing on either side of the door two other tree people walk in dragging someone. They drop him on the floor and spun around and left. The two guards at the door go back outside taking their places once again.

Rachel is up and running to the body on the floor before I even stand up. I watch as she drops to her knees crying and rolls the person on his back. Rachel cries while she touches his face lightly as not to hurt him more than he already is. She is saying “Adam, Adam, it’s me Rachel can you hear me?” That’s when I know for sure that this is indeed her brother Adam and not just somebody Rachel felt sorry for. His face is covered with bruises. I’m pretty sure at least one of his eyes is swelled shut if not both.

The guy has been beaten very badly.  Walking over I bend down beside Rachel and feel for a pulse on Adam’s neck. His pulse is strong, so I go to the bathroom and filled a bowl with cold water picking up a couple of rags and rush back to Rachel and Adam. Sitting on the floor across from Rachel, I wet the rags and handing one to her. Together we wipe his face for a long time without talking. I watch Rachel knowing she is blaming herself for the shape her brother is in. I’m still watching Rachel when I hear Adam say her name. I move my hand away from his face stand up and walk back to my cushion. I sit down. Wanting to give Rachel and Adam some privacy I lay back and close my eyes. I try my best to think of different things to keep from hearing their conversation. In spite of my efforts, I can still hear them talking. I hear Rachel tell Adam what had happened and how it was her fault. It didn’t take long for Adam to understand what Rachel had told him. When he did he pushed her and told her to go away. He doesn’t want to talk to her or see her.

Rachel runs to the bathroom crying. I sit there for a few minutes not knowing which one I should deal with first.  But finally decide I need to get Adam on one of the giant cushions and off the floor. Then I’d go talk with Rachel. Getting up I walk over to Adam, I take his arm and start pulling him up, he jerks away from me. “Hey”, I said “my name is Lana, and I’m just trying to help you get someplace a little more comfortable to lie down.” He tries to open his eyes to see who is talking to him without any luck.  Because sure enough both of his eyes are swollen shut.

"Stop trying to open your eyes you’re just causing yourself more pain” I said. This time when I take his arm, he doesn’t pull away. Getting him to his feet is a hard job, but I managed to do it. When he is on one of the extra cushions, I take my blanket and cover him up. Then I get the rag and wet it again and place it over his eyes. When he starts to pull the cold rag away from his eyes, I stop him. "Leave it on it will help the swelling go down so you can see.” I hear him whisper "thank you" before his hands fall back on the cushion, and he grows quiet. I lift the blanket and put his arms under it before going to knock on the bathroom door.

“Rachel, come on let me in, so we can talk.” Rachel opens the door then climbs into the empty tub and lies down. I sit on the edge of the tub and listen as she cries.  While sitting there I try to figure out what I should say. Ugh…how did I go from being a bad-ass World Keeper to a not so good councilor in the matter of three days? This is so fucked up! Finally I decide to start talking.

 “Rachel your brother is upset right now, but after he calms down, he’ll come around.”

“Do you hold me responsible for us being stuck here?” She asked.

“No I don’t hold you responsible, why would you think that?”

“Well it seems as if everything else is my fault, so I thought maybe this is too.”

“Ok…first off Rachel, please don’t start that poor pitiful me act. I can’t deal with it. It’s not your fault that we’re stuck here, but I’m not going to tell you, you don’t hold some responsibly for what has happened to your brother because that would be a lie. I will tell you this though everybody makes mistakes and does things they wish they could take back or change, but they can’t.  All they can do is move forward try to right the wrongs they’ve done. While making sure you never make the same mistakes again. The people that love you like your brother love's you will always forgive you no matter what. It just takes time.” Rachel wipes her eyes and tells me she will spend the rest of her life making things up to her brother and I believed every word she said.

“Come on get out of the tub. Go out there and take care of your brother. Just remember he’s hurt and angry right now so ignore whatever he says to you and just be there for him.”

Rachel spent the rest of the day taking care of Adam. Even when he would tell her to get away from him and leave him alone that he didn’t want anything to do with her. Rachel would tell him she understands, and she is sorry, but she won’t leave his side.

By the next-day Adam is starting to feel better. He still looks like shit. The cold rags Rachel had kept over his face yesterday, and all night last night had helped with the swelling. He can open his eyes at least. He has also mellowed with Rachel. We are sitting on cushions discussing different ways to escape when three of the tree people come in.

They walked over to me and said something I didn’t understand. I sat there looking at them trying to explain to them that I didn’t know what they were saying. One of the tree people grabs my arm. When I try to jerk away the other two grabs hold of me and pulls me to my feet.  They dragged me to the bathroom. Rachel and Adam both try to help me but the two guards from the door come in and hold them down.