The Curse of the Red Death | Hiatus

4 | Careful What You Wish For

It hadn't taken them long to return to their home and pack the bare minimum. Jane took a small amount of clothes and a couple of keepsakes. Nothing else mattered in this moment and maybe someday they would be able to return. Hopefully, sooner rather than later. She hurried down the staircase and met her brother at the bottom. They exchanged tight-lipped, worried smiles and wordlessly went to join their mother.

"Where's Poppa?" Tobias asked, creases appearing on his forehead.

"He's spreading the word around town." Merle slung her pack over her back. "We should get going and meet him up there. We're taking as many of us as we can."

But, how many were already infected? Jane kept her worries to herself as she diligently fell into step behind her mother and brother. It was strange. She didn't feel entirely herself. There was a lightheadedness that clung to her and a detachment from her own mind that made her feel like she wasn't present in the moment. She wasn't sure how to fix it, but she hoped it would go away soon.

Jane's attention remained fixed on her feet as they walked back into town. Alma was dead. There was no changing that. That also meant that the upback family was most likely dead. How did one fight something like this? She knew that colds were fought with herbs. Was this something that could be fought like that? What if there was no remedy for it?

Another thought slipped into her mind. She didn't want to think about it and tried to swat it away like a fly. But, it flew right back in. How long would this horrible event last? Surely not too long. There were good doctors and scientists in Dorn. They could figure something out and get to the bottom of it. Maybe it wouldn't even be a month before they returned to their lives.

Merle ushered them back toward the shop where Ahren stood waiting. He stepped off the porch, his backpack slung over his shoulders. "I've informed the others. We're all planning on heading to the capital. Moving together would be smart, considering most of them haven't been beyond the town limits. But, most of them are scared about the illness, so we're going to be keeping a couple of meters between each traveling group. It's about a two-day journey at best." He looked at Merle, face tense, and nodded.

She gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his shoulder. "We'll be okay. We've been through worse in our lifetime. This is new, but we know how to handle ourselves." Merle smiled at Jane, then Tobias. "Let's go, kids. We've got some distance to cover."

For the first time since that morning, Jane felt the knot in her stomach unwinding. Her parents knew what to do and as long as they all stuck together, everything would be fine. Taking a deep breath the help settle the nerves fluttering in her chest, she followed her family out of the town. A couple of other familiar faces joined them, though kept a comfortable distance. It was strange. She didn't feel like she was leaving her life behind, but she knew she was.

A lump lodged itself in her throat. Wasn't this what she had wanted? A fresh start somewhere new. She glanced over her should at the town that was beginning to grow smaller. Yes, it was, but she hadn't wanted to leave things this way.

Empty.

A bittersweet smile tugged at her mouth. Empty. That was a good word to describe how she was feeling. The feeling was an unwelcome one that made her want to stick her hand over an open fire just to feel something.

Beside her, Tobias had picked up a decent-sized stick and was swishing it to and fro like a sword. He jabbed the air and innocent plants that happened to be in his path of destruction. She scanned the ground for a stick of her own and, after a couple of minutes, was rewarded for her efforts. Dipping, she snatched the stick off of the ground and held it aloft. Placing her other hand in the air, she jabbed at her brother's stick.

"Come on. Fight me. Do your worst." She lifted her chin in the air as he turned to face her, eyebrows lifted.

Once he realized what she was doing, the teenager grinned. "Oh, it's on."

He lunged and swiped at her stick, trying to dislodge it from her hands.

Yelping, she jumped back and pulled her arms toward herself. She didn't want to be struck by it. It would hurt!

Tobias kept advancing and they worked around their parents as they walked. Back and forth they went, jabbing and poking at each other. It was a nice distraction. By the time they both called it quits, Tobias the obvious winner, Rosehaven was no longer in sight.

Jane dropped her stick. Looking around, she took note of the different groups that had tagged along. She knew all of their faces, though she wouldn't consider any of them her friends. She hadn't had many friends growing up in Rosehaven. When they grew up, many of the young people moved away and onto bigger things. A lot of her childhood friends had moved away. She had stayed. Her mother and father needed her support. She could put aside her dreams for a little while to help them with their business.

It was hard for Jane to admit that she would miss them, as well. That the real reason she stayed was because she needed them as much as they needed her. It held her back, but she didn't have the courage to leave and handle things by herself. She had always had them by her side to help her through things. Would she be able to figure things out on her own? There was a part of her that knew she would need to at some point.

But the other part pleaded with her to hold on for just a little longer. She had all the time in the world to figure things out and they were still here to provide their support.

With a sigh, she lifted her gaze to the horizon. Before her, a wall of trees that towered hundreds of feet up into the sky. They were at the edge of the Cantersing Forest. Many tales had sprung up from these woods about fae and dangerous entities that would snatch away kids. Parents often told their children about the monsters that resided within the dark expanse. Alma, who had often ventured into the woods to collect mushrooms and various other flora, was the only one who had ever mentioned anything wholesome.

Sprites who would show her where the cleanest water pooled and graceful dryads that guided her down the safest paths. No one really believed her, though they knew such creatures existed.

Now, standing before the expansive forest that loomed ever so high above them, Jane clung to Alma's stories with a desperate kind of hope. She looked to both sides. Her family and the people of her town stared with solemn faces at the new territory. She looked to her father. He rarely spoke about his past, but she knew he had seen things and had to survive in much worse circumstances.

Jane straightened her shoulders. Hopefully, Alma's stories held true.