Hyacinth || dreamwastaken

21

I glance down at the red number still inked into my skin as Clay leads us through the dense forest. The brush has become thicker. It's hard to see two feet in front of us, let alone a blue flower off in the distance that's supposed to guide us. So, I need a distraction from our task at hand. That number, that's the distraction.

"Hey, Clay?" I call out and I take a big step over a fallen down tree. I barely make it over, my crotch rubbing against the bark of the fallen piece of nature.

"What's up?" He asks, not turning around to acknowledge my speaking. His words will suffice.

"Is your number still changing?" I ask hesitantly. I don't know how he'll respond. They always tell us if you try to escape your number will stop and if you ever return you'll never be able to find the one. But my timer hasn't stopped and it's still counting down the days until my soulmate appears.

"Why are you worrying about that? It doesn't matter anymore." Clay responds to my question with one of his own. It's a typical answer for him.

"Just answer the question." I say harshly. I don't want to play games. Just give me the answer and I'll never bring it up again.

"It is." I don't feel a bit of truth in his response. But I don't push the bad feeling he gives me. He has no reason to lie to me now. He shouldn't lie. Should he?

Clay looks over his shoulder at me for just a quick second before traveling deeper into the forest. I'm struggling to keep up as my thoughts get raveled up in his two simple words.

"Am I supposed to feel hurt for the person who's supposed to be my soulmate? Because I just left them? Like... there isn't a lot of time left on there and..." my mind wanders and I never finish my statement. Too many images of my sad other half roll through my mind and it fills my curious questions with sad answers.

***

It's been two weeks of searching and I feel no closer to Nick and George than I felt on day one. I feel like I spent the last three days walking in circles. All the trees look the same. All the food tastes the same, even though I know it's not. The world is spinning and I swear I'm just standing still.

"Clay, I don't know how much longer I can do this. I'm starving. My body aches. I can't even think anymore. We don't even know if we're close. If you're supposed to be a dream. Please save me from my misery." I groan as I drop to the ground. My feet can't take one more step.

Clay is understanding. He gets it. He knows how grueling and awful this entire adventure has been. We haven't bathed since we left. We haven't eaten a real meal since the same time. By the time we make it to Nick and George we will be nothing but skin and bones and all of this will have been for nothing.

"Give me today. After today if we find nothing we can rest for a few days. Build up a supply of food and replenish our body with the energy and nutrients it needs. Deal?" Clay raises his brow as he holds his hand out for me. "And maybe if you're good, you'll get a surprise."

Oh don't treat me like I'm your pet. Just because we didn't get them in our commune doesn't mean I become yours out here.

I roll my eyes at his comment and grab his hand. He pulls me up and we continue on. My feet still ache. My stomach still growls. My brain is still a sea of fog but I keep on going, because that's all there is to do.

After a few hours of walking, at least I assume it to be that long based on how the sun rays peak through the canopy of leaves, there's a break in the trees and we can finally see a clearing ahead. Clay notices a billowing cloud of smoke high in the sky before we even get to the edge of the forest.