Afterglow - Tsireya

Chapter 20

Pandora Reef

Eye of Eywa 

Li'Teya opened her eyes to find herself alone on the three brothers' rock. She looked out towards the ocean, but there was no ship, no fire, no Lo'ak. No Lo'ak. Li'teya's eyes darted around the space, her heartbeat increasing from panic.

"Lo'ak! Tsu'tey!" she shouted, but there was no response. She was alone.

"I'm going to get you, Teya", a voice laughed.

Li'Teya turned round to the sound of the familiar voice. She hadn't noticed her surroundings had changed. The water vanished, leaving her in the forest. Home.

She breathed in the scent of home, wet leaves from the rain, the med in between her toes.

"You're so slow, Tsu'tey", another voice giggled.

She knew that voice. Li'Teya pushed leaves and branches out of the way, leaving her by her family pond. Five-year-old Li'teya was jumping through the pond as seven-year-old Tsu'tey chased her.

Tsu'tey slowed down, bending over and placing his hands on his knees. "Ok, Teya, you win", he panted.

Younger Teya jumped on his back, hugging his neck "You are so old, Tsu", she wined, making her brother smile.

"And you are so heavy."

Li'teya smiled sadly at the memory. "Why am I here" she whispered as her surroundings changed again. Now she stood at her and Lo'ak's spot. She watched as her past self lay down stargazing. But there was no sign of Lo'ak. Li'teya walked closer to herself and immediately knew what memory she had landed in. "No, please, I do not want to relive this", she begged to whoever put it here.

Li'teya watched as her 15-year self's hands were shaking, her face was bleeding, and a particularly nasty black eye was forming on her right eye. Right on cue, Lo'ak's Ikran landed on the grass. Lo'ak disconnected his queue as he ran towards Teya, bending beside her.

"Leave me alone", she mumbled, turning away from him

Lo'ak shook his head. "What did he do to you?"

"It doesn't matter", she shrugged off, hiding her hands.

"Te." he pleaded.

Teya sat up facing Lo'ak. The moonlight illuminated her face clearly. He gasped at the sight of his best friend. Lo'ak lifted his hand to her face, but she quickly flinched back.

"Oh Te", he whispered. "What happened? Who did this to you?"

Teya laughed dryly. "It was my fault, and I pushed him too far this time."

"Don't tell me this is about us missing curfew?" he asked.

"Ding ding ding."

Lo'ak's eyebrows furrowed in anger as he stood up. "I'm going to kill him", he fumed, but Teya grabbed his arm.

"He is my father. He can do what he wants."

"Does he not remember that hurting a child of Eywa is a sin. He could be banished for this," Lo'ak shouted, causing Teya to flinch again. Lo'ak's eyes softened as soon as she moved back.

"It does not matter anymore", she dismissed, desperate to get him to drop this.

"No, Te it does..."

Teya stood up facing Lo'ak, but he still slightly towered over her."So my dad hit me. You do not need to make a huge deal out of it because I'm used to it. Please leave it". Tears threatened to spill as she let her confession out.