Reborn

15: Cavern

Breaks:

[L1,2 or 3] represents the beginning of a flashback to one of Elena's past lives. There is more than one past life, which is why they're numbered. Though, these memories are usually told as she sleeps and Elena herself cannot remember them.

[/L1,2 or 3] represents the end of a flashback to one of Elena's past lives.

[P] represents the beginning of a retelling of a memory in Elena's current life.

[/P] represents the end of a retelling of a memory in Elena's current life.

~3~ is just a timeskip

AN: This chapter's a tad short compared to the rest... but it was that or be absurdly long. Anyhow, enjoy the story!

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Amalia's words sounded on loop in my mind. 'It doesn't want to hurt you, Elena'. 

I wondered if that was actually true. The pile of bones in the terrarium certainly pointed to a different conclusion.

The plant monster roamed just outside said terrarium. It's feelers swayed around the outside of the buzzing white energy, never quite touching it. Legs rose and fell like a wave across the length of it's body. A body that glowed with the same emblems seen on the cavern walls and ceiling.

'I'm convinced. It doesn't want to hurt you, Elena'.

'...it brought something that healed us'. Evangeline's words joined Amalia's and I fisted my burning free hand. 

My hands had been ruined beyond anything that I could have thought to do to fix them- not that I could have done much anyhow without the use of my hands to administer anything helpful. While it burns, I can move them again without any problem- as though there wasn't any significant damage done to them in the first place. Something had happened to my ribs, possibly my spine too, and yet I was walking and running and jumping around as though my clothes were covered in thick mud instead of blood.

Last I remember I had been at the plant monster's mercy. It was going to eat me. 

But then it didn't.

'...it brought something that healed us'.

There had been plenty of opportunity for the plant monster to hurt me and to eat me. I knew it was fast, I had seen just how fast it had been, had felt how quickly it had wrapped a feeler about me in the root tunnels. Even if I wasn't so tired, I really didn't think I would have been able to get away as I have been. I hadn't forgotten about the plant monster- it had made it's way to me from the other side of the terrarium so quickly Dally hadn't even been able to keep up.

Is that what Amalia had seen too? Was the plant monster really not trying to hurt me? Why? What had changed?

Despite my sight having been blurred at the time, I still clearly recalled the moment when my blood had fallen and splattered across the vivid colors of the plant monster's open flower. Along with the bright light that had nearly blinded me afterwards. A light that had traveled down the creature's body, highlighting the emblems that were still visible now.

My heart thundered in my ears. Eyes widened as I put thoughts to what I'd seen. Was it...? The blood? No... the plant monster was a carnivore. Eating the slug from the ceiling was proof enough of that. Though, if it was only blood that was needed for those blue emblems to appear, then they would have appeared after the plant monster ate said slug. Right? So then..? Was it... my blood? Was there something different about me? But... that made no sense. Why would I be treated differently...?