Acari

Chapter Two

Dear Papaya,

By the time you've finished reading this, I would've already left.

Me and Mango are being taken away for good by this suspicious looking dragon. Don't come look for us, because you will surely kill yourself trying. I want you to take care of Mother, regardless of anything happening, and take care of our home. It's not guaranteed we will ever come back, but if we do, we'll be sure to visit.

Don't die,

Acari

Tears sprang to Acari's eyes as she reread the note again. She would miss her mother and her sister, and even the Rainforest—her home. She could forget the RainWings. The only way Acari could make sense of the situation was that this was for her own good, even if it wasn't. She slipped her note under Papaya's door and rushed out.

Before leaving, she'd snuck a few things into her bag that was supposed to be full of herbs: a small plush her mother had made for her when she was little, emergency supplies, and a chintzy painting of her, Mango, mother, and Papaya. Each one of these objects soothed some parts of her, calming her down to the point that she wouldn't break down everytime she thought of her family.

At the edge of the rainforest—that's where the weird Sandwing-like dragon agreed they would meet. As Acari trudged through the Rainforest's humid atmosphere, she wondered if it would ever snow. Never has she really left the Rainforest and never had she really felt snow. When she got to the precipice, the line where land ends and water starts, she could feel the cold touch of hoarfrost on grass, but no snow. Mango was there already, tugging at the frosted grass.

She walked up to Mango and he shifted his wings besides her. His face was wrecked with worry and acari could tell he'd been crying ever so recently. Acari placed her wing over his body and he clinged to her warmth. She could tell he wasn't used to being this cold already—she could feel the shivers that racked his body and how abnormally cold his scales were—though Acari had a horrible feeling that it was going to get much, much colder. And without her mother and Papaya, they might freeze.

The weird kinda-Sandwing-not-really looking dragon strode up behind them and said, "Are you guys ready?" Her tone was soft. This made Acari feel just a little warmer inside.

"Yeah," Acari and Mango said.

The dragon smiled a little. "My name is Java, and I would like to know both of your names before we leave."

"I'm Mango."

"Acari."

There was this looming feel of dread in the air, or at least gloom. Java looked from Acari to Mango then to Acari again with a sorrowful expression on her face, as if she felt the same. But Java barely knew her mother, barely got to meet her long enough to know. Acari's heart ached thinking about it—she wanted to escape back into her mother's arms, just like she did whenever she was scared or alone.

Anger flickered deep inside her heart, firing up a new sensation of hatred. How could they take away the ones we loved most, the ones we've grown up closest to? Attached to? Unwanted wet balls of warmth welled up at Acari's eyes like fireballs. If she knew she had to go like this, she wouldn't have stayed as long as she did; she wouldn't have stayed long enough to have such a strong bond with the ones she loved most. They were the last thing Acari held onto in this wretched rainforest and Java just stripped it away from her like skin.

Not yet.

Maybe she could escape. Act as if she was going with them to uncertain doom, but escape in secret and flee back to her home. The fuel burning in her heart grew powerful and bright, followed by a grin she could feel involuntarily spreading across her face.