Faded Petal

Chapter 4.2 - Charlie - The Climb

DAY FOUR

We eventually move on, after the girls have made flower crowns, daisy chains, and decorated their suitcases thoroughly with flowers of all colour.

Our walk is determined and powerful, only interrupted every now and then when somebody spots a rabbit scampering through the foliage, or a bird comes to investigate what a group of young children like us are doing all alone in the woods.

"Hey, guys?" Akiki asks.

"Yeah?"

"Where are we actually going?"

An uncomfortable silence falls on top of our group like a blanket.

"Forward. Away. From..." George trails away mid-sentence.

"Hey, never mind all that!" Beth exclaims, "Let's talk about our plans! Anyone got anything in mind?"

I discover that George wants to watch the sun set again. Akiki wants to find another place to swim, maybe a river of some sort, and another rope to make a swing with. We really should've kept that rope, I think.

And for me, well... I want to see the deer again. This morning was the most peaceful I have felt in a long time. I live in a constant state of noise. My brain is constantly yelling, all my thoughts fighting for dominance and screaming over each other. But when I met those deer, my thoughts all went quiet. Silent. I still haven't told anyone about this morning. Aside from Edith. But does she really count?

My thoughts are suddenly brought to a halt as I swing my right shoulder in an attempt to itch my left arm, and it goes crashing right into a sharp branch that I had walked too close to. I wasn't thinking. Wasn't looking where I was going.

I can't help but cry out, then realise my mistake as everyone's eyes are suddenly on me. I don't like it.

"Oh, Charlie, you're bleeding!" cries Beth, rushing towards me. I see her hand jerk up towards my stump of a right arm, before she hesitates and drops it again. I've never let anyone touch it before.

"What does it look like?" I whisper, trying to hide the wobble in my voice. It hurts. A lot.

"You've torn the skin open," Akiki says, wincing slightly as she looks at it.

Beth raises her hand again, slowly.

"Do you mind if I...?"

"Go ahead"

She rests her fingers on my skin, and even though she touches it lightly, it sends a bolt of pain up my arm. Like someone has stuck a knife in my shoulder.

"There's a few bits of bark stuck in it, it must have been quite loose for it to get stuck in your arm so easily. I should take them out, we don't want to risk it getting infected."

I nod, trying to keep a straight face, but my lower lip wobbles as I feel her fingers on my wound. The pain is unbearable, but it only lasts a second.

"Done. All done," Beth reassures me, flicking something hastily onto the ground.

I stretch my neck to look at the damage, and see a short but deep red gash on the outside of my stump. Flecks of dirt and bark still remain in the flesh, and the skin around it is red and sore.

All of the exhaustion catches up to me at once, and I don't even realise I'm crying until a tear seeps between my lips and I taste the salt.

"Oh, Charlie," Beth sighs, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. I bury my face into her shoulder, not wanting anyone to see me cry. I can remember the last time I cried in front of another person, and I have been trying to erase that day from my memory for almost a whole year now.

Once the initial flow of tears has subsided, I look up again. George, Edith and Akiki stand and watch me, brows furrowed with concern.

Akiki particularly catches my eye. I have not known her as long as the others, and our friendship is not particularly strong yet, however her eyes have welled up, and she looks genuinely worried. I realise then that she is the only one of our five who is unaware what happened to my arm. I am going to make it my mission to tell her. Soon.

"Let's get going," I announce, shaking the thoughts from my head.

Beth steps back from me and I notice, with embarrassment, that a few strands of her black hair have been stuck to damp cheek.

***

Later that morning, we are even deeper into the forest. The trees are growing taller and taller with each step, their branches wide and flat. When I was a little boy, I used to love climbing trees- the taller, the better. That all changed last summer.

"Careful of this branch, it's rather low," George warns us.

Akiki and Edith duck under it; I do the same.

When I look back to make sure Beth doesn't lose her head, I don't see anyone behind me. I peer over Akiki's shoulder to see if she is leading at the front, but there is no sight of her ahead either.

"Guys?" I speak, but before I can bring it to their attention, Beth's voice rings out loud and clear throughout the treetops.

"Hello down there!"

We all look around widely, and eventually spot her. Miles and miles above us, she clings onto the topmost branch of a gigantic tree, her black dress billowing in the breeze. I wouldn't be surprised if she could touch the clouds from where she is standing.

"Oh my god, Beth!" Akiki yells up to her, as George's jaw drops open.

"How did we not notice you climbing all the way up there?"

"A magician never reveals her secrets," Beth shouts down, jumping up and down excitedly. The branch creaks beneath her.

A sudden feeling of exhilaration overwhelms me, and before I know it, I'm taking off towards Beth's tree and pulling myself up onto the first branch. I don't even stop to think. I don't need to.

I scale the colossal tree like a ladder, working on one branch at a time. Left arm wraps around the next branch, feet move up one by one, and repeat the process.

It takes a few minutes to reach Beth's level, but when I do she beams, and says, "Fancy seeing you here, Charlie!"

I am too out of breath to reply.

"Look!" she exclaims, pointing to the tree to our right. George is climbing up our neighboring tree as if he was born to do this. He has the advantage of two arms and long legs, I suppose.

I feel my jaw drop as I realise that Edith is ascending faster than any of us- she is an elegant white figure in the distance, her dress and hair whipping around her in the wind.

We all stand still and watch with bated breath as she extends one hand up towards the sky, the other wrapped gently around the thick trunk of the tree.

The wispy clouds react to her touch like water as she stretches out a graceful finger, they swirl and ripple as they are disturbed.

A single white dove soars towards her and lands on her shoulder, like a long-lost friend. She barely flinches at it's touch.

"Wow," Beth breathes next to me.

Edith really is ethereal.