Moving Against Water

14

Zola slowly pulled back, staring up at him as he opened his eyes to look down at her. His hand still resting on the side of her face.

'We have to go back,' he finally said, his face hardening as he took a step away from her.

Soberness instantly washed over her. Her skin growing cold as the waves hit hard against her calves.

'Yeah we should,' she said she walked past him, not bothering to turn around as she made her way across the beach.

The music was growing quieter as people began to finally settle down into their conversations.

'Hey are you feeling better?' Neteyam asked as he jumped up to meet her, looking behind her and seeing Ao'nung walking with his head down to sit with the rest of the group.

'Yeah,' Zola said as she watched him walk past her sitting down next to his sister.

'Will you actually come with me to the tree?' she asked as she looked up to him, him silently nodding as he led her through the crowd.

——

The walk was silent besides the pushing of branches and the constant sounds of the waves hitting the beach.

The familiar glow of the vines spreading across the beach finally came into view as the two of them stopped to take it in all again.

'I'll be quick,' she said as Neteyam nodded, watching her sit down.

Her vision quickly changed.

Screams of children quickly drowned out as Zola ran through the forest, her family running behind her. Her Mother and Father running in front of just Neteyam and herself.

'I'm faster!' Neteyam yelled, his child like statue awkward and small, as he climbed over vines, running close to her.

'Yeah right!' she screamed back, barely reaching his shoulder in hight, finally stopping when her father grabbed her, lifting her into the air as her laughs ripped through her.

'Come, come,' her mother said as she grabbed Neteyam, coming to kneel next to her mate. All four of them looking across the open sky. Animals flying through as the sky was slowly becoming darker. The warmness of the yellow contrasting against their skin as the view took their breath away all over again.

'We were made for the beauty of this,' her father said as he held his two children, 'One day you'll be able to fly through it whenever you want to.'

Zola just stared, a smile uncontrollably spreading on her face still as it was slowly getting darker.

'Come,' her father said as he stood, grabbing Neteyam's hand.

'We have dinner soon,' her mother said.

But the memory was different. She would always grab her hand.

Zola zipped around and saw herself standing alone. The warm glow of the air changing from welcoming to frightening.

'Mom,' she said as the small opening she stood in seemed smaller.

She walked through the trees, the noises around her growing deaf as she grew panicked.

'Dad!' she said as she picked up her pace, now running through the forest.

Suddenly she saw a blue figure, making her stop, slipping as she changed directions.

'Mom!' she called as the figure grew farther away from her.

She finally pushed her way to an opening. The field full of flowers and plants she always grew around.

'Zola,' she heard a women's voice call.

'Mom!' she yelled again, tears filling her eyes as she looked to the sky spinning around to get some sense of familiarity.

'Something is coming,' the voice called again, sounding as if it was close but in the distance at the same time, 'You must be the one to stop it.'

'Mom where are you!' she yelled again as the confusion was taking over her.

'Not Mom, Mother,' the voice, so soothing said in her ear but no where near.

'I don't know what'- she yelled again but was cut out as the gasp left her lips as she froze.

Hands held her shoulders from behind her. A comforting gesture from an unknown stranger.

'I'm choosing you Zola,' the voice whispered in her ear, 'Take my gifts, be touched by them, and save us.'

Zola's eyes shot open. Neteyam over her as he shook her shoulders.

'Zola say something!' he yelled, holding her chin to make her attention focus on him.

'Mother has chosen me,' she whispered out, making him freeze. Her eyes slowly blinked close as the yelling of his voice became unreadable as her world went black.

——

Neteyam ran through the open party, Zola across his shoulders.

'Help!' he yelled as many of the people turned to instantly stand at the sight.

'Please!' he said as he finally laid her down, checking her pulse again.

'What is going on?' Jake said as he pushed his son out of the way, checking Zola's pulse himself.

Everyone coming to crowd around them before they were pushed away from by the Chief.

'We were at the tree and she started'- Neteyam said, the panic racing through his voice as his siblings and friends pushed to be next to him, 'She said Great Mother has chosen her and passed out again.'

Ronal quickly looked to Jake and Neytiri.

'Grab her and take her to the healing pod,' Ronal said as she quickly moved past everyone.

Jake instantly picked her up, being followed by Neteyam and his mate.

'Wait what's going on?' Ao'nung asked as he was quickly stopped by his sister.

'We don't know,' Lo'ak said as he quickly followed behind with Kiri.

'Why are we stopping? We have to see,' he said trying to get away from Tsireya.

'We can't go right now,' she said as she held her brother.

'Look I don't know what you feel for her, but we must wait,' she said in a low voice.

He couldn't bring himself to respond as he watched them walk out of his line of sight.