In the End, I Found Us

Chapter 2: Damn It, We Hate the Patriarchy.

Cold, muddy water splashes up onto my legs and feet making me shiver. I can barely breathe. I usually love running, but this time, urgency chokes me. I gasp at every step. I slide to a stop before I run into a hut. Penelope doesn't and smashes into the wall and falls backward onto the ground. I help her up and we race into the middle of the circle of huts that make up our village. Everyone is gathered around Kyriaku freaking out and I can see his overwhelmed face panicking. For a second, I can't help but grin; he deserves it. But then I see Penelope's face of confusion at my sudden blip of humor so I quickly become serious and strut into the crowd heading straight towards Kyriaku.

"Kyriaku!" I call, "Can I talk to you alone?"

The crowd goes silent except for the quiet whimpering of a toddler. Whispers flow through the crowd as villagers part for me to walk up to him. I catch my name in a few of them and I hold my head up high; I don't exactly have the greatest reputation in the village. I walk slowly, adrenaline pumping through my head. My breathing, fast and short, my heart racing from anticipation. I stop in front of him and hold up the folded note between two fingers.

"Kind of... urgent?" I stare at him and I can tell that he's uncomfortable to talk alone or even be in the same vicinity as me.

"Of course," he says after a second, "Let's go inside my hut."

I glance back at everyone's face of worry and then turn and follow him inside.

* * *

"And this is all that was left." I finish and hand the muddy note to Kyriaku.

He reads the note and a look of confusion settles over his face

"That's odd. Elder Theo disappeared today too," he tells me, handing the note back.

"Elder Theo!?" I ask in disbelief.

Elder Theo was Penelope's elder. Even though she thought he was boring, I thought the stories he told were so absorbing. He was always so nice and happy.

"I know it's hard to believe but we don't know anyone else who mysteriously left with their name starting with TH," he rolls his eyes at me like I'm stupid.

Patronizing piece of- "What does it mean 'the leaders are lying to us'?" I interrupt my thoughts before I say them out loud.

"Probably trying to make people doubt each other. A classic way to tear us apar-"

"But it could've been someone else!" I say desperately.

"WHO?!" Kyriaku yells, spitting as he furiously pushes the words out, "We are literally the only civilization on this goddamn planet!"

"But-"

"But nothing! We know who left it, now it's time to find Elder Theo and get the sphere back before he comes, probably with weapons or some shit. Now don't worry about it anymore. I will send a man who can do the job."

Frustration boils my skin. "Weapons?! Do you even know him!?"

"Obviously," he says but looks away.

"I should go find whoever stole it. I found it!." I know I sound childish but I can't help it.

He shakes his head and walks out.

"You're a girl, you can't do it," he says on his way out.

And then I'm left alone, water soaking my clothes and into my bones. But I'm not cold. My forehead is hot from embarrassment and anger. I sit on his chair making the cushions soggy from my wet clothes, but I don't care. He deserves it.

After a long while, I start shivering and finally storm out and head for the elder's hut. Elder Iris is like a mother to me. We even look alike; her wavy black hair looks just like mine except hers is peppered with gray strands of hair. I walk towards her. I step into the warm inside air of the hut and head to her room. All the Elders live in the same hut but have different rooms. Hers is decorated with colorful pieces of fabric I helped her hang up to make it brighter here. She's lighting incense when I walk up to her and tap her on the shoulder.

"H- Hullo, Elder Iris," I say, embarrassed of my disheveled appearance.

She turns around and smiles, her eyes wrinkling up in the corners.

To my horror, I realize I'm dripping muddy water on her floor so I grab my kerchief, "Sorry about the mess." I wipe it off the floor and shove the dirty cloth into my pocket.

"It's fine, it's fine," She waves her hand dismissively, "Now I heard what happened with the Sphere..." She looks at me expectantly and I nod.

"Kyriaku thinks it was Elder Theo-"

"No!" She speaks loud and startles me, "It wasn't! He wouldn't!"

"I know! I said that to him but he doesn't believe me." I say quickly.

"He didn't steal it. He just left." She lights the last stick.

"What do you mean?"

"He just left. He told me he needed to leave and that he was going to go and see if he could leave and so I guess he did."

"Wh-what?" I take a step back, "He left?!" You can do that? "What are you going to do?!"

"Nothing," She puts the match in her drawer, "it was his choice and I will respect that."

"I hope he's ok," I say softly.

"He is. You know him, the sky could be falling and he'd comment about how beautiful it looked."

I smile but then it falters, "Without the golden sphere, we're vulnerable."

"We'll be fine here." She says and sits down on her bed. I sit down next to her.

"You know whoever he sends won't find the thief right?" I think out loud, "I mean he'll definitely take a long time picking one out and by then the thief will be gone. I suppose they're already delayed because of the hail and they can't hide underneath the tree so they're probably staying near the chamber, but not too close otherwise someone will spot them," I hypothesize, my head reeling, "So they're near the chamber waiting out the storm and it's still storming currently and they won't want to stay too long lest they get caught. It's too dangerous to travel during the day so they're most likely going to leave tomorrow evening as it will be dark outside and the storm will be gone."

I look at Elder Iris and she has a look of pure amusement on her face, "You are very intelligent."

"What should we do?" I ask, "You know whoever he sends won't find the thief in time. How are we going to protect our village without the Sphere?"

"Well... you seem quite passionate about this. Why don't you go?" She shrugs, "You're good with a blade too."

I stare at her in surprise, "You know about that?" I always practice every night when the sun falls and no one needs me. It's my time to be alone and away from everyone.

She grins, "Let's get you prepared for the greatest adventure of your life."