Violet

The Guild

The night was young, the moon full and round, the forest still and eerie. A fire was dancing in front of me, supplying warmth that had left me since the sun went down the horizon a few hours ago. The tent my friends and I managed to assemble stood like it would go down any second, however it didn’t matter. We were lucky enough to find a tent stashed in the van we took from our hometown. Where would we be sleeping if we weren’t so lucky?

Seth, Jet, Aidan and me sat around the fire we started. It has been a week since we managed to escape the attack of our village. How far away were we from home? We passed by farmlands, forests, streams, lakes, and mountains. Sometimes our van runs out of oil but fate seemed to be on our side since a supply of oil was also found at the back of the van. The owner sure was prepared. My deepest condolences to him and his family. Not to mention everyone in town. Sigh.

“Why are you so silent, guys?” Aidan asked us, “Maybe you should get some sleep, old people.”

“My hands hurt because of rubbing two rocks together to make fire, Aid,” Jet opened his palms to us. Sure enough, there were blisters and scratches all over his palms. “And Arche and Seth spent the whole afternoon wandering around, looking for dry leaves and wood barks. We have every right to be silent without being called old people.”

“Gee, relax, general. I was just saying…”

“Stop calling me general, Aid.” Jet’s expression changed into an angry scowl, his jet black hair moving in sync with the passing breeze, the fire reflecting in his grey eyes making the scowl more… Jet-ish.

“Why? It was what you wanted me to call you when we were young.”

“We were seven, Aidan.”

“Ooh. Creepy! Jet’s calling me by my full name. I must be in trouble!” Aidan feigned nervousness.

“Are you bitter because you never got the chance to play general, Aid?”

“Guys, you’re both adults now. Start acting like one,” Seth broke in. Somehow everything about that night was really familiar.

“This is how eighteen-year-old’s act now, Seth. Haven’t you heard?” Aidan grinned.

My eyelids were growing heavier and heavier as time passed by. My head was starting to hurt too. The hard work during the day was starting to take its toll on me. Maybe I should go to bed now. I put a hand on my forehead, and massaged it.

“Something wrong, Arche?” Jet queried.

“No, I’m fine, Jet. Just a little headache,” I answered him, “I think I’m going to sleep now.”

“Oh dear, Arche! You’re such an old lady,” remarked Aidan.

Old? Did he just say old?

I had just heard Jet say, “That wasn’t a good move, Aid,” before I babbled away.

“You have no right, you hear me, Aid? No right in any way to call me an old lady. In fact, only I have the absolute right to call any of you ‘old’ considering I’m the youngest in this family, and I am so tired because of today’s work, Aid. I know you can’t relate. You know why? You thought I didn’t notice, did you? While we were out there, gathering dry wood and leaves, you stayed here in camp, arranging the dry stuff. Arranging!”

“Hey, it’s still a tiring work, you know?” Aid put his hand on his heart, “You hurt me, Arche.”

“That’s not gonna work with me, Aid. It might work with your past girlfriends, but it won’t work on me.”