Heather's Adventures: The Search for Maxamus

Chapter 12. Heather

"I don't wanna fight anymore!" I cried in my room to Sheria and Jen. I didn't take off the hideous armor. I didn't tell them what I did.

I didn't tell them it was me that fired the first shot. I didn't tell them it was me that fired the only shot.

I didn't tell them I won the battle. I didn't want to fight in the battle.

"No one is making you fight anymore. You survived right? I heard none of our troops came back hurt. I'm so happy." I didn't tell her I was on the frontlines.

"Hey, mom says she wants Heather to rest for now. Heather has school tomorrow." My brother Frank entered the room. He was jealous of me going to battle while he stayed back although he was older than me. He wanted to fight.

I don't ever want to fight again.

So I made up my mind.

That night well after dark had touched down I had one option: to find Max. He didn't want to fight either. He couldn't want it. If I don't want to fight and I saw him in my mind he has to have the same opinion. So what if he had a sword. I had a bow. Each carried the same weight. They both were instruments of violence, protection, and death. The bow found me. It didn't have a string. I could use it as a club if all else failed or if I ran out of arrows or didn't have enough time to shoot. I carried this bow with the sole pride of I knew I could guarantee a bit of safety.

I was quick to pack a bag—my school messenger bag. It was of a tannish leather material, but it was durable.

I didn't think much of running away before, not until now anyway. I wasn't going to stay if I was praised to hurt people. Hurting people was wrong. I stopped people from hurting Sheria before. Now they were asking me to hurt people. This was cruel.

How cruel was this golden rule? They say "treat others how you want to be treated". Well I hurt a lot of people. I was protecting people. I said I was protecting but it was actually hurting people. I didn't wanna be hurt, but apparently I had to hurt people to stay safe. That wasn't right.

I crammed food and a water bottle in my bag with a spare change of clothes. I didn't know what I was doing exactly. Who would? I was only twelve at the time and was just recently scared for my life.

I was soon ready to go. I clutched my heart amulet in my hand one last time as I looked back at my room. There wasn't any going back now.

After I quickly threw on my boots, I walked right out the backdoor. I had my hover board thankfully, to my quick thinking to take it before the Weird-o was looking for it.

From there on, I was scared. I started running. I couldn't go back.

I was fighting not using violence. I didn't want to use violence. No one should have to resort to that.

I never did belong before this, it only made sense I was running away now.

It took a while, but I finally made it to the entrance where ashes upon ashes of my power lay from earlier today. I treaded through them on my way out. No one was here now anyway.

"Heather are you sure this is a wise choice?" A voice said to me. It was in the words of the scripture. I looked around but didn't see the source of the voice. It took me a few minutes to notice my heart amulet was glowing and that it was talking to me.

I nodded, "I have to. I don't want to fight with violence."

"Then how do you expect to save your friends later? You're just scared."

"I need to go. What if Max doesn't remember me?"

"I'm sure he'll remember you. You shouldn't go alone on this journey."

"My necklace is talking to me. That's something. I'm not alone. I've got a talking necklace."

I sighed to myself as I muttered the world 'hell' to myself to get myself out of speaking scriptures. There were two words that were not in the scriptures and could not be translated. Heaven and Hell.

After that I waded through the ashes. I just needed to get out of here. Time to finally go to the real world. For the first time.