Rebuilding the World

25 Under Control

“Majella?”

“I’m  fine, Carlene.” I say for the one hundredth time, “You can leave me now.”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

“You still have some responsibilities to attend to.” I say.

“You are my responsibility!” Carlene objects.

“I’m no one’s responsibility!” I almost shout in irritation, but I immediately regretted doing so.

“I’m just trying to help.” Carlene says with a pained glare. She stands up from her seat beside my bed.

“Carlene!” I call her back, but Carlene has already left the tent.

I shook my head and pinched my nose bridge. Wrong move, Majella. Wrong move.

“You shouldn’t be pushing people away from you, you know.”

I look up to see Jean has entered the tent. She settles down on Carlene’s chair.

“I just. . .”

“You’re scared to get close to anyone anymore again in fear that you’ll hurt them when you die?” Jean said, “In the same way that you’re in pain of Sam’s death?”

“It’s not like that.” I denied.

“Then what?”

“I just don’t want to be a burden.” I lied, “I don’t want to bother anyone.”

I looked away. Jean’s right, ever since we lost Sam, the prophecy of my incoming death has buried even deeper. If I was hurt in Sam’s death, then I’ll be hurting Carlene, Jean and the others too when I die. I don’t want them to be in pain, so I’m pushing them away in the hope that when the time for me to leave has come, they won’t miss me that much.

“Look, Majella. We care for you. And we’re willing to help you as long as we think that you need help.” Jean explains, putting a hand on my tattooed forearm. “That’s what friends are for.”

I just smiled at her and didn’t say anything.

“How do you feel?” Jean asks

“Better than when I woke up.” I answered, relieved for the change of topic.

Jean smiles at my response.

I woke up in this tent two days ago without any memory of how I got here. Apparently, I went berserk in rage and frustration that day when I ran into the forest after Sam’s death. I met the Minotaur in the clearing in the woods and I went out of control. They said they rushed to the woods to find me when they heard me scream and lightning booms in the woods--probably my doing.

When they found me, I was single-handedly fighting the Minotaur and that I was emitting a flaming blue aura. My eyes too were burning red flaming orbs because of the blessing of Ares. They said I killed the Minotaur before I passed out.

Carlene and the others decided to carry me back to the cavalcade and continued on with our journey to the foot of Mount Banahaw. They said I’ve been sleeping for a whole week so they started construction without me.

“How’s the city going?” I ask.

Carlene and her siblings have casted a barrier around my tent so that I won’t be hearing any noise from outside. Carlene said it was so that I can sleep in peace, but she refused to lift the spell even after I woke up. Insisting I still need all the rest that I can get. So, technically, I have no idea what is happening outside my tent.

“Well, the bamboo house’s foundations are already laid down and the first floor is beginning to take shape.” Jean reports. “We’ve began the construction of the hospital too. The Hephaestus and Athena cabins are doing a pretty good job with the engineering and the architecture. Nicole’s finalizing the city map.”