The Oblivion

the asleep

I WAS AWAKE even before the sun clambered up to the sky to take watch. I couldn't sleep at that time, so I waited impatiently for the sun to rise. The cold was less rapid in the morning for some reason, but it was more cosy on the blankets.

Poor Brian was still asleep, eyelids heavy with pain and exhaustion. Brook was patting him on the shoulder for the last six hours, eyes fluttering. Brian didn't look like he could move for days, which, according to Ariana, would take us way longer to go to Cliffton.

While my sister went out to look for edible things, I chatted with Brook, a lousy attempt to distract her. She talked back to me, but I saw the haziness and plaintiveness behind her beautiful eyes.

Brian raised his head in the middle of our boring conversation, mumbling something. Brook dashed to his side, but he got knocked unconscious straight after. Every time Brian seemed to have lost control over his body and fell into the pits of being blacked out, Brook would fanatically check his breathing and heart rate.

Ariana returned with rose-hips. She said that they thrived in winter and were definitely edible, so we all ate it willingly enough. She also thrust handfuls of bright wintergreens, a very green breakfast. We stacked them in our storage, while Brook tried to encourage Brian to eat.

"We need to keep moving. The wasps could come back any day," Ariana said, looking over her shoulder fearfully as if the wasps would appear right now.

"We can't with my brother like this. Anyway, where would we go?" Brook argued.

Cliffton, but no one said anything unless Brook still wanted to go there.

She had a point, so we all remained quiet.

"Lets all take this day as a rest, so we can get all our strength back, then we can talk about where to go at night," I suggested. When this was agreed, we all lay down awkwardly, not knowing what to say. We weren't necessarily tired; we were just doing this for Brian.

I knew the mere truth. It would take months before Brian could do actions properly, but no one wanted to face this. We all so badly wanted to believe that Brian would recover tomorrow.

Brian was awake again, but he was aching all over his body. We updated him on what happened, reminding him about the stings. He held Brooks hand tightly when we mentioned her heroic save.

As the sun fell once more, Brian was in a deeper state of pain. Nausea overcame him, and he feebly staggered to the bushes to vomit with difficulty. We all winced and bowed our heads slightly and sadly for him, feeling helpless. The sounds of his gagging made me want to puke along with him.

Night, at last, came and Brian slept, a frown creased onto his face.

It was silent, exempt for the shallow sound of distant grasshoppers chirping somewhere out there on the snow.

"He's dying," Brook said out of the blue.

I was taken by surprise. She was Brook. She was supposed to have hope that he would make it.

I reminded myself that she was being brave to stand up for the truth.

"He hasn't died yet," I said.

"Don't give up hope." Ariana added.

Brook sighed but picked up his hand again, then rubbed it in between her palms to warm them. Anyone could see how much Brook loved her brother, but for some reason I never saw the connection that much until the monstrous wasp incident.

Ariana looked at me, and her eyes told me that she would do anything for me.

At the same moment I saw someone else who had the same responsible look on her. Same gooseberry eyes, same loving expression, same soft facial features.

I saw my mother.

I saw my mother in my sister. They had so much alike, and my mother never hated me as I thought she did. She wanted to protect me, and I never thought about that. I felt so selfish.

I smiled at Ariana wanly then lay down, faking sleep, wondering what the next day would bring.