The Edge of Reality

Chapter 11: The Forest

I had to work the day before we left for the trip, and I was a little bit antsy for a couple reasons. First, I was excited to be going on a "roadtrip" with my friends, but I also felt uncomfortable around my boss Uma. Because of how protective Monohan and Agni were, she had gotten to know them a bit through their phone calls and random visits. She'd had no idea what had happened, and it didn't seem right to leave it like that. Over the months I'd been working there, the two of us had become close, maybe even something beyond employer and employee. She had given me support and advice about my situation before, seeing it in my work and my motions when I came in stressed because of home life. During a lull in the mid afternoon, I approached her in the back room.

"Do you have a minute?" I asked, smiling as I tapped the open door with my knuckles.

"For you? Of course," she replied, turning her attention to me. Her door was like symbolism for her, always open to talk to me. I leaned against the wall of the small room and took a deep breath.

"I made a decision about... my home situation," I started slowly, realizing it was going to sound bad however I put it, so I kept it short and sweet. "I am no longer living there."

"I see," she said, leaning forward with her elbows on the desk. "How are they dealing with it?"

"They..." shit. "They're not around anymore..."

She got the hint. "Oh. OH. Well, how are YOU doing with things?"

I shrugged. "I'm doing alright I suppose, living with friends. It's all a lot more comfortable and less stressful."

"Good," her eyes shone at me; she never ceased to amaze me with how much she cared. "I'm glad that everything is going better for you now. How are you dealing with the loss though?"

"Well," I said. I didn't really know how to answer, because there was no answer. "I'm not. Out of sight, out of mind I suppose. It's probably not the healthiest thing, but I'm managing however I can right now." I gave her a small smile.

"Okay," she said, dragging it out as though she didn't believe I was actually fine. "Well if you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know. I watch out for you guys." I gave her another smile, genuine this time. She wasn't just saying that, I knew she really was there for all of her employees... and specifically for me.

I watched the cityscape fade away to trees and sporadic rivers as Mara drove us to the cabin. It was rather thrilling, as I'd never seen this part of the land before. I'd been all around the city, visiting every nook and cranny with the group, but I'd never been where humans hadn't touched. Everyone else seemed just as enthusiastic as myself, but I imagined them for vastly different reasons. The bags of munchies in the trunk were certainly cause for excitement, as the almost equally as large bag of weed hidden safely away in the front seat. I was still somewhat anxious about the experience, but had been talked into a better mindset about it by Mara, who assured me I wouldn't die- something Agni had always said to scare me away from any "temptations" I might have. I was also excited to be doing this for the first time with Mareo- most new things were experiences he introduced to me. He always seemed to enjoy showing me new ideas and adventures, but after a while I felt small compared to him.

When we finally arrived at the cabin, I was charmed. It was a small wooden house lying amidst the trees. There was a fire pit in front of it- charred as though it had been used many times before- and a small stream bubbling nearby- it was all so natural I could almost imagine it have forming naturally. As we parked and unloaded the car, my wishes to keep driving were smoothed over. I had wanted to keep driving and see what else lay ahead, but I knew I couldn't keep the group from our weekend extravaganza, so I kept my thoughts to myself. There wasn't much to be done, as we only had a few small bags and a bunch of consumables, so before I knew it we were sitting on the cabin porch and I was holding a bong.