The Price Of Wishing

The Town

They walked for what must have been hours, but it was easier. Miriam didn't feel as cold and wasn't getting tired as quickly as she normally would have.

She wondered if Davis's earring was the reason for this. Davis, on the other hand, looked a little smaller than he had previously and he walked slower. It made her uncomfortable. 

He had seemed stronger in the ruins. She wanted to ask if her new-found strength came from him if she had become stronger by making him weaker, but she could no longer ask.

She had questions jump out at her from the landscape since they had left the agency. Everywhere she looked she saw something strange and out of place. 

What was with the half-buried lights? Was that a statue of a penguin? Was there any more of the creatures that chased her and Echo in the ruins? Where were the stars? 

She noticed many things now, not having to think about getting warm or safe and not being in charge of where they were going. She almost asked them too. She had never been not able to ask before. It was a hard habit to break. Frustration grew in her like a spider weaving a web, bigger with every unasked question that she would never know the answer to.

The cat, Caleb, and Echo had no trouble with keeping pace. Caleb only spoke to Miriam to warn her that it would be a long walk before they reached the town. He didn't tell her where they were going, or exactly how far away it was.

Echo ran ahead and stalled behind to look at everything that interested her. The first time it was a firefly, which danced around and in between her fingers as she twirled around and twiddled them. It threw pretty, delicate light on her smiling face when she moved her hand passed her lips and eyes. Miriam couldn't help but smile at the strange sight of the two of them dancing.

Another time she had stopped altogether and stared at a place that looked empty to Miriam. She didn't look like she was breathing, and Miriam watched her but kept walking. She had stayed there until Davis had called her to catch up with them. 

Then she startled and ran after them, but she looked back over her shoulder. It made Miriam feel like she had walked through a ghost and she shuddered.

Eventually, Davis stopped and looked at the cat. He was as annoyed as Miriam felt.

"Hey!"

Caleb stopped and turned to look at the boy slowly.

"We've been walking for ages. There was a town closer. Where are we going?"

The cat exhaled sharply and swiftly three times. Miriam realised that this was his version of laughing.

"So you can sense the gathering places then? Well, that explains how you're still alive. We were curious about that."

Davis flushed.

"Where are we going?" he repeated, gritting his teeth.

"You don't need to know where," the cat said, his voice soft and sweet in a mocking way. "Trust us. We will lead you well."

Davis took a step towards the cat, but Echo ran forward and caught hold of his head. His head snapped towards her.

"What?"

She tugged on his hand.

"Up," she said.

"What? Let go."

"Lift," she demanded and jumped on his back.

"GET OFF!"

She crawled up his back, avoiding and ignoring his reach and protests. Miriam had to pinch her arm not to laugh. The cat looked at them, met Miriam's eye and gave her a slow, soft blink, his version of a smile.