Playing with Fire

23

"Just walk through the town..." Adam whispers to me as passer-byes stare at us like we're some weird people which have just entered their premises which we are and we have.

I grab my jacket awkwardly and tug it up over my shoulder but what's annoying is that Toboni and Adam has their jackets off so-

I take my off my jacket and I hear some gasps as their eyes catch my tattoo. I look down at the concrete, hoping not to see anyone-

"Hey, aren't you the Lunar Phoenix?" one young girl blocks my path, looking up at me innocently.

I exchange a glance at Adam for assistance and he just smiles at me.

I turn my head back to the girl and straighten my shoulders and breathe in deeply. "Yes. Yes I am. Why did you ask?"

"Because I admire you. You are a brave girl and I want to be like you." the girl then runs off, squealing and smiling. 

I.

Am.

So.

Confused right now.

Why was that girl admiring me?

"What was that about?" I ask myself.

"You're famous," Toboni says slyly.

"Jeanine... she must've told everyone..." I mutter underneath my breath.

As we keep walking, I hear some murmuring like "Is it really the Lunar Phoenix?", "I saw her, I tell you, I really did!", "Don't you understand, she's our only hope!"

I don't know what this fame type of thing is and to be honest, I don't know whether I like it.

*

Adam, Toboni and I walk down the concrete path, looking side-to-side cautiously in case anyone will jump out in front of us but knowing how peaceful everyone is, no one does. 

No one comes up to us as we leave Ranch and surprisingly, there's no sign of Jeanine and her army. No horses. No sign of James. No sign of Daniel, Ruben and Lee. 

It's just Toboni and Adam and I.

We trek up another hill to exit the town (no matter how much I want to live there) but what's annoying is that our tracks are left upon the concrete road. But hopefully, she won't know who's footprints are who's. I hope she isn't that smart.

Adam looks back at me and raises a concerned eyebrow at me. I stare at him and I move one part of my mouth upwards so he can see that I am okay and to stop questioning mentally whether I am alright.

He stares back at the road which looks as if it has been stripped down from ivy and thorns which could of smothered the road because they are shoved to one side-

I realise that Jeanine may have taken a faster route than us and she could be ahead of us-

Closer to my mum!

"We need to go faster," I tell them both.

"But we can't. We're too tired and hungry!" Toboni complains.

I roll my eyes. "My food in my bag is now rotten and inedible. We have no choice other than to hunt-"

"Hey, look..." Adam stop us and indicates that there's an apple tree in front of us. "Can anyone climb?"

Toboni shakes her head.

"Well I can't."

Both stare at me. "What?"

"Can you climb?" Toboni asks.

"Yeah...- You're wanting me to climb the tree for apples?" I query.

They both nod.

I sigh and I take off my bag to reduce any excess weight and I step towards the tree. I put one foot onto the bark and grasp hold of another part and I pull myself up and I keep doing it until I find a small parting in between the tree. I look around the leaves, twigs and scattered pieces of bark for any sign of apples and I see loads of red juicy ones. All ripe. I step into the concaved piece of the tree and I keep climbing and I get to the group of apples. 

I look down and I yell, "Guys! Catch!"

Adam and Toboni run down below me and I grab as many apples I can into my hand and I chuck them down to them. "SAVE SOME FOR ME!" I shout.

They nod as they munch on some.

I grasp hold of more and they keep catching.

I climb down and I take some from Adam and we continue to walk down the forest-coated path as we keep munching upon apples until-