StarFall (Completed)

Ch. 20 (part 3)

That night we sat around another fire, camped out somewhere close to Ghee's town. The mood wasn't as welcoming the night before, but tonight we had been in high spirits. Most of us eager, and excited to reach Ghee's town. I couldn't blame them, it had been a long while since any of us had any comfort.

The fire crackled.

"There I was, hidden, waiting. The slouched-runner crept past me as I lurked in the bushes." Ghee's voice was low, and steady. He looked around the fire. "Then, it pounced." 

We jumped.

"And then what did you do?" Bobby asked.

"Well, naturally I overcame the situation."

"How?" I asked.

He turned to me, and grinned. "With this." He pulled out a small pouch.

"What is it?" Miller asked.

"Strike-powder."

"And what exactly does that do?"

"Why don't I show you?" He turned to the fire, and untied the pouch's rope. He reached in, and scooped out a tiny bit of powder between his fingers. "You may want to cover your eyes somewhat." 

He dashed the powder onto the fire, and in an instant the flames swelled up. The blaze reached three times as high as it had before. Flames swirled, and spit embers out in every direction. Less than a minute later it died down.

"What was that?" I said, uncovering my eyes.

"That, was strike-powder."

"Incredible." Miller held the pouch in his hands. "How does it work?"

"I hope I'm saying this right, but the simplest way of explaining it would be to imagine an empty object being filled beyond capacity with something. This something would expand inside the object until it can no longer contain the something any longer, and it bursts."

"Whoa, you blew up the thing?" Bobby said.

"Precisely. There was no other choice. Slouched-runners are savage animals. Their long, dragging claws can slice through rock, and most metals. And they also happen to fetch a rather enticing price." He grinned.

"That's amazing. Are there any other uses for this powder?" Miller turned to Ghee.

"You have a deliciously curious mind, young one." He smiled. "Keep the powder, I can always get more."

"Are you sure that's okay?"

He nodded. "I insist."

"Thank you, that's so generous."

"Think nothing of it. Only promise me you will be careful with that. I wouldn't want you blowing yourself up." He chuckled.

"Dude, you gotta let me use some of that." 

"Why, what are you going to blow up?"

"I don't know." Bobby looked around. "Those rocks?"

"You are not blowing up rocks, that's a waste of the powder."

I tuned everyone out as I fixated on the flames. Lost in my head. I hadn't wanted to bring it up, everyone seemed so happy, but I was finally out of powder myself. The only thing keeping me from draining somebody. I played with my empty pouch, feeling it in my hands.

"Adeline, what's wrong?" Madison sat next to me.

I got up, and walked away from the fire. "Nothing, I just need a minute." I smiled, and walked off, leaving my empty pouch behind.

I stopped when I thought I was far enough away from everyone. What was I going to do? Last time I was hungry I nearly killed Madison. I had run out last night, but so much happened, I wasn't sure when to bring it up. I was also afraid that my hunger hadn't set in sooner because I fed off Madison again. Even though this time it was to save her life, ironically enough.

I slumped over, and sat down against a tree. "What am I going to do?" I held my hands over my face. 

I could already feel the hunger growing. For some reason I kept feeling drawn to Ghee. Not attracted to him, but drawn to something about him. Was it because he's magical? The scent he gives off, the scent my body somehow tastes, is sweeter than any other I've encountered so far. Aside from the taste Bobby gave off, though his was more bitter than sweet.

"Friends don't feed on friends, Adeline. You can do this, just stay strong." I tried calming myself down.

It must have been quite a while, because it seemed to become even darker than it was previously. I tucked my knees to my chest, and hid my face. I could feel the urges kicking in. Thoughts overcome by the mindless need to feed. I wasn't sure I could control it.

"Adeline?" A voice said softly in the night.

I lifted my head up. "Who's there?" I scanned the dark forest.

"It's just me, Miller." He walked forward into the faint moonlight.

"Miller?"

"Yeah. It's been an hour almost, we were starting to get worried. Are you okay?" He approached me.

I ran my hands through my hair. "I'm fine." I smiled, trying not to break.

"Really?" He stared at me through the darkness.

My eyes drifted down to his outstretched hand. "What's that?"

"I know you're out of powder, Adeline."

The night grew heavy with silence. It filled the distance between us. 

"Oh." I was soft in my reply. Caught, and exposed, I could think of nothing to say to cover myself.

"I'll do it." 

I perked my head up. "Excuse me?" 

He bent down in front of me. "I'll let you feed on me, Adeline."

My heart stopped. Miller, why? I knew I should brush him off, tell him thanks, but no thanks. But...I was so hungry. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think. What was right, and what was wrong? Could I really feed on Miller? We sat there, accompanied by darkness, shrouded in the shrill silence that clung to the night. Neither one of us dared speak.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑒𝓃𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇! 𝐼𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑒𝓃𝒿𝑜𝓎𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓅𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓈𝑒 𝓋𝑜𝓉𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝓈! 𝐼'𝒹 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓇𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒶𝓉𝑒 𝒾𝓉. 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓁 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒶𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝑜𝓇 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓋𝑒 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒾𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹 𝒶 𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎. 𝒟𝑜𝓃'𝓉 𝒷𝑒 𝓈𝒽𝓎! 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝑔𝒶𝒾𝓃, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒!