Legends of Ettorim

Chapter Two

A rush of pain runs through my foot as I fall to the ground. I feel something wrap around my leg starting to pull me backward. Digging my nails into the muddy dirt. My fingers cannot seem to grasp onto anything. I try to scream out to for any sign of help I could get. Only nothing seems to come out of my mouth. There was only the but the haunting silence.

Someone grabs my hand stopping me in one place. I slowly shift my eyes up to see a girl around my age looking down at me. She does not say anything to me. It feels as though her green eyes are looking into my soul. Is she the monster that dragged me here, or is she here to save me? The girl pushes her hair back behind her. Without any sign, she wraps her hand around my neck. It felt like no air was even left in my body. 

My lungs fill up with a deep breath. I blink a few times backing sure I was back in reality. What kind of dream even was that? My eyes stare up at my brown hair blocking my face. I was more amazed that I let it get this long than anything else that could be on my mind. The humidity around me feels like weights holding me down. It feels like being in a spider web. I was just waiting to be attacked at this point. There was no possible way I was actually going to get out of bed. Not like I have no any reason to get out of bed anyway.

I shift my eyes to look out the window. The council's tower seems to sparkle in the sunlight. I wonder if they are able to actually see the rest of Ettorim. Do they look out at it every day wondering what it is like out there?

A soft knock echoes around my room. I turn my head to see my mother standing there. Some bags were still under her eyes from her days of not sleeping. She has gotten better about actually sleeping, but sometimes she does not sleep at all. Being a single mother must be hard enough for her. That is why I try not to make trouble for her.

"You are finally up I see." Her voice was quiet. I could almost not even tell she was talking to me. "I heard that Beth is awake." 

I quickly sit up making my head dizzy, "Beth is awake?"

Beth was one of best friends like the others. Only she was completely different. She was born with an illness making her unable to walk. Most days she is not even awake. Over the years she slowly starts sleeping more. At some point, part of me feels like she will never wake up. That is of course what her mother tells me when I come over. 

When we were all younger we used to all spend time with Beth. Pulling her along everywhere with us. Well pushing her around in a fruit cart. It could only go on the actual roads of the village. Which meant she could not see a lot of things that we all could. Soon the others just stopped showing up over time. Now it is just me. 

I push open the broken door staring at a figure looking out the window. Her blonde hair was blowing in the wind. I could hear her humming to herself lightly. She almost seemed like a perfect angel.

Beth turns her head to look at me, "Parker, you finally woke up and got here." 

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that to you?" I lean against the door frame. 

Beth laughs lightly running her fingers through her hair before posing. Resting her hand right above her left ear. Her smile is bright almost like the run behind her. A warmth seems to fill my cheeks. Like a wildfire across a forest. I cough lightly shifting in my place. 

"Would you like to go somewhere?" my voice comes out more unsure than I want it to. 

"I thought you would never ask. How does the village look now? The garden looks different. Everything must look different." Beth turns away from me not wanting to make eye contact. 

"Not everything is different." 

"I feel like that is a lie. Even you look different to me. Mother would not tell me how long I was asleep this time. Not to mention she said you might not even show up today." Her voice shakes lightly. I could feel the hurt she was holding back. 

It has been almost three years. I wanted to scream it out, but I had no voice to say it with. It would only cause her more pain anyways. Mostly if I told her the truth of how I feel. I really thought this time she would not wake up. This was the longest she had been asleep after all. She missed out on so much that she will never get back. Her mother had the right idea. Beth does not need to know it has been a couple of years since she woke up. Just that she is awake now. Best not to make her more depressed than she already is. 

My mind quickly races thinking of places that have not changed at all. Pretty much everything had changed after three years. It is not like time stops when she sleeps. If only it did though. Then I would not be a day without her. If only that is how this all can be. Would I be young forever if it was possible? It may be a dream come true for some people, but I have no clue if it is really a dream of mine. 

"Where are you going to take me then." Beth's voice calls me back into reality. 

"I will take you anywhere you want to go." My voice shakes. I can not really promise that, but it is all I have. I rather not deny her this one thing. 

"Parker can I see your hand. It is stupid, but I just want to see it." 

My feet walk on there own straight to her. I reach my hand out slowly. He stares at it before grabbing it. She mumbles under her breath. I knew what it was though. Everything changed, but not as much as I thought. The words felt like a sword straight through my heart. How long did she think she was really asleep for?

"You want to go to the clubhouse? It is still up, but not in the best shape ever. The other stopped taking care of it. You already knew that though," I take in a deep breath, "It is my greenhouse now actually. I am just fixing it up still." I almost said after the flood, but I will just keep it to myself. Like so many other things.