The Essence of Water

NEW VERSION Chapter 14

I don't see Aiden for the rest of the day. Sometimes I hear a branch snap but otherwise he's good about keeping his distance and giving me plenty of space. When evening comes I find a place to sleep for the night and eat a can of cold beans. I pull the hood of my jacket over my head and curl up on the ground to sleep. Aiden finds me not long after I've lain down. He doesn't make a sound, he simply exists and a part of me hates him for it, even though he's doing exactly what I told him to.

A part of me wants him to mess up so I have an excuse to blow up. But the rational side admits that he's still useful to have around. I push the world away and fall asleep.

"I want you to know something," the woman whispers softly. "I want you to know this because I'm afraid that I won't have the chance to tell you. And I'm afraid that if I do ever get the chance that you'll hate me. You have to know, we've made this decision for you and I'm sorry. We've never given you the chance to choose your own life. It's unfair but I know that you'll be strong enough for the task."

She's sad, I can hear it in her voice, I feel like crying to but I can't.

"We knew that if we continued on our path that you would be in danger, and that your life would never be normal. We know you'll never have the opportunity or the choice to live in ignorance or find a peaceful love. We knew we were pregnant when we started this journey and I'm sorry that we weren't selfish enough to offer you a better life. I'm so sorry."

She takes a deep breath and when she speaks her voice shakes. "If this actually works, if this memory comes to you then it means I am most likely dead. It also means you don't know the truth and the truth, my little love, is that your father and I started the war.

"We saw what the government was doing and we knew. We knew we had the power to stop it. But we weren't strong enough to rally the others together, we tried, but we failed to convince enough of them. We underestimated what fear does and now we hide and run for our lives. My little love, they will not have mercy on you because of what we've done, because of who we are. But perhaps you will find the strength to do what we couldn't. Perhaps you will be the one to show the world what it means to be afraid and to face your fear despite it. Perhaps my little love, you will be the one to have the courage we could not muster."

The world turns black and I feel like I'm falling. I hit concrete and hands grab my shoulders. "Adie," Mr. Hander shakes me. His hands burn my skin and I scream. "Adie," he says again. "Wake up, Adie." He shakes harder and my bones break under his fingers. I scream louder as the smell of burning flesh fills my noise. "Wake up!" he shouts.

"Adie, wake up!" Mr. Handler's hands are shaking my shoulders. I'm screaming when I come to consciousness.

"Get off!" I lash out and connect with Mr. Handlers flesh. His hands drop away with a grunt and I roll to the side and scramble to my feet. I'm sweating despite the cold air and I blink rapidly as my consciousness catches up with me. I call to the water and hold it ready, waiting for Mr. Handler to recover and attack. Only he doesn't move from his crouches position on the ground.

I blink a few more times. It's still dark out, so I push the water toward the crouched figure to better see. The metallic light dances off his features and his eyes glance up to me, hand is pressed against his nose.

I focus on his face. "Aiden?" I ask surprised.

"Here," his voice sounds hollow from pinching his nose. A few drops of blood drizzle off his chin in rapid succession.

"Where is Mr. Handler?" I look around for the Handlers but there is nothing but the night and the sounds of the sleeping forest.

"You were dreaming. More accurately you were dreaming and calling out to the water." He points to where I was sleeping. There is a glowing puddle of water and I looked down and see that my pants are soaked. I curse and drop the water I had ready to attack with. I pull the water from my pants until I'm dry again.