The Broken Ones

Chapter 23

Felix:

There were cakes, yes, but that was about the only normal thing there. Fountains spraying a liquid pink and thick, wooden bowls of oddly shaped fruits, small treats wrapped in flowers petals, puddings filled with something potent meant to raise your spirits. We contemplated actually eating anything for a solid minute. But the tempting purple juices and cream-filled tarts of something orange made my mouth water. We went for it. The pudding seemed to be Taylor's favorite. We laughed at her face covered in it once she came up, then dogged a chunk flying off her spoon towards us. The idea that we were surrounded by mermaids, elves, centaurs, giants, tree people, fairies, and other unknown creatures was quickly forgotten. It didn't even seem all that surreal anymore.

The music slowly pulled us towards the circle of dancing people. Kat looked to be having the best time of her life, and to my surprise, Taylor's mouth crept up into a pleasant smile. This only raised my spirits and my confidence. I grabbed Kat's and Taylors hands to form a ring. We laughed in glee as we spun in circles, dipping under each other, bouncing to the music, getting caught in the swarm of arms, laughing some more. Without even realizing the situation I was truly in, I was having the most fun I have had in a long time.

Somehow, the dancing group of people turned into a synchronized jig. People connected arms in a large circle, a smaller circle inside. Kat, Taylor and I remained locked together, smiling as we blindly followed along to the jumbled footsteps. The group disconnected and joined together in smaller bundles. Kat laughed when a man pulled her in to dance merrily to the music, Taylor only looked slightly shocked, and I grinned at her before I was pulled into a woman with rainbow eyes myself.

We danced for what seemed like ages. The warm sun slowly began fading away behind the trees, turning the area from orange to a dark purple. The fairies and the lamps did most of the work for lighting, but everywhere I looked, Taylor seemed to brighten it up ten times more than those lights could. Eventually, Kat had to call timeout and join me and the old man with drooping ears I was sitting with at a table. Taylor danced in front of us cheerfully, looping between the group in sync with everyone else. She really was radiant.

Kat plopped down next to me, slightly out of breath. "I think that juice got to me," she said. Then she nodded to Taylor. "And to her."

We watched Taylor. Her smile was wide on her pink cheeks, something I wasn't used to seeing. But it still made my heart flutter all the same. I found myself getting lost in her vision. God. She affected me so much, both positively and negatively. Positively for obvious reasons. Negatively because I knew all I could do was hopelessly long for her. Still, there was no stopping it now. I succumbed to her smile and the feeling she gave me.

"I haven't seen her smile this much in forever," I grinned.

Kat laughed softly. Her white eyes were trained on the scene ahead. "Who knew, right?"

"Yeah. Who knew."

"You folks aren't from around here, are ya?" Kat and I turned to look at the sagging man next to us. His eyes still remained ahead at the dancing people, but his large, glassy eyes flickered to us every now and then. He sent an odd feeling over me. I didn't like it.

I nodded slowly. "You're correct."

"We aren't as familiar with the forest as everyone here," Kat added slowly. She glanced at me with her next words. "We were hoping someone could help us out a bit."

To my surprise, the man snorted, almost in a mocking way. "You want help? Alright, here's your help." He looked at us. "Get out."

That caught me off guard. Not the response I was expecting, but not all different from my idea. "What?"

"Leave. Before you regret coming here in the first place. See this?" He lifted a sharp fingernail up to his neck. I hadn't seen it before but now pointed out, I noticed a long scar trailing up from the base of his jaw back behind his ear. It was sickeningly jagged, too. I thought about asking what had happened, but my voice caught in my throat as a chill fell over me. He explained anyway, "The creatures here are brutal. Not many like this crowd." He gestures to the dancing, smiling people. "Got this on a simple run for food."

"Is there even a way out?" kat questioned, mimicking my thoughts.

He chuckled, a low chuckle with a grim feel to it. I already hated where this was going. "You'll be dead before you manage to finish walking the trail. And even if you did, something's blocking it."

This got both mine and Kat's interest. We looked at each other eagerly. I spoke up, "What's blocking it."

"Some sort of hole. According to whisperers, at least. But I can feel it, sucking away everything we know to be true. The past, present, and future."

Just as Tyson had told us. If we were following that trail now, then that means we must have been on the right track. Headed towards the Hole. I hadn't realized how hard my hands were gripping the table. "You don't happen to know how to . . . stop this thing, do you?" It was a fat chance, but worth asking.

He shook his head. "No. I don't see it being stopped. But I do know this," he leaned closer into us with a piercing stare to make your toes curl. Kat clutched my elbow from behind nervously. "That hole will suck away everything. Including you. You will cease to exist, along with the rest of this world. In the end, there will be nothing. I fear for any fool with a shred of hope."

Maybe I was that so-called fool with the shred of hope. It sure felt like it. But what else did I have? Maybe it was sheer stupidity at this point, but hope seemed to be all I could cling to.

Taylor's breathless voice interrupted my thoughts, "Hey, guys."

Kat and I both darted our heads in her direction. She stopped when she saw our faces, her smiling dropping. "You guys okay?'

That was a great question. I glanced at Kat for a moment. She sent me a look before I stood up and walked over to where Taylor was standing. "Come on."

Contacts:

Email: 55leftturns@gmail.com

Tumblr: 55leftturns

Thanks for reading!