Irene, My dead best friend [Wattys 2015]

Chapter 18: I no feel, i caveman

Chapter 18: I no feel, I caveman.

“When I saw you, I fell in love and you smiled because you knew,”- Arrigo Boito

Has anyone experienced that sensation where your mind is screaming at an insane speed inside your head but on the outside you come across as the calmest person on Earth? Yep, that was exactly what I was going through at the moment, standing in front of, I know you’re not going to believe me, waterfall. Yes, a waterfall that cascades down into a beautiful stream. I.just.can’t.even.

I had decided to follow the sounds of gushing water I had heard after walking away from Irene but never had I expected to come across what I stood in front of. I had to walk through a group of incredibly thick bushes and shrubs to finally make my way to the other side. With scratches and scrapes covering my face and arms and wild leaves now trapped in my hair, I lost focus because the scene in front of me was anything but excusable. It was like walking into a lost world, a hidden window into another planet. Was it perhaps a hidden window into some place? With what I had gone through in the past day or two, it seemed as though anything could be possible.

It was with utter force that I had to blink, afraid that I might miss the scene that was in front of me. As far as my eyes could see, there were mountains. Yes, mountains, or hills? I’m not sure of the distinction, and from these large mountains, flowed a waterfall with incredible ferocity. It was a wonder to me how I hadn’t heard it from so far away, considering it was so loud.  The gushing waters from the waterfall were crystal clear, taking a deep fall off the edge of the mountain straight down into a mini lake that had formed around the mountains. The water cascaded around in waves, eventually calming down to the sides where small flowers had grown. The delicate beauty of the plants was in complete contrast to the vicious water flowing up above. As usual, the irony of nature was not lost on me.

I stepped forward, shaking my head at the wonderment that I had lost myself in. I brushed my hands against the little shrubs that had grown around me, as though in a pathway, leading straight to the lake. I had this discerning feeling that perhaps this place was cultivated? No, it couldn’t be possible. Yet, everything was so precise, so carefully placed, or then again, was this the beauty of how God made things? My mouth was frozen open, just looking all around me. I was perplexed, I was astonished and yet on some elemental level, I was okay with seeing this around me. Was it the years of being conditioned into believing all odd things around me were normal? Was the constant exposure to suspicious activity around my house since childhood the reason why I was okay with all this? I guess it didn’t really matter. What mattered at the moment was this place, my surroundings and….Irene. Of course, how could I forget Irene? She was after all the reason I was here.

I slowly made my way through the pathway over to the mini lake, towards the edge that had calmer waters. The water was crystal clear, with pink water lilies floating on the surface. I noticed my reflection in the water, big, dark eyes staring back at me. This was a beautiful place, and I was quite possibly the ugliest thing around here. Bending over, I dipped my hands into the water and felt it cold against my skin; how relaxing. Moving my hands around in the water, I cupped a handful and washed my face with it. Ahhh… the sensation was not only cooling but also calming. Just what I needed to get into the brainstorming zone.  Wiping the excess water from my face, I sat down on the small rocks outlining the edge of the lake taking all my effort to not get lost into the beauty that was this little valley.

From where I was seated, I looked up at the waterfall watching the water roll off the edges of the mountain and splashing all over the place. It was just like Irene, she was all over the place; in my woods, my mind, my dreams and now quite possibly my heart. Yes, I had to come to terms with this and the sooner, the better. There was something between Irene and I, but there was no way I could be sure of weather she felt it or not. The conditions under which she and I had met were not only suspicious but also quite possibly the worst in the history of mankind. Perhaps if the situation of our meeting had been different things could have actually lead to certain scenarios. Now, however, the only result that would come out of this situation, if I were to take some sort of “action”, would be her thinking that I was taking advantage of her predicament and I sure as hell didn’t want that. Heck, I didn’t even know how she thought. All I knew was that she was incredibly emotional and lost.

However, if I am being completely honest with myself, these points were just the cherries on the cake. She also seemed to have magical abilities. This was probably the freakiest aspect about Irene. There was no way of ascertaining if the extraordinary events that took place every time I was with here were because of her or if the supernatural beings from my house had followed me around. And the magical abilities I was counting did not even begin cover the paranormal properties she exuded.

I.was.unable.to.physically.touch.her.

That was the most bizarre thing I had experienced so far and yet, like all the things that have ever happened to me up to date, I had managed to ignore them, and had a run around the woods with her. Of course I was scared of it at first. For pity’s sake, I was afraid of HER right from the beginning but I had to be honest with myself. This did not bother me in regards to her. What really bothered me was that she was out all alone in a forest for lord know how many days and had come across mythical creatures, of which I wasn’t if certain what they were yet!

I took a deep breath then. I was starting to hyperventilate and that was definitely not going to help the circumstance.

That wasn’t even half of it yet. I know my rant is beginning to sound like something out of those ridiculous “Twilight” books, but it was just something that had to be done.  What had really surprised me so far was her response to me. I was a complete stranger who she had met in the woods. Sure, she had met my mom too but that in no way told her anything about me, yet here she was following me around the forest, letting me save her life and at times saving mine. She whole heatedly trusted me enough to find her a way back home, wherever that is. Was it her innocence that allowed her to trust me so completely or was it some sort of plan, like from the news where they kidnap kids with elaborate schemes?

I felt a pinching sensation in my heart then, and I knew exactly what it was. It didn’t matter to me what it was, ponzee scheme or genuineness, I would do anything for Irene, of that I was certain. So what was the plan then? Should I just go on ignoring everything around me? No, I had to come to terms with it. Dream or reality, all this was happening and I had to accept it. Perhaps I was something along the lines of the “chosen” one from those Harry Potter novels except I had my own special agenda? What was my agenda? Irene? Was saving her from my enchanted woods my agenda?

I quickly cupped another hand full of water and splashed my face. I had completely lost it, yet I knew that it was only now I was beginning to make sense. This was all really happening and I had to figure it out as I went. I could feel it in my heart, a sense of determination setting in. This had to be done. So what was the plan, then? How was I going to save Irene? How was I going to save this damsel in distress?

Clarity was nowhere in sight but I was certain of a lot of things. This wasn’t going to be so hard after all.

©Hafsa T.M (aka HTMwrites)