Tales of Aridia

Broken

I wept, the tears kept running like they would never stop. When I touched Jayden's forehead, my hands ran cold. The tips of my fingers shook on his lifeless body.  I swiped my hand away, leaving blue stains on his skin.  My hair brushed against his lips, which were now drained of colour. 'Robyn...'   Max said, pulling my shoulders back. My silent cries turned into rage, my heart so conflicted I couldn't control my anger. His hand still lay on my shoulder, pulling me back. I pushed forward, relentlessly trying to stay close to Jayden's cold, dead body.  'Robyn,'  Max said again, but his words fell upon silence.

My sobbing paused for a moment and I sank into nothing, staring at Jayden's eyes, where the light used to be. 'he's gone...' I mumbled, my head lowering to the ground. 'he's gone!' I said again, crawling away from his body suddenly frightened by it. I was hysterical, clawing at my head I began to scream. 'shh...' Max whispered, placing me on the floor. 'look,' he said. Max pointed at Jayden's gaping mouth.  Out of it trickled a white liquid, forming at the corner of his mouth and then pouring down his cheek, onto his chest.  I stared blankly at it, horrified. "What's happening?" I asked Max, as the liquid continued to drip down onto the floor. I swivelled my head around to max who stood above me, his glare fixated on Jayden.

His lip quivered before speaking, 'his pyewacket,' he said bluntly. The liquid now ran along the stone floor, gathering dust and dirt. It trickled around our feet, stopping for a moment, like it was watching us. It carried on, thickening into a small stream. Elliana sat foreward, edging her finger towards it. She tapped it, but the stream ran around her, forming a small circle. She lifted her finger up, it was still dry. The stream flowed beneath the door, disappearing from the room.

I stepped forward, the light hitting the corner of my eye. I winced, holding my hand up as shade. I opened the door, suddenly covered by warmth. Max stayed behind, his hand placed complacently on Elliana's shoulder.

As my feet hit the floor the heat ran through them, causing me to jump back into the steps that lead into the hut. But the liquid was getting away, I had to follow it. Tip- toeing my feet adjusted to the heat, and gradually I quickened my pace.  The stream quickened too, trickling across the ground it came to the wall that surrounded the village. 'Robyn!' Max shouted, seeing how far away I was. The distant call did not distract me from what I was following. The stream poured through a crack in the wall, to small for me to climb through.

Pulling my knees up I scrambled to the top, lugging my body over the edge. Footsteps followed behind, echoing on the floor. I positioned my hands behind me, and then I pushed, falling upon the grass below.

The stream stopped running, it slowed down and pushed into the ground below the tree. I looked at it, overcome with a terrible feeling. The branches that hang above my head were once bare, and cracked. But now, they stretched over my body in full blossom, full of life. 

Behind me the padding of footsteps ran near, and I could feel warm breath upon my neck. 'what's happening?' I asked Max.  Max stepped forward into my sight, his eyes swollen and red. 'It's his essence,' He replied. I looked at him confused, and he realised that I did not understand. ' I suppose it would be the same as ashes, when humans cremate their loved ones.' He spoke, trying to hold back the tears. I looked back down again and watched as spurts of green erupted from the ground. The green vines grew higher, till they blossomed into tulips.

'My favourite...' I mumbled, crawling onto the ground, so broken that all I could do was  rock myself slowly, curled in a ball.