Elrich Saga Yellow Springs Book Two

Chapter 29- I Leave it to Illia

Chapter 29- I Leave it to Illia

Illia and I were giving everyone their space. We'd just discovered what the mysterious monster was then everyone just sort of exploded from the stress. Well, that's how I saw it. Crue and Sturgis were fighting over something. Presumably, it had to do with me and their paranoia about their own pasts. I still wasn't certain why everything had escalated the way it did, but I was planning on asking Crue first chance I got.

Then Illia and I had our moment. Was it a moment? Her running away from home to escape her family and my possibly becoming a sexual deviant. It was certainly a difficult conversation, I know I was still processing some of the information she'd given me. Perhaps she was doing the same.

She didn't seem that concerned about what I was going to become. I know I bounced between outright panic, just ignoring the problem, and an 'oh well, shit' attitude. Not very helpful when it came to dealing with complex issues, but it was how I dealt with it. I felt like I was a 'roll with the punches' kind of guy.

There were times when things would happen in this new world and I'd be fine. That is the way this place worked, the way I'd been rewired not to panic in normally panic-inducing situations. Then there were moments when the fear set in. The anxiety, the defeatist in me coming out. The uncertainty that everything would work out and be alright had me fighting a battle within myself. At night was when those thoughts were the worst.

I felt so calm right now though. For the first time in a while that hind-brain panic had subsided. Perhaps it was sharing with Illia. Her acceptance. It might be that I was just so exhausted from all the embarrassing questions and constant anxiety of the situation that my brain just shut down.

Nope, said my brain, I'm not going to do it anymore, sort your own business out.

But brain, my business is your business.

I don't give a rat's ass, I'm on vacation.

Our group was sorting itself out, we had a crazy powerful monster running around nearby, and here I was all calm and peaceful. Talking to myself in my own head, but still fairly peaceful. However, thinking about why I was so calm, seemed to push that calm state further away.

Damn, I was working myself up again.

That was a short vacation, put down the sunscreen brain you need to get back to work.

"Hey, can I sit here?" Lotte popped up from around the corner. She looked upset, really upset, like she'd been crying. Her stormy gray eyes were all puffy and swollen. Her complexion was a bit blotchy too.

I moved over and offered her a place on our makeshift stone bench.

"Hey," I said in reply.

"Hi," Illia added.

Lotte sat down. The silence was weird, very weird. Do something me! Make it not so awkward.

I had nothing. I silently fed Amisi another berry. I sucked at interpersonal relationships, relationships in general. I didn't have any clue on how to fix this.

"I think I owe you both an apology," Lotte slowly started.

"Um, if it's about back there, I'm sure there are reasons." I was trying to be the nice guy, but honestly, I really wanted to know those reasons. I silently urged her to spill.

"It's fine," Illia said cheerily, "no harm done. Let them work it out." How was she so perky in this situation? Sometimes girls just baffled me.

"No, I've been thinking about it and I've been acting rude."