by Laura Mae
~~~~~~~
“There he is!” Raoul whispered loudly to Sydona from behind her head.
Her eyes narrowed as she pointed the bow in his direction, up in the tree. “Gotcha.” The arrow lined up perfectly with him.
Pfft! The squirrel was pinned to the tree. Sydona smiled with satisfaction. “Dinner is served.”
She climbed up a few branches of the oak tree to grab what she hunted. She retrieved her arrow and put the little gray squirrel in her tote and jumped back down to the leafy ground. Stopping after only a few steps, she heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. Her eyes turned auburn with fear that a predator might have tracked her down as well. Walking as quietly as she could and readying her bow, she approached the shrubs. She concentrated intently into a hole in the bush and noticed a pair of eyes looking back at her. It was a person, and a small one at that.
“Show yourself!” Sydona commanded with her tiny voice. Raoul hid in her pocket as he was not fond of sharing a space with a dead rodent.
The little boy stood up as quickly as he could, looking as frightened as the squirrel as he stared at her weapon.
“Oh, sorry!” She lowered her bow. “I was just doing some hunting.”
Her eyes soon turned back to normal as she observed the person. He was young and unarmed, letting Sydona feel more relaxed. But his face seemed frozen in fear, and he was unable to take his wide eyes off of hers.
“My name is Sydona, but you can call me Syd.” She smiled, happy to see a person her age. “What’s your name?”
“Sam,” the little boy squeaked.
“What are you doing way out here, Sam?” Sydona asked.
“Nothing,” he retorted quickly.
“Oh,” Sydona shuffled her feet and adjusted her bag. She continued, “Well I’m…”
“Are you a flier?” Sam blurted out.
Sydona stopped breathing for a second and tried to choose her words carefully. Why would he ask her that? Did she look like a flier? She always thought she looked very similar to other humans. Was it her blonde hair, her fair skin, her purple eyes--
“My eyes,” she whispered to herself. She never thought of her eyes always being a different color than other people’s.
The little boy took her silence as a yes and bolted toward the town. Sydona’s heart was beating rapidly, and her adrenaline soared. She needed to stop him; he could tell the wrong person and then what would happen to her?
She ran as fast as her small legs could carry her after Sam. He looked back and saw her running closely behind him, which made him panic and trip.
Now was her chance. She lifted him by his shirt and begged, “Please! Please don’t tell anyone, Sam!”
“Let go of me!” Sam struggled to get her off, but she was surprisingly strong for her age.
“Please!” Sydona insisted as her eyes turned a teal, then an olive green color.
Sam saw her eyes change color and was even more frightened. “Get off me!”
“No! You have to promise me you won’t tell anyone!” Sydona was shaking him hard to try to control him. Her anger clouded her judgment, and she pushed him hard, causing him to fall down. He looked behind him. He was very close to the edge of a big pond in the middle of the field. He scrambled to get up with a look of terror and surrender. He was finally able to stand up, but Sydona pushed him again, right into the water.
He bobbed up and down in the water, gasping for air. “Help!” Sam squeaked loudly. “I can’t swim!” he choked.
Sydona panicked at the sight. She rushed to the edge of the water and tried to grab him, but he had moved too far out. Sydona flattened herself out in order to reach out further, but the more Sam flailed, the worse it got.
“Take my hand!” Sydona urged, but the boy was too scared and had fear in his eyes.
Sydona stared at the flailing boy in the water and couldn’t seem to make herself move. Raoul popped out of her pocket and buzzed in the direction of the town and heard people yelling his name.
Sydona could hear them slightly, too, and her heart beat even faster. She looked out towards the voices, trying to figure out what to do. But the next thing she knew, Sam was gone.
“Sam?” Sydona asked herself as she looked at the water again, and all she saw were tiny bubbles, a few lasting ripples, and tiny waves crashing over the cattails. Raoul grabbed her shirt, hinting that she needed to leave. Without thinking, her feet began to move away from the screaming woman, and then, she ran faster and faster into the depths of the nearby forest with Raoul flying right beside her. Her thoughts traveled faster than her legs, and she couldn’t wrap her head around what just happened. But she couldn’t deny it. She had killed someone at only ten years old.
~~~~~~~
The train blew its whistle again as the announcer spoke over the intercom. “Good evening ladies and gentleman. We have arrived at Temple, Wyoming, and it’s approximately 10:40 p.m. Please make sure to grab all of your belongings and stay seated until the train comes to a complete stop. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your night.”
Sydona nudged Willow hard to wake her up, and the group gathered all of their bags and supplies. The train came to a slow, squeaky halt at the station in Temple. Willow grabbed her giant camouflaged backpack and adjusted the straps with a big yawn. Sydona, Giovonna, and Willow wobbled out of the train with shoulders, arms, and hands full of stuff.
“See! That wasn’t so bad, right? No one tried to kill you or anything!” Giovonna smiled at Sydona, trying to make her feel better.
Sydona chuckled as she entered the lobby of another small station. It put her mind at ease that this town was also smaller and not a big city. It was hard enough being on a train full of strangers with no way out; this was like a breath of fresh air. Helping Giovonna to the exit of the station, she looked around and noticed a lone pay phone sitting in the corner. Enough time had passed to where Sydona felt Giovonna’s parents should have an update. It wasn’t clear how long Giovonna told them she would be gone, and Sydona knew her parents would begin to worry. If it was herself, she knew her parents would want several updates. But then again, she was never old enough to go out on her own when her parents were still around. She whispered to Giovonna.
“Hey. I think you should give your parents a call.”
Giovonna sighed and rolled her eyes.
“We’re not going anywhere until you call them.”
“And say what?” Giovonna spat. “That I’m not at a friend’s house but on my way across the country with two older ladies and a fairy? Yeah, that’ll go over real nice.”
Sydona shushed her, afraid the folks still getting off the train would overhear. A couple of people walked by with puzzled expressions, and she suddenly felt uneasy again.
“I’m not going to ask you again,” Sydona said as she took Giovonna’s arm off of her shoulders and nudged her over to the phone.
As Willow turned back towards the girls, Giovonna reluctantly made her way over to the pay phone. Sydona and Willow waited on the bench while she made her call. The building was empty, leaving just the three of them.
“Hi. It’s me.”
“Is mom there?”
Giovonna pulled the phone away from her head and sighed loudly.
“I was calling to see if I can stay at Suzanna’s house a couple more days.”
“Because she’s my friend and--it’s nice being in a different house.”
“I’m in highschool now, dad. You don’t need to keep treating me like a child.”
“Dad!”
“Please. I never ask to do anything!”
She was silent for a few minutes, and Sydona guessed her father was busy yelling at her.
“But--”
“Uuhg, dad!”
“You make me go home right now, and I will tell mom you’re having an affair.”
“Oh, yes I would.”
“Fine. I will!”
“I wouldn’t have to look at your face anymore!”
“Fine!”
She slammed the phone over and over and then hunched over to a nearby chair with her face in her hands. The train station echoed with sobbing while Sydona and Willow slowly made their way over to her.
“What’d he say?” Sydona asked softly.
Giovonna didn’t answer as she was too busy choking back tears. Willow and Sydona exchanged worried looks and mutually decided to leave her be. As they walked back towards their bags they left on the bench, Giovonna answered.
“He told me to not worry about coming back...” she said between breaths.
“Yer pop actually said that to you? What a piece of--horse manure,” Willow answered quickly as she turned back to face the girl.
“I’m sure he didn’t mean it,” Sydona said and made her way over to her.
Giovonna scoffed and wiped her face.
“He just cares about you and wants you to be safe. I’m sure he was just angry when he said that,” Sydona said.
Giovonna shook her head and spoke up.
“I’m adopted--” Giovonna started, “when I was only a year old. And when my eye color changed, they freaked. It’s like they didn’t know what to do with me. They sheltered me because of bullying at schools. I never learned to fly, never knew anything about who I really was. My dad--he and I have never been close. He only tolerates me because of my mom. And even then, mom’s not the best either… She doesn’t defend me. I’m better off without them.”
Sydona shook her head in disappointment. She was starting to see where her anger stemmed from now. Flying was the best feeling imaginable, and to not let your child experience it seemed cruel. To suppress her for being unique and different from them was beyond her comprehension. Sydona was raised to be proud of who she was and proud of being different than the neighborhood kids. Her mother said the world would be very dull if everyone looked and behaved the same way. She wished she could understand what Giovonna was going through. If her own father ever said that to her, she would probably have an equal reaction. Sydona liked to stay out of sticky situations unless it was her own, but there was something about this girl. Her adopted parents had never accepted her for who she was, but Sydona felt she had a chance to fill that gap.
Sydona sat down next to her, and Giovonna immediately wrapped her arms around her. Sydona used one of her free hands to awkwardly tap her arm. Giovonna cried into Sydona’s shirt, muffling the sniffles. Normally, she would be very uncomfortable with being the shoulder to cry on, but this time she felt an odd feeling. She felt needed. And she smiled.
The girls sat for a few moments without words. Sydona didn’t know what else to say to her, but not saying anything was sometimes a good thing. She caught a glimpse of Willow who stood by the exit and yawned heavily. It was almost midnight, and she could feel Raoul getting antsy in her bag. They needed to find a place to crash for the night and let Giovonna rest her leg for a while, too. Moving slowly, Sydona coaxed Giovonna into getting up so they could leave.
As the girls gathered up their belongings, Sydona mentioned they needed to find a place to sleep for the night.
“Can your tent fit three people?” Sydona asked.
“I brought two. One sleeps just one. The other is a bit bigger,” Willow answered as she walked outside.
“A tent?” Giovonna sighed.
“Unless you wanna lay on the wet muddy ground.” Willow jabbed her.
“What, we can’t stay at a hotel or something? I saw that there’s a bed and breakfast near here,” Giovonna said and limped behind them. Sydona lagged back to be her crutch once again.
Sydona smirked and laughed. “No. No hotels. Willow’s tents will do just fine.”
“But I need a shower…” Giovonna whined.
Sydona rolled her eyes. “Don’t we all.”
Low lit street lights guided them along with their soft buzzing, and crickets began their night songs, deafening the distant train horn. Sydona let Raoul out while they made their way, and he hid under her hair when they caught sight of anyone. Only one car had passed by them, but Raoul was in desperate need of fresh air. Giovonna’s leg was throbbing so much that she had to stop for a minute. Sydona suggested she hop on her back for a while.
“You wanna give me a piggyback ride?” Giovonna grinned.
Sydona smirked and removed her backpack. She handed it over to Willow, even though she was already carrying an oversized bag. She squatted down to let Giovonna climb up and grunted as she stood. Starting at a slow pace, with her arms wrapped securely around Giovonna’s legs, she thought she would have some fun and run. Hearing Giovonna laughing made her smile, and Sydona hoped it cheered her up after the phone call with her dad.
Back into the depths of the forest, as far away from the road as they could get, they found a flat area to set up camp. Judging by the direction of the moon, Sydona guessed it was about one in the morning. Everyone felt exhausted and dreaded setting up the tents. Raoul was the most awake since he slept more than everyone on the train, so he helped by giving everyone equipment. Willow decided to sleep in the one-person tent by herself and passed out with her feet sticking out.
“You know, for being in the military and part of the resistance, she sure wears out quickly, huh?” Raoul said to the girls.
“Thanks for your help, buddy.” Sydona yawned. “See you in the morning.”
“You’re going to bed already?” Raoul asked as he zipped around her.
“Yes, you coming?” Sydona took off her red shirt and left the white tank top on.
“But I’m not tired.”
“Okay, well. You can be on lookout for bears then.” Sydona lay down next to Giovonna who was already asleep.
“Bears?!” Raoul whispered.
Sydona shut her eyes and answered, “Yeah…”
“Syd! Wake up! No one said anything about bears being out here!” Raoul flew around the tent in a frenzy.
Sydona furrowed her brows with her eyes still shut. “Sh--it’s fine Raoul. I’m sure they won’t be coming here. Just--go to--sleep…” She barely said this before she passed out.
It felt like only a few hours later when a beam of sunlight came bursting through the tent and into her vision. Her eyes still felt heavy from the short sleep and her body sweaty from the sleeping bag. Squinting her eyes, she saw Giovonna was still asleep with a shirt over her face. And Raoul was on the other side, curled up into a ball. Sydona lay in her sleeping bag, taking a few minutes to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. The crunching of leaves and twigs outside the tent put Sydona on high alert.
“Excuse me. Hello?” a man’s voice called out softly.
Sydona’s heart began to pound out of her chest as she grabbed her dagger. She stayed still, hoping that the stranger would move on.
“Anyone?” he asked again as he walked around the site.
Sydona could see his shadow coming through the tent walls as she followed him around. She positioned herself into a crouch with her knife stiffly ahead, staying as quiet as a mouse.
“Please. I’m lost and haven’t eaten in days,” he pleaded.
Sydona gulped loudly and bounced on her feet, conflicted on if she should help the stranger. Her first thought was that he was a bounty hunter. But they didn’t see anything or anyone on their way to the site. He must have come from miles away. What were the odds that he ended up at their campsite? Raoul and Giovonna were still both sound asleep. She wanted to wake them up but couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t make a lot of noise.
She peeked into her bag, found a couple apples, and grabbed one. Staring at it and wiping off the skin, she sighed. She unzipped the bottom of the opening just big enough to roll the apple out and zipped it back up.
“Oh my, thank you!” the man said loudly and took a bite.
Sydona faced the area where she thought he stood and grabbed her dagger again. “You got food. Now please leave.”
He took a few more bites. “I can’t express how glad I am I came across your site. And you gave me food! There aren’t many people li
ke you left in the world.”
Sydona rolled her eyes and didn’t respond. It was just what he wanted. Giovonna rolled over and opened her eyes.
“What’s going on?” she mumbled.
Sydona put her hand up to the girl’s mouth. Giovonna furrowed her brows and then heard the crunching of an apple outside of their tent. Raoul yawned loudly.
“Who are you talking to, Syd?” Raoul asked sleepily.
“Shh!” she said quickly, frustrated at exactly what she feared they would do.
“Oh, your name’s Syd? I’m Peter,” the man said more loudly. “I would like to thank you properly, if that’s alright?”
Sydona, Raoul, and Giovonna exchanged looks and silently argued over what to do about the stranger. By Giovonna’s expressions, Sydona assumed she thought he was just a normal guy who wanted to thank her. Then, she opened her mouth.
“Just a minute, Peter,” Giovonna called out to him.
Sydona widened her eyes at Giovonna with anger.
Raoul whispered in Sydona’s ear, “I’ll try to throw him off.”
Sydona shook her head quickly, but Raoul didn’t listen.
He flew up to the entrance of the tent, only a few inches from his face, put his hands on his mouth and puffed his chest.
“Listen pal. My friend said leave. So you better go before we make you.” A deep, booming voice came from Raoul, making the girls heads twirl. He sounded like a six-foot tall man. Sydona had never heard him do this voice before, and she would have been impressed if it wasn’t a such stupid idea.
“Hey, I don’t want any trouble. Just wanna thank your friend. I don’t think I’m asking a whole lot here,” said Peter, sounding less friendly.
Raoul looked back at Sydona with a shrug. Sydona responded with an eye roll and thin lips.
The three stayed quiet in the tent, unsure of what to do next and hoping that he would get bored and move on. Sydona wondered what Willow was doing in her tent. Not so much as a peep came from her side. Willow didn’t seem like the rash type that would burst out and attack. Her strategy seemed to be the same as theirs: wait for him to leave.
