Priyam’s brown eyes opened wide. “Like E.T.?!”
Gaia flipped her hands in the air with total agreement of Priyam’s question. “See! That’s what I said too, but they made it look like I was stupid to think that and-”
“G! Focus.” Priyam interrupted Gaia by snapping her fingers. “Terra?”
“Yes.” She took a deep breath to calm down and sat next to Bobby. “Terra is a place on this planet that is here but at the same time is not here.”
“Super clear,” Priyam said cynically.
Gaia walked around the room packing her stuff while telling her friend everything that had happened that day and all the crazy new information she learned. She talked about Azazel, about her true nature, her quest, and the fact that her tumor wasn’t really a tumor but the machine picking up the shadow of her powers locked up by her necklace.
She knew it sounded crazy and it made no sense whatsoever, but Priyam kept listening and never once doubted her. Gaia felt lucky to have a friend weird enough to believe everything that she was babbling about instead of offering to send her to a mental institution.
Gaia pushed her clothes to the bottom to make more space in her suitcase. “And thanks to the mark that got imprinted on the ground and the one on Synthia’s chest, Azazel is coming here and now we have to protect her.”
Priyam passed Gaia some of her clothes to pack them. “Why don’t you leave her?”
“See, that’s what I thought at first, but if he finds her he will torture her for information about me and then kill her.” Gaia continued packing her stuff.
“So, why don’t you leave her?” she teased.
“Priy!”
“I’m just saying, girl is crazy.”
Gaia placed some books inside the suitcase and tried to close it. “Crazy yes, annoying definitely, but by no means am I leaving her to die.”
“Fine…” Priyam leaned against the suitcase helping Gaia to close it. “I know I’ve been helping you for like twenty minutes, but why are you packing?”
“I need to go,” she said and took a deep breath. After all the excitement, fear and crazy amount of changes, the fact sunk in that she would have to leave her best friend and only family. Her chest clenched with pain at what she would be losing. “And I don’t think I’m coming back,” she said trying her best not to break down.
“No problem,” Priyam took out an already packed suitcase and a yellow envelope from under her bed.
“What are those?” asked Gaia.
“Ever since we saw The Hobbit, I’ve kept a suitcase packed and a letter to Miss Brown explaining we’re leaving,” smiled Priyam.
“You’re kidding.”
“You know I never kid when it comes to The Hobbit.” Priyam wrote Miss Brown’s name on the envelope and left it on the bed. “Where are we going?”
“What? You can’t come.”
“But I will.” Priyam smiled and took out a yellow jacket.
“No, it’s dangerous.” Gaia stopped her with her hands. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
“Adventures are always dangerous. Besides, I can manage,” she said.
After all the things Gaia has seen in real life and in her dream; the beasts, the fire, the killings, she shuttered in terror. “You can’t. You can get hurt.”
Priyam cracked a smile. “Says the girl who trips every five minutes.”
“That has nothing to do with this.”
“Look, the one tiny bit cool thing about being an orphan is that I can literally leave in situations like this. Don’t you dare take that away from me,” said Priyam as she emptied her drawer into her Firefly backpack.
“I know, but if you leave with me, you might not come back either.”
Priyam chuckled, “Come back to what? My school is burned thanks to you, next year I will become legal so I’ll have to find another place to live and they closed the only movie theater in town. Ten snowboarding stores but just one damn theater and they freaking close it! You are not only my best friend G, but you are also the only family I’ve got. I’m not going to lose you, too.” Priyam shrugged her shoulders, “Besides, this town is full of ridiculously polite and cheerful people. You would be doing me a favor.”
“Fine.” Gaia took her suitcase and walked to the door. “If Edan starts giving me crap, it’s all your fault.”
“Who’s Edan?” asked Priyam as she followed her.
“Mr. Blau.”
Priyam gasped. “Alaric Saltzman is coming with us?!”
“Unfortunately,” she murmured. “And please… stop comparing Edan to TV teachers.”
Gaia and Priyam walked out of the orphanage to find Edan waiting against Bobby. His face twitched at the sight of Priyam holding a suitcase. “What is Miss Singh doing here?”
Ignoring his question, Gaia walked past Edan. “Her name is Priyam.”
Edan followed her. “I know who she is. What I don’t know is, what’s she doing here?”
“She’s coming with us.” Gaia gave Edan her suitcase and walked away.
“Her, too?” he asked holding the heavy luggage.
“Yes,” Gaia smiled.
Edan turned in front of Gaia making her stop. “This is not a pajama party.”
“I know,” she said, “and I don’t mind.”
“Of course you don’t.” Edan took Priyam’s packed bag. “What is this?”
“My computer.”
“Then what is that?” he pointed at the bigger bag.
“Chocolates, marshmallows, nuts, candies and other snacks. What else could it be?”
“You are joking, right?” The girls smiled. Edan hung the bags on his shoulder and walked away. “She’s not joking,” he muttered as the girls followed.
Chapter 10
Home-Based Tree
AGES… Gaia thought as she dragged her feet. We’ve been walking for ages!
That day, the more they walked, the denser the forest became. The trees grew taller and thicker, the air smelled fresher and the weather got colder. From time to time, Veter and Shui wielded their elements creating a snowstorm that erased any type of footprints or clues that could help someone track their location.
Gaia rubbed her mittens against each other. She slid them over her legs but it made no improvement. She tried again and again until Edan walked towards her and grabbed both of her hands. The warmth was instantaneous, not only on her hands but throughout her entire body.“Keep walking,” he said and left to the front of the line.
“Thank you,” said Gaia, almost sure he did it out of ‘leader obligation’ rather than kindness.
“Was he being nice?” Priyam whispered as if she was reading Gaia’s thoughts.
“I don’t think he knows that word,” joked Gaia.
Willow pulled Synthia and intentionally crashed against Gaia’s shoulder.“Because you know him so well,” she said and continued walking in front of them.
“Wow, two minutes guarding Synthia and she’s already turned into a bitch,” whispered Priyam.
“I don’t think it’s because of Synthia.” Gaia laughed out loud, “She’s not contagious, you know.”
Priyam smiled mischievously. “Thank Nature, nobody wants the T-virus spreading all over.”
“Speaking of thanking, I know I said you couldn’t come with us, but I’m glad you did anyway. Thank you for that.”
“Please, walking around in an endless barrage of trees for longer than I’ve ever walked in my life while freezing my butt off next to you? Wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.” They both smiled.
Synthia tripped on her broken heels and fell face down. Her knees hit the ground, and her hair got tangled on a branch “How long until we get to the hotel?” she whined.
Willow took her by one of her elbows and dug her out of the muddy snow. “We’re not staying in a hotel.”
“Maybe not you.” She pushed Willow away and untied her hair. “So not cool
.”
Gaia felt bad for Synthia. Priyam chose to be there but Synthia didn’t. She was there, cold and looking terrible, which seemed to be torture for her. Not to mention she was forced to leave her life behind. What about her parents? Gaia’s and Priyam’s situation weren’t quite common, but Synthia’s life was different. She was leaving a family behind. They must be very worried… Gaia felt that opening up to Synthia might be a terrible idea but there was nothing else she could do now and she wasn’t going to leave her behind. “Synthia?”
Synthia glared at Gaia with disgust, pushing her out of her way. “What do you want, loser?”
Gaia checked to see if anyone besides Priyam was close enough to hear them and took out her phone. “Priyam told me we shouldn’t use it for tracking reasons, but if you need it, I can lend you my cell phone.”
“Ick... why would I need that crappy old thing?” she squeaked and kept walking.
“It’s been almost four days since the school fire, maybe you should call your parents. Let them know you’re ok.”
“Like they would notice I’m missing.”
Gaia looked at Willow, who was more preoccupied with trying to talk to Edan than with guarding Synthia. “I’m pretty sure they would.”
“They won’t. My mother will be too high on her meds to notice anything. My father keeps himself busy spending his hordes of money on his lovers.” Synthia brushed her messy extensions with her fingers as they walked. “They never care what I do as long as I stay quiet.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why? I love it. Last time I ran away my dad gave me a car when I came back. Imagine what he’ll give me after all this?” Having semi-fixed her hair, Synthia pinched her cheeks and pouted her lips. “Mr. Blau! Wait for me!”
Gaia stared baffled at Synthia’s reckless flirting. “Priy… Did that just happened?”
“I don’t want to even acknowledge this conversation.”
Veter walked towards them. “Hello, ladies.”
“Ugh, Veter!” Priyam shivered at the sight of Veter’s lack of warm clothes. “You make me feel colder just looking at you.” Priyam hugged herself and rubbed her arms, making herself feel slightly warmer. “Seriously, there’s a human thing called hypothermia, you should research it.”
“This is nothing,” he said as he ran his hands over his light T-shirt and brown leather vest. “You should see the mountain I grew up on. Now, that’s cold.”
“I think I’ll pass.” Priyam’s teeth clenched in horror.
“Veter, the sun is about to set, shouldn’t we be finding shelter now?” asked Gaia as she noticed that the day was beginning to look greyer.
“No need,” he smiled. “We are here.” Veter gave Gaia a small bow and returned to Shui’s side.
Gaia and Priyam looked to the road Veter had pointed to and saw nothing but trees. “Is it me or does it look the same as the past thirty miles?”
“Maybe… fewer rocks?” Gaia looked around for a good place to camp when she saw a golden tree. Taller and thicker than the rest, the golden tree lifted up, digging out its roots creating an arch that seemed like a door. Hunter walked inside the root’s arch and disappeared.
“Priy!” Gaia grabbed Priyam’s shoulder. “Do you see that?” She pointed at the golden tree.
“What” she asked and looked in the direction Gaia was pointing. One by one, The Six, Synthia and Edan disappeared the moment they walked through the arch. “Oh, my! Please tell me this is Nature’s version of platform 9 ¾!” Priyam gasped with excitement. “G, if it’s a dream… don’t wake me up.”
“Trust me, it’s not a dream.”
The two friends walked to the golden tree and stopped. They searched for ways to describe what was happening or what was beyond the arch but everything looked the same to them. “What happens after we cross?” asked Priyam.
Gaia shrugged her shoulders. “No idea.”
Priyam touched the soft golden root but nothing happened. “Where will this take us?”
“No idea,” replied Gaia.
Priyam took a step back from the tree. “I’m glad you like traveling well informed,” she joked.
“Try asking them questions,” said Gaia. “It’s like getting information from the sun.”
Priyam walked and stepped right next to Gaia. “Well then, I guess we’ll find out now.”
Gaia looked at her friend with a conflicted expression. “Sorry your life got weird since you met me.”
“I’m not. Weird is interesting.” Priyam smiled and stretched her hand towards Gaia. “Ready, G?”
Gaia took her best friend’s hand and smiled back. “As ever.”
The two friends took a big step forward, crossed the arch and walked into the top of a beautiful, sunny hill.
The ground was no longer covered in snow, the air wasn’t freezing cold, and there was a big clearing without any trees. Beneath the hill, there was even more open space without trees and, next to it, a gorgeous lake. The smell of fresh air and the warmth of the sunlight hitting their faces made Gaia feel relaxed and at home.
“Watch out!” screamed Edan as he lifted his hand and incinerated a flying rock with a ball of blue fire.
“Sorry!” Veter apologized as he kept moving his hands in a circle carrying a group of rocks with the wind. He lowered his hands and they all fell in order around a big flat rock.
“Can you be a little more aware of your surroundings?” Edan scolded them. He took a moment to assess the situation. “Since it’s obvious neither of you can help, why don’t you sit down there and let us work?”
Priyam and Gaia looked at where Edan was pointing and saw Shui preventing Synthia from taking her Celtic choker while the underdressed teen whined about every single thing.
Priyam snorted and gave little pats to Edan’s back. “Great offer Fireball, but I’ll take my chances with the rocks.”
Gaia laughed at how funny Edan’s face looked with his deep frown, wide eyes and lips pressed together into one thin line. She couldn’t tell if it was the nickname Priyam gave him, having someone touch him or a combination of both that made him cringe that way. Without a word, Edan bolted like a cat that’d been splashed with water.
“We better move from here,” Gaia said searching for a better place to sit when she saw Willow wielding roots and vines into small bungalows. Next to her stood a tree whose leaves floated around its branches. A tree that Gaia was more than acquainted with.
“Bobby?!” Gaia ran to the tree and placed her hands on its trunk. The feeling was overwhelming. She knew it was strange, but for her it felt as if she just found a member of the family she thought lost forever.
Twisting his eyebrows, Donovan took a look at his friends to see if anyone knew what Gaia was talking about. “Bobby?” he asked. They all shrugged their shoulders.
“She’s talking about the tree,” said Priyam as she walked between Veter and Hunter. “I know… worst name ever,” she added before anyone had actually complained.
Gaia slid her fingers across its rough warm surface. She trailed the carved symbols the same way she’d done ever since she was little. A small piece of familiarity. She lay down between its roots and leaned her head against the trunk.
From her cocoon of comfort, Gaia watched how everyone used their elements to create rooms or furniture.
Hunter climbed the trees like a monkey and placed traps and marks with the crystals that were made by the elements. It was clear that he was not only used to climbing, but that he felt the most comfortable swinging and jumping between the trees.
Shui walked around evaporating the small remaining clumps of snow. Watching the snow turn so fast into vapor and fly around all of them was something incredible to witness.
“Where have you been all my life?” Priyam beamed with happiness. Gaia turned around and saw her talking to Veter as he smoked a cigar and moved his hand to control an air bubble that was holding Synthia and her screams inside.
Donovan helped Willow build the bun
galows next to Gaia and the First Tree while Edan sat at the dining rock table preparing their next move and options.
Done with their work, Veter, Shui and Priyam walked to Gaia. She lifted her head smiling. “How? This tree was in Truckee.”
“And before that, it used to be in Terra,” said Veter as he placed both of the suitcases on the ground and stretched. “This tree goes wherever you go, Moja Princeza. It follows the essence of nature.”
“The day you were born it grew in front of your house, that’s how we knew you were Mother Nature’s next reincarnation.” Shui smiled at the memories of that day. “Edan was the first one to see it,” she whispered trying not to let Edan hear her.
“You guys were there?” Gaia asked excited.
“Edan and Willow were there,” said Shui as she sat down next to Gaia. “He was three-years-old back then.”
“People? Or whatever you call yourself in Terra…” coughed Priyam and they all looked at her. “Don’t get me wrong, I dig the idea of a walking magical tree but isn’t it… dangerous? Couldn’t anyone see a giant and super recognizable tree and know she’s here?”
“Good question, but no,” said Donovan, sitting next to them. “Only innocent souls can see greatness in mundane things. A corrupted being, or any other person who’s lost the power of being amazed, could never see a tree for its true beauty. They would see paper, money and furniture; anything but the fact that this tree or any other living creatures sharing the same planet with them,” he said and stood up. “Anyway… Welcome to the tour!” He opened his hands like a magician at the beginning of a show.
Gaia took a look around her, the place was enchanting. The camp was divided in two; the upper part of the hill and the lower terrain after the skirts of the hill. On the upper part, right on the highest point, there was Bobby surrounded by all the bungalows. Ten feet away from the bungalows, there was a big storage room with a wooden table carved from an already dead tree. At the opposite side of the storage, there was a big dining table made from a large plain rock and a small kitchen made of rocks, stones, plants and a small waterfall.
Seasons Within Box Set Page 10