by Tara Maya, Elle Casey, J L Bryan, Anthea Sharp, Jenna Elizabeth Johnson, Alexia Purdy (epub)
I shrugged. Who knew what went on in that guy's head? My mom always said that still waters ran deep, so maybe Chase had a lot more things going on than I realized. But if he did, he rarely showed signs of it. He reminded me of a military recruit, just waiting to take orders. I ignored him in favor of making our plan.
"So, what's next?"
We all stood there looking at each other, none of us wanting to be the first one to speak. I think seeing Jared's flag on the waypoint had kind of bummed them out or something.
I sighed. It sucked being the only one with their proverbial shit together. "Listen guys, we have some options. We can stop for a while; we can eat; we can stay here for the night; we can keep truckin'. Just tell me what you want to do and I'll do it."
"I'm starved," said Finn, rubbing his belly.
"Yeah, I was starving too after I had a dose of tree-healing," said Becky.
Tony was looking through his bag. "I don't know about you guys, but I really don't have much food left." He pulled out the last meal packet he had - mystery beef - and a half bottle of water. He looked out towards the lake, and I could almost see his mind working. We needed more water.
Before I could interject with my theories on drinking water from a lake that allegedly had some lady living in it, I was distracted by the look on Tony's face.
He opened his mouth and yelled, "Hey, Chase! Where are you going?!"
I turned in time to see Chase walking towards the edge of the lake. He didn't answer. He just kept moving towards someone standing in the water. Someone wearing a long, white, flowing dress - a lady.
"Fuck balls, it's the bitch in the lake!" I ran towards Chase to intervene.
The woman raised her hand towards Chase and he obediently returned the gesture, continuing forward, his feet now nearly touching the water.
I reached his side and nudged him. He didn't look at me; he just took another step forward.
"Hey, big guy, where ya goin'?" I asked.
No response.
I grabbed hold of his outstretched arm, pulling on it a little, but he just shrugged me off.
I ducked under his arm and stepped in front of him, putting my hands on his chest to stop his forward movement, my feet now in the water. "Just hold up a minute, Chase ... what's your hurry?"
He just kept walking forward, still in some sort of trance, pushing me ahead of him and deeper into the water.
"A little help here, guys!" I yelled, straining with the effort of keeping this human bulldozer from drowning himself, which is what I figured the Lady's plan was for him. She was like a siren or something, luring him into her watery lair.
Screw that - not on my watch!
Becky came running over to help me. She stood in front of Chase too, pushing with all her puny might.
"Where are the others?" I grunted out, my feet slipping farther into the water, dredging up some muck on the way. I could feel it going into my Converse. "This ho-bag is ruining my sneakers. She's gonna pay."
"I don't think the guys are going to be much help," said Becky, mysteriously.
I snuck a peek around Chase's arm and was thoroughly alarmed by what I saw. Spike, Finn, and Tony were all staring out at the lake, their eyes glazed over.
"Sonofabitch!" I yelled. How is it that we could take out a pack of ferocious werewolves with a slingshot and a couple of arrows, but a watery bitch floating in the lake was going to kill all my guy friends with a look? This was totally fucked up. Guys were so vulnerable sometimes.
I slid down to my knees, taking Chase's legs in my arms. Then I sat down in the muck and wrapped my legs around both of his as best I could, like I used to do to my dad when I was a little kid and he wasn't yet a flaming asshole, trying to keep him from going out the door to work. I had to get in contact with the ground and keep Chase from moving at the same time.
I put my hand down in the water, touching the shore beneath. Green things, help me. Grab my friends. Pull them away from the water. I pictured ivy and vines coming out from the forest and winding themselves around the guys and then dragging them back away from the lake. I left Becky out of the vision, even though she was pretty much zero help at all right now. No need to truss her up along with them. Maybe she'd come in handy later. She still had her knife.
The forest must have felt my urgency along with my instructions. The vines crawled across the ground at a much quicker speed than I would have thought possible. They reached the guys' feet and then traveled upwards, slithering like snakes up their legs and torsos, weaving around themselves and wrapping the guys like mummies as they went. I made sure The Green knew its goal was to hinder and not strangle. It was alarming to think how quickly my plan to protect could turn into a hangman's noose if I wasn't very clear about what I wanted.
Now that I thought about it, though, strategizing using images was better than using words. When I thought in language and then matched my images to words, like I did the night I asked The Green to protect Tony and me, I failed to take into account that my specific words don't consider other scenarios. It was fascinating, this whole topic, but I didn't have time right now to mull it over or analyze it further. First, I had to immobilize the guys. Then I had to kick this watery bitch's ass.
There was a thud as Tony's body hit the ground. He was struggling to get up, but his arms were now restrained at his sides. He was tangled in vines from his ankles to his shoulders. A second and third thud vibrated through the ground as Spike and Finn went down. Finn didn't struggle much, but Spike was pissed. He really wanted a piece of that waterlogged ass I guess. Stupid guys.
More vines had made their way to Chase, so I scooted away to let them do their thing. He was covered up to his armpits by the time I got to my feet, and they were beginning to make some headway in drawing him back away from the lake and its beckoning resident. I was covered in watery muck from the waist down.
"Fuck me, I'm wet everywhere," I said with disgust. I had my head down assessing my soggy clothes, so I didn't see exactly what happened next.
"Jayne!" screamed Becky, a violent splashing making its way to my ears.
I looked up and saw the aftermath of my critical planning error. The Lady was close to the shore and had Becky by the hand, pulling her out into the water. The Lady was just floating, but she was floating backwards, dragging a struggling Becky behind her.
Chase was being pulled away from the lake and back towards the forest by the vines. I called out to The Green to come and help Becky, but the vines stopped on the edge of the water, gently bobbing up and down with the rhythm of the waves created by Becky's still fighting form. She was up to her shoulders now, heading out to deeper waters.
"Becky!" I screamed, making to go in after her. The vines, which moments ago had refused to go into the water, suddenly awakened and grabbed me, wrapping their leafy arms around my legs, stopping me from going farther.
I slapped at them, grabbing and pulling as hard as I could to get them off. The more I tried to escape, the harder they wrapped themselves around me. More vines came to join the party. Pretty soon I was going to look like one of the guys - a green mummy.
"Let me go! I have to get her!" I sobbed.
"Jayne, help me!" Becky screamed in sheer panic.
I had to do something, but apparently swimming after her was a no-go, thanks to my ropey green friends. I tried in that moment not to question their loyalty - they'd never done anything but help me, so I had to believe they were doing that now.
I let them know that I wasn't going to go in the lake, turning to head back to shore. They loosened their hold on me and I ran back to where Finn had fallen, finding his bow and arrows lying next to him on the ground. I picked them up and tried to hold the bow, and at the same time, load an arrow. It was much harder to do than it looked.
I considered freeing Finn from the vines, but his eyes were still glazed over. I couldn't trust that he would help me and not go drown himself.
I sent a mayday message out to The Green, not expecting t
here to be a plant out there that knew how to shoot bows and arrows, but I didn't know what else to do. I stood on the shore of the lake, tears streaming down my cheeks as I watched Becky's face begin to disappear below the surface of the water, her eyes confirming the fear she felt as she approached her watery death.
"Becky! I'm sorry!" I screamed. I hated myself at that moment for being so powerless.
The bow and arrow were jerked from my hand. I started to fight, thinking one of my other friends had escaped and was going to follow Becky in, but it wasn't one of them. It was a small person, not much bigger than Becky herself, dressed in clothes that can only be described as camouflage, even though it wasn't a military variety. His shoes were more like moccasins and made no sound as he stepped one pace away from me. He lifted the weapon and, in one swift motion, notched the shaft in place, drew back the string, and let the arrow fly.
It sang through the air, hitting its intended target, piercing the heart of the Lady of the Lake. She let out a harrowing screech - it sounded like the cry of a thousand desperate, tortured souls. It was horrible. I covered my ears, trying to keep the sound away. I knew without question and without being told that too much of it could drive a person mad. I was already thinking that this world really sucked just hearing her screech one time - that was some powerful negativity coming at me. The Lady sunk beneath the surface, her deep crimson blood pouring down her gown and coloring the water around her. She kept her eyes locked on mine, even as the water rose up and covered her head. I saw anger in her eyes, and a silent promise of vengeance.
I anxiously watched the water for signs of Becky. My vines, sensing perhaps that I was again considering a water rescue, slithered up my legs. I absently brushed them away, knowing they were wasting their time because I'd never make it. The Lady was down, but I hadn't actually seen her die. The look on her face had said that she'd like nothing better than to get her clammy hands on me.
The place where Becky had disappeared was calm. A few bubbles rose to the surface, which instantly got my hopes up, but then nothing followed. No waves, no ripples, no more bubbles. No Becky.
"Is she gone?" I asked.
The man next to me didn't answer, so I looked at him. He nodded at me in silence.
I dropped my face into my hands and sobbed. The man pulled me away from the edge, pushing down on my shoulder when I drew near my vine-entangled friends. I lowered myself to the ground, not thinking, just grieving.
I knew if Becky hadn't come out of the lake by now, she was never going to come out. She was gone and it was all my fault. I had chosen to help the guys, but left her unprotected and vulnerable. The sobs racked my body. She was only a kid, tiny and unable to fend for herself. I should have taken care of her. I should have known better than to leave her out there.
My heart was breaking. I hadn't known Becky that well, but I did know that she was a good person. She was always happy, always positive. She was like a girl version of my Tony. That realization made me cry even harder. When had our lives become so fucked up? One day I was worried about a trip to the principal's office, and the next, I was watching a really great kid getting drowned in a lake and my friends being hypnotized into nearly committing suicide.
I felt a movement nearby as one of the guys bumped up against me.
"Jayne, what the hell's going on?" asked Tony, struggling against his bonds. "Why am I all tied up?"
Spike spoke next. "Yo, not so sure I'm okay with the S&M. Can someone untie me please?"
Finn was still just lying there, I assumed too weak from his recently healed injury to protest too much.
Chase struggled in silence, not managing to get very far but not due to lack of effort. He grunted with the strain he was putting into breaking the vines.
"Just stop, Chase, I'll let you go."
I sent a request out to The Green to release my friends, and they were freed within seconds. I thanked the vines for their help, because without it, I'd no doubt be mourning the loss of five friends and not just one. But one was more than enough. I started crying again.
The guys sat up, rubbing the circulation back into their arms and legs. Tony scooted over to sit next to me, laying his arm across my shoulders. Spike came to my other side, putting his arm around my waist. Chase stood, gazing out at the water.
I looked up and saw what he was doing through my tears. "Chase, turn around!" I yelled, panic in my voice.
Chase turned to look at me with a questioning expression.
"There's a fucking siren bitch in there who already hypnotized you once. Don't look out there because I'm not fucking coming after you again." I was furious, but not at him. I was more angry with myself than anyone or anything else.
Chase came back to stand in front of me. "Where's Becky?" he asked softly.
I dropped my head down, unable to look at them. "She went into the lake. She's not coming back. I couldn't save her." I threw my head up, disgusted with myself and yelling in frustration through my tears. "Correction! I could have saved her, but I didn't. She's dead because of me!"
The pain overwhelmed me, crushed me. I couldn't think straight. I needed to get back into the forest and far, far away from this lake - this place of death. "Get me away from here," I begged.
Tony and Spike helped me stand.
Chase stopped for a minute, opening Becky's bag. He pulled out her flare and her flint, sparking it until it caught and lit the end of the flare. He held it up above his head and aimed it out over the lake. I watched it fire off its bright red light and send a signal soaring up into the sky. It was too late for a rescue ... I knew that. The thought had me crying all over again. Chase threw the spent cartridge down on the shore of the lake.
The guys bent down, collecting our weapons, including Becky's knife that had been dropped near the water's edge. Seeing it brought even more tears to my eyes. I had so many of them rushing out I could hardly see anymore. Even so, I ran to the edge of the lake and picked up the cartridge. I don't know why, but I just wanted to keep it.
"Leave it. So they can find her," said Chase, softly.
I stopped walking and just dropped the cartridge where I was standing. So they could find her dead body. A horrific thought. I doubted they'd even bother. It was their fault it had happened. Theirs and mine.
My friends led me into the forest, away from the lake and towards the waypoint, gently guiding me finally to sit under a stand of trees. Within seconds, leaves were falling all over me. I paid no attention, only barely registering their soft caresses sliding across my arms or brushing my head before tumbling in slow motion down my back to the ground. Soon I was nearly buried in the sympathies and condolences of The Green.
My sobs quieted down bit by bit. I was aware of the guys standing nearby, talking in low tones. The only thing I cared about right then was making sure none of them was walking back to that fucking lake. I didn't have any more tears left to cry for them.
Tony noticed that I had stopped and came over, crouching down beside me in the pile of leaves. "I know you're not better, but are you good enough to walk? We think it's best if we get out of this area before nightfall."
I wiped my nose and eyes off with the sleeve of my sweatshirt, nodding. I hated to leave Becky's final resting place, but the farther away from that witch in the water we were, the better off we were all going to be. I wished that I had the luxury of giving in to my feelings of revenge, because that bitch had it coming to her. The world was now short one awesome kid, and that just wasn't right. But we needed to leave this place and finish this nightmare test.
I stood to join the guys and, suddenly remembering my short-statured savior, looked around to see where he was.
"What are you looking for, Jayne?" asked Spike.
"The guy who shot that bitch in her evil, rotten, slimy heart."
"Uh, what guy?"
"There was a guy here. He took Finn's bow and arrow and shot her. I couldn't do it - I couldn't work the damn thing." I tried not to feel shame about that f
act. It's not like I'd ever held one before. "Maybe I should've had you teach me, Finn."
Tony nudged me. "Stop torturing yourself. You had no way of knowing."
He was in my head again, but this time I wasn't mad about it. It was lonely in there right now, and I could use the company.
"Well, whoever he is, he's not here now. It's just us guys," said Spike.
Minus Becky, was all I could think. My depression settled over me like a heavy, dark cloak.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I trudged on, walking behind Chase and Spike and in front of Finn. Tony walked next to me whenever the terrain would allow it. They were boxing me in, protecting me as best they could. I knew if something attacked us right now, I'd be of no help at all. All I wanted to do was lie down and sleep for the next ten years. Maybe by then I'd be able to forget all this madness.
I alternated between feeling helpless and sorry for myself, and being pissed and ready to kill any of the people of One Eleven Group with my bare hands. In those moments, I was feeling pretty confident that I could even take Ivar down. Rage had a way of bringing on the adrenaline and superhuman powers for me - or at least, the illusion of them.
Superpowers. That reminded me of the interview and the meeting we went to two days ago. Was it just two days ago? The beginning of the lies. My superpowers sure would have come in handy here in the forest. I hesitated in my thoughts. I kind of was using superpowers - at least in my interactions with The Green. I wasn't doing anything myself, but I was involved. Something was bothering me, something my subconscious was seeing that I wasn't. I think I was just too exhausted from the emotional pain and fatigue to focus. I had to get my mind off it for a little while. Maybe it would come to me later when I wasn't trying to think about it so hard.
I hummed one of the tunes Spike had played in the warehouse. He looked back at me and smiled, reaching out his hand to touch my shoulder. It felt nice, the contact. These kids were nice people; they didn't deserve this shit any more than I did.