The green pastures surrounded Amanda and her group, as they continued their way on their unforeseen journey. The sun beat down on their necks as sweat trickled down the creases of their collars. There weren't any water sources for miles and no food other than the snacks they still had from before the blast. Amanda remembered what it was like trekking this trail in the unbearable heat with no sustenance and no rations. She tried to stay optimistic that they'd find water or food on the way, but she was beginning to lose hope.
The open field was very quiet, there were no chirps in the trees and no obnoxious screeching from the crows above. The only sound any of them could hear were the sounds of their own feet dragging in the dirt below scuffing along as they kicked up the pebbles. The wind picked up through the morning as they ventured closer to the nearby forest, but even a slight breeze wasn't enough to cool the feeling of the overbearing sun above.
"I think I can see the forest!" Boulder shouted, excitedly picking up the pace.
"Thank god I can see it too!" Amanda replied, shuffling faster through the dirt as the tiny pebbles kicked up and brushed against her legs. Ashur stayed quiet, he didn't want to ruin the mood but he knew what they were walking into. He saw the bodies in the shelter up close. He knew what happened to the people in that town and he wasn't excited to go back.
He didn't know if the radiation was poisonous and he didn't particularly want to find out. He knew that answers were essential and that if they were anywhere they would be in the military base just north of town, but he wasn't convinced that the answers they got would be worth the risk. He looked over the wildflower fields vibrant with color and beauty as always. His mind wandered as he stared at the cresting mountains bearing a thick layer of clouds rolling over them like a sheet of smoke. He thought of his mother who he'd seen that day in the shelter.
He thought of her face, she was so terrified her eyes widened and her mouth hung open. He thought of the last thing he said to her before he left for school. Nothing, she had already left for work by the time he was awake. His father was the last face he saw. He remembered hugging his dad softly and saying a swift "I love you," before leaving the house. It wasn't much but he hoped his mom knew he loved her too.
The further they walked the further the forest felt. Feelings of hopelessness washed over the three of them as they inched closer and closer. Amanda dropped her head, she was exhausted and scared. She had no hope anymore she had no clear thoughts her mind was fuzzy and blank. She stared down at her hands, they were so sweaty that every one of her fingers began to prune. Silently and hopelessly she began to weep. However, though she was sad and scared she didn't have enough hydration left in her body to produce a single tear.
She began to slow down and started to believe they would never reach the forest, she swore was right there. Then when all hope was lost and she felt like stopping and waiting for death to pull her from her prison, on the ground by her feet, sat a twig that had fallen off of a tree. She gathered all of her strength with hope in her heart and wide eyes. She lifted her head and there it stood, the forest that led back to the lake where she last saw the only family she knew she had left. They had finally made it.
"Look!" She shouted, waving her hands with delight. Ashur and Boulder both lifted their heads, optimism circled them once more, and they filled with hope that they might make it after all. They began to run with the strength they had left and stood by Amanda staring into the abyss.
"Welcome to Westbrook," She said, nervously.
"A few more miles and we're almost home," Boulder said, giving a less enthusiastic version of his signature thumbs up.
"I say we rest here for a while, give us a chance to cool down and recuperate. Then we can finish the rest of the journey from here," Ashur said, plopping down in the dirt below, feeling the relief on his feet the minute his weight was no longer resting on them.
"Works for me," Boulder said, plopping down beside him.
"Okay, we'll get some rest and keep pushing forward," Amanda agreed, sitting beside her friends. The breeze felt nice as it rippled through the trees, the sun wasn't as aggressive with all the shade up above, and the sweat slowly began to dissipate from their oily foreheads, leaving a sticky residue behind. It was easy sailing from here, just a few more miles and they'd be exactly where they needed to be. As they sat there catching their breaths a wave of exhaustion fell over them.
They hadn't realized that walking for almost five hours in the heat with no food or water could affect them this badly. Even though they had made it back within the Westbrook border they dreaded moving any further with nothing to sustain them until they reached the river. Even then none of them knew if the water was safe to drink. Amanda sat trying to hold her head up, but it was no use it grew heavier than her neck could bear, before slumping over her shoulder.
Ashur's eyes were almost as heavy. He could feel himself begin to fade away. No matter how hard he tried, sleep seemed inevitable. Boulder stared at the two of them as they toppled over from exhaustion, he wanted to help but his legs had grown numb the moment he sat down. His body was as heavy as a bathtub filled with cement. He couldn't bring himself to stand and eventually, he too toppled over and fell unconcious in the dirt.
Amanda opened her eyes to find herself suspended in the abyss of darkness in her mind, the only source of light was the thousands of small glowing orbs far out in the distance surrounding her, each of them twinkling slightly. She knew this had to be a dream but it felt all too real. She could feel a slight breeze brush past her face and comb through her hair. She could feel her fingers rubbing together feeling each wrinkle and fingerprint individually.
"Hello!" She shouted, her voice echoing all around her.
"Is anyone there?" She shouted once more, again only being answered by her voice echoing back to her. She fell silent looking around for anything or anyone, but alas all she saw was the same dark cold emptiness she had grown accustomed to. The last time she was here in this place her mother was here as well, but now she was completely alone. The feeling of being watched crept into her mind as she sat suspended in space with nowhere to go. The hair on the back of her neck stood at attention as the goosebumps slowly began to form all over her body.
She didn't dare say anything else. She was frightened and alone, she didn't understand why she couldn't wake up no matter how hard she tried, she forced her eyes closed and pinched her arm, but it was no use. She mustered up the courage to face her fear and turned around, facing the direction that she could feel a pair of eyes burning into the back of her head. In front of her floating in the shadows a few feet from where she sat, rested a pair of bright red orbs the size of golf balls.
"Wh...who's there?" She asked, as her heart sank into the pit of her stomach. Her voice faded in the distance, underneath the pair of orbs grew a large toothy grin menacing enough to make even the strongest people quiver in fear.
"I go by many names, but never my real one," A raspy, irritated voice said, calmly.
"W...what can I call you?" Amanda asked, her heart sinking deeper.
"You can call me, Ecelsu," the voice said, seemingly orbiting around her.
"Ecelsu? What does that mean?" Amanda asked, as her heart beat so hard she wondered if it would beat out of her chest. There was a brief pause followed quietly by a faint rattling sound.
"Hello?" She called out.
"Don't be so fearful child, you'll never truly be alone, I'm always right behind you," he said whispering directly in her ear.
"What are you, who are you?" She asked spinning around swiftly.
"I am Ecelsu, I am here to free you," The voice whispered enticingly.
"Free me?" She asked, skeptically.
"Yes, child. I am here to break you free of this life,"
"How do you plan to do that?" She asked, nervously gulping.
"Let me consume you, you'll die quickly just like an old woman that has gone in her sleep. Your mind will be no more and your body will be hollow, and you will be no more," The voice enticed her.
"But, this is a dream," She replied.
"And, I am the taker of souls, come with me, and it'll be swift and easy," Ecelsu uttered.
"Get the fuck away from me!" She shouted, frantically flailing her arms and legs as if she were attempting to swim in space.
"Stupid girl, if you refuse my offer, I'll just take you by force," Ecelsu said, his voice distorting more the angrier he got.
"Stupid is hiding in the shadows attempting to kill people, show yourself!" She shouted, trying to keep her chest from erupting as her heart pounded aggressively.
"I will have your soul!" A deeply distorted version of Ecelsu's voice shouted before he lunged forward into the light revealing his true form. A snake-like creature long and scaly. His body was fat and long with a rattle at the end of his tail. His head looked like it was being absorbed by the rest of his body, covered in scales revealing only a disfigured human-like face with a bright red pair of eyes.
Amanda was paralyzed with fear and didn't know what to do. She couldn't escape and she had no control over this dream. She had but one choice she closed her eyes as tight as she could and clenched her fists in anticipation. Silence, there was nothing anymore. She felt calm the feeling of being watched had since left her and the snake man hadn't made a sound. She mustered up the courage and peeled her eyes open. In front of her, inches from her face was Ecelsu staring into her eyes with that same toothy grin he bore before. She shrieked before tumbling backward in the space around her. She clenched her eyes again, breathing heavily hoping she'd wake up.
"Wake up!" She shouted smacking herself in the face repeatedly.
Back in the forest she shot up hyperventilating as she frantically looked around to find herself back on the rough foliage-covered floor. She began to cry softly to herself, tears and snot streamed down her face as she used her arm to wipe them away. She looked through the trees to see the path behind them, it was still light outside. The sun was still in the sky and didn't look like it was going down any time soon. She thought about waking her group members but didn't know how to explain what was going on.
So she sat crying silently to herself and listening to the calming sounds of wind rippling through the trees around her. As she wiped the tears from her face and calmed down she noticed the flowers around her. They hadn't been there when she had fallen asleep. There were flowers all around surrounding all of them, none more than the vibrant bundles of lavender.
Confused, Amanda leaned over and picked a single stem, and held it close to her face to inspect it. As she brought it close to her face she could smell the intense fragrance of lavender filling the inside of her nose. Its smell was familiar but she couldn't quite place it. She sniffed one more time in an attempt to remember where she had smelled it before. Nothing came to mind. She thought for a minute but she had nothing in her mind besides Ecelsu, she was still shaken up from her dream. The tears from her eyes were all but dried up now, all that remained were white tear marks dried in the creases of her cheeks and streaks of dried snot crusted over her sleeve.
She prepared herself to wake up her friends hoping they would help her solve her dreaming issues. As she approached their sleeping bodies, behind her in the trees she heard a soft stamping noise in the distance. She froze staying as still as possible. She glanced down as the stamping got closer to her, laying in the dirt at her feet was her pitchfork resting with its forks pointed toward her friends. She waited until whatever it was got close enough for her to strike and escape. She feared it was Ecelsu, and this was just another layer of her nightmare. Slowly the stamping got closer as she heard the rustling of branches and bushes. She could hear something sniffing loudly as her hand gripped the splintered wooden handle of the pitchfork. Then it was right behind her, the noises were just over her shoulder and she could feel a moist breath on her neck.