Fifteen Journey - Chapter 31

“Please, open your eyes…”
Despair ruled their hearts. Panic moved in the shadows which made Annya disappear.
‘What if he won’t open his eyes anymore?’ Cassey was desperate, grabbing his body to hers with all the strength she had left. Yes, she had heard the shout, golden light taking care of shadow and disappearing for good. He had just fainted; at least it was what she had thought. But now, confusion was taking care of her mind, mixing memories with present. And, the more confused she was, the tighter she grabbed Rick’s body.
“Cassey…”
Her name… Was Cassey really her name?
“No…”
A pair of arms lifted her up, causing her to lose Rick’s touch.
“Lemme go!!!”
While Cassey’s eyes met the engineer friend, Fred, his eyes met one pair of red and wet eyes.
“Why are you doing this?” she said talking to him as a traitor.
“You made me once join the team to meet that someone. I need Rick to do that. Without him, my quest is over, since I just can’t be in this forest alone.” Fred paused. “Mike will take care of this, okay?”
Cassey looked at the ground embarrassed. But she didn’t meet the floor. In fact, she met an eight-year-old girl and a cute puppy almost crying, but trying to comfort her too. She felt useless. Crying is no way to solve things!
The cry was interrupted by Mike, whose action was strangely correct. After checking Rick’s blood pressure and air circulation, Mike brought a bucket filled with water.
“What is he using that for?” Cassey asked.
“I guess I already know the aim…” Fred said grinning.
Without hesitating, Mike raised the bucket and started bending the bucket. Wetting Rick? Waking him up? Not necessary.
As soon as the water started its way to Rick’s body, the unmoving corpse moved, but not quickly enough to avoid getting wet until his bones.
“This means?...” Ashley started from the viewer’s place.
“Yes,” Fred concluded “Rick was wakened all along…”
The crying arrow speeded up until the stage. Cassey was now facing Rick, wanting to kill him.
“You have been joking with me all along… WHY???” she demanded explamations.
He grinned. “Your breasts…”
Rick had never been hit so strongly… He had now landed in a tree many metres away, causing the ground to tremble with the shock. “Ouchie…”
“So, this also means…” Ashley confirmed.
“Yes, Rick won the battle.” Mike said joining the group heading to Rick, accompanied by Horous jumping happily.
“So where is Annya?” Fred asked approaching Rick, who was able to hear the question.
Rick was deadly serious. “Found her.”
In the floor between thick vegetation laid her body. It was losing power, the black smoke was fading away, but Rick sensed something. Mike hurried to heal her.
“STOP! She’s alive!”
Mike stopped immediately but she still didn’t move. Her body was just there, laying waiting for Nature to take its course. ‘Is this a trap?’ thoughts ran through his mind ‘Or did I really kill her?’
“You can’t be dead!!!” he panicked shouting at the unmoving corpse. “You’re just pretending!”
‘No, she isn’t.’
“You can’t…” his blank expression expressed his guilty feeling. “I can’t…”
Then, moving at Mike, he shouted making Cassey heard from far.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE??? HEAL HER!!!”
Mike winked at him, making somehow, the guilt to fly away. He was calmer now, he had to chill down. Mike quickly approached Annya, without fear, followed by Horous who was still afraid of the black smoke.
“She’ll be alright.” Fred affirmed. “She was still breathing and the dark force hasn’t disappeared yet.” Rick was finally smiling. “Mike has excellent healing capacities, don’t you think, Ashley?” he asked in a happy tone.
However, he didn’t obtain an answer. Ashley was staring at the place where the surgery was taking place, blushing a bit.
Rick grinned. “Don’t tell me she’s in love with the dog?”
“Well, Horous is cute, isn’t he?” Fred reattributed the smile.
But they understood where she was staring at. The surgeon.
Suddenly, Annya moved. Everyone approached her, waiting her to open her eyes and ready to use their weapons.
‘Thynia…’
Annya stood up as fast as she could, remaining blank, trying to remember the past events. The bloody background, the golden faggot, the loosen battle. Loosen…
“GET AWAY!” she shouted has strong as her thick lungs permitted. “Get away you all! DISAPPEAR!!!”
‘Where are you?’
Fred, Ashley and Mike eventually rewinded, as Rick had mysteriously disappeared.
But she was weak; her powers wouldn’t just come out that easily. The pointing hand was raised down with disbelief, something Annya was about to meet.
Then, they heard a whistle. Harmonious sound coming from his lips. Who would resist?
“Guess what,” he happily said “I found Thynia! I had lost her when saving Cassey…”
Then, he turned at Annya. He smiled at her, glad the red and painless eyes had disappeared. “This time is really you…”
She wouldn’t move a muscle, afraid of any of his movements. After the battle, she knew he was capable of everything and battling him would be her death.
“So…” he started normally “wanna join our little team?” all the four present were stunned.
“Are you mad?”
“She’ll kill us while we sleep!”
“Have you injured your head or something?”
Rick was unable to actually see Annya’s reaction due to the questions’ bombing. She just stood up as fast as her hurt body permitted, shook her clothes and slowly left to the thick vegetation.
Somehow, the questioner was able to escape the questions’ sea and grabbed Annya’s hand. “Give me a direct answer.” He begged as seriously as his personality permitted.
“No… I will never join such group as yours…”
He left her hand and let her go. She didn’t even look behind, no last look before final goodbye, but Rick’s capacity to forgive was operational today.
“Look up to us if you have any problem, okay?” he shouted from behind waving at her. She couldn’t resist and eventually looked behind her, seeing the hopeful faces hoping a temporary goodbye.
“Stupids…”
The wind blew for the last time that day, bringing to Rick the last sensation of darkness. Now, she had finally left.
“Hey,” Ashley inquired “where is Cassey?”
“Oh… she stayed… at the place where…”
Rick wasn’t able to finish the sentence. He completely collapsed in the green ground.

Next Chapter:
Face to face, brown to reddish eyes. Kane to Tourch’s judge. – Discovered mystery

Author’s Note:
What did you think? I’m improving, right?
This new season is almost non-stop, except from one part (you’ll soon find out!). Now, now, in three or four chapters, there will be introduced more characters! Just wait! Hihihi. Anyway, comment! Thank you!