Beginnning of a Dark Past

Chapter 2

     My luck was so damn bad that a human was sitting right next to me terrified. I cursed myself over and over again yet it never seemed to help. The Inya’s eyes were twitching I could tell what she was thinking. She was regretting saving me. I sighed. Humans were so, so figety! I pushed some bread toward her then backed up. She eyed them suspiciously and turned away from them. I rolled my eyes at her stubborn replay. “Look if I really wanted you to die I wouldn’t have saved you, Inya.” She glanced at me when I approached the bread. I leaned toward it broke off a piece and put it in my mouth. “Look no poison I didn’t die.” I left the rest of the bread where it was and went to go get more firewood. When I came back the bread was gone. I chuckled to myself as I realized how stubborn she was going to be as long as I was there.

     I yawned while I piled up the deadwood. I was not used to being tired but my sleep had been interrupted by something so I didn’t get my full eight hours. “Hey Inya, if you can’t be useful get out of the way!” I said as I lugged in another load of wood and almost tripped over her. She glared at me but pulled in her feet and hugged her legs. “Why do you keep calling me that?” she whispered. I looked at her annoyed. Why couldn’t humans get to know our language like we learned theirs? “It means woman in my language.” She glared at me with her green eyes again. I finally got a good look at her. She was about ten years old with light brown hair that was all over the place. Her dress was torn and still a little wet from the fall. She was barefooted for a reason I couldn’t come up with. Don’t they teach humans how to make their own clothes and shoes? I was about fifty years old and yet I had no idea how humans organized.

     Curiosity was poking through my mind. It was making me crazy! I had to ask at least one question, just one. “How come you don’t have any shoes?” Her face was blank for a second and then there was suspicion, doubt and curiosity of her own. Humans were so easy to read. “Why do you want to know?” Her whole body had tightened and she hid her bare feet. “I don’t get how you don’t have any shoes or ripped clothes! We Elves are taught to sow together leaves and petals since we were born! I just don’t get it!” I shook my head and leaned back on a tree. She stared at me with a look that couldn’t be anything but disbelief. “How . . . do you . . . do that?” I looked at her blankly. “What?” I asked confused as ever. She rolled her eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “You’re confusing me.” I said plainly. I hated how people never explained things thoroughly. Just say what you want to say. She looked at me again as if I were an idiot. HA! If she only knew my real age, then she wouldn’t be giving me that look.

     I waited for an answer. She never opened her mouth. She turned around so I could only see her back, muttering something she thought I couldn’t hear. I sighed. Maybe I needed another way to break the ice. She would never be allowed inside her village again, after what she did to help an elf. Even so I could imagine her parents looking for her. I would give her to them and they would find their way somehow. “Look, I can’t keep calling you Inya forever, so can you at least tell me your name?” She stiffened and turned to glare at me, but answered all the same. “Greta.” I leaned back. Finally some progress. “And you?” She asked. I thought it over for a minute. I didn’t want her confused if I said my name in Elfen language so I decided to translate it for her. “Forest Flute.” I responded. She blinked and then started laughing. I couldn’t see what was so funny. “What?” I demanded. She was still giggling when she answered, “I expected your name to be part of your language.” I rolled my eyes and scowled. To be named Forest was an honor in my clan. “That was the translation.” I responded. Her giggles stopped and then she looked at me with curiosity embedded in her eyes. “So . . . what’s the Elfen version?” Well now maybe we could have a conversation without her glaring at me all the time. “Taure Simpa.” I answered as I closed my eyes. The sun was going to set. Just setting up camp was hard enough and I couldn’t finish it in the dark and I couldn’t feed the fire anymore without attracting attention. Greta was sitting silently ever since she heard the name. I took the blanket that she abandoned and folded it. I would wait until she fell asleep, then I would put it back on her.

     After about an hour her eyelids started to drop until she was fully engulfed in her dream. I snuck over to her side and placed the blanket carefully on her little body. I went over to the other side before she woke up. Elves only needed to sleep once a week, sometimes more if their injured. I thought about what I was going to do. How was I going to get her to her parents? Would they even want her now? She was still just a child. I couldn’t raise her and if I did she would be shunned throughout this world. It would be easier just to give her to some human orphanage and just be done with it, but I knew I didn’t have the heart to do that.

     I looked at her sleeping body for reassurance. She breathing was even as she slept peacefully.
     I raised my hand to my ear. I fingered their pointed features and also my earring. I was always proud of my ears, proud of my lineage. But as I sat there looking at this child, I realized that they couldn’t help me protect this child. They could only put her in danger and keep her running from her own kind. I sighed at all the troubles that were upon her. And they were all because of me. I lifted my cloak over my head so that it covered my ears. I would find her parents and if I couldn’t do that I could bring her to the village and ask her to lie. To tell them that I attacked her and that she ran there for help. She would be safe.

     I looked up at the moon that was no longer full. I could feel its warm yet cold radiance that gave me the confidence to do what I was going to do in the morning. I was going to find her parents and if I couldn’t do that I would tell her to go back to the village. That was all there was to it. I would never see or hear from this child whose name I learned was Greta, again.

~

     When Greta woke up I simply nodded at her. She starred at the blanket, wondering when it ended up on her. I stood up and walked over to her. She stiffened as I approached. I simply got on my knee so I could look her in the eye. “Greta,” I said softly, “Where are your parents?” I was close enough to hear her heartbeat. It sped up when I asked. She looked down to her lap and whispered, “They’re dead.” My eyes widened. Dead. Deceased. Six feet under. Gone. The one word I HATED the most. I got up and turned around. The thoughts of all my friends dying in battle came back in a jolt. The swords ringing, the shouts, and the pain, both emotional and physical. Greta leaned forward and asked. “Why do you want to know?” That brought me back from my flashback. I turned back to face her. “Well, I was going to bring you to them, but it looks like you’re going to have to go back to the village.” She tilted her head as she thought about it. “Can’t I . . . stay?” I froze. What? I looked at her as if she was crazy. She sighed and then rolled up her long ripped sleeve. There were bruises and knife scars all over it. I didn’t even want to know what happened to her.

     The flashbacks were worse now. They burned my eyelids and a flame erupted in my brain as the memories I have tried so desperately to repress came back and wouldn’t go away. “N-no!”I yelled desperately. I needed to get out. Blood was splattered before me. NO! My brother fell to the ground with a sword in his chest . . . and the man standing over him was smiling. NO! A cold laugh rang in my ears and then a pulsing sound. I could hear and see nothing; no matter how I tried I couldn’t remember those few minutes after I heard that cruel, cold laughing. Waking up in a sea of blood with the man’s head in my hands, that was all. “NO!” I screamed out and backed away. I fell backward and looked at Greta who had a confused look on her face. I swallowed and looked down at my shaking hands. I needed to be stronger.

     “I apologize.” I said quietly, not daring to look up at her. “I was having a flashback of the war.” My eyesight was starting to get blurry. Damn tears, they were with me wherever I went. I sat there and sobbed as I thought of my brother. My poor, little brother. I should have died in his place. They were after me, not him.     

    Greta stood over me. I didn’t look up but I could see her shadow. Maybe I could die here and just forget about living this painful life. I closed my eyes and lifted my head to the sky. My silver tears streaked down my face as I felt the sky above me. I let myself drift into thought, forgetting about the little presence that was right before me.

~

 

     I have never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life. Forest’s tears were silver, silver! Her perfect face was faced toward the sky as if she were praying. Her eyes were unfocused and yet they were the sharpest pair of eyes I had ever seen! And her ears! They were the most beautiful feature of all! Some of the tears dripped onto them, making them have some silver shining on them too. I just couldn’t believe it. Although I knew it was wrong to think sadness was beautiful, I just couldn’t help it. Was this what the soldiers felt when they tortured their prisoners? Did they just want to see them cry more and more to see the beautiful scene before her? I didn’t know the answer to any of my questions. I wanted to comfort Forest but it seemed wrong to do so. I didn’t want to disturb her, for I knew she was battling a battle inside herself. This was a nightmare that I couldn’t wake her from.

~

     I was reliving my life. It wasn’t that I only had sad memories but they were painful, physically. I was in a cage. For as long as I could remember I had been in a cage. I was watching the people who didn’t have pointed ears. There were some in cages and some in white coats but we have been told not to speak with either. Once in a while a man with pointed ears and a white coat comes in, but he doesn’t stay very long. I’m already half-dead so I just sit there and hug my knees. I stare at the scene I have seen a hundred times before. For some unexplained reason there were only children in the cages. I shook my head at my foolishness. I could not make myself curious. If I did I would ask questions. If I ask questions I go into the Room. The Room is where they always take a pointed and a non-pointed eared child and do something that is unseen. But we could always hear the screams of the children in the Room.

     I looked over at my brother’s sleeping body. He was breathing evenly and I could tell by his smile that he was having a good dream. I trudged over to him and leaned on his side. We were going to make it. Even if all the other children didn’t WE were. I had to protect him, I just had to. The white coats weren’t to be trusted.

~

     I woke with a start. My nightmare was finally over. I looked to see the blanket over me and a dimly lit fire. I looked to see Greta curled up next to me. Her hair covered her eyes and mouth, but I could tell by her steady breathing that she was asleep. I smiled involuntarily. Maybe, I could make room for a travelling companion in my life.