Chapter 7

 The earth trembled. A minor quake, but it was enough for Lisanna to feel it. She almost lost her footing on the smooth rocks next to the river.

 

Strange, I didn’t think we got earthquakes out here.

 

She continued following the river, if there was one thing she could be sure of, it was that rivers flowed south.  If she continued, she would end up somewhere around her school eventually.

 

It’s strange though, why have I never known of this river before now? Surely it must flow out of this forest somewhere near Uzario?

 

As if to answer her thoughts, she stumbled upon a horrifying sight. The river changed course just ahead. The flowing water turned right into the impressive mountain beside it.

 

No, No, No, No, No!!! What am I going to do?! What is up with this place?! She had to take a deep breath and think. Ok if I can’t follow it all the way south, then I must follow it north. That will lead me somewhere… Right? No real choice but to push on I guess.

 

Few things could strike at her heart in the way losing hope did. Finding that the light at the end of the tunnel leads nowhere would crush most. But Lisanna was not just anyone. Her determination to make it out of there was stronger than the depression of her situation. She started the journey back upriver.

 

Another earthquake. This time it was stronger than before. The rocks around her vibrated ever so slightly for a few seconds before coming to rest. This is weird. Something doesn’t feel right. Neither the less, she continued forward on her path. The blonde had pressed on no more than a couple of minutes when the ground shock much more violently then before. These are hardly real earthquakes compared to the ones we got back home, but- Wait… Real earthquakes…There’s something about these tumors. Are they natural?

 

Her mind was consumed in thought as she continued on her way. The quakes had stopped, and her journey upriver had become uneventful. She was just passing a small boulder, no wider than 3 feet, when she noticed a figure retreating into the trees. Hiro! The girl was lucky to have seen him now. The sun was setting, and if it had been fifteen minutes later, it would have been to dark to see him.

 

She chassed after the figure. “Hiro! Hey!!! Hiro!!!”

 

The figure stopped. It did not turn around.

 

Lisanna caught up to him. “Hey Hiro! I-ugh-I…”

 

His reply was blunt. “I thought I told you to go home.”

 

“Well… I kind of-I… I got lost.”

 

“Why didn’t you just follow the setting sun? It would have led you right back.”

 

“It was setting towards school today?!”

 

Although his back was to her, his shoulders drooped down to show an expression of disbelief. “You didn’t check the calendar.” It was a statement, not a question.

 

Lisanna tried to hide her embarrassment as she nervously replied. “W-well that’s ok now that I found you, so let’s go back together!”

 

Hiro’s answer was cold. “You shouldn’t be here!”

 

“H-Hey, what’s with that tone? I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. Okay?”

 

Hiro pointed his finger. “The school is that way… Go.”

 

What’s wrong with him? He’s not acting like himself. Hiro’s always been nice to me… or at least neutral… She collected herself, and responded. “Now hold on! It’s dark out, I could still lose my way, and I get the feeling you’re familiar with how to get back. Can’t you walk a girl home at night?” She started to approach him and then put her hand on his shoulder.

 

He swatted it off and yelled. “I said go!!!”

 

She pulled her hand back tenderly. “What’s wrong with you Hiro?! You’re being a jerk!” She went to nurse her stinging appendage and felt something strange. It’s Wet? She looked down at her hand with just enough daylight remaining to see the red tint of blood. B-blood! He didn’t hit me hard enough for it to be mine… She turned back to the boy in front of her. Now that she looked closer, she could see his clothing bathed in crimson. “…Hiro... you’re…bleeding?”

 

She reached out, again taking hold of his shoulder. He did not swat her away this time. Lisanna turned him around. The last light of the day revealed a ghoulish and horrifying figure. Blood was flowing from open wounds across his whole body, his shirt was soaked in it, and the most terrifying part was the eyes. His eyes, along with every other orifice on his body, were oozing blood.

 

She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. She wanted to hide. Every part of her body told her to get away, but her mind focused on one thing that steadied her feet. Those eyes, despite the blood, they were filled with emotion. That look, it’s longing. It’s as if his eyes are trying to tell me something. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and his soul is crying for help. But the blood is of his body, and it’s fighting his soul. There’s a battle inside him that I can’t see.

 

Knowing that the situation was deeper than anything she could imagine, she just grabbed Hiro by the hand and led him back to the river. She ripped off a section of her battle robe from around her legs, and dipped it in the flowing water. Slowly, carefully, she began to wash his wounds.

 

            The light of the moon and stars were all that remained by the time they returned to the school. Not a word had been exchanged between the two since she tended to his wounds. When they arrived at the medical ward, Lisanna stopped. However, Hiro grabbed her by the arm and continued on in the direction of the girls’ dorms. It was a wordless gesture, but it didn’t need to be vocalized.

 

            She didn’t know why, but she worked her arm out of his grasp, and instead took hold of his hand. Hiro felt a calm warmth come over his body, and the pain of his wounds dulled. They continued this way until they came to the “Lesser” of the female dorms.

 

Hiro relinquished the warmth of her hand, and looked at her face that was now illuminated in twilight. She’s beautiful. But that’s not what he told her. With a two-fingered salute as a goodbye, he turned to leave.  When he was a few feet away he looked back to see her gaze still transfixed on him. “Thank you.” And then he was gone into the dark.