Lost Soul

Chapter 1: Mellohi Has Trauma

The stars glittered brightly in the cloudless, blackened sky. At the edge of the forest lay a figure, arms resting behind her head. She sighed, head filled with rambunctious laughter.

"Would you please quiet down?" she asked politely. "I'm trying to watch the stars."

"How can you watch the stars when you're wearing a blindfold, Mellohi?" one of the voices in her head pointed out.

"Yeah!" said another. "Take it off once and a while. Nobody's around."

Mellohi pondered this for a moment, subconsciously rubbing her terribly scarred face. She shook her head and replied, "You know what happened the last time I took it off. Oh, I can't get the red out of my head." She giggled. "That rhymed. Red out of my head."

A third voice chimed in earnestly. "Little Mellohi, that really wasn't your fault. You were in an Enderwalk, and you weren't aware of anything."

The little girl fell silent for a moment, lost in thought. She sighed a few heartbeats later.

"You okay, Mel?" the first voice asked.

"I'm okay, Sebastian. I'm just so sick of not being in control of my head," she added kindly. "No offense of course."

"None taken," replied Sebastian coolly.

"Yet you sounded like you took some," the second voice remarked snidely.

"Oh, be quiet, Lavender," Sebastian retorted.

"Ooh, this'll be good," the third voice piped up.

"SHUT UP, DEXTER!!" Lavender and Sebastian snapped in unison. Mellohi flinched, still not used to the trio's constant bickering.

"Quiet, all of you!" she demanded. Softer, she added, "I think it's time for bed. We've got to get up early if we want to reach the next village before nightfall."

"I still don't understand why you insist on village-hopping," Dexter groaned. The other two voiced their agreement.

"Yeah, Mel! What's the point if all the villagers are scared of you?" Lavender stated blatantly.

"We never get the good stuff, like all those diamonds and weapons," Sebastian rattled on.

Mellohi sat up, clutching her head. "Stop!" she cried.

She sprang to her feet, fed up with the voices in her head. Silent-footed, she dashed through the forest, itching to get back to her semi- temporary home.

The camp was at the edge of a clearing right in the center of the forest. Mellohi's sleeping quarters were located under a huge oak tree; the tangle of roots left a space just big enough for her to crouch in. To the left of the oak, there was a small shack built into another oak with materials Mellohi had gathered from the last village she visited. The shack contained chests filled with all the items she had collected on her travels. To the right of her sleeping quarters was a small fire pit Mellohi often used to cook her food. At the far side of the clearing was a stone ledge with a small waterfall trickling down, pooling at the bottom. And in the direct center of the clearing rested a single purple allium.

Mellohi entered the clearing and immediately went to the flower. She squatted down, caressing it's many lavender petals. She relished the wave of calm that washed over her.