Leaving Laurabelle Falls

Chapter 26

The silence around the camp was deafening. Without even the crackle of a fire to interrupt our quiet, we all sat without a word. I felt deflated.

Of course, there would be some sort of catch. There's a catch to every story like this, something horrific that the hero has to go through. Nothing good can come without a price. And I was a pawn about to be mowed down for the sake of the greater good.

I shook my head, trying to release the thoughts.

If I really wanted to, I could have ran right then. Maddie's job was to lead the Deerman back to our camp, not back to me.

I could leave the world to ruin, decide that it was too much pain for me to bear.

But I didn't.

I sat in my seat, silently praying to the Goddess.

If this is some kind of cruel trick, I sent, Please tell me now. I know God almost had Job kill his first son to honor him. I've never been a fan of that story, but I'd like a fakeout, please.

There was no response. I felt just as I always had; normal, and human. I didn't even have the magic that the others had. I couldn't call upon the Goddess at will, couldn't push her to appear to me out of thin air.

I would go through this alone, if I was supposed to.

"Laura," Deacon said, finally. I turned to him. "I know you're going to stay. But I wanted to make it clear how much we all... Respect you. Not many people could play the game you're about to win."

And I knew that he was right.

I also knew that the whispers of the night would fade away, once it was finished. That what had once been a beach would be again. I knew that there would be hundreds of magical creatures to discover, and new foods to try. Entire lands that hadn't been explored in generations. According to the Goddess, I would be able to use magic again.

I was doing this for just as many selfish reasons as I was self-less.

And everyone kept telling me that it was already done, anyway.

"Thank you," I said, though his words offered little comfort. "I think I'm gonna go ahead and go to sleep."

"We all should." Deacon confirmed. The sun was beginning to set. "Don't forget to leave your blanket over your head tonight. We aren't in the safehouse anymore."

I nodded, picking out a small section of the hard earth to make my bed for the night. I lay the blanket down to create a barrier between me and the earth, regardless of how thin it was. I lay down, and threw the leftover blanket over my body, tucking the edges up under me for the added layer of security.

I curled up underneath the blanket, listening as the whispers began to beckon from over the horizon. Slowly, they grew louder and louder. Tonight, they mimicked my thoughts to a T. I hoped that wherever Maddie was, she was safe from the creatures.

What kind of Goddess would put you through this kind of pain?

The world needed a hero, and it fell on your shoulders. As it always does.

It's not too late to abandon hope. Is living in the Matrix really that bad? We could put you back under, you know. You could be with your mother. You could be a puppet too, if you really wanted. You wouldn't have to worry about anything. We promise it doesn't hurt.

Sleep came easier to me now than it had the night before. I felt empty, my thoughts completely blank. If I thought about it for too long, I might face temptation. But I didn't think I could ever go back, now that I had seen how beautiful the world could be.