King of the Woods, or Trivial Pursuit

Part 41 - Rib

Trivia staggered into the glade. Roosevelt and Audubon had moved Ray back to the circle of stones after his fever broke.

Rex struggled free of her grasp and ran after butterflies.

Wilson ran to her aid. She walked into the circle leaning on him. Roosevelt gave her a nod, but said nothing.

"You look terrible," Audubon said. "I hope you at least killed the damn thing."

Trivia shook her head. "It's alive, for now. How's Ray?"

Audubon grinned. "Alive, for now."

"Where do you hurt?" Wilson said.

"Here." Trivia raised her left hand, which she had broken punching the Shape of the Fire. "And here." She waved the hand over her entire body.

"Nasty blisters," Wilson said. The creature's slime had eaten through Trivia's dress and scorched her abdomen.

Trivia shook her head. "That's not what hurts. It landed on me. Thing weighs a ton."

Ray tossed and turned.

"We think he might wake soon," Wilson said.

Trivia shook her head. "I need to rest if I'm going to kill the Shape of the Fire tomorrow."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Audubon said.

"Let me sleep on it," Trivia said, indicating the white fringetree. "I'll explain everything tomorrow."

"What do you want me to do with him?" Audubon said.

"Take him home. I want him far away from the Shape of Fire. Keep him safe." Trivia pressed her arm against the tree. It disappeared into the trunk up to her elbow.

Audubon laughed. "You're trusting me after everything I've done?"

"Because of everything you've done," Trivia said. "You've manipulated this situation. I can trust you not to waste your effort."

"Mm, point," Audubon said. "Shall I give him a message when he wakes?"

Ray giggled in his sleep. He smelled of shit. He looked terrible and beautiful. He had said cruel, stupid things. He had said he loved her. He had lied. He had thrown his life away just to see her again. He was frail and naive and judgmental. She loved him, and he was already dead.

"I don't have anything to say," Trivia said.

She vanished into her tree.

--

"Sky is getting brighter." Byron curled to face Ray, who was using him as a headrest. Together they had determined that his caterpillar body lacked venomous spines.

Ray had taken the bong for himself after the latest revelation. He took a final hit and hopped off the mushroom. "It's because I'm coming down from my trip."

"What are you going to do next?" Byron peered down at Ray, haloed by the sunless sky.

"Stop Frazer. That's the whole point of this, isn't it? The Green wanted to show me what he's done and what's at stake."

"Killing Frazer might be the only way to stop him." The light behind Byron's head intensified.

Ray shielded his eyes. "Who are you, really? Byron would never say that. I don't think he's ever even punched someone. He says—"