PANACEA-Book One-By Hell or High Water

3. Water Visions

There were at least five times in total where I almost made a break for it.

The first time was while we had been getting out of the boat and Edmund and Hero began unloading the few things in the boat. Hero had turned around and seen me slipping away, assuming I was just trying to get a closer look at the tiny pink flowers growing in the moss on the rocks that stuck out of the water like spires.

The second time was as I trailed behind them going up a small trail at the base of the mountain. It was fairly rocky, and I figured I could fake a trip off the edge or even just roll down fast enough for them to not catch me. As I began to stage my fall, Edmund caught me before I could hit the ground. He stood me up and instructed me to walk in front of them.

The third time was as we passed some thick bushes. I tried to walk into them to disappear, but was stopped by Hero. "You sure do love flowers, don't you?" he had said. "You're always distracted by them." I actually hadn't noticed the flowers until he pointed them out.

The fourth time was as we were crossing a bridge over the water that ran down the mountain. The current would take me back to the bottom, presumably sending me over the waterfall. As I tried to throw myself over the rope sides of the bridge, Edmund grabbed me once again. ("You're incredibly clumsy," Hero commented.)

The fifth and final time was when I began to get really desperate. I could see a few houses nearing as we hiked up the stone stairs that went up the mountain to their home. My eyes looked to the slope to my left. It was steep, and riddled with thorn bushes. Was I resistant to scratching, or just harsh impacts? I wasn't sure if I wanted to risk the chance of bleeding. Nonetheless, my feet started to step over the edge. Last minute, Hero grabbed my arm and tugged me up.

"Careful!" he said. I suppressed the groan that was trying to claw it's way out of my throat. "Getting too close to a rose bush isn't a good idea, especially when they're growing off the edge."

Roses. Flowers were now classified as one of my worst enemies. All I had seen was an escape route and some thorns.

I took a deep breath and looked up at the place before us. There were three structures. They looked to be made of wood, and looked to have been built well. A ring of large stones was built up in front of them, with long logs laid around it. I realized that the same type of logs had been used to build up the houses. Blackened wood rested in the ring as well, but it was mostly sticks and odd chunks of wood. Behind the houses on the ledge I could see several trees with thin trunks. Some had pink petals mixed in with the leaves, some had green buds. I didn't admire them for too long, before I moved on to the next thing that caught my eye. Low stone walls had been built around the edge to fence in the area. There was a stump with an axe stuck in it, and several rocks scattered around it.

The next thing that struck me was the man standing in the doorway of the middle house. The closer we got the easier it was for me to take in his features. Taller than the two boys who had found me in the lake. His hair was blond, with grey strands and brown streaks. He must have been old, but his eyes didn't look tired and his skin wasn't leathery. If anything, his eyes were bright. Despite the slightly chilled air, he wore a white shirt without sleeves, and he had loose slacks that puffed at the ankles with a violet sash keeping them held up around his waist. I looked at Edmund and Hero, slightly agitated.

Did I really need to be this worried? I wasn't sure anymore. I didn't know what to be afraid of, or if I should have been afraid at all.

The man stayed leaning in the doorway. "You're back early," he said. He gave me a quick look, and that was it.

Edmund walked up to him, nodding. "We thought it best to return instead of going all the way." Hero shifted uneasily on his heels, teetering back and forth impatiently. Something seemed to be bothering him.