A mist of sadness had swept its way inside the cave. Coral lay over at the back wall crying into her hands. Attempting cheer her up, I ventured into the forest and found a selection of berries and leaves that we could eat. I asked Trek to reignite the fire so that we could put the berries on sticks that I collected from the forest. We would eat roasted berries and chew leaves to get their flavours. The leaves I discovered were mint leaves and thyme leaves. My mum and dad's favourite leaves to chew on were always mint leaves.
When I returned from my trip, we all sat, encircling the fire. The berries were cleaned in water. Not the water near the cave but from further along the path. Coral began to smile because she had never tasted roasted berries or drank the juice of a berry. We all laughed and told stories from before we met each other. Our stories were really quite embarrassing. Corals was a story about when she was only a baby. The story told of when her parents lost her and mistook her for another merfish female child. It was actually really quite funny.
Trek's tale told of a brown coated fox who tried to capture him, by dragging him along the ragged first floor. Trek was rolling around the floor in hysterics whilst telling the story. I found a little bit of humour but Coral failed to see the funny side. I told them my tale. My tale was when I was young I tried to learn to swim in the lake. I was just older than a baby but I was still immensely small. I leapt into a deep world of water, a world of unfamiliar events and many misfortunes for me.
When I was in the water and realised I couldn't swim I began to call for help. All of the animals who reside near us walked to the lake and began to laugh. It took my parents a while to reach me. I was almost in the centre of the stream. Once my parents discovered a method to retrieve my from the water I felt something not so far beneath me. I felt an array of something reaching out to my legs, trying to pull me under. I saw the branch that my parents held and leapt, catching the stick.
Without a second thought my parents and the other animals pulled me to the shore. I was terrified. It was really embarrassing for my parents. The village of dodos began to call me the "Disaster Child" because I was very clumsy. My parents were called names as well. It was a shame really. I was only young and they would call me a disaster and sometimes say I shouldn't be alive. My parents became isolated from the rest of the village. They rest of the village were actually bullying my parents and they treated us horribly. They all hated us.
By the time I finished my tale Coral began to cry. I didn't want her to pity me or my parents.
"Are you alright?" I asked her. She glanced at me.
"It's just something that you said before. Underneath the water that something grabbed you. I once saw a dodo floating in the water and tried to help them by pushing them back to shore. I now realise that, you were the one I tried to save. You had a small cut on your heel and I noticed that. I rubbed your foot with a leaf, a leaf of healing."
I was flabbergasted. I had no idea whatsoever to say. These events took place years ago and I now know the reason and I know who it was that did this to me.
"I'm so sorry." Coral looked at me like nobody else never did. Her tears were full of apology and her eyes were so innocent. She hadn't meant any harm and she was trying to help.
"Well, I suppose we should move on. There is no point getting all worked up about the past. You must look ahead. Look ahead and see the future. Your future, our future."
I still held my stick in the flame, now noticing that my berries were completely cremated. I attempted to remove the berries but they were so burnt that they crumbled into mini pieces. The stick itself has burnt too. I excused myself and left the cave. I quested to the start of the woods to get a stick. I heard the leaves rustling and branches fell from trees. I felt like I was reminiscing my past. The fire. The pain and the anger of the sparks of light as they ruthlessly burn and maul away at everything in their path.
I quickly retrieved a stick from a fallen branch and ran back to the cave. When I entered I completely forgot about what happened when I was outside.
"What's wrong?" Coral inquired.
"Hmm? Nothing. I'm alright." Coral and Trek looked back at each other and sighed. It's been a long day. Can I make a basket here for tonight? The lake is still full of decaying merfish and I don't want to be surrounded by their spirits. Is that okay?"
"I'll help you make your basket. Besides, there is space for us all beside the fire or in the cave."
Trek and Coral gathered leaves and sticks to replace the baskets we had previously slept in. The leaves the gathered had been chewed partially by caterpillars and other insects. I always think that the more decayed a leaf is, the more comfortable it is. When they returned to the cave, I had replenished our water supply. I was feeling quite guilty because it is me who drinks the majority of the water.
"Mum, Dad, I know your listening. What do I do? I have an alliance now with Coral and Trek but I'm worried someone is plotting something, something bad..."
