Before the Sky Fell

[ 32 ] Exodus

-32-

Exodus

When Whik opened his eyes, the booming and cracking of the forest had ceased. The scent of sap and heaps of leaves overwhelmed his senses. They were the innocent smells that he loved when he was younger, decades ago, a thousand lives ago.

Whik tried to open his eyes, but his lids were slow to release their grasp on his face. When he managed to blink and regain his sight, the falling leaves consoled him.

It's all gone. The falling sky. The dripping trees. The crack was still present, smaller than before, but a beacon of nothing nonetheless.

Sonora lifted her head from his chest. "What happened?"

What didn't happen? What happened and is no more? The forest sounded peaceful, but he could feel the bones of the corpse stick into his back. The bag containing Henderson's head was rested on the ground beside him, but the horse was nowhere to be seen. A severed head to go along with a severed world.

Seras had stopped crying. Her hair fell around her face. She's young. Naive.

Whik exhaled as Sonora removed herself from on top of him. She helped him position his back against the tree. He couldn't help but smile when her face was the first he saw. She wasn't bold or brash, or deformed or bent. She was perfect.

"Are you three all right?"

The familiar voice pulled Whik from his admiring glare. He pulled the bloody satchel behind his back. When two steeds entered his view, Whik couldn't believe his eyes. John, fatter than Whik remembered, proudly sat on one of them.

John stared at them with curious eyes. "What are you all doing down there?"

If Whik moved, he would reveal the skeleton. It took him a few moments to fumble through his words and pick out a select few. He wanted to jump up and hug the man. He wanted to meet the woman that sat on the other horse. He wanted to apologize for not listening to John's rants and raves.

He went to prop himself up on his elbows, but his chest still tore at his mind. "Is Eckrondale still standing?"

John laughed. The woman did the same. "Still standing? Better than ever, since we've gotten those diseased corpses out. Nasty things. Couldn't help but inhale the stink."

Sonora repositioned herself, crossing her arms over her knees. She turned towards Whik and whispered, "What is going on?"

"Listen," John said. "We apologize if we walked in on a, you know, moment between you two. No need to lie, we were young once two. But the little girl. She shouldn't see such a sight." John smiled at the mounted woman.

Whik just stared at them.

"We'd be happy to give you a ride," John continued. "You, boy, look injured. Really injured. There's enough blood there to revive a dozen felled boars. Sarah, do you have anything with you?"

"No, I left it back at Ridgewood," the woman said. "But I might be able to help."

She jumped off her horse, fastened the creature around the tree, and examined Whik's wound. She ripped a portion of her dress and replaced the spoiled bandage on Whik's shoulder. "The cut is clean. A sword?" Whik bit his lip and grimaced. "No need, none of my business. You're in no shape to walk. Name's Sarah," she said, her eyes darting from Whik's wound for momentary introductions. "That beast up there is my husband, John."

Whik was flabbergasted. He had too many questions. Sarah was careful with him, weaving the cloth around his wounds. Then she moved onto Seras, pulling the girl's hair from her face, smiling at her and running her fingers along smooth skin. Sonora stood and walked towards John, reaching up and shaking his hand. John's horse sniffed her neck, pushing back white strands of hair. Her hands trembled.