River, Sun, Freedom

Chapter 22: Needing Space

Chapter 22: Needing space

One of the strangest things about life, is that despite anything that happens; an illness, a death or even the end of the world, life goes on. So much so that they very day after a crisis has occurred a person’s mind can be occupied by the most seemingly inappropriate subjects. Such as love. It is strange that when one’s life is at its utmost uncertain, one possesses the ability to be completely absorbed in the relationships between oneself and another.

It is in this sort of frame of mind that Jodi guiltily found herself in during the trip to the inner city of Melbourne. Despite all that was going on, despite the danger of their mission, despite the fact that her destination was the very place she, her grandmother and her brother had run from fourteen year ago, Jodi found herself thinking about arguably her least urgent crisis; Damien.

Ever since he’d seen her reconciling with Nate he’d been giving her the silent treatment. The more she tried speaking to him the more he ignored her. Every time she came close to forcing his attention, he would turn to the nearest person and engage in any sort of conversation, just to avoid her. She was at the end of her rope and just about to snap. Currently she was sitting at the back of the trunk next to a dozing Jake who had once again opted to be with her in the soldier’s truck.

Damien was sitting at the edge of the open back of the truck, leaning against the right side speaking quietly with Cory. Nearly everyone else was dozing away, or trying to as they were rolled about in the movement of the airborne truck.

After a few more minutes Cory left Damien’s side and went to his corner of the truck and lay down to rest. Damien didn’t lie down but instead turned his face to the view out the back of the van where endless dilapidated buildings receded as they drove through the city. Most of the buildings and streets had been taken over by trees and plants, as nature took over the deserted lanes. Jodi imagined in another ten years, Melbourne would be nothing more than a forest.

Carefully, being as quiet as possible, Jodi stepped over the sleeping bodies and took Cory’s vacant seat.  Damien shifted slightly; clearly aware of her presence although Jodi had done nothing to alert him.

“Damien?” she whispered. He didn’t answer.

“fine don’t say anything.” She muttered. “actually that suits me. Now I can speak, and say anything at once, and you cannot stop me.” She looked for a reaction, but Damien stubbornly refused to acknowledge her, continuing to stare out the back of the truck.

“late last night I spoke with Nate. I told him I’d forgiven him for what happened two years ago.” She smiled to herself. “and I have, you know. He could’ve let me die that time when the vampyres attacked us, but he didn’t. I guess I may have hated him all this time for no reason.”

Damien still refused to speak but Jodi could see from the stiffening of his shoulders and his fisted hands that he was getting very tense. She wondered at this, but, deciding it had to do with his predjudice of the community and his protectiveness of  her, dismissed it. “I reckon the rest of the community may have gotten over what Jonas had said as well. Even Jake’s been begging me to go back.” his entire body went very still. “but I can’t just go back.”

The change was instantaneous. As soon as those words were out of her mouth Damien’s entire body whipped around to face her. “what?” he cried loudly.

Jodi flinched at his volume and clamped her hand over his mouth. Darting her eyes around she checked to see if he had woken anyone. A few people stirred, but no one woke. Looking back she glared at him. “shhh!” she hissed.

He nodded and took her hand off his mouth, keeping a hold of it as he leaned toward her, something Jodi noted with a inward smile. “what do you mean you can’t go back?”