The Trail

Chapter 17 | What is sanity

The rain clashed against the windshield of the pick up only to eagerly be fought off by the wipers. The raindrops were thrown aside, only to be replaced with cascades of new ones. Thunder rolled over the metal roof of the car, vibrating through the skies and through our rib cages.

Juniper laid, safe and sound, in my lap with her head rested against my chest. I had wrapped my arms around her, never to let go. Owen sat behind the steering wheel, driving us through the storm. We had not spoken since we had left the imprisonment behind. Instead, we let the humming of the engine keep the silence at bay. The monotone sound of the car's roaring engine, together with the intense pattering of the rain, made me feel drowsy. I refused to believe that we were safe. But at the moment, with Juniper in my arms and steadily gaining ground from that horrible place, I could not help but to feel that we were.

So as we continued through the dark, wretched wastelands with lightning flashing above our heads, lighting the road for us ever so often, I allowed myself to close my eyes. In exhaustion, I drifted off into a deep sleep. One where I was far away from disease, disastrous storms or the sick minds of humans... Except for my own.

* * *

I found myself standing on a long, empty road. Only, it was not a road of asphalt or pressed dust. It was a soft, forest path surrounded by lush vegetation and large, white lilies that grew alongside the road. The forest lied quiet and calm, as if wrapped in fog.

As I turnt my head, I was met by a pair of big, emerald eyes. Amongst the trees, a large, white deer with a crown of gold stood, observing me. Then, the animal blinked once, before he with slow movements made his way deeper into the woods.

Consumed by a thick fog, the forest dissolved and reshaped into a new setting. This time, I walked down a wooden footbridge that expanded like a spider's web on the surface of a black pond. White, water lilies floated on the surface of the dark water and trees with large, moss covered roots rose from the depths. White and golden koi fish swam in eights through the water, following me down the flat bridge, whilst my bare feet met the rough surface of the wood that wobbled below my weight. As I reached the end, an empty black sea spread out before me. The line of the horizon were swept in a thick, grey fog. It left me in a dark void, with nothing but consuming space surrounding me.

I stepped forward and took a look down into the pitch black sea. As expected, I was met by my own reflection, only it wasn't the girl with sand coloured hair, hazel brown eyes and bruised, scrawny legs that looked back at me. Instead, I stared into empty eye sockets, with blood that ran down the holes of where my eyes should have been. It continued down the reflection's face, flowing into the sea.

Drops of the red fluid landed in the dark water and kept flooding until it had turned into a red curtain. It rose before me, pulsating and vibrating. It moved closer, and as it did, it dissolved into a wall of red sand. The sandstorm raged around me, consuming me with its absolute power. As I tried to shelter myself from it, I saw a blood stained lily placed before me. Despite the whirling sand, it did not move. There was not a single flutter to its untouched petals, except for the thick, dark blood that melted away at the fragile flower. I extended my hand to pick it up, but was haltered as I felt something through my chest. Something cold and unforgiving that pulled me back through my sleep.

* * *

My eyes struck open, and I screamed as I saw a large, white deer with golden horns standing in front of the car. It seemed completely unaffected by the storm. Its white fur and green eyes reflected in the headlights, causing me to close my eyes. The car was pulled to an immediate stop, and I tried my best to shelter Juniper from the force of gravity. When I opened my eyes again, the deer was gone.

In the middle of the desert we sat, with the engine still running and the windshield wipers aggressively trying to fend of the persistent raindrops. Owen, who looked exhausted from the eventful night, gave me a stare.

"What the hell was that?", he said and rested his hands on the steering wheel.

"Nothing...", I said, my voice shaking. "Nothing, I just thought I saw—"

"Are you all right? I mean, for real?", he said and did not look too sure as he raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, other than the fact that I was just kidnapped for three days and nearly killed - yes, I'm all right!", I yelled with the adrenaline still pumping through my veins. In distress, Juniper turnt her head to look at me with her warm, amber eyes.

"I'm not talking about that", he said and looked out at the storm before us.

I sat in silence, only accepting the short distance between us because of Juniper's calming presence.

"You see things, don't you?", he said, more as a statement than a question. He turnt his head, and looked at me before he spoke again. "I've seen it before. People who go through traumatizing things, and not before long, they start to hear and see things that aren't really there."

I swallowed and looked away. First at Juniper, then through the side window, on the raindrops chasing each other down the glass.

"I don't know what you're talking about", I finally replied, and tried my best to avoid his persistent gaze.

"So you're not aware about the fact that you keep talking to yourself?", he said with a tense look on his face. It seemed as if every muscle had turnt to solid stone below his skin.

"And you are of course the definition of sanity?", I began. "You, who just killed three people without even blinking. What voice told you to do that?"

"So, it is voices that you hear?", he said, avoiding my question by returning focus on me.

"You didn't answer my question", I said.

"Neither did you", he replied and tensed his jaw, which nearly made it look as if it were going to pop out of place.

I snorted and went back to following the racing raindrops down the side window. Juniper gave up a loud sigh, and put her head back down, but this time on my arm. It didn't take long before she had returned to sleep. Wherever she had been in the last couple of days, it had brought her to exhaustion. I was happy that she was back in safety with me.

After another few minutes of silence, I looked back at Owen.

"I don't even know you", I said.

He sighed, and leaned back in his seat before he pushed the gas. After a while of crusading through the storm, he, to my surprise, apologized.

"Look, I'm sorry if I upset you. I have a tendency to come off as a bit... Blunt", he said and changed gear.

"I'm just curious, why did you help me in the first place?  You don't even know my name", I said and looked at his silhouette in the dim light of the vehicle.

He gripped the steering wheel until his fingers turned white before he replied.

"Let's just say that I failed someone once when they asked for my help. I saw this as my chance to make up for the past."

"That's all I get?", I said, suspiciously. "I mean, how did you even break out of that cage?"

He cast a quick glance at me before his eyes returned to the road. Then, he smiled.

"I'm an opportunist. When opportunity presents itself, I take it. By the way, what is your name? Considering that we're practically partners in crime now, I think it would be a good idea to at least know what to call each other", he said, changing the subject with delicacy. "I'm Owen, by the way - Owen Kelly."

I sighed, as I was forced to accept that he most likely wasn't going to share any more details from his plan of escape.

"Charlie", I said, "Charlie Rhod, and this is Juniper."