Lego House

iv. Heat

 { unedited }

Autumn hobbles towards Michael. She knows that beneath the bandage – one of her t-shirts – is her swollen ankle, all red and puffy. His eyes are open, and staring at her, but his face is pale and he looks so weak and drained.

“Jarrett’s awake too. I woke up and walked over there and Jarrett was looking at me and Ley was in his arms and he told me that she’s growing up – and far too quickly.” Michael manages a small smile.

“Just like you, Autumn.” Autumn sighs and manages to flop herself onto the ground. She tries not to wince in pain, and if she had, Michael doesn’t realise anyway.

“I told him that she has to grow up, though, because right now we’re fighting people that can’t be fought by little kids.” Michael nods. “You have to accept that I’m growing up, too, Mikey. There isn’t much you can do about that.”

“You hurt yourself yesterday,” he sighs. “And I can’t stop blaming myself for it. I wasn’t protecting you, I wasn’t there to –”

“Would you rather me have been impaled by an arrow, Michael? Because that would be the only other alternative. Irisa threw the two of us to the ground to save us and it was my fault that I sprained my ankle,” she interjects. She doesn’t want him to blame himself for something that was so clearly her own fault.

“Can you wake the others and get them gathered around Jarrett?” Autumn’s eyebrow knit together in confusion. “I’ll bring myself over to him on my own. Just get the others. We have to move. I’m thirsty, hungry and Pyllagement will easily find us here – and kill us.”

“But bring to people with them, remember? A boy and a girl.” Michael sighs quickly. “Sorry, never mind,” she mutters, heaving herself to her foot with some difficulty. She limps away, wincing each time she sets any of her body weight on her sprained ankle. She reminds herself that this sprain should heal in a matter of days, no more than fourteen.

“Thank you,” she hears Michael call as she limps over to Irisa, who is staring blankly ahead with her legs brought to her chest, one arm wrapped around them and her chin resting on her knees. Autumn lets herself rest by sitting beside her, exhaling loudly as she does so. Her feet slide out in front of her.

“We have to go over to Jarrett.” She nods a little bit, rising to her feet. Autumn looks up at her, confused. Irisa looks dazed and in pain. Her arm is wrapped in one of Michael’s shirts, it is tightly wound so as to not let her lose any more blood. Spots of blood, however, are beginning to show on the fabric. “Are you okay?”

“My arm hurts,” is all she says before heading over to where Jarrett and Aleyah lay, a few feet away.

“Irisa, wait,” Autumn calls, pushing herself up off of the ground. “I know your arm hurts. I know that physically you are not okay. And emotionally, as well, but I still would like to know.” Irisa doesn’t turn around to look at her, but she has stopped moving towards Jarrett. “And I wanted to thank you for pushing me to the ground.”

“You’re welcome,” she whispers, so quietly that Autumn wonders if it was just her imagination. Then Irisa swirls around and Autumn knows it wasn’t just her imagining things. “I’m not okay at all. I’m emotionally unstable and I don’t know what to feel.” Tears are glazing over her green eyes.

Autumn is at a loss for words. She knew that Irisa was not alright, and that she had a right to be broken. But Autumn has no idea how to respond to this. “Things will get better. We’ll get food and water and proper medical help. We’ll be alright.” Irisa shakes her head, turning around and walking over to Jarrett. Autumn just sighs in defeat.