Elites of Eden: Yarrow Not Rowan

Chapter 10

"How are you feeling?" Lachlan asks as he strokes my hair out of my face.

"I'm alright," I say grinning, I savor Lachlan's touch, "I think I just need a place to be at peace, you know?"

"Yeah, sometimes it's easy to feel like the walls are caving in on you down here. Do you want to go to the surface? Rook bought some kind of new noodle dish and he's been dying to have you over for a proper dinner." I shudder at the thought of going to the surface. I see Lachlan's features go grim when he realizes why I don't want to go to the surface.

"I feel like a child," I try to force myself to giggle but it comes out a cackle, "They fear stories of monsters above ground and I'm starting to think I do too." Lachlan shakes his head and takes my hands in his.

"You have the right to feel scared, Rowan. We all do," Lachlan thinks for a second. "I think I know someone who might be able to help you."

"Lachlan..." I say unsurely. "I don't really want to talk to someone else about what happened, I'm not a survivor or-"

"Rowan, I'm not asking you to a rape survivor meeting, I'm taking you someplace you might be able to think for a while, somewhere you can find peace. If you don't like it that's fine, I'm just saying it might help."

"But you said someone," I correct him. Lachlan nods grinning.

"She can help you. You'll love her I know it," Lachlan grabs my hand then leads me down the stairs to the main chamber, then to the kitchens.

"Oh! You're right Lachlan. I can't believe I didn't think of it myself. I love cooking! It always makes me feel better," I say smiling brightly. Lachlan laughs.

"I'll remember that for next time but that's not why you're here," Lachlan says looking around as if he's looking for someone. Finally, he spots her.

"Gravity!" He calls out. A young woman in her mid-twenties turns around. The first thing I notice about her is her nose ring. Then I notice her Medusa piercing. She has frizzy wavy blonde hair in a half ponytail with grayish blue streaks in random places. She wears a loose tanked crop top that shows off her colorful foliage tattoos all up her arms.

"Lach!" She says then jumps into his arms. They definitely have a brother-sister relationship. She ruffles his hair.

"Whatcha doin' here lil' brother?" She asks.

"You know Rowan," He says gesturing to me. Gravity's eyes land on me. Her eyes are a foggy grey that makes her seem like she's looking into a different world when she looks at you. Gravity is obviously a chill girl but I have no doubt she could succeed as an elite at Oaks. Her eyes look like daggers that could see into your soul...she just chooses not to always look. Mercy. Pearls words fill my ears. Mercy may be weak but it is powerful. If you show mercy you show that you have the power, not only do you have power but you have the power to choose not to use it. When handled correctly mercy is more powerful than cruelty. Gravity shines a beaming smile at me.

"Of course! How could I forget the girl my little brother is in love with?" She says. " Hi. I'm Gravity. I don't think we've officially met yet." She pulls me into a tight hug.

"You have a big sister?" I ask Lachlan uncertainly. Lachlan shakes his head.

"Nah, I just call him my brother cause he's such a dork!" She says looking at Lachlan lovingly. "So what do you need?"

"Well, Rowan here has a lot on her mind and I'm hoping you could help her," Lachlan says. They exchange a knowing smile. Gravity sighs.

"Alright baby brother. I'm picking up an extra shift so I think they can do without me for tonight," She turns to me. "Let's go do something fun before dinner."

I turn to Lachlan with a pleading expression. Last week I would have been all down to go with this girl and pop a few pills but now I feel a shy and cautious side to myself that pulls at me more and more. Gravity seems nice but she's too outgoing for me and I'm afraid she's taking me to do drugs or something. Lachlan grins at me as if he knows exactly what I'm thinking. He kisses my head then walks away. Gravity takes my hand and starts to lead me away from the kitchens.

"So everyone down her is super nice but they never really come to me for help. Lachlan tried it once but it wasn't his cup of tea. He was still respectful though. He always said he'd recommend it to someone else... I was starting to think he was lying," Gravity winks at me and I giggle awkwardly.

"So are you a therapist or something?" I ask. I honestly don't want to sit down and talk about my feelings for the next hour.

"Or something," She says grinning. I notice she's leading me down to lower passages I've never been to before. "Now, like I mentioned before this isn't everyone's thing. If you don't like it I promise I take no offense. See, Lachlan didn't like it but he's still recommending it."

After several minutes of walking lower and lower until it's freezing she finally opens a door. Inside is a dark and dank room I've never seen before. The sides are all stone but the floor and roof is dirt. Gravity walks in confidently.

"Gravity no!" I yell. For a second I was sure she was going to be buried alive by tons of dirt. She just looks at me amused. I see that her pupils have dilated and she seems much more alert.

"Don't worry. It hasn't collapsed yet...but I wouldn't touch it if I were you," She says reminding me of a friendly version of Flame.

"So this is where you took Lachlan?" I ask. She nods.

"He really loves you, you know?" She says. I notice piles of ash in one corner, a bole of small black berries in another, and a bucket of dead leaves next to it.

"Yes, I'm sure Lachlan loves me," I say distractedly. "What is this place?"

"It's where I come to calm myself," She says vaguely. She kneels down next to the bowl of berries and takes one out.

"Where did you get those berries from?" I ask.

"There not berries. There the seeds of the Camphor Tree, of course," She says. "It's disrespectful to keep a seed down here. We destroy most of them but they give a seed to me every once in a while."

She picks up a hand full of leaves and places it on a plate in front of me.

"When and why did Lachlan come down here?" I ask her as I kneel before the plate. Gravity looks at me sharply again.

"When he found out you were still alive he came looking for a way to let all of his emotions go...it worked...he didn't like it." She places the seed in the middle of the room and lights it on fire using a lighter. I feel the need to call out. How can she destroy something so beautiful? That's when I remember it has to be destroyed, it would be disrespectful otherwise. The minty smell of the seed fills me. She also lights the leaves on the plate on fire. It only takes a few seconds for the crisp leaves to turn to ash. Gravity instructs me on what to do and I do it.

I cup the acrid ashes in my hands and imagine I'm being engulfed by a bright, golden orange, fire of light. I make sure all of my thoughts are positive then chant the following poem:

"Leaves of fire, burning bright
Surround me in your gorgeous light
I vow to be a force of good
And to spread love like fire on wood.
My flames of fame shall now be fanned
As my name spreads throughout the land."

I dump the ashes in my hand onto the burning seed and the fire is smothered.

An overwhelming feeling of peace floods through me. How did Lachlan not like this? I have nothing to worry about. I have nothing to worry about because I am one with nature!

Almost as if the seed itself is talking to me I hear, I see you, Rowan. There is life outside of Eden.