Walking Dollar Bills

Chapter 3: The Pill and A Proposition

A slow fire burns inside of the cave, while the three gather around it. The glow radiating from the flames is slightly amplified by the faint sunlight that pours in from the cave's entrance. Amara sits across from Earl, but her view of him is occasionally disrupted by the crackle of a flame or a floating ember.

"Well, don't keep us waiting. You know what everyone's thinking" says Amara.

"Forgive me if I sound insane because I'm still making sense of this all," says Earl with eyes locked on the low fire in front of him, "My mind, it feels different."

He stares at his reflection within the flames. The fire begins to change in shape from amorphous to a miniature version of himself. Zala inches her face closer to the heat. Her wide eyes greedily devour the literal dancing flame in front of her.

Earl observes his diminutive-on-fire-twin that hops from one leg to the other entertaining Zala, who squeals in pure glee.

Amara clears her throat to regain his attention, "You're controlling the fire. Just like you controlled the wind a moment ago. You also controlled the mountain before that."

"My mind has expanded. But, I don't mean expanded as in I've gotten smarter" says Earl.

The dancing flame morphs into a round ball of fire that bounces up and down. Zala follows the bouncing fireball with her eyes. Earl looks into Amara's eyes.

"I mean expanded as in my mind extends to the natural elements around me. I can briefly transplant my mind into fire, earth, water, and wind."

"And control them?!" interrupts Amara leaning her face dangerously close to the fireball.

Earl frowns, "Control isn't the best word. It's more like, I become them."

"That doesn't make any sense. How do you become fire and remain yourself?" asks Amara.

Her question produces a loud laugh from Earl as the fireball reverts back into a normal amorphous flame. Zala and Amara exchange looks, while Earl settles himself and wipes his eyes.

"Sorry, Amara. I didn't mean to laugh so obnoxiously. It's just... I told you from the start that I'm still understanding all of this myself."

A meditative silence looms over them. The crackle of fire is the only sound they hear, not even their breathing is audible. Soon, the shuffle of feet adds life to the dead silent cave.

"We should go back for Gumbo" says Earl climbing to his feet.

An enormous smile rips across Zala's face as she races up to Earl and wraps her arms around his right leg.

"Really Earl?" says Zala gazing up at him.

He affectionately tickles her chin in confirmation. Meanwhile, Amara remains seated on the ground with hard eyes piercing through the flames. She wonders why they need to retrieve a dead man?

"Is this about recovering the body?"

"Nope. It's about rescuing him" Earl replies.

"Please don't make me say it. There's no way you can be that naïve. He's... not with us right now" says Amara lowering her gaze to the rubble by her legs.

"Amara," starts Earl, "I died last night when you told me to take the blue pill. That pill... those pills... they can reverse death. They can restore life."

His eyes widen as he continues, "I know for a fact that one of those pills can bring Gumbo back to life! They can return him to you to me to Zala and to Yoko!" His voice crescendos with each word.

"We almost died back there. And Gumbo did die so that we could live. Are you really trying to convince me that we should risk running into more of those soldiers by going back there?" says Amara with an even voice.

She bites her lip as the fight to maintain her composure becomes overwhelming, "You're not making sense. You just said that you're still comprehending the power of these pills, so how can you be sure that they can bring Gumbo back to life? What happens if your hunch is wrong? Then, Gumbo would have sacrificed his life in vain! We have to honor our dead friend, by accepting the fact that he is a dead friend."

Zala's eyes begin to water as she sniffs and wipes her nose on Earl's pants leg. Her two friends stop arguing and seem to be having a staring contest. She wants to join, but doesn't know who to look at.

More silence and staring finally snaps Amara's patience like a wishbone.

"I regret ever giving you that pill. Maybe I should have taken my own advice and let you rest in peace."

All of her questions burst out of her mouth at once, "You keep talking about bringing Gumbo back, but back as what? What if he's not the same? What if he's re-created like you?"

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the capsule. Inside are the two pills: one purple and one black. Her shoulder pushes into Earl's chest as she takes off in a full sprint. Earl senses her intentions and dashes after her. Zala loses her balance and falls onto her butt.

"Ouch. Why is everyone making so many frowny fac--"

Her throat constricts and her tongue feels like it has doubled in size. She claws at her chest and crumples onto her side like a fried shrimp. A soft wheezing noise is the only sound she's capable of as the moisture in her eyes dry out.

***

Outside, Amara approaches the ledge and slings her arm back. Earl emerges behind her, but is too late as she launches the capsule over the ledge of the mountain. Effortlessly, he extends his arm and a piece of the mountain, in the form of a hand, reaches out for the soaring capsule and snatches it.

"What are you thinking? Don't you want to see Gumbo again?"

An answer never arrives. Earl has complete control over his breath and doesn't have a drip of sweat on his face. Amara, on the other hand, has sweat running down her face and she struggles to catch her breath.

She watches as the mountain-arm slowly brings the capsule to him and drops it inside of his hand before reverting back to its original state.

"Stop this!" says Amara, losing the war of calmness. She pounds his chest several times before he whips his tail around her left wrist.

"You Vipers and your stupid tails" says Amara.

"You Humans and your stupid egos" replies Earl.

He releases her hand and drops the capsule into her dirt-stained palms.

"You're the most responsible one of us three. I need you to safeguard these for me... for all of us" says Earl.

Amara closes her hand around the capsule and stuffs it into her pocket, "Fine. We'll go back for Gumbo."

"Thank you for understanding," says Earl before turning back into the cave.

"I don't understand," retorts Amara following after him, "I never will. I never want to."

On the surface, the two look tranquil. But, tranquility is merely a house that turbulence lives in.