Flow [Sokka - Book Two]

⚝Chapter Four⚝

Konno's stomach rumbled. It had been rumbling for at least thirty minutes because she finished her food about a day ago. She knew she needed to find food, but she wasn't sure how. She hadn't been taught how to fish or hunt. Her tribe said that was the man's job, yet here she was, without a man and in need of food. If they had taught her, she wouldn't have been in this dilemma. 

She couldn't find any sort of stick to use as a makeshift spear. If she found any sticks, they were waterlogged and soggy. They wouldn't be able to kill anything if she couldn't hold it without it slipping through her grip. Maybe if she could climb a tree, she would be able to try to pull off a small branch. She didn't have any knives on her, so she wouldn't be able to make it sharp or anything. Unless she used the broken pieces of the turtle seals to sharpen it into a spear. 

Konno looked up at the closest tree and decided that she didn't want to climb it. There weren't many branches where she could reach easily. She wouldn't want to hurt herself if she tried to jump up and grab the lowest branch. Besides, she wasn't that tall, so she doubted she could reach it. She had been shorter than Yue, but not by much. She had shot up when she turned thirteen, but that was about it.

She dropped to the ground, and her feet sank into the mud with a soft squelch. Light streamed in through the canopy, hitting the water in fractured angles. Creatures flitted across the branches in a flash. The swamp would have been nice if she wasn't there alone. If Navrek or Yue were with her, Konno guessed that she would have been much happier. But life had took them away from her, so she couldn't find happiness in this place.

Konno whirled around when she heard the unmistakable voice of Sokka. He said something, but she couldn't understand what he said. However, his voice went quiet before she could call out again to him, to beg him to stay. She didn't want to be alone anymore. She hadn't ever been alone before. She wanted to talk to someone, to get all her pent up feelings off of her chest. The weight of the world seemed to press down on her shoulders. Her shoulders rested on the walls in her heart, and she could feel them crack because of the weight.

"Eimi . . ."

She took off running toward the sound of the voice. A part of her knew that it was a hallucination, but she didn't listen to that. Her mind focused on the sound of another human voice. It wouldn't let any thing else try to prove it wrong. It believed that Sokka was actually here, and he would welcome her with open arms. 

Konno hadn't been looking where she was going, and with a sudden burst of energy, she slammed right into a tree trunk. She flopped onto the ground, her head spinning. Water curled around her body that sent a chill down her spine. She used to love the water. It was a comfort to her when she needed it most. It would listen as she raged about the ideals in the Northern Water Tribe, and it held her when she allowed the Girl to rise up through the other three walls. However, it had swallowed her up and nearly took her life away. She didn't know if she could forgive it for doing that. She didn't know if she could forgive herself for wanting to end her life.

With a groan, Konno sat up. Her head fell into her hands as the thoughts consumed her. She was slowly drowning in her sorrow and grief. The water rushed over her head, taking her under. It slapped her in the face and flowed into her mouth. Her breath caught in her throat, and she couldn't breathe anymore. It seemed like her chest was incapable of ever taking another breath again. Somehow, someway, she wasn't fine with that.

Konno opened her eyes and took a deep breath. With every blink, she started to forget her troubles. She didn't want to remember them. She wanted a new life where she could live without pain. However, that could never happen. She was stuck in this life, for better or for worse. So far, it was definitely worse, but there had to be a better there somewhere. She had to believe that.

She stood up, and she had to steady herself on the tree trunk. It had come out of nowhere, rising out of the ground like a monster. A monster that had injured her head. Touching her forehead, she winced in pain. A small bump had formed above her right eye where her head had slammed into the tree trunk. She didn't think it was bad, but she didn't really know for sure. She hadn't ever had a head injury before. However, she could see clearly now and her head wasn't spinning anymore, so she thought she was fine. If she wasn't, she didn't care.

Konno peered at the trunk. It was slightly taller than her, so she grabbed onto the side of the trunk and pulled herself higher. Her toes were planted into the ground while the rest of her feet were hovering. She could just see into the hollow trunk, and a gasp escaped her lips. Piles of fish were stacked up, nearly spilling over the edge. If only she had brought her bag! She could've gotten much more than what she could right now. 

Her small hands wrapped around as much fish as she could. She stuffed them into her pants and her shirt and her pockets. She would have a feast tonight. However, she wouldn't waste her food like she did last time. Now, the only thing that she needed to figure out was how to build a fire in this marshland. If she couldn't find a stick to make a spear, how would she find firewood? And how would she light the fire? She wasn't a firebender; nor did much sunlight shine through the canopy. 

Konno took her time getting back to her own tree. First, she had to figure out which way she ran. Second, she had to make sure she wouldn't drop her fish. She didn't want to waste any of it, especially because she was hungry. 

When she made it back to her tree, she dumped the fish on top of Sokka's parka. She turned around and scanned the area for any type of wood to burn. With a sigh, she pulled bark off of the trees around her. Most were moist, but some were dry. Hopefully she would be able to light a fire. If she wouldn't be able to, she would starve slowly. Unless she found someone. That would be nice.

She shoved the fish to the side and set the bark on the floor of her tree. She didn't really want to light the fire in there because there was only one hole in it, but she couldn't light a fire on the wet ground. Her options were limited here.