Elements #Wattys2015

Chapter Twelve

Asher comes back just when I'm about to come up with a story to tell. He brings a hand full of berries. Though I'm not in the mood of eating. "I'm going to show you." He says placing different berries separately on a rock. He washes the carefully in the river making sure he doesn't drop any. I watch as his muscles flex. A strand of hair fall annoying him as he tries to remove it with out using his hands. My heart starts to beat rapidly and I look away feeling the heat rise up my cheeks. Breath.

He places the washed berries into my hands. "Half of these are poisons." He says. I give him a concerned look "are you trying to kill me?" I ask. He laughs showing his white teeth.

"No love if I was trying I would have already done it." He says. I smile in return. "See that berry rub it on you Palm." I look at the red raspberry. I grab it rubbing it on my palm. It's red juice oozes and leaked into my hand. I wait a minuet. "Does it creat a rash?" He ask. I removes the juice from my palm. I'm not itching... So I shake my head. He nods telling me I can eat so I plop it into my mouth. He takes the same berry and places it into his mouth. I'm not dead.

"Place this berry on your lips. Not in. If it stings than remove it it's poisonous. If it doesn't that place a small portion in your mouth and swallow it." I hold the purple berry against my lips. I wait for something to happen until I feel a sting against my lip. I remove it from my lips and shake my head. He takes the rests of the grapes and throws them into the river. "Those were Solanaceae." He tells me.

"You knew?" I ask him.

"Yeah. If you nodded I would have snatched the plant away from you."

"Oh."

"Now we can do scent, looks and taste." He says bringing the rest of the basket towards me. " stay away from White berries. Milky sap. An almond scent. Seeds, beans or bulbs inside pods. Thorns, spines or hairs. A bitter taste. Grain heads with pink or black spurs. And of course even idiots know groups of three leaves." I shrug looking at the basket. Only a fee had hairs. I'm not going to open them up to see if they have beans. I'm not going to taste there bitter taste.

"Okay." I say removing all the ones I know from the looks that could be poisonous. I can feel a smile cross his face as I begin to separate. My heart begins to race and I'm immediately frightened. But I do not show it. At least I don't think I do.

"You just graduated." He says handing me my basket.

"We have food. And water. You can build the fire. And then where done." I confirm. He shake a his head. "And shelter?" I stare at him like I was a four year old learning math. "Exactly." He says with a smirk. I roll my eyes carrying the basket towards him where he started to build his own fire. In a second a small fire began as he started to feed it with fire wood. I place the basket and sit in the opposite side of him. Letting the fire cover his face. It's only the afternoon and it's freezing.

I would rather dip my feet into the water. Though the water is freezing and the fire is warm. The wind blows against my hair causing my curly hair to possibly tangle behind me. Sometimes I could wish that I could shave it all off or cut it short. Though it's already short.

The loud noise behind me startles me. And when I look up to face Asher he looks at me as well. Animal. I mouth. He shakes his head as his gaze goes to something else behind me. And when I look back I find them. The girls behind me smirking like they have just found gold. I don't blame them.