"We are all surrounded by life. These forests we live in are more than just trees and plants… It's alive."
"Creativity flows unrestrained through every crevice, the Zytra Forest, it hasn't aged a day since I saw it."
I never knew this place we lived in had a name, Zytra… it's a beautiful name—but an unfamiliar one.
My face scrunched in confusion. "Why have I never heard of Zytra, you never mentioned it before, not even while teaching."
"I'm not the craziest bookworm but I've dabbled in a few here and there, nothing."
A frown tugged at Ms. Valeria's lips as her eyes shifted downwards. "Although this forest breathes life it is unknown by many, most maps don't even have Zytra on it… It's a shame really."
Despite being in bed she still clapped her hands like she always would. "But that's enough about the forest, let's talk about what's inside—a village I stumbled upon while first traversing Zytra."
"Is that where you made the deal?" I said, slightly raising an eyebrow.
She slowly nodded. "The deal, yes. I still remember the people who lived there, they were so beautiful—blessed by Zytra's creativity."
I couldn't help but interrupt. "There were people living in Zytra? Like us?"
Ms. Valeria grinned. "Yes."
She looked to the ceiling for a brief moment—almost getting lost in thought before turning back to me.
A peaceful expression grew across her face. "This will probably be the last story I tell you Simon, so make sure to listen up."
She reminded me of what I wanted to forget. "You shouldn't say things like that, you're going to be fine."
Ms. Valeria smiled as her face radiated with endearment. "You out of everyone can't make that face Simon… You need to be strong, even if it isn't for yourself, be strong for them."
"You don't even know how much they truly need you."
Before I could respond she cackled as coughs soon followed. "I've wasted enough time, let's continue."
I decided to hold my tongue as Ms. Valeria coughed a final time to clear her throat. "I was with Alex when we found that village, the people were so lovely but their chief… he was something else."
"He cheated on his wife with another woman. Despite the chief not wanting another child the woman secretly gave birth anyway."
"He couldn't tell his wife about the baby, and he didn't want to lose his position or respect as chief."
"He wanted me to take in his child, but I refused. Years passed… I found you, and the others."
"While out one day I stumbled across that village again, I went to see the people only to find out that the chief was still hiding that baby from his wife."
"You can only keep a child secret for so long. He would use his creativity to dramatically slow the child's growth, even though 8 years passed, the child was only 4."
"The village chief tried once more to get me to care for the child but I refused… that was until he proposed a deal I couldn't risk denying."
"He knew I brought in more children, in return for also taking in his unwanted child he vowed to always keep us safe."
"He might not have been a good man, but he sure was a strong man."
"That barrier you found, it covers our home—this entire area. He helped me make it."
Something sparked in my brain as I backtracked through her words. "You took in his child. Jackson?"
Ms. Valeria nodded her head in agreement. She rolled over on her side as she pulled the covers over her shoulders. "And now you know why that barrier is there."
"Well, how do we turn it off then?" I asked, but she didn't respond.
"Ms. Valeria… how do we turn it off."
She spoke in a way where I couldn't really understand her feelings. Her words were cold and precise, but also sorrowful and dull.
"It'll turn off automatically when I die."
Before I could ask anymore questions she let out a nasty barrage of coughs. "I'm getting tired, we can continue tomorrow."
I sighed, moving the stool back beneath the desk. Taking one final look at Ms. Valeria I flicked off her light as I walked to the door
Reaching for the knob, Ms. Valeria's voice sounded like an angel as she called out to me.
"Simon?"
I turned my head back as she was still laying on her side "Yeah?"
"I love you."
I couldn't help but chuckle as I stood in the doorway. "I love you too. Goodnight, Ms. Valeria."
Gently closing the door I stepped into the pitch black hallway. Using my hand I traced the wall as I walked into the living room. It was empty.
Walking back through the hall I slowly crept up the stairs. As I entered the lounge I almost forgot what happened up here.
I stared at my destroyed canvas and easel.
Taking a deep breath I started picking up the broken wood. I can't make a big scene out of this, I won't let him get the satisfaction.
Moving to the canvases I started with the empty ones as I stacked them upon one another.
Looking at the completed paintings I studied each ripped canvas, thinking back to the original piece.
How old was I when I made it? Why did I make it? What does it mean to me?
Kneeling down I stared at the last canvas, the sketch of Ms. Valeria.
Mimicking my fist going through the canvas there was a clear gap in space between mine and theirs.
A fist this big could only belong to two people.
Pushing myself up I stacked the canvas onto the others as I carried them and the broken easel downstairs.
I unlocked the backdoor as I used my foot to swing it open. Stepping outside a figure sat still on the old bench.
"Alex, is that you?"
A calm breeze swayed through my hair as I lay my destroyed paint kit on the ground.
I walked closer. "Alex?"
He didn't move from the bench. "It's late you know, what're you doing out here."
I bit my lip. "Someone decided to take their anger out on my paintings… they're all destroyed."
Letting out a dry chuckle he stood up. "There's always something isn't it."
He took a few steps forward as I could make out his face now. He looked exhausted.
I slid my hands into my pockets. "You okay? I know that was a lot earlier."
He held his arm with his other hand as he glanced towards the night sky for a moment before looking back at me. "We have to get out of here."
"I'm gonna tell Valeria tomorrow to take down that barrier, she won't get the help she needs here—not in this place."
"After she gets outside help I'm not coming back. This cabin, this forest. It all makes me sick."
He doesn't know. I should tell him… but how would he react?
I smiled. "Yeah, after we get out and Ms. Valeria's okay we should move on from here."
Alex tried his best to hold in his excitement as he hugged me. "You really are the only one who gets me Simon."
"Valeria will get better and we'll be free… the perfect life."
He took a closer look at the destroyed canvases as we embraced. Taking a step back, he dug his hand into his pocket. "So, do you know who did it?"
I sighed as I shrugged my shoulders. "My first thought was Marcel but, something tells me it wasn't him."
Alex kneeled down at the pile. He deeply stared into some of the paintings before getting back up. "This definitely wasn't Marcel."
He pointed to the Ms. Valeria sketch. "This one looks like it was done by Luther."
My eyes widened. Just from a single look he immediately knew. "I was thinking the same thing, but why would Luther want to destroy my stuff?"
Alex slowly pulled a lighter from his pocket as he sparked it in front of him. "I don't know, this seems way more serious than just Luther being Luther."
I slightly tilted my head. "Whats up with the lighter?"
He handed it to me as he began to walk back to the cabin. "We have a big day tomorrow."
Smiling, he turned and looked at me. "This'll work itself out, trust me."
As he blended in with the darkness of the cabin a gentle swoosh, then click told me he was inside.
Holding the lighter I slowly dragged my thumb down the side. I could tell by the gritty rust falling off of it that this was Ms. Valeria's.
I stared into the flame. It would move and sway with the wind, sometimes looking like it would go out, but never did.
"I'm sorry Alex."
Closing the lighter I put it in my pocket as I gathered together all of the canvases and wooden sticks.
I carried them to the very end of the backyard—throwing them over the fence.
Wiping my hands on my shorts I walked back to the cabin. Stepping into the living room I slumped into the couch cushions.
Not having the energy mentally or physically to get up I slithered further onto the couch as I laid on my back.
Ms. Valeria's coughing kept me awake for longer than I wanted to be. Shifting to my side I laid my head on my arm, soon dozing off.
**
The sounds of indistinct chatter awakened me. Lying still on the couch I could make out two voices.
One voice was feminine, Runi maybe, or perhaps Dahlia. The other was sturdy—yet calm, maybe Cleo or Marcel.
I waited for them to leave before opening an eye. Sitting upright I scanned the room only to see Marcel sitting alone at the end of the kitchen table.
He twirled a silver ring with an orange stone around his finger—so lost in thought that he didn't even notice me on the couch.
Standing up his eyes darted to mine as he paused for a moment before twirling the ring again.
I took a short, sharp breath as I rubbed my eyes and pulled a chair at the opposite end of the table. "Can we talk?" He ignored me as he still fidgeted with his ring.
This is the perfect chance to make things right between us, I can't pass this up, no matter how I may feel.
My voice was still a bit groggy. "I'm sorry, okay… I said some things, you said some things, it's what brothers do. We fight, we make up. We only have each other out here so being pissed off won't make anything better."
He still sat there as he twirled the ring around his finger. He didn't look at me, he didn't respond… he acted as if no one was there.
"I don't even know why I tried." I mumbled, standing up and pushing in my chair.
As I walked towards the hall I expected him to say something—say anything… I don't know why, I just did.
I stopped before leaving his sight, my feet wouldn't let me move. My heart pounded as I could feel my fist tighten. "You're so damn childish, you know that?"
He finally looked at me… that fierce, yet calm stare I've become so acquainted with.
But this time something was off, this wasn't a "back off" kind of look. He looked at me as if he'd never even met me before.
Slipping his ring into his pocket he stood up as he started walking towards me.
I expected him to yell at me, or even to throw a punch, but he walked right by me.
Turning around I grabbed his shoulder as I pulled his shirt. Before he could react Dahlia opened Ms. Valeria's door in tears.
She spoke in sobs and sniffles of incomplete sentences.
In a moment's notice Marcel tore away from my grasp as he ran to Ms. Valeria's room.
I followed behind, standing in the doorway as Marcel held Ms. Valeria's hand.
Time felt like it stopped. A constant ringing played in my ear as I stared at Ms. Valeria.
"You're okay, you're okay." Marcel repeated as he held onto her hand. She barely moved.
I stumbled back as I placed my hand over my mouth. I could swear she was just fine yesterday!
"Where is Alex!" I yelled out as I turned to Dahlia.
The commotion had alerted others as they flooded into the hall. Runi and Cleo from the bedroom, Luther and Jackson from upstairs.
Dahlia couldn't get the words out, her lips quivered when she tried to speak.
Shoving through Cleo and Runi I ran to the front door. Running as fast as I could I made my way to the big oak tree.
Alex sat with his legs crossed as his vusk laid across his lap.
He turned around as I kneeled over panting. "Ms… Valeria, it's bad."
Shooting up from the ground he left his vusk there as he darted to the cabin.
I took this chance to lean against a tree as I caught my breath.
Taking one final breather I turned to run back to the cabin as a shatter rang out from behind me.
Turning around pieces of pure creativity flew past my face, a few cutting my skin.
A large gust of wind exploded through the dark pathway as pieces of the barrier slowly dissolved in the air.
My knees felt as if they could buckle. My chest could burst. "God… no."