Shadow of War by Jak Lore

Author:Jak Lore [Lore, Jak]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jose Ocegueda
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

—End Interlude—

Fourteen

Lightning races through me and throws me away from Berry. I collapse onto the ground and retch blood-colored vomit onto the burning and smoking foliage beneath me. The smoke causes me to cough and gag before I vomit again. Berry kneels beside me and rubs my back. She’s saying something, but I can’t make it out as I spew yet again. After my fourth retch, the red in my vomit begins to fade. My stomach is tight and raw after being emptied with nothing else to come up except stomach acid. After spitting up nothing but acid a few times, I just dry heave, my stomach offering nothing else to the nausea. My body shakes, and my mouth is bitter as I spit out whatever remains inside, the saliva barely being replaced.

Berry puts her cupped hand in front of me, and her palm fills with water. “Drink this,” she says, “It will help.” I pull her hand to my mouth and suck up the fresh liquid, but it doesn’t refill fast enough, causing me to press my lips against her palm.

“I need more,” I croak.

“Yes,” Berry agrees. She inhales deeply. “There is fresh water this way.”

Berry helps me to my feet and supports me as we walk. My feet drag on the ground, and my vision is blurry. My nose stings, and all I can smell is the acidic vomit that still coats the inside of my nostrils, which makes me cough if I inhale too deeply. I try to talk, but my throat is too sore. Berry tells me to focus on walking, but we still have to get off the mountain. We can’t just walk off. My feet are dragging. I’m barely able to lift them. I have no strength to walk, but my throat is too sore to protest, and body too weak to resist. I just want to sit and rest. Berry says something, but I can hardly hear her with my ears ringing. Berry offers her water-filled palm to me again. I drink it, but it doesn’t sooth my thirst. Berry lifts and carries me piggyback. With my arms draped around her, I rest my head. I stare off into the distance, but my vision is too blurry to really see anything. Not like there is anything to see on a desert mountain. I can make out birds singing, though. A little, at least. The ringing in my ears is starting to go away. My eyes hurt, and I find myself staring at the ground. It makes my eyes hurt less. I can see the floor better than the surrounding world. Exotic flowers are growing along the desert floor. I don’t recognize them at all, but they’re so beautiful.

Michael used to buy me beautiful flowers. Sometimes big bouquets. Sometimes single roses. On our first date, he bought me a bouquet of assorted flowers and a bag of M&M’s. He made a point to learn what my favorite candy was. We were sixteen, and I didn’t think much of him at the time.

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