"Boy, am I tired!"
"I know what you mean," I agreed. "We should find a good spot to set up camp."
We searched through a nearby forest until we discovered a small cave hidden by some overgrowth. We spread some of the blankets across the cave's cold floor. I built a small fire outside our shelter so I could cook dinner. Liz watched from the security of cave. When the fire lit, her eyes gleamed.
She walked over to me and sat down. She seemed captivated by the small blaze. The fire crackled as it slowly ate away at the sticks.
"Why is fire so beautiful? All it does is destroy, leaving nothing behind but ash and smoke. Fire leads to destruction, and destruction leads to pain."
"Fire does more than destroy," I said as I stared at the fire with her. "It gives warmth and reminds us of home."
"Home . . ." Liz repeated softly.
She went back into the cave after a while of simply sitting in silence. Liz didn't speak very much after that. Knowing Liz, she probably just wanted to be alone. I understood that. Things were getting harder and harder for her as darkness continued to spread through her. Her arms, her legs, and a majority of her torso was covered with that sick red. I could tell that there was a little internal conflict going on as well. She didn't eat much and she was very quiet.
It was hard to believe that she was cheerful and without troubles just a few days before. I felt sorry for her now. This was all my fault.
Night fell upon the sky after a sunset of bold colors. Liz didn't even venture out of the cave to watch the beautiful transition. She didn't even seem to care. She just seemed to want to rest.
I sat by the fire and kept an eye on her as she slept. Each breath seemed more troubled than the last. The night was so quiet that I could hear teardrops falling on the ground. I walked quietly into the cave with the dinner she never ate.
Liz was sitting with her knees against her chest. Tearstains surrounded her eyes.
"I thought she'd last forever," she gasped between sobs. "Now I can see that I was wrong."
She stood up and forced herself into my arms. I didn't push her away. How could I? She just needed a hug. That's all.
"I feel so cold. She's not there anymore. Jake, my mom is dead. I have no one to go home to. I have no reason to live."
"Don?t say that!" I yelled. "Do not ever say that! You're only a teenager! You've still got so much of your life ahead of you!"
Liz looked hurt from the intensity of my tone.
"I'm sorry . . . it's just . . . oh man. How do I say this?" I said quietly. "You . . . you're something else. No one else is like you because you are really special. And I mean that in a good way. If you are not alive, the world would be missing out on a lot. You can't live the same life in Heaven as you can on Earth. Your mom wouldn't have wanted you to die because of her. There was nothing you could do. Besides, she'll still come back in Heaven and you'll still see her again if you make the right choices."
"The only thing is," she wept as she pushed away from me, "Adrian killed her."
"That monster," I muttered under my breath. Then I looked back at Liz. "Would it make you feel better if I told you how the Rebirth System works?"
She nodded, so I started explaining. I told her all about it. It's a simple concept, but it still can be hard to understand. I mean . . . if you have been good in your life, you'll go to heaven. You'll get your job and you can see your passed loved ones again. Your memory isn't complete of your passed life, but you get unlimited time to figure things out. Liz was done crying by the end of the explanation.
"Assuming I go to heaven, what job do you think I'd get?" Liz asked me between nibbles of her bread and cooked fish.
"I'd say a Guardian," I replied. "You've got a good heart; I can tell that you care a lot. I know you'd be good at any job you're assigned, though."
Liz looked at me. It wasn't an I-don't-believe-you look, an angry glare, or even a gaze of adoration. It was a look of trust. She seemed to have stopped thinking of me as a guardian, and started thinking of me as a friend.
"Is it morning already? Wow!" Liz laughed as the sun streamed in through the mouth of the cave. We had been talking all night.
Then she did something completely unexpected. She leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Better get going!"
She bounded out of the cave, and I play-chased after her. "What was that all about?!" I shouted.
"Who cares?" she yelled back.
Strangely enough, I felt something in that little peck on the cheek. Perhaps I was just glad to see Liz happy again. Or maybe I was in love. I guess you don't really need a reason for feeling good.
We packed up the camp and headed for Mount Skelecea slowly. We were taking our sweet time. Even so, we sped up once we got traveling.
After several hours of walking, we reached the mountain. As we stood at the grim mountain's foot, Liz looked up. "Are we going to have to climb that?"
"There is a path you know," I pointed out.
"Oh, right."
We started walking forward, but then Liz stopped and shouted, "Look over there!"
She was pointing at a tombstone that was old, crooked, and slightly run down. There was an identical one right beside it. We walked over to the grave together.
It was my tombstone, and my brother's was to the left of it. My mind went into a haze and it became hard to think. Nothing really processed for me for a couple minutes. I was standing by my grave. That wasn't supposed to be possible.
The only thing that got me back to my senses was a scream from Liz, which was followed by a shout from my brother. "You walked right into that one!"
After standing by my tombstone, I started to remember more things from my past life. Adrian used to say that when we played chess. A million memories bubbled up and haunted my brain. I had to get away from that grave! At that time, my brain was focused on one thing: getting to the top of Mount Skelecea. But how? I felt like I was frozen. At that moment, I realized it. I had to save Liz, but not because she was my assignment. She was more than that.
Without thinking, I just started flying. I wasn't really doing anything on purpose. I suppose sprouting wings and starting to fly is a subconscious thing.
I was above Mount Skelecea before I could process what happened. I could see my brother clutching Liz, and he didn't look like he was in any hurry to let go. From my spot among the clouds, I could just barely hear what they were saying.
"You should make an excellent pet," he purred. He wasn't a cat, but he was just as sly. "So I shall call you 'Pet'."
"That?s nice," Liz commented sarcastically. "Gonna love that."
Adrian laughed. "Silly girl. At least your looks make up for your foolishness. Yes," he leaned in, "you are quite the pretty one, Pet."
He tickled her chin with his fingertip. Liz winced and turned her head away. I could feel her misery from ten feet above her. I don't think that Liz ever wanted to be somewhere less in her life. I couldn't stand it any longer. I couldn't let this happen!
I started flying back towards the top of the mountain while still keeping an eye on the situation. My weasel of a brother continued to mess with Liz.
"Looks like he's not coming, Pet."
