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  AFTERMATH

  M E I L I N G

  COLORADO

  Copyright © 2018 Meiling Colorado

  Managing Editor: Morissa Schwartz

  Assistant Editor: Angela Bell

  Proofreaders: McKenzie Beery, L. Austen Johnson, Aaryn Smith

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations and other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to publisher at [email protected].

  www.GenZPublishing.org

  Aberdeen, NJ

  ISBN 10: 1973774038

  CHAPTER 1

  RETURN

  The leaf quivered.

  There was no breeze.

  The woman, lying on her back in the middle of the sunlit meadow, barely registered the shimmering vibration. Lost within that inner universe which had become so familiar during the last two years, she hummed to herself.

  Again the movement broke through her abstraction.

  Definitely, something was making the leaf move.

  An insect, dismissed Yeshra impatiently, an animal, the breeze, who cares?

  Except she knew better, of course; there was no breeze, and if an insect or animal had indeed made the leaf vibrate, she probably wouldn't have noticed.

  But it was impossible. The Awareness had been lost, wrenched from her, torn and bloody, to lie in a heap with all her memories of her child, her son….

  She gasped, hot searing pain shooting through her, forcing her to sit up clutching her narrow chest, the burn just as sharp and stark as if two years had not gone by.

  “No!” her anguished cry echoed across the silent meadow as she tried to claw her way back from the brink of insanity, back into that inner world she had created in order to keep herself alive.

  And the leaf shifted yet again, clamoring for her attention in a minuscule and vibrant way.

  Tentatively, drawing her straw blond hair away from her sweaty brow, she focused; it was like stretching…no, straining a muscle in a once familiar but now long forgotten movement. Setting her jaw against the dull throb of her echoing emptiness she watched her slim, pale hand reach out and cup the little green messenger. It wasn't strictly necessary, touch never had heightened her perceptions, but she needed something to help her bridge the chasm inside her, to still the biting voice which told her this was ridiculous, foolish, impossible.

  Resnan was gone.

  Her son.

  Dead.

  So this….

  It hit her then. Every single leaf and blade of grass around her seemed to vibrate in a blur of shrill green eloquence, and Yeshra was aware of it all.

  She had never been so aware.

  Scrambling to her feet, blue eyes open wide, she took a deep breath and set off towards the settlement as fast as her legs could carry her.

  Dinain tinkered with the carburetor, trying to find something, anything, else that needed fixing. He sighed. Little remained in the settlement that his mechanical expertise had not put back to work within the last couple of years. And little of that would ever be used, probably. But he needed more, it wasn’t enough, it never was. His mind was always searching for a way out. In fact, if he wanted to be truthful, (which he was in no way sure he did), fleeing might be a better description of what he was actually doing while fixing all those obsolete mechanical gadgets. Much to the gratitude of his co-settlers, he thought wryly.

  He was running out of options, however, and soon he would have to pause and face reality. In a moment of insight he rarely allowed himself nowadays, he realized that what he really wanted to fix was the past. He wished he had the ability to reconstruct his wife’s heart and mind in the same way he could this carburetor…

  Definitely not the way he wanted his thoughts to run. In his 52 years he had learned enough self-preservation to know when to check himself. Times had been hard indeed after the last conflagration had changed the face of the planet they lived in, and indulging in empty wishes and longings was a luxury which held a high emotional price to be paid in the long run. But he couldn’t help wishing for one minute that he could erase the last three years, bringing back the life to Yeshra’s eyes.

  She had found her own way of escaping reality, no better or worse than his own, he guessed- he repaired broken mechanical toys, seldom useful in today’s world, while she had built her own imaginary kingdom in which she had allowed herself to lose her way.

  At this very moment, while Lillith, their 15-year-old daughter trudged unaided through the marshy bog of adolescence, Yeshra was probably lying on her back in the clearing north of the settlement, eyes wide open and mind god knows on what. That, he knew, was where she spent most of her time.

  And the worst part, thought Dinain, was that not a word of blame had ever passed her lips. He could have lived with that…in fact, he would have preferred it as a way for paying for his guilt than witnessing her gradual but relentless withdrawal from reality.

  He heard the yells, and wondered what could have caused such a commotion in there by now monotonously quiet settlement. Stepping away from the work-bench, he quickly wiped his hands on the short apron he wore around his workshop and headed towards the door. Whatever had happened, it was certain to be a welcome interruption to his somber thoughts and his pathetic lack of control over them.

  There was a loud stomping as a heavy body ran up the old wooden stairs. A large athletic young man crashed in through the open doorway.

  “What the devil!”

  The exclamation came out harsher than intended, as the older man saw the look on Benton's face. He had never yet seen the boy this unsettled, in spite of everything they had had to endure since the conflagration, but now… Benton's strong handsome features were twisted as he battled with some strong emotion. What on earth could have caused this?

  ¨Dinain,¨ he started, and then paused, obviously not knowing how to continue. ¨you'd better come down to the South Wall. One of my scouts just informed me…¨, he broke off, panting for breath. He must have run all the way from the look-out post.

  ¨What! Are we under attack?¨ It was a stretch, they hadn't had a confrontation now for quite some time, but it was the only thing Dinain could come up with. But no, he had seen Benton in battle in the early days, before the relative safety of the settlement, and knew that wasn't it. The man had seemed to thrive on the battle rush, too much so, some people thought. No enemy, however fierce, could rattle him so.

  ¨No, no…¨, Benton seemed strangely uncomfortable, but then he burst out, ¨If it weren't because Serbell herself sent word corroborating the scout's news, I….but they're bringing him right now and…. I don't know what to think, Dinain.¨

  ¨Bringing him…¨ Dinain looked at the young man in front of him, usually so brave and sure of himself, and now seemingly lost for words.

  ¨What are you talking about?¨ he asked sternly.

  Benton swallowed and looked him straight in the eye.

  ¨It seems…well, they say Resnan….Dinain, your son just stumbled into the Southern perimeter! ¨

  Picking a bunch of thyme, (the last, she told herself), Lillith added it to the other neatly tied bunches in her wicker basket. She looked up at the sun and saw it was past midday- she would have to hurry or Leiren would be upset. The healer wanted the elder tree bark to make some cough remedies to ease the settlement's ailments before the weather started turning. A little plant with dark green leaves she didn't recognize caught her eye, and she stopped, intrigued. Not many plants were strangers to her. Leiren was a good teacher and, even if she said so herself, she was a quick pupil. Swiftly she picked the plant stem, close to the root, and secured th
e basket on her arm.

  She sighed, tucking a lock of dark hair which had escaped her long braid back behind her ear with nimble fingers. Foraging, pleasant as she found it, was done for the day. Then her young face brightened as she considered she still had some good moments left, pouring over her findings with the wise-woman, as her teacher was sometimes known as.

  Wise indeed…wise enough to understand she was in no hurry to return home. Her father would be late, too, and when he did tear himself away from the work-shop and dragged himself home, his sad, guilt ridden eyes would only be for her mother. Her mother, whose own empty blue eyes echoed the empty space in their family.

  ¨Lillith! ¨ A strong, familiar voice made her look up, smiling, to see the teenager running to catch up with her.

  She liked Ren. He was only one year older than her, but had shot up this summer so that, almost as tall as his uncle Benton, he seemed quite a bit older than his sixteen years. The red tee-shirt he was wearing looked like it was a couple of sizes too small, though he carried it well, she thought ruefully. It wasn't like they had a surplus of sizes available at the settlement, and it must be difficult to find clothes for him now. The long cotton skirt she herself was wearing would drag a bit if she didn't take care to belt it tightly at the waist.

  Fetching up alongside her, he matched his stride to her smaller steps, and grinned down at her cheekily, his dark eyes alight with laughter.

  ¨Let me help thee. This is too heavy a burden for so fair a maid.¨ Lillith chuckled. He sounded like a gentleman out of one of the old-fashioned romantic novels in the settlement's tiny, mostly dog-eared, book collection, the ones they used to sneak and giggle over when they were little, thinking no-one knew that's what they were reading. Then impishly, as he took her basket, ¨Wouldn't want you to strain something! ¨

  ¨As if! ¨ she pushed him away playfully, or tried to anyway, since she was barely able to budge him an inch. ¨you big beast, I'll give you strain.¨

  He burst out laughing. ¨Watch out, Lillith! You're going to hurt yourself… then the witch you have for a teacher will probably curse me and turn me into a toad, or something. ¨

  ¨Ha! A big hulking bear would be more likely, I´m sure, ¨ retorted Lillith.

  ¨And you'd better not say anything rude about her, Ren. You know how much we all owe her, yourself included.¨

  The tall, dark-haired boy walking by her side nodded thoughtfully. He was well aware he probably wouldn't have survived that strange sickness that had struck him down last winter if it hadn't been for the healer. Many hadn't, in fact. But there was just something about that woman…

  It was if she somehow knew about the nightmares which hounded him since then. He shuddered, trying not to think about that, not now. Not with his friend Lillith, looking up at him with her wide chocolate-brown eyes, and probably wondering about his sudden change in mood.

  ¨True,¨ he quipped, trying to lighten the atmosphere, ¨but if I'm ever sick again, you'll be able to heal me yourself,¨ playfully he shook the wicker basket, and teased ¨Being the witch's apprentice and all, you know!¨

  She sighed, and took the basket from him, looking wistfully at its contents.

  ¨I wish,¨ she said.

  She really couldn't learn fast enough, she thought. The settlement's need was great, and though she tried to dismiss it as paranoia on her part, she sometimes felt as if she was supposed to be doing something, and her time was running out.

  That's crazy, she said to herself, I'm just fifteen. In fact, I'm learning faster than some of the other girls. I may not be as good as Lorenna yet, but Leiren told me just yesterday that I've got instinct.

  She could still feel the warm glow those words had given her. Praise from the wise-woman was rare, and to be treasured.

  Why then did she have this pestering feeling that she was missing something, something important?

  ¨Hey! Why so glum?¨ Ren's voice broke in on her introspection. ¨It was just a joke, Lillith. I don't have anything against Leiren. As you say, I owe her, we all do.¨

  And I'd still rather you looked after me, he thought to himself. Surprised, he realized it wasn't just because he felt uncomfortable around her teacher.

  He looked at the girl walking by his side more closely. Like him, she had changed this last year, it just wasn't as noticeable. Or maybe you haven't noticed, you idiot, he thought, seeing his childhood friend with new eyes. He checked out her long lashes and the way her long brown braided hair caught the last rays of the afternoon sun, and reflected it back in auburn glints. It was obvious she took after her father, since her mother was one of the palest women in the settlement, and ash blonde, too.

  Somehow, Lillith had grown into a pretty thing right under his nose.

  No, not pretty, he corrected himself. Beautiful.

  He grinned, wondering if he could turn this new aspect of his childhood friend to his advantage in their bantering games…find a way to tease her about it. Suddenly, inexplicably, he was overcome by something unsettlingly close to shyness.

  Oh, come on Ren, he thought, it's just Lillith! The same girl you've been scrapping with since you were eight. But he still looked over at her surreptitously trying to determine what the changes consisted of exactly.

  They had become especially close when he had lost his father and she her brother two years ago. Benton had stepped into a kind of father-role with him, which he guessed was okay, really…his uncle was a cool guy and didn't overdo it…but both Lillith's parents had had some sort of breakdown, leaving the poor girl pretty lost.

  In spite of his own pain, he had reached out to his old play-mate, and that had helped both of them, he guessed. She was like his sister in many ways, anyway.

  Ren shook his head, confused.

  Some part of him wasn't happy about the sister spin he had given his thoughts.

  ¨Oh, no! I must be later than I thought.¨ gasped the slim girl at his side. ¨Leiren is waiting by the door!¨

  Secretly relieved by the interruption to his inner musings - really, what the heck was that about, thinking in that way about Lillith of all people - Ren looked towards the edge of the field and saw that she was right; a dark, unmistakable figure was standing next to the Healer's ivy-decked cottage.

  He increased his speed to match his friend's steps, who was almost running now.

  Ren couldn't really blame her. He caught himself mid-shiver, and coughed back a laugh. The wise-woman wasn't that scary, was she?

  What the heck, he thought half-heartedly, anything is better than continuing this strange train of thought. But he didn't really convince himself.

  She watched them as they came out of the forest and started crossing the field, towards the settlement, the bright colours of their mismatched clothing making them easy to track. She had been keeping an eye on the girl all morning, of course; all day, really.

  All of her senses were on alert.

  Something was coming….and Lillith was somehow part of it.

  She just didn't know in what way.

  It was frustrating, this limitation she had…she knew some things, but sometimes it was simply not enough.

  So, she had watched her young pupil like a hawk, hoping for some kind of clue, something, anything…on what was surely on its way. All she had been able to see was with what grace the young girl performed all her actions, now she had outgrown the almost coltish clumsiness that had characterized her as a child.

  She was undoubtedly clever and talented, picking up on everything Leiren taught her quickly and easily. Out of all her students only Lorenna surpassed her, but that could change with time. She might be a natural, gifted, as was her mother.

  In fact, thought the grey-eyed woman, as she watched the young couple's actions in the field, being gifted was becoming more common lately in this world they had survived in. More and more people were springing up with talents and abilities, which they wouldn't have even dreamt of ten years ago, when they lived their humdrum lives stuck in the system, working boring jo
bs and living in polluted cities. Most of them took the admittedly small changes in stride, and as far as she could tell no-body seemed to question what was happening.

  But the wise-woman wondered.

  The world had changed, and so had the people in it. Especially since last winter…

  Still, the girl was something else.

  There was something there, and it was growing. She could sense it, like a seedling pushing forth, blindly seeking for the light. As for the boy walking next to her…the Healer's eyes narrowed, remembering how close she had been to losing him last winter, along with all the others.

  That had been strange. An illness she had never run across before, but that was to be expected in today's world, too, she reminded herself, frowning slightly. The fact that her composure was marred by even such a small show of emotion revealed how deeply the Healer still felt about what, for her, had been her biggest failure to date.

  He had grown since then, she noticed, and looked well enough, so probably whatever had made him so ill would have no lasting consequences and she really shouldn't give it another thought…except that for some reason she found the gaze from those dark eyes under their straight thick brows unsettled her.

  Leiren sighed, moving out from under the shade of her house and into the sunshine. She wasn't used to feeling out of the loop. There had been far too much of that lately for her taste, and she found it disconcerting. That was probably all it was.

  Still, she didn't have to like it.

  Ha! They had noticed her now and were headed her way.

  She noticed how their pace quickened as soon as they realized she was watching them and nodded grimly, her thin black braids swaying next to her dark, stern face.

  She didn't like to be kept waiting.

  Another movement just beyond her field of vision distracted her.

  A flash of red appeared on the edge of the cornfield to the right, which resolved itself into her other apprentice Lorenna, running as fast as she could towards her, her red hair flying behind her. Even dressed in frayed jeans and a top, her athletic body made her look like an amazon, mused Leiren…an amazon in one hell of a hurry.