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Chapter 8- Lost and Home

I heard foot steps in the distance, coming closer. They were too loud to be a fox or a wolf, but loud enough for a human to make. I opened one eye, but I still couldn't see anything. The human sounded like he or she was walking towards the root that I was at. I hope they didn't see me, I would look too suspicious. I let out a small cough. I was still too tired to do anything about it. I could hardly sleep earlier, from all the noises that I kept hearing, and it didn't help that I couldn't see anything.

I could feel the person stroking my side, and I felt as if I was at home. My mom would stroke my head when ever I was sick, and it would always make me feel a lot better. I felt the hands pick me up, and hold me against their chest, carrying me to somewhere. Hopefully to the hut.

I could hear the water rushing up ahead, announcing that I was at Maya's waterfall. The person placed me down onto a grassy area, stroking my head a few times, then they walked away from the area. I was already awake, as I had been from when they cradled me. I shifted back into my regular self, as soon as they were out of sight. Now it was time to face my older sister.

I took long, slow steps, taking my time. I really didn't want to face her. She would be so mad at me..

I saw my sister leaning on the door frame, as I got closer to the hut. It looked like she had been waiting for me for along time. I looked up at the sky, and estimated about dinner time, maybe 4pm. I guess I really dragged out my walk back to the hut. As I drew closer, I noticed her face looked furious. I could hear my mind telling me to run, but I knew I had to face her wrath sooner or later.

"And where were you?" She asked impatiently

I flinched as she almost screamed the words at me.

"I got lost so I turned into a rabbit and hid under the roots of a tree." I didn't want to tell her that I was following Lin..

"And how did you get lost?" She asked again, and I tried to walk around her. Maybe I could get away..

"I. Just. Did." I replied. I didn't want to talk about it.

"You don't just get lost Candace! Where the hell were you?!" she yelled at me. "Do you know how worried I was?! You could of broken something or maybe someone captured you! I would of lost you and been alone again!"

"It's none of your business where I was! I came back didn't I?! I always come back! Can't you at least trust me to be by myself without you breathing down my neck?!" I shouted back, incensed.

"I'm not a baby anymore for crying out loud!" I could feel my face getting hot, and my stomach lurched telling me that I was pissed, and going to cry.

"Mom never treated me as bad as you do!" As soon as I said the words, Maya looked really pissed, and I knew I hit a wrong note.

I was about to apologize, that I was just irritated, and upset, but she brought her hand up, and hit me before I could say anything. She's never hit me before. She never has. I felt the tears run down my face, and I let out a loud sob. Everything was my fault. I ran to my room, one of the places I knew I could be alone, and I locked my door. I didn't want to talk to anyone. Not that there was ever anyone anywhere around here. I let out another cry, as I placed my self onto my futon.

Everything almost always seemed to be my fault, or if it wasn't, I certainly didn't help to make it better. I mind flashed back to the night where mom, Maya, and, I were running, from our burning village and I had tripped. Maybe if I hadn't looked at our burning village, we could of gotten away from those men dressed in all black, and we would be a proper family. Maybe everything would be okay if I just didn't exist to make everything worse.

I heard Maya call my name for dinner, but I didn't want to talk to her. I placed my hand on my cheek where she had hit me. It still stung when I touched it. I felt a few tears run down my face, but I brushed them away and closed my eyes. Maya came into my locked room, from a spell, I presumed.

"I made rolls tonight." She announced to me through the silence, and placed them on my futon.

I opened and closed my eyes slowly, my eye lids feeling heavy from my crying. It was silent... not something either of us usually had, with so much tension.

"... remember when we use to fight when we were younger?" She asked quietly. At least she wasn't mad at me anymore.

I didn't move from my position.

"... Mom use to always leave us in a room together until we made up. You know she wouldn't of actually let us stay there forever, she just knew we'd make up in the end..." Her voice trailed off. Yes, I knew that very well.

"... we did fight a lot didn't we?" I spoke to her quietly

"Heh. Well we stopped since we knew what would happen, we couldn't stand being in the same room anymore so... yah."

I turned around to face her. She was lying on her own futon. The smell of the rolls were too luring, and I was starving.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this but... I miss mom's mush." I stated, still chewing on the rolls. Maya was a really good cook.

"I can't believe that I agree with you."

We laughed at the remark. After we both stopped laughing, I heard Maya sigh.

"Sorry for hitting you." she apologized to me.

I just smiled to her. It was the thought that counts.

"You're just being a mo-older sister."

Maya frowned at me. Yet, it was the truth.

"Good night Candace." she whispered and turned away from me, leaving me with my thoughts, and my rolls.