“I’m sorry. I wasn’t avoiding you. Well, I was but only because I feel stupid for going to the cabin when you warned me not to.”
“I’m sorry. I wish I could’ve been there to help or do something. But there was nothing—”
“It’s not your fault. You’ve only been trying to help from the beginning.”
There’s a heavy silence between us.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“Besides being under the thumb of an evil sociopath and losing the only guy I’ve ever loved? Yeah, I’m alive.”
I expect a pitying phrase of comfort. A condolence on the end of my career. I’m not expecting an annoyed scoff followed by, “Oh, please.”
“Huh?”
“You’re acting like this is the end of the world.”
“It’s not?”
“This isn’t the end of anything. Come on. I chose you for a reason. You can do better than this.”
“Chose me? What? Better than what?” A few different things about that statement jump out at me.
“You aren’t trying.” Even through the distortion, annoyance is clear.
Now it’s my turn to scoff. “I assume you saw somehow the whole exchange with Zebulund?”
“I did. I apologize for not helping in that case, but that’s not what I’m referring to.”
“Please enlighten me. Since I’m your chosen one.” I roll my eyes. It’s nice to feel annoyed. It’s a mild salve to the pain of loss and defeat.
“First of all, let’s get something straight. You aren’t the chosen one.” There is an emphasis on “one” that I want to clarify but I don’t have time because O.G. presses on. “But yes, you were selected. Not only because of your talents, but because I thought you had gumption. Something more than others in your position. I thought you were a catalyst for change.”
“I was naïve.” I’m hurt. “I thought I could change the world too. But I’m a coward. I groveled. There’s nothing left to do. Aside from running.”
“Running isn’t a viable option. He’s too powerful.”
I blink at the factual tone. That option is scratched now and I go back to feeling deep pity and fear for myself.
“But you have an option,” the voice says. “An option you could’ve done from the beginning.”
“I don’t see any way out. Please enlighten me, because I’m losing my mind.” I drop the sarcastic bite in my voice and plead with O.G. “I’ve gone my whole life thinking there was some sort of justice for the evil out there. As juvenile as that is. It’s becoming increasingly clear that there is no justice or fairness.”
After a brief silence he says, “There is justice when people choose to fight for it.”
“I thought that’s what I’ve been doing.”
“No. You’ve been hiding.”
I grumble. I can’t help it.
“You do more than most, true, but you’re still not being totally truthful.”
I shake my head, not understanding. But then I get it.
“You can’t mean coming forward? About my… about what happened.”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
