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Somehow, both Edmund and I know exactly where we are going. As we’re walking through the woods, I can hear everything. I can hear the wind blowing. I can hear the birds chirping in the tree branches. I can hear the grass growing. I can feel the warmth of the sun on my cheeks. The woods are speaking to me in a language no one else but me seems to understand. It is telling me exactly where to go, and Edmund follows.
When we finally reach the place, the stones are still there. Everyone gets down to business, and within the hour, a small square patch of land is unearthed. The well has a narrow hole, far too narrow for someone to fit inside, but there seems to be water in there still.
“We need to make the hole larger,” Edmund suggests.
“But we need tools for that,” Kano points out. “There’s nothing we can do right now.”
“At least we found it,” Edmund nods.
He sounds a little disappointed that they can’t make sure that the well is still filled with precious water that they so desperately need.
“I can see whether there is still water inside,” I suggest.
“Can you?” Edmund wonders.
“Mhm,” I nod, lowering myself to the ground, onto my knees.
I stretch my arms downward, and branches immediately extend from my fingers down into the dark hole. I feel a chilliness inside, then a few moments later, water. I make a small bowl of intertwined branches, tightening them enough not to lose a single drop of this precious liquid, then I extract it out, for everyone to see.
A loud gasp is heard. I can see joy on everyone’s faces.
“Would anyone like a sip?” I offer, smiling.
They all stand in line, and everyone takes just one sip. No one wants to drink more than is allowed right now, and that strikes me as so wonderful. Their desire to keep each other safe, to take less of what is needed for oneself in order for someone else to have enough. That is something that has always been missing in the town of shifters.
I’ve seen many instances of selfishness, where they think of themselves first and others second. Vampires are completely different. I can’t believe that all this time, I thought vampires were the enemy, while in fact, I’ve been living with the enemy all along, thinking they were good.
One sip at a time, and quickly enough, everyone has tried it. I don’t know if one sip is enough to make a change in their body, but at least it’s something. It is the first step towards something better, something wonderful.
“This is where we shall return,” Edmund announces. “We will take as much as we need, and then, we will hide the well again.”
“I will help you with that,” I smile, standing by his side.
I hear the woods whisper to me that we cannot leave such a precious resource out in the open like that, unattended. We need to keep it safe, for those who truly need it, for those who will not exploit it for their own benefit.
“We can’t allow the healing properties of the well to fall into the wrong hands,” Edmund continues. “We have to keep it hidden from the shifters as well.”
“But what if they find out where it is?” someone in the crowd asks.
“They won’t,” I assure him. “I will make the grass grow over the well. I will put the stones back. The cherry tree will keep it safe. When we leave this place, it will look like nothing was ever disturbed.”
They listen to me for a moment, then I get a few nods. They like the idea. I still don’t know where they stand on a dryad as their future vampire queen, but that is a bridge that I’ll cross when we get to it. There has been enough excitement for one day.
“I say we slowly head back then,” Edmund suggests. “We have spent enough time away from our loved ones.” He turns to me and takes me by the hand. “Will you do your magic?”
I nod, smiling. I turn my attention to the well. “Can everyone please stand aside?” I ask. Everyone does as I’ve asked them. The look on their faces is one of curiosity and eagerness. They all want to see how the woods will hide its most precious resource.
I lift my hands into the air. This time, only flowers blossom at the tips of my fingers. The branches of all the nearby trees start to sway softly, as if the wind has suddenly gotten stronger. Only, there is no wind. The air around us is steady. But the branches are still moving.
At the same time, the grass becomes greener, spreading everywhere, over the well. Moss appears. The stones roll back to their place on their own. It only takes a single minute for everything to return where it once was, then silence reigns once more. A bird chirps somewhere in the distance. The branches of nearby trees stop moving. Everything is as it always was. No eye would ever be able to tell the difference.
“Amazing,” Edmund says silently, looking at the well. “I wouldn’t be able to tell it was there at all.”
I smile. “Nature knows how to hide itself well. It had to learn, because so many creatures were starting to exploit it for their own selfish reasons.”
“Nature is glad to have you to keep it safe,” he says.
“We all should do that,” I correct him. “Nature will keep us safe only if we return the favor.”
