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“Elves,” I say out loud to myself, upon seeing the hard presses of equu hooves and the thin wheel tracks.
I can feel myself shaking as my thoughts begin to collapse even further. My mind jumps back to metal cages… to seeing my mother on the ground as the elves beat and laugh at her.
The world swirls around me. I can feel myself hyperventilating.
Calm down.
It’s not real. None of this is real.
“Run!” my mother says. She’s standing tall behind me, in a black floral dress. Her eyes trace the tracks in horror as she follows them along the vast desert.
“We can’t go back there,” she tells me. “You know what they did.”
But I’ve already begun to sprint across the sands.
If only I could remember the way back to my cavern. I know, at some point, that I had a plan. If I could just recall what it was.
“Vines,” I say, nodding.
If I just look for the vines at the entrance to my cavern, I’m sure to find my way back home safely. Against the bright pink sky, the green is sure to stand out.
As I run, I try to retrace my steps. My footprints are already covered by the gusting winds, so I’m going to have to find my way back through memory.
I remember sensing the smell of meat. That sent me eastward.
And I veered slightly whenever a landmark interfered with my forward trajectory.
Stopping my desperate sprint for a moment, I struggle to catch my breath. That’s when my eyes behold a familiar rock formation, and I know that I’m home.
Stepping precariously over the sliced-open vines, I peer inside.
“Welcome back,” my mother says cheerfully, sitting down at the table. She’s brewed tea, and she’s even cleaned up the place.
I hate to disturb the scene. It’s so peaceful in comparison to the world outside.
Retrieving my totem from the bedside table, my knapsack from beside the bed, and a handful of sets of clothes for both of us, I am more short with her than I’d like.
“We have to go,” I say. “There are elves nearby.”
She shakes her head. “We don’t have to worry about that,” she tells me, smiling. “He will provide for us.”
“Who are you talking about, Mother?” I ask, casting her a sideways glance as I peer around the room. I know that I need to travel light, but I also don’t plan on coming back here.
“He smites the monstrous and avenges the downtrodden. And he already has a plan for all of us.”
I stare at her quizzically before turning back to the entrance, tugging on a strap on my knapsack.
“You’re not real,” I tell her, though it pains me to admit it.
“No, I’m not,” she replies in a chipper voice. “But he is. And when he finds you, you need to be open to him.”
I shake my head.
“I’m going to close my eyes now, Mom,” I tell her. “When I open them, you’d better be gone.”
I take a deep breath, staring back at the ruined room full of skeletons and insects.
“I can’t ever come back here again,” I say.
