The Thorn Chaise

Chapter 2

Night falls upon us like a soft blanket. The serenity of our surroundings puts me to sleep before I can even unfurl my thoughts. My lashes fall heavy, and before I know it, I’m asleep. My dreams are just replays of today. Today was full of silence, but not like the cruel silence from the village. This quietness was peaceful. For the first time in my life, I allowed myself to drown in tranquility. How quaint. I want more of the life Lucas is offering me.

            An unexpected loudness disrupts my otherwise harmonious sleep. I awake, full of contempt. Only now do I realize I’ve fallen asleep on the very pillow I’ve first seated myself on. The colorful one. My first instinct is to search for Lucas, who is nowhere to be seen. I arise to my feet and begin taking steps towards where I think the noise came from.

            I take a few steps forward, only to find Lucas behind a tree, with a dead boar in hand. The animal seems to have fallen into a trap laid by him. I wasn’t aware there was still healthy fauna in this place. I sigh, relief making its’ way through my veins.

            “I’m sorry, Macie. I must have woken you up. I was just preparing for our next meal.” He goes to pat my head. His fingers get tangled in my coily hair, much to his dismay. “Ah, I didn’t realize you were this dirty. Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to wash up when we arrive at the cottage.”

            There’s no river in sight where I could wash myself, nor any body of water. This is a classic forest, a land dominated by trees. During the night, my clothes have had plenty of time to dry up, yet they still feel damp. Looking back, I must have wet the cute pillow I laid on. My mind swirls with disappointment when I think of the ruined cushion. Through no fault of its’ own, it ended up murky. I wish it was sentient so I could apologize to it.

            We head back to the camp, where Lucas urges me to sleep, but I can’t. I’m wide awake now, filled with anticipation for tomorrow when we’ll leave for the cottage. He tells me I’ll have my very own room. I can’t muster the imagination to conceptualize a room that belongs to me alone. I can’t imagine how it must feel to have something belong to me and only me. Back home, our entire house was made up of two rooms: the kitchen which also doubled as a bedroom, and the bathroom. We had two beds, one smaller than the other, huddled up in the corner. From my resting place, I had a clear view of the pantry, composed of a few shelves and the scarce food that rested on it. I used to dream of growing up and moving away to a castle, marrying a handsome prince, and leaving the village behind, but that was all it was. A fantasy. Still, I missed having dreams.

            It must have been close to dawn since the holy gold up in the azure awakens. The horizon turns to blood as a new day is announced.

            “How long does it take to get to your cottage?” I ask Lucas. He seems overly focused on the task of skinning the poor boar, something he’s not very skilled at.

            “About 4 hours on foot, if my stopwatch is correct, but do not worry! We will take breaks.” He coos as if he’s talking to a small child. “I have tons of garments fit for children there. You won’t have to stay in that filthy dress forever.”

            “Oh! You have kids?” My excitement seeps through my words. I haven’t played with someone for so long, I’m starting to forget how.

            “We are not so lucky. We both wanted children, but the Divine had other plans.”

            “I’m sorry…” I don’t know what to say. I know it’s my fault for inquiring without thought, but regardless, my words are stuck in my throat.

            Lucas puts the now-skinned boar on a piece of cloth and starts lighting the fire. The sweet smell of burning flesh awakens my senses, who laid dormant up until this point. The pink epidermis dances across the grill that Lucas built out of several sticks. I can’t help but stare; I haven’t eaten in three days.

            I sit and watch what was once the color of the sky at dawn turn into a honey brown and that honey brown turn into a deep shade of maroon. My staring is interrupted by Lucas, who offers me a plate. On it, he places a freshly cut slice of the boar’s belly. Without a tint of hesitation to my name, I dig into it, devouring every single crumb I come across. After I finish, I ask for a second serving, powering through my shame. Back home, I was never allowed another helping for food was scarce, but Lucas gladly offers me a second portion, a third, and a fourth. My stomach begins to fill up and the gnawing pain coming from my stomach that I’ve grown accustomed to begins to fade into oblivion.

            Satisfied, I lay on my back as Lucas starts to clean up. There’s nothing but bones left of what was once a fat, thriving animal. After he’s done, he turns his attention to the tent.

            “Can you help me fold the tent, Macie?”

            I’d never refuse to help with a household task. Back in the village, I was the sole cleaner and the sole cook because my father wasn’t keen on helping around the house. Not only that, but I was making myself busy around other households as well. If someone asked me for help, you could bet your entire fortune I’d oblige.

            Without a word, I secure the other part of the tent, the one vis-à-vis to Lucas. Together, we neatly fold a humongous tent into a tiny piece of cloth.

            “Thank you, Macie! I’d never imagine a grown man like me would need help in something so trivial, but I guess I’m getting old.” He laughs tenderly.

            “I’m glad I could help! You’ve already fed me. Twice. This is the least I could do.”

            “Don’t worry about that. I don’t expect anything in return. What could I have done anyway? Not feed a starving child? That seems cruel.”

            With the tent out of the way, we focus on the small items scattered around the camp, such as the makeshift grill and the pillows we’ve slept on. We place the pillows in a particularly big pocket of the now-folded tent and we throw away the sticks. Now that our camping equipment is all packed up, we can leave for the cottage.

            For the first time, I’m stepping out of the forest that embellished my whole life. There’s a wrenching feeling deep-seated in my gut that I can’t get rid of. I’ll miss this place, though I don’t want to return ever again.

            The weather of the exterior is considerably warmer, and the air seems crafted for the purpose of causing gasping. I barely took three steps and I’m out of breath. Beyond the woodland, there’s little to no vegetation. Everything seems to melt into a breeze of nothingness.

            “Has it always been like this?” I turn to Lucas, hoping he might guide me to the knowledge I crave.

            “What do you mean?” his question comes across as pure, unbridled confusion. How long has this land been withered for? Is this normalcy for its’ residents?

            “The state of the flora… It’s dried-up.”

            “I don’t remember ever not being like this. The Cave Queen needs a lot of nourishment, so it takes whatever life force it can find.”

            “What?! Where exactly is it?” I inquire, eyes wide with dread and mouth agape.

            “Ah, please don’t worry! It’s nowhere close. It’s so far away from us, we’d have to walk hours to reach it. You see, the Twelvemonth Blossom has an incredible reach when it comes to vitality. It can consume anything within tens of miles. That’s why its lifeblood is so precious because it holds life tenfold to what mortals could offer.”

            “Why doesn’t it affect us?”

            A moment of silence ensues. Lucas lays his chin in his palm, taking a thinking stance.

            “I have no idea.” He laughs softly, as if embarrassed. I thought time stood still for a second as I was waiting for his response. “There are many things I don’t know about this place. I only began exploring it when Mary fell ill. If anything, you should know more than me.”

            “The villagers never talked about life outside the settlement. I think it’s because they didn’t hold any knowledge about the exterior. I know people that tried to venture outside the bounds, but they never returned. Sometimes, it felt like the villagers forgot about them.”

            Lucas looks at me with an expression I can’t quite decipher. I wonder if he pities me, or if he depreciates my fellow tribesmen. If he’d ever do that, that’d be underestimating them. The village people built a tiny nation out of nothing, secluded from outside forces trying to seep in. They achieved a lot.

            As I step forward, my left foot lands on something so sharp, that I can feel it through my sandal. I swiftly move my leg and look down, only to find a small, pulsating rose with thorns bigger than its’ petals. The petals are the reddest red I’ve ever seen, but the stalk is withered, the color of saddle brown.

            “These are the types of flowers we’ll find within the cave where the Twelvemonth Blossom resides.” He states. “I have no idea how it traveled this far…”

            “Why is it twitching like that?”

            “It’s alive, like all plants, but this one’s a little bit more on the living side. How do you think it got here? No one moved it, it moved on its’ own.”

            I try to hide my horror. This rose is more like a mutant than anything. The way it twists itself is disgusting, like an injured human begging for its’ life. I quicken my pace, full of disgust, but my conscience won’t let me progress further. My resignation floods my thoughts, and I turn around. Lucas grabs my hand quite forcefully, edging me to leave this space. I look at him with eyes drenched in inquisitiveness.

            “I’ve never seen something like that before. The poor rose needs help; we can’t just let it suffer like that!”

            “What do you mean? What rose?” Lucas’ response cuts me like a razor blade. I immediately turn my gaze to the place where the rose once was, but my sight is empty, devoid of the shuddering plant. Confused, I free myself from Lucas’ grasp and run to the point of convergence. My eyes haven’t betrayed me yet, it truly vanished.

            This space is open, apart from a few tree stumps and withered shrubs, all far away from the place where the plant was. There’s nowhere to hide here, especially considering the rose was seemingly on its’ last breath; it couldn’t have gotten that far. What happened?

            “Where did it go?” my mouth moves on its’ own, as desperate as my brain for closure.

            “Why bother with something you’ll never get answers for? You’re tired, and so am I. Let’s just continue our trip.”

            I try to protest, but my attempts are instantly shut down by Lucas, who keeps on persisting about returning home. His eyes are weary and he wears a desolate expression. He must be exhausted. Guiltiness erupts from my mind. I don’t want to bother him anymore, so I just keep quiet.

            I wish I knew how much time passed. It feels like an eternity, but my mind knows that not to be true. My feet hurt from the walking, but after the blunder with the rose, I feel too ashamed to voice my concerns to Lucas. As if he can read my thoughts, he suddenly stops.

            “Macie, do you want to take a break?” his voice is doting and his eyes, who only looked ahead during our expedition, now focus directly on my pupils.

            “I don’t want to impede our arrival at your cottage.”

            “Aw, Macie… Don’t say that, your well-being matters more. We can rest on those stumps.” He points to the butt of an anciently cut tree. It’s big enough to fit us both; I can’t help but marvel at its’ immensity.

            We settle on the vastness of the stump. It feels ethereal to rest after walking for so long.

            “Mary will be ecstatic to meet you. I just know it.” His expression softens, but he looks right past me, at the endlessness of the wasteland.

            My eyes begin to dampen.

            “Tell me more about her,” I mutter, not managing to get anything else out.

            “There’s so much to say.” His half-smile turns into a beam of joy and nostalgia. “I remember when I first met her, over 20 years ago. I was at a birthday party of a child whose name I didn’t even know, but our fathers were business partners; I had to be a networker at the young age of 8 before I even knew what a real friendship was. I’d like to think she was the same.”

            His sight turns to the floor, but the smile does not fade. He gleams with happiness whenever he speaks of Mary. A moment of silence ensues. I can only assume memories brimmed with bliss dance across his mind.

            “Mary was the first girl I noticed at the party. She was dressed in a flowy white gown, the most elegant one at the party. Although she barely walked in it, she looked graceful. I can still remember what I felt when I first saw her, though I can’t possibly put it into words. That feeling hasn’t faded, after all these years. I don’t think it’ll ever leave my soul.”

            Lucas turns to me. His smile is replaced by an intense expression, full of determination.

            “I will stop at nothing to save her from her coma. Even if it means ridding this world of the Twelvemonth Blossom.”

            Solemnly, he twists his face into an expression of sadness. “Macie… I have done everything in my power, and I mean this wholly, to heal my beloved from this curse, but despite the power my family holds, I failed every time. Killing the Cave Queen is my last resort. That thing is more dangerous than anything on this earth.”

            “I vow to help you in any way I can!”

            “Thank you, Macie. I, too, have a vow to make. I promise to protect you from the evils of the Twelvemonth Blossom.”

            Quietness blankets us, but this time, the air is filled with a soft moment devoid of awkwardness; a moment of silent understanding. A bond is forged.

            After what feels like an hour, we gather our tools, tent, and belongings and begin walking again. This time, calmness floats in the air, and all my discomfort has washed away.

            The rest of the trip is uneventful. Silence has become typical. My time is spent instead admiring the withered land. I can only imagine it was once a beautiful woodland filled with flora and fauna, brimming with fertility and life. All that’s left now are scars marked by cut trees devoid of their lurid colors and dead flowers. If the Twelvemonth Blossom is really responsible for this, then I can’t imagine its’ existence is natural. My mind jumps to thoughts of it being a mutant or a man-made horror beyond my comprehension. Either way, it doesn’t deserve to thrive in the way Lucas described.

            In the distance, I can only see nature decaying away. These lands seem infinite, but Lucas tells me the landscape outside the city he lived in as a youngling isn’t as wilted as these forests, if you can even call them that. The horizon is lacking the hues I’ve grown accustomed to in my childhood. I consider myself lucky for being born outside the Cave Queen’s grasp. I got to experience the beauty of the iridescent countryside; the pigmented taste of the world lost itself in my eyes as I grew up surrounded by liveliness. I can’t help but miss that place. The sudden change in temperament of the village people has alarmed me as nothing has before. I’m glad to be free of the curse that has befallen them, but I wish I could have stayed, and the rain left instead of me.

            Lost in thoughts, my eyes begin to staple themselves together. Tired from the trip, I sink into nothingness.

            I awake on Lucas’ back. I’m seated comfortably between his shoulders and the folded tent. Half-asleep, I rub my eyes with my tiny hand and tap Lucas on the arm to tell him I’ve woken up.

            “Good morning, Macie! You’ve slept quite a while. You must have been tired.”

            “Hi…” I mutter; my brain is still not fully conscious. Despite my efforts to reinvigorate myself, I am trapped in a state of dormancy. My thoughts fall on Mary and her comatose condition; my eyes snap open, alarmed at the thought of sleeping forever. Lucas senses my sudden rush of energy and bends over, allowing me to climb off his back.

            I turn in the direction he’s facing, only to notice a mansion far away.

            “Is that yours?” I point to it. It’s nothing like he has described it. It has three stories and is surrounded by an elegant pathway. The fences surrounding it are thick and decorated with cubic patterns and the outside walls of the house seem to be made out of African Blackwood. I’m unable to see the details from so far away, yet I’m still left thoroughly impressed by the supposed cottage Lucas referred to.

            “Oh, yes.” Lucas laughs, as if embarrassed. “That’s my cottage.”

            That immense house is anything but a cottage. I’d like to think of the residence I’ve grown up in as a cottage, but it’s the exact opposite of Lucas’ home. Whilst mine was small and only had two rooms and one floor barely held together by pine wood withered by time and storms; his house is made from the finest wood protected against decay by a strong canopy and a durable roof.

            “When was it built?” I want to quench my curiosity. The building looks new as if built yesterday.

            “It was a gift from my father for my 18^th birthday but it had been previously owned by a baron, so my guess would be around 20 to 30 years.”

            His response stuns me. The manor does not look as if it were 20 years old. The difference between it and my old residence makes me gulp. I can’t imagine myself fitting in the lifestyle Lucas has. I imagined he must come from money, but only now do I realize he must be the son of a millionaire.

            “It’s a beautiful mansion.”

            “Don’t call it that.” He pouts, surprised by my compliment. “It’s just an old cabin. The house I was raised in is ten times as big. You should see the chateau Mary’s father gifted us as a wedding present. Now that’s worthy of being called a mansion.”

            “What do you do with all that space if you don’t have children?” I inquiry. My words seem to hurt Lucas as his face loses his color and his smile fades. Only a moment of silence passes before I realize I should apologize. “I’m sorry for bringing this up. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

            “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m not upset. It’s true that I wished nothing more than to have an heir with my dear wife, but I’ve learned to love my life as it is. Mary, on the other side, has never gotten over her infertility. It’s understandable if you ask me; I just wish she wouldn’t blame herself for something she cannot control.”

            A rich, beautiful couple that loves each other endlessly seems like the perfect candidates for parenthood, yet she lays childless in a comatose state and he’s desperately traveling all over the globe to find a cure. How tragic…

            Before I know it, we’ve arrived at the mansion. The flora inside the fences is alive and green, the complete opposite of the plants outside the property. Everything is neat and decorated with elaborate, cubic patterns: the pathway, the fence, the door, and the windows. The entrance is thrice my size, although I am pretty tall for my age. From closer, I can see the outside walls have detailed carvings of Christian imagery, primarily angels, all around them.

            Lucas puts his giant hand on my back and leads me inside. The interior is just as beautiful as the exterior. Filled to the brim with paintings and colored wooden walls, the design of this place is very cozy and welcoming. The carpeted floor is soft to the touch, likely made from animal fur, and the soft, leather couches just let you sink into them.

Lucas leads me to an elegant flight of stairs. As we arrive on the second floor, I am greeted by a beautiful cedar door seated right next to the story’s entryway. Lucas tells me this will be my room. Upon opening it, my jaw drops to the floor in amazement; the room is enormous, filled with toys made from cotton and filled with wool, each more beautiful than the other. To my right, a toy castle almost as big as me catches my eye. It’s colorful, decorated with turrets on the roof and balconies at every window. On the biggest terrace, a tiny doll, resembling a princess, seats. The material it’s made from is unknown to me. Growing up as the daughter of a carpenter, I have become quite familiar with all kinds of materials, yet this object stuns me. Confused, my hands make their way across the lightweight matter. Lucas mistakes my inquisitiveness for amusement and decides to comment on it:

“You seem to like that one. I’m glad. I was worried you wouldn’t find something to suit your taste.” He sighs, relieved. “You know, this was a gift.”

“You received so many gifts.” My eyes glitter at Lucas’ luck; my mind completely forgets about the toy castle.  “I’ve never gotten a gift.”

His eyes widen until they look completely round. “Never?!”

“Never.”

“Then consider this your first gift.” He points to the doll house.

“Thank you, Lucas.” These are the only words that manage to spill out of my mouth. I am beyond flattered by his gesture, yet I don’t know how to voice my gratitude.

“You must be hungry. I’ll go prepare dinner. I’ll be right back!” He smiles, then fades away down the stairs.

Before I can say anything else, I am left all alone once again. I look around the room but nothing catches my eye. I realize only now that I’ve forgotten to ask Lucas about the foreign material. My curiosity cannot be subsided, so I go looking for him. I step out in the corridor, then down the stairs, only to be met with an endless array of doors. One can only wonder what these contain. Regardless, my mission is to find Lucas.

I arrive in the living room that doubles as an entryway. This is the first room I’ve ever seen in this house. To my right, I am greeted by a second flight of stairs, the one I took to reach my chamber. Instead of following the same path, I take a left. It doesn’t take much walking to reach an imposing door, decorated with braids of white chrysanthemums. Unlike the other doors, which are the same color as the wood they’re made from, this one is painted black. I can’t help but wonder at the deep shade of the door. Not only is it the only door that’s painted in the house, but it is also bigger than the rest. There’s no way this is the kitchen where Lucas is, but my curiosity gets the better of me and I turn the handle. Surprisingly, the door is unlocked.

I enter the mysterious room, doubt etched in every step. I look around the notably small room, but it is mostly empty, except for a multitude of white chrysanthemums neatly arranged in bouquets of 12 hanged across every corner of the room and a luxurious bed with canopy curtains that are shut. I approach it, peering through the curtains. Inside, there lays a beautiful woman sleeping. She looks young as if she just reached her twenties. Her long hair is as golden as a citrine stone, and her skin is porcelain white. Her hands are clasped together on her stomach. She is garbed in an elegant white dress, with silk sleeves and an embroidered neckline embellished with complex patterns, and her fingers are adorned in rings, each fancier than the other. A particular jewel catches my attention; an exquisite yellow stone in the shape of a heart sits on her fourth finger held together by bright gold. It must be her wedding ring. Her breathing is soft and even, unbothered by the world around her. She looks at peace.

“What are you doing here?” Lucas’ voice rings out in the small room. His brows are pointed downwards.

I turn to him, wordless, both from his sudden presence and the beauty of the mysterious woman. I want to apologize for intruding, but words refuse to come out.

“You’re not allowed in here.” His expression softens upon seeing the sleeping lady. She must be Mary. “One day, she’ll wake up. I vow to defeat the Twelvemonth Blossom and revive my beloved.” He looks at her, entranced.

A moment of silence is thrown over us. I sit still, watching Lucas intently. He hasn’t taken his eyes off Mary since the second she saw her. He wears a bittersweet expression, a smile surrounded by sadness.

“Macie.” He breaks the silence. “Come, dinner is ready.”

“I’m sorry…” I manage to mutter.

“Who isn’t?” The room fills with his laughter. “The door must have caught your eye. I understand. I purposefully ornamented it like this to honor Mary.”

“Your wife is as beautiful as you described her.” Unsure of how to proceed, I just compliment Mary. She truly is a graceful woman.

“I’m sure she would thank you if she could speak. She was once so lively and spirited, now she just lays there, unmoving. I used to pray to every god I knew of to reanimate her, but alas, no one seemed to hear my cries.” His smile fades, replaced by a bitter expression.

“Do not worry! We will defeat the Cave Queen and bring Mary back from her slumber!”

He looks at me with sweetness and salt dripping from his eyes. “Thank you.” He whispers in a shaking tone.