Wyatt was panicked and knelt beside her. “Nev, what is it?” he pleaded. He was brushing the hair back from her face and trying to judge what had happened.
Nev shook her head violently and looked up at Wyatt. “I promised, and I broke it… again,” she said, tears streaming from her eyes.
Wyatt wiped some of the mud from her face. “Promised what?” he asked, feeling his concern grow by the moment.
“I promised I would never come back,” she said, her voice trembling.
The sudden realization of what she meant came crashing down on Wyatt. Of all the cabins in all the world, he had inadvertently led her to her childhood cabin. No matter how much I want to protect you, you still keep getting hurt, he scolded, feeling aggravated with himself. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her until the cabin was out of sight. As he walked with Nev in his arms, he could feel her crying quietly against his shoulder.
Nev kept her eyes closed tight as she felt Wyatt pick her up and move her some distance. She felt like her soul was breaking, and she was powerless to stop it. Tearfully she pressed her face against Wyatt’s shoulder. I promised, she repeated over and over.
As the rain stopped, Wyatt came to the edge of a large, clear puddle. Gently he sat Nev down beside it and then pulled the sash from his belt. Rinsing it out in the pool’s clean water, he began to tenderly wipe the mud from Nev’s face.
Nev had stopped crying and was just sniffling at this point. Her gaze, locked and lost, staring out past Wyatt and towards ghosts from her past. She felt Wyatt cleaning her face, but the sensation was dulled. It was as if her entire body had gone numb all at once.
“I am so, so very sorry,” Wyatt apologized, sounding heartbroken.
Wyatt’s words echoed in her ears as she struggled to regain her composure. Still drifting uncontrollably, an image began to form on the edge of her vision. It was hazy but familiar. Struggling to see it more clearly, it became fainter and fainter the harder she strained. Her head pounding, she sighed heavily and then heard a voice. One that she recognized.
“Hush, daughter. You are undeserving of the punishment you so eagerly place upon yourself. Know that you have grown up to be even more amazing than I could have ever imagined. You are not that vulnerable, small child anymore. Now, you are a brave woman, and you are not alone. You must return and face your past, or it shall forever block your future. Go. Face it, and listen to your heart. I love you,” her father’s voice said, before his words and the foggy figure she’d seen faded into the night.
Wyatt sensed strange energy envelop them, but he couldn’t find the source. “Nev? Can you hear me?” he said, his voice filled with concern.
Nev looked up at him shakily and nodded before turning her gaze towards the direction of the cabin. She focused her mind and compelled herself to stand. Silencing her instinct to run, she took in a deep breath. Her body still trembled, but she would not allow herself to turn back now. Many of her demons lurked nearby, and Nev was going to force herself to face them. “I have to go back,” she whispered.
Wyatt was confused. Only moments before, she had been inconsolable at the mere sight of the cabin. Now she wanted to go back, seemingly imbued with a strange sense of resolve. It was clear something had happened. Perhaps it was the energy he sensed. Either way, if she was heading back, she would not be going without him. “Okay, then we go back—together,” he said, sounding steadfast. He took Nev’s hand in his, and they both started walking back towards the cabin.
Nev steadied herself against Wyatt, her legs still wobbly, as her mind tried to understand what she had seen and heard. Was it a ghost? she asked. Without a clear answer, she let the question fade.
As they walked through the moonless and murky evening, Nev faltered over a branch. Luckily, Wyatt was quick to catch her and help her regain her footing. Suddenly, the air around them was filled with light. The firebugs that had been enjoying the respite from the rain seemed to be glowing with increasing intensity. “They are beautiful,” she whispered.
Wyatt smiled and said, “Well, I didn’t think we should have to stumble in the dark anymore tonight. Besides, they don’t mind helping to light our path, and neither do I.”
Nev looked at him and smiled. “You did this with the mushrooms in the cave, didn’t you?” she asked, her voice still a bit shaky.
“I did tell you I had other talents. They are just hard to use when running for your life. Or swimming for your life. Or any type of action for your life,” he said, grinning and peeking over at Nev.
Nev let herself marvel at the sight for just a moment. “Thank you,” she said, leaning into him.
They spent the next several minutes slowly walking towards the cabin, with Nev trying to slow her breathing and calm her thoughts. She felt Wyatt occasionally squeeze her hand gently. Each time he did, she felt her will become steadier. Nev didn’t know what she would find after so much time had passed, but she would soon learn.
The cabin slowly came back into view, and it became apparent the forest had done its best to reclaim it. The onslaught of time, weather, and unrelenting forest growth had clawed at its walls, roof, and foundation. Still, it had managed to endure mostly intact and far more than Nev
