"Our Paradise" by Jasmine Suk

Ilentia stumbled through the thick bush, the thorns ripping through her arms and legs. She was ready to be home. The past few weeks hadn’t been kind to her feet, and she would be grateful for a soak in the river, even if it meant having to dig out gravel from the soles of her feet. She shuddered at the thought, but she pushed on. Her wounds would heal, they always did.

The village wasn’t far off, the trees were becoming sparse and she could smell the familiar smokey scent of her home. Someone always had a fire going, it was a proud aspect of their community. As long as the fire was set ablaze, their connection as a family was strong.

The tall girl finally broke through the last couple of trees, the sight of wooden walls released a warmth in her chest—finally home. The feeling tarnished when a sour smell mixed with the smoke. Iltentia took a step back, not expecting the slap in the face. Her nose scrunched up in disgust.

“What did I tell them about cooking the liver?” She growled under her breath to no one in particular, rolling her eyes, but continued to her destination. The wind was too loud to hear anything from over the walls, but she could always feel the excitement of being reunited with everyone.

She never felt comfortable with this aspect of the journey, the crossing from the forest to the walls was barren. Ilentia preferred the cover of the trees to the open plains. A sigh left her lips, complaining would do nothing.

Her eyes darted across the horizon, checking for any predators that dared to test her today. She was met with nothing, as it should be. The sun’s rays were too hot for anything to be out now. It was both a blessing and a curse. Ilentia had to choose steps carefully, making sure to step only on the soft grass, one misstep onto the sizzling stones would castrate the bottoms of her bleeding feet.

That wasn’t something she wished to experience.

As she drew closer, the sour smoke became heavier. Ilentia coughed into the air ahead of her, the village cooks would definitely be getting a stern talking to once she reached them. There was no way the smell wasn’t disrupting the children attempting to sleep peacefully in the nursery. Ilentia also guessed that their sleeplessness and cries would disrupt the sleep of the others.

That would not do, their people needed to keep their strength up if they were to be ready to survive the upcoming winters. Ilentia was returning from tracking a small herd of buffalo, ready to give information to the hunting party. They needed to be stocked up. If they failed they would meet their end.

“Lent?” The voice startled Ilentia. She whipped around, cursing herself for not being as prepared as she should have been for an attack. Though what she saw was far from what she should be fearful of.

“Sus?” Ilentia's eyes scrunched, giving the girl a once over, making sure it really was her. Everything met the mark; her limp, twisted leg, dark brown short hair, deep green eyes that stared right through Ilentia’s brown. “What are you doing outside?” She quickly became frantic over the other girl. “You could get hurt!”

She trusted her intuition when leaping from grass to grass, avoiding the hot stones, to bring Susla into a hug.

“We need to get you back inside, come one.” She went to lift the girl onto her back, but Susla pushed her arms away.

“Lent, we need to get out of here, right now.” Ilentia wasn’t sure she had ever heard the girl’s normally bubbling voice hold such a serious tone, she was taken aback slightly. She still held her arms out, now taking a step closer.

“What are you talking about, Sus? Did something happen?” She began bombarding the girl with questions, but her smaller friend shook her head, eyes closed.

“I’ll explain it all as we get out of here, but we need to go.” Her soft voice was stern; Ilentia didn’t question her a moment longer.

“Alright, but at least get on my back, it’ll be faster that way.” Susla didn’t argue with her, allowing herself to be carried away. Their friendship had always consisted of them helping one another in their own ways.

Ilentia sighed as she, once again, made her way back to the cover of the forest, her bleeding soles would have to wait a while longer.

“There was an outbreak in the village, I’m not quite sure what it was. Most are dead.” Her words caused Ilentia to stumble. She hissed at the feeling of her wounded feet searing against the hot rocks. Nevertheless, she continued.

“How did this happen?” Her voice came out strained, they finally reached the tree line. Ilentia took a pause, trying to ignore the stinging feeling of her feet, before starting up the journey again.

“We’re not quite sure. About five sunrounds after you left a hunting patrol came back. It was—Hey, watch where you’re going!” Susla suddenly yelped at her carrier. A welt already forming across her face from where a low hanging branch had slapped her cheeks. Ilentia mumbled a soft apology for forgetting the girl’s placement on her back.

“Whatever,” she whispered down at Ilentia, “just pay better attention.” She rested her head down on Ilentia’s shoulder.

“Anyways, as you were saying.” Ilentia tried to not think about how Susla’s voice was much closer, a more intimate action then she was accustomed to.

“We’re pretty sure that’s where it came from. They brought home some deer, well a lot. We had a big feast to celebrate.” She paused, the silence filled with the breeze’s song dancing around them, something so beautiful yet dangerous. “All of a sudden people were turning up ill. First, it was coughing,” another pause sent a pang of hurt through Ilentia’s heart, “then it became so much worse.” Ilentia tried to ignore how Susla’s words trembled against her skin.

“I left.” Her words caused Ilentia to pause her footing. The green trees surrounded them, an unspoken sign of protection. By this point, it would be impossible to see the walls of their village. Ilentia allowed the silence to prolong for another moment longer, hoping that Susla would find the same comfort from the rusting leaves that Ilentia did herself.

“Why?” Her voice finally spoke, though she didn’t give the girl her brown eyes. Those tracked the trees above, looking for something important.

“I was isolated. Those of us,” She paused, letting out an annoyed huff, “at a higher risk” the mocking tone was a comfort to Ilentia, “were separated in hope of preventing the spread. But I couldn’t do it.”

Ilentia continued her walk, now understanding where they were. She had grown up in this forest and could map the entire place while asleep. Her silence was a welcoming comfort to Susla, who took the opportunity to shift her position, before continuing the story.

“I didn’t like the thought of you coming back. You would have no warning. You could have died!” Her voice broke. Ilentia finally twisted her head to look into Susla’s green eyes. They were filled with tears that made her chest ache.

“Breathe for me. We’re at camp, take a moment to calm down, you can finish the story once we’re settled.” She pressed a soft kiss to Susla’s forehead before turning her attention to the tree before her. The vines had been sturdy enough to carry her up time and time again, but she had never attempted the journey with a second person on her back.

She gave a small jump to readjust Susla and to determine if the vines would hold. The girl was extremely light, though it was mostly from Ilentia having carried her on her back for years.

“Hold on tight, I’m going to start making my way up. It’s not that tall, so it’ll be fast.” She didn’t know what she would do if Susla fell.

“Up?” The girl on her back squeaked. Ilentia chucked.

“Trust me a bit, won’t you?” That silenced Susla fast, allowing for Ilentia to begin the ascent.

She tried her best to focus, while the girl mumbled into her shoulder just how much she didn’t need help. It caused a smile to stretch across Ilentia’s face. Susla was strong, always had been, but she also had a deformity in her legs, making it harder for her to walk, let alone train. It never really stopped her from giving it her all. Ilentia looked up to her a lot.

“Are we almost there?” Susla’s voice was harsh, but Ilentia didn’t answer, instead pulling them up the rest of the way into a little treehouse.

“Close enough?” Ilentia teased as she allowed her body to collapse on the floor.

“This is where you stay on expeditions?” Her wide eyes tracked across the room, the awe filled Ilentia with pride.

“My dad was no scouter, but he was pretty good at building. Something about not liking the idea of me resting on the same floor as the beasts that were hunting me.” She watched as Susla inspected the flooring under them.

“This is a mini paradise.” Ilentia chuckled at the girl’s words, though after bringing her into a hug she mumbled into her hair, “I guess it could be.” They went silent for a moment before Ilentia removed the girl from her hold.

“I definitely think we should stay here, at least for the night. Let me get the bed ready. Sorry. I only have enough for one.” She turned away from Susla to gather the supplies, but she didn’t miss the giggle that filled the room.

“That’s alright. We used to always sleep in the same bed. It’ll be like when we were younger.” Ilentia was happy to hear her spirits restored, but she was still curious about the illness that took everyone.

“So, what was the final killing point?” Her voice was soft, but she felt the desperate need to know.

“After I left, I still watched everyone. I was worried that you would come back, and I would miss you. My best guess would be blood loss.” Ilentia couldn’t seem to find the blanket she very desperately wanted. It was frustrating.

“Blood loss?” The word reminded her that she still had to patch up her own feet from the tearing, but first, she wanted to make Susla comfortable.

“Yeah, what started as a normal cough, escalated to vomiting blood.” Ilentia finally found the blankets she needed, clutching the grey wool in her hands. She thought for a moment before deciding they also needed berries to eat. It would be better to start regaining their health for the journey the next day.

“They suffered ‘til the end.” Susla’s voice was somber. Ilentia didn’t like hearing it. “Though, it might not have been that bad for some.” Ilentia was digging in her small stash of food that she knew she could keep for longer periods.

“Why not?” Susla hummed at her words.

“They also experienced hallucinations.” It caught Ilentia off guard.

“Hallucinations?”

“Yeah, most of them probably didn’t even realize they were dying.” Her tone scared Ilentia to the core, no longer bubbly. Monotone. She looked down at the red berries in her hand only to be met with pools of blood in each.

Ilentia knew her feet had been bleeding but—

“Lent?” Susla’s soft voice reached her ears. She whipped around looking around, but the small home—the small paradise—fuzzed together. Blood splattered on the floor and continued onto the walls. The bright red mixed with brown wood. But there was no girl. No green eyes to meet.

No Susla.

“Lent?” The voice once again rang through her head, but there was no source. Ilentia ran her blood-covered hands through her hair, gripping the roots. She couldn’t tell if it was the wind or her screaming.

“Lent, honey, where’s the bed? Lie down with me.” It was Susla’s voice, and yet it wasn’t.

Ilentia tried to walk over to where she had hugged the girl, but the dizziness took over. She crashed against the wall, unable to escape the voice, the confinement. She wasn’t sure if the wetness on her face was her own tears or her blood.

“Lent? Honey? Come to bed; we’re safe here.

“In our little paradise.”