"Timber. Timber. Timber! Timber, where are you? Timber? Where have you gone? Oh fuck I swear to fucking god if anyone touched you I will burn this world to fucking ash until I'm sure that even the gods have suffered for allowing you to be harmed! Timber!"
Gene's hand gently brushes a patch of hair away from my face, and I awaken to the instrument returned to the closet and his smile shining down to me, loving and safe.
"Are you hungry, my love? Dinner is set."
We all sit together at the glass dinner table, a platter of pickled vegetables, rice, and smoked soup spread out. Gene builds my bowl for me, ensuring to get plenty of vegetables, an excessive amount honestly, but his family allows it, seeing as how I am carrying his future offspring.
"So I've heard you came here from outside the resort, where are you from?" Leon asks in between sipping on his soup.
I pause, staring down at the wooden bowl, filled to the brim with vegetables, some rice, and soup. This entire dish is vegan, which is fine, but it lacks flavour other than salt. And a lot of it.
I'm sure it's good for the baby.
And I draw a blank.
I think I used to work in fields, gathering carrots and grain, I think there was a weak, old horse. And red, a lot of red.
I remember being hungry.
I certainly was when I first arrived here.
But I need to have a response, I didn't just appear here out of nowhere, I had to have a life before all of this. But I don't want to lie either.
"I moved around a lot, so I don't exactly have a single origin."
"Oh, so your parents worked in the government? Or perhaps the military?"
I don't know who said that, but I guess the military would explain all the red, perhaps my parents were high profile individuals.
Though I don't have any memory of them. Why?
"Something like that I'd say, I never really knew what they did, before they passed."
"Oh my dear, I'm so, so sorry." She reaches for my hand on the table top, her palm is soft and cold, so cold.
Finally looking away, I meet her eyes and smile. It's all good, I'm happy with where I've gone in life, so I'm grateful for all the sacrifices they've made for me.
They must've made sacrifices for me, all parents do.
"You used to work in the water temple with The Guide, what was it like there? I've heard many positive things after you started there."
I laugh lightly, the Guide, he's such a kind young man, so full of life and energy, perfect for that position. It was an honour to have worked under such a wise man. "I loved it, everyone was so accepting of the lessons and the creative aspect helped us create just a warm and welcoming environment."
"You do have a special connection to water, I've seen. Are you an element user?"
"No, not at all," I shake my head, vision going blurry for a moment before turning clear again. "It would be nice to have such an ability, but I struggle half the time with remaining on my feet, I'm just so clumsy."
"Well, then perhaps we can make our way to the basement, now that dinner is finished." I look down, and whoever said that was right, we are done eating, my bowl somehow is even licked clean.
When did that happen?
"Yes, that sounds amazing, it's been so long since I've gone down there."
Together we walk together to the front entryway where Leon opens a door under the stairs that lead upstairs, and I silently follow them down the creaking steps.
The basement is encased in glass, and in the middle of the floor, leading from one end to the other, is a small, thin river where small schools of fish pass through peacefully. Its dim glow illuminates the entire room. They all sit around the center of the river, Gene pats the ground next to him and I place myself next to him, smiling cautiously. Unsure of what this room is for other than a safe harbour for small fish.
"These fish have been returning for decades since my father founded the area, the exact same fish, unaged. Every few months, after a special event, we like to gather down here and meditate together. It helps grow our connection with the ocean and waters and the many creatures within it. We believe that someday, some generation, an element wielder will join the family and sharing such a calm and sincere moment together will help the rest of the family take on the understanding and connection with the waters as well."
Silently, we all close our eyes, and begin breathing, the flapping of the fish echoing throughout the entire room, splashing water against my knees and feet, spreading and soaking my clothes.
And I feel it; I feel the flowing of the water past this small river despite not touching it; I feel the beating hearts and souls within the small animals despite not having any connection to them. And it spreads, the algae growing on the rocks of the island, the plants deep beneath us, the predators, starving and searching for their next meal, and the moon, now overruling the sky despite there being no access to the sky from this room. It's full, and glowing, pulling the tides higher until the waves reach the sidewalks far upon the beach. I feel the water soaking my fabric absorbing into my skin and the lightness of floating in a pool, like I'm flying and the ground beneath me has disappeared.
Sneaking a glance, I open my eyes.
Around me, all their eyes are still closed, and they're all dry, but I'm soaking wet, not even a splash has reached them.
And the fish all gaze at me with a strange kind of recognition.