Chapter 13: Town of Memories
The sun rose higher in the sky, it was not yet midday. The rays were different on that particular morning. The usual warmth that inspired good thoughts was replaced by intense heat that only led to terrible thoughts of what could have been done. Those who would see the region in its present state would believe that they could have done something. The traveling merchants who rode on their carts into the each region would believe it the most. “If only I had come yesterday, I could have stopped whoever did this.” They would say, not even remembering that they had no idea where to find the rose. And even if they did find the rose they would have no idea what to do with it.
Sand blew over the dying grass that covered the Bay Region. The processes had begun, soon no green would remain. Every town was now the same, silent. Rerum was no exception. Despite the years that the elders tried their hardest to keep Rerum different, to keep it solo from the rest of the region, despite all of their efforts the town of Rerum was finally just like every other. The houses stood still and useless from the heat that penetrated without end. The townsfolk stood or sat or lay just as they would in a painting. As if that small part of the world rested under an artist’s brush, unable to escape their eternal positions that the painter had decided for it.
Two lonely and sad kids retraced steps from their childhood, looking into houses that once gripped their senses with the smells of baking pies and cooking stews. Now these houses were dreadful to look at, only the memories remained. That’s all the entire town was now, a town of memories. Grand recollections became grave scenes of loss. Even though the sights of the buildings were horrendous now, it was not as unspeakable as the sight of the people. Every time one of the two kids caught sight of one of them they froze where they stood and let out a gasp of surprise, for they recognized every one of them. Eventually they arrived at the places they feared most of all, their homes.
The door read: Hardel Residence. Mith kept her eyes glued to the door as she pushed it back, revealing the small shack she called home. The smell of the air was refreshing, though it lasted for only a moment. After taking a deep breath she looked about. It was in the exact same format as she had left it several days prior. She looked up to the ceiling and saw the straw that was formed into a roof. A mat lay in the center of the wood floor; Mith knelt down and felt its bristles with her hand. A table stood on one side of the hut while a large bowls sat on it. Mith looked around the hut from where she knelt on the mat. She saw three sets of blankets over more mats that her family called beds; one had much more dust on it than the other two.
Mith began to feel relief, something she had not felt in a while, when she did not see her father in the hut. Could he have made it out of town, out of the region? She pondered as she headed for the door to look for Ludus. Half-way back to the door she froze. For about a second she could not even move. Her eyes had found her father. He was sitting next to the door, his hands on the ground between his legs. His face showed certain peacefulness. His head was cocked to one side and his eyes stared upward, toward the ceiling.
Mith stared at her father for a moment before rushing to him. She knelt beside him, putting her arms around his head. He was cold to the touch, as if literally frozen. The young girl stared into her father’s strong, yet calm eyes looking for some kind of reaction.
“Why? Why did they do this to you, to everyone?” Mith did not even try to hide the panic and sadness in her voice. She wiped away several tears from her cheek and looked back to her father. “Come back, come back, I still need you.” She looked into his face one more time before burying her own into her father’s shoulder. The tears began to flow down her face and onto Mr. Hardel.
“I-I never told you how I felt about mother’s passing.” Mith said into her father’s shoulder. “I wanted you to think that I was stronger than I was. I never wanted you to know that I was so hurt. Please forgive me; I never wanted to make you think I didn’t care.”
There was a knock at the door. Mith wiped the tears from her face and looked up. Ludus was standing in the doorway; his expression showed that he had also just found his parents. Mith slowly took her hands off of her father and stood up. At first she felt light headed, she put her hand on the wall to steady herself.
“I think that it is time to go find Mitchum . . . and apologize.”
Ludus nodded in agreement. He noticed that Mith looked completely drained, her face was sullen and her eyes showed complete devastation. But despite the way she looked, she stood and spoke with a bravery that he had never seen in her. The bravery spread into his body, and his own sadness melted away in its fiery grip. He knew his parents and everyone else were not dead, just frozen in time. This knowledge made it possible for him, and Mith, to continue on. Deep down the two of them both knew that they were now in a minority in the Bay Region, they were still moving. And it was now up to them to go to the palace and help with the fight that they now knew would come. Mith joined Ludus at the door and gave one final look to her father. Its time, time to fight back. She left the hut before she could start crying again at the sight of the man on the floor that she loved so much.
As the two kids started in the direction that would lead them out of town and back into the Rough Region, Mitchum appeared from behind a shack. As if possessed by a spirit other than their own, they launched themselves in his direction. At first Mitchum thought they were going to attack him, and thought of running when he decided to stand his ground. He was very surprised when he received hugs instead of a punch from them. Mitchum looked down at the children, he suddenly felt much more sympathetic than he already was. He took them in his arms and hugged them tightly. It’s strange, he thought, how a four day relationship can bring people so close.
“We are so sorry, we weren’t thinking, we will never question your ideas again.” Mith and Ludus talked together, begging for forgiveness.
Mitchum lifted their heads up so their eyes met with his, “It is alright, do not apologize. If anyone is to do that it should be me. When I first met you I had created a stereotype of those from Rerum in my mind. And you two showed me that I was incredibly wrong. I will never again write in the pamphlet, as long as you two do not run off again.” He smiled and let them go.
“We will never ever run off again.” Ludus exclaimed. Mith nodded in agreement.
“Well alright then, it looks like we need to be heading off to the palace now. But first, you two might want to change.”
Mith looked down at her dress, shocked at what she saw. She had not realized how dirty it was. It had dirt and mud splotches everywhere, and a tear where the rough dog tried to eat her. Ludus also had mud and dirt all over his tunic. He tried to argue that he looked fine, but Mitchum gave him a stern look, and Ludus quickly ran back home to change. Mith did the same.
The Hardel’s kept their clothes under three separate floorboards in their hut. Mith went to her own and threw open the board and began searching for clothes to wear. She was careful not to look at her father, though now she was not as sad, she knew that he would get well again, she was certain of it. Mith chose a light blue shirt and a pair of black pants that her mother had brought from another town. After changing into her clothes, she went to where her mother’s clothes were and took out a pair of tan moccasins. It was the first time anybody had been into her mother’s clothes since her death. From there she went to her father’s clothes and looked for something to wear. Her parents were to be with her on her first journey to the palace. At the very bottom of his clothing hole Mith found a brown vest she had never seen before. It was a heavy vest that she knew would keep her warm at night. She put it on and looked into the small mirror that hung on the wall. She thought she looked alright now; at least she was not as dirty. All the clothes were too big for her, the vest hung down to her knees but she did not care.
Once changed she met Mitchum back outside where Ludus was also waiting. He had changed into a black shirt and gray pants, which he said had o
nce belonged to his father. He had to tie a rope around his waist to keep the pants up. He also wore moccasins, but his were black. Mitchum told them it might not be wise to wear so much black and heavy clothes in the heat, but they insisted that that was what they were to wear.
Mith and Ludus said one final farewell to the town. They both wanted to leave immediately, and get back as quickly as possible, once the rose was returned. Together the three travelers started back on their journey, this time headed to the palace.
They made it only ten paces before they stopped in their tracks. Up ahead a man appeared from behind a hut, as Mitchum had earlier, only this man was holding a sword.
“Finally, I’ve found you, Gai. Do not move or we will attack.”
Behind the man more people appeared, and behind them even more. Within seconds they were surrounded by people on all sides, all holding swords.