The Rainbow Rose
He was dying, and Emmett only 17 years of age, walked slowly thru the foggy woods of the Southland Territory guided only by the hand of his best friend Reid. The sky was of twilight blue, not yet speckled by the stars waiting impatiently above while the sun bid farewell and cast its last flickering glory from over the horizon. They walked carefully over briar and fallen branch, quietly over mossy stone and soggy leaves.
Emmett clutched Reids hand tightly seeing only his faint outline in front of him. He marveled at Reids strength as he was pulled onward. Although Reid was only a year older, his health was perfect while Reids continuously faded.
"I can't breath." gasped Reid thru parched lips.
"Come, just a little further. It must be here. The Magi said it would be...It must be close ahead! He said we'd find it before the your last light." Reid spoke desperately as he pulled onward yet carefully as they searched for what they believed to be the cure for Emmetts sickness.
Emmett had been in perfect health up until about a month ago when he began a terrible cough from deep inside his lungs as if a demon attempted to escape. He and Reid had been friends for almost two years now when Reids family moved onto the land across the river from Emmett's family land. As time passed the boys grew real fond of each other never spending more than a day apart from each others company. They did everything together and their families knew that these boys would be friends forever... and then the sickness came.
They consulted town physicians, old maids, and many others supposedly knowledged in healing and none could help them. So finally Reid decided to take Emmett to meet a Magi Holiman of an Outcast Tribe that sat at the edge of the Waterpeak. Thats where they came to know of the rumored Rainbow rose of which a special oil could be obtained that could cure almost anything other than death when rubbed on the body...
That is what they searched for now... hundreds of miles from home and familiarity...
"Reid, what if you can't find it?" Emmett began to say as he began to loose hope and fell behind, "we were supposed to be friends forever, find all the worlds treasures and keep them for ourselves. We were supposed to make fun of each others wrinklin' faces as we grew older."
Reid stopped in his tracks not turning to face Emmett. Tears once again began to blur his vision and he didn't want Emmett to see. "We will Emmett... we'll do all those things... and more.." Reid sniffled and wiped his eyes with his dirty sleeve from traveling. He turned slightly to grab Emmett arm and started to walk again, then stopped still holding Emmetts arm with a firm yet gentle grip. They stood there for a second.
"What is it Reid? You find something?" Emmett asked almost in hope as he tried to look over Reid's shoulder.
Reid turned to face him and they stood face to face within breaths distance. Emmett stared deep into Reid's shining eyes still wet and tender from rubbing tears away. There had always been a tension of sorts between them. And neither knew what to make of it.
"Reid?" Emmett whispered not loosing his gaze...
Reid slowly leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips and touched his forehead to his never loosing their gaze. "I won't let you leave me here by myself." Reid said, lips quiverin tryin to hold back more tears... Emmett didn't know what to do. He'd never been kissed like that before, but he felt some sense of relief as if deep down inside that's what he'd been needing to do ever since they had met.
With that said, they began to slowly run... According to the Magi, they were truly close... they could hear water rushing from a falls and smell fresh water in the air. They ran faster and faster. Emmett using everything he had because he too finally believed they had found it.
Soon they fog began to clear until finally they stopped running having come to the edge of a fantastic cliff from which they could see yet taller mighty water falls surrounding them all around a secluded moonlit lake. The moon was bright as ever here and the mist from the falls glittered in it. There, in the middle of the lake accessable only by small stepping stones, tops of mighty underwater ridges, was a small island from which a sparkling light radiated. Hope was in there eyes.
They made their way down around the edge of the cliff to the soft sandy shore below...and hopped across the stones the the middle of the lake. The light was faint but in the moonlit night was unmistakable.
"Emmett! I told you!! I told you we'd find it!! HAHA!!" Reid shouted with joy as he led Emmett across the final stone to the islands grassy edge.
A rosebush grew in the center untouched by man until now. Typical of any red rose bush accept for just one amazing bloom with each petal a different shade and bright color, irradiating, somewhat seeming to have a special life of its own.
Reid went up to the bush and reluctantly plucked the beautiful magic flower. The glow persisted. He reached into his satchel for his pestle and mortar and place the flower inside.
Emmetts cough became consistent from the last exertion of energy to the island. Blood began to show upopn his pink soft lips as Emmett coughing histerically, sat patiently leaning against a small boulder there on the island. Reid saw the blood and worked quickly. Smashing the glowing petals, grinding out every drop of oil he could from them.
"Come lay down here quickly!" Reid said as Emmett struggled for breath, shirt beginning to shine with spattered blood. Reid got up and went to him and laid him down. "Reid, i don't think..." Emmett coughed and choked, "... i don't think we'll have our adventure anymore..." Emmett began to cry...
Reid opened Emmetts shirt to expose his smooth chest, pale and shiny from sweat against the moonlight. He dipped his fingers and traced the oils around his chest gently. Over his developing chest, down onto his stomach, he took the rest into his palms and rubbed it all over Emmetts torso as he stradled his legs facing him, staring at this boy he couldn't let go.
The oil was finally gone and Emmett still continued to cough violently. Blood splattering his opened oiled chest.
"Why isn't it working?!" Reid shouted angrily out of desperation and flung the mortar into the lake. He laid next to Emmett after closing his shirt. And put his arms around him holding him tightly as he continued to cough more violently. Reid just cried as they laid there in the grass under the witnessing eyes of the Southern Territory moonlight. Just a few minutes later... he laid in silence. He didn't know if Emmett was healed and asleep or dead... he didn't want to know... he just cried.
As he laid behind him with his arms still wrapped around him he whispered into his ear, "You can't leave me all alone... we still have an adventure..." Reid then fell asleep to the sound of the falls consuming the night air.
Morning came, and sunlight warmed Reid's face.
He laid there alone.
Emmett was gone...
Reid cried into his still oily hands completely lost not knowing where to go from there...
Then he heard a splash from behind him...
He dared not turn around for fear what he may find, Emmett's body beating against the shore, a bad omen coming to take him away, he didn't not know...
And then he heard a familiar voice......
" Reid, lets go find our treasure."
~by Alexander S. Willis~
Oceanboi Alex Loving
- 15 years, 4 months, 8 days ago
