‧₊˚✧ ⁝ 𝑪6  ❪ 忘却 ❫ ‧₊˚✧

spark of 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 ...

SHE IS RUNNING through an endless sea of flowers.

Petals of violet, teal and peach merge into a canvas stretching beyond the cloudless sky. The earth is soft beneath her feet as she moves forwards, cutting through the sweet air like a raven. She wants to stay here forever, basking in the warmth and comfort that this world encircles her in. Her lungs don't ache for air and she feels infinite.

The first jolt of pain is sharp. She freezes in horror as tendrils of roots protrude from the soil, tearing through flowers like knives. They coil around her ankle, yanking her body so she slams against the earth which has hardened like cold stone. Her scream is stolen from her throat as the second jolt of pain slashes through her flesh. Crimson pools around her hands like glittering rubies and a fire flares from the wild grass before her eyes. It's hungry, devouring everything in its path. Heat simmers against her face as she coughs blood, clawing the ground in desperation.

The last jolt of pain promises finality. The inferno surges towards her like a phantom beast and before the amber flames can claim her soul, she is dragged backwards towards an empty hollow splintering the soil. She whimpers in terror as she nears it, fingers scrambling for a refuge to cling to. Too late. A final haul drops her into the all—consuming darkness but an odd calmness interlaces the tremor in her bones. She finally understands.

This isn't her death, it's her rebirth.

━━━━━

Her eyes fluttered open, head pounding and chest heaving as she inhaled a huge gulp of oxygen. Ria's legs were tangled clumsily between the bedsheets and her heart was slamming against her ribcage. Her fingers shakily grazed her forehead and a sharp tinge of pain erupted beneath her fingertips. She groaned in agony, struggling to adjust to the candlelight of the room which seemed to be spinning.

"Where am I?" she rasped, feebly attempting to sit up. Her arms gave way and she collapsed against the mattress. A lengthy silence followed. "Where am I?!" This time, louder. Ria's eyes searched her surroundings wildly for anyone to help her as breaths rattled her chest in shallow heaves. Two figures entered the room she was in, bursting through the doorframe. Bright light veiled their faces and panic flared within her.

Finally, Ria's vision cleared enough for her recognise Newt and Clint. Relief calmed her at the familiarity of their worried expressions.

Clint rushed towards her instantaneously, an ice pack clasped in his hand. His fist was clenched so tightly that small droplets of water slipped through the cloth. He passed it to Newt, instructing him to place it against her forehead whilst he retrieved a few things. Newt's eyes widened once he met Ria's gaze and he hurried beside her cot, exhaling shakily as he sunk into a kneeling position.

"God, Greenbean, what bloody happened to you?" his voice was soft in spite of his worry and he dragged a strand of hair from her temple with careful fingers. Ria winced as he lowered the pack against her forehead, gritting her teeth as an icy chill erupted against her skin.

Glade.

I am in the Glade, my name is Ria and I have no idea how I got here.

"I—I don't know," Ria whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.

Newt was silent for a second, gaze directed at the floor. "Zart heard your scream. Thought some kind of wild animal had attacked you. It wasn't until ..." he paused, lifting his head. "It wasn't until I saw you that I knew it was something different."

Ria swallowed, letting her eyes flutter open. She wracked her mind for any memories, anything to explain the reason as to why she was in the infirmary. Nothing materialised apart from a hollow emptiness that lingered at the forefront. She realised Newt was expecting an explanation, his brows creased together in concern. "I must've fainted. It remember it was really hot." she offered the pathetic excuse with the ambition that he'd comply.

Newt let out a small sigh at her words, disturbance still tightening his lips into a firm line. "Well ... it looked like you hit your head pretty hard when you fell. Knocked you out cold."

"I don't know what happened." Ria strained to sit up, lifting a hand to hold the ice pack in place. Her fingers brushed against Newt's as he removed them.

He cleared his throat, hand dropping to his side. "Let's just say it was the scariest two minutes of Clint's life. He was freaking out, Greenbean. And Clint never freaks out."

Ria forced her vision to still as the candlelit room seemed rotate in a slow and laborious circle. "I don't know what's wrong with me," she muttered. Newt shook his head as he reached out to prop her pillow up at a more comfortable angle.

"Nothing's wrong with you, I promise that. Whatever's goin' on inside that head of yours, it won't last forever. We'll figure out what happened and maybe I'll forgive you for goin' against my word about hurting yourself." A small smile broke through the tension on his countenance. Ria recalled his words in her mind and she rasped a laugh, an interval of coughing breaking through the melodic sound.

"Here, have want some water. You must be dehydrated." Newt rendered, already pouring her a glass from a tin jug resting on a shelf beside the cot. Ria gratefully accepted it with shaky hands, lifting it to her lips and letting the cool liquid cleanse her throat. It was divinely refreshing and she finished it in four gulps. Newt poured her another. When she was done, she dragged her hand across her mouth to get rid of the excess moisture. The boy set her empty glass down just as Clint reappeared, a small pouch swinging in his grip.

Newt stood up as Clint heedfully removed the ice pack.

"You gave me a real scare, Greenie. Thought you'd never wake up. Seems like you don't have a shuck clue what happened either." he mused, eyes squinted in concentration as he reached into the pouch and retrieved a small bottle of herbal ointment. Clint poured a few droplets onto a tuft of cotton wool before dabbing against the sensitive part of her temple. Ria flinched at the sharp sting, clutching her bedsheet tightly.

Clint continued before Ria could muster a response. "The bleeding's stopped but your forehead's already beginnin' to bruise. I've got a few pills for the headache and luckily for you, there isn't any signs of severe concussion. I think it was mostly shock at the time, but it's hard to tell, you see."

Newt was chewing his lip as he listened Clint's words, absently fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "That's good, right?"

Clint finished with the ointment, dropping it back into the pouch. "Well it's not bad. But, you could do with a shower and new clothes."

The idea of a shower sounded heavenly. Sweat drenched her skin and her hair fell in damp, tangled ribbons past her shoulders. Ria had no doubt that she looked as if she'd been dragged through a hedge.

"I'll take her now," Newt offered.

     Clint helped Ria to her feet and she steadied her shaking legs, exhaling a deep breath. Thankfully, the room had stopped spinning so fast and she followed Newt out of the doorframe.

━━━━━

Newt led her to a small shack at the back of Homestead, a thin towel and a bundle of clothes hugged tightly to his chest. Four rust stained showers were lined up next to one another, a frail wooden screen separating each cubical. They were all empty, a perpetual dripping sound resounding off the walls. A cluster of ivy encased the small mirror that hung lopsidedly above a cracked basin.

"I'll wait outside and um ... guard the door." Newt nodded, handing Ria the fresh clothes and towel.

"Thanks, won't be long." she pushed the door fully open and it swung open with a groan. She made sure to close it firmly and then began to peel off her clothes slowly, biting back the pain in her stiff muscles. Her filthy attire fell to the ground in a tangled pile.

Ria noticed that legs and torso were stained purple with bruises, and an array of angry red scratches decorated her arms. Dirt and dried blood clung to her skin. She was thin, shoulder blades sharp and defined. Ria found herself frowning.

The tiles were cold when she stepped into the shower. Ria turned the grimy handle with ease and the water stuttered at first before cascading in a smooth downpour. It was startlingly freezing and Ria suppressed a gasp. After a few seconds of adjusting to the temperature, she began to scrub her skin with her fingers, watching as the dirt and blood liquified into a deep crimson paint before slipping down the drain. Then, she tilted her head back and let the icy cold water bathe her matted locks. Patiently, Ria teased the grime from her hair until it fell in clean tresses against her back and the water ran clear.

She shut off the shower and grabbed her towel hastily, wrapping the thin material around her trembling body. It took Ria a few minutes to completely dry herself, struggling to wring the stubborn droplets of water from her hair. Once half satisfied, she dressed into clothes Newt had given her.

The white, long sleeved buttoned top was slightly big and the beige cargo pants hung loosely from her waist. But, she found a quick solution and folded the waistband over so it more-or-less fit her slender physique. Ria combed her hair through with her fingers until most of the knots were teased out and after pulling her boots back on, she stopped at the mirror before exiting the shack. Her reflection wasn't as surprising at she thought it would be. Other than the shadows of dark circles under her eyes and the bruise on her temple, Ria almost smiled. Almost. She felt a tinge of familiarity yet distance as she parted from the glass.

Newt was true to his word and was stood with his arms crossed and guarding the door.

"You took your time," he grinned sheepishly.

"You could've told me those showers were positively arctic." Ria retorted, basking in the cool breeze sweeping her hair from her face. Apart from the relentless headache, Ria felt considerably better. The girl couldn't do anything about it apart from rely on Clint to somehow make it fade. She trusted him.

Newt laughed. "As much as we'd love hot water, Greenbean, it ain't a luxury we can afford." he turned to look at her. "Clothes look like they fit alright, though."

Ria tugged at the hem of her shirt. "Yeah, they're better than I expected. Thanks, Newt."

"Shirt suits you by the way," Newt smiled, disappearing into the Med-jack hut before he could notice the subtle blush dusting her cheeks at his comment.

Clint told her to lie back down as soon as she entered the infirmary, which she did after pulling her boots back off and flinging them under the bed. He handed her two pills, along with a full glass of water. "For the headache," he explained. Ria swallowed the medication with the water, setting the down the glass carefully afterwards.

"Newt, you'd better get goin' hadn't you? It's almost dinner. Don't worry, Jeff 'nd I will take care of the Greenie." Clint nodded at Newt who reluctantly agreed.

"G'night, Greenbean. You're okay, I promise. I'll come visit you tomorrow, but get a good night's rest." Newt smiled softly, swaying on his feet. Ria knew from his tone he meant every single word he said. It was something she'd quickly learned about him: he was honest.

"Night, Newt. See you tomorrow." she smiled back and he left, disappearing back into the Glade.

The evening sky bled through the cracks in the hut, sending splinters of light bouncing off every surface it hit. Ria was almost too weary to eat, only managing a small bowl of some sort of meaty broth that Clint had given her. Nightfall soon swept away the last of her energy along with the clamorous noises from outside and exhaustion replaced her vigilance.

Sleep came quicker than she'd expected.

‧₊˚✧ ⁝ 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒂'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆  ❪ 忘却 ❫

          oo. i drafted this, it took so long and then fuckpad went and deleted it!! i was honestly fuming and i'm (still) not over it😖🖐 but, back to the story ... this chapter took forever to write and edit but i enjoyed it & i hope you all did as well. what do you think about all of ria's dream btw? ik she's having a lot but i promise you that it'll make more sense as this book progresses through it's series. i have a lot of ideas for lil ria and i cant wait to share them with you guys!