Branches snagged on my cloak. Soft tearing sounds surrounded me as I continued to run. I'd flinch at every snap beneath my weight. My heels ached and my lungs burned, but I didn't stop. A blurred vision obscured my view of the world as a stinging sensation overwhelmed my eyes. 

Let me go!

Let me go! 

Let me go!

Let me go!

Let me go!

His cries echoed through my mind over and over again, blurring and blending over each other. Some were louder and more desperate, others were quieter, more defeated. I hated those ones the most. 

Moonlight shined through thick green tree branches. Branches that were the color of The Silencer's cloak. Green. 

I hated green. I always had, and always will. Forever and ever and ever. Our leaders said it represented peace and balance, but it never did to me. All I could associate it with was sacrifice. 

The forest was overgrown. So much green. The ground was covered with so many plants that some strangled one another. It was hard to get anywhere without stepping on thorns and pushing my way through shrubs. I could feel fresh cuts form as sharp needle-like barbs sliced through my cloak and into my skin. I could feel the forest attack me from every angle.

The Leader would call this beautiful. 

El might have too, but for different reasons.

El, I had to go back for El. I had to save him somehow, right? He was back there, still fighting. 

How could I turn and run? How could I leave him behind?! I had to go back for him. I could still save him, right? 

He told me we wouldn't be silenced. Was that a lie? Could it count as a lie if he believed it when he said it? What defined a lie? Were all lies intentional, did all lies have bad intent? All liars were bad children, that's what The Leader used to say, but what would that make El?

I had to go back for him. I had to ask him all these questions.

No, no, I couldn't. El would want me to keep running. 

I wasn't supposed to go this far. I wasn't supposed to run. The leaders would surely be upset. 

That's why El would want me to do it. 

He wanted to run. He wanted to speak.

He wanted me to run, wanted me to speak. 

I allowed my legs to continue to carry me, even though they burned. My heels ached with each step I took. The shoes I was wearing were still slightly damp from when El and I sat in the river, though now they felt harder, like they were starting to ice over. My toes were so cold, they burned. My chest felt warm from running, yet my fingers and nose felt ice cold. I didn't let that stop me, though. 

I kept going until I saw lights. Not white moonlight. These lights were yellow. 

I had no idea how long I had been running. It felt like days, yet only seconds at the same time. 

I felt myself stop. My chest burned as I heaved and gasped for cold air. It felt like small icicles were scratching my throat as I breathed. I grasped a branch to steady myself as I squinted to clear my muddied vision. Usually, I hated squinting. It never made sense to me. Why would we squint? To see more? Didn't squinting narrow our eyes so we'd see less? Sure, it made it easier to focus on what we were seeing, but I'd always rather see more than focus on less. 

Still, I squinted. I had too. The world felt too big, there was too much in front of me. 

There was a village up ahead, lit by torches. Inside were little houses, little streets, lights, windows, flowers.

Other villages existed? 

The Counter always told me that my village was the only one. He would know, he was the one in charge of keeping a record of everyone in existence. So what was I looking at?

My heart continued racing as the branch I grasped to steady myself snapped. I stumbled backward a little to regain my balance as I dug my fingers into my hair and shook my head in an attempt to calm my spiraling thoughts. 

It couldn't have been another village. My people, my tribe, we were the only ones. We've always been the only ones. The Counter wouldn't lie about this. He was too nice, his smile was too warm. I must have run all the way around the world. I was just looking at my village from a different perspective. That was the only explanation that made any sense.

I bit my lip and took another step back when more branches caught on my cloak. I tripped and fell into them. They all made loud snapping sounds. 

As I landed on the ground, they surrounded me, held me down. I felt the thick shrubs I fell into grasp me as well. They used their thorns to keep me in place. I was chained in their spiky embrace.

"No, wait," I whispered. I frantically kicked my legs and fought to break free. Bristles covered me quickly, pricking my skin. I pressed my eyes shut to protect them. 

Warm liquid fell from the fresh cuts that covered me as thorns pressed to my throat. 

I thought of El. 

I thought of him standing before everyone, saying "no." Why did he have to do that? How could he be so brave, so stupid?  No one says "no." Not to The Leader, not to The Silencer. What was he thinking? Did he ever even think? No, he didn't. That's why he got hurt. He didn't think these things through. He chose to be special over being alive. How stupid. 

I hated him. 

But I could never hate him. 

I was just angry. How could he do this to himself?

How could he do this to me?

His eyes. The look on his eyes as he turned to face everyone. His smile. Everything about him was burned into my memory. 

I thought of the silver scissors pressed against his neck. The sharp, shiny blades. 

In a year, they'd be pressed to mine. 

Less than a year, now.

I wasn't like El, though. I wasn't going fight my fate like he did. I wouldn't make a scene. Fighting only made things worse.

I slowly stopped struggling, but I couldn't prevent my shoulders from shaking as a quiet cry escaped my lips. Crying wasn't something to be done in public, but no one was with me. I was alone. 

Do cries even mean anything when no one's around to hear them? 

I kept my eyes pressed shut and did my best to keep still so the thorns wouldn't dig deeper into me. I could feel the red liquid seep into my black cloak. Was this what my silencing would feel like? Why was nature taking my blood a year early? Did it not get enough from El? Was it dissatisfied by his silencing?

Why did we have to hurt ourselves to maintain balance with the world? Did nature really want this from us? Why did we agree? Why couldn't we find a less painful way to show respect for our world?

The only people who held the answers to those questions were the very people I could never find the courage to ask. The only people capable of even answering. 

I continued to cry as my mind whirled. Why did El have to be defiant? Why couldn't he just let them silence him like everyone else? 

Why did we have to be silenced? 

"I don't want it," I whispered. "I don't want to be silenced..."

My breathing was shaky and my chest burned. I waited for the itchy sensation from the thorns to leave me, but it wouldn't. My shaking only made them hurt more. 

When did El realize he didn't want to be silenced? What made him come to such a terrifying realization? Did someone do to him what he was doing to me? 

I wished I never met him. My fate wouldn't be changed. By the next winter solstice, I would be silenced alongside Juday and Rylah. The only difference was now I felt even more terrified. How could he do this to me?

I remained in place and allowed all the green, all the darkness, all the nature to swallow me. 

What if no one ever found me? What if this was nature's way of punishing me for being friends with El? Was I being silenced early? 

I didn't want it, I wasn't prepared. I was supposed to have a whole year left to prepare, a whole year left to come to terms with the fact that I'd never be able to hear my voice again. I'll probably forget what I ever even sounded like.

I've already forgotten what so many silenced people used to sound like. But not El. I'd never forget his voice. Hopefully. 

I wasn't prepared for him to lose his voice. I wasn't prepared to lose mine.

Would I ever be prepared, though?

Another sob bubbled up from my chest as I pressed my eyes shut tighter and cried.

"Hello?" a soft voice called out. 

My body went ridged. 

I wanted to place a hand over my mouth to quiet my cries, but I couldn't move. 

Who was that?!

"Merloo, let's go back," a different voice breathed. "It's dark."

Merloo? What did that mean? Both these voices sounded male, yet distinct. Was The Counter talking to himself? 

"No, someone's crying," the first voice, Merloo, said. 

"It's probably one of them. You know how they are, always lurking in the shadows," the second voice huffed.

No, this wasn't just The Counter. The two voices were too distinct. Maybe he was talking to The Silencer. I never did learn what they sounded like. Was The Silencer a man? 

"And you know how I am," Merloo said. 

His voice was drawing closer. 

The more I listened, the less like The Counter he sounded. But that didn't make sense. The Counter was the only adult man who could speak. 

I wanted my heart to stop beating so loud, so fast. Why couldn't my breathing be quiet? Was it usually this loud? 

Two sets of footsteps were approaching. The ground moved slightly. The vibrations were small, but I could feel them. 

These voices were older than mine. Older than El's. They couldn't have belonged to an unsilenced child, right? 

They didn't belong to the leadership, though, which didn't make sense. How were these strangers speaking?

Were they runaways? 

No, that couldn't be possible. Runaways were always found. Always. 

I kept my eyes pressed shut as leaves rustled. I felt a weight lifted off me, then a firm grip on my arm.

"Merlight, it's just a child," Merloo breathed. He pulled at my arm as I remained tense. Maybe if I stayed still for long enough, he'd leave me be.

"My Grambi, what is that?!" the second voice, Merlight, exclaimed. 

I felt another set of hands grasp me as I was pulled out of my plant prison. Thorns scratched at me, making me wince and quietly cry out. I tried to keep quiet, but couldn't help myself. 

"Hey, hey, shh..." Merloo breathed. I kept my eyes shut as something cold was pressed to the cuts on my face. "You're trembling. Who are you? I don't recognize these cloaks..."

I remained as still as possible, keeping my eyes and mouth shut. In scary situations, the best thing to do is keep silent. 

That was true of any situation, actually. Silence was bliss. Any argument could be avoided with silence.

"It's not from the Tribe of Darkness..." Merlight trailed off. "I don't sense dark magic within it. It's... something else..."

Magic? 

I thought back to what El had said at the river bank. Back when he showed me his powers. It felt so long ago, now. Lifetimes could have passed, even though it was just this morning. Or was it yesterday morning? How long had I been running? 

He told me we all had magic, but I didn't believe him. Not then. Not now.

I slowly opened one of my eyes. Through my tears, I could see a gentle-looking face with soft features. 

He wore a green cloak. It reminded me of the one The Silencer always wore, but slightly brighter. His eyes were yellow like The Counter's, as was his hair. He looked a lot like The Counter, actually. He was wearing his hood, but I could still see his face. He looked to be about The Counter's age, too, so around fifteen if I had to guess.

I stared at him, unable to turn my focus away. 

No, his eyes weren't like The Counter's anymore. The longer I looked, the more different they seemed. They were brighter. Not like the sun, like something else. They glowed, too. 

"Hey," he breathed. "Are you alright?"

"It's... perplexing," Merlight muttered.

I allowed both my eyes to open as I quickly looked at Merlight. His eyes were the same color as Merloo's, though his cloak was seafoam green instead of leaf green. He was slightly older and had a blonde mustache forming, though it was small. His features were sharper and his face was slimmer. His voice was more mature as well. 

I tried to speak. Nothing came out but air.

"Are you alright?" Merloo asked. He hugged me to himself to lift me. "Here, let's get you away from the bushes. These have thorns."

"You speak...?" I croaked. My voice broke slightly. 

I couldn't tell if either of them heard me or not.

"Merloo, we need to get this kid to the others. It could be a spy," Merlight quickly stated as Merloo started walking off, still holding me. His voice was slightly more shrill than Merloo's.

I felt my heart start to race again.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna do that," Merloo chuckled. "He's a kid. You can go back and do what you want, I'm going to patch him up and figure out where he came from."

I pressed my eyes shut again. Whoever these people were, they must have been bad. I didn't want either of them taking me anywhere.

"Merloo..." Merlight trailed off with a warning tone. "It has to be from the Tribe of Darkness. Put it down, it's dangerous!"

Merloo shook his head, then waved his hand. Suddenly, the two of us were transported into a small house not much different from my own. I flinched and pressed my eyes shut again as he quietly laughed to himself.

"Forgive my friend. He's... overly cautious," Merloo chuckled. 

I was placed down on something soft. Warmth flooded the air around me. It seemed to come from the far end of the room. I could hear a soft cackling sound.

I carefully opened my eyes again. 

It was a fire, like the torches used to light the way during ceremonies. 

Merloo sat down in front of it, facing me. A shadow was cast in front of him. It made his face look dark. 

I felt myself curl up and look away. More tears stung my eyes. I couldn't stop them from falling, no matter how hard I tried.

"Oh, no, no, no," he quickly said as he stood up and rushed to my side. "Don't cry. Whatever it is, it's okay. We'll figure out how to get you home. Where are your parents? What are their names?"

I shook my head and kept quiet. Even if I was brave enough to keep speaking, I couldn't tell him the answer. I never knew my parents' names. I doubted they even knew anymore. Names only matter when we're younger. After a while, they become unnecessary. They're just a way of separating us, turning us into individuals instead of unifying us as a group. 

"Hmm..." Merloo hummed after a moment. "Well... what's your name? I know you're scared, but I promise I don't want to hurt you..."

I bit my lip and tried not to look at him, at his gentle eyes. His expression was soft. He seemed patient. He looked at me funnily, as if he actually wanted to hear me speak.

El was the only one who had ever looked at me that way before.

"Shylo..." I whispered. 

I brought my fist to my nose and rubbed it slightly. 

"Shylo..." Merloo nodded. He smiled and placed a warm hand on my shoulder. "I sense magic in you. Not dark magic. But... it's not our magic, either. Where are you from?"

I could ask him the same question. Was this a different tribe? Was he one of the leaders? One of the few people who wasn't silenced? 

I couldn't bring myself to say anything. All I could do was press my eyes shut again and cry. I burst into loud sobs, thinking of El, of my own fate.

"Hey, shh, shh," he hushed. I felt his arms wrap around me. He felt warm. "You can speak your story. You're safe..."

Safe...

Was this what safe was?

No, safe was home. What did this stranger know about safety? How could he say something so stupid to me after what I've seen? He had no idea who I was! 

I continued crying, overwhelmed with emotions. 

"I don't want to be silenced," I begged. "I don't want to be silenced like they all were. I don't want to lose my name."

"I won't silence you," he said. "I'll let you say what you need to. Shylo, it's going to be okay. I'm going to get you home."

I didn't want to go home, though. I mean, I did, but I didn't. I just wanted the forest to eat me. I wanted to stop feeling so afraid. I wanted my silencing to be over so I wouldn't have to dread it anymore. I wanted my silencing to never come. I wanted to take El and run far far away. I wanted to go back in time and tell El not to be so defiant. I don't know what I wanted. 

"Shylo," Merloo breathed. He adjusted so he was grasping both my shoulders. There was a warmth in his gaze, but his eyes were also heavy with worry.

He was The Counter's age, but the longer I looked at him, the less he looked like him. 

"Speak your story," he said.