My lip quivers and my eyes threaten to spill over as I place the conch onto pedestal where Rocco's body rests. My barrier breaks and I start to sob. I sob about how I was ignorant about how he was sick. I sob about me complaining about how he cried and screamed so much. I thought it was just to annoy me. I sob about how I forgot about this day. I rub the salty drops away from my eyes and sniff. I hand comes up from behind me and touches my shoulder. I jerk my head back and come nose to nose with Orc. I stand up and embrace him. Over his shoulder I can see Cherry, his younger sister holding a beautiful blossom. She tip toes by me and placed them on the platform. Orc lets go and digs in one of his side pockets. "Ah, here we are" he finally says drawing his closed hand out. He places about 20 eye sized pebbles next to the flowers. They each click and echo through the small chamber. The siblings file out, leaving me alone again. I look around and decide to say my final goodbyes to Rocco.
         I step back into my room and there waiting for me are my best girl friends. Let me elaborate, who they are. One of them is Otter. She has belly length hair that most of the time is wavy. Her parents are the healers, and her younger brother, Flint, is training to become one. She goes and scavenges supplies for them. There is also a reason her name is Otter, she can hold her breath for almost 3 minutes. Next, there is Juniper. Juniper has lighter brown hair, which most of the time is pulled back with a leather strip. Her parents are in charge of the archives, which is kept with paint. The tips of her hair is 99.99% of the time doused in the paints the family uses. Then there is Panther. Panther can run like no person can run. It's basically because of her parents; they train the Warriors and hunters to become strong and powerful. Anyway, they are all standing in my room, and as soon as my body enters they all rush to embrace me. I pull out after a few seconds, but am grateful for that act. "We're soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry about Rocco, Firefly." Juniper says, with all her heart. The other girls nod in agreement, Panther and I smile at her lack of breath from holding 'so'. I sit down and they start to wash the decor off my face.
      I wave them by as they walk around the curve away from my den, and I go back into my room.
I am hardly there before Father walks in. "We are going back to the catacombs to collect one of the tributes from Rocco. We will be back soon, don't leave" he says, as he leaves my door way. I absently wave him farewell. My eyes wander and I notice that each of my best friends left their hand prints on my wall. I smile. I lie down and look at my ceiling. My eyes bat close as I listen to the creatures outside. The frogs croak, the locusts buzz, and the night birds fly about.
      I wake up later, as it is still night. I hear something large crunching out of my window. Out of curiosity instinct, I look out it. I freeze. Standing there is a mother lion and her cub, being circled by a massive male tiger. I never knew that lions wandered this far into the village. And even tigers this close to people was unheard of. The tiger backs closer to me and I notice that there is something abnormal about him. His fur is matted and patchy, his eyes are wide, but crazed. His teeth and claws and broken and missing. I gasp when I see foam on the ground, dripping everywhere he paces. I have never seen a creature like this before. Then the tiger pounces at the cub and I scream. He jerks his heavy body around and looks directly at me.. I squeeze my eyes shut, turn around, slide down into sitting position, and start to cry. What was the last thing I said to my family? My friends? I hear the fight rage on outside.
      I jump as something hard lands beside me on the floor. A tooth. I go to pick it up but I freeze. Something warm runs down my back. Instinctively I pull my hand back, and in the moonlight I see a red, runny substance on my finger tips. Blood. One of them must of died at my window.
        I grip the tooth all night long. Then suddenly the fighting stops. I listen for a few minutes. Nothing. I sigh loudly and finally drift off into sleep.
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This chapter was a bit shorter than normal, but we learned more about her best friends and social life. The end scene was fun to write, and I had to look up a few things. Shoutout to AbiAdams for hosting an art contest I am entering (check her Art book out for more info). Votes, follows, fan-art, and comments are ALWAYS (after all this time) appreciated. Vita Vivet
 
            - janebook0