I typed it in, 28882, and the light flashed green, the large bolt releasing audibly.
“Did you choose the password?” Owen asked, moving forward to help me lift the heavy door.
I frowned. “No. It’s been like that since the first time they showed me the bunker.”
He straightened, frowning too. “But it spells…” He shook his head. “Never mind.” He unhooked a flashlight from his belt, shining it into the dark tunnel. The lights hadn’t flickered on. “You coming?” Owen asked, and I swore he sounded flustered.
“You scared?” I lifted a brow at him, not able to hide my smile.
He scoffed, then descended into the darkness.
A familiar squawk had me whipping around. On the lowest branch of a nearby tree sat my crow. The tears were instant. Something between laughter and a sob escaped my throat. I stumbled towards him, holding out my hand, laughing while my tears turned the world blurry.
“Oh, my dearest friend,” I cooed as he came to perch on my wrist. I pressed my forehead to his in greeting.
He puffed and ruffled his feathers, making little happy grinding noises with his beak, as I scratched his head.
Not everyone was gone. My heart soared at that.
He hopped down from my arm and flew a few metres further to a bush of little yellow flowers. He broke off a stalk and hopped over to me, placing it on top of my foot.
I laughed happily. “You are the sweetest little guy.” I placed it behind my ear, watching him squawk and flap his wings, looking pleased.
The crow led me further into the forest, looking eager to show me something. I followed happily behind him, until we reached a small cluster of mushrooms at the base of an enormous tree.
I gasped, cupping my hands over my mouth in awe. It couldn’t be. I had only ever seen a drawing of them in a 250-year-old grimoire of a green witch who used to live in these forests. But my professors had assured me that no such mushrooms existed. Yet here it was, its flesh a dazzling orange, fading out to a dirtypink on the edges that curled up to resemble an upside-down umbrella. It’s base looked textured like that of a tree trunk.
“How did you know?” I wondered at the crow who was hopping around excitedly.
But I felt that tug on my consciousness. A tug I haven’t sensed in a while.
It was the spirits of the forest, welcoming me home. I knelt before the tree that was beckoning me closer.
“A gift to the curious one.”
I laughed in utter awe, gently gliding my finger over the rim of one mushroom. According to the green witch, a fingernail size of this mushroom, swallowed raw, could cure any septic wound, even stop rotting flesh right in its tracks. A miracle mushroom.
Should I show this to the world? Or would they desecrate this forest in pursuit of it?
I decided to only take one. From the witch’s writings, it was not reproducible anyway. I wouldn’t be able to grow my own batches. The mushroom needed extremely specific conditions to grow that neither I nor anyone else would be able to replicate.
I thanked the tree and stayed a little longer, listening to the chatter, immersing myself back into the vibrant world of the forest. I played with my crow friend like old times, following him around as he showed me all the things he found interesting. I oohed and aahed at a pebble and mourned with him over a tree splintered apart by a lightning strike and enjoyed the bright sparkle of a stream if you stood in a precise spot.
My friend led me back to the cabin to show me his collection of sticks hidden in a bush near his nest.
I saw Grayson watching me from the windowsill as laughter bubbled out of my chest. I had no idea what the crow found so interesting in these mundane sticks. I blew him a kiss as he grinned at me like I was the most fascinating creature he had ever seen. He always looked at me like that when I was in theforest. It always made my chest feel warm and my stomach flutter like a hummingbird.
I frowned. He didn’t blow a kiss back, which was unlike him. He always blows kisses back.
I stood from where I was crouched on the ground and tried to read his face. He wasn’t smiling anymore. Was something wrong?
I blinked and Grayson was gone.
In his place stood Liam, with a confused look on his face.
My stomach dropped, the warmth rushing out of my body. The world tilted.
Gods, I was going crazy—my mind so effortlessly slipping back into time.
