Elliot eyed the forest below like a hawk. It was quiet. He could hear nothing but the rustling of the leaves against the cool breeze. He took one last look at the green landscape. He was free. He was free!

Overwhelmed by the blissful sensation that erupted inside him, Elliot jumped and punched a fist into the air. When he landed he felt himself wobble as the tree shook from the landing. In an instant Elliot threw himself at the tree and hugged it as hard as he could. When the tree became stable again, Elliot couldn't help himself but giggle at the event.

Elliot made his way towards the ground and with each step down he heard the gold coins jingling inside the purse. It was tightly secured on his waist. He still couldn't believe his success. When the sunlight touched his skin and caused the villagers to go wild he was sure he was going to meet his end. If there was a god he would like to meet it to give thanks for the first time in a long time.

Elliot landed on the green grass below him. The blades of the grass were a darker shade of green than the ones at the city. He imagined almost everyone at the village didn't know what it was like being outside their tall wall. Stories of creatures that hid in a thick mist were common in the city. It was the first story Elliot could recall remembering and was spewed by the senile old citizens. It filled everyone with fear and thus they felt safe within their walls. Never taking the courage to step outside and see the world.

Except for once.

Elliot felt the purse on his waist before heading home. He couldn't wait to show Flora. As he walked deeper into the forest his mind was busy with thought. There was enough gold to last him through the whole winter. Perhaps he could even afford a few winter clothes as well as some summer garments. He may even be able to indulge in some baked chicken with Flora. Elliot could barely wait.

Elliot felt a high, dissipate from wherever it remained in his body. A sharp sting took its place. A light touch to the chin was all it took for the nerves to emit a burning pulse. Elliot remembered the boy who had tackled him down and slammed Elliot with his fist. The high from the fight must've kept him from feeling it until now.

“Fuck! It must be swollen purple by now,” Elliot yelled.

Elliot touched the bump as gently as possible. After a while he reckoned the wound would heal in a few days. Maybe a week if he was unlucky. With a wound as obvious as his it would make hiding from the older young man a bit difficult. That was if he were to return to Nuevo Paraiso. Elliot saw no reason to head back into the city right now. The guards would be on high alert for a boy his build. The layers of cloth he used as a mask should've hid his face from the baron and the young man.Then Elliot remembered the street merchant.

He wondered if the lady saw his face. But believed it to be impossible. His face was covered and his glow might've been too bright for anyone to see him properly. He hoped.

Usually his glow was dependent on the amount of sunlight he's exposed to. Elliot had tested it at home. A small glint of light was all it took for his glow to appear and would shine as bright as a candle light. Full body exposure with next to no clothing would result in the surrounding area to be covered in a bright light. Elliot hoped he was bright enough that they couldn't see his face.

As Elliot walked through the endless overgrown forest, what felt like wet lips kissed him in the back of his neck. Elliot bolted forward and turned where he once stood. There was nothing. The nearest trees were far too far for anyone to quickly hid behind them before Elliot could turn to face them. He had probably imagined it, he thought. But his instincts were screaming for him to listen.

Something was there. It watched him and it kissed him.

Elliot was never one to believe the crazy stories from the city. But he could never scratch the feeling that this forest was hiding something. But his eyes saw nothing and thus there had to be nothing. Nothing but his imagination running wild on him. Elliot did his best to believe that. He looked up one last time.

The sky was beginning to darken. He needed to hurry home. With each step he felt uneasy. Soon he found himself in a sprint on the way home. Nothing but the sight of the hill he climbed everyday renewed his spirits in the forest. When Elliot reached the top he could see the point where the dark green field turned to a pale cream color. It was the beach. He finally made it home.

Whatever Elliot had felt prior to reaching the beach. The pain from his bruised chin, the worries of being hunted down by the crazed city folk, or even the fear of being captured, all of it seemed to sink down the sand. He was safe and home. That was all that mattered. Elliot looked to the side and the calm ocean seemed to welcome him.

Elliot took a moment to take it all in. He unwrapped the layers of cloth that hid his skin from the sunlight. A shining red orange flame engulfed Elliot. The sunlight was warm on his skin. He couldn't help but fall on his back and sink into the sand.

Elliot released his grip on the cloth and was swept by the wind. He saw the cloth fly through the air with nothing to hold it down. He reached up in the air with one hand. Just like the cloth he wanted to soar high. To be free from the shackles of living in the dark. To stand in the light.

Elliot wanted to believe that he could live such a life. But perhaps it was not meant for a common thief. For someone like him. To be born a zapojin, It was like a curse. To glow with such brightness but live in the dark. Elliot closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He just wanted a moment. A single moment to enjoy what he was feeling.

Freedom

As he was drifting to sleep he felt something blocking the sunlight. He opened his eyes and was met with two glowing eyes. No matter how bright they were, how majestic and surreal they looked; Elliot always preferred the brown eyes she wore.

“Hi!” The girl shouted. She was holding the excitement in her voice.

“Flora!” said Elliot with an exhausted sigh.

“Did you miss me? Huh, huh?” Flora asked.

“You know I did Flora.” Elliot said as he petted Flora on the head. “Let me show you something.”

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Elliot handed Flora the purse.

“Careful Flora. It's heavier than it looks.”

“Is that all gold Eli?” Flora's mouth had dropped from the sight of the gold.

“It is! We don't have to worry about this year's winter. Hell it might even last us the whole year if we keep our expenses low.

Elliot saw as Flora weighed the purse in her hand. Moving it up and down, left and right, but Elliot was drawn towards her hair. He had never seen the glow of his parents. If he had, he no longer remembered it. His fiery glow was the only thing he had to go off of and believed to be the only type that existed among his people. That was until the day Flora glowed for the first time.

Elliot didn't know why but it wasn't until Flora turned five that she glowed. Up to that point he was glad thinking that his sister would not be cursed like he was. Like their parents were. He expected her hair to resemble flames when they glow like his. But Flora had a glow as blue as the sky. Bubbles of light streamed down her hair like raindrops on a window. Elliot found it beautiful but above all else, calming.

“Ikal? Flora started.

“Yes Flora?” Elliot replied.

Flora frowned at Elliot. Elliot realized that they were at home and it was safe to use their real name.

“Nakawé.” Elliot said.

“What're these?” Flora pointed on the side of the purse.

Elliot gestured for Flora to hand over the purse to get a better look. There was a seal on the side of the purse. at the center was the head of a man with a long white beard. Behind it was a mountain resembling the Generous Mountain.

“It might be a symbol.”

“A symbol for what Ikal?” Flora asked.

Elliot thought for a moment and said, “perhaps to tell who the purse belongs to.”

“That's not good, is it Ikal?” Flora asked.

“No it wouldn't be. If we carried this purse around people would immediately know who it belonged to as soon as they saw the symbol.”

Elliot smiled at Flora. “Good thing I had you notice the seal for me.”

His words brought out a small smile from Flora.

Elliot focused back on the seal. He couldn't help but stare at the head. It was sharp and edgy almost as if it too were made of rock. Whereas the wall behind it was smooth giving contrast to the seal. It creeped him out.

“Have you decided what to spend the gold on first Ikal?”

“First things first we're going to have to buy food and ration what we have for the time being.” Elliot said.

“Why do we have to ration? Can't we just go and buy food when we run out instead?” Flora asked.

Elliot shook his head. “Nakawé, I don't think going back to the village right now is a good idea.”

“Huh? But why?”

“During the robbery I was found out.” Said Elliot.

“By the guards?”

“And a mob of villagers. They saw me glow. I barely escaped. Besides, even if I did escape without being caught it would be unwise to spend gold we didn't have without waiting at first. The guards would be watching all the stalls for anyone spending gold They shouldn't have.”

“I understand Ikal.” Flora mustered up a half smile.

“One last thing Nakawé.” Elliot said as he stepped back into the forest and his glow disappeared.

“Ikal what happened to your chin?!?”

Elliot felt a rage build up inside him as he gathered his thoughts. “A boy tackled me down and managed to punch me.” Elliot mumbled.

“A boy?” Said Flora.

“Well, he was fully grown. Maybe a few years older than me. Like four or five years.”

“Oh. So a man punched you. Ikal come over to my bed. I've been practicing making remedies with the herbs in the forest.”

“You mean that pseudo medicine from the crazy old herbalist in the city?”

“It's not pseudo medicine. It's real medicine. Look, it even helped with my—”

“Please don't Nakawé.” Elliot interrupted.

There was an awkward silence between the siblings. None of them dared break it first. After a few side glances at each other Elliot broke the silence.

A yee va'a, Nakawé?" said Elliot. He reached for the dry flesh on her stomach.

"Chi'ti, it's better. I no longer feel it." Her face was bright and joyful as she smiled at her brother. "It wasn't your fault, Ikal."

His eyes began to well up. "I... I just wish the blade hit me instead of you"

"Don't say that, Iakal!" she yelled. "If you were the one who was injured that day, I wouldn't have been able to do what you did. Why do you always seem to forget that?"

Elliot didn't say a word. He felt deep-rooted chains hold him down. Unable to break free.

Flora leaned in towards Elliot. "Iakal! If you were the one injured that day, I wouldn't have been able to do what you did. Nor would I have been able to carry you to safety like you did. You couldn't have prevented what happened that day."

She walked away from Elliot but stopped suddenly, looking down at her scar. Flor faced her brother. "It's my fault for what happened. For what you go through each day."

Elliot clenched his fist. “No it's not. I—”

“Do you think me blind Ikal? That I haven't noticed you screaming in the middle of the night? It pains me and I have no one else to blame but myself for what you have to go through. It was my idea to take that job. To live decently. I exposed us.”

Elliot couldn't muster up a word against his sister. All he could do was sit in silence yet again.

“Come. Let me treat your wound, Ikal.”

"Thank you, Nakawé."

There was a brief pause before Flora said, "You always have to act like an idiot."

They both laughed.

"By the way, sis. I loved your story. It was the best one so far."

Her face began turning pink.

"I'm really happy you enjoyed it." Pride echoed in her voice as they headed to her bed.

Flora pulled out a case with an assortment of herbs from the forest. Elliot couldn't tell many of them apart from each other. He watched as Flora examined his bruised chin and grabbed a handful of herbs and blended it in her molcajete. She added a bit of drinking water and the herbs soon turned into a paste.

Elliot felt a sharp pain as the cold herbal paste touched his chin. Flora rubbed the paste all around his wound and Elliot smelled a hint of mint coming from the paste.

Elliot smiled. “Thank you Flora.. Nakawé.”

“Anytime Ikal. We're here for each other, remember?”

“You're right Nakawé. We are.”

Elliot smiled as he watched the waves hit the sandy shore.