Empty

I quickly became exhausted from crying. Besides, like my mom's lookalike warned, I have to get back to my body, or else I'd actually die, for real this time. I rubbed the uncomfortable tear streaks from my cheeks and stood up. Suddenly, there was an ear-splitting crack that made my bladder quiver. I turned to the wall in horror. The dim glow from the red box illuminated spiderweb cracks in the still invincible wall. "Sh*t," I cursed as I turned and ran for safety. I ran as far back as I could without completely merging into the darkness. After all, the wall was invincible, and I wouldn't know what hit me till I'm down and bleeding. The ear-grating sound of breaking glass had me wincing. When the noise died down, I moved forward. I stretched my hand out once again, feeling for any barriers. But I feared the thought of my searching hands making contact with anything. I passed my crying spot, and there was still no barrier. I smiled in relief. Then I felt it again, that soft weightless tug. May was still trying to summon me back. I looked at the box. I can't leave when I'm so close! I tried to shrug it off, but the pull was getting stronger. So I ran. Even though it felt like I was pulling a truck behind me. My hand grazed the corner of the box when the world spun, and it all went black. *** "She's back," a familiar voice whispered. Someone else spoke, but their voice sounded far away. My head was throbbing. I wanted to raise my hand to rub it, but I couldn't move. I was starting to panic! "It's not my fault. I could have summoned her sooner, but she was resisting," the voice beside me replied with some anger. "Release," the voice snapped. Like a veil, I felt a weight lifted off my body. I sat up so fast that I got a dizzy spell. I looked at my two companions with a hint of confusion. "What happened?" I yawned. Like fragments of an old memory, the events of the past day hit me. The box! I looked at my empty hands. "Why the hell did you bring me back!" I screamed at May. She looked flabbergasted, and her mouth hung open for a second. I ignored her and began frantically looking around. It must be here somewhere! "Well, sorry!" May hissed. "Next time, I'll just leave you dead." From the corner of my eyes, I saw her get up and stomp off. But there was a small red object in her path, and she couldn't see it in her fury. "Stop..." I had barely gotten the word out when she shouted. "The hell is this?" She was hopping on one foot. She picked up the box and opened it. "It's f**king empty." She flung it away. It landed at the base of a tree. The lid had broken off, so I could see inside from where I stood. How can it be empty? I moved forward in a mix of fear, confusion, and anger. Why is it empty!?! I picked it up. There was dirt and ash, staining the carved body of the box, but the inside, padded with a plush velvet material, was indeed empty. Heat rushed to my face, and a hot tear threatened to fall. I blinked and picked up the cover close to it. I hugged both to my chest. "Let's go," I whispered. "What?" May snapped. "We haven't gotten what we came for." My grip on the box tightened. "Let's go!" My voice was louder. I felt a tingling rush in my veins that threatened to explode. May looked at me wide-eyed. "Fine," she hissed. "It's not like I'm the one who needs it anyway." She turned and marched into the woods. Something shook in my pocket. I tensed at the thought that a small animal had crawled into it. A tiny figure shot right out. I relaxed. It was just the pathfinder. "I'll lead the way," she said in her airy voice, and then she flew in the direction May went. I followed her. It felt like I was forgetting something... or rather someone. I turned around fast enough to get whiplash. The kid was behind me. Ares. He was staring at me, as usual. I turned away. "You cried." I was caught off guard. "W-what?" He pointed at his eyes and repeated, "You cried." I composed myself and continued walking. "It's none of your business." "Of course, it is," he replied. "You're my wife." This time I stumbled on my own two feet and nearly dropped the box. "W-what?!?" I said again. But his little face had gone back to being expressionless, and he didn't answer me. But his little cheeks were a suspicious shade of red. I turned with a shudder and quickened my steps to catch up to May and the Pathfinder. The journey from the forest was faster than the journey to it. The sun was still burning in a fiery brilliance when we wandered into camp. The camp was relatively empty. It was about noontime, so I figured the men must be out hunting. We headed straight to the chief's house. The annoying man was outside his home, smoking a pipe that released blue smoke. He did not look irritatingly cheerful for once. His gaze flitted past us and rested on Ares. His tone was solemn. "I've got news, and it's not good." My heart skipped a beat. Ares nodded and walked into the house. May bowed and left. I hesitated before heading for the house, but the chief blocked my way. "Go home," he spoke, looking at the box in my hand. "I'll deal with this later." I started to protest, "But..." The door was shut in my face. I stood there, holding the empty box tightly in my hand, feeling a mix of frustration, disappointment, and curiosity. What had happened? Why was the box empty? And what news did the chief have that seemed to affect Ares? With a sigh, I turned and walked back toward my own home.