“Are you sure about this Gomez?” asked a sergeant in a small office of hollister boot

  camp going over Shelly's papers.

  “Yes I'm sure,” said Shelly sitting opposite of him.

  “Will be sending you out to the southern border.” the sergeant said.

  “Yes I know Bocages forests and jungles are quite dangerous sir.”

  “Well you've passed all your training and tests so I won't worry about you out there

  you're going out there as one of our best new recruits to make your nation proud and good

  luck out there.”

  That afternoon Shelly boarded a bus down to the border. She remembered how hot it

  got as they got closer to the border and the many rural towns they passed through. The

  long trip didn't seem that way; she barely spoke to anyone the whole time she was a

  soldier. She would wake up everyday day in and day out and march out to the very edge of

  the dense jungle. She would stare right in it and still be unable to see anything but thick tall

  trees and large green leaves; the occasional rustling sounds of animals that you would

  never see. It would always be so quiet. In the outpost the skyline of trees went on and on

  looking directly down the jungle abruptly stopped. The grass, what little grass there was

  where yellow patches surrounded by mud that marked the edge of the jungle called the

  “golden ring” Which served as Seust borderline around the entire nation. With the ring

  nothing grows, only thousands of miles of ugly yellow grass and mud. One day heading back

  into the rural town an alarm sounded a horn that wailed and rang into your ears long after it

  sounded. The small platoon of ten soldiers stationed there get out into the jungle stopping

  at the ring edge to hear the sergeant's orders.

  “We’ve sighted some animals having a territorial war and it's getting too close to

  town. They appear to be apes and mountain lions.” the sergeant said.” We're going out there

  to kill the beasts before the situation gets out of hand. While nothing from the jungle hardly

  ever steps out the ring it's our job to make sure it stays that way. As you all know the

  animals have elementia too and can be too much for locals to handle if they get into town.

  So you five pointing at young men looking put off, coming at them from the front create a

  distraction. The rest of you with me pointing a Shelly and the others will flank them on the

  right and take out their leaders.``

  They all nodded in agreement and headed through the jungle, those in front bending

  the leaves and brush to the sides and clearing the way. A man about Shelly's age, late

  twenties early thirties, also hispanic with a thin build round face winked at her and said.

  “Don't worry, it's pretty easy just kill them before they get a chance to use their

  elementia on you.Goin’ in hard and fast.” the name on his uniform said Jimenez.

  “I'm not worried, but the guys on the other team are a little worrisome.” she said.

  “That's why the Sergeant put them as a distraction, they’ll get the worst of it, and

  then will come in and save them.” Jimenez said with a smirk on his face. “I was the same 55

  “That's nowhere near close for a nickname,” she said, eyebrows raised.

  “Well you never say much and act hard sometimes so-” he explained.

  “Really I hadn't realized”

  Shh!

  One of the other soldiers said. They approached the clearing quietly. Hearing the roars and

  screeches of the lions and apes there were about twenty in total the leaders in the center

  staring each other down. The two large animals bare their fangs and the mountain lion

  snapped its teeth at the large proud ape. It clawed his hand into the ground glowing green

  and threw what was dirt now hard mud balls at the lion. Infuriating it is its posse of other

  lions ready to pounce their leader starting to bleed from above the right side of its head.

  The lion stomped the ground with its paw shaking the ground hard enough to make the ape

  lose his balance falling on its butt.

  HAHA! Someone laughed from what sounded like to the right of Shelly and Jimenez

  behind the group of apes. Up top a small cliff where the young men from the other team

  there hands glowing green they touched the nearby trees and rocks making spears from its

  wood, and throwing them and rocks down on to the animals. Some hitting their mark most

  missing terribly enraging the animals. Sending the lions charging forward. The apes throw

  mud and rocks at them. While the cats stomped their paws sending a shockwave thru earth

  and the cliff the soldiers stood crumbling down. The screaming soldiers were now in a panic

  out there and began to scramble to their feet.

  “Ah!Damn! Move in!” the sergeant yelled.

  They ran forward and two of the soldiers in front made a mud pool slowing the animals

  down. Jimenez, a fire affinity burned five of them to death with fireballs the screeching of

  their death hurt Shellys ears.Both the lead ape and lion let out mighty roars.

  “They're calling reinforcements! Bring them down!” the Sergeant yelled.

  Over screams and screeches of the ensuing battle. Shelly ran over to a tree focusing her

  chakra into the tree which split into multiple spears suspended in mid air.

  “Argh!” Shelly grunted as she hurled the spears toward the leaders.

  The twenty foot tall ape turned Shelly’s way, his hands glowing green connected its own

  chakra to the spears steering some of them away a few piercing his arms and legs. The lion

  once again stomped the ground making a stalagmite appear blocking the spears aimed

  toward him. The Sergeant threw large rocks at the mountain lion, some of the other soldiers

  joining in weakening the beast; it began to stumble and sway from the many wounds from

  the spears and rocks thrown from it.

  “Jimenez keeps frying up the small ones! Thomas! Whitney! Give Gomez some

  support!” the Sergeant commanded.”AHH!” The Sergeant charged forward with no more

  rocks and Jimenez created a ring of fire around the Sergeant and the other soldiers keeping

  the smaller mountain lion and apes from interfering. The twelve foot long lion with its last

  ounces of strength began to charge forward, its mouth open wide it prepared to pounce.

  The sergeant gathered dirt into his right hand; the dirt swirling in sync with his glowing

  green chakra created a rock hitting it square in the face making it bleed from its eyes.

  “Graag!” The force in which the Sergeant thrust the rock into the beast knocked it

  backwards letting out its final dying roar.

  Shelly, still struggling with the ape fatigued, started to set in with this tug of war

  type match Trying skewer the beast without being skewered. As her strength waned the

  others also started to assault the beast with spears from with the ring of fire Jimenez

  created. The gained some ground against the monstrous ape as it couldn't block all of the

  spears being thrown at it as they pierced its arms and legs. A large fireball came flying 56

  across the left side of its face breaking its concentration allowing Shelly and the others to

  kill it. Its body lay face down in the clearing with hundreds of spears sticking out of its

  back.Its dying roar echoed throughout the jungle. Shelly exhaled sharply, finally able to

  lower her right arm, rubbing it as it sore from sending so much chakra through it. That night

  they celebrated at the local tavern.

  “You were awesome, Yesenia, all those spears! How do you learn to do that!? How

  long have you been in the field?” Thomas asked excitedly, a bright blue eyed young man

  with blonde hair.

  “I don't know, I just did what came naturally and surprised me too. Adrenaline I

  guess. But thanks for the help out there.” she said.

  “No problem”, Thomas said starry eyed.

  “Before we start celebrating I just want to say that there was some excellent

  teamwork out here guys; and now that we all have a better understanding of how serious

  our jobs are out here let's drink!” the Sergeant said with a smirk taking a large gulp of beer.

  Shelly spent six months out in the ring becoming a captain and Jimenez a lieutenant. In the

  town of Sherman, a mining town, Shelly and Jimenez became good friends and great

  partners in the field. Out on patrol like any other day in the mining town dusk set in and

  the miners just started coming back from all day's work. Slowly trudged out the mine's

  entrance to the warehouse . Shelly looked at each one of their tired but satisfied faces.

  “All looks normal, Tilo looks especially happy he must have gotten to blow something

  up today” she said over the radio.

  “Yeah Tilo ain't happy unless he’s blowing’ somethin’ up. Jimenez radioed back.

  “CAPTAIN! Captain Gomez! a soldier called huffing and puffing as he ran up to her.

  “What's wrong Mark?’

  “One of the miners is fighting again and we can’t break them up ma'am!”

  “Who is it this time?” she sighed.

  “Some new guy and Torque!”

  Shelly sighed and said “Again” taking the radio from her hip and said”Lieutenant Jimenez

  the miners are having another fight in the warehouse I'm headed over to check it out.”

  “Alright you go ahead I'll be over there soon.” Jimenez radioed back.

  Shelly and Mark head over to the distribution warehouse in a green jeep; bearing the Seust

  insignia a thin brown ring encircling three jewels a sword piercing through them.a large

  plain looking building painted all white but your the many years of which i must stood made

  it somewhat grayish and yellowing in places perhaps from the fumes of the processing plant

  near by.Upon entering the large warehouse shouting could be heard over the squealing

  conveyer belts and honks of forklifts, near the sifting stations, a crowd of people gathered

  jeering.

  “Teach him a lesson, Torque! Yeah, kick his ass!”

  Shelly rushed over and yelled trying to push her way through.

  “Alright break it up!”

  The men didn't let her through becoming a human shield to coerce the drama at this Shelly

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  became quite annoyed,

  “I'm only gonna say this one more time..break it up!”she said icily.

  But the jeers continued, a deep burly voice said “Listen punk we miners got a code and the

  code says strangers and newcomers don't ask questions areThe crowd cheered,agh!

  A large thud echoed throughout the warehouse.

  “AHH! “the victim gasped . 57

  “That’ll teach him! Yeah!”

  “Torque!” Shelly yelled her body radiating a green glow, she lightly tapped the

  ground; and the concrete they stood on cracked and crumbled bringing the miners and

  Torque to their knees.

  “Gomez!” said a large brown skinned man with a grimace.

  Shelly walked over to a man who lay pummeled into the ground.

  “You alright?” Shelly asked, looking down at him he was a rather stocky man with a

  long nose, short brown hair and brown eyes.

  “I’m fine” he said, his voice reassuring and gentle as he stared at the ceiling.

  Shelly gave him a hand as he got up. He was taller than she originally thought she was 5

  feet 6 inches and him a close 6 feet.

  “What's your name?” she asked.

  “RoKi but you can call me Ki.”

  “Okay Ki, as you can see these idiots can be a little rude to newcomers in the mines.

  But they're decent once you get to know them” she said she raised her hand and

  concentrated on the broken up concrete forming spears trapping the miners at their necks

  as some of them tried to slowly back away.From the look on their solemn faces they knew

  what was to become.

  “Lieutenant Jimenez will be there soon so I hope you’ve all got your lies together.”

  “There's no need to involve the Lt ma'am” one of the miners said nervously.

  “Yeah Gomez it was just a little scrap!” another said somewhat pleadingly.

  “Scrap or no scrap violence out here in the mines won't be tolerated.” said Lt.

  Jimenez waving his glowing green hand across the floor making the cracked cement and

  spears turn to dust and the floor return to normal. The miners came to their feet, all of

  them tight lipped.

  “Anyone wanna tell me what happened?” he asked .

  The loud squealing of the conveyor belts and whirring of the sifting machines was all that

  could be heard.

  The Lt. peered over all of them and said “Gomez, Torque and the new guy you all come with

  me. You there Mark”.

  “Yes sir”Mark replied.

  “See to it that the miners return to their homes without any further incidents.” he

  sighed”Let's go to the office”. he said.

  As they left the warehouse and got into the jeep outside. Shelly watched as the

  miners spilled out of the entrance. Mark stood firm near the door and they went.The Lt.

  started the Jeep with Shelly in front, and Ki and Torque in the back they headed across the

  large mining facility and warehouses to a small military fort near the caves that led to the

  mines for precious jewels. The Lt. passed through a gate with military personnel standing

  on both sides,parking in front of a small brown building with one window on its right side.

  Shelly, Ki, and Torque followed the Lt. single file inside the plain and bare office to the back.

  JImenez went around the desk to face them but remained standing.

  “Captain Gomez, this is special agent RoKi VanBuren, he's with a task force for

  tracking down the terrorist organization called smoke.” he explained.

  “Smoke..” Shelly trailed off looking as though she was in deep thought.

  “He’s undercover here as a miner on a lead that somewhere in the area they have a

  cult base”.

  Shelly turned and looked at Torque and opened her mouth to speak; Jimenez went on. 58

  “Torque here put on a show today to ease tension and rumors about agent Vanburen,

  and Shelly you unknowingly helped out too. Jimenz ordered.

  “What?!”she said.

  ”By breaking it up it proved that the government isn't doing anything suspicious,”

  said Ki.

  “Suspicious, what are you talking about!?” she asked indignantly.

  “Although you're my captain I haven't told you certain things about why we're really

  out here Shelly like the others." said Jimenez.

  “We’ve received info that outside the ring near Sherman animals have become

  victims to some kind of experiments with mutilated carcasses, of extremely strong beasts

  covered in black flames.

  “Smoke” said Shelly with disgust.

  “In town rumors have also spread of these cult people doing weird shit out there. But

  no one's seen them.But the animals though they’ve crossed the ring or something or

  someone made them” said Torque. “So when agent RoKi comes and joins the miners-” he

  went on.

  “People start talking cuz they don't know anything about him,” said Shelly.

  “I’m here to find out where they're hiding what they're up to obviously” said Ki.

  “So you’ll need a team to go out into the jungle?” Shelly asked “I'm in”.

  “Me too,” said Torque.

  “No, Torque, you're a civilian and have done enough already. You just keep the

  miners at ease."Shelly here has been a soldier for a good year but she’ll come in handy. If

  things get rough.” Jimenez said.

  “When do we start?” Shelly asked, folding her arms.

  “Tonight,” said Ki.

  That evening as the miners finished their long day of work the sun falling below the tree line

  Ki,Shelly,and Jimenez headed out into the jungle. The sounds of creatures grew louder.

  “Most of the animals in the jungle here hint at night to be on the lookout. said

  Jimenez.

  “ Where was the carcass found?” Shelly asked.

  “Another few miles in there's a cavern we believe that's how they’ve been moving

  around without being noticed,” said Ki.

  “To tell ya the truth I never thought I’d be tracking down some religious cult while

  serving in the army in Seust of all places.” said Jimenez.

  “This area isn't Seust were outside the ring now might as be in Boscages territory”.

  said Shelly wincing at a large ant mound watching as thousand of ants scurried along.

  “Good thing the borderlands are neutral ground or there will be a lot of red tape to

  go through. The smoke organization has become a pretty large threat; to where most of the

  task force is growing and becoming an international effort but ya still get people who wanna

  take all the credit.” said Ki moving vines from their path.

  “How’d you get into the task force anyway?” Shelly asked, hopping over a large rock.

  “Well like you I started out in the army and earned my stripes and here I am,” he

  said.”Although I enlisted when I was eighteen.”

  “Have you ever seen these cult people I mean- what are they like?” asked Jimenez.

  “There so far gone..” Ki said Solemnly.

  Shelly looked down and gritted her teeth.

  “I’m sorry you both seem to have some kind of history with them already I-” 59

  “No, you need to know what you're up against. People in the organization are strong,

  their chakra and elementia genes are much stronger than that of normal people. Even

  stronger than those who use elementia on a day to day basis like us or the miners.So they

  train regularly to develop their chakra and better control of the elementia gene. From what

  we know so far they believe that God blessed people with elementia genes to challenge

  God,that people should embrace their gift and strive to become greater people . But some

  among their ranks try to force people into their ideals or punish those they feel have sinned

  against God and the teachings of Siya. By forbidden chakra manipulation.

  “Hold on chakra manipulation? But Doctors and hospitals use it all the time. They

  developed techniques that pinpoint elementia ailments and have studied new human DNA

  with elementia for as long as anyone can remember since- lost history. said Jimenez.

  “Yes, exactly lost history, we don't know how much of the lost history they have

  uncovered. But the utilization of the bodies of animals that the military has studied isn't

  something done in modern medicine. They somehow accelerate the development of the

  person's elementia and temporarily increase their chakra flow.”The cavern isn't much further

  now,” said Ki. Looking around moving the many large plants from his line of sight.

  “Ok,so what are we doing a stakeout or just waltzing in?” said Shelly readjusting her

  camping gear.

  “It should be alright to go in. The actual cave inside has many passageways and

  entrances. Me and a few others have been mapping it for months now. Every now and then

  we find somewhere in the caves someone has changed the path or cut off a natural pathway

  altering the structure of the cave. Ki explained as he took out a map from his gear.

  “Where is the rest of the task force?Shouldn't they be here?” Shelly asked.

  “Yeah, but we move in small teams, some are in the village undercover as well. I

  asked the Lt here because you all know the miners area and some random soldier around

  the mine and wandering the borderlands is suspicious” said Ki.

  “Here we are,” he said. Stopping for a brief moment before climbing up a small but

  steep incline of rocks and large roots.

  Jimenez gave Shelly a hand up; the cave was only five feet wide and maybe four high vines

  and plants draped the small opening. Now completely dark outside they turned on their

  lanterns and headed inside.

  “It's hot in here,” said Shelly.

  “Yeah it’ll get cooler further in'' said Ki.”there’s an underground river that flows

  through the caves he grunted as he bent down to pass through the small passageway

  leading to a large open area.Shelly admired the many stalagmites and colorful formation of

  rocks in the cave.Ki checked the map before leading them further in. Moving in overbearing

  silence.as they marched further in it did become quite cool and cold even. The air felt

  pristine, untainted unlike the harsh air topside from the processing plant the miners used. Ki

  stopped and touched the cave walls sending his chakra through it and lanterns lit up the

  cavern. Shelly noticed how dangerously close they were to a menacing black hole a mere

  few feet. She could see a bottom hardly moving her neck to inspect the gaping hole; a

  single well camouflaged brown bat hung nearby.

  “Alright stay sharp. We are more likely to come across bandits and cave dwellers

  than smoke.” said Ki.

  “Bandits? That's why the path is lit?” asked Shelly.

  “Yeah security’s tight comin’ in and out of Seust,” said Jimenez.

  “Why didn't you tell me about this special operation?” 60

  “The less people know the better or should I say-” Jimenez held up his hand

  signaling them to stop.

  “What?” Shelly whispered.

  A faint echo could be heard but it was too soft to make out,they paused for a moment.

  “How far away are we to this supposed hideout?” Jimenez asked.

  “Just ahead” said Ki pointing to the right of a two way forking path, the lanterns

  giving off a faint bright green glow. “The brighter the glow the more likely someone has

  recently gone by”.

  “How is that?” Shelly asked.

  “There are chakra sensors in the lamps; the more chakra detected the brighter the

  light,” explained Ki.

  “Oh, I see,” said Shelly, looking at the lanterns above her head.

  Heading down the brighter path they came upon a magnificent white rock formation in the

  shape of a cascading waterfall. Other formations like small mountains towering to the ceiling

  and to the left the stalagmites looked like the jaws of monsters. Shelly awestruck noticed

  one particular formation collected to a small pool of water was smoother than the others.

  “Hey could that be it?” Shelly asked, pointing to the stalactite.

  “Good eye, yep try manipulating it,” said Ki watching Shelly walk over to the rock.

  Shelly touched the smooth yet bumpy rock indicating it once had sharp and pointed edges.

  She concentrated on making it move moments later the cave wall behind it revealed a

  passageway.Shelly headed in first moving quickly and quietly the air smelled a tad foul,

  making her wiggle her nose. Shelley's heart started to pound as she made her way through

  the dark tunnel. She could hear Ki and Jimenez not too far behind. The ground became slick

  as she almost tripped catching herself on a stalactite. Shelly taking a breath made a spear

  out of the staglite taking a bit more concentration and effort than she thought she chalked it

  up to being the composition of the rock. She continued on around the corner, shocked at

  what she saw. On a large slab of rock lay the remains of a jaguar its blood drained into a

  bucket below the slab. Cuffs growing out from the walls of the cave on both sides leading

  Shelly to believe they held people here. Shelly started to breathe hard, her heart racing.

  She felt a lump in her throat and her stomach sank.

  “Shelly you alright?” Jimenez asked, looking worried coming to her side looking at

  her piercing brown eyes.

  “Looks like we’ve found evidence of some occult practices here,” said Ki, looking

  around the large space heading to the long table in the back of the large circular cave,

  which had many tools and knives on it. Turning around to the dead jaguar examining the

  corpse; he placed his hand on its head and heart, his hand glowing a soft white. Shelly

  watching him went into shock slumping to the ground, clutching her chest, starting to

  wheeze, tears came flowing from her eyes.

  “Yesenia!” Jimenez yelled catching her at her shoulders, he threw off both his and

  her packs cradling her as they sat on the floor.Ki looked surprised turning his head to them

  for a moment, but didn't stop sending chakra into the dead jaguar.

  “Yesenia calm down” Jimenez said gently to the hyperventilating Shelly”what's

  wrong?”

  Shelly, looking annoyed tried to talk but couldn't, so she tried to force herself to stand

  resisting Jimenez’s gestures to sit down using her spear but her body wouldn't let her. Ki

  finished examining the body and rushed over to shelly his hands glowing white placed his

  hands on her head and heart. 61

  “Relax,” he said. Shelly felt a warm gentle sensation come over her. “You're

  panicking, have a panic attack it's alright.” he said looking into her eyes.

  Shelly nodded slowly, calming down.

  “Let's get out of here you got everything you need.?” asked Jimenez.

  “Yeah,” said Ki.

  “Can you walk on your own?” Jimenez asked.

  “I’m fine,” Shelly said with a nod, taking her pack from him.

  They left the caverns Ki leading the way once outside they found a clearing Jimenez made

  the suggestion to stop there. His hand ablaze started a fire with some wood he collected. Ki,

  using a nearby fallen tree, quickly put together an impressive tent for the three of them.

  “What happened to Gomez? It’s not like you to lose over a dead animal.” Jimenez

  said, looking at Shelly earnestly.

  “It was nothing, just a little surprising is all,” she said indignantly.

  Ki looked intently at the fire.

  “Come off it Shelly, you’ve killed countless beasts out on the ring. As your Lieutenant

  I need to know I can't have you freak out on me again while on a mission.” he said sternly.

  “Just drop it for now!Let’s focus on the task at hand,” she said.”Ki what can you tell

  us from the corpse?”

  “It's the same as the others who were doing chakra manipulation of some kind from

  what I could tell trying to make the elementia genes grow faster or develop faster I should

  say; that would increase the level of control...and they were successful. But from what we

  saw there the human trail wasn't so much.” Ki explained.

  “What do you mean humans?” Jimenez asked. “All I saw was a big ass jaguar on a

  table-”.

  “You wouldn’t know unless you knew what you were looking for-” Ki started to say.

  “It was too clean- Antoni, think about it we're going to find evidence of smoke

  experiments but all we find is a dead animal placed neatly on a table. A Dead animal isn't

  anything special in the jungle. Why go through the trouble of bringing a beast into an

  elaborate hideaway just to experiment on it two, three miles into a cave? Ki said before

  they’ve been turning up inside the ring”

  “So what we saw there was a cover up for what?” said Jimenez.

  “That was a fight ring and torture pit.” Ki said. Shelly rubbed her hands into her face

  cupping her mouth exhaling sharply. Staring into the fire along with Ki, Shelly could feel

  Jimenez staring at her.

  “How do you know all this Shelly..” he said softly.

  “My husband and son were taken by the smoke ,” she said trying not to cry, Ki

  grimaced and Jimenez looked shocked and crestfallen.

  “It was a few months after he was discharged from active duty out on the ring. My

  husband told me he had an encounter with the occult group the smoke. We went into

  therapy before being sent home. But that's all he would tell me about it; I didn’t press him.

  I knew it was hard enough for him to tell me that much and he was happy to see us again.

  He took up gardening to help him adjust to normal life; he had been out there on the ring

  for three years. It started out small but grew to be quite large overtime taking up the whole

  backyard. He grew anything and everything with his elemental powers. In the Sesut military

  he was a horticulturist researching the ring and surrounding land to see what crops and

  other vegetation could be grown out there; instead of importing a lot of goods from Zaria.

  He grew many flowers and sometimes vegetables but mostly flowers because knew I liked

  them, all kinds of flowers roses,tulips,lilies… 62

  But my husband Emmanuel started to spend a little too much time gardening and my

  son Jose would go out there to play which was good at first. But whenever Jose felt ignored

  he would rip up the flowers he was six at the time so I just explained to him that his daddy’s

  garden was important to him and it made him feel better after being gone so long. I would

  get on to him so bad about that.” Shelly said with a reminiscent look on her face.”Jose would

  say “Something is wrong with Papa”, but I just ignored him and explained that his dad's

  garden was important to him but not more than him. Looking back now I should have paid

  more attention, I told my husband to spend a little more time with Jose and he would smile

  and say ok. From the dirt under his fingernails he would grow a beautiful white flower and

  give it to me kissing me on my forehead. And we were happy for a while even attending

  church more often. Emmanuel started attending the men's group bible study at church the

  times would get later and later in the evening. Shelly scoffed, closing her eyes, pressing her

  eyelids down hard, a tear rolling down her cheek.

  Around the same time Jose’s affinity started to develop he could control fire- just like

  flame bane my son's favorite show. He also started to get more defiant. I assumed he was

  acting out for his father. He would set some of the garden's flowers on fire, but Emmanuel

  would just grow some more the next day,I would get so mad…

  But one day Jose set the whole backyard on fire. I was furious but my husband didn't say

  anything. In fact he seemed happy that it was destroyed and the next day he would go out

  and start a new garden making many variations, some all plants, or trees. This went on for

  a few weeks at the time I thought it was something those two would work out. But now I

  feel like a fool for letting it go on. Their relationship got better and they started going to

  bible study together at our church and a few weeks later the men's group organized a father

  son thing they would go camping every so often.

  I decided to stop by one night. Jose had forgotten his bag when I got to the

  campsite- I remember them being far into the woods. I got out and the guys had a couple

  of fires going. Some of the dads were huddled together grilling, while the boys ran around

  playing and laughing. Jose came up to me and asked why I was there.

  “ Go get your bag from the car”

  “Ok thank you Mama” Jose said as he darted off toward the car, his face flushed.

  “Oye! Where is your dad?!”

  “By the tents-cabins!”

  I headed off toward them pulling my thin sweater over my chest and folding my arms

  bracing against the sudden coolness of the night.

  “What's going on with you?! And Brandon is being disrespectful. You're lying about

  something and I’m damn sure gonna find out what it is!

  Keep your voice down nothing’s going what the fuck are you even talking about

  anyway?

  What am I talking about-What- I’m talking about you and your funky ass attitude,

  and being loud I’ll get as loud as I motherfucking want to when I’m talkin’ about my son.

  The man squeezes his face with his hands.

  It was Sheliah and her husband Darryl by the first set of cabins standing by the lamp pole.

  “Alright look we'll talk about this when we get back home right now lets just let Brandon

  enjoy his camping trip.” said Daryll with a sharp exhale.

  I moved on quickly now more conscious of the sound of the snapping twigs under my feet.

  I saw Emmanuel quickly come in and out of a cabin and headed over. Overhearing him and

  the young group deacon Bryan talking.

  “You've done a great job out here man I really appreciate it”. said Bryan 63

  “No problem bro.”

  “This will help the kids a lot.Thank you for serving in the church. It's hard to get

  people to help out.”

  “Don't worry about it, besides Sheliah and Daryll help too.sometimes she brought the

  food today right?”

  “Yeah,they're great, it seems like they're going through something again though.”

  said Bryan with a sigh.

  “Again? more like when will it end.” Emmanuel said with a laugh.” Alright man see

  you later I’ma head over there and check it out.``

  “Ok i’ll be over there in a minute.”said Bryan.

  Emmanuel walked out the door and was surprised to see me.

  “Hey babe,” he said, kissing me.

  “Hey, Jose forgot his bag at the house.”

  “Oh you're staying’?”

  “No see y'all back at the house.”

  “Ok”

  As I headed back I ran into Sheliah again, she ran up to me coming out of the cabin

  she had an argument with her husband before holding some paper plates and cups.

  “Hey,girl you got a second?”

  “Hmm uhh sure” I said gently.

  “Have you noticed anything strange going on with Jose or your husband?”

  “Huh No, what are you talking about?”

  “They’ve both been I don’t know just not right, well whatever I’ll straighten them

  out.”

  “Ok then are you sure everything's ok I mean you guys argue all the time but if you

  feel somethings-”

  “No, maybe it’s just a phase. I mean we I know we argue a lot… it’s probably

  nothing.Thanks Yesenia”

  said Sheilah heading over to the campfires.

  At the time I thought nothing of it. Sheliah often had problems and needed advice,

  after helping her I went back home.