I alone, in the scar-crossed armor

[Dr Adjective]

[Bethany Lyon’s Venom runs dry.]

Her eyes fluttered open.

Memory came back inchoate, disjointed.

Bethany reached a hand up. Her hair felt strange. Yes, of course. She remembered. She’d come in after the fight, insisted that Shawn cut it short, she remembered that. It had been in the way, she’d said. They had the little first aid scissors, those were good enough. She could worry about looking beautiful later on. But there was something else. Dry… something. She’d taken a light blow, must’ve been a little blood.

It was a struggle to stand. Must’ve been more sore from the exertion than she thought. But it made sense, swinging a big pick, trekking across the mountain pass, that’s all four limbs overworked. Lifting her head felt worse. Only 18 and already suffering head rush from sitting up too fast? Embarrassing. Something to note.

Bethany brushed her long hair back behind her shoulders. Wait. There was something about that, wasn’t there? She didn’t remember. Wasn’t important. There was quite a lot of blood in there, it moved like a single mass, solid and sticky. Maybe she should’ve bandaged it? No, Shawn would’ve been able to see, been able to say it wasn’t so bad. Maybe it was Aracelis’ blood. There was a hot spring up the mountain, she remembered, she’d woken up there days prior. Three days? Four? Longer? Time had become such a mess already. Didn’t matter, not important. Maybe she could head up there and wash her hair though. Or rinse it, really. Get the blood out.

Speaking of Shawn, where was he? Call of nature perhaps? The sun was already up, announcement would surely be soon. She wouldn’t have missed it. Couldn’t imagine sleeping through all that noise.

Her bag lay open by the bed. Empty. Concerning. Where was Shawn? His spear was still there. Had they been attacked in the small hours? But who… and why leave Beth as she was? With the blood on her head, maybe she’d been assumed dead? But there was no sign of a fight. Maybe Shawn had taken it outside, lied that she was dead, to protect her? He was smart like that, and a true friend after all.

Beth slung the empty bag over her shoulder, grabbed the spear, staggered to the door. She was so sore. Woozy. The sunlight outside burned her eyes.

No sign of a fight outside either. Would someone bother with a kidnapping at a time like this? Maybe Shawn had just run to create distance? That didn’t leave her with much of a trail to follow. Something in her memory reminded her of the hot spring though. Of course, yes, she and Shawn had agreed to go there, to wash the blood from her hair. She remembered that. She was definitely forgetting something, but it must not have been important.

With the help of the makeshift spear, Bethany set off, keeping the rising sun roughly to her left and towards the looking mountains. South-east should get her to the pass. Then upwards. She could do it. She felt strong. She felt strange.

[Bethany Lyon keeps her mind on All Things Bright and Beautiful.]