Chapter 14

Leah set the journal on the table and looked at everything set on it. Evanna had left little notes on top of things. She picked up the first one and read it. The water is bottled. Setting it down, she picked up a bottle and opened it. Smelling it, she paused to process that. Plastic, that’s all she could smell. Taking a small sip, she let it sit on her tongue for a second. It didn’t taste like plastic, but it did taste clean.

The next note said ‘try this’. Picking up one of them, she read it. Protein bar. Turning it over, she read the packaging and didn’t understand most of what the ingredients were. Opening it, she took a tiny bite, having no idea what to expect. It wasn’t bad at all, sweet, but not in a bad way. She took a bigger bite and savored it as she checked the next note.

Potato chips!

With eyebrows raised, she turned the small bag over and looked at the ingredients. The ingredients were at least things she recognized, mostly. She’d have to try those after her tea—and this bar.

Hovering over the rest, she randomly selected the next note. Juice. So good. It had been a long time since she’d had juice. Having it would have meant a trip down the mountain. Taking one of the small boxes, she lifted it closer to try to figure out how to get to the juice. There was a tiny straw in a package on the outside. Glancing at the teapot, she decided a treat of juice at breakfast would be okay. Stabbing the straw into the little foil spot, the juice squirted out all over her hand. She would have to do it slower next time. Taking a sip, she smiled. It was good. Looking at the label again, she decided fruit punch was something she liked.

Taking another bite of the protein bar, she washed it down with the juice. This was probably the best breakfast she’d had in a long time.

Spotting the little box, she picked up the note. Jesse gave me one of the painkillers in here. The headache didn’t leave, but it was much better. Opening the box, she looked at what was in it. Taking her time to read each thing. The contents of the box impressed her. Her grandparents hadn’t had items like this. Some medical supplies, yes, but these were miracle ointments and—she paused and did an internal assessment, her head wasn’t aching. There was always a headache of some degree present, but normally after she lost control and Minn burst free, she’d feel the sharp pains in her head for a few days.

Sitting down, she put everything carefully back into the box and closed it. The package beside the box had no note, but it plainly said Beef Jerky on it. She grinned. She’d missed the jerky that Papa Low made. No doubt Evanna was happy with this item as well.

Picking up the journal, she opened it again and found the page from yesterday. Moving just her eyes, she looked at the small box of those protein bars and took another out of it. There were plenty, another wouldn’t be missed.

She re-read the first part of what Evanna had written. Could it be true? Was there help for them? For Minn, could they really help her and Evanna with Minn? She closed her eyes and felt for her cat. She was there, calm, watching. She always watched, but calm wasn’t a word she’d usually use regarding her. Had the painkiller done that? She would have to ask about that.

Looking back at the journal, she re-read the second part Evanna had written. Honestly, it was the first personal thing she’d ever left her. That alone told her there was something about Jesse and the idea of leaving the mountain that had reached a part of Evanna that Leah had never been able to.

Leah I don’t know if it’s this painkiller or something else, but I’m relaxed and just sitting here thinking. I know, that’s normally your thing and not mine. I walked around and showed Jesse in the houses tonight. I like talking to him. He’s interesting and funny, but most of all I believe he really cares about what is happening to us. I know our grandparents did and Aunt Tillie too, but it matters more to me that he does and I can’t explain why.

I spoke on his phone! It was so clear. I talked to his friend (I can’t even imagine how her name would be spelled) Shaylyn? She’s a healer and she sounds super smart and really nice too. She told me there are many people out there that are like us and a lot of places that can help us. I did tell her you weren’t good going to places and being around people and she said if need be you could meet these people online and not in person. I’m not sure what that is, but I think we need to do this. Minn is getting harder for me to control and you know it exhausts me more and more each day, so if there is a way to help Minn, it would help us too. 

Shaylyn also asked if it was just the three of us. I’ve listened a lot in the last day and I believe it is just us, do you agree? Let me know. 

Tomorrow you need to help Jesse by telling him what absolutely has to leave with us. Everything else he says will be packed up and shipped to us, so this is good, right? It means we will still be in charge of looking after all of it. And if they do go to those addresses from the letter and some of our clan are there we will still have it for them.

I’m tired now. This has been a long day for me.

Please write back and know I will make sure you and Minn are safe on our new journey.

Ev

That was the most emotional thing Evanna had ever left her. It scared her to her core, but her head was telling her they needed to leave the mountain. She glanced at the food things on the table again. So many new things. She closed her eyes and felt for Evanna. Smiling she opened them. She was near, not close enough to influence her, but close enough to watch. “Okay.” she whispered, knowing she would hear her, “I’ll try to do this.” Closing the journal, she left it on the table so she could reply later. Getting up, she looked around. What couldn’t she live without? Biting her lip, she turned slowly, this was going to be hard.

Shaking her head, she picked up the box and moved it back over to the corner. This was so hard.

A light tap on the door had her spin around, Jesse stood there. “Oh.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “I was just trying to,” she looked at the piles set around the room, “sort things.”

He smiled, “can I help?” He stepped inside and closed the door. “I can at least move things where you want them.”

She loved his smile, so warm and friendly. “I don’t know what to take.”

Jesse came across the room and then looked around. “All of it will be packed up and shipped to you, so,” his eyes locked on hers, “you just need to take what you need until everything else arrives.”

Leah nodded slowly, “I-I don’t know what I’ll need.” She hated feeling like she was lacking in any way, “I’ve never been on a trip.”

He shrugged in an easy way, “well, we won’t be sightseeing much, so maybe some notebooks, or something to read, clothes, and small things really,” he motioned to the door, “We want Thera to have space to move around.”

“Oh,” Leah exhaled, “I’d forgotten that.” Placing her hand over her mouth she looked at the shelves, “so, maybe just important clan records and things?”

Jesse nodded, “those will be helpful for the Alliance, yes.”

Leah glanced at the kitchen area and the potatoes sitting in the basket, “can we take the harvest from the garden?”

Jesse rubbed his hand over his strong jaw, “we can try. How much is there?”

“I can, uh, show you the storeroom.” She pointed to the trap door on the floor. “I just think it would be a waste to leave it.”

Jesse went over and pulled the latch up, “we’ll fit as much as we can.” He stood there.

Her heartbeat increased as she looked at the dark hole in the floor, “I,” she frowned, “I don’t- can’t go down there in the dark,” she held her hand over her throat and looked away from him, was Evanna close? “Usually-usually Evanna puts things down or brings them up for me.”

Jesse gave her a caring look, “I can go down and look, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” He turned and looked around and then went over to the counter. Grabbing a candle, he went over to the stove opened one of the cover plates on the stove, and lit the candle from the flames inside.

When he disappeared into the dark space, she moved over closer so she could look down into it. He came over and looked up at her. “Packed properly we can probably fit this.” He smiled up at her.

Leah nodded, feeling torn between the good news and being so near the dark hole. “Okay.” She backed away from it as he came back up. “I’m-I don’t do dark spaces well.” She rubbed her forehead, focusing and trying to let Evanna know she needed her closer.

“Hey,” he closed the door and blew out the candle, “It’s okay,” he touched her arm lightly, “it’s not a problem.” Leaning down he looked her right in the eyes, “you don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with, okay?” He gave his head a quick shake, “I don’t expect you to. I want you to feel safe around me.”

She glanced at his mouth as he spoke, a feeling of ease came over her, Evanna was closer, reassuring her everything was okay. “All right.” She answered quietly. With jerky movements, she nodded, “thank you.”

Jesse gave her another little smile, “now, can you show me how to make coffee that doesn’t choke me?” He looked at the percolator on the counter.

Leah smiled, “yes, I can do that.”

She liked how he sat at the table and didn’t crowd her space. Clearing her throat, she looked away from the stove over at him. “Evanna said if we go with you, we can get help with Minn.”

He didn’t rush to answer and for some reason that put her more at ease, that he thought his words through. “Yes. I spoke to my friend, and she’s been in touch with a doctor who can help both of you with Minn and anything else.”

“Anything like how tired we are?”

Leaning on the table, he studied her for a moment, “I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know a lot about the disorder, I’m learning about it as much as I can until we get back and can talk to professionals that have experience with it.”

“I’m trying to accept leaving the mountain,” she motioned around the room, “leave our home because we need help, I know this, it’s just hard.”

“I imagine it is.” He didn’t move or fidget when he spoke to her, he looked at her, giving his full attention, which made her feel special somehow.

“I don’t know if Evanna is okay with seeing a doctor, but I know it exhausts her to control Minn, and the pain it causes her makes me feel,” she looked down at her hands, not sure if she should be saying this, “it makes me feel weak.” She glanced back at him, unsure if she wanted to see his reaction.

“You’re not weak.” He pointed to the kitchen, “Evanna admitted she wasn’t a great cook, I doubt that made her feel inadequate in any way.” He shrugged, “we all have something we’re good at, just as much as things we aren’t. It doesn’t make us any less or more than the next person.”

Leah felt her face flush at his words. “I like that.” She admitted, “how you explained that.” She smiled, “thank you.”

“It is what it is, Leah, I’m not good at some things either.” He still gave her his complete attention.

“What aren’t you good at?” She checked to see how much water was left to drip through.

Jesse chuckled, “the list is long.” He grinned, “cooking is one of them, I often cheat and just shift and go eat something.” He shrugged, “or order take out when I’m in the mood for something particular.”

“What’s take out?” She poured the coffee into a cup and went over and set it on the table for him.

“Thank you.” He opened the sugar bowl took out a tiny bit of sugar and put it in. “Take out is,” he nodded his, “ordering any food you’re in the mood for and having it delivered to your door or going in somewhere and getting it to take out and eat.”

“Any food?” She sat down, needing to know more about this.

“Chinese food, pizza…”

“I don’t know what those are.”

He grinned slowly, “you will get to know, because unless we’re taking a stove with us, that’s how we’ll be eating for the trip home.”

The idea of trying new foods she didn’t have to hunt, grow and cook was exciting. Biting her lip, she continued to look at him, “I think I want to try them all.” The excitement of it made her a little breathless.

Jesse chuckled again, “if you like that idea, you’re going to love a microwave oven.”

Leaning a little closer, she watched the playful look in his eyes. “What is that?”

“That,” he smirked, “is a tiny oven you put food in and it’s ready in a few minutes.”

“No.” He smiled at her. “In a few minutes?” She felt a little giddy. “I need to try one of those too.” Sitting back, she touched her warm cheeks, “Evanna isn’t going to believe all of this.”

“The magical thing about a microwave is almost anyone can cook using one.” He frowned for a second, “almost, they’re not foolproof.”

“You must have so much free time to do other things if you can cook in a few minutes.” She looked around the room, “if this were a normal home, like where you’re from what else would be in it?” She sat back and waited; things couldn’t be that different off this mountain.

“Well,” he took a small sip, “you know about a stove and fridge.” He motioned to the ones that hadn’t worked since the power was gone. “But there are dishwashers, you put the dishes in, turn on the water and push a button and walk away.”

“It washes the dishes, on its own?”

He nodded, “there’s clothes washers, and dryers too.”

“That’s pretty wonderful.” She grinned, “I can’t even picture something like that.”

Jesse took another drink and then set his cup down, “I’ll probably stop at a laundromat and do mine on the way back, so you’ll get to see firsthand.”

“I can’t wait.” It may have seemed like a small thing to him, but to her, it was nothing short of a miracle. Cooking and cleaning in so little time, there would be more time to read or paint and draw. The reality came back fast. To experience any of those things, she was going to have to leave here. Standing up, she looked around the room. “I need to go back to sorting things.” She nodded, “in the other homes too.”

Jesse took one more sip and then stood up, “just tell me where you want things and I’ll help.”

Leah studied him. He meant it, he was here to help and not try to get her to do anything. “Thank you.” She smiled briefly and then went into the bedroom.

Once inside she closed her eyes for a second. Evanna was close, watching, she would come out and do this if Leah was unable to face it, but wanted her to choose what was the most important to her. Nodding, she opened her eyes and went over to the cabinet in the corner that all the clan books were in.