Bonnie's Touch

Somewhere, amidst a vastness of sea, there exists an island—a great island, neighbor to none, just quietly existing. It comprised grassy hills, lively forests, and spacious countryside. Somewhere in the center of all the greenery, lay the small capital where every person lived unassumingly. 

The capital was really the 'main base' of significance within the kingdom, hosting the small yet dominant population of just over 8,000 people. It was defined by the prominence of the marketplace and the widespread use of basic mechanical machinery, essentially serving as the main hub of significant activity within the kingdom. Meanwhile, the countryside, the mountains, the coastal areas, and even the forests, were dotted with the modest homes of fellow inhabitants, spread across the landscape. 

The title of 'kingdom' applied solely due to a specific individual who wielded significant influence over the inhabitants—Cortea, a figure of profound peculiarity and mystery. He was a young boy with a kindly smile, a boy openly idolized by his people, who were usually hard to please. The Nadirians, particularly within the capital, harbored an extraordinary fondness for him, surpassing what might be considered reasonable. But that seemed to work as an unlikely deed because Nadiria was a place devoid of any serious crime.

When it came to trade, a currency called 'Autumn' was the dominant medium of exchange. It consisted of silver coins and orange-coloured cash, and 8.00 Autumns could buy someone some provisions for at least 3 days.

Nadiria was a safe haven for the simple-loving, and there was much tranquility to be found, yet when the day accompanied by tragedy manifested itself, Nadiria would go down a path of reformation—or more precisely, decline...

. . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 2: ELIZABETH

"SIMPLETON"

The day broke. Venturing the wild forest and its tall trees was a little brunette girl with ocean eyes and a mean face. Her name was Elizabeth. She was the picture of an amateur adventurer, dressed in an oversized dark brown hoodie, baggy pants, big leather boots, and carrying a fat backpack with two long wood sticks strapped behind. Her forehead, her right arm visible on a rolled-up sleeve, and her leg the same, were all awkwardly wrapped in bandages. Her boots crunched through the crisp fallen leaves as she ventured on. Suddenly noticing a light-brown piece of paper lying flat on the forest floor, she quickly hurried over to pick it up, but to her distress, it was a paper she very much recognized.

The bold print at the top of the page read: 

HELP. FIND. MISSING. 

…then the print bottom of the page read: 

WILL REWARD 100 AUTUMNS. 

...and in between the two lines of print was a crudely sketched portrait of a post-adolescent-looking boy. 

Although the sketch wasn't picturesque, his form managed to exude a sense of diligence and humbleness. You could say the sketcher prioritized conveying his character over providing a normal-looking sketch. Elizabeth hastily dusted off the poster, shaking it up and down, and as she did, her eyes conveyed frustration and desperation. 

"That's the third one today!" she muttered, desperately brushing the paper clean. 

Satisfied with its neatness, she picked up a nail from the ground, then, rising on her tiptoes, pinned the poster to a tree, ensuring it stayed before moving on. Her expression grew ever moodier as she trudged ahead. She wondered if it was the winds that blew down the posters, right before recalling that the nails were also on the ground, and no wind could unpin a nail from a tree. She then concluded that someone or something was up to this, and she decided that when she found them, she'd waste no milliseconds before bashing their skulls in. All of a sudden, she noticed sounds of commotion in the bushes up ahead. 

"Where… am I?" a distant voice akin to a young male's murmured, and the sounds of bushes getting crushed grew louder as Elizabeth continued forth. "Where on earth…?" the voice questioned further, his footsteps becoming more audible. "Is this a forest? Urgh…"

A thud abruptly manifested, and Elizabeth finally witnessed movement on a bush up ahead. Gripping her wooden stick with fierce determination, the young lady crept forward for an investigation. Her fierce expression wavered with uncertainty as the gap between her and the bush closed. Taking a peek, she was met with a bizarre aberration... A small being lay sprawled on all fours, seemingly dazed and lost like a disoriented toddler. His peach skin had an odd yellow sheen, with streaks of visible dirt sitting over it. His eyes were mismatched—the left a rose-red color, and the slightly larger right eye a violet-blue color. His sharp, dishevelled black hair had a haphazard mix of white, green, and purple strands. Most alarming were the crude stitches—circling from his right eye to his lips, with some stitches being visible over his hands, and others presumably covering his entire body beneath the ragged brown clothes. Elizabeth grimaced, curling her upper lip with a mix of disgust and confusion as she stared down the otherworldly boy. 

"I… I don't know who I am," he said nervously to himself before noticing the girl's presence.

He met her gaze with a raised eyebrow and casually stood, revealing himself to be shorter than Elizabeth, but only slightly.

"Why, you're odd," Elizabeth remarked bluntly. "You're too much of a freak to be a human, but also too much of a human to be a monster. Are you… a monkey?" 

"Hello, miss. Is it possible that I'm an old friend of yers?" the boy began dusting himself off after her statements had gone through his head. "I've been wanderin round these zany woods, tryin to stumble across somethin I might recognize, but the only thing I stumbled on was a rock and into these bushes here, you see. The thing is, I think I might have forgotten my—"

"Sorry, I'm on a mission right now," Elizabeth walked right past him. 

"A mission? Oh, a mission. Like, with ya friends?" He began trailing along behind her. 

"Wrong. This here a serious mission. No friends. And for someone who stumbles over a rock, it's the last place you'd wanna be." 

"I'm sure even the finest of adventurers make mistakes. Maybe I could offer help? It's always best to work in a team, you see. I could assist you with yer little adventure, and in return, you help me with my foggy memory. I say it's a win for both of us!" 

Noticing her wood sticks, he tried to mimic her determination by snapping off a tree branch, but as soon as he grabbed it, the dead buds sprouted to life, the branch turning vibrantly green, far too pretty for any weapon. His excitement quickly turned to confusion and disappointment.

"How old are ya anyway?" he asked. "Twelve? Fourteen? It ain't very ideal for a little girl to be wanderin the woods all alone, you see. I think there's less a chance of you being in danger if we work together. Why struggle by yerself when you can struggle in twos?" 

"I'm not a… Tch!" Elizabeth snapped. Irritation flashed across her face, but she trudged onward. 

"What's the matter?" the boy asked. "Sore throat? Usually happens when you haven't said anythin nice in three weeks, ya know."

"You're just like everyone inside Nadiria capital—a simple-minded hothead that can't tell when they're usin someone for personal gain." 

"Na...diria...?" he muttered, slowing his steps. "Who is that again?"

"You mean, where is that… Are you playin games with me? Listen up, there be all sorts of beasts roamin round these parts, and they'll punish yer arrogance towards the woods. The loudest are the first to get eaten; our only chance of survivin is through keepin our heads up and our voices low, and by playin according to the rules of the wilder—" 

Turning around, she noticed that the boy was a few meters away, standing motionless and gazing into the void. 

"Ya know what, I ain't even gonna bother."

Elizabeth continued her march forward without the boy. Snapping back to reality, he quickly caught up and attempted to reason with her. 

"Sorry 'bout that. Just… had my head in the clouds for a second. Would you kindly start over?"

"Not a chance. You're a simpleton. If you're so desperate to serve as bear food, then so be it."

"I think we both know you ain't that shallow. Speakin of bears, wanna hear a joke? What is it called when a bear can't bear children? Unbearable!" Elizabeth maintained her forward pace with a poker face. "Oh, c'mon, that was a good one. You know it was."

"I don't wanna talk to ya, mister!"

Observing her bandages, the boy added, "I've noticed yer wounds. You ain't that tough either, ain't ya?"

"What?"

"You're clearly strugglin, there ain't no point in hidin it. I'll help make yer mission easier, and in return, you help me out with a few questions. But first, we gotta work as a team. 'Cooperate,' you see. After that, you'll never have to see me again, I promise."

Elizabeth gave no words.

Some time passed as the two continued their walk and talk…

"So these woods are real scary, huh? Why come here if you know it's so dangerous?" 

"I'm lookin for my big brother. He's been missin a while, and… the last person to see him round these parts was me—his younger sister. So I gotta do whatever it takes to find him, even if it means riskin my health." 

"Well, I hope we find him before sunset then. But you gotta prioritize yer health, you see. I'm sure you'd want him to find you too in one piece, no?" Taking a step toward an acorn on the ground, then squatting, he continued, "I don't think we're gonna magically stumble upon him by just walkin onward now. We should find some clues. Maybe tracks? Ah, I think I found some…" Noticing a giant claw mark on the ground, he added, "Mhm, that ain't a good sign, we're gonna need to leave here soon if we wanna keep our limbs. Do you know of a place he usually visits to clear his mind? Or maybe someone he—" 

Suddenly he realized Elizabeth standing motionless, her eyes staring wide at the sight ahead—scattered remnants of her posters littering the forest floor. She gave no words, simply standing confused and defeated. The boy took no second thought before deciding to help collect the fragments. Soon, he could hear Elizabeth's quiet sobbing nearby, her back turned to him and her movements slowing down as she picked up the papers.

Elizabeth spoke in a shaky whisper, "It's been over 3 months now… What if… what if a… a bear… what if he's already… de… Noah…"

The boy felt sympathy for the girl as a brief moment of silence filled the air. He wore a warm expression, approaching her slowly from behind and gently wrapping his arms around her.

With his small hands, he tenderly rubbed her forehead, and with a soft voice he said, "Everything's gonna be okay, my dear."

As he held her, a faint glow emanated from his palms. Elizabeth's bandages loosened and the wounds disappeared from her skin. She stopped crying, noticing the glow and her healed wounds in astonishment.

"My wounds… they're...gone?" She carefully removed her bandages and examined her now healed bruises. "You...you really are a creep, aren't ya?"

"I am?" 

They stood gazing at each other before simultaneously breaking into smiles as if communicating telepathically. 

"Say, what's yer name, ma'am?" The boy finally asked. 

"Elizabeth," the girl quickly answered, "What's yers?" 

"I don't think I know... Maybe you can give me one?" 

"How 'bout…Bonnie? It was the name of my horse. She died after runnin into a wall." 

"I ain't sure how I feel about that one…" 

CHAPTER 2 of 'Bonnie's Touch' ends