Desired by Nature

WARNING (multiple sensitive content): Physical violence, mild gore (bloody themes), and suicide.

Blood had to become another common liquid in his life. The crushing sense of guilt that usually returned had to disappear. The muffled screams no longer should've mattered. That was just a part of war, watching people with families die and becoming indifferent to it. But this wasn't a person on the opposite of a battlefield, he was murdering his own allies.

He shoved the body to the floor, slamming his back to the wall farthest from the gore. His hands were covered in blood as if rose petals fell into them.

"You— you said they wouldn't suffer!"

"I didn't say that." A haunting voice in his head appeared as a hallucination before he could defend himself. He shuddered, bowing his head. "I said that this was for the best—"

"Liar!"

"You must've told yourself that."

"Shut up!" he backed away until he hit the corner, panicking as the blood slid with him, a long streak stained into the ground.

"Relax and clean it up the mess before someone sees." the elf disappeared taking Elijah's sanity with him. It only took a few blinks for him to fall back into a trance, his thoughts were forced into a hive mind until he listened. Covering his ears never worked, silencing the thoughts was impossible. So he did as we said.

Elijah took a morning jog every daybreak, a small loop around the EQ building. The complex was tall, but the vines nibbled at its feet forcing it to lean and waver everyday. It was built years ago as a military base fit with thick steel doors and jail bars. It didn't stop the forest from it taking over.

He threw himself over a net of barbed wire, his hands stinging but his mind too dedicated to care. Cameras and guards were avoided until he was deep in the trees. A root stretched out and tripped him before he could go deeper.

"You're quite gullible." Almond strolled from behind the tree, their hand was pressed against it with a subtle glow admitting from the connection point.

"It was your fault." Elijah spit out dirt, brushing leaves out of his hair as he stood. He couldn't be angry when looking at them anymore. Their skin was like black ashy stone with new snowflakes on the ground. Their black hair had white streaks and was done like a lady would do hers, preened and prodded for hours.

"You fell for it," they turned away, walking off of the path towards more overgrowth, "Anyway, do you know why we're here?"

"No? You forced me here, remember—"

"Well come along," Almond beckoned him closer. Elijah looked like he was a military college kid still learning the ropes, but his body told a different story. There was jagged marks permanently etched into his arms like he'd been through hundreds of spike bushes, his face had a obsessively fresh shave and his eyes were lidded and distant holding brown wood in his pupils.

The forest was thick, designed with leaves that has been growing for years, trees that consumed too much energy from the ground, and animal trails that didn't match any creatures Elijah had ever seen yet. There was a distant light shining through the canopy casting a warm glow across their faces.

This was one of the millions of forest in Kosmo. Humans discovered the continent years ago, planning to extract every bit of new resource they found until they were met with disappearing military troops and weapons that wouldn't work against her creatures. People were frightened it was the wrath of God, others were hoping mother natures creatures were protecting a miracle potion. All of them will die if they step foot on her land.

"There's a lot of history in a tree, you know?" Almond hugged one, the tree's unique patterns erupting into yellow swirls. Their hands were gentle as if the tree had a soul with opinions and preferences for hugs.

"Why do you treat them like they're alive?"

"I listen to the rustle of the leaves." Almond pressed a finger to their mouth and gestured to the huge canopy. Wind flew past the leaves, some leaving the branch on a mission to a distant land. Elijah watched, his eyes softening as a distant hum was quietly translated in his brain. "They're listening, watching, and marking down history."

Almond spun around in the leaves stirring up a tornado of leaves. Giggles left them as they counted the abstract lines of a leaf he caught. Elijah gazed at mother nature and the welcoming brush of wind.

"Its…"

"Beautiful?" Almond said, hurriedly looking to find Elijah's smile.

"Sure, I guess." Elijah looked away, his lips upturning enough for the elf to notice. "I just— its hard to feel…"

"Peaceful." the elf's own smile dropped, walking towards the man conflicted with his anguish and love for nature. He put a hand on his shoulder, the warmth acting as a cloud for Elijah's memories. But humanity won.

"My family— everyone I know, everyone I almost died for is back there." he gestured to the large tower that was being consumed by the nature around it.

"I understand that, I've heard stories of humans, of people like you. But you have to look in a different angle." Almond gently took Elijah's hand before he could drift away, pressing both of their hands against a tree. A subtle glow emitted from underneath Elijah's palm. "The overgrowth taking over that building, its just bringing it back to what it was supposed to be. You all belong back in our mother's arms, whether that's in bones or flesh."

Elijah found himself nodding.

"But your—" Almond chuckled, their eyes dazzling into a fond gaze, "Your spirit is so much like us. I can't imagine you dying like the rest of them should." their hands latched around Elijah's hand, their magic pouring into his veins.

"I'm not one of you… at least kill me like my comrades, I don't want to do this." Elijah tried to snatch his hand away as guilt clouded the hive mind, but Almond didn't let go. The magic felt like it was curling his veins into the trees patterns, the pain making him squirm and curl.

"Relax, just trust me. Don't you feel that? It's beautiful." both of their eyes turned into a daffodils yellow, a fancy light pouring from their eyes.

"Almond—!"

"Hush."

The warmth emitting from the tree turned into heat. He felt energized as if he was given coffee, a drum bursting from underneath his skin.

"They like you. She loves you so much." Almonds giggles erupted into laughter, Elijah lost the feeling in his body. The clouds began to hide their joy behind her storms, carefully layering the world in rain to give Almond the freedom of his happiness.

Elijah arrived two days ago in a airplane with his troops behind his back and a easy mission to carry out. They went to Kosmo not knowing the dangers because they were ordered to.

When they first went into the forest, Almond had kidnapped Elijah and planted a seed in his brain. The elf said he had five days. Five days to kill everyone before the plant grew and his mind wouldn't be his anymore, that mother nature would kill them herself. Two of those days he wasted trying to prevent the inevitable. This day was the third. This day nature was getting impatient.

The sunlight underneath Elijah's skin didn't stop when he left the forest, it spread though his body. The trees and vines were attached to him, growing faster against the building.

"I still have time…" he kept silently repeating the same words to himself, staring at his watch. His wife's picture was digitally plastered on the screen with a timer blocking her eyes. His movement quickened as he watched the time pass by, the commanders room just up ahead.

Thoughts of killing him had crossed his head. It would stop the elf from bothering another night, all the troops would be thankful. But what would that make him?

"No. That's a terrible idea." Almond had argued the night before.

"Why?"

"Because once that happens, your troops will leave and you'll never complete the mission." The elf had said it so simply, like he was a child new to this. Elijah never planned who to kill after that, and now he had to ignore his anger.

"I still have time…"

"Time for what?" Rayden jogged over to catch up, a nervous grin on his face. Elijah threw his wrist behind his back and looked away, searching for an exit.

"Nothing. What are you doing out here?" Elijah put on a smile, something to get Rayden through his anxieties.

"I was looking for you, you've been so distant I got worried—"

"Distant? You must be paranoid." Elijah rolled his eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be at the caf?"

"Aren't you?" Silence filled the room. Elijah let Rayden walk with him, not in the mood of ordering people around.

"Anything you need?"

"You've been.. Off." Rayden chuckled, but it disappeared with the silence.

"Off how?"

"Like… Being alone a lot, loosing temper easy, stuff you don't usually-"

"I'm fine." Elijah opened the door to the cafeteria. He flinched when he noticed the size. The Company had brought thirty six people to investigate the continent. Back then Elijah thought it was a big crew for a mission across a unexplored region, he even tried to argue that they only needed twenty. Now there was fifteen of them left.

"Peoples been going missing and you haven't even made a crazy cool speech." Rayden put a hand on his shoulder, the same spot where Almond had put theirs, "I'm scared, troops are scared, commander won't do anything…"

"I'm sorry… Its just been difficult. Something happened at home, then I almost died…" Elijah smiled. Rayden winced, shifting into a straighter position.

"Nah, I'm sorry. It's a lot of pressure, I know."

"I'm supposed to be able to handle this." Elijah's hand clenched as he scanned the cafeteria again.

"You're only human." Rayden tried to smile as well.

"Tell that to—" Elijah blinked, cold breath hitting his neck. He whipped around, startling a rookie passing by. The rookie muttered a sorry and slipped past them, but Elijah was far too focused on the hallucination of Almond standing behind him.

"Tell that to who?" Rayden leaned into his peripheral to get his attention, concern crossing his face.

"Nobody, Rayden go tell the troops to gather around." Elijah slapped a hand to the back of his neck, hiding the panic in his breathing.

"Don't tell anyone."

The entire room tried not to look at him, but it was painfully obvious. Their minds were eager for some type of ego boost, or answers to the destruction that happened to their troops. When Rayden told them to gather, they moved as fast as they would during orientation.

He sat down, ignoring the food offered in the bar. He looked at all of them, his eyes making contact and holding it for long seconds. Some would cry and hide their heads away, the rookies would glance away nervously, each one hurt Elijah's soul.

"Did you hear Penny died this morning?" One whispered.

"Captain what are we gonna do?"

"We have to get out of here!"

The cafeteria broke out into desperate pleas and demands for answer. Elijah tried to listen, but the elf returned, sitting on the cafeteria table they were meeting at like it was a throne. His thoughts crackled into a distant fog until Rayden nudged him, that same sickening concern on his face.

"The commander won't let us leave, you all know that." He sat straighter, trying to become a stable rock for them even while his hands were shaking "People keep disappearing, but we are aware and we are trying to find out why."

"How many people have to die before—"

"And we will not back down from getting justice for those who died." Elijah called, everyone quieting. "Do you think those who perished would want to see us run? See us cower?" His voice cracked, clenching his teeth as he addressed everyone.

"I am scared as hell, I've never seen anything like this. When I almost died out there, I honestly thought I would never see heaven or the memories that's supposed to flash before my eyes." Elijah slammed his hands on the table, his breathing becoming unstable. Rayden tried to support him, but he pushed him away.

"I— I cannot promise you that you'll make it home. I can't even promise you you'll die honorably." he shook his head, tears falling down his face. "But I promise whatever is out there that's slowly picking us off, I will find them and I will kill them." his voice strained as he yelled. The troops were stunned into silence. Then slowly, one yelled with him, and the rest joined. They turned into a battle cry full of tears and sudden determination.

The elf was laughing.

"Silly. Are humans this entertaining back at home?" They hummed, swinging its legs. Elijah knew better than to respond. "Its smart getting their moral up to keep them here longer. It's harder to catch prey if their running away."

Elijah stood up, his chair falling to the ground behind him.

"Dismissed."

The elf quietly left his vision after the speech, for whatever reason he didn't know. He just knew it was his chance.

He ripped his room door open, slamming it shut behind him. The silence greeted him like a weighted blanket, but he shifted straight to the bathroom and the blinding lights inside.

He stared at the sink. The drain was overgrown with vines that had been growing towards him ever since he got there. He tried to rip them out, tear open their roots, but they kept growing until he heard a horrible shriek.

He slammed his back against the door and crouched, hiding his ears from the ringing noise.

Blood poured like a river from the sink, creeping towards him. He coward into a ball, tears streaming down his face as the vines regrew into jagged spikes.

"This has to stop!" He reached for his gun. It was a cold barrel, something he hadn't used ever since they found out guns don't work against the creatures. He cocked the barrel, his hands trembling even from practiced motion.

The vines froze, softening as if they were a safe, that they didn't want him to die. They slowly approached but he only clenched the gun harder, pressing it into his head.

"I won't let him kill them.. Not like this." He hissed, his body panicking while it threatened itself death.

"Elijah!" Almonds form appeared before his eyes. Elijah shook his head, trying to ignore the vision. "Listen to me, please don't do this."

"I won't let him.. I won't…"

"I understand that this is overwhelming, but your race, it needs to be clenched."

"I don't want to do this!" He screamed, his throat aching.

"You've killed so many people already, I need you, our mother needs you-"

"I just can't! Even if I wanted to! They are good people they all have lives and families!" His voice got more panicked, tears wetting up his dimples. The sweat from his hands loosened his grip no matter how hard he squeezed.

"Their lives destroy the Earth, you grew up hoping you could fix it, this is your time!" Almond stepped closer as his hand loosened further.

"Just because I played with plants when I was younger-"

"I listened to the trees tell me stories on how you would constantly help out nature!"

"I was just a kid!"

"You slaughtered people in war, wars that pushed us towards our goals!"

"I didn't do it on purpose! It was red versus blue, a team versus a team, I cannot kill my own!"

"You killed Penny this morning, Thomas last night. The plants love you, nature loves you!" Almond yelped. He crouched onto his knees, catching Elijah's eyes. A overwhelming sense of warmth took over him. "Please.. I grew up right next to you listening to your story. I know this is right."

Elijah's hand trembled on the gun. He sniffled, pressing his lips together. Eventually he just hid behind his crossed arms, sobbing. But the gun made a metal clink on the ground.

"Thank you." Almond sighed. The plants moved, vines inching to wrap Elijah into a hug. He accepted it, his mind drifting off to a sleepy haze.

More of his own would die the next day.