Barry groaned, finally waking up real slow and relaxed, as if the day was kind enough to come softly into focus.

Taking in a deep breath, he turned to his side only to puke. Suddenly, his heart beats fast and there is a buzzing in his brain, as if someone pressed the ‘on’ button and electricity started circulating inside his entire body. He falls back and lays straight on his back trying to make sense of the situation.

His eyes take in every ray of light, enough to illuminate whatever he looks at; the woods in front of him, the yellow and orange sky above him and the feeling of damp grass beneath him. without a doubt, he already knows he’s been out way too long but he can’t remember what happened. His mind felt drowsy, similar to how his body felt. Any sudden movements and a river of vomit would flow from his mouth.

He could hear the birds chirping, whooshing of the chilly air, and thudding.

Thudding? His mind questions.

He struggles to turn his body to the noise of thuds.

“Hello, welcome to the world.” Freya said sarcastically as soon as he turns and places his eyes on her, “Thank you for blessing us with your presence. How long before you feel like passing out here, in middle of the Island where every creature can attack us?” She smiles,

Barry looked at her with wide eyes, trying to register everything she just said before uttering a low, “What?”

Freya sighed, knowing well he can’t understand. That’s why everyone – literally everyone stays away from that awful leaf.

“What happened to me?” Barry groaned and fell back, “I feel... dead.” He said, looking at the sky.

“Yes, because you decided to eat a Mistletoe.” She replied.

Barry closed his eyes, “How long have I been out?”

“The sun’s going down, that long,” she replies and starts to pack things, “We need to hurry back home.”

“You need to help me get up, please.” Barry said in a hushed voice.

Freya turns around to look at him. If anyone knew how much Barry needed help, it was Freya herself. Images of her lifeless body in the middle of forest with a half-eaten mistletoe flashes in her mind. Sucking in a breath she nods her head,

“You won’t be able to walk home...” She said, earning a concerned look from Barry.

She looks at him; in the span of two days of being together, she hadn’t seen him so...helpless and dependent. Not that he needs her 24/7 for survival but the look on his face made Freya want to help him...even though she didn’t.

Sighing in defeat, Freya sits on her knee and takes out a branch of leaves “I saved this for myself but I guess you can have it for now...”

“What’s that?” Barry looks at her horrifyingly, making her shake her head,

“It isn’t a mistletoe. How stupid do you think I am?” She rolls her eyes and helps him take three bites of the leaves, “It’s from the golden oak tree. It cures but it’ll take a few hours.”

Barry eats the leaves and lays down again. Freya goes back to her place, a few feet away from Barry, takes out a bottle of water and hands it to him, “It’s the last sip. You can have it.” She says, licking her lips and already feeling her throat dried out.

“Thanks.” He replies and chugs down the water. God knows how thirsty he was.

“So, what happened to me?” He said, laying straight on his back and looking at the sky.

Freya looked at him. He looked funny looking at the sky and talking to her but since he can’t move and she was in no mood to drag his body, she stepped forward and sat near him. She feels the damp grass beneath her and sighs, knowing well it’s going to leave a stain.

“You ate a mistletoe. Mistletoes in Island are dangerous and poisonous for us and the animals.” Freya says as wind blows through her hair.

It was silent – so silent, Freya hadn’t heard the Island this silent in a long time.

“Us, as in, you and me?” Barry asks, his gaze still fixated on the sky, and Freya’s on him.

“No, us as in, you, me and the dwarfs.”

“Dwarfs?” Barry tore gaze and looked at Freya, who’s forced to look elsewhere.

“Yes, there are a few who live a little far from here. They are very wise. Few of them – the old ones - are called the ancient ones. They know cure to every problem, the history of the Island so much more. They are truly wise but even they can’t stop the effect of a Mistletoe. They can cure it but can’t stop it.” She replies, laying down beside him.

Stars filled the sky like pale corn into freshly turned ground. It was like a sense of warmth springing from the cold. Stars shone as sugar spilt over black marble. The night sky was such a welcoming sight, appearing like magic every night.

“I haven’t seen them.” Barry states.

“Yes. They only come out during a comet. Do you know what a comet is?” She asks innocently, making Barry stifle his laugh,

Being an A grade student meant he did know a little about comets, “Yeah, I know a thing or two.” He didn’t want to interrupt her, not now. “Have you met them?”

“Yeah.”

She didn’t want to talk about it.

He didn’t ask more.

“So,” He initiated, “Why a mistletoe?”

Freya turns her head towards him and startles when she realizes how close they are to each other. But covering up quickly, she turns towards the sky again, but she could feel his eyes on her.

“What do you mean?” She says gulping down.

Barry didn’t want to make her nervous but yet, whenever he looked her at, she seemed to be exactly that; nervous. He looked away.

“I mean, mistletoes are...sweet, you know? Like, back in California, we use Mistletoes and cherries and stuff as a decoration material during Christmas. We kiss under the Mistletoe.”

Freya smiles, “That’s exactly why,” She continues, “I don’t know much but Saint Doodle once told-”

“What now?” Barry laughs, “What doodie?”

She rolls her eyes, “Saint Doodle, the ancient Dwarf and you can’t laugh. It's disrespecting.”

He shuts up, “Sorry.”

“Anyway, he once told me, back when Queen Frigg lived here, she had a baby. That baby was the most beautiful baby in the entire Island. Every day, a new group of villagers would come only to snatch a glance of the beautiful boy. Queen Frigg named her son, Baldur the Beautiful but she was afraid of someone might do him harm, that someone might hurt her Baldur,”

She was so engrossed in telling the story, Freya didn’t notice Barry’s eyes on her.

“Frigg threw a huge feast and invited all the Gods and Goddess’ and she asked all of them to bless her child with a gift of safety. Finally, when it came to Frigg, she blessed her child by casting a magic spell to make sure that no plant grown on earth could be used as a weapon against her son but she overlooked one plant; a plant so small, that it’s easily overlooked-”

“A mistletoe.”

Barry completes her sentence, she nodded.

“Days passed by, and the baby grew more beautiful each and every day until, Loki, the mischievous God made a spear out of mistletoe and killed Baldur,” She sighed, “The queen became devastated. She cried and cried and cried. Her sorrow was eating her alive but she decided to do something no one would’ve ever thought of doing,” She turned to Barry, who was already looking at her, “She promised that she’ll kiss anyone who passed under a mistletoe. She turned her son’s murdered weapon into-”

“A weapon of love.” He completed her sentence and she looked at him.

Barry couldn’t tear his gaze from her this time but she looked away and sat up.

“Yep. That’s why you kiss under a mistletoe.”

“What all the men, Jem, John, and Joe. Cry, ‘What good-luck has sent ye?’ And kiss beneath the mistletoe, the girl not turned of twenty.”

“What?” Freya looked back at him.

“It’s a song from 1791, I think. It’s related to kissing under the mistletoe.” He smiled, “Help me get up?” He looked at her and she nodded.

And, as if, just on the, the comet arrived. The front making its bold way across the sky, the tail becoming a fine decoration. The heavens are never more enchanting than with this transient beauty; we love the stars yet this is something to savor. On the inky black sky, it looked like a blaze of brilliant blue, moving through the sky as the tip of a cosmic artist’s brush; bold enough to light up the eyes of both the onlookers, respectful enough to leave the starry night in perfect form once it has passed.

“A comet...” Words rolled on Freya’s tongue, “Come on, we have to hurry!” she said and helped Barry get up, who, surprisingly, got up on his feet. Still drowsy but well enough not to fall face flat.

“Why?” He asked,

“Because, we need more Oak tree leaves. We need to get the poison out of your body before it kills you.