by Valy
“What do you mean?”. Nora pressed her lips together in thought. She hadn’t thought about that.
“I don’t know. When I looked at my reflection it just felt like that wasn’t me. It felt like if I was in a stranger’s body. I didn’t recognize myself”, Marie explained hoping Nora would get what she meant.
“Well you can’t recognize something you don’t remember”, Nora joked.
“True”.
Without any warning, Marie turned the piece of glass to face the island. It looked much better. There was still water and junk floating around everywhere but it didn’t look as bad as yesterday.
“My plan is to go look for Noelle today”, Marie commented.
“Great idea. Take me with you”, Nora smiled.
Marie crossed her arms and laughed, “Yeah right. You’re staying up here safe and sound. I won’t take long at all. I’ll be back with Noelle. And we will figure out what to do”.
“But I can help! I’ll keep you company”, Nora begged. Not wanting to stay alone.
“I know you would but Nora, you’re fragile. If I lose you or break you then we don’t know what will happen to you. I promise I won’t take long”, Marie smiled at Nora and waved goodbye.
“WAIT- Wait! What am I supposed to do while you’re gone?”, Nora yelled out.
“I don’t know Nora. Have you explored the room you’re in to the limit? I know you say it’s not much of a room, but have you looked through the pictures? There’s glass in your room. You can try to puncture the wall. If it’s made from something strong then nothing will happen but what if it’s just an illusion”. And with that Marie left. Placing Nora in between the bamboo where nothing would harm her.
V
Nora had taken Marie’s advice.
If she was going to stay up there alone at least, she could keep herself occupied.
Kids do not try this at home.
She took off her shirt, which she didn't know why but it made her feel so exposed. It’s not like anyone was looking at her. She wrapped the tank top she had around the sharpest piece of glass she saw so she wouldn’t harm herself. With all of her strength, she stabbed the wall, but nothing happened. Not even a scratch. She did it again and again, but the wall was indestructible. The paint didn’t even chip.
She looked around the room to see what else she could do. The floorboards were firm, and none were loose. The walls were impossible. The pictures.
She took all the pictures off the wall and took off their frames. She analyzed the pictures better and looked inside the frames to see if there could be anything hidden. Nothing. Nada.
She knew there was nothing interesting about this room.
Just a room with four hideously decorated walls. I mean, seriously who picks green as a color to paint your walls? She just wanted to have a talk with whoever picked the color. Scratched out pictures? One word; creepy. And an uncomfortable mini sofa. Was it a mini sofa or a chair? She wasn’t sure. It was too big to be a chair but too small to be a sofa.
Out of curiosity, she decided to dig through the sofa. People always say that there’s always money and keys stuck in between couches. Nora took off the cushion and saw that there was a little squished box sitting there.
Oh, so that’s why it was so lumpy?
The box was squashed from Nora sitting on it all day. Even though the box was ruined, Nora could tell it was a pretty box. It was covered in gray glitter and had a little note on the top that read FOR YOU.
Her fingers began shaking in anticipation and she couldn’t help but tremble. She had no idea what this box could hold. She quickly took off the lid off the box and shut her eyes tightly, afraid to look.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and took her attention to what was inside the box. There was a folded up piece of paper and right next to it was a long key. The top part of the key, the bow, was in the shape of a heart. It was pretty.
She unraveled the piece of paper and it looked like if it would have been created a hundred years ago. It looked antique but Nora knew what it was immediately. It was a map of the island.
That was it! That was it!
That was what they needed. It showed Nora everything she needed to know. Nora knew how to get out.
Marie had to get back here before it was too late.
VI
Marie came back hours later.
To Nora, it seemed like an eternity, but she wasn’t the best at keeping track of time. So, I wouldn’t listen to her.
Marie had found Noelle. But she wasn’t in great condition.
Apparently, when the water took Noelle away, her head submerged underwater and Noelle couldn’t see where it was taking her. All she felt was the feeling of objects brushing up against her skin and cutting her. Until something big thumped her on the head. It must have made her pass out because that’s the last thing she remembers.
The next time she woke up she was still in the water. She was floating but her leg was trapped in between rocks. She has no idea how she got into that position, but it was the most painful experience she’d ever endured.
“Where is she?”, Nora gasped.
“I left her in a safe spot on the path up here. I had to come and get you, but I couldn’t carry her all the way up here. I was too tired from carrying her all the way to the mountain”, Marie explained. She took her hands and swiped the sweat from her face. She was beyond exhausted.
“Carry her? Why would you have to carry her?”, Nora gulped, not wanting to know the answer.
“She can’t walk Nora. Her foot was trapped in between two rocks. It looks terrible- I don’t know if it’s broken or what it has- but it looks bad. Her body is sore, and she’s got nasty cuts all over her body. And I haven’t even mentioned the concussion she probably has”, Marie ran her hands through her hair frustrated.
“We have to go”, Marie said before Nora even had a chance to comment.
“We can’t. There’s something I need to show you. Something I need to show you and Noelle”, Nora held out the key so Marie could see.
Marie impatiently walked down the path with the piece of glass carefully in her hands. Nora refused to tell her anything until she took her to Noelle. Which Marie initially did not agree to but ended up doing it anyway. So, they were making their way down. When they got close enough to Noelle, Nora heard her weak little voice.
“Marie! You’re back! And Nora is with you”, Noelle squeaked out in a hoarse voice. So weak she could barely talk. That sentence right there almost made Nora cry. Noelle being in the condition that she was, was still as peppy as ever.
“Give her to me”, Noelle said. Marie gave Noelle the mirror and she attempted to smile which just broke Nora’s heart even more. Noelle looked sick. Terribly sick.
She could tell that Marie was sugarcoating it. Noelle looked like if she was on her deathbed.
“I’m so glad you’re okay”, Noelle wheezed out. She was glad that Nora was okay? While she was the one in danger at the moment?
This girl was the most heartbreaking thing.
“Nora has something to tell us”, Marie interrupted. She always had to interrupt the beautiful moments. Nora rolled her eyes but knew Marie didn’t notice it.
“I do”, Nora started.
“Well, while Marie went to find you, I followed her advice. I stayed behind looking for any flaw that the room I’m in could have but I found none. I feel stupid about this now, for not finding it before. But I found something in my chair. Or sofa- whatever it is. I lifted the cushion and there was a box. In there I found a key-”.
“Wait a second Nora”, Marie interrupted yet again. She took the glass so Nora could see what she was doing. Marie reached inside her backpack and took out another key. Hers was just as long but had no heart shape.
“You have one too? But yours doesn’t have a heart”, Nora pointed out.
“I don’t know why it doesn’t have a heart. I guess it’s just custom made for you”, Marie said.
“Nora Heart”, No
elle whispered from the corner.
“Nora Heart! I like it”, Marie exclaimed.
“So, Marie, when you said the third person was the key out of here you meant that quite literally, huh?”, Noelle chuckled which actually hurt to do.
“When I woke up and found the stopwatches mine had the key next to it. You had yours in your room. But we never found Noelle’s”, Marie looked at Noelle, worried.
“What are the keys for anyways?”, Noelle asked.
“They’re the only way to get out”, Nora tried to say quietly. Not wanting to face the situation.
“You can’t be sure”, Marie argued.
“I am. Inside the box, there was also a map. It says, ‘Follow the path and you will know the truth’. Then it shows a map for where we need to go”, Nora explained.
“What does the map show?”, Marie and Noelle both asked at the same time.
“Jinx”, they both yelled out playfully. Nora ignored that since she had no idea what it was or meant.
“It shows a secret pathway. All the water from the waterfalls forms a little river. You guys have seen it, right?”, Nora asked, and both of the girls nodded their heads.
“There is some kind of entry, but it doesn’t show me what. But once we go through it there is a straight path. It’s a very short path”, Nora looked through the map to see if she was missing anything else.
“And then what?”, Marie asked.
“And then there’s an exit”, Nora showed them.
“That easy? There’s just an exit? This isn’t just some grocery store we can exit”, Marie sassed which made Noelle giggle.
“That’s what it shows me here Marie. We go in, we walk a little and we get out. But each of us must have keys to get out”.
“I have only a couple of hours left. Six to be exact”, Noelle whispered.
Both of Marie’s and Nora’s eyes widened and their mouths fell agape.
“WHAT?”, they both yelled out. This time no one said jinx.
“I don’t know how it happened. I don’t know if it’s because I nearly died and that drained the time. Or I don’t know if it’s because it’s not time at all that it’s counting. It could be like a battery. And my battery was severely damaged”, Noelle explained.
“But you had the most time of us all! You were the one that was going to outlive everyone and now you only have a few hours”, Marie belted. Not caring how loud she was being.
“We have to go now. Time is tricky in here, so we have no idea how long she has. The key wasn’t out here. If it was, we would have found it. It could be wherever this map is leading us”, Nora exhaled quickly. Trying to keep her cool. Nora had to be mature and have a leveled head.
Both girls listened to Nora. They trusted her and believed her judgment when she said they would find the key. It’s incredible how they’ve only known each other for a short time but they trusted and cared about each other deeply. The situation had brought them together. Nora hoped she would be able to remember all of this when it was over.
The walk up the mountain was tough for Marie. She packed Nora in her backpack safe and sound. But Marie had to walk up the steep path with Noelle in her arms. And even though Noelle looked as light as a feather, she certainly wasn’t. She had to walk carefully to make sure she didn’t hurt Noelle any further.
They had to take many breaks which were just slowing them down. When they finally reached the waterfalls again, Marie carefully put Noelle down so she could go look for the entrance of the pathway. She took Nora out of her backpack so she could help.
“Uh, Nora. I see what you mean”, Marie reported. Marie had taken off her shoes and walked into the tiny river. She took the piece of glass and pointed it at the water. Nora was able to see this huge hole. A literal hole.
Almost looked like a black hole but instead of space, it was down here. And it didn’t even look like water was going through it. Incredible.
“So, we just go through here?”, Marie looked at Nora with panicked eyes. Not wanting to do it.
“It’s going to be okay. Let’s not think about it. Just pick up Noelle and put me inside the backpack. Then just slide through”, Nora assured her.
Marie put Nora in the backpack like she was instructed to and picked up Noelle from where she had placed her. When Marie sat down in the water with Noelle, poor Noelle screamed out in pain. Of course, the water must be touching her hurt leg.
For once in her life, Marie tried to let go of any hesitation and just let herself slide into the whole. Thankfully it looked like everybody on board would fit. So, Marie went for it, she let herself fall.
Nora couldn’t see anything. It was dark inside that backpack. All she was able to hear was screaming and crying.
What had she done? Had she led them to their doom?
After a bit, the crying stopped, and she just heard silence.
She heard the bag unzip and she heard Marie’s voice, but she couldn’t see anything.
“Nora? You good?”, Marie asked.
“Me? Yes, of course. What’s going on out there?”, Nora said with panic in her voice evident. It was the first time she let herself panic in front of them.
“Nora, it’s okay. It’s more than okay. It was scary at first. It was like a slide, but we were so scared. Noelle even cried. But it’s over”, Marie laughed. Why was Marie out of all people so cheery?
“What do you see?”, Nora asked skeptically.
“It’s beautiful down here Nora”, Marie said dreamily.
“It’s magic! It’s magic!”, Noelle yelled out.
“Magic?”, Nora asked confused.
“Yes! Magic. I’m healed”, Noelle kept shouting excitedly.
“What is she talking about?”, Nora asked. She was beyond puzzled. She couldn’t see anything. Marie and Noelle were making no sense.
“We don’t know how but as soon as Noelle got down here all of her injuries disappeared. Almost as if it was magic”, Marie explained.
Noelle took the mirror from Marie and turned it around so Nora could see.
“You see Nora. It’s magical”, she whispered as she showed Nora around.
The map was right; it was a narrow trail. Everything was pitch black and the only thing illuminating the area was flowers. There were flowers everywhere and they were almost as tall as Marie herself. The flowers were guiding as light throughout the path. They looked like they had some kind of chemical because they were all glowing in the dark. All with different colors. It truly did look like this was a fairy’s garden.
The two girls walked down the path, making sure Noelle got to see everything too. They came to a stop when they saw that the path divided itself into three different sections. They weren’t sure which one they were supposed to go through.
“What does your map show you, Nora?”, Marie asked.
“It shows me that we’re supposed to each go through one of the paths. Noelle through the first, Marie through the second, and I must go through the third. It’s labeled”, Nora said and showed the girls.
“But you can’t walk through the path. You’re in a piece of glass”, Marie shook her head.
Nora thought for a second. She knew what to do.
“You must break the glass”, Nora asserted them.
“No way! We’re not doing this again! Remember what happened last time?”, Marie yelled out and Noelle agreed.
“Just trust me. You guys said it yourself; this place is magic. Just place the piece of glass through the path I’m supposed to go through and break it. Then don’t look back and go through each of your paths”, Noelle insisted.
“But what if we never see you again?”, Noelle whined, tears threatening to pour out.
“Don’t worry. You will”, Nora tried to be positive. But honestly, she wasn’t sure what the outcome of this would be.
The girls ended up agreeing. Noelle stood at the beginning of the first path while Marie placed the piece of glass at the beginning of the third. Marie closed her eyes and stomped he
r foot on the glass until she knew it was enough. She opened her eyes to see the piece of glass laying there in tiny pieces.
Nora.
Her eyes watered and her throat threatened to knot but she had no time to waste. She went to the middle path and began to walk onward.
Each of them was on their own.
PART FOUR
the truth
“Then you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free.”
John 8:32
MARIE
Marie continued to walk through the path. She was mesmerized by the neon glowing flowers. But the path itself seemed never-ending. She began to see glowing rose petals in the middle of the path. They were leading her somewhere.
She began to pick up all of the little petals she saw. They felt incredibly soft in her hands. She picked them up one by one until they stopped. Instead of finding another petal, there was a letter on the ground. It was glowing. It was illuminated so Marie had no problem reading it in the darkness.
Marie.
You so deeply wish for your memories.
But they are both a gift and a curse.
You’ve been in the body that you have always wanted And you’ve had the skills that you’ve always desired Will you be able to handle the truth?
You’ve been given a key so you will get to see the light of day again. Not everyone has been so lucky.
You’ve been placed here by your subconscious.
And all of this is a part of your imagination.
To hide from the real trauma that’s going on.
You’re lost.
Find your way back.
NOELLE
Noelle hopped through the trail. Happy to be surrounded by such beautiful things. She began to see flower petals on the floor and squealed out of anticipation. She quickly ran through the petals until she got to a letter. It was lighting up so she could see the written words perfectly.