by K T Durham
Lily smiled bashfully. “My parents aren’t thrilled about Adam. They admit he seems like a nice boy, but they think I’m too young to have a boyfriend. But tons of fourteen-year-olds date these days … and it’s not like Adam and I get up to any mischief. We just hang out at school and do homework together. Boring stuff. But I think my parents are so overprotective that they prefer that I not date any boys until I’m well into my twenties!” At this, she and Maddy laughed.
Elly smiled. Dating sounded like it had something to do with a boy and a girl getting romantically involved. Back in Alendria, if two elves bonded and fell in love, others would be able to sense a special connection between the two, who would spend time together for any number of years until they decided to marry. For every elf, there was a destined soul mate, and falling in love happened only once in an elf’s long life. Elly often wondered who her destined soul mate was.
Lily continued, “I’ve been keeping my grades up, and I stick to a curfew, so my parents don’t have reason to complain. And they do like Adam …”
Maddy sighed. “You’re so lucky! I wish a boy as cute as Adam would ask me out!”
Elly raised her eyebrows. Maddy was a very attractive girl. As if reading her mind, Lily said, “I’m positive there are guys interested in you, Maddy! You just don’t take much notice, you’re usually so busy playing this sport or that sport.”
Maddy snorted and made a face. “Well, they should have the guts to ask me out like Adam did with you.” Then she turned to Elly with a grin. “Sooo, what about you, Elly? I bet boys line up to talk to you!”
Elly went red in the face. “Oh, that’s far from the truth,” she said shyly. Kaelan flashed across her mind, making her blush more.
Lily giggled. “Look, you’re embarrassing Elly!”
Maddy laughed. “OK, OK, I’ll let you off the hook this time!” Elly shrugged and gave a sheepish smile. Lily propped her chin up and looked at her curiously. “How are your studies going, Elly?”
Elly was caught off guard for a moment. “Oh, umm …”
“I read that Finland has one of the highest rates of literacy in the world! Their educational system must be excellent.” Lily bit into her pineapple bun. “Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?”
Elly blinked. “Do in the future?”
“Yeah, like, what do you want to become in the future? I want to become a writer, and Maddy is thinking of becoming a vet.”
“I want to become an explorer,” Elly blurted.
Lily and Maddy stared at her in surprise. “Explorer! You mean, like Indiana Jones? Christopher Columbus? That sort of explorer?” Lily asked, her eyes wide.
Maddy was grinning. “Whoa! Way to go, Elly! I had no idea. You could become famous!”
Lily nodded vigorously. “Yeah! One day we might see you in the National Geographic!”
The National Geographic? Elly looked back at them, bewildered. She wasn’t quite sure how to conduct this conversation about her career aspirations without using any outlandish terms.
“Umm, yeah. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of becoming. Back home, there’s this really famous female explorer. She’s sort of like a role model.” Then an idea occurred to her, and she brightened. “In fact, that’s why I get to travel so much. It sort of goes with the curriculum back at my school. They encourage aspiring explorers like me to see more of the world, learn about other cultures.” She grinned. “Things work differently back home.”
Lily and Maddy gaped at her. “You are so lucky!” Lily exclaimed, envious.
“That’s why you get to travel so much!” Maddy shook her head in disbelief.
Desperate to change the topic, Elly smiled and shrugged. “Enough about me. How’s your family, Maddy? How’s Teddy and your parents?”
Maddy stretched out her long legs as she hugged a fat purple cushion. “Teddy’s doing pretty well. You should see how tall he’s grown! He asks for you from time to time. And Hobbes is still alive and well but much fatter,” she said with a grin. Elly smiled at the memory of Hobbes the hamster, the first friend she made in Gaya.
Maddy continued, “Anyway, Teddy’s been transferred to another school, as his old school wasn’t great at dealing with autistic kids. Mum and Dad are OK. Still divorced.” She made a face, then narrowed her eyes. “But how have you been, Elly? How long are you staying in London this time?” She looked at Elly closely. Why were her parents never around? Where was that guardian of hers?
Elly smiled and fidgeted with the hem of her dress, which made her think of Mama. “I’m not staying long, I’m afraid. I’m actually on my way to, umm, Asia. But I really wanted to see you and Lily before leaving.”
Lily and Maddy gasped and sat up in unison. “You’re going to Asia?” Lily cried excitedly, impressed. “Wow, which part?” Her parents were from Hong Kong, but she had only been there once, when she was very young. She was born in London and had not seen much of the world outside of the United Kingdom.
Elly mentally scrambled for a response. It would sound less suspicious if she gave the impression that she was visiting several places in Asia. Otherwise, they might wonder why she was headed only to South Korea, and she didn’t really want to have to think up more lies. Better keep it simple. “We’re going to a few places in East Asia, such as Korea—”
“Ohhh, Korea!” Maddy and Lily looked at each other and giggled. “Are you going to Seoul?” Lily asked, her eyes shining.
Elly was surprised by their reaction. She sat up excitedly. “Are you familiar with Korea?”
Lily grinned as she reached to her left and retrieved something thin and square shaped from a pile of things on the carpet. “I think the question should be: who doesn’t know about Korea these days?” She giggled at Elly’s questioning look. “Judging by your reaction, I’m guessing you Finlanders don’t really know much about this singer? Listen to track number ten. It’s become the most phenomenally popular song! It’s really catchy. I’ve downloaded the song to my computer, so keep this CD for as long as you want.”
Elly beamed and clutched the CD to her chest. Things that had to do with Korea could help with the teleportation. How fortuitous! “Thank you, Lily! You’ve really made my day,” she said happily, thinking that things had gotten off to a rather favourable start.
Maddy laughed and did a funny gesture with her hands. Lily giggled when she noticed Elly’s confused expression. “Oh, this move is part of the horse dance from the music video. It’s gone viral; the song is being played everywhere, and I’m not exaggerating. Who would’ve known that a Korean pop song would get played all over the world? Even my grandma likes it!” Elly laughed at the thought of Lily’s diminutive, white-haired grandmother listening to a pop song.
Elly studied the CD. On the cover was a round-faced man with slick black hair sporting black sunglasses, wearing a fitted, light grey suit with a red bow tie. He was striking a peculiar pose; his legs were spread out with his feet pointed outwards, and both his hands were crossed in front of him. Elly recognized this as the gesture Maddy demonstrated just moments before. The horse dance? But she didn’t think he looked like a horse at all.
Carefully, she slipped the CD inside her coat pocket and promised Lily she would return it on her next visit. Maddy looked at her watch and frowned. “Hey, I better get back downstairs,” she said reluctantly. “I want to stay, but I think Mabel’s been nice enough. I’ve been up here for an hour! I really ought to help her out. They get real busy at lunchtime.”
Lily smiled. “All right, Miss Conscientious,” she teased. “Elly can say goodbye on her way out.” She shot Elly a hopeful look. “You sure you can’t stay for lunch or something? We were just about to order some curry rice from our favourite Indian place. My parents are cooking up a feast tonight.”
Elly shook her head. “I wish, but I can’t. I have to leave tonight,” she said wistfully. Lily nodde
d, disappointed.
Maddy sighed and gave Elly a hug. “Oh, I do wish Teddy could see you! It’s too bad he’s off at the museum with Dad today. Again.” She rolled her eyes.
Elly smiled and hugged her back. “Tell Teddy I think of him, too. I’ll see you all again on my way back home, OK?”
Maddy grinned. “I’ll take your word for it! I’ll be off now. Come say goodbye before you leave, OK?”
After Maddy left the room, a comfortable silence descended upon the two girls. Lily looked at Elly massaging her temples. “Elly, are you all right?”
Elly blinked and looked at her friend. “Yes, why?”
“You just seem distracted. Is everything OK?” Lily felt sorry for Elly; why was she always alone? Where were her parents, or that Mr Greymore who was supposed to be her guardian?
Elly looked at her, and it seemed in that split second a thousand words poured into the look she gave Lily, who stared back, worried.
Then Elly shook her head and smiled, the moment gone. “I’m OK. Just missing home. But once I go on another adventure, I won’t have much time to think about them, would I?”
Lily smiled back and wished that her life was as exciting as Elly’s. “When will you be back again?” she asked, opening the curtains to let in more sunlight.
“Hopefully soon. I’ll bring back souvenirs for you and Maddy if I can, OK?”
Lily beamed. “Oh, that would be super! I would love to go to Seoul one day! I just love Korean pop music, and Korean food is pretty yummy, too.” Then she grinned. “If you happen to chance upon that singer, get his autograph for me, OK?” She laughed, thinking how awesome it would be if Elly did happen to chance upon that mega-star.
Autograph. Elly frowned. Wasn’t that somebody’s signature? Why would Lily want that man’s autograph?
Back down at the bakery, Elly said her goodbyes with a lump in her throat. She desperately wished she could stay. Lily and Maddy waved as she walked back up Cornwall Street, heavy-hearted. “Merry Christmas, Elly! See you again soon!” they called. Elly waved back with a huge smile on her face. The moment she turned her back, her smile vanished. She put her hand on her coat pocket to make sure that the CD was safely stowed there, Marlow being in the other pocket.
Ellanor, it is time to teleport to South Korea. You may find that you now have a slightly better sense for where you need to go.
Elly sighed. Oh, Greymore. I wish I didn’t have to go.
I know, Ellanor. I am sorry.
Back at the Cobble household, preparations for the Christmas Eve feast were in full swing, even though it was barely one o’clock in the afternoon. Elly found Miriam in the kitchen seasoning a huge turkey on the counter. Miriam beamed as she walked over. “There you are, my dear! Sue will be arriving by five o’clock, just in time for the feast,” she said, looking pleased as she brushed the turkey with her signature sauce. Elly wrinkled her nose at the headless turkey as she poured herself a glass of water.
Horace shuffled into the kitchen, having just finished making a pair of shoes in his workshop. Business was closed for Christmas Eve. He plopped onto a chair at the dining table, then peered at Elly over his glasses. “You’re joining us for dinner tonight, I hope?”
“I have to go now,” Elly said in a low voice.
Miriam’s face fell, and Horace grumbled.
“You can’t stay longer?” Miriam said, putting down the brush with a frown.
Elly shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I really shouldn’t delay any longer. Contrary to the impression I’m trying to give, I’m not exactly on holiday, you see.” She smiled ruefully.
Miriam and Horace exchanged looks. Elly seemed preoccupied, and they didn’t want to press her. She must be nervous about going on this expedition. “All right, dear. It’s too bad that you’ll be missing out on my famous turkey!” Miriam joked, knowing full well that Elly wouldn’t eat animal meat anyway.
Elly smiled, grateful they weren’t prying. “I’m so glad I got to see Lily and Maddy today,” she said. “I think Lily has actually helped me get a slightly better sense for South Korea, which might help me teleport there without being awfully off the mark.”
“So how does it work? How do you teleport?” Horace asked curiously, glancing towards the door. Through the glass pane he could see his grandson playing with his toy trucks. Charlie was on the patio talking on the phone with Sue.
Elly smiled. “Teleportation isn’t an exact science, so it’s hard to explain. Anyway, I need to go somewhere quiet and private. I really need to concentrate since I haven’t teleported in Gaya before.” She reached into her left pocket and fingered the CD nervously.
Horace nodded. “We’ll give you some privacy,” he said, getting up. Miriam wiped her hands down her apron, and together they walked Elly up to the dark, dusty attic on the top floor. It was quite empty, except for some wooden crates pushed into a corner. “Nobody ever comes up here, not even little Alex. He’s afraid of the dark,” Miriam said, opening the curtains a smidgen to let in some sunlight. Dust particles danced about in the air. “We’ll let Charlie and Alex know you had to go on your way, dear. Sue will be driving over from the airport soon. Don’t worry about us. Just do what you need to do, OK?”
Elly nodded and bit her lip as tears stung her eyes. She was getting tired of saying so many goodbyes in such a short time.
“Oh, do take care of yourself! I’m sure you’ll find those relics,” Miriam said as she and Horace both hugged her. In the dim light, they hadn’t noticed Elly’s reddened eyes.
“You better come see us old fogies again, you munchkin,” Horace grumbled.
“I’ll see you again soon,” Elly promised, but wondered when that would be.
Miriam and Horace kissed her on both cheeks, and then they closed the door quietly behind them, leaving Elly standing alone in the attic. Drawing a deep breath, she closed her eyes and clutched the CD with both hands as she thought about where she needed to go.
South Korea. Seoul. It was nearly nine thousand kilometres from London.
She had never teleported that far before, and never in Gaya. Korea was uncharted waters for her, and she prayed to Freya she wouldn’t end up somewhere ridiculously far off, like in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Greymore, I’m ready.
Good, Ellanor. Let’s get moving.
She drew in a shuddering breath. “Erhon, mova,” she articulated in Yahana. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands to her chest, and suddenly she felt herself growing hot all over, and she reminded herself not to open her eyes, otherwise the enchantment would break. Just as Mrs Silverwinkle had taught her, she conjured thoughts and senses of the place she had to teleport to – anything from the food, the people, and the music, to the language spoken. She clutched the CD and pictured the slick-haired man with the sunglasses doing the funny horse dance …
Then she started dropping, and she resisted the urge to scream. Teleporting had felt different back in Alendria, less intense somehow. “Erhon, mova!” she cried. She felt herself being squeezed through something small, and for a moment she had trouble breathing. It seemed to take more effort teleporting in Gaya than back home in Alendria …
Then the squeezing sensation eased up. The wind whipped against her face, her hair in her eyes. She gasped for breath, as though having just broken the surface of icy waters.
She stared around, wide-eyed. She was standing atop a tall building! A skyscraper? The sky was dark, thunder rumbled, and rain was pelting down. It was freezing cold.
Greymore! Where am I?
Consult Nebulane, Ellanor.
She did, and her heart clenched. She had teleported to the city of Shanghai, in China! She groaned in dismay as she clutched the CD. It might’ve helped if she had listened to the song before teleporting. Oh, why hadn’t she thought of doing that? She had been far too hasty.
She surve
yed the landscape before her and saw that she was surrounded by a sprawling city whose numerous lights twinkled up at her. “I’ll be back,” she whispered. One day she would explore China, the most populated nation in Gaya. But first, South Korea.
She stared down at the CD and clutched it hard. This was her only connection to South Korea. Her knowledge of Gaya’s geography reminded her that Shanghai was not too far from the city of Seoul in South Korea. If one had to fly there by the human-invented contraption that was the plane, it would only take a couple of hours.
She was close.
Let’s try again, Ellanor. This is not bad for a first attempt. You are close.
She took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. “Erhon, mova,” she said loudly, as though raising her voice might help increase the accuracy of her teleportation. The same hotness enveloped her body, and this time she felt the squeezing sensation even more acutely. She gasped for breath. “Erhon, mova!” she cried, hands clasped to her chest. She was dropping again through time and space. She felt herself going light-headed, and strength leaked from her like a tire losing air. Intra-realm teleporting required much energy, and doing it twice consecutively was draining her reserves. Perhaps she should have waited …
Then the suffocating heat and squeezing came to a stop.
She stared up at blackness dotted with white and felt something feathery land on her face. It took her a moment to realize that they were floating white flakes. She was lying on a blanket of snow, and her hands were clutching the CD against her chest. A strong wind was whistling in the quiet darkness. Weakly, she retrieved Nebulane from her coat pocket.
The red and blue dots had merged, and a silver dot was winking up at her. She sighed with immense relief when words materialized above.
Dongdaemun, Seoul, South Korea. 22:03, 24/12.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Girl of His Dreams
Seoul, South Korea
The tiled floor of the tiny kitchen felt icy beneath his thin socks. Jong-Min shivered in his red sweater that was two sizes too small. His thin right arm protruded from the dirty sleeve as he reached for the candy tin holding his favourite yeot on the top shelf of the cabinet. Father was still at work, and she was out as usual, probably playing cards with her friends like she always did on Friday nights, even on Christmas Eve.