The Pariah Child & the Ever-Giving Stone

by Natasha D Lane

  “Sarah!”

  She didn’t want to hear his voice.

  “Jake!”

  The sound of her calling him by his short name pricked fresh tears in Sarah’s eyes. The wind picked up and spiraled around the small school.

  “I didn’t –”

  The rain beat down like a drummer on his drum. Jacob’s voice died in the storm and Sarah continued to run through the trees, hoping she would be able to escape him. She closed her eyes because she didn’t want to see, but the images of them together made salty tears roll down her cheeks. How often had she dreamed she would be in Elaine’s place and he would be kissing her?

  She would stand on her toes. With one hand he would hold hers and the other he would place in her hair, not caring that it was colored like a tomato or tangled like a wild bush. His brown hair that had gotten a little longer these last few months would fall over his eyes like a silk curtain. He would bend down and Sarah would feel his lips against hers. It would be a perfectly nice first kiss. But now Elaine had taken that away from her. Jacob’s first kiss would always be with Elaine and not Sarah. The thought made her chest hurt.

  All around her the world was nothing but a salty blur of gray. The earth was shaking and the wind was blowing so hard Sarah knew her dress would be in near pieces when she arrived home, though at the moment she didn’t care about her mother’s anger. She only wanted to escape from Jacob, Elaine, the students who mocked her, the school, everything. Even her home which had, for the last few days, been empty of conversation since the holidays had been canceled. But where could she go?

  “Lyrica,” the voice appeared in her mind after having been absent for months. For the first time Sarah welcomed it.

  She called out. “Nettle! Nettle! I want to go!”

  The wind died down slightly, and Sarah could see in front of her again. She ran deeper into the woods jumping over fallen branches.

  “I’m ready,” she screamed. “I want to go now.” Her legs had never carried her so fast before.

  “Take me now!”

  “Sarah!”

  How did he find her?

  She looked back. Jacob was racing right behind her.

  “No!” She screamed and the air whirled around her, gradually picking up speed. The gray clouds became black. Streaks of lightning and booming thunder splattered the sky. The rain came down so fast that it was like a sheet of water had been thrown on the small town. The sound of cracking earth roared all around Sarah. She didn’t care. She wanted to make Jacob disappear.

  He tried to push through the elements, reaching out toward her, but he was only human. The wind sent him flying back into the gray mess and relief washed over Sarah. She didn’t want to ever see him again or hear him call her name.

  She relaxed. The storm slowed down to a light patter of rain. Fallen trees surrounded her. He was gone.

  Sarah fell to the ground and rested on an uprooted tree. She placed her hand on the plant.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “You can grow back. You still have a heartbeat.” Then, she fell asleep.

  Chapter 8

  But they needed it. Sarah knew that but she couldn’t be the one to help them. It wasn’t her destiny. The stone shook and the earth along with it. Everything was going to fall down. Couldn’t they see? They were so desperate...sad and desperate...“Sarah.”

  The redhead sat straight up. She looked around in a daze. There was some light in the distance. It was shimmering, so Sarah squinted her eyes. The light was moving fast toward her, and she could hear fluttering.

  “Sarah!” Nettle tossed back her black hair and took in a hard breath. “I never thought I would find you. Solar and I have been scanning the forest. You did so much damage. What upset you?”

  Sarah shook her head, the gold dust forcing her eyes to focus. “I didn’t do this. There was a storm. All the trees...I called for you.”

  “I know.” The fairy frowned and placed a hand on her head. “I was in Lyrica. I couldn’t get back until now.”

  “Lyrica?” Sarah said the word like it was an unfamiliar taste on her tongue. “I want to go to Lyrica,” she remembered. “I want to go now.” She stood up only to nearly fall back again as her book bag weighed her down.

  Nettle pulled on a red strand of Sarah’s hair. “Perfect. You must go now before the portal closes. Solar is waiting. Come on.”

  Nettle darted into the forest, Sarah following the streaks of gold she left behind. They zigzagged through the trees and climbed over the fallen ones. Sarah had played in the forest since she was a child but even she couldn’t tell where they were going. Then, the field came into view, and she saw the familiar gray stones of the well.

  Solar appeared from the trees and stood waiting. Sarah’s run slowed down into a stroll as she took in the full view of the dragon. Blue shiny scales with a long tail and neck, a defined face and pointed reptilian ears as well, as narrowed eyes.

  “There is no time for you to be scared,” Solar warned and stood on all four legs. “We have to go. Time is wasting.”

  Sarah nodded. “How do I get to Lyrica?”

  The dragon moved with slow and deliberate steps. It motioned to the well.

  Sarah glanced between the dragon and the well. She raised a brow.

  The dragon breathed and steam came from her nostrils. “I was sent here to protect you from the wolves or any evil kin while you prepared for this journey. Nettle and I have been keeping the beasts at bay while you were running around in love land with that Jacob boy. Now we are running out of time. You must return the stone, and we must complete our mission. You carry it to school with you, am I right?”

  Sarah nodded, though she was disturbed that they had been keeping such a close watch on her. She reached into her coat pocket. Unlike her dress the coat had managed to remain in one piece. She looked at the stone. Its colors once again drew her in and calmed her. She knew she was making the right choice.

  “What are you waiting for? Jump down the well,” the dragon snapped.

  “Wait...You want me to fall down a well? Do you know how insane that sounds? There has to be some other way.” Sarah took several steps back.

  Solar frowned. “Will you allow your fear to rule you or will you rule your fear?”

  Sarah stared at the well. Something so familiar to her had become the source of her dread. She placed her hands on its stonewalls. The vibrations ran through her.

  “What would Peter do?” Nettle said pointedly into her ear. Sarah’s eyes widened.

  “How did you –”

  “I managed to pack the book for you.” She landed on Sarah’s shoulder. “It was very heavy. No more time for questions or explaining. You have to go. This is your chance.”

  Her hands held tightly onto the cold stones. She looked down at the dark water. Just fall, she thought. Just let yourself fall.

  She began to climb the side of the well; her knees were on its edge.

  “Sarah!” Jacob's voice echoed through the woods. She turned around. He broke through the trees into the opening with a flashlight in hand. “Sarah? Is that you?”

  She didn't know what to do. Keep quiet or speak?

  “Sarah? Sarah?” He continued to yell.

  She searched the field for Nettle or Solar, but they had disappeared. Jacob came closer, his flashlight breaking the darkness. He exhaled, and his shoulders relaxed when he saw her.

  “What are you still doing out here? I’ve been looking for you.”

  She didn’t respond.

  He took a deep breath. “About today, Sarah –”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said and turned away from him. The image of Elaine and Jacob together flashed in her mind. Her eyes were burning again.

  “Just leave me alone. I was curious. I wanted to see the forest after the storm.” She stepped away from him.

  Jacob shook his head. “They say curiosity killed the cat. Come on, I'll take you home.” He grabbed her hand, but she pulled it free.

>   “I don’t want you to speak to me again.”

  “That’s a promise I can’t keep,” he said and placed the flashlight on the well wall. “If you would let me explain. She took me by surprise. I was as shocked and disgusted as you.”

  “Yeah, sure. Just go, I have to stay.”

  “You are the only gal I want to kiss, Sarah.”

  She was still mad, boiling, actually, but his words made a warm feeling bubble in her chest.

  He reached for her. Sarah could hardly catch her breath. Slowly, his hand moved from her hair to her face, her pale skin in extreme contrast to his tan. Sarah watched his every move.

  “Sarah?”

  She said nothing. She only began to back away from him, wanting to keep some distance. He came closer and closer until...

  “Ah!” She tripped and toppled backwards into the well.

  “Sarah!” Jacob leaned over the wall.

  She reached her hand out toward him, and he reached out to her. The redhead called for the boy above the well, but her words were engulfed by water. She sunk farther and farther to the bottom of the well. It was getting harder to breathe. Water pushed into her lungs. It was familiar, soothing, but at the same time frightening.

  Could it be here? Sarah thought. Could I die here?

  Air filled Sarah's lungs. It was like she was breathing for the first time. Her clothes were heavy with water, and her long hair was plastered to her back. Droplets fell from her skin, dripping off her now dark purple lips. Her teeth chattered so badly she couldn’t manage a scream, though she had never been more scared in her life.

  “Help me. Someone...h-help m-me...” There was no reply from above. It was only Sarah and the dark water. She gripped at the wall in an attempt to climb out of the well, but it was too slippery and her fingers too wet. She was getting colder by the second.

  “I need to get out of here.” She scanned the well for a way to escape. “Someone’s got to help me...now.”

  Sarah placed a hand on either side of the wall. “Please, God...help me.”

  Sarah closed her eyes trying to fight back the cold that she could feel sinking deeper into her bones while the stone in her pocket grew bright and warm. The water temperature increased and Sarah regained feeling in her body. Her lips became their usual light pink and the blood raced through her veins. The stone pulsed with quick beats. Sarah's heart followed suit and her breathing became rapid. Her chest rose and fell, life slipping back into her. Her teeth had stopped chattering. Finally, she could scream and then like a violent storm she yelled, “Someone help me!”

  The walls shook around her and passed into the earth, which began to shake as well. Small crumbling stones fell on the top of her head.

  “Who’s down there? Who’s down there?” a light voice shouted.

  “I'm stuck in the well. Please, help me.” Sarah stared up into the daylight. A figure appeared, temporarily blocking the sun, but disappeared as quickly. A rope was lowered into the water, and Sarah said a silent prayer of thanks.

  “Grab on,” the figure yelled.

  The redhead latched onto the rope like a leach. The figure began to turn the lever and pull her up.

  Sarah rested her head against the rope, calm returning to her body as she made her escape from the well and its dark water. This same calmness disappeared when a cold gray hand wrapped its wrinkled fingers around her ankle.

  “Oh, my –”

  “Sarah.” Jacob’s dark head appeared from the water. He was gasping for breath. “It’s so cold. Please, Sarah...help me.” Immediately, she wrapped one arm around him and pulled him up. As she held him close, the stone grew warmer wrapping both of them in a blanket of heat.

  The rim of the well came into sight and Sarah spilled out onto the dirt ground with Jacob. He had lost consciousness in her grasp.

  She looked up at their savior.

  An old man with a hump in his back and a cane in his right hand looked down at her. He wrinkled his nose and shifted his eyebrows. His eyes were cold and glassy gray.

  Sarah breathed deeply. “Thank you for helping me.”

  He nodded, his eyes never faltering. “What were you doing in the well, young lady?” He took a few steps toward her.

  Sarah stood on shaky legs. “I...uh...I fell in –”

  “You fell in? And what about him? I’ve never seen you two around here before.” The man’s eyes widened in question as he gestured to Jacob and back to Sarah.

  She frowned. “I fell in and then he must have followed after me. A dragon was...a dragon, I can't remember her name. She told me to jump in the well. She said it was the only way for me to get to Lyrica. Is this it?” Her legs refused to support her any longer, and she had to lean against the well wall to remain standing.

  The old man straightened up as much as he could. “A dragon, you say?”

  Sarah tensed. The man continued to stare at her warily.

  “I only need you to help me find my friends, sir,” she said with a sigh. “Then, I’ll be on my way.” She began to close her eyes, exhaustion setting in on her.

  “I don't help sirens.”

  “What? I'm not a –” Before she could finish her sentence, the man had grabbed her by the arm and flung her to the ground.

  “I told you before, it is not here. Leave our village alone. I’ve caught a siren! Hurry before she uses her magic!” His voice rang loud with disgust, and he raised his cane in warning. “Don’t think you can use your trickery on me, monster.”

  “Wait. I'm not a siren, you're wrong.”

  “Your disguise won’t fool me.”

  She tried to stand, but he pressed his cane into her shoulder. Dirt stung her eyes and dried her mouth. She looked around for help. There was none. She realized she was in the center of a courtyard. Or what looked to be left of one. The yard was barren with little patches of grass here and there. There were crumbling stone stairs leading to a large house with a cracked tile roof and rotten planks of wood. The walls surrounding the yard were nearly gone and the parts that remained were covered in mountains of moss.

  “What is this place?” As the words escaped her lips, she was dragged to her feet by four strong arms. She pushed against the men, but her fighting against them was like an ant pushing against a boulder.

  Two other men approached Jacob’s limp body. They dragged him up by either arm and began to lead him away. Jacob lay helpless in their grasp. Sarah’s face became hot, and her blood boiled at the sight. She clawed, scratched and kicked at the men holding her, knowing that with every second Jacob was being taken farther away.

  “They’re going to hurt him... these are bad men, Sarafina... will you save your friend or will you let him die?”

  Sarah clenched her fists and screamed in frustration. “Jacob!”

  A strong gust of wind blew in the yard, disturbing the air as the forest trees rustled with power. It was Sarah that was speaking, but it was not her voice or at least it didn’t sound like hers. It echoed through the courtyard, and like a switch that had been turned on, Jacob opened his eyes. He looked at Sarah, making immediate eye contact. His hazel eyes became wild like a twister.

  He bared his teeth and with one move the man holding his right arm was tossed on the floor, unconscious. He pulled back his right arm and punched the other square in the face. Jacob then turned his attention to the men holding Sarah. Before Sarah could blink, Jacob was running toward them. Soon her arms were free as he snapped one of the men’s arms and punched the other one in the throat.

  Sarah watched in astonishment. Jacob let the men fall to the ground. He turned and smiled at Sarah, his face changing back to the boy she had walked to school with only a day ago. But his smile didn’t last. Suddenly, his calm face was distorted into one of shock and fear. Shuddering, he clasped both hands tightly around his throat.

  The old man stood by the falling walls. His lips were moving, but Sarah couldn’t make out what he was saying. He still leaned on the cane, but his free hand was twisting
in an odd way. She looked from him to Jacob, and without another thought, she launched herself at the old man.

  “Stop,” she yelled as she tackled him to the ground. He hit the dry earth, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. His body grew limp.

  Sarah stared down at him, watching as he became still. She slowly rose to her feet, hoping he would get up with her.

  “Sir, are you okay?” she asked. She reached out to him. “Wake up.”

  He didn’t respond. She shook his shoulders, and his body turned over. Sarah’s eyes were stinging with tears and panic rose in her chest. “Are you okay? I didn’t want to –”

  “Come on. More are coming.” Jacob gripped her arm and was dragging her to the surrounding forest. Sarah followed him, tripping over her feet, trying to match his speed, still looking back at the old man. More people had appeared, and they were in hot pursuit.

  “Jacob, where are we –”

  “Shh,” he hissed. “Wait.” He narrowed his eyes and gazed farther in the distance.

  “Behind you, Sarafina.”

  The girl whipped her head around fast enough to see a flaming arrow speeding toward her.

  “No,” she mouthed, her throat tight with anxiety seeing the arrow so close. But mere inches before it struck her, the flame died and the arrow dropped to the ground.

  “Sarafina!” a familiar voice reached her ears. She looked around for the dragon. A giant roar erupted from behind her. Solar had swung her long scaly tail out and knocked over their pursuers. Having literally brought the enemy to the ground, Solar raced up beside Sarah.

  “Sarafina, are you –”

  Jacob punched the dragon in the nose, and she yelped in pain. “Get away from us!” He turned to Sarah. “Stay behind me.”

  Solar lowered her head and growled. “Sarafina, please tell your companion to step back before I make him my twelfth meal of the day.” She showed her teeth, yet Jacob stood his ground.

  With a slow hand Sarah reached for his shoulders. “She’s telling the truth. She’s a friend,” Sarah said.