by A Lorenzen
Blake stopped the car and Caleb jumped out to get Holly.
The colours had returned in my sight. How long would it last though? When would I need my next batch of blood? If the past was any indication, I would need to feed again by tomorrow…
‘You can do this Meerah.’ Blake pulled me out of my negative spiral.
‘Easy for you to say,’ I retorted.
‘I’ve trained you for two years. I know what you are capable of. You just… you just have to trust yourself and be disciplined. Don’t let your guard down.’
‘Did you know there were werewolves? All these other things? Beings? Worlds?’
‘I did. I was told about them a few years after I came to this world. Things didn’t add up, so I asked questions…’ Blake trailed off, his eyes looking emptily into the air.
‘Why didn’t Caleb tell me?’
Blake still stared into the air. ‘You haven’t been here long. There are a lot of things here that even I don’t know.’
Caleb reappeared with Holly following after him. Light started appearing on the horizon.
We drove for a short while and when the car stopped again Caleb told me this was where I had to go. We were in front of a four-story high building with a brick underway in the shape of an arch.
‘If the spell goes wrong, you will see an opening appear under the arch. That will be the gate to enter the Territories. It will be mostly forest, hills, lakes, vast grass lands. There are many small towns, but it’s all very rural. It’s where the werewolves live. You have to stay away from them. To a werewolf, molochs and vampires have a distinct scent and I’m guessing you will have a scent as well.’ Caleb explained everything quickly, rushing the words. ‘Find an abandoned house somewhere and make that your home. When you hear werewolves, climb up into the trees and hide. It will be harder for them to track you.’
‘When will you come and get me?’ I asked eagerly.
‘I don’t know my child. You will be on your own the first few months at least. But I won’t forget you. I will come back for you my sweet Ameerah.’ Caleb caressed my face.
‘What do I do?’ It felt like I was going to another planet. Everything would be completely foreign. How would I hunt with those werewolves around? I realized at that moment I had not taken a gun or any ammunition with me. The one time I really needed it…
‘Drink blood, stay out of trouble and avoid the werewolves. You can do it Meerah.’ Caleb smiled at me encouragingly. He hugged me tightly and I could feel the boost of positive emotions. It felt so good, but sadness inevitably followed.
Caleb let go and smiled at me one last time before getting back into the car. Holly hugged me tightly and wished me the best of luck, tears in her eyes.
Blake had gotten out and was eyeing me anxiously. At first, we looked at each other, not sure what to do. Finally, he approached me and we hugged. I breathed in his scent. Emotions overwhelmed me and a few tears left my eyes.
‘Remember your training, ok?’ Blake said, gently swaying me from side to side, holding me close.
‘I will.’
We detached from each other, my hands falling into his. The moment went on. I kept looking into his eyes. After all this time, all the fighting and yelling, hating each other and living together, we’d reached an abrupt end. Would I ever see him again? I doubted it. This was goodbye forever. Suddenly I felt lost. He had been by my side for such a long time. I had grown used to having him. He had always protected me, in his own way.
Eventually, he inhaled deeply and turned away. When he reached the car, he turned back to look at me one last time. With a smile on his lips, he got into the car and they drove off, leaving me standing by myself, in front of the portal to the werewolves. I felt very alone. The world bore down on me.
Maybe this wouldn’t happen? Oh of course it would! I always had bad luck!
I looked through the archway and only saw the inner court of the red-bricked building. Was there really going to be an opening into another world? How did Caleb know? How would I recognize the portal? This was crazy!
A few hours passed and nothing happened. I sat on the curb, waiting for… well, something. During that time, I didn’t encounter a single soul. There was a weird atmosphere in the air, as if there was an imminent storm coming and the locals had deserted the city. Had everyone left? Did they all know what was coming?
My phone rang. It was Kim.
‘I just saw Blake and he told me. I’m so sorry Ameerah!’ Wherever she was there was lots of noise. I could hear people shouting in the background.
‘I wish I had listened to you!’
There was a subtle trembling in the ground. As if a herd of elephants was approaching.
‘It’s happening! Ameerah I’m so sorry, but I know you will be ok. I will find you. We will get you out!’ Kim screamed into the receiver over the noise.
The trembling became more and more violent. Things started falling onto the street, windows started breaking.
Then my phone cut off entirely. I tried calling Kim, but the ground moved and cracked. My phone slipped from my hands and slid out of my reach. The sky thundered without any clouds in sight, buildings started wobbling, car sirens started to howl, buildings and roads cracked open as the world was ripped apart.
I crouched on the ground, leaning against the brick wall, hoping it would protect me. The red bricks were neatly stacked and the magnificent building held.
Without any warning, all trembling ceased and a deafening quietness followed. The dust slowly settled. It had only lasted for a few minutes.
Hesitantly, I got up and looked around. I approached the archway and peered through it. And there it was.
An opening like an invisible door had been cut through the air. I could see the green grass and trees crowning over it, accompanied by the sounds of the forest.
My knees shook. This was it. I had to jump into this other world not knowing what was waiting for me on the other side. My hands gripped tighter around the straps of my almost empty backpack. What had I been thinking? I should have taken my bedcover, a lighter, guns, ammunition, blood bags, a book on how to survive in nature! Something! I had literally nothing!
I couldn’t stay here. Caleb had told me to go and I trusted him. I looked around one last time and still saw no signs of life on this side of the portal. Everyone that had known had gone back to the human world. I was the only loser going into yet another world full of monsters.
With trembling limbs, I approached the opening, taking in the ocean of green. The smell of the forest invited me closer. One last deep breath in Idolon, and I stepped through the door into werewolf territory. My steps were cushioned by the grass. Carefully, I walked further into the forest, scanning the surrounding area. There were birds singing, insects chirping, rustling of leaves on the trees, creaking of branches swaying in the gentle breeze. I had forgotten all those sounds. There had been no birds or any kind of sounds of nature in Idolon. Was this the other side? Only nature? No human buildings, streets or windows?
The sun glistened between the thick canopy of leaves above me. The air smelled of wetness and tree bark. My body relaxed at the welcoming sensations the forest gave me. Maybe this wasn’t so bad. All I had to do was… survive. I started walking deeper into the forest, away from the portal, in search of shelter and… food.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I’d like to thank Conor Welter, for his extensive editing and proof-reading efforts. You were able to cut through the sometimes wordy and incomprehensible twists of my phrases, and rewrite what I was trying to say in readable English. Thank you for polishing my rough story into the amazing version it is today.
I’d like to thank Hampton Lamoureux who took my rudimentary sketch and made it into a gorgeous book cover. You understood what I was trying to convey and put my words into a much better picture than I could have ever imagined. Thank you for creating this awesome cover.
And finally, thank you to Simon, who always encouraged me to keep wri
ting. No words will ever be enough to describe all you’ve done for me. I couldn’t have done it without you.