“Hold on for a few more moments and you can be free.” He said pushing my head back down into his chest.
“Okay.” I obeyed.
There was a funny feeling inside my head. I heard his words echo a thousand times. Did he care for me? He didn’t even know me. Was the trust from Sebastian taking effect on him, too? The display Sebastian and I had put on earlier wouldn’t really have suggested we cared for one another; maybe that was it. Carlyle just felt bad and wanted to let me know that at least one of them was going to keep me safe. Sebastian wasn’t even the one that grabbed me. What did Carlyle owe to protect me like this? Whatever his intentions, I liked it. And I’d be sure to make it up to him before I left.
His grip slowly loosened on me and I felt sad. I was such a lonely creature. The wind on my sweaty face gave me chills. Seeing Sebastian standing there in comparison to Carlyle, I realized the real reason he didn’t grab me. Carlyle was capable of engulfing me thrice over. With Sebastian, I may’ve been exposed. Not to mention, we probably would have spent the entire time bickering.
With his other arm off, but slightly holding onto my back, I held onto him for a few more seconds to stay warm. I hadn’t realized my eyes had closed until I opened them. Sebastian’s claws were right in my face. So much for savoring that moment. I sighed and then took his hand. I didn’t want to hold onto him anymore. I didn’t understand the point of it, anyway.
“Do you know your way around? No. You held on to me everywhere I went. And besides, if you don’t pay attention, with everything looking the same to you, you can get very lost in here. We can’t afford to lose you.” Sebastian whispered.
I stopped wanting things. It would be difficult, and I didn’t expect it to be easy, but I tried to keep my heart clear and just daze off in front of me. We walked very deep into the boring and empty Mainbucks. There was nothing to distract me from Carlyle’s odd smiles. The pain from my stretched out arm sort of helped. But then I’d catch myself thinking about why I’d rather be next to Carlyle and not to Sebastian, and I’d have to focus on something else. Their city had to be close. Imagining what it’d look like was a temporary relief.
I, of course, imagined everything civilized the way a bustling city in America would be. The tall skyscrapers among blue skies, cars honking and waiting in line, people running around shopping or going to work; it was something programmed in me.
“You know, I’ve always wanted to ask, but why do you humans cover yourselves in animal fur and skin?”
Carlyle picked at the clothing on my shoulder. My entire body let out a sigh of relief that he had started talking to me again. I felt like I had forgotten what words were.
“This isn’t animal fur, it’s from a plant. And it’s inappropriate to walk around naked where I come from.”
“I’m not naked. My own fur covers me.” He said. “You do not have your own fur?”
“No. We used to, back during the Ice Age. But now we’ve evolved to no longer needing fur.”
“If you no longer need fur, then why are you wearing clothes?”
He pointed his finger at me in that way that showed he had the higher ground. I was certain he only thought he did, because he was the one asking me all the questions.
“I told you, it’s inappropriate to walk around naked. And it’s unsanitary.”
My body shook at the thought of sitting naked on the subway.
“It seems odd that your bodies would stop growing something that kept you clean.” He mumbled, oozing in superiority.
“Well we have some fur. It’s certainly nothing compared to the extent of yours. I suppose some people have it worse than others. But our entire bodies are covered in hairs. It’s longer in other areas for that purpose of protection. Like our eye lashes.” I said blinking my eyes at him.
He smiled.
“Where does your own fur fall in comparison to others? Is this normal?”
He ran his hands through my hair. It tickled the back of my neck.
“Yes. Mine is normal. Some people shave it off completely, some people change the color of it, and some people are so covered from head to toe that it doesn’t even look like they’ve evolved at all.”
My brain flashed images of Robin Williams and that real life Wolf-Man who lived in Mexico.
“Like me?” He asked.
“Yes.” I smiled.
“They must be very warm if they wear plants along with having the same amount of fur that I have.” He whispered.
“Yes, I imagine they would be.” I smiled again.
The conversation had done the trick and I finally wasn’t paying attention to anything. Only now, I really wasn’t paying attention to anything. My heel got caught in a corner of cobblestone and I tripped. Carlyle instantly launched and caught me with one arm. Sebastian was still holding on to my hand and fell along with me. He hit the ground with a loud thud.
“Clumsy?” Carlyle questioned not only my stability on my feet, but I felt as if he might have intentionally questioned my emotions as well. He smiled at me, completely ignoring Sebastian.
“Thanks.” I said. I was so flustered.
He set me back upright and offered his hand for Sebastian. Sebastian just shooed it away. He instead used my arm to yank himself back up.
“Eesh! You could have warned me.” I whispered when he nearly ripped my arm out of the socket.
“Likewise.” He mumbled.
Was he jealous? What was with him getting jealous of any man showing some form of interest in me, but then treating me like, well, this, himself? I didn’t understand it. He needed to just drop whatever was bothering him if he cared that much. I mean, wouldn’t he be sad to have me leave? Wouldn’t he want to be nice and have fun these last minutes together? Carlyle was capable of talking to me and carrying a normal conversation. I didn’t understand the big issue.
Being upset by all this just made me feel even worse. It meant that I had to have feelings for Sebastian, too. I didn’t want them. I didn’t even want them for Carlyle. I wasn’t sure what I wanted, to be honest. It was a bit much to take in. But I knew that out of all three of them, Joe was the best. I’d have to make it up to him when I got back. I needed to focus my attention on him. Joe was what was real.
It was hard to focus with all the tension that started up again. No one was talking or even acting like they knew the others existed. It didn’t help that I only blamed myself. It wasn’t Carlyle’s fault I tripped, but I did and I just so happened to land in his arms. Sebastian should understand that. Just like he should understand why it upset me that he lied.
Ugh, I wish the city would appear already. It was my only sign that the world I knew was still around. I could be calm again and walking through my apartment in an hour. Was I even going to the city? I hadn’t thought about that. I knew they were taking me to the Minakai. If he was their leader he’d be looking over it. How strange I never realized that before. I turned to say something to Carlyle and was shocked to see it was Sebastian. We were all walking in a row now.
For the second time since I met Sebastian, I realized we were sort of living the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He was no longer the cowardly lion, and now I was Dorothy. I just wanted to see the Wizard to get home. It was opposite, with me leaving the monochrome world to get back to my fully colored one, but it was good enough. All I had to do was pretend the bricks we were walking on were yellow and I’d buy it.
I looked up and almost lost my footing again. Finally, I saw buildings. They looked like they were made out of aluminum or tin foil. There was rust creeping up the support beams, water stains down the sides and nasty vines growing everywhere. My focus didn’t last long on the houses however. Soon my eyes were swarmed with tons of Sebastian’s and Carlyle’s everywhere.
They didn’t vary that much in size or features, but I could tell the differences in age and sex. The younger ones weren’t covered in wrinkles or lines on their skin, it was all smooth and they were furrier. The women had longer hair and teats much like d
ogs or pigs down their stomachs. Every single one of them had those crazy violet-maroon changing eyes. It was entrancing.
They didn’t seem to find me so interesting. They paid no attention as we walked by. It was a normal day to them and they carried on with their normal daily chores.
Deeper into the small establishment, there were creatures that I didn’t recognize. They were much smaller than Sebastian or Carlyle. One walked up and Carlyle patted its head, much like I would do to Spike. Were they pets? They were very fat, round creatures with rough, scaly looking skin. Their tails came to point with a ball on the end. They actually looked like an ankylosaurus, but they were smaller and had no spikes. Their feet were bowlegged and stuck out oddly with long black curling claws. Their heads had some fur around the cheeks just below their floppy ears. The snouts were smushed in with a few crooked teeth exposed. It was oddly adorable.
We left them behind and kept walking on. My eyes traveled up alleyways and I saw creatures that were like miniature rats but with dragon tails and wings. They were even blowing fire at the food they had just stolen. There were a few centaurs that looked like they were monitoring the streets. They had huge spears in their human hands. They stood much taller than Carlyle, let alone the other species that occupied the land. Maybe that’s why they were on the lookout. Behind stands of funny looking fruit, I realized there were Satyrs. Nearly everything in this world was a hybrid, it seemed. None of them were just human, or dog, or horse, or lion, or goat. It was certainly very odd. I was sure that all of them were normal to the others, though, and that I was the abnormal creature with the abnormal scent. They smelled of dewberries and spring rain.
Carrying on, the aluminum buildings were getting thin and more spread out. We were leaving the city. I hadn’t noticed the pollution until we were out. How peculiar that a city of creatures for God could create smog. Back in the open trees, the air was clear. I could take a deep breath and not feel like I still needed to gasp for more air. I'd have thought my lungs would have been used to dirt from living in America.
Up ahead, I could see familiar trees again. We passed a sign near the last of the buildings. The language on it matched Sebastian's birthmark. I wanted to ask them what it said. I imagined it was the name of their town. When I stepped up between them, a glare caught my attention and I forgot words. I shielded my eyes and saw the most captivating castle I had ever seen. It was remarkable. The best part about it was that it was in color.
Sebastian was right. Their color scheme was the same in a sense, but so different. The green was a green I had never seen before. It was thick and seemed as though I could touch it. The sky shimmered its blue back onto the ground like it was showering us in millions of tiny crystals falling down from the heavens. The ponds were so still and clear that even they reflected the monochrome world back in an array of all the spectacular colors. I wanted to get closer to it.
Then I remembered there was a castle staring at me. It was like a fortress built by angels. Its edges swirled and blended into the sky behind it. The castle was that white color of the clouds and it had blue trimmings like the sky. The doors and window shades were gold like the setting sun. It was so bright it hurt my eyes, and yet, I couldn’t look away.
“Can you see that?” Sebastian asked when I finally shielded my eyes.
“Yes.” I responded.
“Good. There is hope.” He smiled.
“The sky will be void of the sun soon. We must reach the gate more quickly than her feet have been taking her.” Carlyle commented. Sebastian nodded.
“Excuse me, Mirabelle.” Carlyle said before I had the chance to interrupt.
His soft, giant arms scooped me up and cradled me against his chest. I was getting fond of being this close to him. That thought was short lived, because my insides glued themselves to the ground as his shot to the sky. I could barely breathe. My arms wanted to reach out and get his attention, but the force kept me frozen. Staring forward, I wish it were my eyesight that was lost instead of movement. The zipping scenery made want to vomit more than the take-off had. Forcing my eyes shut helped, a little. I tried to focus solely on the thudding of his wings as they beat the wind behind us. Right as I felt my coffee cake from earlier hit the back of my throat, we skidded to a stop. I really needed to eat something.
Despite the much gentler landing, I wasn’t sure that was going to help ease the nausea that consumed me. Carlyle lowered me onto my feet, more cautious of my ability to stand than to keep food down. Shaky legs and eyes that still couldn’t focus on anything kept my hand gripped tightly on his arm. He placed his other hand behind my back to help me steady. That’s when I lost it. I turned around and collapsed to my knees. Everything poured out of my stomach. Neither of them moved to help me, however, Carlyle’s hand was suddenly waiting in front of my face for whenever I was done. Spitting and spitting some more, I let him help me stand up.
Oh God, I need some water. I could taste it in my mouth. I was going to throw up again.
“Mirabelle!” Sebastian hissed when my body hunched back over.
I gave him the biggest look of utmost bewilderment that I could muster. As if I could control the need to vomit or not! Who did he think he was?
The dry heaves started up regardless of his words. It seemed to take the foul taste out of my mouth. Oh, now I was thinking about it again. You’re fine Mira. You’re going to get water in two seconds. You’ll be home in three. Compose yourself!
I shot back around and jumped when I saw the giant gates we were standing in front of. They weren’t closed, but Sebastian and Carlyle weren’t walking through. I went to lean forward to ask Sebastian what was going on, but Carlyle stuck his hand out to stop me. He put his finger in front of his mouth. At that moment, a voice spoke. It was a foreign language. It sounded like it was coming from everywhere and yet nowhere. Sebastian spoke back to it, and then Carlyle. Their voices sounded different in that tongue. I was curious, but held my ground.
In a few seconds, a weird creature was standing on the other side of the open gate. He wore armor of a bright yellow color, gold almost, but he still looked thinner and weaker than Carlyle or Sebastian. He had the face of an orangutan with the build and stance of an ancient human. The more I stared, I realized he was more so a caveman, a very ancient one. He had the red fur depicted in all the drawings of the evolution of man completely covering his body. It was sticking out in random spots through the armor. It didn’t help that the armor looked more like a joke than a purpose on him. That was a terrible thought. What if he can hear it, too? How humiliating. Stop thinking!
Suddenly, everything got quiet. I looked around and jumped when I saw that he was staring at me. Had he asked me something? Had he heard my awful thoughts about him? Oh, no. Please tell me he had asked me something, even though I didn’t hear anything in English. I looked at Carlyle and Sebastian in desperation for help, but they were staring forward. He repositioned his weapon over his shoulder and walked to stand in front of me.
“Human, what is your purpose here?” He spoke in English. His lips curled and moved in a funny manner this time.
“To get back home.” I whispered.
“Then why is that not what is in your heart?”
He stared through me rather than watch my eyes. I was inferior to him and that didn’t upset me at all.
“I do not understand.” I whispered still.
“Your true want is to be here, with these Aegyssusians. If that is what you truly so wish, then there is no need to allow you on these sacred grounds. But if you feel that my vision is in the wrong, you may pass and the Minakai can help you get back to your world.”
Now, if ever before, I truly felt like Dorothy. It was no time to drift off on a fantasy image, though. I quickly went back to considering what the guard had said to me. I had no idea why my heart would want to stay here. I guess, I knew that my heart would be sad to leave, but that didn’t mean I wanted to stay. So I nodded my head. I feared any of my words would come out n
ot making sense.
“Human!” He called out to me, startling me. “You have given your word that your true wish is home. If you betray us, the consequences will be severe. The Minakai does not just help anyone that hopelessly wanders into our world. Do not take his kindness any farther than doing a service to his people.”
“I understand.” I said.
“Hmph. Very well.” He nodded.
He stepped aside and a weird snap echoed around us. Carlyle took my free hand and walked me through the gate. The guard did not move from his post behind us. I went to look back at him, but Carlyle warned against it. What did they have against looking back? Didn’t they realize it made it even worse that it was forbidden? It was human nature to do things we were told not to.
“Night has started to fall behind us.” He said.
You have to be
more specific
than that.
((even the darkest of souls can see the light))
“Please, try not to talk so much this time.” Sebastian asked me.
I gave him a look that said he was a complete idiot. I barely even talked before. Clearly I was well aware my words would get me nowhere in this world. Unless he meant my thoughts. In which case, he was right. Those did get out of control a little.
All I wanted to do was take in the front yard for what it was worth right now, but Sebastian was rushing me. There was so much to look at; I could never see it all in passing. The pond was what grabbed my attention the most. The glasslike water was so breathtaking; I had to get close to it. Not to mention the animals that were everywhere around it. There were duck things that dove and splashed in it, bee things that danced and swirled at its edges, and tons more animals that glittered in the shadows. Everything was so fascinating.
“You’re pushing your luck.” Sebastian whispered in my ear when I bent down to examine a flower.
“I-” I began, but realized that was talking, so I stopped myself.
I didn’t want to keep being irritating or give him any more reasons to hate me, so I just nodded in compliance and stood up. He snorted in his smug-like way and we walked up the massive marble steps to the front doors. Everything just kept making the last thing seem small. It made me fearful for how big this Minakai would actually be.
Monsters & Fairytales Page 19