by Amy C. Blake
Twin tears spilled from his lashes. Since no one was around to see, he let them trace a path down his cheeks. He felt so confused, so guilty, and the residual horror from the night before wouldn’t leave him alone. But his mom would make it go away. She always did.
A ragged sigh seeped from between his lips. He hadn’t been very nice to his mom the past few months. After last summer, it was hard to take his mom’s rules when he no longer felt like a child in need of them.
And his dad . . . He’d wanted so many times to tell him about Terracaelum, that Papa Levi’s stories were true. But he’d never been able to muster the courage. Instead, he’d kept silent, the confusion eating away at him until he snapped at his mom, said he didn’t have to obey her, didn’t have to do his chores and schoolwork, didn’t have to speak with respect. That he didn’t need a mommy anymore . . .
He shivered. He was wrong. He needed his mommy. Because being back in Terracaelum hadn’t taken away any of the bad feelings. And yesterday he’d added new nightmares to his mix of torments.
“Can’t sleep?”
At the deep voice just behind him, he whirled around, catching his feet in the blanket. He stumbled, wrenching his achy body.
“I’m sorry.” Dr. Baldwin hurried to steady him. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
With the blanket, he swiped the dampness from his cheeks. “No problem.”
The dwarf’s eyes glinted in the pale light as he studied Levi’s face. After a moment, he crossed to the nightstand and flipped on the battery-powered lantern. “There. That’ll brighten things up some.” He settled into his chair. “I should’ve left the nightlight on.”
Levi’s face burned. “It’s no big deal.”
“Still, I should’ve thought. I’d imagine you’re pretty sick of the dark after the night you just lived through.”
Levi shrugged and turned away, feeling the weight of the doctor’s scrutiny. He braced himself for questions he didn’t want to answer.
“How about a game of chess?”
A reprieve. “Yeah, sounds good.”
Dr. Baldwin kept him in the infirmary the entire next day, wanting him to have extra recovery time from his hypothermia and exhaustion. Levi didn’t mind. Trevor stopped in with clean clothes, and Sara brought him a couple library books. Even Morgan came by and chattered for a solid half-hour before the doctor sent her on her way.
As evening fell, Levi felt the doctor’s eyes on him. He glanced up as the man averted his gaze. Levi returned to his book. A few moments later, he felt Dr. Baldwin’s gaze fixed on him again and snapped the volume shut. “What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?”
“You keep staring at me.”
The doctor’s rough cheeks reddened. “Sorry.” He cleared his throat and shifted. “I just wondered how tonight would affect you after last night . . .”
This time it was Levi’s cheeks that flamed. “Oh, um . . . I’m okay.”
“Are you sure? Because I’d like to send you back to your room.” The dwarf shook his head. “Not that I’m trying to get rid of you, but you might sleep better in a familiar environment, with your roommates nearby.”
He thought of Trevor and Steve’s nightly snore fest. At least with all that racket he wouldn’t dream he was underground. Unless, of course, he thought a snorting minotaur was chasing him through the tunnels . . . He finally shrugged. “Yeah, okay, it’d be good to sleep in my own bed.”
“Off you go then. Just mind you keep plenty warm.”
Levi headed for his room. Only the occasional torch relieved the gloom in the corridors and staircases. Passing the windows with black shadows moving outside made him shiver and scurry along. By the time he reached his door, he was panting and wishing he’d spent the night in the infirmary. But being back in his own welcoming room was worth the scary trek across the castle.
Sighing, he opened the door to a loud, long belch.
“Levi!” Tommy jumped up from his bed, grinning, soda can in hand.
Steve swallowed a huge mouthful of soda. “You look terrible.” The last word came out a three-syllable burp.
“Nice, Steve.” Trevor smacked Steve lightly on the back of the head. “You’re not supposed to tell him that.” He turned to Levi and flashed a cheesy smile. “You look great, dude. Really.”
“Thanks, I think.” Levi shut the door, crossed to his bed on wobbly legs, and eased onto his bed.
“Want one?” Trevor held out a Coke can, releasing a belch that lasted a solid minute.
Tommy cackled. “Good one.”
Something that sounded half-snort and half-hiccup erupted from Steve.
Levi rolled his eyes. “No thanks. So, what’ve you guys been up to?” He waved a hand toward the sodas. “I mean besides this.”
“Uh-uh. No way.” Trevor flattened an empty can on his side table. “You’re gonna tell us exactly what happened to you.”
Tommy plopped down on the end of Trevor’s bed, facing Levi. “Yeah, we’ve been dying here, trying to figure out where you disappeared to.”
“You scared us half to death.” A sprinkling of brown freckles stood out on Steve’s pale cheeks. His voice dropped to a dramatic whisper. “We thought you were dead.”
“Or that Deceptor’d got hold of you.” Trevor flopped down beside him. “With all the worry you’ve caused, you’d better tell us everything. You owe it to us.” He pursed his lips in a look that reminded Levi of his great-aunt Miranda.
“I’ll tell you all about it, but give me a minute to catch my breath. I’m kinda worn out.”
They waited, tapping their toes, heaving sighs, and shifting around, all while staring fixedly at him.
His lips bent into a wry grin. “Guess that’s all the rest I get.” He told them everything—all but the part about the water monster. He couldn’t bring himself to do more than give the creature a passing thought, much less talk about it. Still, the parts he did tell got plenty of oohs and aahs from the boys. By the end, Steve’s face had lost all color, but Trevor was bouncing up and down on his bed.
“You rode a waterfall?” Trevor looked completely awestruck. “That is so cool! I wish I could do that.”
Tommy shook his head. “No, you don’t. That must’ve been, what, a hundred-foot drop?” He cocked a brow at Levi, who responded with a small nod. “You should’ve died on impact. How’d you survive?”
Trevor stopped bouncing, his mouth open wide.
“Dr. Baldwin says hypothermia saved me.”
“Huh?” Trevor scratched his head. “How?”
“I was completely numb, so I didn’t tense up before I hit the water.” His throat tightened as the horror of what might’ve happened crept in once again.
“Wow.”
“Yeah, wow,” Steve said softly.
Sobered, the boys brushed their teeth and put on their pajamas in silence. Levi was the last one to climb into bed. He hesitated before turning off the battery-powered lantern on his nightstand, dreading the darkness that was sure to bring nightmares. But Trevor popped up from his pillow and sent Levi a look that said Get on with it, already. So Levi flicked the switch.
Darkness pressed in on him. He closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep. Instantly, a pair of vivid green eyes filled his mind. He opened his eyes, but the image didn’t go away. God, please . . . Why did the lake monster scare him so much? Regin and Deceptor and his trip down the waterfall were plenty freaky. But that monster . . .
Then the reason hit him: such creatures might belong in Terracaelum, but they did not belong in Lake Superior. That was his world, his territory.
How was he supposed to handle a monster invading his home?
12
Overcoming Fear
Sunday after chapel, Levi stayed seated in the quiet room long after the others left. Mr. Dominic had preached about the reality of hell and the need for each individual to repent of his sins and run to Christ as his only hope of salvation. Jesus had saved Levi when he was eight, but he hadn’t been acting m
uch like a Christian the last few months. Disrespecting his parents, disobeying Mr. Dominic, acting like he knew better than those in authority over him . . . all those things sure made him look more like a rebel than anything else.
He squeezed his eyes shut tight, blocking out the soothing muted light filtered through the stained-glass windows. In his mind, he fell hard into the cellar again. Darkness. Bleak emptiness. Cold loneliness.
If the cellar he’d been forbidden to enter was even a small taste of an eternal hell, he wanted nothing to do with it. “God, forgive me. Please. I’ve been so self-centered. Help me obey.”
That afternoon, Levi waited his turn in the musty, overcrowded telephone room. He’d made up his mind on the hike down that he needed to tell his parents everything about Camp Classic—regardless of the consequences. He was sick of being trapped in his guilt.
When Martin slapped down the receiver of the black rotary phone after only seconds, Levi jumped. The hulking boy narrowed his tiny eyes and snarled, making his round, reddish-orange face look more like a badly carved pumpkin than ever. Growling something indiscernible, Martin shoved Levi into the wall, stomped past, and stormed out the door.
Levi muttered, “Cranky, cranky,” rubbed his banged hip, and picked up the receiver. He dialed his home number, drumming his fingers as the rotary slowly spun after each digit. He understood that electronic devices weren’t allowed at camp, which wasn’t a big deal since there were no cell towers out here anyway, but why couldn’t the director at least get new phones? Ones with buttons.
Finally, an obnoxious ring sounded in his ear. His stomach clenched as he waited for someone to answer.
“Hello?”
Dad. Good. He wasn’t as likely to freak out as Mom. “Hi, Dad. How’s it going?”
“Levi! It’s going great now that I’m talking to you.”
The unbridled joy in his dad’s voice made his eyes sting. “So what’s going on there?”
“Oh, I’m batching it this weekend.” Dad’s voice was quieter, more subdued. “Your mom and brothers are at Grandpa’s helping out this weekend, and Abby’s spending the night at Molly’s so Mrs. Maguire can take the girls to choral practice in the morning.”
So his family was still way too busy—just like every other Sunday he’d called. They hadn’t even driven him to camp this year. His dad had planned to, but one of the old lady Sunday School teachers died so he had to do her funeral. Instead he dropped Levi at Trevor’s house, two hours from home, and the boys had ridden up with Trevor’s dad. It should’ve been fun, driving all that way with his best friend, but Trevor’s dad had been so snarly . . . Not to mention Levi felt somehow abandoned by his family. He knew it was a ridiculous way to feel, but he couldn’t help himself.
He shook himself out of his pity party. That wasn’t why he’d called. “Is Grandpa feeling bad again?”
“He is.” Dad sighed. “He’s still having those fainting spells. I wish the doctors could figure out what’s wrong. It’s getting to your grandma and your mom.”
Sounded like it was getting to his dad, too. “What about Cerberus?” Levi missed the overgrown mutt he’d gotten for Christmas. He’d named the puppy Cerberus after the three-headed dog from Greek mythology because his puppy seemed to have three tongues, all for licking Levi’s face.
Dad chuckled. “Had to send him with your mom and the boys. Zeke’s taking care of him.”
Would Cerberus think he was Zeke’s dog by the time Levi got home? He swallowed the clump from his throat. “So you’re home by yourself tonight?”
“Not for long. I have a deacon’s meeting in—” A pause followed by a groan. “—less than five minutes. I’m sorry, son. We have to talk fast.”
“Oh, okay.” That didn’t leave much time to spill his guts.
“So tell me everything. What’s happening at camp?” Again the upbeat tone, which sounded forced to Levi’s ears.
“Um, well . . .” I almost died. “Let’s see . . .” I’m sorry I’ve been such a creep to you and Mom. “What’s new here . . . ?” Five minutes. His shoulders slumped; he couldn’t do it, couldn’t add to his parents’ problems. “Mr. Austin’s making me be the lead in the summer play,” he finally blurted out.
“Yeah? You’ve never been too fond of getting up in front of people.” Dad sounded distracted, like he was putting on his shoes or looking for his car keys. “What’s the play?”
“A Bride Named Thor. I’m Thor.” Levi’s face burned. “Because of my hair.”
“So does that mean you have to wear . . . ?” Dad sounded totally focused now. And totally amused.
He rolled his eyes. “A wedding dress, yeah. Wonderful, huh?”
Dad’s deep, full-bellied laugh rumbled across the line. “Are you serious?”
Levi’s entire body burned now. “Yeah, I’m serious.” He knew he sounded as mopey as Eeyore, but he couldn’t help it. His own dad was laughing at him, for crying out loud.
“I’m sorry, Levi.” The laughter faded. “I know this must be torture for you.”
“You got that right.”
“But, son,” Dad said gently, “it would be so much easier if you could see the humor in it yourself.”
Levi released a heavy sigh. This conversation wasn’t going the way he’d planned.
“Listen, I have to run.” Now Dad sounded sad. “I wish I could talk longer.” He hesitated. “I miss you. You know that, don’t you?”
He hated the uncertainty in his dad’s voice. They’d always been so close, before Levi let Terracaelum come between them. “Yeah, I know. It’s . . . hard, you know?”
“I know,” Dad said softly, then his tone turned brisk. “About this play business, I’m afraid it’s just one of those times when you have to suck it up and do what needs doing. That’s part of becoming a man.”
Easy for you to say. You don’t have to stand on stage in a dress. “Yes, sir.”
Dad’s voice gentled again. “I love you, son.”
His head drooped as sorrow replaced his irritation. “I love you, too.”
He set the receiver in its cradle with a dull thud, the sound of his heart falling into his shoes. Without a word to any of the chattering campers waiting in line for the phones, he headed for the door.
Once outside, he turned away from the grassy central area where Trevor and Tommy wrestled while they waited for Levi and the girls to finish their phone calls, and slipped into the wooded area behind the building. Hoping to gain control of his emotions before the others were ready to go, he sat on a stump and drew in several deep breaths. He’d really hoped to confess everything to his dad, to get that weight off his chest, but now—
Loud, nasty-sounding giggles came from the trail that led to the castle. He peeked through the trees. Morgan stood at the base of the trail, her face as forlorn as Cerberus’s when Levi left for camp. Three girls headed up the path without her, sending sneering looks back at her. Levi frowned. Weren’t those Morgan’s roommates?
A dandelion spore tickled Levi’s nose, and he sneezed.
“Bless you.” Miss Althea stood beside him, her back ramrod straight and her gaze vigilant as she scanned the river for any sign of danger to her charges.
It was more than a week after Levi’s underground adventure, and he and his friends were canoeing. They’d decided to do the same events in the Camp Classic Olympics as they’d done the previous year, but without Ashley, they were an odd number. For the moment, he was the odd man out. He was fine with that. The idea of getting into a flimsy canoe on the river . . .
Shaking away his anxiety, Levi watched his friends try to regain the paddling rhythms they’d achieved the summer before.
When Steve dumped the canoe he and Lizzie shared, she came up sputtering. “You messed me up,” she shrieked as she climbed out onto the grass. “Now I have to redo my hair and makeup.”
Steve clambered out beside her. “What about me?” He shook his head like a St. Bernard puppy, spraying more water into her furious face
.
She glared at him through mascara-ringed eyes. “You’re hopeless.” She shoved him backward into the river.
Levi snorted out a laugh that quickly died under Miss Althea’s cocked left brow. Lips puckered, she returned her scrutiny to the water. He watched her from the corner of his eye. Albert’s second cousin, twice removed, wasn’t the same as she’d been last summer. Sadness lurked beneath the surface, stealing her smile and her fire. It wasn’t like she’d ever been overly talkative before, but now she stayed silent almost all the time. And obsessively vigilant over her charges.
This year, she was acting as hall chaperone for Sara, Lizzie, and Monica. Along with teaching art, assisting Mr. Drake with canoeing classes, and helping Dr. Baldwin in the infirmary as needed. She was diligent, almost militant, in her duties, but it was clear her joy was gone. Levi couldn’t figure out why. From all he’d seen, Miss Althea and Nydia Sylvester had been more rivals than friends, so why would the elf’s death bother the pixie so much?
“You’re up, Levi,” Tommy called as Sara exited their canoe.
“Oh, uh, yeah.” Levi strode to the water’s edge. He did not want to do this. Still, he lifted a foot to climb in beside Tommy. And froze like a popsicle in the deep freeze.
He watched the water toss My Little Pony sparkles and rainbow bubbles into the air and was completely freaked out. He was such a wuss.
It’s not like the other night. You’ll be in a boat. Still, he couldn’t move. With a deep inhalation through his nose, he squeezed his eyes shut. He opened them and tried again.
He couldn’t do it.
“What’s the matter?” Tommy’s voice broke into his internal struggle.
He didn’t answer.
“What’s up?” Trevor called, steering toward them in the craft he and Monica shared. Lifting one shoulder in a shrug, Tommy jutted his chin toward Levi.
Sara touched his arm. “Something wrong?”
He had to tell the others to do this event without him. They’d be better off anyway, then there’d be an even number. He’d just sign up for boxing and let Martin pound on him. That’d be easier than facing the river. And possibly the waterfall. And the lake monster. His knees went weak.