I took it gratefully and starting eating it. God, did it taste good.
Granted, my cousin’s cooking was a scary thing to conceptualize, given she was only fifteen and she was often the cause of fires in this household. But despite that, this was a really good egg sandwich. Mine was gone in less than five bites, and we were heading out the door with our swords before I turned to Alyssa.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked again.
She sighed impatiently. “Dessa, look,” she commanded. “I know you always want to be sure of things before you get yourself into a pickle, but this is getting ridiculous! I told you I wanted to come, and my resolve hasn’t wavered since.”
“Okay,” I said in a subdued, hesitant tone.
“Honestly,” she said in a sarcastic tone. “You old people worry too much.”
I turned on her. “I’m not old!” I shouted playfully.
“Well, you sure are acting like it, worrying about me like you’re my mom. Jeez,” she sighed under her breath. I punched her playfully in the stomach.
I laughed with her and we stumbled out the front door laughing. The night air was cold and brittle, perfect for an October evening. The leaves of the trees were almost completely brown now, and several had already fallen from the trees, leaving colorful piles scattered along the patches of green and yellow grass. The black sky looked like a blanket, with no light from the moon shining at all in the darkness.
“We need a light,” Alyssa said matter-of-factly, and as she turned to go back into the house, I interrupted her.
“I’ll do it,” I said. She was waiting for me to go back into the house, but I stood there motionless, holding out my palm. The few scattered photons of energy flew to my fingertips and began vibrating close to each other, creating light in the darkness around where we stood.
“That’s really neat,” Alyssa said in awe.
“I’m getting better at it,” I said with a tiny smile. “Come on,” I continued. “Let’s go.”
Alyssa walked beside me, her right hand resting on the dagger at her waist, her left hand clutching mine. I let Akarusa hang lifeless at my side, while the tiny photons vibrated in the palm of my left hand. I had no idea where we were going, but my body seemed to know.
My muscles were moving toward this destination on their own, completely independent of my mind and brain. Alyssa watched with a smug grin on her face as I led us to an old, abandoned warehouse, just on the edge of the forest near the river.
My body walked inside of its own accord into the center of the space. The orb of light in my palm expanded, lighting the entire warehouse with ease, and the doors shut and locked behind us with a loud bang.
“What just happened?” I asked bewildered, realizing that I had control of my muscles once again. I flexed my fingers and kicked my legs like a mad person in happiness as I realized I had control.
“That was your instinct taking over,” Alyssa said wisely. “The Keepers always practice in warehouses. You didn’t explicitly know that because no one ever told you, but your instinct from your past experiences as a Keeper in the B.C. era reminded you of where to go.
“You temporarily spaced out only because you aren’t used to doing that,” she added. “With time, that’ll go away.”
I shook my head in amazement. “Wow. The things I’m capable of,” I said with a weak laugh.
“You ready to train?” Alyssa asked. “You got rest and you ate food. Are you ready? Or do you need more time?”
I shook my head determinedly. “No, I’m fine. Let’s do this.”
Alyssa smiled wryly. “Very well,” she replied. “The rules: Do not be afraid to hit me. Do not hesitate to cut me down if I’m in your way. As of right now, I’m your enemy, and you should avoid me and attack me as such. Do you understand?”
I swallowed, but nodded. “Yes.”
“Good,” she said, and a split second after the word resonated across the space and registered in my ears, she was gone. The space where Alyssa had just been standing was vibrating violently after being disturbed.
“Ouch,” I muttered in irritation. Already I was at a disadvantage. I had no idea where she was . . .
A sudden rush of air ran past my body and I whirled about, facing the other direction. My hand was on my sword, but I still hadn’t drawn it.
“Draw your sword!” I heard Alyssa’s voice shout menacingly over the empty space. “How can you expect to fight me without it?”
I nodded to myself and unsheathed Akarusa with a swift flick of my wrist, letting the huge blade swing majestically in front of me.
“Help me out here,” I whispered to the sword, and it seemed to understand me; it vibrated at the sound of my voice, and suddenly I was much more aware of my surroundings. Alyssa was 15 meters to my left, rushing at me with Himitsu. I lunged in that direction, and the sword clanged right into her dagger.
“Nice sensitization,” Alyssa commented slyly. “But I know you can do better. How about this?” she asked, and several things happened at once.
She touched a spot on Himitsu’s blade and it began to grow in what felt like slow motion. The blade was coming closer to my face, but my reflexes were quicker, bringing up the sword to deflect the attack and send her flying backward.
Himitsu was now elongated, a spear-like version of what it had been moments ago.
“Good,” Alyssa approved. “Again.”
She backed away from me and vanished from my view, while I backed up in the opposite direction slowly, listening to the sounds of her motion.
I swung to the right and blocked her as she tried to stab me from behind, and then swung back to the left as she retaliated.
“Good,” she said again. “But not good enough. Again.”
We fought for what seemed like hours. An endless paradox of time spread before me as I ran around the warehouse evading Alyssa’s attacks. I had successfully attacked her seven times, and had successfully blocked all but two of her attacks.
I was exhausted, but I knew my heart would thank me later for having done this. At least now I could die knowing I had truly done everything I could.
Alyssa came plummeting down from a pile of boxes, her eyes crazed, Himitsu held out in front of her, poised to strike. I dove out of the way and kicked my foot into the air just as Alyssa moved her hand forward. My foot kicked her grip loose and Himitsu flew into the air.
I twisted my body around and caught Himitsu in my left hand, and with Akarusa still in my right, I held both weapons up to Alyssa’s throat with a triumphant smile.
Sweat was travelling in beads down both of our necks, and her eyes were showing signs of fatigue, but we were both smiling.
“Good,” she said again. “That’s enough for today,” she added. “You need to rest.”
“Yeah . . .” I murmured, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand. “They got any showers around here?”
Alyssa chuckled. “You have the strength to stay awake still?”
I thought about that for a moment. “No,” I decided, and I collapsed right there on the floor, letting sleep claim me before my eyes were even fully closed.
I woke up to find myself fully refreshed. The sweat was gone from my body and my muscles felt completely normal. Every scratch and wound from the past few days was gone. Almost like none of it ever happened . . .
We practiced day and night for an entire week, just Alyssa and I in this warehouse, and as the time passed by, I became more and more anxious.
The weather was strange; the sky was black both during the day and at night, the cold winds froze anything that stayed outside for longer than ten minutes, and several rain storms would pass relentlessly through the area, sleet, snow, everything.
All of the trees were like glacial sculptures of their former selves, and the roads were glazed over with ice. The earth itself seemed dead.
This made me grow increasingly nervous; ever since that one night, I continued to see Chris and the others in my dreams. It wa
sn’t like that first night where I could talk to them . . . Now I was trapped and immobilized in my own dreams as I watched them suffer. Chris would continue to scream for me, Ricky would cry for me . . .
An entire week had passed since I’d started training with Alyssa, and I felt more than ready to face Desdemona.
In the end, I knew I’d have to take my own life, but I knew now that I could at least fight back. I could damage Desdemona enough to make sure we both died together. I would pay back my friends for helping me. I would pay back my debt by giving my life for them.
“Can you find them, Dessa?” Alyssa asked from beside me. She sat with her arms propped on her elbows, Himitsu hanging from her hands, its blade touching the ground.
I nodded. “Yeah, I can.” I closed my eyes and searched for my heart again.
Guys, I said, I need your help. Where are you?
We’re actually not too far from where you are, Ricky’s voice resonated from somewhere deep inside me. Just follow the path we leave for you. You’ll see it. It’s kind of obvious.
Okay, Bro, I said with a smile. I love you. Wait for me.
Wouldn’t rather do anything else. Love you, too.
I opened my eyes and stood up. “Let’s go, Alyssa.”
She jumped up and shrunk Himitsu back to its dagger form, clipping it to her belt. “Okey dokey!” she said in the kid-voice I hadn’t heard for quite some time.
“You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman, cousin,” I told her with a smile, and she looked back at me.
“So have you,” she said confidently. “It’s a shame that you couldn’t have shown more people that in the coming years.”
I nodded. “I know,” I said, feeling the slightest bit of sorrow for the loss of my future.
“Let’s go, then,” she said as she wiped her eyes. “I’m tired of this sappy crap.”
I chuckled. “All right.”
We walked out into the hell storm that was raging outside, and I saw the path immediately. Amidst the cold, snowy, dark earth, there was a path of thriving plants—green grass and blooming flowers, with a calming warm breeze and a soft spritz of rain drops. It was bright and full of light, devoid of the shadows that were swallowing the rest of the world around us.
“You see this, too, right?” I asked Alyssa, who was staring in amazement at the phenomenon that was created by our best friends.
“Yes,” she said in awe. “How beautiful . . .”
I smiled, feeling the warmth of my friends caress me with each step I took toward them. Alyssa and I walked side-by-side along this pathway created out of the love of our friends until we reached the place.
It was only about a ten-mile walk—which went exceedingly fast compared to the last week of brutal training—and by the time we had arrived, I was still energized.
We were in front of what looked like a palace, and as far as I knew, there were no castles in the suburbs of Hopewell Township. The palace was built of that same black web-like material that had held me suspended above Desdemona as she taunted me.
“Let’s go,” I said confidently, and with Alyssa’s hand in mine, I walked across the threshold of death.
Dessa’s Resolve
The inside of the palace was as dark, dismal, and cold as the weather outside. A chill of terror sent tremors down my spine and my entire body shook from the bitter cold.
“What the hell?” I whispered jokingly. “These castles have extremely sucky insulation.”
Alyssa chuckled. “Tell me about it. My cardboard box gets better insulation than this.”
I laughed hysterically, and for a second I’d forgotten where we were. I came back to reality with a sudden jolt of unhappiness, because I realized what I was here to do.
“What should we do?” Alyssa asked.
“You said I need Soyokaze,” I recalled. “So should we figure out where it is first and then . . .?”
“She’s right here.”
By the time I heard her voice, it was already too late. Pa had Soyokaze to my throat, and Alyssa was being held by Ricky, who had both Kenchi at her neck.
“Well damn,” I said in an annoyed voice. “Alyssa, if I’d have known they were this stupid, I would’ve called them sooner.”
She smirked at my comment, but the brainwashed Pa didn’t seem to find it very funny.
“Shut up!” she shouted, and she pushed one side of Soyokaze to my throat, causing the blood to rush in my veins.
“I think someone wants to see you,” Ricky told me emotionlessly. “Pa, shouldn’t we take her to Desdemona?”
“Of course, stupid,” she shot back at him caustically. He didn’t react in any way. He simply tightened his grip on Alyssa and she winced when his grip tore a muscle in her left arm. “You’re coming with us,” Pa said in my ear.
“Oh?” I repeated. “But I wanted to see more of the castle first.”
I felt a sting and a warm wetness spread across my cheek. The blood tasted slightly salty as it ran down my cheek and into my mouth, and the blade of one of Ricky’s Kenchi was shining a clear, vibrant red, dripping onto the black marble floor.
“Shut up,” he muttered toward me. “Don’t insult Desdemona. She’s going to bring this world to a new era.”
“Yeah, a dead one,” I muttered.
“What?” Pa practically shouted in my ear.
“I didn’t say anything,” I retorted childishly.
“You’re eating away my patience, you filthy bitch,” Pa said caustically, and I felt a stab of pain that had nothing to do with weapons and blood.
“That’s my job,” I said confidently. “I’ll eat it away until your old heart shines through again.”
“You won’t succeed,” Pa replied cynically. “I like this new power. This new strength makes me feel like I’ve never felt before. I won’t give it up.”
“No, I know you won’t,” I said. “But I can give up everything for you.”
Pa started laughing. “What good would that do? You’d lose your life over such a helpless cause? I’m not giving this power up. This power’s mine, and I’m not giving it up!”
I smiled kindly at her as she shoved me along. “That’s okay,” I said in a compassionate voice. “Because in the end, none of us will have a choice . . .”
Pa’s wicked smile disappeared from her face to be replaced with a look of confusion.
“Don’t be afraid,” I said with a smile. “I’ll save all of you. I’ll end my existence so you can live your lives in peace without me . . .”
Pa’s eyes were glazing, almost as though her inner heart was screaming at me to save her. Ricky’s grip on Alyssa’s arms loosened ever so slightly, enough for me to notice that his eyes looked similar to Pa’s.
I was reaching them . . .
“I’ll save you,” I promised, and then I punched Pa in the face, causing her body to fly into Ricky, leaving Alyssa free. Pa’s hand released the sword and it fell to the marble floor with a clang. “Alyssa,” I called over to her, “Hold on to that sword for me. Leave Pa and Ricky there. It’s not them I’m after. Grab that sword and follow me.”
She nodded and ran over to Pa’s two-bladed sword, picked it up and mumbled something under her breath. Soyokaze vanished and she ran over to me.
“Where did you put it?” I asked.
“In an alternate dimension,” she answered simply. “All you have to do is reach your hand into that dimension and you can get it out, see?” She stuck her hand out to her left and her fingers vanished from sight, almost as though they were erased out of existence. She pulled her hand back out and clutched in her fingers was the hilt of Soyokaze.
“Whoa . . .” I murmured in amazement. “Now that’s cool.”
“Mhm!” Alyssa agreed enthusiastically. “Just ask for the sword, and it’ll open up a passageway for you.”
I nodded, making sure to remember that for future reference.
I held on to Akarusa affectionately, as though she was my life-line, holding me securely
on the ground until my soul and body were destroyed. Alyssa was still holding Himitsu, waiting—I imagined—to transform it into a spear when the moment presented itself.
Together we sprinted away from Pa and Ricky, whose bodies were still lying unconscious on the ground. I tried not to look back to see if they would end up pursuing us, because in the end, it didn’t really matter anyway.
My mind was focused on what little future I still had left, but my heart was still clinging to the hands of my best friends. Was I truly ready to leave them? Was I selfless enough to give up my life for them?
I wanted to say yes. I wanted to prove that I could actually be a help instead of a burden to them. I wanted them to see how much I truly cared by giving my life to end their pain and suffering and save the world’s elemental balance simultaneously.
But I couldn’t do it . . .
I was too selfish. I was too absorbed in the idea that I would never be able to breathe again, see again, touch, taste, or feel again . . . I was so immersed in this horrific view of my future—lying dead in a coffin underneath the surface of the earth—that I couldn’t focus on letting go of my hold on my friends.
My heart seemed to tear itself to pieces at this terrifying truth, so much so that I could feel the tears falling freely from my eyes as I continued down the dark corridor with Alyssa beside me.
Against all odds, we were hoping to not run into Chris on the way to find our true opponent. It wasn’t necessary to hurt Chris anymore. I’d caused him enough pain already, and I wasn’t going to harm him again. That was a promise I’d made myself long before I had accepted that I was going to die.
“How much farther do you think this hallway goes?” Alyssa asked, pulling me out of my reverie.
I narrowed my eyes, focusing on the never-ending hallway stretched out before me. The end was getting steadily closer, but only slightly. Every hundred feet or so, long, medieval-era windows stretched the height of the hallway, reaching up 50 feet, letting in the dark, sinister glow of the sky outside.
“This place gives me the creeps,” Alyssa whispered quietly as we continued to run down the hallway, the only sounds being our labored breathing and the sounds of our running footsteps.
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