The Ankulen

by Kendra E. Ardnek

  When the glow faded, she turned to me, her eyes open again. “It was real, wasn't it? Elinor? Anna? They were actually real?”

  I nodded. “They were, thanks to your Ankulen.”

  Then her smile faded. “But I let that awful awful monster, that … that …” she stumbled about as she sought the right word.

  “The Polystoikhedron,” I supplied.

  “Yes, that's what it was. I let it eat my Ankulen. I let it eat my friends. I was supposed to use them to help …”

  I put a hand on her shoulder and forced her eyes to meet mine. “But the Polystoikhedron has been destroyed,” I assured her. “It nearly killed me to do it, but it's gone. You have a second chance to make the world a better place, to fulfill the purpose that came with the Ankulen. Just like I have.”

  Her smile returned. “You think so?”

  “I know so. I fought hard to give it back to you. I'll be watching for your book. What'll it be about?”

  “Probably something set in the Regency Era,” said Martha, sighing. “I loved Jane Austen growing up.” Then she laughed. “And I still do, in fact.”

  “They're good books,” I agreed. “And, if you're interested in finding out how you got your imagination back, watch for my book. My name's Jenifer Marie Brown.”

  “I'm Martha Liams.”

  “I'll be watching.”

  We shook hands, then she closed her eyes and faded from sight, leaving me to awaken the next new friend. “Well,” I said, turning to Derek, “that wasn't so hard.”

  “Many of these people look like the heads on the Polystoikhedron,” Derek pointed out.

  “Indeed,” I agreed. “That's how the Polystoikhedra work. After they eat an Ankulen, the face of the Anku or Anka is added to its collection.” I drew in a deep breath. “And how nearly I came to having mine among them!”

  “But there aren't as many people here are there were heads.”

  “Well of course not. Many of the Anku and Anka have passed on without having their imaginations restored,” I gave a sad sigh. “The Polystoikhedron kept their heads, but they aren't here. And there's also a good chance that The Giver took the ones who doesn't speak English into their own dreams and he'll enlighten them himself.”

  “I see. Why doesn't he just 'enlighten' them all himself, rather than wasting your time like this?”

  “Because,” said I, “he's allowing me to meet all of the people I helped, and letting them meet me. He's not wasting my time, trust me!”

  I turned to the next, an Anku in his early thirties dressed in an emasculate business suit, his sandy hair combed just so. His Ankulen was a blue pin on his lapel. I tapped the pin and his eyes popped open.

  “Wh-where am I?”

  “You're in the land of dreams,” I explained. “Greetings Anku.”

  He shoved himself up, his glare forcing me to shrink back. “Look, Miss, if you think you're going to get any money by kidnapping me, then you've got another think coming. My father would never give any money to such a desperate thief as you.”

  “You think I kidnapped you?”

  “Well, that's what you did, isn't it? There I was, in my office, preparing a report for the business meeting tonight when the world spun and next thing I know, here I am. What else am I supposed to expect?”

  I nodded. “That sounds about right. Was there a flash of blue light?”

  “Now that you mention it, there was. What'd you do? Try to poison me?”

  “Oh no! I just woke you up … or put you to sleep, depending how you look at it. Your Ankulen is blue, so that's why I guessed blue light.” I pointed to his pin.

  “My what?” His look was skeptical. “Okay girl, now you're not even making sense.”

  “You're an Anku, I'm an Anka, Anka Jenifer, but you can call me Jen if you'd like. We have Ankulens. Yours is a pin and mine is a bracelet.” I rubbed my bare wrist. “But I left it with my sister for safe keeping. Fighting a Polystoikhedron while wearing your Ankulen just isn't a good idea.”

  “Well, Jen, why did you bring me here?”

  “So that you know that you have your Ankulen back. As a child, you let a horrid creature called the Polystoikhedron eat it. Well, I just destroyed the Polystoikhedron, so you get your Ankulen back.”

  “Oh, I see, but what is this Ankulen?”

  “Why don't you tap it and ask it to help you remember?” I suggested, a mischievous smile pulling at the corners of my mouth.

  He blinked. “You expect me to do what?”

  “I'm serious. Tap your Ankulen. That's how you get its attention. Then you tell it that you want your memories back. Doesn't matter of the order's mental or verbal, but since it's been so long since you last used it, a verbal order might be better since you're out of connection.”

  “Are you trying to make me look stupid?”

  “Oh no, I'm just helping you get your Ankulen back in working order. I tap and order my Ankulen a good twenty, thirty times a day. I won't laugh at you, I promise. Can't make promises for my brother, though … but maybe I can get him to turn around.” I glanced over my shoulder. “Will you, dearest brother-mine?”

  Derek rolled his eyes, but turned his back on us.

  “Now no one will laugh at you and you won't look stupid,”I informed the stubborn Anku.

  “I'll feel stupid.”

  “Then close your eyes and you won't see yourself doing it. It'll be more convenient for the Ankulen, that's for sure.”

  “What exactly is this going to do?”

  “It will give you back something that was once a big part of your life. I don't know if you want it back or not, but I'm sure that once you have it again, you won't regret it. I certainly didn't!”

  It took a while, but I at last convinced him that tapping his Ankulen wasn't the end of the world, and he did so. As with Martha, a blue glow spread over him and as the memories returned, he relaxed.

  “My imagination was real, wasn't it?” he asked, opening his eyes again.

  “Oh it was,” I assured him. “You're an Anku.”

  “Anku Hamilton.”

  “I'm honored to meet you, Anku Hamilton.” I sent Derek a glare before he could express amusement at the name.

  “My father thinks that imagination is for little kids, and I … well, I didn't want to disappoint him,” Hamilton explained. “I didn't want to lose my imagination, but father said that it's useless to a businessman … so … the Polystoikhedron was such a good excuse.”

  “Well I'm sure he's wrong. You were given your Ankulen for a reason, and now you have a second chance. I've destroyed that Polystoikhedron, so no more excuses.” I tilted my head to the side. “You said that you were working on some sort of report.”

  “Yes, I was.”

  “Well, I'm sure that you can find some way to use your amazing imagination to make your report the best one out there.”

  “Know what? I think I will.”

  I grinned. “You can do it – oh, and if you're interested, watch for a book by Jenifer Marie Brown.”

  He nodded and gave me his full name, which sounded vaguely familiar. Then he closed his eyes and faded from sight.

  Anku after Anku, Anka after Anka, I roused them all and reminded them of their lost imaginations and Ankulens. Each gave me their name, and I soon had a nice list of future authors to watch out for.

  At last only one remained. An Anka. Her Ankulen was an Emerald ring, which I tapped without hesitation.

  “Hi mom!” I exclaimed, as soon as her eyes popped open.

  “Jen!” Mom pushed herself to a sitting position, glancing around wildly. “Where are we!”

  “We're in the land of dreams,” I explained. “I found my imagination, and thought it so much fun, I decided to find yours, too.”

  “But my imagination has been gone for so long …”

  I grabbed mom's hand and held up her ring for her to see. “This is your Ankulen. It's what made your imagination real. You lost your imagination because you let the Polystoi
khedron eat it. But since I chose to fight, rather than allow it to eat mine, since I won, all of the former victims get their Ankulens back, too. And that includes you.”

  “But … I …” Mom stared at the ring in confusion.

  “Just tap it and ask it to help you remember.”

  Since she's my mom, she trusted me. No questions asked, she tapped the gem and a green glow spread over her.

  “It was real,” she whispered.

  “Oh, of course.”

  “And you … you fought that horrid creature?”

  “Well … it certainly wasn't easy, but I had help. Derek, come over here. I'd like you to to meet this Anka.”

  Derek sighed, apparently starting to bore of just following me around as I woke up my new friends. Nevertheless, he folded his arms over his chest and walked over. “Hello.”

  “Derek, this is my mom.”

  Derek's eyes went wide. “Your mom's an Anka?”

  “Apparently.” I turned back to Mom. “Do you remember Chris.”

  “Of course,” said Mom at once. Then she frowned. “You said he reappeared this morning …”

  “Well, turns out, Chris wasn't real, and neither was Tisha. They were my imaginary friends.” I paused and licked my lips. “Derek was the boy you and Dad were supposed to adopt.”

  Mom gained her feet and took a few hesitant steps in Derek's direction. “You're …”

  “And I left Megan, our sister, in my imagination to keep my Ankulen safe while Derek and I fought the Polystoikhedron,” I added.

  “Uh, hi,” said Derek, awkwardly.

  “You can call her Mom,” I told him. “If you'd like.”

  “I'd like that,” said Mom.

  Derek looked down at his folded arms and frowned. “I'll have to think about it.”

  Mom, having been an orphan herself, understood. “If you're not ready for a new mother, then I wouldn't mind it too much if you call me Mrs. Brown.” She took a deep breath, then turned to me. “Now, I need to get back to supper, but I expect you to tell me the whole story later.”

  I grinned. “I'll write the whole story later.”

  “Good.” Mom faded from sight.

  “And that's our mom,” I said, turning to Derek. “And our last Anka. Guess that means we can wake up now.”

  “She's … nice.”

  “Yeah, we're kinda lucky to have a mom like her,” I agreed. “She grew up in the foster system, that's why she and Dad chose to adopt. I only wonder why they haven't adopted more!”

  “I think … I think I wouldn't mind having her for a mother.”

  I beamed, but then something occurred to me that caused me to become concerned.

  “Who's Tina?” I asked, slowly.

  Derek instantly retreated behind his frown. “What do you mean?” he asked, defensively.

  “When you volunteered to help me fight the Polystoikhedron, you called me Tina. Why?”

  Derek drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes, turning away from me. “My real sister. I haven't seen her since she was four, but … at that moment, you reminded me so much of her, I … I'd rather not talk about it.”

  I gave him a sympathetic smile. “I understand. Some things are just too painful to talk about. Hey, I'm the one who refused to talk about the Polystoikhedron in her imagination. I won't press you. But … if you ever do want a listening ear, I won't judge.”

  Derek stared silently at the trees for several minutes before he turned back to me. “I might never see Tina or Trina again, but I guess that doesn't matter. I have Jen and Megan now.”

  “Well, who knows,” I said, grinning, “you might see them again. God knows, and … well, you can always pray for them.”

  “You're right. I can, but …”

  “But what?”

  “How do we wake up? The others are probably starting to get impatient.”

  I laughed. “That's the easy part. I'll wake myself up, then pull you awake from the other end.

  “Then do so.”

  Chapter 25

  In Which I Get a Few Happily Ever Afters

  WHEN I opened my eyes, I was staring into Megan's fuzzy features. Moving my head, I could see Tisha and Chris clearly. All were watching me with bated breath.

  “Well,” I said, “I'm back. We won, if you can't tell already.”

  “Oh! Jen, you're alive!” exclaimed Tisha, clapping her hands together.

  “I'm glad to hear that you picked up on that one too.” I closed my eyes again. “And I suppose that none of you are concerned with my valiant brother and protector, who is sleeping only one bed away.”

  “I … we … well …” Chris began.

  “Don't worry about it,” I said, smiling and sitting up. “Just give me back my Ankulen and glasses, and the three of you gather around his bed and look concerned.”

  “But, Jen …” Megan started to say, as she shoved the Ankulen back into my hands and went digging for my glasses.

  “I'm serious,” I said, sliding the Ankulen back onto my wrist. “Derek just risked his life to keep me alive. He deserves a proper good morning.”

  “Well … I guess you're right,” she said, handing me my glasses.

  I slid them on and her face popped into focus. “Of course I'm right. I'm the one who just fought a very scary battle with him at my side. Besides, I don't plan to tell you guys what happened until he's awake to tell his side of the story, and I don't plan to wake him until the three of you are over there to tell him good morning.”

  I leaned against the pillows and frowned at them until they scooted away. Since I had told the Ankulen to make the Castle stop rocking as soon as the Polystoikhedron was destroyed, and yet allow the two of us to remain asleep, I had to use the Ankulen's little-known backup feature that I had recently discovered.

  Tapping the gems, I ordered, “Wake him up.”

  It immediately stared whining, and a few seconds later, I heard Derek's voice.

  “Jen. Your bracelet is whining again!”

  I tapped it off while the other three chorused a good morning.

  “Good morning,” he replied, in a far less enthusiastic voice. “Glad to know that you're happy to have me back.”

  “Oh, we're very happy to have you back,” said I, sliding out of my bed and walking over to his. “You're our brother after all.” I frowned. “Well, mine and Megan's, at least. I don't know what you are to Tisha and Chris. Maybe their uncle …”

  Derek rolled his eyes as he placed his feet on the ground and stood up. “I would prefer to not be related to them.”

  I shrugged. “Suit yourself.” I turned to the group. “I'm sure that the three of you are quite eager to hear how Derek and I won against the Polystoikhedron, so would you like to talk here or should we go outside?”

  “Oh, outside, certainly!” exclaimed Tisha and Chris at once.

  “You've got to see it!” added Megan eagerly, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the nearest door. Laughing, I let her drag me along. However, when she started to get us lost, I took over the steering.

  We exited through the large gate that had been built to catch the Polystoikhedron. The sight that met my eyes caused me to suck in a deep breath and a broad grin to spread across my face.

  The Green Valley was green! The mountains were once more tall and emerald. The Leprechauns were once more busying themselves as they took care of the grass. Sure, I had felt the healing as soon as I woke up … but there are times when feeling and seeing are two different things.

  “Not so much of a misnomer now, huh Derek?” I asked, glancing at my brother out of the corner of my eye.

  He shot me a raised eyebrow. “A what?”

  “It has the right name now, don't you think?”

  “I … guess it does. Where's Blue?”

  Chris answered, “We met Sir Steve on the way here, and Blue is his dog, after all.”

  “Oh.” Derek sounded almost disappointed.

  “What, were you starting to grow attached to one
of my stupid imaginary friends?” I lifted an eyebrow in his direction.

  “Well, she was very convenient for travel.”

  I laughed. “Well, if it's a convenient steed you miss, then I have you covered. I could imagine up a horse, a cow, another dog, a dragon … anything. I'm in control again, and my world will do anything I ask of it.”

  “I see.”

  “Well,” I continued, “We promised the other three that we would tell them all about the adventure they missed out on, so …”

  So the five of us sat ourselves down in the lush, green grass and Derek and I told the story. Our audience was enraptured, and only Megan interrupted with questions.

  (Another one of my quirky little rules is that my imaginary friends are not allowed to interrupt when I'm speaking.)

  I toned down the story as best I could. I didn't want to scare them any more than I had to, especially since this was an over and done with affair. We left out the part about Tina and Trina. (Who were twins, Derek has since let slip.) Honestly, the only reason I obtained permission to write it here was that I told Derek that maybe, just maybe, they would find this book and read it someday – and maybe, just maybe, they would recognize themselves.

  He also says that he doesn't want a line of girls named Tina and Trina trying to vie for the position, so please, don't try to steal my brother unless you're at least 90% sure you're them.

  Megan was thrilled to learn that her father had been, in fact, an Anku, and thrilled at the prospect of learning to read. While she had been an exceptional reader at the age of seven, that was when she was seven.

  At last the story came to a close, so I dramatically fell back into the grass and closed my eyes. “Know what I want?”

  “Someone to help you back up?” asked Derek.

  I cracked open one eyelid. “Not at the moment. Nope, what I want at the moment is a nice, Happily Ever After ending.”

  “You've already won a war against the Polystoikhedron – how much more of a happily ever after can you get?” Derek didn't see my point.

  “No, no, no, no, no!” I declared, closing my eyes again. “That's a Victorious ending, not a Happily Ever After. Megan, how well acquainted are you with Fairy Tales?”

  “After Daddy's stories,” she answered, “they were my favorites. I loved watching the movies, even if they were a little scary, and I loved the reader book Daddy bought me – the one that was all princess stories.”