by Kelly Blount
“Ugh… I know!” Brooklyn sighed. Then she recanted the basketball-to-the-head story to her friends. “It’s like he has no filter! Whatever he’s thinking just pops out of his big mouth!”
“It could be worse,” said Taliyah, laughing. “You could have a black eye right now! Or even worse, you could be sitting at home on the couch with a concussion!”
“True. Very true,” replied Brooklyn smiling.
“Hey, Taliyah, isn’t that Ryder from Jax’s class?” Parker asked. She pointed across the room at a silent, watchful guy.
“Yeah, I think so. I mean he is the MacIntyres’ exchange student, so I guess he would be here,” responded Taliyah.
“Wait a minute. He’s who’s exchange what?” Brooklyn asked, shaking her head, trying to work that sentence out in her head.
“Yeah,” said Taliyah. “He’s an exchange student from Denmark, didn’t you know that?”
“Clearly I did not,” replied Brooklyn, shrugging as she looked over at Ryder. He had perfectly tousled black hair and deep green eyes. He appeared to be a bit shorter than Jax or Kai, but it was difficult to guess his height from across the room.
“I thought Danish people had blue eyes and blonde hair,” she said, unable to take her eyes off him.
“What does it matter? He’s pretty hot,” Parker retorted.
Then, as if he knew they were talking about him, Ryder looked up and locked eyes with Brooklyn. The exchange was so intense that it seemed like the world stopped for a minute and everything fell silent, even the music blaring outside. When Ryder finally looked down, Brooklyn actually had to force herself to take a breath.
Did that just happen? she asked herself.
“Um, Earth to B! You there?” Parker asked, waving her hands in front of Brooklyn’s face.
“Yeah, sorry. Yeah, I’m good. I think I just spaced out for a minute.”
“Right. If I didn’t know that you were madly in love with Kai, I would say you and Ryder just had a love-at-first-sight moment!” said Parker with a smile. Brooklyn just rolled her eyes.
Truthfully, she wasn’t sure what just happened, but it definitely didn’t change how she felt about Kai. Her infatuation with him had all started when he came over after school one day when Brooklyn was in seventh grade. Brooklyn had a horrible bout of the stomach flu that day and she had missed the past two days of school.
She was downstairs watching cartoons in her ratty pink robe and teddy bear slippers when her brother walked in the door with Kai.
“That’s a good look for you, B!” Jax said with a smirk.
“Shut up, J—” Brooklyn stopped abruptly when her eyes landed upon her older brother’s attractive friend standing a few steps away. She froze, like a deer in headlights.
“Oh come on, Jax, I’m sure you couldn’t pull off that look,” said Kai as he winked at Brooklyn. That was it. That one event started a crush that still endured to this very minute.
“B, let’s go check out the band,” Parker said, interrupting Brooklyn’s trip down memory lane.
“Sounds good,” Brooklyn replied. The girls walked through the open doors outside on to the deck. The band played directly below on the lawn and a few people were already dancing.
“How many people down there do you think are actually sober” Taliyah asked as she glanced over the rail.
Brooklyn smirked. “Very few.”
“Hey, isn’t that Kai in the middle?” Parker asked, pointing down.
“Oh, um, yeah, I guess it is,” replied Brooklyn, her cheeks red.
“I heard Kai snuck in some rum,” said Taliyah with a mischievous grin. “And I want some!”
Taliyah pushed through the sea of bodies jiggling and grinding to the music until she got close to Kai and Jax. She was only a few feet away and about to call out their names when she bumped into Ryder.
“Excuse me!” she yelled over the noise. Ryder turned and looked down at her. She smiled at him. “Excuse me, can you please move?” she yelled again.
Just a few feet away, Taliyah overheard Kai yell something to Jax. “You know, that Parker is pretty hot!”
Taliyah’s eyes widened as she looked past Ryder. Jax and Kai were dancing with a couple of girls, but she didn’t care. It was their conversation she wanted to hear. She grabbed Ryder and started to dance with him. Her back faced Jax and Kai.
“She’s only sixteen,” Jax yelled.
Ryder looked super confused. “What are you doing?” he asked loudly so he could be heard over the music. People were bumping into him, but Taliyah held onto his arms. “Shut up and dance with me for a minute!” she yelled.
“Yeah, that means easy taking,” Kai said.
“Seriously, lay off. That’s one of Brooklyn’s best friends. You know my sister has already planned your wedding and named your future children,” Jax yelled.
“It’s hard to lay off when you’ve already laid on,” Kai yelled back.
“Seriously?” asked Jax. Taliyah almost turned around to clock Kai, but she just gripped Ryder’s arms tighter.
“Ouch! Do you mind?” he asked, trying to pull away from her death grip.
“Well, maybe not laid on, but we definitely spent some quality time together over the last few weeks,” Kai said.
“Not cool, Kai, not cool,” Jax said.
Taliyah released Ryder and ran off.
Ryder looked at the imprints of Taliyah’s nails in the crooks of his elbows. What the hell was that all about? he thought to himself. He pushed past the two jocks in the crowd of drunks moving their bodies in some sort of rhythm to the cluster of noise ringing through his ears. These people are vile. He needed to get out of here and get back into the woods.
Taliyah ran up the steps, back to Brooklyn and Parker. Out of breath, she bent over to recover.
“What’s wrong, Taliyah?” Brooklyn asked, setting a hand on her shoulder. The band took a break and the people on the lawn dispersed.
Before she could say anything, Kai walked up. “Hey ladies, how’s it going?”
“No complaints,” Parker said.
“What are you guys doing after the party?” he asked.
“Well, no plans yet. How about you?” Brooklyn asked, trying to play it cool.
“Graham is supposedly having people over again. Same place as last week, remember?” Kai asked, winking at Parker.
“Um, yeah… I mean, yeah I remember where he lives,” Parker said quietly.
“Interested in joining us?” Kai asked, now looking directly at her.
“Yeah, maybe. We’ll let you know,” Parker said, stumbling over her words and looking at the ground.
“Okay, make sure you do. By the way, Parker, you look good tonight,” he said with a smile as he walked away.
Brooklyn froze. Did that really just happen?
In the meantime, Taliyah had regained her composure and now her face flared. “What the hell was that?”
Parker shrugged. “It was nothing. He was just being stupid.”
“Clearly it’s a hell of a lot more than nothing,” spat Taliyah. Brooklyn clenched her fists, causing her knuckles to turn bright white. Her anger mounted with every second that passed.
“Well, we sort of bumped into each other at Graham’s house last week and, well…” Parker trailed off.
“And well what? You two hooked up? I heard them talking down there! How could you do that to Brooklyn? What the hell is wrong with you?” yelled Taliyah.
“Look, B, I’m really sorry, it just sort of happened…” Parker said quietly, looking down at her feet.
“Parker! You’re one of my best friends! How could you do that to me?” she screamed.
“I didn’t mean to, it was an accident! I swear!”
Her anger boiled over and Brooklyn shouted, “Shut up! It wasn’t an accident and you know it! You’re a slut and we are no longer friends! I need some air! Get out of my way!” She pushed past Parker and Taliyah, tears welling up in her eyes.
Parker franticall
y tried to apologize. “Brooklyn, please don’t leave! I’m sorry! I’m so—”
“Shut up, Parker!” fumed Taliyah as she ran to catch up with Brooklyn. “B, wait!” she pleaded.
“No, please, just let me have a minute to myself,” Brooklyn said, rushing down the stairs toward the lawn below. After she reached the plush grass, the tears flowed freely. She pushed past a few more people and through an open gate. She wasn’t sure where she was going, but she knew she had to get away from Parker and Kai.
“How could she?” Brooklyn hissed. “She’s supposed to be one of my best friends! How long has this been going on behind my back?”
The tears kept coming as she slowed to a walk. Further and further away from the best friend who had deceived her and the boy who’d broken her heart. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but Brooklyn soon became aware that she had no idea where she was. A forest and gently sloping hills surrounded her and it became difficult to navigate her way through the terrain. Her only light was the full moon above.
“Great, I look like a hot mess and I’m probably werewolf or vampire bait,” Brooklyn said, sitting down for a minute to get her bearings. Crickets chirped and the wind rustled in the trees. Then, suddenly, everything went quiet. Chills raced up her spine. She looked around. “Hello?”
She heard a loud snap, followed by several cracks in the distance. Whatever was making that noise was on the move and closing in fast. The smell of rotting fish filled her nose and she gagged. What the hell is going on? Her heart thumped in her chest. She looked for somewhere to hide but the abnormally bright moon made that difficult.
All of a sudden, a figure crashed through the trees and collided with her. She hit the ground and her shoes went flying into the air. Her elbow hit a rock. She tried to sit up, but couldn’t. The wind rushed from her lungs. Panic set in. What just happened? What hit me? Did I break anything? Thoughts bombarded her mind as she attempted to take a breath. She started gasping for air. After a few moments, she sat up and looked around.
“What the hell are you doing here?” a loud angry voice shouted at her. Brooklyn spun around. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Ryder stood before her, with sweat dripping off his brow. His eyes frantically searched the woods behind her.
“Excuse me?” she snapped as she attempted to brush the damp leaves and moss off of her clothes.
“Get up! Hurry!” Ryder commanded in a hushed voice while reaching out for Brooklyn’s hand. “We don’t have much time!”
“Huh?” she said.
Ryder grabbed her hand and pulled her up roughly. “Follow me,” he whispered.
Brooklyn hesitated. What was Ryder doing out here in the woods? Why did he want her to follow him? What was he going to do to her if she didn’t follow him? Another loud crash echoed through the dense, quiet forest.
“Quick! Cover your ears!” Ryder instructed.
“Why?” Brooklyn asked.
“Do it or die!” Ryder snapped at her. No more questions, she covered her ears. A noise like nothing she had ever heard before pierced her eardrums. Tears welled up in her eyes. The shriek left a ringing sensation bouncing around in her head accompanied by a blinding pain.
“What is it?” she barely managed a whisper.
“That’s Grishma,” Ryder said seriously.
Chapter Three
“BROOKLYN,” SAID RYDER IN A hushed voice. “Please follow me right now. Our lives depend on it!”
Without another word, Brooklyn grabbed Ryder’s hand and they began to run. It wasn’t until she stepped on a sharp rock that Brooklyn realized she had forgotten her shoes back where she and Ryder collided. She cried out in pain and slowed down.
“We don’t have time!” Ryder said urgently. Brooklyn looked down at her foot and saw a deep gash. “Ryder, I can’t… I’m hurt.”
“Just a little bit further! We’re almost there!” said Ryder. He led Brooklyn deeper into the forest, away from civilization. She tried to keep up, but the cut on her foot slowed her down considerably. Whatever was following them wasn’t giving up. Intermittent snarls and howls kept Brooklyn motivated to keep moving, no matter how painful it was.
Ryder could hear the rushing water. They were getting closer. Just a few more minutes and they would be safe. He navigated his way through the trees to the edge of a clearing. Ahead he saw his intended destination. Through the mist from a waterfall, a moonbow shimmered. Brooklyn couldn’t believe her eyes. “How can there be a rainbow in the middle of the night?” she asked.
“We’re almost there, Brooklyn, just a few more feet,” Ryder panted. Pulling her by the hand, he led them into the small lake at the base of the waterfall, and then quickly waded out to the middle of the moonbow.
“Brooklyn,” Ryder said turning and looking into her eyes. “There’s something very bad following us. If it catches us, it will kill us. There’s only one way I can keep you safe right now. Please, you have to trust me.”
Brooklyn stared into his deep green eyes. “I think I believe you,” she replied. “But…” before she could agree, a bone-chilling snarl interrupted her.
“Quick,” Ryder said, rummaging through his pockets. “Drink this!” He presented her with one of two small glass vials filled with an indigo liquid. Brooklyn downed the sugary formula and her eyes widened. What had been chasing them finally burst into the clearing. She dropped the empty bottle and a blood-curdling scream escaped her lips just as the large beast lunged straight for them.
Right before the indescribable thing reached them, Brooklyn felt like something hooked her by the shirt and ripped her away. It felt like an invisible rollercoaster. It pulled her up, down, left, right and every other way it could. Hot air blasted her in the face, making perspiration dampen her brow. The only thing keeping her from throwing up was Ryder’s hand tightly gripping hers. She struggled to see him as a dense fog encircled their bodies. Then they were falling. She felt her fingers slipping from his grasp. Panic and confusion set in. It felt like forever until a jolt threw her forward and she slammed into the ground. Everything went black.
The headache hammering at her brain woke Brooklyn up. Her foot throbbed and burned. She opened her eyes, expecting to see the familiar objects in her bedroom and perhaps her cat, Snuggles, curled up by her feet. Instead, she saw a dirt floor and crude stone walls.
What in the world? Where the hell am I? Brooklyn thought as she looked around the small, dimly lit room. Then everything came rushing back. The party, Ryder, the night rainbow, and the horrible beast that was trying to kill them. Her thoughts were interrupted by a rattling noise coming from another room.
Brooklyn squinted to see out the door and timidly said, “Ryder? Is that you?” The noise stopped and Brooklyn froze. What if it isn’t Ryder? What if it’s that horrible monster we saw last night?
Before she could think another distressing thought, Ryder appeared in the doorway with an old fashioned lantern in hand. “Hey,” he said softly. “How are you feeling?”
“Well, I feel like my head is about to explode and my foot really hurts,” Brooklyn replied.
“I’m really sorry you got hurt,” said Ryder. “Can I take a look at your foot?”
“Um, I guess,” said Brooklyn. “But first I’m going to need you to tell me what’s going on here. Where am I? How am I going to get home?”
Ryder sighed. “Brooklyn, look, I’m really sorry. I never should have brought you here. I was just worried that if I didn’t bring you, Grishma would have killed you…” He trailed off. “Is any of this sounding sane?”
“Well, to be totally honest, no, it’s not. You sound like you should be admitted to the loony bin and I’m a bit worried that I’m here in this room alone with you,” Brooklyn replied. “However, after seeing that terrifying beast last night, I’m slightly more inclined to believe you.”
“Grishma,” said Ryder.
“Grish—what?” asked Brooklyn.
“What we saw last night is a heinous monster called Grishma.
I’ve been hunting her for the last two years. She killed my father and kidnapped my mother and little sister. I have to destroy her to save them,” Ryder explained. “But first I need to get you home. It’s far too dangerous for you here.”
Brooklyn shook her head in disbelief. “This must be some kind of bad dream. Yeah, that must be it, I bet I fell in the woods and hit my head. There’s no way this could be real.”
Ryder looked deep into Brooklyn’s eyes, just like he did at the party. “Brooklyn, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this is for real. Everything I just told you really happened.”
She shifted uncomfortably in the strange surroundings. “Can’t you just send me home like this? I can just go to a doctor once I get there,” said Brooklyn.
“I wish I could, but we’ll have to walk for over a day to get you to the place where I can transport you home,” explained Ryder.
“Oh… Do I need to go under another one of those night rainbow things to get back?” said Brooklyn with mounting disappointment.
Ryder chuckled. “Yes, the night rainbow thing, or a moonbow, as we call it. It’s like a doorway between your world and mine. You have to drink the same indigo colored liquid as you did last night under a moonbow in order to get home.”
“So you’re sure this is real?” asked Brooklyn with a quavering voice. “I’m really in another world?”
Ryder looked at her sympathetically and nodded. “Yes, it’s real. You’re in Necoh, and the only way I can get you home is to fix this foot of yours so we can travel to the Zonam Mountains and find a moonbow.”
Brooklyn’s eyes began to well up with tears.
Ryder watched her with great concern. “Brooklyn, I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll get you home as soon as possible. And, if it makes you feel any better, time moves way slower back in your home than it does here. By the time we get you back, it will only be like a few hours have passed.” He smiled and added, “You probably won’t even miss your curfew,” Ryder said with a slight smile.