Saving Earth's Eternal Flame

by Janeen Abdo

  “The Faye folk live in a park outside of Illinois, in the state called Louisiana. We have to go there and it will take weeks walking. We will need to find a horse. But let’s get somewhere safe and make camp”

  “Were not safe walking now? Is the shadows, what are they?”

  “Don’t act as you see them it will draw attention to us, and yes they are dangerous.”

  The gate to exit our town is large. The electric fence completely surrounds us. Wyatt holds up and ID card and the guard let us pass easily, He stares at the ground never looking up at me. We have been walking for hours; my legs are burning.

  I almost am running to keep up with his long strides. He is not even breaking a sweat, envy pours over me. “What do you mean I will get my memories back, since I read the incantation?” Just hoping the whole trip will not be in silence. Just then we reach a break in the cement and grass and trees appear they do still exist. I gasp in amazement, it so beautiful, the trees reach up in the sky and air smells so clean.

  Wyatt is staring at me with a small smirk on face, “you have never seen one have you, a tree and grass?”

  “No. They are magnificent. Are there a lot of places like this, I believed everything was cement now?”

  Trees soaring higher than she can see in the sky and small flowers surround the grasses at the trees trunk. The trunk is so large and round I could never get my arms around it. Grasses so soft, I can’t help but lay in it and roll. I could never get used to the wonderful texture of it and the smell, so fresh and alive.

  “We can set camp here.” Wyatt drops the backpack. I hadn’t even noticed he was carrying, pulls out strange blankets that are thick and warm looking, and calls them sleeping bags.

  How do you know so much about the tools and items of the past didn’t you grow up in Bago, Illinois as I did? They took such measures so we could not repeat the past by taking the past from us.”

  “I am a Timekeeper, been all over the world, I record every second of everyday. There are hundreds of us recording history so it will never be forgotten, only for the humans.”

  “I don’t understand, we are humans, you act as if you're not?”

  “You're not either, I was hoping the incantation would bring everything back to you, I guess it takes time. We are part of the elements, we are in our vessels so we can appear human to them and interact.”

  “Your mother is Gaia, the old woman that appeared to you, although she was in disguise. She’s trapped in a sleep. The humans put her in roughly 500 years ago. She can only communicate in your mind and through Druids, but it weakens her so she cannot stay long in one place. You have been reborn in a human vessel every fifty years for the last 500. It was a punishment for you to live with humans and recognize your crimes against the elements. You were sent to live with them so that when the time comes, you can decide how to heal the Earth. You are the Elemental of nature, Terra. Your sisters are wind, water and fire. The four of you together can wake your mother and then she can heal the Earth and restore you and me to our original forms.”

  “Why are we punished, what crimes did we commit? Were we the only ones forced to stay in human form?” Amazed that she is asking these questions and not if he is insane, the whole story sounds as a fairytale.

  “The most I can say about our crimes are that I helped you and, yes we are the only ones that forced to stay vessel form. The crime we committed is forbidden to discuss that is all I can say. We need to get sleep our vessels will be weakened.

  Terra nods numbly, not sure of what she believes, but if he wanted to hurt her he would have by now. She crawls into the sleeping bag and falls asleep.

  The fog is thick and surrounding her and Wyatt, the shadows are moving in closer to her. I hear them chanting my name and a strange unfamiliar language. As they come closer, I can see the disfigurement of them, they appear as if they were human at one time, but not anymore.

  The sun is rising, and it burns the fog, the shadows scurry to stay hidden. I look at Wyatt and try to remember what he said, strange memories are coming back but not of him, but I have more questions than answers from them. He does have a long strong jaw; she takes note as he sleeps. His dark hair is sticking in all directions now. His straight nose is perfect, his tan enhances his features, he is beautiful. He looks so calm in his sleep and peaceful. I pick at him to wake him.

  “What the hell, there are more pleasant ways to wake someone besides throwing pebbles and poking them awake.”

  “I remember, a woman with long red hair and green eyes like mine. She has skin so white and she is beautiful, but I do not know who she is, but she keeps calling my name telling me to find her.”

  “That would be Gaia in her true form; she is stunning and vindictive, controlling but mother of the Earth all in one.” He hesitates before going on, trying to decide what to tell me. “500 years ago, humans dug up the forests and covering them in cement to build the apartments. They built faster than the mother could heal and the Earth became sick. Gaia became weak and tried to reason with humans and they found a witch. The witch entranced Gaia into an eternal sleep, she cannot be killed but she can sleep forever.”

  Sitting and listening to Wyatt and visions came before my eyes as he spoke. I see me and the sisters holding are hands up as thunderstorms erupted, lighting striking trees creating fires, tornados engulfing cities and trees growing and attacking the humans. Then darkness and laughter, another woman with black hair and ice blue eyes laughing as we become weak using our powers.

  “I have powers and my sisters too,” blurted out of my mouth before I realized it.

  “Yes you control nature, the trees, animals and shifting, but as a human you weaken quickly, moderation is important until you find the balance in your human form.”

  “Can you show me how I do it?”

  “Not really, I have only watched you do it, your sisters can. Wish you could shift into a horse right now.”

  “I can do something like that, are there incantations, or do I visualize, I am getting frustrated.”

  “I thought you would get your memories back at once and I wouldn’t be baby-sitting you. Let’s get moving daylight is burning”

  “All of my memories? Including the crime I committed?”

  Wyatt turned and stared with those steel blue eyes and replied, “No, I doubt the crime will be there for you to remember.”

  Chapter 3: Adrianna

  THE CALM LAKE APPEARS as smooth glass, Adrianna makes her way toward it. Her long transparent form floats on to the water as she looks into the depths. Repeating Terra three times as she closers her eyes and the waters swirl around her.

  “She’s in action and why is she with Wyatt, will they never learn.” Adrianna shakes her head, disappointment clear, “Maybe mother will send her to me.”

  The image fades and as she turns she notices the tall blonde figure approaching. Transparent as she but not near as tall. Wide masculine stance as arrogance flows off of his gait toward her.

  “My Horardo, you’re not wasting time, she has only just awaken and probably no memories yet and you’re here why?” Adrianna asks defiantly

  “She is betrothed to me, where is she, how long before she gets here?” Horardo snaps

  “You will know in time, get off my beach Timekeeper, I do not answer to you.”

  “I will get off your made up beach, when you tell me what you saw.”

  “Jealous, I can create a beach and you can only record it.”

  “It’s an illusion; maybe if it was real, I’d be jealous. What did you see?”

  “She is awake and heading to the Faye Queen, we will have to see who she sends her to, that is all I seen.”

  “That is not all.”

  “I don’t care, you're boring me, leave before an illusion of a typhoon strikes you down,” smiling as she says this as the idea pleases her.

  A grunt and sneer is all Horardo can respond as her storms come to life in the mirage. Strutting out as cocky as he strutted in but not
any wiser of where his betrothed is.

  Adrianna stared into her pool of waters thinking of a time when life was not so complicated. Terra was the most loved, she was full of life and compassion. Adrianna preferred that she received all the attention, that gave her time to walk through the waves, just live carefree. Remembering a time before the humans ruled, and they feared the Elementals.

  Her pools showed her where hers sisters were and Wyatt was taking Terra straight to Adara the Faye Queen and keeper of the birds and lover to many Timekeepers. Adara has no love for the Elementals but she cannot lie and she has never lured Wyatt into her bed. This is the angle Wyatt used to find out what they need to know where Mother truly is being kept. Terra the secret to unlock everything and her punishment has gone on so much longer than it was supposed to have gone. The humans destroyed everything and Mother vanished. Seraphina, the Elemental of Fire and Verniella for Air, have gone went separate ways due to mistrust. Terra must be able to bring us all back together or the Earth will die soon.

  Adrianna feels the tears coming to her eyes as she looks though another pool of water and sees her oceans now just dry craters. They were once so exquisite, deep blue waters, so many life forms living within the waters. Her pets are but gone now, her hope that the Faye’s kept one of each. Once Terra can bring us together and Mother, Father will find forgiveness, they can create our pets again, life can be as it was, as it should be.

  Adara will guide her, but there will be a price. The Queen of the Faye never forgave the Mother and Father for not interfering; they could have prevented this destruction. I could have wiped the armies out with my storms and floods, they would not allow me. They used the Timekeepers to write us out of the stories so we could arrive once it was too late. The armies and fires, the humans just fighting amongst themselves for power and control, they killed everything we preserved, that we used to help keep them alive. Father created them with their own ability to choose and they always choose greed and wars. I so wanted to drown them all, Father would not hear of it.

  Seraphina, wanted them to burn, she wanted to start her forest fires and bring the sun in closer so the humans could feel the same pains our Earth endures. They seem at peace now in their little states; where once oceans separated the land masses, a few ponds, and lakes are left. The swamp in Louisiana, protected by the Faye’s, their doorway is there and she will explain. Whether she is ready for it, she will explain. We are growing weaker and the Earth is dying. If Mother is not released soon, we will perish and all the Fathers creations will be destroyed.

  Adrianna closed her eyes and pictured Seraphina, and repeated her name in mind over and over, please answer me Seraphina. Candles around her beach lit, and a voice came to her. “Adrianna, I know it’s time, I too watch our little sister and am watching over her. We will be together soon. I have spoken to the Faye Queen she will send her to me. I have watched over Wyatt all this, he knows to call and I will come when needed.”

  “Seraphina, so good to hear you, I knew if anyone kept a close eye on her it would be you. Horardo has already come to try to claim her again; we have to prevent this marriage Mother wants. He will never make her happy.”

  “Horardo is wasting his time. He has already betrayed Terra. We will take care of Mother, has it really been so long that she has forgotten about true love, Father still is her obsession. They will come around, she will be asking for our forgiveness for punishing Terra for following her heart.”

  “Time is what the Timekeepers have and, I don’t understand why Horardo was chosen, Kaleb, Zachariah and even Wyatt show more promise than he does. First, we must find Mother and reunite her with Father, then deal with Horardo. We will protect Terra. What of Verniella, she was angry to say in the least that Mother still chose Terra to be the next in line. Always a competition with V,” Adrianna, sighed and thought about her other sister, the angry one is how most of the Timekeepers spoke of V.

  “V will come around; she still loves Terra as we do. The Faye Queen will send Terra to me and we will be together again and punish the humans and dark witches. They will know to fear us, the volcanos will erupt and oceans will come back. We will rule again Adrianna and the Earth will heal and be happy again.”

  Silence came, and the candles went out, Adrianna senses her sister left. This separation was devastating to her. To keep the witches from trapping anymore of us in deep sleep, we have to stay hidden. The white witches still try to protect our secrets from them, but they are few, greed and power has destroyed many of them and they turn dark. They don’t understand the shadows will consume them and they will be trapped for eternity. The soul cannot be destroyed, yet to keep the shadows at bay and we have to bring the true magic back into the earth.

  Chapter 4: The Journey

  THE JOURNEY IS THE furthest Terra has been from her state, all so overwhelming. The little old woman in the alley; Wyatt’s tales of Elements and Timekeepers, the shadowy figures he keeps me hidden from, I am not sure what to believe and what not. The fragments of memories coming in my head tell me to follow him. I am not sure where he is taking me and he certainly is not a talker. Maybe he hates me for whatever I did to earn this punishment. I find myself staring at him often, it’s hard not to. His profile is so strong, the defined jaw, sharp nose and round full lips and those blue eyes are mesmerizing; and he just caught me staring again.

  “Something you want to ask me?” His eyebrows perked up. He knows I keep staring at him and he keeps catching me.

  “Where are we going?”

  Wyatt takes a deep breath “I told you to see the Faye”

  “I do not know where that is.”

  “Technically you do not know where anything is outside your little town, unless you are getting your memories,” slight hint of hope came to his voice.

  “Not really, I get images in my head and strange dreams of people I have no idea who they are.” Terra takes a deep breath, “Could the Faye Queen be one of the people in my dream?”

  Wyatt turns and looks into Terra’s green eyes, her long black hair blowing through the winds. “It would not be a pleasant dream; you two hate each other”

  “Why would she help me then, why do I hate her?” the irritation from trying to dig answers out of him is exhausting.

  “You both have a common destiny and you will have to work together for either of you to succeed. You hate her because she slept with your betrothed.”

  “I am betrothed?” Fear just filled Terra’s stomach. I am not ready for marriage, and I have never even kissed a boy let alone be in an arranged in a marriage to one.

  Wyatt did not answer, continuing his focus on the desert lands, the sun is so hot and stopping to rest is not an option with this man. Why would he give me that tidbit of information on my past but nothing else? He makes me so uncomfortable, I cannot stop looking at him and each time he looks at me he just gets tense.

  “Are those trees up ahead?” There are large trees appearing, as if from nowhere, just a small oasis of them. “Is that a mirage?”

  “They are real; watch your step we are coming up on the swamp lands, the last of them on the Earth.”

  “I have heard of the swamps, they cause disease and death,” I tried to keep my voice from quivering.

  “That is a legend the Faye’s kept humans away. Watch for the Dead trees, they will cross over each other and form a W.”

  “Why a W, is there a reason for it?”

  “The Faye’s live in a different dimension as we do, call Wondra, and the W is where the door way is.”

  As the swamp approaches I see the green on the water, it looks similar to plants or algae, my mother used to paint in pictures of the ocean. She always explained that it once fed the ocean creatures. The trees coming out of the swamp are white and the trunks are knotty and bend in different ways. There are so many and they go in all directions, how will they find a ‘W’ in this. There are trees on lush green grass behind them. The leaves are full and the smells are unusual, fresh and clean
smell. Then I hear a brrrpt, brrrpt brrpt and then silence again.

  “Wyatt, what is that sound?”

  “The mating calls for bull frogs that live in here. There is but one left, his call is never returned. He never gives up though he continues to make the call every mating season.”

  I am not sure why I feel heartbroken to this information; I don’t know what a bullfrog is. This mating song it does and waits for the response is so beautiful, I hate there is no answer for him. That would make music if there was a response.

  “This way, it’s the W” Wyatt pulls me from the bullfrog trance.

  The size is massive; it is the biggest of the dead trees. The pale bark glows under the canopy of the living trees surrounding it.

  Wyatt is looking at me with sympathy; at least an emotion. “You must swim into the swamp, on the left side of the W. I told you the Faye queen and you hate each other. Adara will help us but she will know you have not received your memories yet. She will give them to you; while you swim into her realm. You will not get happy memories at first. You must be strong and withstand the memories as you swim, if you do not survive the swim our Earth will die, she will aid no one but you. Do you understand what I am saying Terra, the queen will want to recognize you are up to the part or she will let you drown.”

  Terra’s green eyes narrowed, “You said an Elemental could not die and couldn’t you help me if I have problems?”

  Wyatt’s deep breath caused chills to run through Terra, she knows she will not like what he has to say. “I will not be on the same path as you; we will meet up in Wondra. You must take the left door, and I must take the right door. The Faye queen is not above watching the Earth end if you do not prove you can handle the pains of your life. I wish I could prepare you for what she will show you, but I honestly do not know.”