“What is that?” she asked. “Did I set off the burglar alarm or something?”
The ringing sound grew louder and more frantic, with small pauses.
“Oh no,” said Sawyer as his face turned white and his jaw tightened. “That’s Geoff! I bet he messed with that key we found!”
“What? What key? What are you talking about?” Jane was sure Sawyer didn’t hear her as he rushed past her and bounded up the steps two or three at a time.
“Geoff’s in trouble, Jane! C’mon!”
“Wait! What? Sawyer, what’s going on?”
She watched from the bottom of the stairs as he charged through the door to the study, trying to process what Sawyer had just yelled to her. Once the door was fully opened, Jane could hear the high-pitched sound more clearly. Someone was screaming. It was Geoff. He was screaming at the top of his lungs. She also heard the rushing sound of a strong wind and there were several bangs and crashes, followed by a loud thud.
“Geoff!” called Jane.
She had never heard anyone scream so loud. Jane followed Sawyer up the steps as fast as she was able. When she rushed into the study she was nearly knocked off her feet by a strong gust of wind. A whirlwind was whipping around, sending loose pieces of paper, boxes, and other objects flying about the room. She could barely hear Geoff and Sawyer shouting over the wind.
“Hang on, Geoff! Hang on!”
“Help! Sawyer! Help me!”
Jane’s hair whipped around her head and stung her eyes. She pushed her hair back and looked about the room, but she didn’t see Geoff or Sawyer.
“Sawyer! Geoff!” she called. She noticed what appeared to be a pale green glow coming from behind some large crates near the back of the room.
“Jane! Over here! Help me!”
The call came from behind the crates, from where the green glow emanated. It was Sawyer, and he sounded like he was under terrible strain. Dodging a box and a couple of books as they flew by, Jane moved toward the glow. When she rounded the last stack of crates she suddenly stopped and stared. She couldn’t believe the scene that lay before her.
“Oh my god!” she cried.
Sawyer had one foot propped against an old stone archway and was straining for all he was worth, pulling on something. The muscles in his arms were taut. He grimaced and shook from the exertion. Jane gasped as she noticed that what Sawyer was so desperately trying to hang on to—it was Geoff’s arm, and only his arm, protruding from the archway. Jane screamed. She couldn’t see where the rest of Geoff’s body should be on the other side of the arch.
A small wooden box struck the side of Jane’s head and disappeared into the archway. She clutched the side of her head, wincing with pain. The intensity of the wind was much stronger here, creating a vortex in which Sawyer struggled to keep Geoff from being sucked into the archway. Jane staggered as she fought to keep her balance against the constant rush of air. She grabbed the edge of a large crate to steady herself as the gust pushed her forward. She moved her hair out of her eyes again and looked at Sawyer, who met her gaze.
“Hurry, Jane! He’s slipping!”
Jane saw Sawyer was indeed losing his grip. Geoff’s arm was steadily disappearing into the archway. Sawyer grunted and strained. “Jane! Help me!” At that moment, Sawyer lurched forward uncontrollably, nearly losing his balance and falling into the archway. He managed to grab it with one hand to prevent himself from being pulled in as he held onto Geoff with his other hand.
“Jane!” called Sawyer again. “I can’t hold him much longer!”
Jane ran to Sawyer, and grabbed him around the waist. She pulled, but felt him slipping from her grasp, so she also placed a foot against the archway to gain more leverage. She thought all three of them were going to be lifted into the air and swept into the archway. She glanced over Sawyer’s shoulder and saw Geoff inside the archway, his body twisting and turning like a leaf in the wind. Behind Geoff, she could see green and gray billowing mists churning and swirling about.
Geoff’s eyes were wide and darted back and forth as the ebb and flow of the swirling mists threatened to swallow him. Jane saw the fear and panic in his face. He screamed as he gripped Sawyer’s arm.
“We’re slipping, Jane! Pull!” shouted Sawyer, his body shaking from the strain. With her arms still around Sawyer, she pushed off the archway with her foot and leaned back, pulling as hard as she could. She could feel Sawyer slowly pulling away from the archway and she saw Geoff’s head and shoulder begin to emerge.
“That’s it. Keep pulling! We got him!”
Jane’s hamstrings began to ache from the exertion, and she felt her foot slip a little against the stone arch.
“Sawyer! I’m slipping!”
“Hold on, Jane! C’mon! Pull!”
Jane arched her back again, pulling with every bit of strength she could summon. It felt as if they were trying to pull a heavy object out of quicksand.
“Jane, grab his hand! Hurry!” shouted Sawyer. Jane blinked, trying to think how she could get hold of Geoff without being sucked in herself.
“I can’t! I can’t reach him!”
“Hurry! Pull!”
With one arm anchored around Sawyer’ waist, she stretched for Geoff’s hand. As she strained to reach him, another strong gust caused her to lose her balance and her foot to slip off the archway. She grabbed Sawyer’s waist with both hands, clawing at his shirt to keep from being swept into the archway, but she was unable to maintain her grip. She screamed as the strong wind lifted her off her feet and she was pulled into the archway with Geoff. The gale force winds that were pulling Geoff now enveloped Jane. Her foot slammed into Geoff’s head as she just managed to seize Sawyer’s leg.
Sawyer grimaced and yelled in pain. The added weight was too much. He also fell into the archway, only barely keeping his grip on both Geoff and the arch. Jane wrapped her arms around Sawyer’s leg and squeezed it. She and Geoff were tossed about like sheets in a breeze, crashing into each other while trying to hold onto Sawyer.
“Sawyer!” called Jane, “Don’t let go! Hold on! Pull!”
“I can’t! I can’t hang on!” Sawyer called.
“I’m slipping! Sawyer!” screamed Geoff.
Jane watched Sawyer take a deep breath and muster whatever strength he had left. He strained against the swirling winds with the added weight of Geoff and Jane clinging to him, but his attempt was futile.
“It’s no good! I can’t pull us out!”
Jane looked at Sawyer. It was all he could do to hold onto the arch. She thought she saw him shake his head. The look on his pain-stricken face was clear.
“Oh no,” sobbed Jane.
She looked into the swirling mists churning all about them. She could see no forms or shapes, only a writhing tempest that had no end. She tried to swallow, but couldn’t. Tears rolled across her cheeks. There was nothing any of them could do now. Jane looked at Geoff. He was sobbing, but she could do nothing to help him.
Jane heard a loud crack followed by another crack.
“Sawyer!” she screamed.
She saw Sawyer’s lips move as he shouted something, but the rushing wind was too loud for her to hear. His eyes met hers as they were suddenly swept away by the powerful winds, screaming and tumbling into the billowing vortex.
Chapter Three
Enchanted Forest
Geoff’s eyes ached. A bright light shined in his face. He winced and closed his eyes while he turned away. His head was spinning, or perhaps he was spinning. Geoff thought he was lying on his back. A loud yet muffled sound drummed in his ears. He groaned and tried to swallow but couldn’t. His mouth was dry. His right shoulder throbbed and felt as if needles were sticking in it.
He lay still a while longer, taking deep breaths. A faint, sweet scent of wildflowers and grass dri
fted over him. Soon the drumming sound dissipated and he thought he heard something else. It was faint, but it sounded like cheerful music.
Is someone whistling or are there birds singing nearby? As he focused, the melody helped him regain his senses. It was calming and somehow lively at the same time. Geoff opened his eyes. He saw lots of flowers. He tried to raise his right arm to shield his eyes from the bright light, but a terrible pain raced from his shoulder down the length of his arm. Sawyer had pulled Geoff’s arm so hard he must have injured some muscles or perhaps even dislocated his shoulder as he tried to keep Geoff from falling.
Wait, thought Geoff. Didn’t he fall? What happened? Since he felt pain, Geoff reasoned that he was indeed alive. He could definitely make out the sounds of birds singing. The birdsongs were harmonious and the golden patch of light on his skin warmed and reassured him.
With some effort, Geoff raised his left hand to shield his eyes as he looked about. The grass he’d smelled was tall and the flowers were an incandescent hodgepodge of yellow, blue, red, purple, and white. He lifted his head and scanned the area around him. Jane and Sawyer lay a few feet away. Beyond them, on all sides, were trees and shrubs with another explosive array of colorful flowers.
Geoff gently rolled onto his left side and propped himself up with his elbow for a better look. He held his right arm close to his body, slightly bent, since it didn’t hurt so much that way. The left shoulder didn’t hurt, but he felt something hard in the grass next to his left hand. He blinked again to focus and looked at the object. It was the white alabaster key from his dad’s study, but it wasn’t glowing now. It wasn’t doing anything. Geoff frowned as his memory started to return.
He remembered Sawyer and then Jane arriving at his house. They had been talking in the kitchen and he went upstairs to clean up the study, beginning with the key. It was lying on the floor where he had dropped it earlier. What harm could there be in picking it up and quickly placing it back in the small bag? If he were quick about it, then there wouldn’t be any strange lights, or wind, or anything.
He was about to shove the key into the bag when he noticed the swirling mists immediately returned to the archway. He thought he saw something in the mists—not just a shape the mists formed, but trees in a forest.
Yes, he had seen a lush, green forest full of colorful, flowering plants. He remembered reaching out to touch a tall purple hyacinth, and before he knew it, he was being pulled or wrenched into the archway. He managed to grab the side, but he began to slip away almost immediately. He remembered Sawyer and Jane rushing to try to pull him to safety.
Thinking of Sawyer and Jane made him look at them again. Jane was lying on her side, her back to him. Her body slowly rose and fell as she breathed. Then he looked at Sawyer, who was sprawled on the ground just a few feet away from her. He was also breathing. Geoff sighed in relief. They were alive.
Where are we? Geoff wondered as he painfully forced himself to sit up. He sighed heavily and looked about. They appeared to be lying in the forest he had seen the archway. Yes, he thought, this is the forest. He rubbed his eyes and looked around again. It really was beautiful. Many of the trees towered overhead to fantastic heights. Their branches formed a thick canopy through which beams of sunlight filtered to the ground below. In the distance rose an awesome and majestic snow-capped mountain range.
Geoff slowly got to his knees, still holding his right arm close to his body. He crawled to Jane and gently shook her shoulder.
“Jane, wake up,” he said. She didn’t stir. He shook her again. “Jane. Hey, Jane.” Jane suddenly took a long, deep breath.
“Huh?” she groaned.
“Wake up, Jane. Are you okay?”
“Geoff? What…what happened?” She grunted and rubbed her temples with her fingertips and she grimaced as if in pain.
“I don’t know, but I think we died,” said Geoff.
“Hmmm? Wha—?”
“Looks like we’re dead and now we’re in heaven or maybe the Elysian Fields,” said Geoff.
“What? The what—? Geoff, what are you talking about?”
Jane sat up but kept her eyes closed, and she clutched her head with both hands.
“Are you okay?” asked Geoff again.
“Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Just a bad migraine. I get them from time to time.” Jane slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes. She blinked several times and scanned the area. “Where are we?”
“I don’t know. The Garden of Eden?” asked Geoff.
“Oh hush, Geoff. Wow, it’s beautiful,” said Jane.
A young doe peered at them curiously from behind a tree as it slowly chewed a mouthful of leaves. On the other side of the clearing, two plump robins flapped about a large shrub and chattered noisily at each other. Jane tilted her head back and rubbed her neck and shoulder. Sawyer was still lying on the ground nearby.
“Is Sawyer okay?” she asked.
“I think so. I’ll check,” said Geoff. He turned and crawled to Sawyer and shook him.
With a snort and a cough, Sawyer opened his eyes. He blinked several times, trying to regain his vision. He also had to put a hand up to shield his eyes from the sunlight.
“Wha…Geoff?” He coughed again and mumbled something that was incoherent.
“Sawyer, are you okay?” asked Geoff as he shook him again.
“Yeah…yeah, okay. I’m up. I’m up.” He raised himself a little, propping himself up on one elbow and looking first at Geoff and then at Jane.
“What happened? Where are we?”
“Good question,” said Jane. “We were just talking about that.” Jane looked about, still rubbing her neck.
“I think we’re dead and this is heaven or something,” offered Geoff.
“Geoff,” said Jane sternly, “stop it. We’re not dead. We can’t be; my head hurts too much.”
“In that case,” said Geoff, “I bet we got sucked through an interdimensional wormhole in the space-time continuum. That could have caused your headache.”
“Aww hell,” grunted Sawyer as he pulled himself to his feet. “You watch too much TV.”
Sawyer wobbled a little and then steadied himself and regarded their surroundings, taking in the beautiful and flourishing forest.
“What’s going on? We were in Geoff’s house and now we’re…here. Wherever ‘here’ is. Hey, wait a minute.” He turned, pointed, and took a couple steps toward Geoff.
“You touched that damn key again, didn’t you? Why did you do that? I know what you did, you went back upstairs and played with that strange key again and got us all sucked into the archway.”
The angry look on Sawyer’s face frightened Geoff.
“I…I didn’t mean to,” he stammered. “I just wanted to start cleaning dad’s study. I thought if I picked it up really fast…then…it would be okay.”
Sawyer took a step toward him, and Geoff scooted backward on the grass.
“You little dweeb,” said Sawyer, still advancing on Geoff. “It wasn’t okay, was it? Take a look around. Where the hell are we?”
“That’s enough,” said Jane. “Leave him alone, Sawyer.” Her voice was louder than usual. “Arguing and fighting isn’t going to help.”
Sawyer stopped and glanced at Jane, who was still sitting on the ground holding her head.
“Are you serious? Look around, Jane. We were in Geoff’s house and now we’re here…lost in the woods. We’re up the creek without a paddle.”
“And how is bullying Geoff going to help?” said Jane in an exasperated tone.
“I’ll tell you how it’s going to help,” said Sawyer. “It’ll make me feel better after I kick his ass.”
“No it won’t,” said Jane. “Leave him alone. I mean it, Sawyer.”
Geoff knew from the tone in Jane’s voice that
she meant business. He noticed Sawyer had realized the same thing as he turned and looked at Jane.
“Alright,” Sawyer said. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine,” she said. “I just need my headache medicine and to lay down for a while.”
She went through her the pockets in her jeans a second time.
“Great,” she said. “I am always losing my medicine. I thought it was in my pocket, but I guess I left it in my purse. Wonderful.”
She let out a long sigh as she eased back and lay on the grass again with an arm across her eyes. Geoff tried to stand up, but lost his balance and fell with a grunt. He grabbed his injured shoulder, which still throbbed painfully.
Geoff glanced at Sawyer. He was looking at Geoff’s sore shoulder, but made no attempt to help.
“My shoulder and arm hurt,” said Geoff. “I think it happened when you and Jane tried to save me.”
After a few moments, Geoff’s dizziness faded until all he felt was a dull throbbing in his head. He rubbed his forehead for a moment.
A pair of brown and white rabbits raced by their feet and stopped at the edge of the clearing. They rose up on their hind legs and sniffed at Sawyer and Geoff, their noses twitching, then they turned and hopped back into the shadows of the forest.
“At least there’s wildlife we can kill and eat if we get hungry,” said Sawyer.
A soft breeze blew, carrying with it the earthy smells of the forest and the aromatic scents of various flowers. Their fragrances were almost intoxicating for Geoff. He found himself standing still staring at the sea of wildflowers all around. There was something relaxing and peaceful here. He had been a boy scout briefly and had been on a few camping trips with his troop. While he had seen some beautiful places in the forest, nothing compared with his current majestic surroundings.
Wizard's Key (The Darkwolf Saga Book 1) Page 3