by Ainsley Shay
He propped his feet on the coffee table and rubbed his thighs. “Have you gone into the maze yet?”
Instead of answering, I started crying. I wanted to run into another room and slam the door. Slam out the sound of his voice. But, there was nowhere to go except the bathroom.
Chandler got up and guided me back to the couch. “Old man Yves has got to have a bottle of something around here.” He went to the kitchen and started opening cabinets. “Ah hah.”
I heard the clinking of glasses and liquid being poured. When Chandler handed me the glass of what I knew would most likely scorch my throat, and hopefully bring me into a state of calmness, I downed the contents of the glass. I squeezed my eyes shut until the burn in my chest eased.
Chandler drank his glass without wincing, and I had to admit, I was a little jealous. “Chandler.”
“Yeah?”
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know exactly.” He took my empty glass and his and went to refill them. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to duck out of the conversation, if he really wanted another drink, or he was trying to get me drunk and pass out. I was thinking the latter.
The poison went down easier the second time. The third eased down my throat like I was a pro.
“Are you trying to get me drunk?”
“Hardly, just relaxed.”
Well, that, it was certainly doing. I could feel the tension in my body ease, but my mind fought the urge and began to swirl. “Chandler, did you purposely bump into me the morning we met?”
“If I recall, you bumped into me.”
The alcohol loosened so many of the thoughts that had happened in the last two weeks. They’ve intertwined and wound so tightly since my dad’s death. I’ve been a massive ball of mixed up emotions, and part of so many new events and people in my life, that thought brought me to a new one... there were so many new people in my life in the last couple of weeks—including the guy sitting next to me now. I tried to scoot a little to the right, away from him, but he put his hand on my leg.
“Where you going?”
I was too relaxed to fight the movement and stayed next to him.
“Iris, what are you thinking about?”
The alcohol made my tongue a word-vomit-slide for my mouth. I found myself saying things that if I were not on the verge of being intoxicated, would never have been said. “A million things and nothing, all at once; none of it seems to make any sense; and, right now, I’m not sure I want it to; it’ll only make everything I’m feeling cloudier; and I already don’t understand most of it; I’m rambling, aren’t I?” I closed my eyes and heard Chandler’s faint laugh.
“You are, but all of it makes perfect sense.”
Questions, that even as I asked them, I knew I would regret later. “What does the statue mean? Who are they?” My arms flopped as I tried to make quotes around the word they. “What do they want from me?”
I don’t think he ever answered me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer.
“Does Skelside exist?”
I felt his body stiffen against mine. “Shhh...”
“Will you ever tell me how you know about my dreams?”
“One day.”
I could hear myself fumbling through my words. “Mr. Yves told me about Lord Darenfys today. He doesn’t seem so bad.”
“Trust me, he is.”
As I heard Chandler’s last words, I faded into another place, and my only semi-conscious hope was that it wouldn’t be Skelside.
21
My scream woke me. Skelside had once again welcomed me with open arms. I looked up to see the ceiling fan above my bed and wondered what had happened last night and how I had gotten into bed. I sat up, and my head was fuzzy and filled with an instant headache.
A rush of wind startled me, and before I knew what was happening, strong arms were around me, soothing sounds whispered in my hair. Chandler’s earthy cologne became very evident, and I realized then he had never left. I wasn’t sure if I was pissed or pleased. His arms were comforting, so I’d save the pissed part for later.
I let him hold me. “What are you doing here?”
“I didn’t want to leave you... unguarded... last night. You were a little—”
“Out of it!” I pushed away to look at him. My yelling had brought another bout of pain to my already pounding skull. “I wonder how I got like that.”
“Easy there, I was just trying to help you relax.”
“Well, I think you accomplished that.”
“I was only hoping to stall the nightmares so you could actually rest.”
All of it started to come back to me: the conversation with Mr. Yves, the questions I had asked Chandler, the bare answers he gave me, and the nightmare of being in the maze. I shivered, and Chandler again pulled me against him. “Why are you here and why should I trust you? You see how desperate I am and still, you refuse to tell me anything. And... you’re still creepy.”
He laughed and let go of me. His hands smoothed over the length of my arms. “Hey, look at me.”
I tilted my head up, and for some reason other than the fact that he looked serious for once, I was about to believe whatever he said next.
“Iris, I’m on your side.”
I got out of bed, and looked down at what I was wearing, hoping he hadn’t taken it upon himself to put me in my jammies. I was wearing the same clothes I was when I left for school, minus my shoes.
“What? Did you think I’d stripped you down to your panties and bra when I tucked you in?”
“I have no idea! That’s the thing—I don’t even know you.” I went into the bathroom and slammed the door. “Why are you so frustrating?” The door shook the rack above the toilet and sent what felt like a sledgehammer through my skull. I splashed water on my face and combed my wet fingers through my hair. I found a bottle of aspirin in the medicine cabinet and poured two in my hand.
When I came out of the bathroom, Chandler was in the kitchen. He had laid out two bowls with spoons on the counter and was taking out the milk. He poured the milk into the bowls.
“What are you doing? Getting ready to feed kittens?” I filled a glass with water and swallowed the aspirin.
He ignored me and rummaged through the cabinets until he found the cereal. He turned to me and held up the box. “Is this the only cereal you have? A generic brand of Grape Nuts.” He shook his head and poured the cereal into the bowls. “Where’s the sugar?”
I pointed behind him to the bowl with a lid, sitting next to the coffee maker.
He turned around and picked up the lid. “You have got to be kidding me. Cubes?” Curses came out of his mouth in a whispered wave of rants. He put three cubes in each of the bowls and then pushed one of the bowls toward me. “Eat. It’ll help your headache and tame the beast in your stomach.”
I had noticed my stomach was growling, but I didn’t think it was that loud. I picked up the spoon and took a bite without a lump of sugar. “Why do you pour the milk in first? That’s just weird.”
In between bites, he said, “Not weird. I like my cereal to stay crunchy; normal cereal that is. If I knew all you had was Grape Nuts, the official break-your-teeth cereal, I would have poured the milk over it.”
I was mad at Chandler, but I couldn’t help the laugh that broke through my anger.
“From your ramblings in your drunken state last night, I know you’ll figure all this out soon. In the meantime, I’ll look after you to make sure you’re safe.”
“Why? Why do you even care if I’m safe?”
Again, he hadn’t answered me. I trembled as I remembered exactly how I had felt what Catherine was feeling, in the dream. It was like I was losing myself to all of this madness of this unrealistic world, where fallen angels and damsels in distress lived. I had so many questions, and each seemed to spawn a new one. There were three that were the most important I get answers to: who killed my dad, what did they want with me, and why me? The other thousand wou
ld have to wait.
After our breakfast, Chandler told me to get ready for school and he’d be back in time to drive me. Before I could argue, he had closed the door behind him. I texted Snow and told her I’d meet her at school. When it came to my best friend, I had a lot of explaining to do. The problem was I didn’t know where to begin. Besides her concern for me, her first question would be why Chandler took me to school. There was no way I’d tell her that he had comforted me last night, or got me drunk, or put me to bed. Even though nothing had happened, the guilt was as heavy as backpacking with an elephant on my shoulders.
I managed to brush my teeth, change, and do a quick make-up job before Chandler came back. He walked right in as though we were roommates or something. “Don’t you—” All my anger faded when I saw what he held, coffee from the cafe.
He set it on the kitchen counter. “This should help you get through the day.”
“Thanks.” I walked toward the nightstand and opened the drawer. My journal was where I’d left it, and I hoped Chandler had not helped himself to it last night when I was sleeping.
“What’s that?”
I hesitated before answering, but then realized he was the only one who knew about my dreams, and the only one I felt I could tell. “It’s the journal I started when I realized the dreams where... more than random.”
He nodded and pushed his hands into his pockets.
“My third period is study hall and I was going to use that time to write last night’s.”
“Was it bad?”
I lowered my head. “Yeah.”
He came over to me then, and put his arms around me. Everything again came spewing back into my thoughts and I started to cry. “I’m sorry.” The journal was a wedge between us. I pulled away from his embrace. “Why can’t you tell me what’s happening to me?”
“It doesn’t work like that. I can only tell you so much. There are things that I can’t remember, only glimpses of the past, most of it I worked very hard to forget. The future is even sketchier. But, hey,” he wiped a tear from my cheek, “this will all come to an end. I just can’t see what that end will be... or when.”
“I’m losing myself, aren’t I?”
“I won’t let that happen.”
His words were soft and I wanted so desperately to believe them.
I was thankful Snow was already in class when Chandler and I arrived. My head still hurt and I dreaded the barrage of questions from her. Thankfully, third period came fast. My phone had chirped in my bag and I thought it would be Snow. But, it was Blacwin. The text said, “Are you free later?”
My heart swelled and I quickly typed, “Yes.” I hated his last words, but I really liked him. Maybe, just maybe, he’d kiss me again.
Blacwin: Where and what time should I pick you up?
Me: At school. 2:30
Blacwin: See you then
I knew Chandler would not be happy with me seeing Blacwin, but he’d get over it. I texted him and told him that I had a ride home. His response was quick, “With who?”
Me: No one you know
Chandler: Don’t bet on it
Me: ;-})
Chandler: What the hell is that?
Me: A winking man with a mustache - duh...
Chandler: I’ll check on you later
Me: You r so protective
Chandler: You have no idea }:-(
Me: What the hell is that?
Chandler: Me - ANGRY! Duh...
I tucked my phone back in my bag before Mr. Hankins saw it, and took out the journal. I found myself writing more than just the dream. I had a feeling that my journal was going to be filled with more than just dreams. I needed to find a way to release some of the feelings and questions overloading my mind.
19 days after ~
I’m worried that I am becoming Catherine. It’s like we’re merging into one being. I don’t remember laying my head on the pillow last night, but I do remember the dream. I love the colors, the bursting of vibrancies behind my eyes. But, I’m beginning to wonder if they’re worth it. My gray world is safe. At least it was until my father was killed. Now, I don’t know what to expect.
The dream:
The atmosphere was different this time. I not only watched but this time, I felt. I felt all of it. It started with the thousand wilted petals lying in a heap at my bare feet. They were soft and moist, and dead. Their colors dulled by death. Movement caught my eye, and I glanced up and saw a petal float down from the tree and land with the rest, where it would wither and turn dark and un-beautiful. I looked up and the mouth of the maze gaped at me.
Cold air swept around me and I hugged my arms around my waist. In the sky, birds glided on the wind’s current. No, not birds, creatures. They circled above me. With each loop they made, they spiraled closer to the ground. Closer to me.
His laugh was raspy as he strode up behind me. I suddenly turned around to face him. Unconsciously, I stepped back until my back was against the wall of the maze.
“No need to be afraid, my little one.” Lord Darenfys said.
He looked up at the winged creatures and sighed. “I love watching the way their wings ride on the wind.” He sighed. “Ahh... I do miss flying.”
“Are they your pets?”
“Oh, no child. They are the creatures of Skelside. You can’t train them. They never come down from the sky. They just stay up there and make sure all is as it should be.”
“And this is how it should be?”
Behind him, a storm hoarded its fury, preparing to bear down on earth. Its long, wicked, bright fingers branched out. “Oh, yes. This is exactly how it should be.” His sinful laugh was boisterous, like a knife pulled back, ready, and eager for the strike.
I said nothing.
“I’m so pleased you came.” He clapped his hands together, clearly delighted with himself. “Didn’t you love the riddle? It was such a joy to write. I haven’t written in years.”
His cheeriness sickened me. “As I recall, I didn’t have a choice.” I turned to look at the maze, and when I looked back at him, my face must have pleaded the obvious. Please don’t send me in there. I felt the last edge of hope when I saw the way he looked at me. But, as he waved his hand toward the maze’s entrance and said, “Go, now,” I had lost every ounce of hope.
“Why can’t you get whatever is in there yourself?”
“Now, where would be the fun in that?”
There was a reason he hadn’t gone into the maze. Was it the creature? Whatever it was, I was getting ready to find out. “Why don’t you send one of your guards in?”
He spread his arms. “Again, where’s the fun? They would happily obey my command if I told them to do so. But this—you—is so much more entertaining.”
Two guards had accompanied him. For a brief moment, I wondered what their faces looked like under the helmet. Why the full helmet at all? It wasn’t like they were in battle.
When I looked at the guard standing to the Lord’s right, I recognized his eyes immediately. He was the same who warned me last night but had done nothing to save me. I gave him a scornful look. I felt betrayed even though I had never earned his loyalty.
Lord Darenfys eyed me skeptically and glanced over his shoulder at the guard. “Is there something I should know about?”
“No, my Lord,” said the guard as he stared straight ahead at nothing. I stayed silent. Lord Darenfys’ face did not look like he believed him. But, he had not pushed it further, and I was grateful for that. I guess I should have been slightly grateful for the guard’s response, but I wasn’t. He was nothing but a coward.
Something in the maze howled, and I jerked my head toward the entrance. I took several steps back and bumped into Lord Darenfys’ horse. Startled again, I staggered to get away from him. Survival mode kicked in and I ran. I ran as fast as I could. My bare feet were cut as I stepped on jagged rocks. They sank into the wet earth. I yanked up the hem of the dress and kept running until strong hands grabbed me around the waist
and my back slammed into a chest of steel, knocking the wind from my lungs.
He lowered me to the ground for me to catch my breath. Tears that I had tried desperately to hold back, fell, and I began sobbing. Weakness brought me to my knees. A hand tightened around my upper arm and lifted me up. I was face to face with the guard. His eyes, which were the color of night, had softened, and I thought I could see remorse and regret in them. I could not see his mouth, but heard the faintest whisper. “Forgive me.” He firmly held my arm as he walked me back to Lord Darenfys.
Lord Darenfys shook his head and t’sked. He took my hands in his and looked at me with distrust and discouragement in this expression. “I promise you, you will never do that again.”
The fight in me was gone. He turned me at my shoulders and nudged me forward with his boot into the maze.
With walls of leaves surrounding me, I forged ahead. Dark clouds floated over the moon and the only light had disappeared. I felt along the leafed wall. A thorn pricked my finger and I cried out. I sucked the blood from the tip.
I heard a harsh laugh behind me and thought Lord Darenfys had followed me into the maze. When I looked back, no one was there except the guard. The only thing keeping me from running out of the maze was the fact I didn’t trust that Lord Darenfys had left. His sick, demented humor would keep him perched here all night, or until I came out.
My cries were lost in the roar of thunder. Raindrops began to fall. I started running. I didn’t know why I ran, just that I did, into the darkness until I hit a dead end. The dress was cumbersome, and the bodice was extra tight, but after I had caught my breath, I trudged onto another path. It led me deeper into the maze, and I hoped it would be the right one that led to its center. I tried to remember the way so I could get out, but it was impossible. Each path seemed to lead to a dead end, until finally, I came upon a large open space. In the center of the courtyard was a well. Relief. Get the stone and get out. The growl came from behind me. Fear swallowed my short-lived relief in one gulp.