Loneliness fills my heart and sickness rises in me that is more wretched than anything I have known. A tear streams down my face and unexpected anger is welling up in me.
“Don’t think about it Ivy.” I look around for the source of the voice and no one is there. There is a kindness in the voice and in the scorching hot sand I crumple on my side and let the tears fall.
“Let me put your conscious at ease. You may not know precisely what happened to them but you had nothing to do with it. You didn’t create those creatures and had no control over them. Remember Ivy, no one really dies. They are still alive and you will see them again.”
I sit up with those words and wipe my tears away. Standing to my feet I looked around for the source of the words. They are in my mind but there is no source.
“Don’t be frightened. You are not alone.” The words have the effect of salve on a burn and soothe my fear. I rest my head on Jast’s neck and stroke his velvety muzzle. His breathing is strong and his presence gives me a sense of strength.
“We must get away from here. It’s only a matter of time before the creaturescatch up to us.” We need water and food. How can we go on without any supplies? The trees and pond we have been following are not real.
“It’s just an Oasis.” I say with despair Words form in my mind. “No Ivy. It’s not an Oasis. It is within you and you can call it out. There are hidden places just under the veil that can be called out.”
“How are they called out?” I despair
“The ones who represent the 7 may open the veil”.
“Please tell me. What is the 7?” I ask in frustration “7 is a pure and perfect number and the symbol of life. It represents life and unites the elements of the body with the elements of the soul”.
“I don’t know what that means. Where do I find it? “When you find the answer it will appear to you. I will show you the symbol now but you must find the Refiners Fire. You can find the fire near the Tree Of Life. There you will be shown what to do next.
I forget myself entirely. Forget my insecurity. Forget my doubts and fears. I am overwhelmed. I close my eyes and when I open them there is a soft wind lifting Jast’s mane. The hair is blown upwards and there on his neck is a brand of sorts. It looks like a square with a triangle inside. At first it doesn’t make sense how this is equivalent to 7. I study if for a moment and then the answer jumps out. There are 4 sides to the square and 3 sides to the triangle. 4 + 3 = 7
“Each side of the two shapes adds up to 7. What does this have to do with the veil’?
“It has nothing to do with it and everything. Draw the shape in the sand with your boot and stand back”. I use the toe of my boot to draw an awkward square and a triangle inside of it. At first nothing happens and I can feel myself becoming angry. Then the sand begins to swirl and through the dust I can see something. There in the swirling dust I can make out the gentle sway of palm trees, green grass, fruit trees and a lovely pond fed by a spring. I embrace a love deep inside myself and clear my mind of all else. The world outside turns dark and a glorious light fills my mind. A shiver of electricity flows down my spine and I can smell the sweet fragrance of Jasmine in bloom. There is a surge of energy that comes over me. I open my eyes to find myself inside the Oasis.
I walk around the oasis and take off my boots and jacket. The feel of plush green grass cushions my aching feet and a cool breeze is blowing through the trees. I make my way over to the gently flowing waterfall and spend the next hour washing my hair and taking a much needed bath.
I linger in the warm water and can feel my strength returning. There is a faint but persistent voice in the periphery of my deepest consciousness. It’s seems familiar but so faint that I can’t discern it form my own thoughts. I wish I could describe the feeling of being drawn to my destiny by what seems to be the inner voice of reason.
Having rested for several hours I survey the miles of steaming desert and study the sky. The sun is setting and it’s time to leave this place. We will travel by the cool of the night. Returning to the pool, I filled the water bottles and sit down for a short while longer, relaxing under the shade of trees. We have already lost precious hours and we need to find the entrance to the lower realm.
The last of daylight fades away and dark shadows play on the horizon. A cloud moves swiftly across the sky but our tracks have long been covered by the blowing dust. Dusk deepens and a sultry mist rises from the ground. We are hidden under its veil as we ride into the night. Riding toward what I do not know but we follow the light.
Chapter 7
In the remaining hours before dawn we start to see scrub brush and a change of scenery. There is dry grass and large rocks that become more abundant as we climb upward. We reach a sheer cliff and make our way up the rugged path. When we reach the top I can see the forest below. Miles of trees stretch below like a green sea and it is impossible to see what was beyond.
The trees would provide cover from anything in the sky but it is the apparition in the trees that frightens me most. I dread seeing the man in the suit again. His eyes held a silent rage, and seemed to look into my soul. It felt as though he would rip me apart.
Two horsemen appear at the bottom of the cliff. They are galloping at a fast clip along the field that sits just in front of the dense trees. The first man’s horse is frothy with sweat and the rider is urging it to run faster as they disappear into a bank trees. The second man looks over his shoulder and does not follow the first rider into the trees. He keeps his horse running straight ahead and they eventually become a speck in the distance and then are gone.
I weigh my options . I don’t want to encounter whatever it is that the horsemen were running from and decide to find another trail down the hill. For the better of two hours I pick my way back down the hill. I eventually come out at the far side of the field where the second rider had disappeared. My horse is uneasy and I know he wants to keep moving. I move forward but the woods are ominous and I am afraid of what lurks there.
I decide to keep going and listen to the rustling of the trees. I’m thankful that it’s still daylight but the shadow of the forest makes it seem almost like dusk. The desert was a formidable enemy but I prefer the expanses of boiling sand to the darkness of this forest. The further we ride along the forest the thicker the undergrowth becomes. Jast picks his way carefully over tree roots, stones and sidesteps bogs of dark water.
Somewhere in the woods I hear a shrieking howl. I wonder if it’s a wolf but I have never heard one howl like that. I can feel the wind whispering through the trees and think I can see the glow of eyes from deep in the woods. I search the trees looking for movement but it is quiet. The quiet is more frightening than the sound of the forest. There are dark things beyond the trees and I have a sense the watchful eyes of the dead are everywhere.
I find my knife inside a saddlebag and clip the sheath to my belt. Taking the long blade out I hold the knife across the saddle. I notice the horses that are carved on the ivory handle are glowing and seem to move on their own. This is a blade of the otherworld and seems to have a life unto itself.
Despite the blackness of night, I see shadows dancing in the woods, out of the corner of my eye. I keep my eyes ahead and do not allow myself to look. June used to say if you can feel evil you better not look for the source because your eyes will find something you don’t want to see.
A piercing howl erupts from nowhere and it turns into a high pitched scream. The scream is so loud that it echoes in the forest. Then the faint sound of chanting mingles with the screams. I am chilled to the bone despite the warm temperature. It is going to be a long night and I need to find a safe place to hide.
A chorus of chanting voices echo in a furious tempo. From the bowels of the forest I see a dark figure walking. The overlong arms pull aside branches and the glowing eyes have seen me. I urge Jast into a gallop. Branches lash my face as we pick up speed and my face is bleeding. The ride is rough and I almost am unseated as the horse jumps a log across the
trail. I grab a handful of mane and managed to stay on.
The trail grows narrow and we have to slow to a walk to make our way through the brush. I glance into the forest and it is flickering with light. I dismount and walk off the trail toward a hill that borders the forest. I turn my attentions to the sheer rock wall that is covered with brambles. We walk along the wall and it is solid as far as I can see.
I must find shelter quickly and I stop for a moment and close my mind. I clear my mind and allow all thoughts to leave. I imagine that I am standing in front of an opening in the cliff. I can feel heat being radiated off the rock and then my hand pushes inward. The rock shifts and I lead my horse into a small cave. The cave is dark and smells of musty earth. I refuse to think of spiders or snakes and make my to the far back wall.
The cave is dark and I don’t dare light a fire and draw attention to us. I can hear the steady chanting grow louder and blood curdling screams make me feel sick to my stomach. It seems that madness had erupted in the forest and the dark reality of this place is chilling. I eventually take the saddle off of Jast and put my sleeping bag against the cave wall. Once I am seated on the sleeping bag I search the saddlebags for food. I can feel the knife sheath and take the knife out of it. It radiates enough light for me to see and I place it on my lap.
The bread is fresh and I share it with Jast. After we eat a couple of pieces I find the leather pouch that Tom had given me. I open it and find a book, a letter and a few odds and ends. I open the letter and I am shocked to see Gramma June’s scrawled handwriting.
My sweet Ivy. You probably are wondering wha t’s going on and how those folks got this letter. You gotta trust meand not question what I’m gonna tell you. There is a dark movement that’s coming to destroy everything. When the war started a few months ago the powers of the dark started to be unleashed from the realm of the dead.
It was foretold that they would deceive world leaders into unleashing great destruction on each other. When the great powers fell, the gates between underworld and our world would be breached. The days of evil are coming and the people who are left will be hunted down like animals. The dark creatures of the abyss are waiting for leaders to destroy each other. At the appointed time hell will be unleashed on earth. The old is becoming new again.
You will be a light in the darkness. Long ago you were chosen and you will now be equipped. Each leg of your journey will unlock doors for you. Many beings will help you along the way and many more are trying to destroy you. Follow the light that is in your heart. Things are not what they seem so you gotta be always on guard. Evil may come in the disguise of good and what seems dark may contain light. When all else fails look within yourself for the answers.
Trying to put it all together may seem impossible. You will form strategic alliances. Look in the most unlikely places and they will be revealed. You may find good in what appears evil and evil in what appears good. Trust no one.
Keys are found in many realms. You may cross over into hidden places and times past to find them. Listen for what cannot be heard. Train your sight to see that which is unseen. You may walk into the unseen to find the hidden. To find the path, look back into the past, and make old things new again.
You may find the future in ruins. From times of old there are those who hold pieces of the puzzle. The past survived to the present and holds keys to what you seek now. There is one who holds the key to your future. We will be together again. Grandma June
How can I be chosen when I don’t even believe in myself?I put Gramma June’s letter back in the pouch and look through the rest of the things inside. The book has the appearance of something from another century. The leather is thick and the tooling on it is intricate. There are words etched in the spine that are from an ancient language. On the front of the cover is the symbol of the square with the triangle inside of it. When I open the inside cover there are a few words in Old English and an ancient script below it. A series of symbols are written across the bottom of the page. And along the border are tiny horses that are raised slightly off the page. They match the ones that adorn Anathema. I run my fingers gently over them and get a sense that they are alive under my fingers. I must be losing my mind and pull my fingers quickly off of them. I must be losing my mind to think the horse symbols are alive.
The wise will find the truth. The stars of twilight will be dark when the hidden is illuminated. Ye may look for the light in darkness and there lies the answer.
The paper of the book is yellowed and made of fine parchment. Anxious to find out what it all means I turn the first page and it is blank. I thumb through page after page and find they are all blank.
What does it all mean? Could it be text that is unseen to the naked eye? If that’s the case then where do I find the means to see it? Does this have to do with the refiners fire? Where do I find it? Grandma June was wise even beyond her years. I know she must be protecting me from something.
The sounds outside the cave have subsided. There is a reeking smell of burning flesh. It is sweet smellingalmost like hard candy being cooked in the oven. I hadn’t imagined that the beings here would cook meat to eat. Nothing would surprise me in this place. I slip into my sleeping bag and pull the top over my head. My body is pressed against the cold cave wall and the metal of my knife is pressed against my chest and gives off a shimmering light. I focus on the sound of my horse breathing and soon fall asleep.
Light stream into the cave in early morning. I sit up halfway and look around. My horse is lying down with his legs tucked under him. When he sees me stir he scrambles to his feet and shakes himself like a dog. The cave has the smell of horse and damp earth. It has always relaxed me and my happiest days were spent on horseback. I close my eyes and breathe in the sweet essence.
The saddle blanket had served as a pillow and I shake it out before putting it on Jast’s back. The tinkle of the girth hitting the stirrups as I fling the saddle over his back is the only sound to be heard. With the girth tightened and in place I sling my saddlebags over the back and lead Jast outside.
It’s early morning but as I go outside I notice the sky is grey. The further I ride toward the second realm the darker it has become. There is a haze about much like a winter day in Seattle. I shivered as I settled in the saddle. I wonder what Jen, Bill and the others are doing. No one can predict what Jen will do. She has a mind of her own and I just pray she doesn’t come looking for me.
Jast snorts and paws the ground with unease. A wind rustles the trees and they seem like ominous, living beings. The endless black wilderness before us is unsettling. The forest is haunted and I know that terror waits in the endless darkness. Something is different today. There is an edge to the forest that makes me tense and I can’t help but feel fear as we ride into the twisted branches of the giant pines.
There is a curious feeling in the air that makes me think something is watching us. Something cold, calculating and evil that would love to kill me. I lean down and pat Jast on his shoulder. Easy boy. It’s going to be ok. The words sooth the horse and his head tossing subsides. The words are spoken as much for my benefit as his. I must appear confident and not let my guard down.
I reflect on everything that has happened the past few months. If you had told me a year ago that I would be tracking Lisa in the Underworld I would have said you were crazy. Me. Ivy. I’m the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. I have no family, no education and had no ambition for my life. As a kid I used to steal from the neighbors. When I was 10 I used to lift the barb wire and crawl under the neighbor’s fence at night to steal vegetables from their garden. As I got older I learned to pick locks and would sneakinto people’s homes while they slept. In my mind’s eye I can see the darkness inside the houses. Always on guard and hopingthey didn’t have a dog that would give me away. I was always afraid I would be caught and be sent to a juvenile detention center. All of this trouble just so I could get something to eat.
I usually would stay inside the house I broke into until I
had my fill of food and then sneak back out of the house. One time, as I was leaving a house, I saw a leather jacket. This particular style was the new rage at school and I had been trying to make a few bucks here and there pulling weeds to buy one. As I walked out of the house I just couldn’t resist taking the jacket. It belonged to a girl in my class and she had been so smug the first day she wore it to school. It all seemed so unfair. Ididn’t have any jacket and Melinda had a half dozen at least.
I almost didn’t wear Melinda’s jacket to school the next day for fear I would be caught. I didn’t want to go to the detention center but even more I didn’t want Melinda to know I got my beautiful new coat from her house. I would never be able to face anyone again if they found out. No one said anything and when Jen asked about it I told her my aunt Dottie had sent the coat to me as a gift.
My life after 15 was a series of haphazard jobs, struggling to make money and hooking up with the wrong boys in order to not be alone. My mom went crazy after my sister and brother died and she was passed out most of the time in her room. She took the small check she received each month from social services and bought booze so she could keep herself in a drunken stupor. In many ways I was lucky. I had a friend who loved me and gramma June had become like my mom. That was all I needed in my life. I had just planned on trying to get into college and then all the trouble began with Jen.
Now people are telling me I am something special. I am supposed to be a force to be reckoned with and even feared by enemies. Enemies I have never seen and never knew I had before now. I had wondered for the last couple of years what it would be like if I could start over with a clean slate. It’s funny how things happen to us that we can scarcely imagine. Life is an endless mystery and can change in the blink of an eye.
A dark shape glides through the trees ahead of me. I glimpse burning eyes and then it is gone. No human could move that fast. I sat straight in the saddle not daring to move. My throat tightened and my mouth feels like cotton.
Underworld (Dark Passage) Page 8