by D. C. Akers
“Yeah, in the box there was a letter addressed to her from someone named Holly.”
“Who’s Holly?”
“Well, if I knew that I wouldn’t have said ‘someone named Holly,’” Sam said sharply.
“Oh, yeah, right,” Travis said as he walked toward the box. “Is it safe to pick it up?”
“Yeah, I think so. I don’t think the box did anything. I think it’s more what the letter says that makes things happen.”
“What do you mean?” Travis asked.
“Read the letter,” Sam said pointing to the box.
Travis bent down and grabbed the letter and began to read it to himself. Sam continued to look in disbelief at the damage a baseball could do to a garage.
When he finished reading, Travis looked up from the letter with a puzzled look in his eyes.
“What is Narra—”
“Don’t say it!” Sam yelled out! “Are you crazy? You want to get us killed!”
“That’s the word you used to stop it!” Travis said defiantly.
“Yeah, and it’s also the word I used to make it happen in the first place, so don’t say it!”
Travis looked back down at the letter and then at the box. He slowly bent down and picked up the pouch.
“What’s in here?” he asked.
Sam shrugged. “Don’t know, take a look.”
Travis opened the pouch and pulled out one of the slivers of black onyx.
“Wow, that’s pretty cool.”
He touched the tip of the long triangle.
“Man, that would hurt if you fell on it. Looks like there’s quite a few of these things too,” Travis said.
“Eleven,” Sam replied.
“Weird. Odd number …”
“Everything is odd about that box,” Sam sighed. “There’s some kind of picture in there too, but I don’t know what it is.”
Travis put the crystals back into the pouch and placed it back in the box. He glanced at the picture, but it was the ring that caught Travis’s attention.
“Whose ring is this?” he asked, holding it up.
Sam moved closer, stepping over the wooden beams and around the bikes. “I’m not sure,” he said.
Travis brought the ring closer to his face to take a better look. He examined it carefully, scrutinizing every detail. Then he stopped and gazed up at Sam. “There’s something written on the inside,” he said.
Sam met his gaze. “What? How did I miss that? What does it say?”
Travis looked back down at the ring and swallowed, then spoke with a slight hesitation, knowing that what he was about to say was going to hurt.
“It says: Rylan, a Keeper of faith.”
Travis looked up at Sam. His cheeks were flushed and he had a solemn blank stare on his face. The words hung in the air and for a brief moment there was silence.
“My father?” Sam said in a broken whisper.
Sam hadn’t spoken of his father much, but Travis knew how he felt about him. Travis felt the same way about his parents. Just because you didn’t speak about them didn’t mean you weren’t thinking about them.
He handed the ring over to Sam and purposely began sifting through the scattered remains of the garage, trying to busy himself and give Sam a moment.
Just then, the back door sprang open and Sarah marched onto the porch. Her cell phone was to her ear in one hand and the other was waving in the air. Sam jumped in surprise and quickly shoved the ring into his pocket.
“That’s fine Barry. FINE! But if you didn’t want to date me any more, all you had to do was man up and say so! You didn’t have to cheat on me, you CREEP!”
Sarah began pacing back and forth.
“Scared!” she yelled. “I’m not scared of being alone! The only thing that scares me is that someone might hate me as much as I loathe you. And just for the record, you’re not as cool as you think you are! I hate that stupid football jersey you always wear, and you’re dumb, and there is no cure for that, Barry!”
Sarah pulled the phone from her ear, and pressed the End button with so much force Sam thought she might snap the phone in half.
“What a loser!”
Sam and Travis stood there in silence. Sam still clutched the ring in his pocket. He rocked back and forth, hoping Sarah would be too flustered to see the wreckage they were standing in.
Sam looked over at Travis, who stood staring at Sarah with a devilish grin. There was a small part of Travis that actually enjoyed seeing that. Maybe not the fact that she was hurt, but the fact that there was no more Barry in her life.
Sam was trying to get Travis’s attention when he finally snapped out of his trance. He quickly took to surveying the area once more as if he had heard nothing.
Sarah shoved her cell phone into her pocket and turned to walk back inside when suddenly she stopped. Slowly, she turned her head and her mouth fell open as she looked over the strung out contents of the garage.
“What in the world did you do, Sam?” she asked, flabbergasted.
Sam stood dumfounded, his mind searching for the perfect explanation.
“I … um …”
“Um, what, Sam?” she said. “It looks like the garage threw up on you! Mom is going to kill you!”
“Yeah, but … you see …”
“Uh, yeah, I do see. I see that you’re going to be grounded for the rest of your life if you don’t clean up this mess before Mom gets home!”
Sarah shook her head, turned, and walked back into the house. “Men—they can’t do anything right!” Sam heard her say to herself.
He stood staring at the back door as it slammed shut and the familiar feeling of utter failure crept back over him.
Nothing ever works out as it should, he thought. Nothing!
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his dad’s ring. He stared at it for a moment before walking over to the porch steps and sitting down.
The red ruby glistened in the sun as he moved it around in his fingers. The inscription was rough to the touch as he ran his finger around the inner band.
“You know, I never even met him,” Sam said softly. “My father, I mean. How can you miss a person you’ve never even met?” He sighed. “I guess that sounds pretty pathetic, huh?”
Travis turned, walked over to Sam, and sat down next to him on the porch. He brought his legs to his chest and placed his chin on his knees.
“It’s not pathetic, Sam,” he said.
“Oh, isn’t it?” Sam said, staring at the ring.
“No, but maybe it’s a wanting feeling, more than a missing one, and there is nothing pathetic about wanting things to be different.”
Sam brushed away a tear that began to fall down his cheek and cleared his voice, trying to keep his composure.
“There is just so much about him that I don’t know. I mean, my mother never goes into any great detail; we barely talk about him. And now I find this hidden box with his ring and a letter from her past. And let’s not forget the magic spell, or whatever the heck that was. It’s like the older I get, the more questions I have and nobody wants to talk about it.
“Sometimes when I’m with my mom it feels like the whole room is filled up with everything we don’t say to one another. It’s like I don’t know who we are—like there’s some kind of big secret and I’m the only one that’s not in on it.”
Travis turned and looked over at Sam. “I’m not sure what your mother is thinking, but whatever it is, Sam, I’m sure she has her reasons. She loves you—she loves you and Sarah, and she’s trying so hard to take care of you. It can’t be easy on her either, and what’s worse is she did know your dad. She loved him for years and then he was gone. Imagine that pain. Maybe she doesn’t want to relive that—maybe it just hurts too much.”
Sam could hear the pain in Travis’s voice. He wasn’t sure if Travis was still talking about Sam’s mother or his own family. Either way, he knew what it was like to want something you could never have again.
Both Sam and
Travis sat for a few moments longer, staring into the garage, thinking about nothing and everything all at once.
The sun had moved behind the house by the time they began to straighten up the garage once more. The hours passed quickly with two people working on the mess and before Sam knew it, he was done again.
There was more trash on the curb than before and less stuff in the garage. The holes in the roof of the garage were patched with leftover particle board they had found in the corner. It would probably leak, but it was the best they could do for now.
Travis helped Sam carry the last of the garbage to the curb. The pile was huge; it looked like the Dalcomes were moving. Barron had already made his way from across the street to investigate the foreign rubbish.
The boys walked back up the driveway to the garage and Sam reached down and picked up his mother’s box from the ground. He had already placed all the items back in the box and sealed the lock.
“So what now? Are you going to say something to your mom?” Travis asked.
Sam was so frustrated. He was struggling between what he wanted to know, and what he needed to know.
“I’m not sure I have a choice, Travis. I need to know what’s happening and she obviously knows something about all this. And maybe she knows something about the stranger too.”
Chapter 5
Gordon Delcour stood watch in the narrow passageway of the cavern. He had removed the ridiculous Earth attire he had been wearing and placed the pants, shirt, and long coat at the mouth of the cave. Now he was fully dressed in his Keeper scout attire. The black body suit felt snug and secure, like a second skin. The weight of the light armor felt familiar, just the way he liked it.
He had only been on Earth for a few days but he was absolutely sure he didn’t like it. It was hot and the land was flat—unlike Haven with its rolling hills, endless streams, lakes, and mountain views. Gordon missed those views, but most of all he missed the ocean. He didn’t know how Alisa Dalcome had stayed hidden here for so long. But perhaps if traveling to Earth was the only way to protect his children, then maybe he would have done the same.
Gordon knelt down and lit a trail of Kamber Stones throughout the entrance of the cavern. He took a stone and rubbed it in the palm of his hand until it gave off a diminutive green glow. The friction from his hand would keep the stones illuminated for hours.
Now that Holly had arrived, Gordon was instructed by Xavier to guard the cavern and wait for reinforcements. He had spent most of the morning keeping a watch on the back of the house while Holly protected the front and Xavier followed Alisa to work. When evening rolled around, Xavier had sent a scroll ordering Gordon to return to the cavern. Alisa would be returning home soon, and together Holly and Xavier would look after the Dalcomes and try to keep them safe. Once the reinforcements arrived they would be divided into two groups, one to protect the Dalcomes, and the other to search for any traces of the alleged Viper.
Gordon had never seen a Viper before; most people hadn’t in real life. Vipers were dark mystical creatures conjured from the spirit world, soulless banshees with the ability to transform from a corporeal being to a non-corporeal being at will. It was said that only the strongest magic could kill them, magic that was rumored to have died out centuries ago. Vipers had only one known weakness—they must feed on the living to walk amongst the living. Starvation was the quickest way to kill a Viper. It was the way they had been killed in the breeding camps back in the Great War, and it would most likely be the way they would have to be killed again.
The notion of hunting a Viper made Gordon’s skin crawl. It was one thing to fight an adversary head on, but to fight something that attacks from the shadows with such ferocity you don’t even have time to scream before you die? Well, that was different. There was a reason why there were no accurate descriptions of a Viper. No one had ever lived to talk about it.
Still, Gordon had not spent years of hard work at the Academy just to wait around in a cave. He wanted to be where the real action was. He wanted to be with Xavier as he had been the day before. Of course, he wasn’t as experienced as Holly, and yes, he was young, fresh out of the Academy. But he had graduated top of his class and now all he was doing was guarding rocks. Gordon jabbed at the gravel with the end of his staff.
When he had heard that the Minister of Justice had requested him to work with Xavier Ward, one of the Majesty’s Master Keepers, second only to Demetrius Lore, for a top secret mission, Gordon had been elated. The days of standing guard on Haven waiting for a real mission were over, he hoped. He was ready now, ready to do what he had been trained to do—to serve and protect, to be the Keeper of the Faith. It didn’t get any better than that.
But instead, here he was again, doing what he always did, which was nothing. Being stuck in some dreary cave listening to himself breathe was not his idea of action. It was more like dying a slow death.
The Viper probably wasn’t even there, and if it was, it would be after the Dalcomes, not hanging around underground somewhere.
Gordon looked down at the triangular gem poised on the hilt of his staff, Alek. The gem began to give off a purple glow, signaling that he was receiving an incoming scroll. He held Alek firmly in one hand and quickly tapped the tip of the gem with the other. A purple flame burst from the end of the staff, engulfing the gem in light. At the center of the fire was a floating scroll of parchment. Gordon quickly reached into the fire and snatched the scroll. The fire was cool to the touch, but that mostly depended on Alek’s mood. He shook open the letter and began to read,
Nightfall is upon us, keep a watchful eye.
Be safe.
Xavier
Gordon rolled his eyes. “Yes, sir,” he hissed as he watched the scroll slowly dissolve in his hand. The flame on his staff went out and the only light remaining was the soft green glow of the Kamber Stones.
He began to move down the passageway toward the entrance. He needed some air. Besides, it would be dark soon, which meant he was less likely to be seen now by the average person passing by. But to be on the safe side, Gordon thought, it might be wise to bring the jacket.
He walked toward the entrance and saw the Earth garments still sitting where he had left them. As he approached he heard the faint sound of someone crying.
Gordon froze in his tracks and listened intently. He could hear the soft cries of what sounded like a small child from behind him. But how could that be? No one had come in. If they had, he would have seen them. He was sure of that.
Gordon strained his eyes, looking back into the darkness. There was nothing there but the winding passageway, dimly lit by the glowing green stones.
He turned to face the cave, his boots grinding the gravel beneath him. In the distance, coming from somewhere beyond the end of the passageway, he heard it again. But this time it spoke.
“Help me, please.”
Startled, Gordon raised Alek in front of him. The staff, sensing his fear, began to shine, casting a purple glow on the scene before him.
“Hello, who’s there?” he asked.
Gordon listened for a reply, but there was no answer.
“Hello?” he said again. “Is someone there?”
He heard footsteps running on the gravel ground just beyond his line of sight but it was too dark to see anything clearly.
“Who’s there?” he said. He could not hide the anxiety in his voice.
“Help me!” the voice said. It was the voice of a young girl.
Quickly, Gordon moved his right hand in a circular motion around the gemstone of his staff. Thin strands of light peeled away from the gem, gathering in Gordon’s hand. The strands spun together until they formed a brilliant ball of light the size of his palm.
Gordon pulled his hand back and gently pushed the ball of light down the tunnel. He watched as it travelled the length of the passageway. Off in the distance he could still hear the whimpering child. The light reached the first bend in the passageway and then he saw her. Her back was facing him;
she wore a torn, filthy white dress, and no shoes. She had brown shoulder-length hair that was matted in thick strands and her arms and legs were covered in cuts, scrapes, and bruises. In her left hand she held a stuffed pink rabbit by the ears.
The sphere of light began to fade as it finally reached the little girl. The passageway grew dim once again, and the small child inched away around the corner. Gordon could hear her little feet padding on the gravel.
“No! Wait!” Gordon said. “Come back!”
He began to run down the winding path, in hopes of reaching the child before she got to the cavern. The Kamber Stones were not bright enough to illuminate the entire cavern and it would be dangerous for her to enter with the stalagmites protruding from the ground.
Gordon reached the end of the tunnel, but the little girl was nowhere to be found. Alek shone brighter as Gordon advanced into the cavern. As he held up his staff, he could barely make out the floating portal in the distance. A large body of water stood between him and the portal, taking up most of the cavern.
Gordon felt a cool refreshing breeze move across his skin, but something felt wrong. She should be there. Just then, Alek began to vibrate beneath his grip. Gordon grasped his staff tightly and moved it to the right, slowly searching for the child. The light fell across the water which looked like glass, silent and motionless.
“Hello, are you there?” Gordon asked, swallowing hard. But still there was no reply.
He moved the staff back to the right, its purple glare reaching the far depths of the cavern, but again he saw no sign of the girl.
“Where are you?” he asked again. “I won’t harm you. I’m here to help you.”
“Help,” the voice said again. This time it was coming from the center of the cavern. Gordon quickly moved Alek around to take a better look. There, sitting in the shallow water in front of the floating portal, was the small child. She was kneeling with her face in her hands and the rabbit floated next to her in the water.
How did she get out there? Gordon wondered. She hadn’t been there a minute ago.
She was crying now, her body trembled with every sob. She was obviously frightened, Gordon thought. “Please … help me,” she said again. Her voice was softer this time, almost a whisper.