by B. C. Harris
“Does this possibly have anything to do with my mother’s emerald? Do you think that her emerald might also have some powers?”
I feel like Capurni is examining me as he gazes at me. His eyes constantly stare at my mother’s emerald necklace dangling around my neck. He makes me feel like I’m an important person about to be interviewed on TV.
“Actually, the emerald that you have might be the emerald that was once part of our world.”
“That’s impossible,” I reply, almost jumping off the couch. “How could my mother possibly have your emerald?”
Capurni stares thoughtfully into my eyes, almost as if he’s deciding whether I’m ready to hear what he has to say next.
“Please tell me. I need to know more about my mother’s emerald.”
“Kienda used the magical emerald to help make Drapesia a flourishing planet. Unfortunately, our history records tell us that as Drapesians became more comfortable with their high standard of living, many of them became apathetic not wanting to work. Fewer and fewer Drapesians cared about the environment. Over time, pollution began to affect the weather. Drapesia started to gradually warm because of the pollution, but this warming was so small at first that no one paid any attention to it.”
Sounds like my planet, I think.
“Although scientists warned my ancestors that this warming could be a tremendous problem in the future, very few people paid any attention to what was being said until it was too late. The weather on Drapesia began to spiral out of control. Hurricanes and floods repeatedly devastated many of the cities while other areas stopped getting any rain. The Drapesians were unable to stop the crisis. As the oceans warmed, life within them rapidly perished. Food and fresh water became scarce. It became difficult for the Drapesians to breathe the foul air. Wars developed as countries fought each other in order to survive. The planet was dying rapidly and the Drapesians were perishing along with it.”
“What happened?” I ask fervently. “Why didn’t Kienda use the emerald to solve the problems?”
“No one could agree on how to use the emerald to resolve the issues. In fact, the Drapesians reached the point where countries began to fight each other over who should possess the emerald.”
“Realizing that Drapesia was doomed, Kienda selected twelve of his most devoted followers to flee with him to another planet.”
“You mean in a spaceship?”
“No,” Capurni replies. “The chosen people left Drapesia by using the emerald.”
“How did they use the emerald?”
“In the same way you did. The emerald has the power to transport people through space.”
I reflect on what Capurni said. It’s beginning to sound more and more like my mother’s emerald definitely has some connection to Kienda’s emerald.
“When Kienda and his followers arrived on Tamor, they found a secluded place in the Red Mountains where they began a new civilization they called Shinti. This occurred approximately two-thousand years ago. During the next thousand years, Shinti prospered and became a great nation. During this time, their numbers increased significantly. Unfortunately the day came when a group of people challenged Kienda for control of the emerald.”
“Challenged Kienda? How could he still be alive for such a long period of time? Don’t Drapesians ever die?”
Capurni laughs.
I like my new friend.
“Yes, Drapesians die like anyone else. However it appears that Kienda, as Keeper of the Emerald, possessed eternal life. He never aged and he never died.”
I clutch my mother’s emerald. Eternal life? Are you kidding me?
“Eventually a rebellion occurred in Shinti when some enemies of Kienda tried to take the emerald from him.”
“What happened?” I ask, my curiosity growing stronger every time I hear more about the emerald.
“Kienda was able to use the emerald to defeat those who revolted against him. The rebels were exiled to a place on the other side of the Red Mountains.
“What happened next?”
“After the rebellion, Kienda used the emerald to create this amazing underwater world that is called Lattisan.”
“Why?” I ask. “Why did Kienda create Lattisan when you said before that Shinti was a fabulous world?”
“Kienda and my other ancestors wanted nothing more than to be able to live in peace. In order to do this, they believed they needed to create a secret world where no one could ever find them.”
“After Kienda built this secret underwater world, did all the inhabitants of Shinti move here?”
“Yes.”
“I want to meet Kienda. If anyone can tell me more about my mother’s emerald, it would be him.”
“Unfortunately, that is not possible.”
“Not possible? Why not?”
“About five-hundred years ago, Kienda vanished from Lattisan along with the emerald.”
That’s a surprise I wasn’t expecting.
“Why would Kienda leave this incredible world that he created?”
“No one knows why he left or where he went. As time went on, one of our leaders said that Kienda might have returned back to the planet Drapesia to create a paradise even more fabulous than Lattisan. Another leader prophesized that someday Kienda would return to Lattisan and take everyone back to Drapesia to live in a wonderful paradise where there would be no more suffering or death.”
I’m not sure where this conversation is going so I don’t react to what I’ve heard.
Capurni stands from our couch and walks over to a window that overlooks his incredible world. After glancing out the window for a minute or two, he turns to me and says, “A thousand years ago after the rebellion in Shinti, the rebels were exiled to a large valley known as the Land of Shade. Shade is located on the far side of the Red Mountains.”
“Why is it called the Land of Shade?”
“It is called Shade because there are towering mountains surrounding it that prevent the sun from shining for more than a few hours each day on the canyon floor. The Land of Shade was once an area where great amounts of gold were discovered by my ancestors. This gold was used throughout Shinti. The interiors of many buildings were covered in gold. There were even streets paved with gold.”
Just like El Dorado, I think. Imagine how Martha would react to this. I suspect that Jamie would also be very excited to learn about Shinti.
“Why were the rebels sent to the Land of Shade?” I ask. “Wouldn’t they steal the gold in the mines?”
“No. By the time the rebels were exiled to the Land of Shade, there was no gold left for them to steal. It had all been mined.”
“Couldn’t the rebels escape the Land of Shade?”
“Good question. To prevent the prisoners in the Land of Shade from escaping, Kienda used his emerald to seal any passageways leading out of the canyon.
“Are the descendants of the rebels still living in the Land of Shade?” I ask.
“Yes.”
There is a concerned look on Capurni’s face.
“Unfortunately we think that the descendants of the rebels who live in Shade, the people we call the Shadites, are drilling a tunnel through one of the mountains that surrounds them. If this is true, our fear is that they will escape from the Land of Shade. If this happens, and the Shadites have an army, it will only be a matter of time before they discover Lattisan and seek revenge on us.”
“Can’t you defend yourself?”
I catch Capurni staring at my emerald.
“No,” he replies. “Lattisan is a peaceful world. We have no army and no weapons. We have no way to defend ourselves if someone were to attack us.”
It seems incredible to me that a country would not have any way to defend itself. Then again, I realize that the original purpose of creating this underwater paradise was to be free from any future wars. What the original leaders of Lattisan failed to realize was that someday the people who lived in the Land of Shade would find a way to escape.
; “Tamor is a world that is plagued by earthquakes. Long ago our scientists developed equipment to help monitor earthquake activity throughout our planet in the event it ever became necessary to temporarily flee our underwater city to save ourselves from an earthquake.”
Like a seismograph, I think.
“The equipment that we use to warn us of earthquakes has recorded unusual vibrations coming from the Land of Shade for quite some time. It’s believed that these vibrations are the result of the Shadites drilling a tunnel through one of the mountains. If this is correct, we might soon be facing an army intent on destroying us.”
“They don’t know that Lattisan exists, do they?”
“No. But the location where they are drilling their tunnel opens up into a long canyon. This canyon leads directly to the lake where Lattisan is located. It would only be a matter of time before they discover us.”
“Sounds like you have a big problem.”
Capurni nods in agreement.
I get the feeling that he is going to ask me to help him solve it.
- 15 -
A FIERY ENEMY
Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, I like to remain in bed, pull the covers tightly around me and listen to some music, read a book, or even daydream a little about what the day will bring. Most of the time I’m awake before my alarm goes off, but today is not such an occasion.
This morning, the music on my alarm clock has probably been playing for a long time before I realize it. As I struggle to get out of bed, I remember my journey last night to the fantastic underwater city of Lattisan.
Did this really happen?
Yes, it must have happened. My new friend Capurni even taught me to say “Sandarium” whenever I want to use my mother’s emerald to travel somewhere. I remember using this command to return to my bedroom last night.
I also learned that Capurni has spent much of his life studying about the emerald that was once a major part of his world. Although he thinks that my mother’s emerald is the emerald that once belonged to his ancestors, I’m not quite ready to agree with him on that.
Noticing that it’s very quiet in the house, I assume that my mother has already left for work which is normal.
Touching my neck and then glancing at my night table, I decide that my mother must have the necklace.
As I tumble out of bed, I still have my clothes on from last night’s journey. There’s no way my mother could have missed this when she unclasped the emerald from my neck this morning while I was sleeping.
After a quick trip to the bathroom, I amble towards the kitchen. My mind is in a fog. I am exhausted.
Before reaching the kitchen, my cell phone comes alive back on my night table. Probably Jasmin, I say to myself. Maybe she wants to have another go at trying to convince me to work with her to research vampires. I wonder what she’d say if I told her about finding a secret underwater world. I recall wanting to tell her about my ride on a zelan. That will have to wait. Neither Jasmin, nor my mother for that matter, are ready to hear about my travels to Tamor.
After pouring a glass of orange juice, I grab a bagel from the counter. Setting my orange juice on the kitchen table, I return back to my bedroom to pick up my cell phone. Texting with Jasmin during breakfast is a regular habit.
I drift aimlessly back to my bedroom as I munch on the bagel. A little dry, I think. I should have put it in the microwave.
After picking up my cell phone, I turn back towards the kitchen. I glance at the screen. Surprisingly the message is from my mother and not Jasmin. It’s unusual to receive a text message first thing in the morning from my mother.
As I sit down at the kitchen table, I open the message.
One word greets me.
One frantic, shocking word – “Help!”
Help? What could my mother possibly be talking about?
I call her.
There’s no answer; only her voice mail.
“Mom, it’s me. What’s wrong?”
I find myself waking up much quicker than I want.
I call her again.
No answer.
I don’t even bother leaving a message this time.
I feel sick.
Beginning to panic, I frantically call my mother’s work number.
Once again, there’s no answer. In fact, there’s not even any ringing. The line is dead.
Now what? My mind begins to race through my options. On the fridge are some emergency numbers my mother has listed. Who should I contact?
Seeing a name I recognize as my mother’s boss, I quickly call this number.
To add to my growing anxiety, the line is dead. I try the number again. There’s no response. I have a horrible feeling that something terrible has already happened to my mother. I try her work number again but there’s nothing.
Rushing from the house as though an intruder is pursuing me, I use the contact list on my cell phone to quickly call for a taxi. I have taken taxis many times on my own before, but now it’s as though my mother’s life depends on it.
My body trembles with terrible thoughts. What if something horrible has happened to my mother? What could she have possibly meant when she texted me for help? This is totally out of character. She is the most independent person I know.
Thankfully, a taxi arrives much quicker than I anticipated.
I jump into it.
“Four-sixteen in the Parkway Complex,” I find myself breathlessly saying from some automatic recall of having visited my mother’s workplace before. “Please hurry. This is an emergency.”
The young male driver, perhaps a college student working part-time as a taxi driver, looks back at me as though he’s trying to ascertain the importance of my frantic request. Casually, as though he’s dismissing my urgency, he replies, “Should be about five minutes.”
Fortunately my mother’s office is close to our house, which as I remember it was the major reason she purchased it three years ago.
The taxi hasn’t gone more than a few blocks when I hear a siren piercing the air. As the taxi slides over to the side of the road, a fire engine races past us.
Before we start to move again, three other emergency vehicles fly by.
I shudder with the realization that they might have something to do with my mother. The thought of my mother being trapped in a fire tears through me.
Another few blocks reveal the worst. There’s smoke billowing into the sky in the vicinity of the building where my mother works.
I’m not surprised when the driver says, “It looks like there’s a fire in the business complex that you’re trying to reach.
As the traffic comes to a standstill in another block or two, there is black smoke rising from the roof of my mother’s office building.
I leap from the cab.
Drivers along the street are honking their horns and screeching their tires as they attempt to turn away from the disaster. In the confusion of what is happening, I’m not sure if the taxi driver asked me for any money, but that’s just as well because I don’t have any with me.
Although I’m not fond of running, I’m now flying like a rabbit being pursued by a mountain lion.
Police officers are erecting barricades to prevent anyone from getting near the office building that is on fire. I have to find a way to get past them to reach my mother.
There’s an open field to my left that the police haven’t sealed off yet. I race to it and circle towards the side of the blazing building.
A little past the field is the parking lot where my mother normally leaves her car. There are dozens of frenzied people rushing through the parking lot as they flee from the disaster. There are only a few cars remaining.
I spot my mother’s car sitting in the parking lot.
My gut tells me that she’s still in the burning building.
I have an intense fear of fire. I shudder as I feel the spreading heat from the massive blaze. In spite of my aversion, I run towards the raging inferno. Several times I’m almos
t knocked over by terrified adults who are fleeing the cataclysm.
In the widening confusion, I manage to reach the side door of the complex even though there are fire fighters and police everywhere.
As I open the door, I hear an official-sounding voice behind me shout, “There’s a girl entering the building. Stop her!”
It’s too late. I’m inside.
Although I’ve been to my mother’s work several times before, I’ve always entered through the front door and then taken the elevator to the third floor to reach her office. I have no idea how to get to the elevator. Then I realize that an elevator is the last place I want to be during a fire.
To my immediate left there is a staircase.
I race to the stairs.
Other than the pungent smell of smoke and the growing presence of a wall of heat, there’s no other evidence that I’m charging into a cauldron of destruction. The silence is ominous.
Out of breath, I reach the third floor. As I open the door, I burn my fingers on the hot handle and on the blistering frame of the door. Ignoring the pain, I enter the sprawling open-concept room where the stench of smoke and horrendous heat almost knocks me over.
On the far side of the room, the ceiling and wall are almost completely engulfed in flames.
The noise of the ferocious fire is deafening.
“Mom!” I scream. “Where are you?” My heart is pounding. My mind is frantic. I don’t know if I have the strength to take another step into the menacing blaze.
I push myself.
I must find my mother.
In the blinding smoke and searing heat, I become disorientated. I’m not sure which direction it is to her actual work area.
I rush throughout whichever parts of the large room haven’t already erupted in flames.
“Mom!” You’ve got to answer me. Please mom, where are you?”
I feel dizzy. My feet are having trouble obeying my commands to move. The heat and noise are crushing. I fight every instinct telling me to give up. An angry roar explodes throughout the room as the ceiling begins to come apart.
“Mom! Mom!” I weakly shout as the smoke and heat suffocate me.