by B. C. Harris
“I wasn’t asking you,” the hulking stranger says with anger. Turning back to the rest of us, he orders, “Follow me.”
I look anxiously at Jamie. He’s rolling on the ground in pain.
“Now!” the irate brute shouts. “Unless you want to feel my wrath.”
As the massive Shadite turns, Michael and I help Jamie back to his feet. Soon we’re reluctantly following the vile monster. Nobody has to tell me that this is not going to end well.
After following the terrifying bully for a lengthy time, we finally stop.
Beside us is a large transparent box about the size of most elevator compartments. It looks like a cage made out of thick glass, although I guess it is likely some other transparent material that is unique to the Land of Shade. The door on the box is open.
Before I comprehend what is happening, Tarcharon grabs Drew and tosses him into the cage as though he’s a paper bag being thrown out in the garbage.
Drew bounces on the floor of the cage and smashes into the back wall. He doesn’t move.
Seeing how easy it was for Tarcharon to manhandle Drew, the rest of us quickly enter the cage when he motions for us to follow.
Tarcharon slams the cage door shut. It sounds like a blast from a gun. Taking a key from his pocket, he locks the door and struts away form us.
Capurni had warned us that being captured in Shade would be the worst possible thing that could happen to us.
I tremble at the reality of our predicament. Capurni also warned us that if we were captured we would likely be tortured.
Turning to my friends I see that Jasmin is comforting Drew on the floor.
Jamie collapses to the floor. Michael quickly follows him. Squirt jumps on Michael’s lap and begins to gasp for fresh air.
Jasmin starts to cry. Through her sobbing, she manages to say, “Emily, why did I ever listen to you? How could you do this to me? I was your best friend.”
Jasmin is right.
It’s because of me that my friends are now prisoners in a grim world.
It was my obsessive fascination with mysteries that led us here. Everything that’s happening is my fault. As my eyes dart between Jasmin and my other friends, I sense their hopelessness.
Although Jasmin is the only person telling me that I’m the cause of our current situation, I guess that the others blame me as well. It has been so long since Squirt jumped on me that I wonder if even he is upset with me.
I feel horrible and alone.
It’s bad enough that I’m caught in a cage in a frightening gloomy world, but the painful reality that I have caused this to happen to my friends is even worse.
“Emily,” Jasmin continues through her heavy sobbing, “you’ve got to get us out of here. This is your fault. I’m starving. I’m thirsty. I can barely breathe. This is a horrible place. You’ve got to help us.”
I have no idea what to say or do. How can we possibly escape? Even if we find way to get out of this cage, we’d never find our way out of Shade.
Jamie is the first person to come to my rescue. “We shouldn’t blame Emily for being captured,” he says. “We are all in this together. We have overcome other problems on our journey. If we work together, I know we will find a way to escape from Shade.”
Although Jasmin starts to argue with Jamie, Michael cuts her off. “Jamie’s right,” he says firmly. “We need to work together if we’re going to find a way to escape.”
Jamie and Michael’s comments momentarily change the atmosphere in our cage. I want to hug Jamie and Michael for supporting me, but I’m too exhausted to move.
I smile at them. It’s obvious from the glow on their faces that that’s good enough for now.
The foul air is suffocating us. We need water. Without it, we’re going to die.
- 33 -
A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
Trying to breathe the sweltering polluted air while locked in a cramped cage is taking its toll on each of us. Although there are small holes in the transparent walls of the cage, we have little fresh air, if there is any in this world, to breathe. We’re all sprawled out on the floor of the cage.
My throat is killing me. My tongue is raw as I long for water. Michael and Jasmin are almost delirious as they fight to stay conscious. Neither Drew nor Jamie have moved for some time although their eyes are wide open. Although Squirt is now sleeping beside me, it’s obvious from his frequent shaking that he’s struggling to breathe as well.
The foul air makes it difficult to see anything with great detail. It’s too hazy for us to know where we are. There are times when I imagine someone is bringing us a bucket of fresh cold water, so when I see three figures approaching us, at first I think I’m dreaming again.
As the people, or creatures, draw closer, I recognize Tarcharon in his heavy black trench coat. Two other lizard-like brutes with him are wearing red military uniforms.
Is he coming to torture us? I know that we’re all so weak that we would say whatever he wants to hear without him having to hurt us. There would be no resistance from any of us.
“Now then my friends,” Tarcharon says wryly once he’s closer to us. “What’s your preference? Fresh water or torture?”
“Water,” Jasmin groans.
There’s no response from the evil looking beast as he stares directly at me.
“What about you?” he asks. “Would you like me to bring water for you and your friends, or would you prefer that I torture you?”
I force myself to stand.
Squirt hobbles onto Michael’s lap.
“What do you expect from us if we accept your offer of water?” I respond, not quite sure where my courage is coming from to ask such a question.
“Yes, just as I thought,” Tarcharon snarls, “you are definitely the leader of this pathetic group of weaklings.” His lips curl, revealing fang-like teeth, before he continues, “Your options are very simple. Tell me how you got into my world and why you are here. Once you do this, we’ll bring you food and water. If you don’t like this choice, I will torture you one by one until I have the information that I want. If you choose to be tortured, I think I will start with that pitiful creature lying there,” he growls as he looks at Jasmin who is attempting to clutch Drew.
I want to be brave, but it’s no use. I wouldn’t be able to withstand any kind of torture. In the end he’ll get whatever information he wants from us. Tarcharon will learn that we’ve been sent by the inhabitants of Lattisan. He will discover that we entered Shade through a secret door.
I know that Tarcharon is going to get whatever he wants one way or another. At the present I choose to take the way of less pain. If we get some food and water, maybe we can find enough strength to come up with a plan to escape.”
“Okay, you win,” I say, trying to sound calm, but my heart is racing so fast that my words come out in short bursts like bullets from an automatic weapon. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, but first please give my friends some water.”
“My, my, aren’t you the noble one?” Tarcharon sneers. “Worrying about the welfare of your friends at a time like this. How admirable.”
He pauses as he stares at me.
His face contorts.
Abruptly screaming like a crazed demon, he yells, “Do you think I am stupid? Do you think I am going to give you some food and water and then let you tell me some lies? No, that is not how things are going to happen. First, you will tell me what I want to know. Then I will decide whether your friends will get some food and water.”
As weak as I am, I know that Tarcharon cannot be trusted. If I tell him everything I know he will still leave us to die a horrible death in this cage.
“Well then, if you have nothing to tell me, I will drag that pathetic thing out of the cage and begin to torture it,” Tarcharon says angrily as he stares at Jasmin who looks like she might even welcome the arrival of death.
Tarcharon takes a key from one of the large pockets in his black trench coat. He starts to open the c
age.
I say, “Shinti.”
He stops.
“Shinti? Now, that’s a word I didn’t expect to hear from you. Perhaps our time together is going to be worthwhile after all,” he says, his words dripping with venom.
I guessed that Shinti would grab Tarcharon’s attention. I was right. Little does he know that Shinti has been abandoned for the past thousand years. If I can keep his focus on Shinti, I might be able to divert him from discovering Lattisan, and I might be able to buy some time for us to come up with a plan to escape.
The other two men or creatures accompanying Tarcharon look like wild dogs ready to pounce on their prey.
“I will answer all your questions,” I say, “if you give my friends some water.”
“Why would I do that?” Tarcharon smirks. “Why should I give them any water when I can simply torture them to discover whatever I want to know?”
“Because torturing them won’t help. They don’t know anything about Shinti. I alone know the story of Kienda and his group of followers fleeing from Drapesia two-thousand years ago. I alone know about the rebellion that occurred in Shinti one-thousand years ago, a rebellion that resulted in your ancestors being banished to this dreadful place.”
Tarcharon’s lips form a sinister smile. “Well, this is my lucky day. Perhaps you might even know about Kienda’s mighty emerald.”
I try to remain calm, but the mention of the emerald fills me with dread. What would this horrible creature do if he discovers that I might be the Keeper of the Emerald?
Turning to the soldiers who are with him, Tarcharon says, “Bring them food and water.”
The vile creatures, cowering at his command, quickly vanish into the dark hazy air. Although it’s difficult to know what time of day it is, from the growing darkness I think that the day is ending.
“Shinti,” Tarcharon mutters to himself as he twists his hands together in a devious manner. “Soon you will have lots of food and water, but first I want you to tell me everything you know about Shinti. In particular, I want to know the location of the mighty emerald.”
Pausing to decide what I should tell him, I know I have to be believable, but I also know I can’t tell him everything. Am I going to be able to tell him enough to earn some food and water?
“What do you want to know?” I ask, trying to sound calm even though adrenalin is surging through me like a runaway train.
“The emerald,” I begin, “is somewhere in Shinti. I don’t know exactly where it is kept, but I have seen it.”
Tarcharon eyes light up. I’m filled with dread at the thought of him gaining possession of the emerald. There is no doubt in my mind that he would use the emerald to annihilate anyone who got in his path.
“And where is Shinti?”
I hesitate. Although I have seen Shinti, I know that Tarcharon and an army could never travel there along the river where I almost lost my life.
“Shinti is on the far side of the Red Mountains,” I say. “I’m pretty sure I can find it.”
“Pretty sure? If you want your friends to live, you better be completely sure that you take us directly to Shinti. Any games and blood will flow.”
I don’t know what else to say.
“Where are you from?” Tarcharon asks.
“The planet Earth,” I respond. “We’re humans from the planet Earth.”
Tarcharon looks with distain at each of us. His gaze stops at Squirt.
“Why does that one look so different than the rest of you?”
“Squirt is a zakabibble. He lives in the Land of Limnits on this planet. He’s harmless.”
“Harmless, is he?” Tarcharon roars.
Squirt buries himself into Michael’s lap.
“How did you learn about Shinti? How did you get there?”
“I read about Shinti in a book,” I say, trying to sound convincing and attempting to be as honest as I can be. “I was doing some research on lost worlds for a school project. When I went to bed that night, I must have dreamed about being in a lost world and somehow I ended up in Shinti.
Tarcharon’s eyebrows are raised. Does he believe me?
“Continue,” he states in a voice that clearly suggests he doubts what I have told him. He keeps looking at the rest of my friends as though he’s assessing their reaction to what I am saying.
If Tarcharon realizes that I’m not being honest, I know he will get the correct information from me with little force.
“You make it sound like you came alone to Shinti. If that’s the case, how did these other worthless creatures get here?” Tarcharon asks.
“I came to Shinti once by myself, but the next time I came I invited my friends to join me.”
“And did you all go to bed at night dreaming about Shinti and somehow magically arrive there? Tarcharon says sarcastically.
Tarcharon smirks at me, the kind of smirk that suggests he doesn’t believe one word that I’m telling him.
“Perhaps one of your cowering friends would like to tell me the truth,” Tarcharon says as he wrings his hands as though he is twisting someone’s neck.
“Please Mr. Tarcharon, we need water. I will tell you whatever you want to know, but first of all we need water.”
“Yes, you will tell me everything you know about Shinti and the emerald,” the menacing creature says in a threatening manner. “Before the food and water arrive, tell me why you came to Shade and how you got into my world.”
“When we met the inhabitants of Shinti,” I start as though my words are detached from my exhausted body, but knowing I have to prevent Tarcharon from learning about Lattisan, “we were told about the Land of Shade.”
I feel like I’m about to faint, but somehow my voice continues to push past my raw throat. “We were told that Shade is a huge prison surrounded by mountains that are so high that no one can escape from it. The people of Shinti believe that you’re drilling a tunnel through one of the mountains to escape from here. They’re worried about you attacking them.”
No sooner have these words left my mouth when I see an evil smile form on Tarcharon’s face. I instinctively know that Capurni’s worst fears are confirmed. The Shadites must be drilling a tunnel through one of the mountains. They must be preparing to inflict their revenge on the ancestors of the people who once banished them to this horrible place.”
“Very interesting,” Tarcharon slyly says. “What makes them think that we are drilling a tunnel?”
“They have a device that measures sound waves. They have heard vibrations coming from one of the mountains bordering the Land of Shade. They believe that these vibrations show that you are attempting to drill a tunnel.”
“What does this have to with you ending up in the Land of Shade?”
“We were asked to come to Shade to spy on you. They wanted us to confirm whether you are drilling a tunnel through one of the mountains.”
“Interesting,” Tarcharon replies, “but how did you actually get here? There are no entrances into Shade.”
I hesitate. Should I tell him about the route that we took to get here or should I tell him that the emerald transported us here? As I think about this, even in my semi-conscious state, I realize that the emerald is a better choice.
“The people of Shinti,” I begin, “used their emerald to send me and my friends here. One minute we were in Shinti and the next we arrived in the Land of Shade.”
“Ah, the emerald,” Tarcharon says with great delight as though he’s already picturing it in his hands.
“Did it ever seem strange to you that they were asking you to do what they should have been doing?”
I hesitate. How should I answer this question?
The ominous creature looks deep into my eyes as though he’s trying to read my mind.
The massive bully persists, “Why did you agree to help the inhabitants of Shinti? Why did you agree to go on a dangerous mission for them into a foreign world?”
I shrug. I’m no longer sure of my answer to these q
uestions. Besides, I’m terrified that I might say something that I shouldn’t say. I’m feeling so alone, so frightened, so hungry. Can’t I just go back home again and fall asleep in my warm, comfortable bed?
As I struggle to decide how to answer Tarcharon’s questions, the soldiers return carrying trays of food and water. I want to cry in relief at the sight of water, but I don’t have enough energy left in me to do this. I feel my legs buckling as I fall to the ground, too exhausted to stand anymore.
My head hurts. I’m having trouble keeping my eyes open. I’m having trouble concentrating.
“Before you get your food, we’re going to make a deal.”
I nod. My throat is too sore for me to talk anymore.
“I will give you this food. Then you can sleep. In the morning you will lead us to Shinti. Do you agree?”
I nod.
I realize this means that they must have completed drilling a tunnel through the mountains.
Tarcharon sneers at me.
I have made a deal with the devil. My mind and body shut down.
Fresh food and water are pushed into our cage.
“In the event that you have other friends lurking around here, there will be guards stationed around your cage tonight. I have instructed them to kill any strangers who come near the cage.”
- 34 -
RETURN OF A FRIEND
I wake up to a loud noise that shakes the ground around me creating a storm of dirt and dust.
There is a vehicle that resembles a large tractor, although it appears to be far less advanced than any similar machine we have on my planet.
The tractor is pulling a large cart that reminds me of the wagons that farmers might have used back in the early 1900’s to carry their crops. From what I’ve seen so far in Shade, they’re not a very technologically advanced civilization.
When Capurni first told me his concern about the Shadites drilling a tunnel through the mountains to escape from the valley where they were trapped by huge mountains, I wondered why the Shadites didn’t use an airplane to escape from Shade. Now I have the answer to that question; they are not advanced enough to build airplanes. From my limited understanding of machines, I would say that the Shadites are still living in the equivalent of the late 19th century back on Earth.