It was already at least one in the afternoon. If they were lucky, they could get the well emptied in the next couple of hours, thereby prompting the portal to open and the messenger to come, hopefully before nightfall.
She quickly unzipped Niko’s case set up next to the couch, where she’d play. The arms of the rocking chair would get in the way of her bow arm, and she didn’t want to drag a chair in from the kitchen. The couch would do.
Once everything inside was ready, Nicole joined the men by the well. Albert invited her to look at the spot where the meteor appeared, and Nicole followed him over. The earth still looked scorched. A ring of dead grass went around a divot that was about four feet in diameter and two feet deep.
“Was it heavy?” Nicole asked.
Albert nodded. “Very. We couldn’t move it or push it or anything like that. But they were able to remove sections of it to test.” He glanced at her. “It’s kind of interesting how that went.
“As they were digging into the surface of the meteor, they occasionally struck pockets full of ooze. It was a sort of pus, which they tried to take from the site to be tested, but which started shrinking the moment it left the meteor. It disappeared pretty quickly. They were only ever able to test the metal.”
“And they never figured out what it was?”
Albert shook his head. “No. It was foreign. I think if I’d wanted to, I could have pushed them to run more tests on it, take it to better labs, all of that, but with how many Aretes were getting sick around it, I dropped the matter. And then when everything with the Gardners blew up, I found it wasn’t important. By that point, you’d come along and explained what the meteor was anyway.”
They stared at the spot for a moment longer, then retreated back to the well, where Coolidge was now hauling up the bucket while Austin rested.
Nicole hesitated for a moment, then peered over the rock and into the well. Coolidge and Austin had removed about five feet of water.
“Would you like me to take over?” she asked.
Coolidge paused, wedging the rope between his foot and the rock of the well lip. “No. We have no idea what will be required of you. It’s better that you preserve your strength and energy.”
Nicole didn’t want to admit it, but he was right. She hated feeling so useless and helpless, though. “What should I do in the meantime?”
Coolidge wiped sweat off his forehead. “Has the old woman returned? Maybe get more information from her.”
Nicole glanced around, but didn’t see Rebecca. The woman would come when she was needed for something other than idle conversation.
Nicole ended up getting one of the kitchen chairs and sitting on it, then talking to whoever wasn’t pulling up water at the moment.
The next two hours dragged by. Nicole nervously watched the sun sink lower and lower on the horizon, wishing all of this had happened in the summer and not the first week of December when the days were so short. She had no desire to stick around the place once it got dark.
Finally, Austin pulled up the last bit of water that they’d be able to reach without getting into the well.
Everyone looked down, wanting to see what was in the bottom.
Nicole wrinkled her nose at the stench that wafted up to them. And judging by what had been buried beneath all of that water, that smell would only get worse.
There were bones. Lots of them. And half-decomposed animals. Dogs, chickens. What had driven the creatures to jump in?
Nicole didn’t even notice the spider before Rebecca appeared next to her. “They contributed to the growth of the portal.”
Nicole looked at the woman in shock. Were those tears in her eyes? “Are you okay, Rebecca?”
Rebecca sniffed. “I love animals. I had several dogs. And at least twenty chickens at a time.”
“So . . . seeing dead animals upsets you, but hearing how awful the Gardners had it didn’t even phase you?”
Rebecca sighed. “We’ve been over this. The sacrifice of the Gardners was necessary.”
“So was the death of these animals.”
“It’s different.”
“How?”
“The animals were innocent! They didn’t ask to be fed to the portal.”
“And the Gardners did?”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to argue with you, Nicole.”
Nicole opened her mouth, then shut it. She hesitated, then said in a quiet voice, “I’m sorry for lashing out at you. I’ve been so stressed lately, and I’m finding it difficult to control my temper.”
Rebecca turned to Nicole, brushing some loose hair back from Nicole’s face. “I know, dear. And the truth is, you had more time with the Gardners. They were real to you, friends. You loved them and they must have loved you too. I’m sorry, too, for seeming to be so careless about their lives.”
Nicole nodded, then hugged Rebecca. “Thank you for being here.” She took a deep breath and stepped back. “Now what?”
Suddenly, Coolidge yelled in shock. “What’s that?” he said, pointing into the well.
Everyone crowded around him to see what he was pointing at. Something was down there. Something that glowed and bubbled. An ooze that shifted, roiled, and . . .
“It’s growing,” Austin said.
Everyone took a step back when the ooze exploded, nearly tripling in size.
Rebecca squealed. “It won’t be long now!” She turned to Nicole, her eyes bright. “Go inside. Get ready to play. I’ll return and tell you when it’s time to start.”
Without waiting for confirmation that Nicole had heard, she disappeared.
“Rebecca says we should go inside,” Nicole said, noting that the sun was just dipping below the horizon.
Coolidge glanced around them. “I think she’s right,” he said, motioning to the surrounding landscape.
The plants around them had taken on an odd color—a sort of orange mixed with green. Dull, but with a slight glow to it. As Nicole looked closer, she realized that the rose bushes growing along the fence were pulsing, as was the grass that surrounded the well along with the trees on either side of the house.
Pressure built up in the air and a strong magical pulse burst from the well, making everyone but Albert jump.
At once, the four of them turned and jogged to the house, shutting the door behind them.
“Lock it,” Coolidge whispered.
Albert did so.
They congregated near the drapes, staring out the window.
“If this is supposed to be a good thing,” Austin said, “why am I so freaked out right now?”
No one answered him, and Nicole stepped closer. Knowing he was nervous only made her feel worse. If she’d been the only jumpy person, it would have been different.
A glowing light came out of the top of the well. The trees began shining. The flowers that surrounded the house glowed. All were that dull shade of green-orange that was somehow bright to look at.
The stars should have started appearing by then, but Nicole wasn’t sure she’d be able to see them, due to the shine from the foliage.
Everyone moved to the center of the room. No one said anything—they all continued staring out the window. The silence was deafening. Even knowing that the portal was for Nicole didn’t calm her anxiety. Especially now that she knew there really was a chance she might not make it through the night.
“Nicole,” Albert whispered, startling her. “Any word from Rebecca?”
“No. Not yet.”
The ooze finally reached the rocks at the top of the well. It slowly spilled over, dripping to the ground below. Was the ooze the messenger? Or was it the portal? Or would it bring the portal?
Rebecca arrived just then. She whispered, “Get going on the cello. They’re coming. Tell the others to prepare themselves.” She looked away for a moment, then turned back. “I’ll be staying with you as long as I can. Please let the men know that they must not touch you, your cello, the portal, the messenger, or the elixir. Pretty mu
ch anything.”
Nicole relayed Rebecca’s message to the others.
Austin scowled, his expression barely recognizable in the dark room. “We’re not allowed to help you if anything happens? I don’t like that, Nicole.”
She put her hand on his arm. “I hope help won’t even be necessary—that I’ll be okay.”
Rebecca pointed at the cello, and Nicole sat on the couch, tightening the bow and making sure the instrument was tuned.
Then she began playing. From where she sat, she had a good view of the well. She watched as the ooze continued growing, spreading in every direction.
The ooze reached the house, seemingly encouraged by Nicole’s playing. Everyone turned to watch the door, but nothing happened there.
Suddenly, the rocking chair began rocking. The creak made everyone jump, and Nicole nearly stopped playing. She was shocked to see that the ooze must have climbed the exterior wall of the house. It had entered in the top corner of the room and was rolling down the wall, piling on the floor, surrounding the rocking chair.
The men backed away as the ooze rolled to the center of the room.
Nicole continued playing, using her magic to will the portal to grow.
The substance puddled in the middle of the floor. More and more of it dropped down the wall, joining with the mess in the center until suddenly, the floor dropped down into a huge pit that extended from the wall under the window all the way to Nicole’s feet.
“The portal has been formed,” Rebecca said, putting her hand on Nicole’s shoulder.
Something was climbing the side of the pit toward Nicole. It was like nothing she’d ever seen before. It had tentacles—many of them. No face. It was shiny and black as oil. A weird smell—similar to what she’d caught off Winston earlier—rose from the pit. Nauseatingly sweet.
Nicole . . .
Nicole gasped. That was Captain Christopher Price’s voice—the voice the journal had first called to her with, when she’d just met it.
“It’s not him,” Rebecca whispered. “They chose a voice they thought you’d like.”
Nicole glanced at the elderly woman, noticing that she was shivering, but not from fright. She was excited.
A long tentacle entered the room, then another and another. They crept along the floor toward everyone there. One grabbed Austin around the leg. Another Coolidge. Both started yelling the moment they were touched. Their magical pulses disappeared.
“What’s going on?” Nicole asked, nearly pausing her playing.
“It’s neutralizing their powers—preventing them from doing anything to stop what will happen.”
Nicole heard Captain Price’s voice again. “You may cease playing now,” it said. “Do not be afraid.”
Nicole put down the bow, then moved it and the cello to the couch beside her. She got to her feet and looked at Rebecca. “Now what?”
Rebecca pointed to the creature in the pit. “Be as honest as you can.”
Nicole hesitated. What was Rebecca talking about? Then she noticed that one of the tentacles was curling toward her, and she forgot her question. It wound itself around her ankle and slithered up her leg, giving her chills. Nicole swallowed her cry of fear.
The tentacle circled around behind her, then went under her shirt and hoodie and slithered up her back. She felt little suckers attaching themselves to her, then detaching as the tentacle continued upward. It reached her neck and seemed to hesitate there for a moment before inching a bit higher. She stared at Rebecca, trying not to freak out, trying not to show any fear.
“What is it do—”
Nicole screamed when the tentacle jabbed her at the base of her skull, pressing hard into her skin. Her vision swam as she felt the tentacle enter her head. Red lights flashed. She slumped to the ground, nearly falling into the pit. Her eyesight disappeared completely. She felt the tentacle pushing farther and farther into her skull, causing shocks of pain to radiate down her spine and across her head.
Suddenly, everything disappeared. The pain, her sensation of up and down, all of her senses. She spoke, but nothing came out. She was in a void.
As suddenly as it happened, the void went away and all of Nicole’s senses returned, including her eyesight.
She was no longer in the farmhouse.
Chapter Twelve
The sky was overcast, the shadows light. Nicole turned away from the huge gray stone where she’d appeared.
She was alone on an island. At least, that’s what it looked like. Waves licked at a gray shore. What had she been doing before appearing here? It felt important. Something was pressing on her mind, urging her to remember. But even though she tried, it wouldn’t come back.
Nicole wandered to the beach—it wasn’t far away. She watched the waves for several moments before turning to survey the island.
It was like nothing she’d seen before. Sharp stones, obviously man-made, jutted out of the ocean. Everything had rough, square edges. Nothing was rounded or smooth.
Nicole followed the beach all the way around. The island wasn’t big—maybe half an acre. Even though she loved the ocean and wanted to watch the waves, her eyes were drawn to the weird stones. They were dense, thick. She couldn’t see through them to the beach on the other side. Should she explore? See what was in the center?
Something magical began pulsing on the middle of the island. She almost went to seek it out but decided not to when she felt it drawing nearer.
A dull ache at the base of her skull made her raise her hand. She hesitated at what she felt. Something was stuck to her head. Piercing through her skin. A worm . . . no, a tentacle. Large, slimy, with suckers on the underside.
Nicole gasped as she suddenly remembered what had happened, where she’d come from. She grabbed the tentacle, trying to pull it out. She hadn’t teleported until the thing had stuck itself inside her.
“I wouldn’t remove that,” someone with a gravelly voice said.
Nicole looked toward the source of the voice and saw a huge winged creature with a triangle-shaped head floating out from between two large stones. Its legs were curled up and the wings beat lazily. It must’ve been using magic to keep it in the air, since that amount of work wouldn’t do anything.
“You’re having a vision. Your body is still back in the farmhouse.”
“Who are you?”
“One of your messengers.”
Nicole gazed at the creature, trying to figure out where its voice was coming from. There wasn’t a visible mouth. In fact, as the thing drifted nearer, she could see that its face was completely void of anything she would have expected. No eyes, ears, or nose. The body was long and lean, ending with a powerful-looking tail. Horns protruded on either side of the head, coming to a point just above. The wings were hooked at the top. The creature didn’t have arms.
“What are you?”
“I’m a Nightgaunt.”
“I’ve heard that word before.” Nicole couldn’t remember where, though.
“We’re creations of the Great Ones. Everyone sees us a little differently.” The Nightgaunt floated closer.
“What do you want with me?” Nicole glanced where the arms should be, hoping to see the elixir somewhere. “Did you bring the elixir?”
“No.”
Nicole frowned, remembering what the creature had said earlier. “What do you mean, you’re one of my messengers? How many are there?”
The Nightgaunt didn’t respond, so Nicole decided to try a different question.
“Where am I?”
“You’re on a shrine to the Great Ones.”
Nicole stepped away from the Nightgaunt as it drifted a little too close. “Are you going to hurt me?”
“Not at this time. You lack education. I have been sent to instruct you.”
Nicole bristled for a moment before realizing the creature couldn’t possibly be talking about music or math or another school subject.
“Then start. The sooner we get through this, the better.”
One of the nightgaunt’s wings stretched to its farthest length—at least fifteen feet—then curled in and pointed to a rock near Nicole’s knees. She sat on it, realizing the creature was inviting her to settle herself.
“The thing you call a meteor was sent from my dimension. It brought hundreds of living spores. You’ve seen those spores—they take the form of ooze or pus, using your own words.
“Millions and millions of the little creatures combine their magic to create a portal, allowing beings to pass through. The meteor brought a start of them, but the spores needed to multiply and strengthen before they could create a portal. As you already know, they feed off the land and creatures around them.”
The Nightgaunt paused for a moment, then continued. “They will kill you, if given the chance, as they’ll spread until they consume every living creature on a planet. And yes, we’ve lost entire systems to them before.”
“Once I receive the elixir, will the spores be removed?”
“Possibly.”
Nicole swallowed. She didn’t like the way that sounded.
“You must protect the elixir. It will die if it leaves you for long. Unless it’s an absolute emergency, don’t allow anyone else to touch it, to hold it. Carry it close to your body at all times. The elixir will continue to feed off your power and will also feed your abilities, similar to what the portal did. In time, its magical pulse will be nearly indistinguishable from your own.”
The Nightgaunt shifted its wings, stretched them. One wing brushed Nicole’s face, startling her.
“I must warn you, Nicole, that the Great Ones don’t like competition. They don’t appreciate distracted anointed ones.”
Nicole frowned. “What does that mean?”
“You’ll find out when the Great Ones decide to show you. Their methods vary.”
Something behind the Nightgaunt shifted, drawing Nicole’s eyes. A sensation washed over her—a type of magical pulse.
The Nightgaunt turned. “It is time for you to return. They’re becoming aware of your presence.”
Nicole got to her feet. “Weren’t they always?”
A chortle-like sound came from the Nightgaunt. “No, Nicole, no. Pray it stays that way. Even when they’re helping you, the last thing you want is their full attention.”
Perceive, Mosaic Chronicles Book Three Page 18