Gwen spent the rest of the morning attempting to keep terrible thoughts from entering her mind. Her scraping skills were improving but she was damn happy she wouldn’t have to use them ever again, one way or another. Lily kept her distance, which was fine with Gwen. She wasn’t up for any more difficult conversation.
“Hi Gwen,” a little voice said from behind her.
“Oh, hi Tiger. What are you working on?” Gwen asked making conversation with the petite girl.
“Scraping this red one. I like the red ones, they smell good and they’re pretty. Here smell,” Tiger held the shiny red rock up to Gwen’s face. She inhaled, surprised at the sweet aroma of the stone. It smelled like strawberries. Not the kind from the grocery store, but the artificial kind she remembered certain dolls smelling like when she was a girl.
“That does smell good,” Gwen said forcing a smile. The girl had such rough hands. They didn’t fit her puffy pink lips and striking black hair. She was surely the most beautiful little girl Gwen had ever seen, even in the rags she wore. Her green eyes sparkled as she beamed, proud Gwen enjoyed her rock. Pete’s eyes. It was the only part of her that wasn’t the spitting image of Lily, and apparently Lily’s mother.
“Guess what?” the girl asked.
“What?”
Tiger shifted onto her knees and whispered in Gwen’s ear placing her tiny hands in front of her pretty lips, “You get to use my power tonight,” she sat back on her feet and giggled, completely oblivious to the severity of the situation.
Gwen felt her heart sink. “That’s what I hear. Thank you. You’re very sweet for letting me use it,” she said fake excitement glossing her otherwise cracking voice.
“Sure. Mama says you’ll give it right back, but I have to be asleep for the whole thing,” she pouted her perfect lips and crossed her arms.
Give it right back. Oh how Gwen wished she could promise that. “Oh that’s alright, you don’t want to be sleepy the next day do you?”
Tiger shook her head. “Oh…there’s Marriam. Maybe she’ll want to play but maybe not since her mommy’s dead now. I’ll go see.”
What horrors Tiger had seen already.
The day drug on as the suns beat down on Gwen’s bare shoulders. Feeling the hunger return to her aching stomach, she made her way back to Lily, who was making her way to the water pump line.
“Is it past lunch?” Gwen asked exhausted.
“Yes. I think it is. Sometimes they do that, skip lunch on us if we’re falling behind.”
Gwen couldn’t wait until nightfall but fortunately she didn’t have to. The horn sounded twice and a guard too his place upon the podium. “Work’s done early today. Get back to your sleeping quarters.” And that was it. No explanation. He hobbled down and took his place at the head of the lineup.
A feeling of uneasiness took over the crowd. “What’s going on?” Gwen asked.
“Come on.” Lily said dodging pale prisoners left and right to find Tiger. She found the girl standing alone searching for Lily. Taking her daughter’s hand, they walked quickly back to their places.
“Stay here.” Lily bit her lip and scampered up ahead a few people to the bright blond disturbed girl. Gwen kept a close eye on Tiger as they waited uneasily for Lily. Soon she returned to their sides.
“What was that about?” Gwen whispered.
“I didn’t get much out of Kierra, but I think she said they want us to rest and recharge…our bunny batteries like last time.” Lily shrugged. “To get the most out of your energy I would guess.”
Again, they marched out of sync down the barren hallway to their barracks for the last time. Once the guards locked the doors the inmates began to talk. The uneasiness hung over their heads like a low storm cloud, just before opening its massive flood gates. Unsure of what to do, most made way to their bunks, or friends’ bunks to impatiently wait their fate.
“I don’t like this,” Lily said eyeing the others from her bunk. “I don’t think we should wait until tonight. They’re too skittish. I’ve never seen them like this before.” She pulled Tiger closer.
Gwen hated to admit it, but she agreed. They were getting too restless. Like animals before slaughter.
“Yeah, I agree, but it’s too public now. No one’s going to be sleeping.”
Just then around six bunks down, Gwen saw a rather burley girl with thick hips and a square face climb up onto a dresser.
“Damn,” Lily cursed this time in English. “This is what I was afraid of. No guards. Locked doors. People are bound to get antsy.”
“What?” Gwen asked not taking her eyes off the husky girl.
Just then, the girl pounded her fist on the table, getting everyone’s attention. “My fellow prisoners,” she said in a low and commanding voice. “I fear this is no regular draining. No guards? The doors are locked in the light? We’re trapped like rats. Lab rats.” Her thick top lip snarled as she continued. “As you probably know, Janiah was one of the first ones here and the oldest surviving immortal among us. She’s been through two drainings. Janiah, tell us how this is different.”
The frizzy dirty blond girl was frail and walked with a limp. Her voice quivered as she spoke. “Never have they left us unattended. Never. Never have we stopped working early either. I’m not sure what this means but I’m afraid it isn’t good.”
The crowd shifted in their places. Some burst out in tears others began shouting questions.
“Here now, listen!” the burley girl shouted. “I say we come up with a plan. We go out fighting!”
She raised a thick fist into the air, driving home her irrational point to the already frantic crowd.
“This is bad,” Lily muttered to Gwen. “Very bad. They’re going to get us killed sooner. We won’t have enough time to stop them.” She clenched her strong jaw.
Without hesitation Gwen found an equally high dresser to her right, and climbed to the top herself. She stood strong and tall in her filthy green cocktail dress. Putting two fingers into her mouth, she whistled loudly. The startled crowd suddenly gave her all their attention. Gwen began to speak.
“Listen, everyone please,” Gwen began. “I know you’re scared. Truthfully…I am too, but rebelling in this way is not our answer.”
A voice rose from the rest. “Oh yah, princess then what is? You going to do something about it?”
The another, “Yah, what are you going to do?”
And another, “Nothing, that’s what. I say we stick with Uranda’s plan to fight.”
Before she could lose her guts, Gwen continued, “We…we have a plan,” she said more calmly now, but I’m going to need all of your help if we stand any chance of surviving the night.”
Silence fell over the audience.
“You see, I’m a borrower.” Only a half lie, Gwen thought…she could be a borrower. The crowd looked uneasily at one another. Whispers swept through the terrified spectators like a game of dominos.
A boy with spiky black hair and large ears broke the silence. “So?” he crossed his thin arms. “Are you forgetting the collar you’re wearing? This is ridiculous. We’re wasting time I say let’s-”
“I broke the collars walls…” Gwen blurted without thinking. Gwen prayed she was doing the right thing revealing their secret to everyone. Not her best plan, she thought, but the only one she had.
Silence filled the space between Gwen and the crowd once more.
“How do we know you’re not ling,” Uranda, her burley opponent skeptically asked.
Gwen hadn’t thought of that. “You don’t,” she said quietly. She had them hanging on her every word. “You’re right…You have no reason to trust me and every reason to judge me,” Gwen swallowed hard and prayed she had the strength to continue on. “I’m the daughter of your runaway queen. The woman who betrayed all of you. But believe me this, I am my mother’s daughter…but I am not my mother. I will not make her mistakes. Truth is I didn’t even believe in myself… until now. I have finally found my purpose…It’s you. It�
��s every… single… one of you. If I have to give my last breath to free you from this hell…I am prepared to that.” To her own surprise, heartfelt tears streamed down her dirty face. “I am asking for your trust. You’re faith in me. We have a plan. I can’t reveal all of the details but trust me it’s our best shot and I need you…all of you to help us…Please…can I believe in you?”
Janiah made her way slowly through the dumbfounded crowd to Gwen. Her eyes were full of joyous tears. “It’s you. It’s really you. You are who I thought you were. I knew you’d come. You’re the one. The one predicted to save our worlds from the darkness.” Gwen Looked to Lily. She wasn’t sure if Janiah had cracked under the pressure and gone insane…or if there was any truth to what she was saying. Nevertheless, she believed in Gwen. She sparked the glimmer of hope…and it spread like wildfire.
“I believe in you,” Uranda said sternly. Heads nodded in the crowd.
“I believe,” Lily said. “I have all along.” It was true. Lily had laid down her daughter’s life, because she believed in Gwen. Despite their situation with Pete, Lily had such enormous faith in Gwen, she looked past what must be tearing her heart out of her body.
“I believe in you princess,” A voice shouted. Soon, Gwen was surrounded in a sea of people who trusted her and her abilities. She had gotten them on board. Now she just had to keep up her end of the bargain.
“Alright, hush. We don’t have much time. The eight of you come here.” Gwen motioned to the front six immortals.
She pulled them in close. Four boys and four girls. She explained the plan, and they listened, mouths open and eyes wide. Gwen felt in command. She explained their jobs. “I need you to find out everyone’s abilities. Group them. I’m sure it’s been a long time for most since they’ve used their energy. Some may have not had much of a chance to use it at all before they were captured. Find an experienced immortal in each ability, and have them go over a quick lesson with their like powered immortals.” She turned to a particularly small girl with black frizzy hair and dark caramel skin. “I need you gather a group of around thirty to stay by the door and keep watch. Act natural and scared. You’re our first line of defense if anyone comes in.” The girl nodded her head in understanding.
“Now go. Separate your groups and get started.” Gwen said. She looked to Tiger and Lily who sat waiting for Gwen on their bunk. Lily had hung a multicolored blanket on all sides, creating a makeshift private room for their mission. Gwen took a deep breath and crawled inside the tent. It reminded of her of the tents she made with Jonah when they were children. They would drape their bed comforters over the backs of chairs and turn off the lights. Jonah would sit in the middle of the tent, little blue flashlight in hand, waiting anxiously to turn it on, and shine it onto the crisp pages of his favorite story. How Gwen longed for that to be the case.
“Okay. I guess we should get started.” Lily said, taking a deep breath. “Lay down here Tiger close to me on your back. Careful, don’t touch Gwen. There you go honey.” Tiger lay down her small head on the straw pillow. Her black hair fanned out and she rested her tiny calloused hands on her hungry belly.
“Mama, I’m scared. I don’t want Gwen to go to the dark place,” she squeaked.
“Oh baby, it’s okay. Gwen’s strong, she won’t let the spirits get her ok? You just lay down and rest your beautiful head my angel.” Lily stroked her daughters raven hair. Gwen felt her heart begin to race. She was sweating from head to toe. Reluctantly, she lay down beside Tiger. Gwen laid in silence, staring at the heavy wood grain of the bunk above her.
“Gwen?” Lily asked. “Are you ready?” It was the same question Gwen was asking herself.
“Ok.” Gwen answered. She turned her head and looked at Tiger. “Ready?”
Tiger looked back at Gwen her eyes welling up with tears. “Be careful Gwen. Stay away from the big grey tree. That’s where they want you to go.” Gwen nodded, and Lily began singing a lullaby hushed and slow. Gwen closed her eyes and slid her hand slowly across the rough straw mattress until she felt Tiger’s small cold hand.
Gwen concentrated hard and felt the spark flicker through cracks in her mental wall. She heard Lily’s soft voice growing farther and farther away as she reached for the spark. She felt the flow. It started slow, like thick liquid medicine through the needle of a syringe. It was easier than she imagined until suddenly the collar’s wall gave way even more. It was like a gush now. Gwen felt as if she were standing in a rushing river, struggling to keep her footing, as the water flowed harder and harder around her. The hole, she remembered. She created the hole as Rynnal had told her to. She let the energy flow into the empty space until she could fit no more inside. Stop.
She knew she had to stop. The hole was full, and energy began leaking around it into the blackness. Gwen pushed the back with her mind. She pushed with everything she had in her. Close the gates. She had to push back. Rebuild the wall. Cut the flow. Every muscle in her body was engaged. She shook as the energy slowed to a trickle, and then finally was no more. Gwen pried her hand from Tigers and focused on the energy. She opened her eyes and saw Tiger lying beside her… still…was she breathing? Yes. Her chest rose and fell. Unconscious, but alive.
“Gwen, you did it,” Lily whispered. Suddenly, Gwen felt her mind split. She felt herself rise from her sleeping body. Looking around, she saw herself lying eyes closed beside Tiger. Gwen put her hand up to move the blanket, but her hand moved right through. She tried to talk to Lily. “Lily? Can you hear me?” she asked with no answer. Of course she couldn’t hear her. Taking a deep breath Gwen walked through the hanging blanket.
She heard the sound of clapping. “Bravo Princess. I knew you could do it. You’re a natural!” It was him. Rynnal…but grey.
“Oh my god, Rynnal!” He was sitting on a crate right outside her bunk. “How did you? What are you? You’re grey?” Gwen stammered.
“You’re not,” he smiled. “I’m dead… and you aren’t. You have a visitors pass. Us dead spirits who don’t go towards the lights turn grey, from what I gather in the short time I’ve been…dead,” he said pushing his glasses up on his nose.
“Did it hurt? Did they find out you weren’t an immortal?” she asked.
“No, I didn’t feel anything and it was priceless! They didn’t get another because they didn’t want to admit their foolishness.” He shrugged.
“I am so sorry, Rynnal –” Gwen said
Rynnal held up a hand. “No. No being sorry. I am here to help you. This was no accident. I wanted to help you from this side. Now we have to go to Andrew.”
Gwen tucked her wavy auburn hair behind her ear, “There’s been a change of plans. I have a few things I have to do first…” she admitted.
“What things?” he asked.
“I need to find someone, and…bring them back. Thankfully I have already found one.” Gwen smiled.
“I had a feeling you’d say that…” he answered motioning to his left. Gwen saw Mariam sitting quietly on her bunk, a grey woman sitting beside her singing a song the girl couldn’t hear. Her mother. Number two down, Gwen thought. “You know we can’t do this without a dark fairy?”
“I do.”
“Gwen you have to cross over into the dark world if you want to find one. I…I don’t know what’s there, I do know it’s dangerous.”
“I understand.”
Just then, another grey figure came into view. She had light hair and equally light eyes and wore a long floral printed frayed skirt. “I felt you cross and had to see for myself. It’s not often we visit with the living.” The girl seemed to float instead of walk. “I’m Soula. The first immortal to die here, and hell-bent on being the last to leave.”
“Hi, I’m –”
“Gwen. I know. Remember,” she giggled. “I can watch you.”
“Right.” Gwen did forget. “You felt me?”
“Sure. When the living enter the spirit world, a wave of energy crosses through us. Like a speed bump,” she said wrink
ling her pointed nose.
Gwen thought she was far too happy for such a grave situation. “So you know why we’re here then? Oh and this is Rynnal” she said.
“Yes we’ve met she smiled. He informed me you were coming. That’s why I’ve joined you.” Her face got serious. “You see, I refuse to cross into the light until they’re stopped. Immortals and other creatures die horrible tortuous deaths most of the time here. I stick around to guide them in the right direction. Tormented spirits can get confused and tempted to stick around…if we stay too long…we lose our chance to go to the light…forever.” A smile returned to her pinched face. “Thankfully you’re here tonight, and it will end.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Gwen said.
“Likewise!” Soula responded.
You wouldn’t by chance know where I can find a dark fairy?” Gwen eagerly asked.
Soula gasped. “Why would you ever want to do that? Oh no no no. You need to stay far away from the dark spirits and half deads. They’re dangerous.”
“Sounded like a bad idea to me too, but she refuses to continue until she finds one.” Ry added, shifting awkwardly on his large heels.
Soula contemplated the situation. Sighing, she figured it was pointless to discuss it. “You want her to bring the boy and his Mantican back?”
She knew. “Yes…I have to, could you help us find them?”
“Yes and yes. I’ll take you to the dark fairy and tormented spirits usually stay near where they were killed. You said Minnesota right? Any idea where?” Soula asked.
Gwen shook her head, “No.”
“Well lucky for you I have a friend in middle earth that sticks around Central Lakes. Had a horrible encounter with a pirate there. She’s a little batty these days, but she seems to know most immortals that stick around middle earth in the spirit world. Come on, take hands, quickly now and we’ll get on our way.”
They trio joined hands and Soula quickly explained. “Close your eyes, clear your mind.” Gwen did just that and suddenly Soula sang, “We’re here!”
Darlings Page 18