Gwen opened her eyes, and found herself sitting on a shore by a beautiful glimmering lake. Tall pine trees surrounded the shore in all sides, an array of chocolate and dark emerald. They sky was strikingly blue against the dense white clouds that floated by. Gwen could smell the crisp fall air; it felt good to be home…in middle earth anyways.
“Haluna!” Soula shouted. All of the sudden a colorless figure appeared from the tree line. She was tall and had her dark hair weaved into a single braid that wrapped perfectly around her head. She wore an off the shoulder evening gown that was surprisingly still beautiful.
“Haluna, I have visitors!”
“Soula. How nice to see you, it’s been a while.” The spirits embraced warmly as Soula introduced Gwen and Rynnal.
“This is Gwen and Rylie.” Soula said excitedly.
“It’s Rynnal,” the gauche boy corrected.
Soula smiled. “Yes, yes sure it is,” she pacified. “He’s an alchemist.” Gwen laughed to herself. Seemed Soula’s the one who’d gone batty.
“I thought I felt a living enter.” Haluna answered, ignoring Rynnal as well. The boy just rolled his eyes.
“I’m Haluna. Care to join me for a walk? We could head over to the lodge and listen to some fiery conversations between an adulterer and his mistress. Always keeps me entertained.”
“No, no my friend. We are here strictly on business.”
“Business you say?” Haluna asked. “What kind of business? Pirate business?”
“Yes.” Gwen answered, eyeing Soula and Rynnal. “We’re in a hurry actually,” she said as she explained the magnitude of the situation. “…which leads us to now. I need to find him the boy named Samuel and his mantican Etu.
Haluna smiled. “It is you. I felt your presence greater than any other immortal who’s entered the spirit world,” she moved closer to Gwen outstretching her dreary hand to touch her saviors dirty face. “I will help you find Samuel. If you agree to one thing,” she said taking Gwen by the shoulders. “Promise me you’ll take them down Gwen. Take them all down. Too many souls have died at their hands. It’s too late for me to leave here…but I can’t see any more of us senselessly die like this. It has to stop and it stops with you beautiful one.”
Gwen nodded. She had no idea if she was “the one,” or who this one was, but if allowing them to believe she was indeed just that helped her stop the pirates Gwen didn’t think it could hurt.
“Let me think now. No, I don’t believe he’s crossed so that’s great luck! Hmmmm,” she thought. I believe I remember him wandering around a nearby cabin.” She brought her hand to her ashy lips. “Yes. Alright this way grab hold,” she said extending her hands. They formed a circle and closed their eyes again clearing their minds.
“There he is,” Gwen heard Haluna say as she opened her eyes. A boy grey as expected stood staring into the window of a cabin. The family inside, a man, woman, and young girl were eating their supper in silence.
“Hear me!” the boy screamed, and no one looked up from their plates. He sat down on the ground and lowered his head full of dark hair onto his knees. Another figure, almost translucent appeared behind him. He was large and dark. Etu.
“Samuel. You know it’s no use. We have to go to the light.”
“You go, Etu. I can’t leave them. They don’t even know what happened to…I don’t even know what happened to me!” he shouted. Etu nodded and stood silently behind his immortal.
“Why is he see-through?” Gwen asked.
“Manticans don’t have long to find the light. He has to go or….he will lose his chance and end up in the dark world.” Soula explained.
Gwen took a deep breath and began toward the boy…her victim. “Samuel,” Gwen said softly.
The boy jumped up at the sound of his name.
“Who…you can see me?” he asked, wide-eyed.
“Yes, I can see you, and Etu?” she asked eyeing the larger boy beside him. He nodded.
“I’m Gwen. Etu, Andrew is my sworn one,” she said attempting to lay out some common ground and trust…she’d need lots of trust.
Again Etu nodded and Gwen gulped hard.
“You’re, you’re in color. How can you see us,” Samuel skeptically asked.
“I’m an immortal, dual-locating,” Gwen answered, keeping things short. “Listen I need you to come with me. I…I’m going to bring you back.” Good. Maybe she wouldn’t have to explain how she…killed him.
“You can’t bring me back. You’d need a dark fairy,” he said, waving his hand. “Go away. I want to watch what’s left of my family in peace.”
“I’m going to get a dark fairy. At least that’s my plan,” Gwen said as calmly as she could.
“Ha,” the boy laughed smugly. “What are you going to do, waltz into the dark world, even if you could get there and do what? Oh, hi I’m Gwen, any of you horrible evil torturers want to give me a hand? Gee that’d be swell,” he shook his head. “Just get out of here.”
Gwen was become irritated at his blatant disregard for her help. “No. Actually I plan to find a half dead and hopefully, just hopefully she might be able to help me…us”
“Why would any half dead want to help you? There’s probably only a handful in existence. A worse fate than death if you ask me,” Samuel rolled his eyes, but Etu seemed intrigued.
“Because…she’s my sister.”
Chapter 10
Samuel was quiet. “I’m sorry –”
“Don’t. Just agree to let me help you. Come with us. We don’t have much time.”
Samuel looked to Etu, who nodded his head. “I say we go Sam, what other choice do we really have?” Samuel contemplated this.
“You think I could find out what happened to me if I get back?” he asked. It was as if a knife had been thrown through Gwen’s pounding heart. Should she tell him? No. She had to save him instead. He could hate her later.
“I’m sure,” she said shortly, fidgeting in the dirt with her bare toe.
“You really have no choice, boy!” Soula shouted. “Come now let’s gooo!” she shouted in her familiar sing song voice.
Gwen lowered her tone. “That’s what happens when you stay too long,” she motioned to Soula. “Trust me. Please.”
“Okay,” Samuel said. “We’ll try it.”
Gwen breathed a sigh of relief as she made her way back to the group. The boy walked up to the cabin window and put his hand up to the cool glass. “I’ll see you soon, Mom,” he said barely loud enough for anyone else to hear.
They gathered again. “Samuel and Etu this is Rynnal, an alchemist, Soula and Haluna.” The boys nodded at the matching pallor people.
“Okay. Back to the camp for Marriam’s mother.” Gwen said.
“You’re bringing more?” Samuel asked in disapproval.
“One,” Gwen said. They quickly appeared back at the camp. Groups were practicing as Gwen had instructed.
“What the hell is this? Are we in a pirate camp?” Sam asked terrified. That moment he was glad he was already dead.
“No boy,” Soula said softly. “We’re in the pirate camp.” Samuel swallowed hard.
“Adeline,” Ry motioned to the woman still seated beside her grieving daughter. “Come on, hurry. It’s time.” The woman reluctantly got up and walked slowly to the group staring straight ahead, not uttering a word.
Gwen nodded. “Alright princess, I can take you to the dark ones,” Soula said. “Once we get there you are on your own. I don’t venture past the roots.” Before Gwen could ask any questions the girl said in her high fluttering voice, “Hold my hand. You too, Rynnal. Close your eyes and clear your thoughts.” Gwen took the girls slender hand. “We’re here,” Soula whispered.
Gwen opened her eyes and saw a barren field, with a single gray tree in the middle. It looked madly out of place but was no doubt what Tiger was talking about. Stay away from the gray tree Gwen recalled. Must be the place.
Thick sprawling roots dove and leapt through the black di
rt. Soula tip toed up to the first root. “That way. You must place your hand on the heart of the tree to enter and you may nevvver come out,” she sang. “Stay safe,” Soula said, embracing Gwen hard. With the goodbye hug, Soula was gone.
“Good luck, brave one,” Haluna said as she disappeared as well. Adeline stood eyes wide swaying back and forth, in her own delusional world. Rynnal positioned himself next to Gwen. Hands shoved deep into his pockets, he nervously adjusted his glasses and took a deep breath.
“Well. Looks like we’re here,” he said. “Do you have a plan?”
“No. No plan. Just find Emma I guess.” Gwen said still staring at the tree.
“She might find you. Half deads can feel changes in energy too…like dark ones. You won’t have much time when you cross. They’ll come looking for us right away.”
Sam and Etu stood silent.
“Right.” Gwen answered eyes stuck. Shaking her head she looked to Rynnal. “Ready?”
“When you are,” he shrugged. “What are we going to do about them?”
Gwen looked at Adeline now sitting on the ground brushing her imaginary daughter’s hair. Samuel watched the woman in disbelief and Gwen could see the sympathy in Etu’s coffee colored eyes. Turning, she walked over to the singing woman. “Adeline? Adeline. Do you want to see Marriam?”
The woman perked up at the mention of her daughter’s name. She nodded quickly as a child would.
“Okay. Then you have to follow us and do what we say, alright?” Adeline again, nodded her head. Gwen felt as if she were talking to Adeline’s five year old daughter instead of a grown woman. She studied her youthful face. Gwen would have guessed her at no more than sixteen. It was still odd to her that immortals, though some hundreds of years old, look no more than
eighteen. “Good. Come on then stay close. You two as well,” she instructed. Gwen rose and hopped and skipped over large roots until finally arriving at the massive base of the tree.
“See the heart?” Rynnal asked. Gwen searched the scratchy bark for any sign of a heart.
“Here,” she said pointing to a large black knothole twisted oddly in the shape of a heart.
“No mistaking it. That’s most undeniably a heart,” Ry said, eyeing the hole.
Gwen took a deep breath. “Ready?” she asked. Ry nodded and Adeline stood close behind, her frizzy red hair blowing in the wind. Samuel hesitantly nodded while Etu looked far more controlled. Good, Gwen thought. He could watch over the other two.
She extended her hand and placed it perfectly over the midnight heart.
It swept over her. The feeling of knowing someone is watching you. Goosebumps rose like tiny mountains on her ivory arms. The hairs on the back of her neck stood like a scared mangy cat. She opened her eyes. Darkness. Fog. Wind. Cold. It was freezing. A dark forest full of rotting gray trees. A bleak middle world. Not heaven not hell not earth not space. Somewhere in between they stood.
Gwen looked behind her. She swore she felt fingernails on her neck. Nothing but the tree behind them. They gateway back into their world. Her exit. She was tempted to turn back like a hungry child behind the counter of a candy store. No, she thought. She would continue.
Finding a large hole in the base of the tree Gwen whispered, “Adeline. Stay here by the tree. Do not move, stay hidden.
Adeline obeyed and sat still as a rock in the small opening of the hole. Gwen looked around. She wasn’t sure where to go.
“Any ideas?” Ry asked, shivering.
“Not a single one,” she replied.
Suddenly, a black owl like bird appeared. It was missing feathers and had only one remaining eye. It landed with a thud on the ground before them. The creature twisted his head all the way around to peer at Gwen with its one good eye.
“Interesting little fellow,” Ry whispered, eyes wide.
It hobbled up to Gwen, and suddenly pecked her bare right foot, almost drawing blood.
“Ouch!” Gwen shouted louder than she anticipated. The bird held up his deformed claw and Gwen saw a tiny piece of rolled up paper inside. She bent down and slowly took the note from the bird, attempting to avoid another injury. It read:
Follow the bird.
She handed the note to Ry, who stuck it inside his pocket after reading. “Do you think it’s a trap?” he asked.
Gwen shrugged. “I don’t know.”
A figure screamed in the distance. The pair froze afraid to move. The bird hopped behind them pecking at their ankles as a sheep dog would do to members of his flock. With two large hops, it became airborne before them.
“Let’s go,” Gwen whispered not wanting to stick around to hear where the scream was coming from. The bird flew fast, making Gwen and Rynnal have to run to keep up. They dodged trees and jumped rocks. Making turn upon turn until all of the sudden the ground gave way. They fell a good twenty feet until they landed upon something almost soft. Hay. Gwen fell feet first and Rynnal landed on his belly. Gwen rubbed her ankle and looked around.
“Where are we?” she whispered.
Rynnal shook his head. “I don’t know.” It appeared to be a system of tunnels.
They owl swooped in and swiftly disappeared down one of the tunnel options.
“Guess we follow it?” Ry asked hesitantly.
Gwen answered by running quickly down the far right tunnel. Pitch blackness. There was no light except at the very end. The warm glow started around the size of a candle flame and grew as Gwen ran closer. Their feathered fearless leader swept inside and sat perfectly still in the doorway at the end. There was no door. Gwen slowed and crept slowly ahead. It looked like a living quarters from what she could tell. Dirt walls surrounded the hole. There was a small blanket on the ground beside a single chair and gray tree stump to serve as a table. A small fire danced upon colorless logs in the opposite corner. The smoke was emitted out a tiny hole in the top of ceiling that led to the surface.
“What is this place?” Ry asked.
“I don’t know,” Gwen answered flatly as the owl hopped onto the table and eerily stared at Gwen. She noticed a small white box tucked into a makeshift cubby shelf in the wall and was instantly drawn to it.
“What are you doing?” Rynnal hissed. “We don’t know who lives here what if they come back.”
Gwen didn’t answer as she pulled the wooden box from the shelf. She opened it slowly and a porcelain ballerina began spinning around and around in the pink velvet lined box. Gwen didn’t have to worry if the person who lived there came back because she already knew them.
“Gwen?” A woman’s voice sounded in the doorway.
Gwen didn’t turn before she answered.
“Emma.” Spinning on the balls of her feet, she saw a girl around eighteen. “Oh sorry…I…I thought you were someone else.” Gwen eyed the girls flowing auburn hair and hazel eyes. Her small pink lips were fuller than Gwen’s and she had a much frailer figure. She wasn’t colorless but not in full color either. A half dead. She wore a pale blue sack-like dress covered by a barley yellow shall.
“No, you were right sister…I’m Emma,” the girl answered.
Gwen shook her head in disbelief. “No…you can’t be Emma. Emma is three years old –” Gwen began to explain.
The girl smiled. “I was three the last time I saw you. I…forcefully grew up here. No one has much use for children.”
The girl’s stood staring at one another. Their looks were uncannily similar. Though, Emma was taller and much, much thinner. “Emma.” Gwen tripped over the gray chair as she embraced her sister. It felt as if her arms were moving through liquid.
“We can’t really touch,” Emma smiled. I’m only half dead.
“Right.” Gwen said. “The box. I…I remember it. You loved it. How is it here?”
Emma’s face hardened. “When I, um…was killed I was playing with that box in my stroller. The impact of the vehicle impaled the box into by body….” Emma left out some unnecessary details of her accident. It crossed over with me somehow. I put mo
st of the pieces back together and surprisingly it works. I felt you enter. I sent the bird.”
“I figured you sent out winged friend here” Gwen said eyeing the bird through the corner of her eye remembering his attack on her foot.
“You live here?” Ry asked from beside the fire.
“Oh sorry, Emma, this is Rynnal. I don’t know how much you know about the people of Everland but he’s an alchemist.
Emma nodded. “Hello Rynnal. Yes, I know much about Everland and I do live here. We all do. The half deads I mean. There are twelve of us right now.”
“Right now?” Ry asked running his hands together in front of the fire to no avail.
“Yes. Our numbers diminish when the dark ones…take us,” she explained lips pursed.
“Take you? Why?” Gwen questioned.
“Because they grow stronger when they take our human energy. Much, much stronger.”
“Do you eat?” Ry asked again.
“Yes a little. Around once a week. Half dead’s don’t eat much.”
Gwen couldn’t help but to stare at her sister she didn’t even know.
“Do you remember…anything?” Gwen asked.
“I remember you,” Emma answered with a soft smile. “You used to play dolls with me, and snuggle in bed with me and mom some mornings-”
“Sundays,” Gwen interrupted. “It was Sundays before breakfast.”
“Right, I didn’t know my days then,” Emma smiled again, remembering a world lost to her for so many years she wasn’t even sure it still existed. “Why did you come Gwen?”
“I need…help…your help,” Gwen twisted her finger together nervously.
“With what?”
“I need you to help me find a dark fairy,” Gwen began briefly explaining the events that led her to Emma. Emma listened intensely as Gwen told her of the pirates, her brothers, Samuel Etu and Adeline…Pete and Andrew.
“So you see, we don’t have much time we need the fairy.”
Emma sat in the wooden chair and threw a stick into the fire.
“I know of one…” she said twisting her hair around her skinny finger. “She might be willing to help…” Emma stared blankly at the black wall, lost in thought.
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