by K. Manna
This will not be the end, not for me!
It all happened so quickly. A fierce, bold-green light shot from my eyes, creating a barrier between us. The green light covered all five of the stone-faced bodies, pushing them farther and farther away until they were nothing, until they disappeared into the darkness.
Not knowing what to do, I ran back to the jacket and picked it up. I took out the set of keys that I had left in the pocket.
All of this must be here for a reason. I will find my way back home, somehow, some way. This might be a puzzle or some kind of maze, but I am determined to figure it all out. A mission. My mission.
“Oh, mission, here I come.”
FAST FORWARD …
I awoke to the usual strong citrusy scent of lemon. It was a nice scent to wake to, unlike the horrible burning scent. The scan of my dreams was longer this time around. Not only did I remember seeing my dream from that morning of the giant owl flying me high above Eli and the Zyon, but I also remembered the eerie dream with the stone-faced people. Those stone faces were so odd, so creepy. I didn’t understand these weird dreams that I had been having lately.
When a beeping noise went off, Dr. Avery walked into the back room. I stretched and yawned, a big yawn that made my eyes water. My fingertips brushed at my watery eyes.
“Oh, don’t cry, Go-Go,” a male voice said teasingly.
It’s his voice, the voice I have been waiting to hear for days.
I smiled. “You again? How nice of you to finally check up on me, and with your busy schedule,” I said sarcastically.
“Aw, don’t be like that. I have been so busy that I rarely have time even for myself.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I know how busy you are. It’s been all over the Z-Screen.”
He smiled. “Exactly. See, I don’t lie.”
“So, did you really see him?” I asked.
“See whom?”
I looked straight into the Zyon’s eyes. “Eli. Like in my dream, did you see him on the mainland of Alacor?” I asked again.
“No, I didn’t see your lover boy, Eli,” the Zyon teased. “Remember your dreams aren’t real. They are just dreams.”
I laughed. “Whatever. You know it’s not fair that you can watch my dreams, but I can’t watch yours.”
The Zyon raised his eyebrows. “Why, do you want to?”
Wow, that question surprises me. Is he serious? Duh, of course I do.
Not wanting to sound desperate, I acted like it wasn’t really a big deal. “Um, I don’t know. I guess, sure. It’s only fair, right?”
“I guess, but just so you know, my dreams aren’t as interesting as yours. They might bore you,” the Zyon pointed out.
Shrugging my shoulders, I said, “So.”
The Zyon got up from his seat and walked into the back room where Dr. Avery had gone. I could hear their muffled voices, and then the Zyon returned with Dr. Avery right behind him.
“Are you sure?” Dr. Avery asked.
“Yes, I’m sure,” the Zyon said confidently.
Dr. Avery pushed his glasses up. “All right, you will need to switch seats then.”
Seriously, I cannot believe this is happening, and to me of all people! This feels like a dream, but so much better.
After we switched seats, Dr. Avery put the screen over the Zyon’s head and then placed the amber bottle under his nose.
The Zyon cringed. “Oh, that is terribl—”
I love watching instead of being the one being watched.
Reclining my chair back, I laughed.
Dr. Avery had an uneasy expression on his face. He placed the screen over my head and attached wires from a machine to my temples and forehead with strong sticky suctions. Then he did the same to the Zyon, who couldn’t feel a dang thing.
So this is what they do when I’m passed out. They place the suction cups after I am knocked out and remove them before I wake. Pretty slick, I have to admit.
“Please close your eyes, and we will begin,” Dr. Avery said. Something about the way he said it gave me the impression that he didn’t think this had been such a great idea.
When I closed my eyes, all I saw initially was blackness until a blurred image very slowly began to appear. The image became larger and clearer with the sound of Dr. Avery turning knobs and pressing buttons.
And his dream begins!
Excitement rushed through every part of my body.
Making his way through an old castle, the Zyon walked cautiously, a sharp sword in his right hand and a shield in his left. He was dressed like a warrior with metal chains and spiked body armor. Dirt smudges speckled his body. Cuts and gashes marked his skin. The largest gash still bled from his sweaty, dirt-covered upper arm.
A large, cracked wooden door stood open in front of him. Rubble and debris were scattered across the stone floor. Suddenly, a hairy gray creature looking like a cross between man and wolf attacked him, but the Zyon, being too quick, stabbed him through the gut with his sword. The creature fell to the ground and faded into nothingness, and in its place was an oversized gold coin. The Zyon grabbed the coin and shoved it into a pouch hanging at his hip.
Just then a loud screeching noise erupted from the other room. The Zyon ran through the open door to see what it was. As he passed into another dirt-covered room, a giant green spider-like creature with a dozen long, squirmy legs jumped down from the ceiling, spitting a black glob of boiling slime at him. The spider creature stood upright on its hind legs, still screeching loudly, fangs ready to pierce. More spitballs shot from its mouth as the Zyon dodged each one as fast as he could. A drop of the nasty liquid landed on the Zyon’s arm, sizzling violently, but the Zyon didn’t have time to lick his wounds. Long green legs reached out to capture him. The Zyon moved quickly out of their grasp and swung his sword with force, chopping one green leg after another until only one leg squiggled around like a lone snake.
Finally, the Zyon threw his sword at the one-legged creature, and it buried itself in the creature’s throat. The thing thrashed and spasmed, causing the Zyon to back away or else be ravaged by the monster in its death throes. When the convulsions stopped, the corpse instantly dissolved into a pile of dust, which blew away, leaving behind a magnificent and dangerous-looking dagger.
His prize!
The Zyon tucked the dagger into his belt and knelt to reclaim his trusty sword before continuing on. While running up a weaving staircase of chipped and badly broken stairs, bats flew through the air above his head. On instinct, he raised his sword, slashing it through the air and cutting a bat in two. He ran on. The staircase stopped on an open rooftop where rusted metal pipes and stones were scattered across the floor. Broken pillars dotted the rooftop in all directions.
“Is somebody out there? Please. Please, help me!” a whiney female voice called out.
The Zyon crept cautiously around dozens of pillars, following the voice back into the darkness. Hidden among the maze of pillars was a rusty cage, which held a young woman. In her beautiful, long white dress, she clutched the bars that prevented her escape.
Who is it? It better not be Onnika.
When the Zyon came upon the cage, he took his dagger and slashed the lock that hung from the cage door, splitting it in two.
“Finally, I have found you, my zyness,” the Zyon said in a deep manly voice, much deeper than his own.
Pulling the barred door open, he went toward the woman, lifting both of her hands in his. Then I saw her face—it was my own, smiling back at the Zyon.
My heart thumped rapidly inside of my chest as Dr. Avery took the scanner away from my head. Watching the Zyon’s dream had been the very last thing I could have ever expected, but then seeing my own face in it … and as the Zyness, too! Every time I saw the Zyon there were surprises, and they just kept getting better and better. Butterflies began to flutter t
heir little wings again inside my stomach while I waited in anticipation for Dr. Avery to awaken the Zyon.
What will he say? What will I say?
The Zyon woke seconds after he breathed in the lemony scent. His gorgeous eyes were bright and wide, beaming, just like his smile. Again, Dr. Avery left the room.
“So, do you still feel like you are being treated unfairly?” the Zyon asked playfully.
“N-no, not really,” I stuttered.
The Zyon stood up and stretched. “I thought that was a pretty sweet dream that I had last night. Don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I guess, if you’re all about video games.”
“Oh, come on. Who wouldn’t want to be a big badass warrior in a video game?” the Zyon asked with a laugh.
I rolled my eyes. “Not me. What is so cool about fighting and being attacked by monsters?”
Is he going to say anything about me being in his dream?
The Zyon looked at me with a playful smile. “Fighting bad dudes is pretty awesome.” He grabbed for something in his pocket. “But beating the game and saving the pretty zyness is even better.”
OMG! He did say something.
Shyly, I smiled and looked down at my feet.
The Zyon stepped in front of me and placed a little silver box wrapped with blue ribbon on my lap. “I thought you might like this, but don’t open it until after I leave.”
I looked up at him with surprise. “Okay,” I said slowly. “Thank you.”
He gave me one of his cute little winks, then abruptly left, like he usually did. The silver box in my hands still felt warm from being inside his pocket. I sniffed it.
Oh, it even smells like him. Such manly goodness.
It smelled like a fresh, manly cologne. I slowly pulled the ribbon loose before opening the lid. There inside the box sat a sparkly silver necklace, a beautiful pendant hanging from it. Inscribed on the pendant was my name with a royal-blue jewel placed on the swirl looping from the letter “O.”
It reads Margo. How cute is that? Hello? Very. But not as cute as the Zyon himself.
“That sneaky little brat,” I whispered to myself, still smiling.
I quickly put the lid back on and shoved the box into my pocket just as I heard someone approaching.
Sir Felix walked through the door. “The Zyon told me that you have finished. Are you ready?”
“Yeah.”
“You look even happier than before. How is that possible?” Sir Felix asked.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know,” I lied, with my heart skipping happily to no end.
“You should have seen his face, Go-Go. He looked so scared and in so much pain. I still can’t believe Jeremiah went and practiced out there all by himself. Seriously, who does that? To just go and pick up a zillion-pound rock all by himself with no one there to help, that’s plain old stupid. What was he thinking?” Lottie went on and on about Jeremiah while she changed into her pajamas.
“I don’t know. That’s pretty crazy,” I said, pulling the blankets up over my waist.
Lottie walked over to her bed, shaking her head. “I just can’t believe it. That boy is so lucky that I heard him screaming from so far away, and thankfully Bree happened to be with me.” Lottie looked at me with a pained expression. “And ew, you should have seen his arm. It was totally crushed by that massive rock.” She shivered at the thought. “Bree did her thing, though. It took a while, but she rocked it. I didn’t see one mark left on him.”
“I wish I could’ve been there. I wish I could have healed Jeremiah.”
“But you weren’t there because you’re too damn important, always being called for appointments with Dr. Avery,” Lottie teased. “So, has he figured anything out yet?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Dr. Avery said he has an idea but wouldn’t tell me what it is. Lame-o.”
Lottie gave me a confused look. “He wouldn’t tell you?”
I shook my head. “Nope. How annoying is that?”
“Very. That’s messed up.”
Trying to get comfortable, I rolled onto my stomach and held my stone under my pillow. I still slept with it every night. The little stone made me feel safe and gave me a sense of home and a sense of Eli.
I miss you, Eli.
Lottie started up again. “I still can’t get Jeremiah out of my head. After it was all over, I could tell how embarrassed he felt with everyone looking at him. I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to yell, ‘What were you thinking?’ But I didn’t because I felt bad for him.” Lottie stopped for a breath then continued on. “But it’s his own fault. He should have had Cole or Sasha with him, and then all this wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
I cut in. “Woman, I can’t fall asleep with all of your talking.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll shut up now. Actually, I better pee first.” Lottie crawled out of bed and ran to the bathroom.
Pushing the covers off of me, I tiptoed over to my backpack and pulled out the little silver box.
Just one more peek before bed.
Lottie didn’t know anything about the necklace. This was my little secret, but it sucked because I couldn’t wear the necklace without her noticing and questioning me about where it came from. Who gave it to me? Why hasn’t she seen it before? So I would keep it safely and silently in my backpack for now.
Then the toilet flushed. Quickly, I closed the lid and shoved the box back into the bag. Zip, zip, and then my quick feet tiptoed softly back to my bed. I crawled in and pretended to already be asleep.
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE UNEXPECTED
Soft royal-blue velvet covered the interior of the round carriage, which wobbled slightly back and forth along the ride. From the window, I saw Alacorians standing on the streets, smiling and waving at me. Every single one of them looked so happy and excited, making me smile and wave in return. The sunlight glistened through the window, warming my skin and shimmering against my long, silver-jeweled dress.
This is such an elegant dress. Where did it come from?
My reflection in the window showed hair styled high on top of my head with little ringlets hanging around my face. I lightly touched the sides of my hair; they felt as hard as rock, stiff from all the hairspray that kept the ringlets in place. A beautiful blue sapphire necklace hung from my neck, and matching teardrop earrings dangled from my ears.
Sweet!
The carriage began to slow then came to a stop. The door was pulled open, and an unfamiliar man reached in and took my hand to help me down from the high carriage. When my feet were finally planted on the ground, I noticed that two pearly white unicorns were linked to the front of the carriage.
Oh, they are so pretty. I want to touch them, but I better not, not right now. There are too many people around, and this doesn’t look like the right time or place for petting animals.
People crowded the streets everywhere except for the open space in front of me, a path to a royal-blue carpet. The unfamiliar man, still holding my hand, walked me gracefully toward the velvet carpet. When we reached the carpet, he nodded for me to go ahead without him. The crowd pressed against gold ropes on either side of the carpet, but none of them reached out to touch me. Smiles covered every face in the crowd as I walked forward slowly, and somewhat confidently, down the carpet. When I focused my eyes ahead of me, I found the Zylo and Zyla standing proudly alongside the Zyon. My heart skipped a beat as soon as the Zyon and I made eye contact.
Keep walking. Don’t trip. Watch your step. Oh crap, now the pressure’s on.
A loud voice called out, “Go-Go!”
I spotted Eli standing by my parents in the crowd. My cheeks began to warm with excitement, and my growing smile became so large it made my face hurt. Eli’s eyes followed mine until I passed him.
Would it be so bad if he ran over here and g
ave me a quick hug? Just one hug? No, not the time nor the place, Margo. Keep on walking.
Reaching the stairs leading up to the royal family, I grasped my long dress in my hands, lifted the hem, and carefully made my way up. At the top, the Zyon reached out for my hand and pulled me beside him. We smiled at each other, and then came the wink.
“Zyness Margo has now joined us!” the Zylo announced to the crowd.
The crowd cheered, clapped, and whistled. A shy but proud smile spread across my face while I waved as elegantly as possible.
Am I doing it right? Do I look like a proper zyness?
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! BOOM!
Fireworks lit the open sky, and everyone in the crowd turned to watch.
BOOM! BOOM!
Each report caused me to jump a little. The fireworks were so close that you could feel it in your chest. It was beautiful and thrilling at the same time.
Leaning over, the Zyon spoke loudly in my ear, “This is your special day, Margo. This is all for you!”
CRACKLE! BOOM! BOOM!
I awoke to a tapping sound at the door. Lottie was still in her bed sleeping. I knew it had to be pretty early because she usually woke before me. A tiny bit of morning light snuck in through the drapes and disturbed the darkness of our room. Parting the drapes, I could see that the day would be dim and gray. The air had that muggy-moisture feel and smelled slightly of rain. The clock read 5:26 a.m.
TAP, TAP, TAP.
“Ugh, who’s buggin’ so early?” I whispered.
I stumbled toward the door but decided to open the elf door instead. Opening the small door, I bent down to see who it was. And there I found Sasha and Bree, standing side by side, with concern etched all over their faces.
“What? What’s going on?” I asked with a dry, scratchy voice.
“It’s Jeremiah. He’s, um, h-he’s in a coma,” Sasha said softly.
My eyes flew wide open. “What?” I opened the big door, not caring what the hell my bed-head looked like. “What do you mean? How?”
Sasha wiped a tear from her eye. “Preston said that he heard Jeremiah go into the bathroom during the night. He didn’t think anything of it, so he just went back to sleep. Then he said that he woke up a little while later and noticed the bathroom door still closed with the light on. He had a weird feeling, he said. He called out to Jeremiah and got no answer. When Preston tried to open the door, he found it was locked. So he went and found someone, a maid or a servant, to help. Anyway, when they finally unlocked the door, they found Jeremiah lying on the floor in a pile of orange-and-green vomit. I guess it was everywhere, and they couldn’t get him to respond. Dr. Avery came down with some Sonya lady, but they weren’t able to wake him.”