Wiklow

by Moira Murphy

  “Wait, wait. Please. I brought you here for a reason. I need to tell you how things are different now,” Bindy pleaded.

  Sullivan turned from the wall where the door appeared earlier, his hand falling from it.

  “Okay…” Tessa said timidly.

  “Things have changed since we last saw one another. A lot has happened.” Bindy fiddled with the many rings on her fingers. “Please sit down.” She ushered them back to the kitchen.

  “What is it?” Sullivan asked.

  “It’s just that…” she paused, wondering where to begin. “A few months ago, Nathayre… took a liking to Cami. He met her in the city. Cami had just come from the well, and she and I went to the festival in the city for fun,” she explained. “I knew from the moment he saw her, that he planned to make her his. But, Cami did not have the same feelings. You know her, she’s always moving and exploring. She never stayed in one place. And that made Nathayre furious. He wanted to have her, and keep her.”

  “Who is Nathayre?” Tessa asked.

  “Nathayre is the King,” she replied.

  “The King of what?”

  “The King of Wiklow,” Bindy answered.

  Tessa and Sullivan took a few moments to absorb the information.

  Sullivan broke the silence. “What do you mean he wanted to keep her?”

  “He wanted to marry her and never let her go. And he did. He forced her to marry him. There was no wedding, he just declared her his queen. I didn’t see her for weeks after that. He didn’t let her leave his home. I couldn’t tell you this outside. He knows everything, he hears everything.”

  “Why Cami?” he questioned.

  “She’s the only human, besides himself that lives in our kingdom. He is a horrible man, he hates all of us that aren’t human. He calls us ‘creatures’. He treats us…” Bindy’s voice wavered. Sullivan leaned across the table and put a hand on her shoulder. Bindy continued.

  “A few months ago, Cami completely disappeared. I don’t know where she is. I’m so sorry. I’ve looked everywhere. All of our old secret places.” She wiped a tear from her tanned cheek. “When Cami went missing, the King went crazy. He killed almost everyone who ever knew her. He hasn’t found me yet, because of the way I live. I’m scared all the time.” Tessa scooted closer, and put a hand over Bindy’s.

  “He took the water. Someone told him that she came by water. So, he took it. All of it.” She sobbed. “Everyone is dying out. Everything is dying out. I keep myself alive because I know about the well. And I try to get to others with water when I can.”

  “How has he not found the well?” Tessa asked.

  “I put a spell on it, that the water cannot be detected unless you are inside it. It’s safe, for now.”

  “Oh my…” Tessa couldn’t finish her sentence.

  “Have you been here the whole time?” Sullivan asked.

  “Yes. I leave to get food and water every other week, but that’s it. I stay here.”

  “How can we help?” Sullivan wondered aloud.

  “Well, that’s the worst part. Nathayre has put out orders against all humans. If we see any, we are to turn them in immediately. That’s why I had to get you in here as quickly as I could.”

  “Tuck and Niko,” Tessa said under her breath.

  “I know. I haven’t seen them and that scares me. Nathayre’s men are everywhere. All the time. Hunting for Cami,” Bindy said defeated.

  “Cami is the most resourceful person I know. I’m sure she found some place to hide. She has sent us a million postcards from a million places; mountains and waterfalls. All with just a backpack,” Sullivan said, attempting to comfort everyone.

  “I’m so glad you are here. I have been alone for months.”

  THUD. THUD.

  Two loud thuds came from outside. All three jumped out of their seats and stood immediately. The windows quickly started filling with dirt and gravel, and all the lights went out.

  “What’s happening?” Tessa whimpered.

  “It’s a protection. The house shuts down when it’s under attack.”

  “Be quiet,” Sullivan shushed.

  “We’re under attack?” Tessa hissed.

  “Shh!” Sullivan lowered himself to the ground. They all crouched under the table, waiting for noise to follow the bangs. “How do we see what it is?” he asked.

  “The only way to see outside is through the front door.”

  “That’s a great security feature,” Tessa said, sarcastically. Sullivan army crawled to the wall.

  “Where is it?” He looked at Bindy who crawled up behind him and exhaled onto the wall. The green vine came from the floor and wrapped itself around her hand. It retreated and dirt began falling from the wall, revealing the red door. Sullivan grabbed the golden door knob as Tessa came to his side. All three stood up as Sullivan slowly pulled the door open. He peaked through the small one inch crack he had created.

  “Idiot.”

  “You’re the idiot.” The familiar voices caused Sullivan to fling open the door and yell. Tuck brushed off his pants and Niko was tossing leaves around, searching for his boot. They looked up and huge grins came across their faces.

  “Sully!” Niko grabbed Sully and swung him around in a bear hug. Tessa stepped out of the doorway. Tucker’s hands fell at the sight of her. She ran to him, arms wide. When she hit his chest, he curled his arms around her.

  “Did you just jump off the wind?” Bindy looked up at the sky. “You can’t just jump off the wind! You’re lucky to be alive!” Tucker put Tessa behind his body, and Niko backed up. When he noticed Sully not following suit, he attempted to pull him back as well.

  “She’s one of them!” Niko pointed, violently.

  “One of what?” Sully asked.

  “The… the… weird hair color people!” he stammered.

  “What? No. It’s Bindy.” Sullivan grabbed her hand.

  “What the hell is a Bindy?” Niko scoffed.

  “Bindy. From the book.” Tessa stepped out from behind Tucker. “The girl who lived in a tree. She helped us.”

  “Well, Tuck and Niko!” Bindy smiled, putting her hands on her hips.

  “I don’t know what’s happening. But we have to get out of sight, now,” Niko urged. Bindy turned and ran her palm along the red door. The lights flickered on and the windows drained themselves of dirt.

  “Come on in.”

  ***

  “Oh, Cami,” Niko sighed. Bindy had just finished telling the shortened version of the King and Cami story. Two of the three suns had set on the eastern sky and the third hung low in the northern sky. Pink sunlight dripped to the floor, clinging to day. Sullivan sat on the too-small orange couch, sleeping. His feet hung over its armrest, and an empty tea cup adorned his chest. Niko, Tessa, Bindy and Tucker sat at the kitchen table, bellies filled with sugar. Bindy stood, gathered the plates and cups from the table, and moved them to the countertop.

  “Well, what now?” Tucker asked.

  “We find Cami,” Niko said, leaving no room for opposition.

  “And then what? How do we get home?” Tessa said, overwhelmed. “You heard her, the king's soldiers are everywhere.”

  “Lavocs. They are called Lavocs,” Bindy said.

  “They are everywhere,” Tessa finished.

  “Well, you can’t go tonight. It’ll be dark soon. You can sleep here,” Bindy offered.

  “Sure,” Sully said quickly, from the couch. “Sure. Yes.” He coughed.

  “Thanks,” Tessa smiled. “We will take it.”

  Bindy collected some blankets and pillows from a wooden chest and passed them around the room. She locked down the house with a flick of her finger along the wall. She then lit a fire in the small fire place at the end of the couch, where Niko had taken residence after kicking Sully to the floor. Sullivan and Bindy slept on a pile of pillows near the kitchen; face to face. Tessa and Tucker sat in front of the fire warming their feet. The temperature had drastically dropped since the windows fi
lled with dirt.

  “That was fast,” Tessa said, referring to everyone falling asleep so quickly. Tucker nodded.

  “It’s been a weird day,” she whispered. “But, apparently we’ve had a lot of weird days here,” she snickered, before making a conscious effort to stop talking. Tucker rubbed his hands together in front of the fire. Tessa bit her lip, resisting the urge to break the silence that Tucker was so comfortable with. He knew how awkward she felt, but smirked instead of speaking.

  “Why do you do this to me?” she noticed his smile, “You always do this, you love making me feel awkward.”

  “You are awkward.” He grinned.

  “You’re awkward! I’m not the one who psyched himself up to wear a tuxedo t –shirt to prom, and then regretted it later when his date ditched him for Niko.”

  “I regret nothing.”

  They both laughed.

  “Okay, how about when you were waiting to give your speech for English class, and you fell asleep in your chair in front of the class.” She laughed. “Mr. Winston had to wake you up, and you were so confused you gave your speech from History class instead.”

  “Okay, maybe then.” He gave up.

  “I’ve missed you.” She smirked. After a moment of quiet, Tessa became acutely aware of how close Tucker’s hand was to her own. She looked at his face; he had grown up since she last looked at him this way. His jaw was larger, and his shoulders wider. His beard was thicker, and if possible his hair had become darker. Tucker looked back at her. Her copper hair resembled the color of the coals in the fire that shined on her. Her pale skin glowed and her eyes didn’t stray from his. He noticed the way her mouth curved up just at the corners, giving her the appearance of a constant smile.

  “Hey guys. Can’t sleep, either?” Niko sat down between them. “That couch is way too small for my burly physique.” He put an arm around each of them.

  Chapter 6

  “That’s better.” Bindy stood back, looking at the freshly dressed group. Tuck, Niko, and Sullivan were sporting the swim trunks they came with, hiking boots from the shed, and various button up shirts; previously stolen from Tessa’s dad’s closet. Luckily, Bindy never threw anything away, hence the crowded home. Tessa wore her jean shorts with a military style coat, and a pair of orange Chuck Taylor sneakers to match Bindy. They had packed up the two bags with all the food and water they could carry.

  “Now what?” Niko asked.

  “Well, I have an idea where Cami might be. But, if I’m wrong, it’s on the way to the city anyway,” Bindy replied.

  “And what’s in the city?” Tucker spoke up.

  “That’s the last place I saw her. Maybe we’ll find something there. Also, Nathayre’s mansion is there. What if he has her?” she said.

  “But, what if she isn’t in the city? Then we’ll be the only living humans in the city,” Tessa offered.

  “What are our other options?” Tuck asked.

  Tessa shrugged. There was no right answer. There was no set out plan. Just to find Cami. The group stepped out of the house; Bindy locked up, and turned to them. They looked at her, scared. She gave them a meek smile and led the way east, toward the mountains.

  The air smelled of burnt wood; like a campfire. The temperature had dropped from the day before. A frost had come overnight, leaving the leaves wet. The earth inhaled it, deprived of moisture for so long. There was no point in tip-toeing or attempting to be stealthy. The ground was so thirsty that it cracked, creaked, and snapped with every footstep. Things were odd in Blackwood Forest, nothing like Pennsylvania. Plants and bugs moved and swayed in a different manner here, as if they were immune to gravity; graceful and elegant. Brown vines climbed the fading trees, their unbloomed buds hung solemnly.

  “A few miles in, there is a cave that leads under the mountains,” Bindy spoke, cracking the sinister silence of the wood.

  “What about the wind? Can we… uhh.. uhh… use it?” Niko asked, unsure of proper terminology.

  “No, we can’t ride the wind,” Bindy replied.

  “Why not?” he questioned.

  “That’s how the Lavocs travel. We’ll have to walk.” She trudged on at the front of the pack.

  As the afternoon wore on, the heat returned. The three suns met in the middle of the sky, licking their scalps and necks. The packs weighed down the backs of Niko and Tucker, but they kept pace. Bindy had a strange skip to her step, like the heat and arduous path didn’t affect her. Assumedly, this was from her tiny stature and body temperature being lower than the rest. Sullivan first noticed when he grabbed her hand in front of the house. It was the same temperature as the air around her, like her body adapted to the air. Her purple hair swung around her back, and yet, her neck had no inkling of perspiration. She still wore the black dress, the sun would’ve baked most people, but she strolled along; hopping from log to rock happily.

  Meanwhile, the rest of the group walked as if they were dragging their legs through water; as if their feet were heavy boulders at the bottom of a stream. Their backs were wet, and cheeks red with heat. Hours later, after torturous amounts of hills, obstacles and tree limbs, Niko finally gasped and pleaded, “Please, I need a break!” He flopped to the ground, dramatically.

  “Me, too.” Sully followed with Tuck at his side.

  “Yeah.” Tessa laid face down.

  “Oh!” Bindy said, surprised. “I feel like we just started.” She sat on a stone, cross legged.

  “Well, we aren’t all fairy nymphs of the forest,” Niko humphed.

  “I’m not a fairy nymph,” she laughed. “They are much smaller.”

  “I’m dying, I’m literally dying,” Tessa said to the dirt. Tuck dragged himself up, and took the bottle of water from the bag. They guzzled down two of the eight water bottles. After Niko requested something that lacked the usual seven cups of sugar from Bindy, she supplied a few slices of something similar to bread. They were immediately gobbled up, while Sully ate a few cakes Bindy had made, with a smile. They all leaned back with a prayer for a breeze. Their wish was not granted.

  “How much further to the cave?” Tucker asked.

  “About two hours northeast,” Bindy answered. Sullivan reached into one of the bags and found his childish map of Wiklow. He handed it to Bindy, who pointed out where the cave began at the base of the mountains. She mentioned that it came out just outside the Stone City. “It’s where the main city was hundreds of years ago. No one lives there now.” She leaned against a rock. “Everyone travels by wind, which goes right over it.” She shut her eyes and let the sunlight sparkle through her eyelids.

  “Is that where you think Cami might be?” Niko asked.

  “Mmm.” Bindy nodded.

  “Have you checked there?” Niko took a sip of water. Bindy did not answer. “Have you looked there, yet?” he repeated. Bindy sighed; asleep. “Bindy?” Niko tried to wake her.

  “Shut up, Niko!” Tessa smacked his arm. “She’ll make us walk, I need a break.” She leaned back with her arm behind her head. “Just lay down for a bit,” she suggested.

  Tucker lay on his side, planning to keep an eye on everyone. He, however, quickly became distracted by the forest itself. For the first time, he noticed the sounds around him. He couldn’t hear them before, as the sound of the crackling footsteps muffled it. The birds sounded more like music than they did in Pennsylvania. Not in the sense of their tune, but their songs actually sounded like string instruments. All around, there was a quiet lullaby. It was a quiet, simple, beautiful song. Bindy hummed along in her sleep to the familiar tune.

  Most everyone else had fallen asleep, the heat stealing their energy. Tessa’s hand lay on her stomach, rising and falling with each breath. She had slipped off the orange sneakers, and crossed her ankles. Her hair was tucked under her shoulder blade. Tucker noticed the small light hairs on her arms in the sun, right before he fell asleep. Niko was the last to fall asleep.

  Niko walked to the front door of the dimly lit apartment of his foster fathe
r, Garrett. He was seven and was wearing a white t-shirt with a hole over his left shoulder. He was on his way to Tucker and Sullivan’s house to finish a rowdy game of poker. They had started it the day before, but had to stop, as it was dinner time for the twins. As Niko put his hand on the doorknob, he felt a hard squeeze on his arm.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” the familiar male voice grunted. Niko turned and saw his foster father holding an empty beer can. “I’m out of beer.” He belched. His dark brown beard was littered with crumbs of the pizza he had eaten a few hours prior. “Go get me some.” He thrust a twenty dollar bill into Niko's face.

  “I can’t.” Niko batted the money from his nose. “I’m seven.” Garrett stumbled backward at the slight unbalance.

  “Take it!” he grumbled, shoving the bill back at him, “Get me beer!”

  “I can’t! They won’t give it to me and they’ll call the cops again!” Niko shouted back. The large man seceded, scratching his belly.

  “Alright then.” He leaned against the wall, “Get me some smokes instead.” Niko sighed at the stupidity of the man. He swore that if he didn’t love the city of Riverport and the people in it, he’d tell his social worker about this guy. But he did love Riverport and the people in it, therefore he had to deal with the ignorance of his foster father.

  “I can’t,” he repeated.

  “Can you do anything?” The next thing Niko remembered was knocking on Cami’s door.

  “It’ll be okay. We can find you a new family,” she promised, putting a tissue to his bleeding nose.

  “No! You can’t tell anyone or they’ll move me away from here!”

  Cami put a can of peas to Niko’s eye and sighed, “Well, we have to do something.”

  “These are supposed to be frozen.” He pointed at the warm can.

  “I’ll be your family.” She lowered the can of peas and smiled.

  CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH

  Footsteps approached their make-shift camp. Tucker quickly threw the bags together, alarmed to see an off brand can of peas flop to the ground. He didn’t remember packing something from home.