by Moira Murphy
“Palmer!” Niko turned and yanked on the door, it did not move. “Palmer!”
“Open the door!” Palmer yelled through the glass, readjusting the boy’s weight.
“It won’t open!” Sullivan wrenched on the door handle that turned so easily before. Niko hammered on the doors, praying that they’d break. Palmer bobbed the boy up and down in an effort to keep him calm.
“Keep trying.” Palmer spoke through the crack between the doors. He looked down at the boy whose eyes were brimming with tears. Niko had broken his own spell when the doors slammed shut, the boy realized there was no king present, and he was not escaping his dungeon.
“It won’t work.” Conway said to Palmer, quietly.
“What do you mean?” Palmer went to the couch and placed the boy down, softly. “If I try to leave, the doors will not open.” Niko and Sullivan continued trying to break through them. “They won’t open, again.” Conway knew his fate, he knew he wouldn’t be seeing his family, again. He knew he’d never feel the sun on his face. He knew he’d never feel grass between his toes again.
“It’ll be okay.” Palmer ran his hand over the boy’s head. “Shhh…”
“I’m scared.” A plump tear ran down his face as he looked up at Palmer.
“It’s okay. It’s okay.” He tried to stop Conway’s tears.
Blonde hair flashed across his eyes. He felt the cold metal of a seat belt buckle on his fingertips. “It’s okay.” He shushed his boy. Water filled Palmer’s shoes. His wife screamed in his right ear. He couldn’t breathe, the water was all around him. “Shhh…” Palmer couldn’t stop the bile from coming up his throat. A strong hand ripped at his ankle; pulling him. A nightmare he’d had every night for years.
“Palmer! Palmer!” Niko waved him over to the door. The boy’s eyes shut as Palmer’s hand relaxed him. Palmer stood and went to the door.
“We can’t get it open. It’s sealed shut.” Sullivan explained. “We will go get the others to help. We will be right back.” He turned and started running up the tunnel.
“Sully! Sully!” He urged him to stop.
“What?” Sullivan stopped and turned. “There’s no time Palmer, we have to get help now!”
“There’s no time,” Palmer said to Sullivan.
“That’s what I’m saying,” Sullivan said angrily, thrusting his thumb up toward the tunnel.
“No…” Palmer placed both palms on the glass. “Sullivan there is no time.” Sullivan cocked his head, not quite understanding. “There’s no time.” Palmer repeated.
“Palmer… no.” Sullivan caught on. “We can do this, together.” Niko pulled on the doors again, but stopped when he realized what Palmer was suggesting.
“Palmer, there’s time.” Niko agreed with Sully.
“There is no time.” Palmer shook his head, and looked back at the boy on the couch. “He has just a few minutes at best.”
“We can’t just leave you.” Niko threw his fist into the door.
“You have to.” Palmer slid his hands down the door. “It’s alright.” He smiled. His wife and his son were waiting, he knew that this is why he didn’t die in the car that day, or on that cliff. This is what he was waiting for. The boy shifted on the couch,
“Mom?” He cried out, “Momma?” Palmer turned to look at the boy, and quickly back at the boys.
“Tell Bindy and Cami… I’m sorry.” Palmer nodded. “Tell Tess—tell Tessa ‘this is it’.” He recalled their conversation in the West Queen.
“Palmer, please.” Sullivan pleaded. “No!”
“I’m scared!” The boy opened his eyes and held out his arms.
“I’m sorry.” Palmer smiled.
“Palmer.” Sullivan tried to continue the conversation, but Palmer had twisted around and returned to the boy’s side.
“Palmer!” Sullivan shouted.
Palmer slipped his arm under Conway’s body and laid him across his own chest.
“Palmer!!” Sullivan screamed.
Palmer ignored him. He calmly placed his chin against the boy’s forehead and patted his back. “Go on,” he said, just loud enough for them to hear.
“Dammit, Palmer!” Sullivan yelled.
“C’mon, Sully.” Niko pulled on his shirt. “C’mon.” Sully allowed Niko to pull him down the corridor. They ran as fast as their hearts could pump.
Chapter 26
Tuck thrust the King’s arm onto the vine, upon hearing pounding from the other side. Sullivan jumped through the doorway, followed closely by Niko.
“We gotta go! We gotta go!” Sullivan grabbed Bindy’s arm as he ran for the opening in the wall.
“What?” Tuck yelled after them. “What’s going on?”
“He’s releasing the water…” Niko stopped for a moment to catch his breath. “We have to get in the carriage.”
“Where is Palmer?” Tessa asked.
“He—he isn’t coming.” Niko said, reluctantly.
“What?” Cami asked, “Why not?”
“He got trapped, we couldn’t get him out.” Niko pulled on Cami, trying to get her to the carriage.
“Well, we have to try again…” Tessa confidently walked to the door.
“Tess, no. We have to go now or we will all drown.” Niko argued. Tess continued on to the door; Cami right behind her. They were not going to allow Palmer to drown.
“Tuck, help me please.” Niko followed them.
“Is there no other way?” Tuck asked Niko morosely.
“No!” Niko grabbed hold of Cami’s wrist, she flung him off. Tuck sighed, but complied by pulling Tessa out of the doorway.
“Let go! We have to help Palmer!” She resisted.
“Stop!” Niko said with such conviction and fury that both girls stopped. “We have to go. Palmer knew what he was doing when he told us to leave.” He looked at Tessa. “He said ‘this is it’.” Her mouth dropped open.
“He—he said that?” she asked.
“Yes. He told me to tell you that,” Niko said. “Now please, we have to get to the carriage before we drown.” He pulled on Cami again. “Please.”
“Alright.” Cami huffed and ran toward the carriage. Tucker took Tessa’s hand and joined the rest at the carriage. Sully and Bindy waited inside, he held the door open as Niko and Cami jumped in.
A thunderous noise came from behind them; it rattled the sand, and the trees. The animals quieted, and the rock wall shook. Tucker tossed Tessa into the carriage, simultaneously launching himself off the ground. The carriage lifted into the air, within seconds they were over the ocean; hovering. The water became eerily still, and all at once the water released.
They held their breath. It came out from the bottom first and then fell from the top like a mud slide. It hit the wall and paused before reducing it to pebbles. It crashed into the dry trees; cracking their trunks. It broke out onto the desert plains and combined with the san becoming brown. The sea level of the Ocean became one with the beach.
The wall near the city remained sturdy, saving it from the brunt of the wave. However, the ground was damp from some of the overflow. The water swept all the way to the mountains before it slowed down, the canyon containing the Queens was nearly half full. The West Queen’s necklace peaked out just above the waterline, leaving the Renegades headquarters dry. Even Bindy’s house, miles away, was surrounded by a few inches of water.
Bindy unlocked the door slowly. Although she had lived here for many years, it seemed different; empty and sad. She guided the group into the living area with couches and pillows. Tessa joined her in the kitchen to help make some comfort food. No words were exchanged. The rest of Wiklow was celebrating the return of the water and the death of Nathayre, while this group grieved their dear friend.
***
The boxcar looked the same as the day they had arrived. It had started to rain, and a few inches of water were beginning to pool at the bottom of the lake. Soon, it would be full again.
“Here we are again,” Sully stated.
>
“Yeah.” Tessa nodded.
She was still unsure of whether she should stay here in Wiklow or go home. The same thought was on everyone’s mind, as well. She was the first to step into the boxcar. The leather couch sat to her left and the well was straight ahead. Niko and Tucker pulled the canoe up and out of the well; placing it near the couch.
Bindy waited, unspeaking, fearful of the answer to her question. Cami put one foot up on the stone wall of the well, and then the other. She stood on the rock, facing away from the group, looking down into the well. She had feared she’d never go home again, and now she was. She was filled with hope. She turned her head and looked at her friends.
“Who’s coming?” She smiled.
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