“Finn… I have to tell you something.”
“Oh, right. Okay, what is it?”
I slowly move his hand to my midsection, and even though there’s nothing different to feel there yet, I search his face for recognition.
“Constance, what are you doing?”
I guess I just have to say it, then. “It’s yours.”
“What is?”
“The baby.”
“What? How? No… no.” He drops to his knees, and then starts crying angrily. “I can’t… I can’t be a father… and you’re betrothed… and Constance, this is…”
“Scary, I know.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“Me? I came here, to talk to you!”
“Okay, okay. I gotta focus. And you’re sure it’s mine?”
“Finn!”
“Okay, okay, sorry. I didn’t mean, I’m sorry, it’s just…”
I nod. He’s reacting better than I did, at least he’s able to speak in between the sobbing.
“I just felt like you ought to know about it.”
“Well, I appreciate that, but I don’t know what you’re going to do. Constance, I’m worried about you.” He lowers his voice a bit more. “You do know what they do to girls in situations like this, right?”
I slowly nod. I’ve seen plenty of girls tortured or worse in the public eye, made a complete example of in front of everyone. And then it hits me.
“I can’t stay here, can I?”
Finn sighs. “Well, where are you going to go?”
And then it hits me like a wall of bricks. “Run away with me.”
“What? No, Constance, that’s crazy, I can’t just…”
“You can’t just… what?”
Finn kicks at some dirt under his feet. “I can’t just… raise a child. Constance, I can’t be a father, not yet. I’m not ready.”
“Well? We’ll figure it out together. I know where my parents keep the money, I’ll take a whole bunch. We’ll grab everything and run away now. Maybe you can take one of the horses while your pa is in town, and -”
“No, Constance, I can’t be a father right now. I wouldn’t be able to provide for a baby, there’s absolutely no way.”
“Well I can’t stay here! If I do they’ll probably torture me or something. Please Finn, you have to help me! Besides, I know I’ve been trying to process everything but… I can’t marry Silas. I would rather die.”
The permanence of my words and the desperation of my tone isn’t lost on him, I can see it register in his eyes.
After a long sigh, he nods. “Constance, if you can get rid of… that, I’ll run away with you.”
I feel my breath catch in my throat, and I remember the vial. Even though it goes against everything I believe in, I don’t even hesitate to raise the vial to my lips. The taste of the motley liquid is sweet at first, and then bitter. He questions me as soon as it’s done, but I simply nod my head and grab his hand.
“Let’s go!”
CHAPTER 15
“Evander, I’ve got it. Try these coordinates, please.”
“Thank you, Griffin. I’m on it.”
Evander immediately runs to the system controls, and inputs the time coordinates that are supposed to set Onyx free. When nothing happens, his breath catches in his throat, and he knows it’s time to initiate the dreaded plan B.
“Griffin, the coordinates didn’t work. I thank you for your efforts, but I’m going to bring you back to the Grand Hall now. Prepare yourself for that.” Evander presses the correct button on his wearable device linked to the time machine, and has Griffin beamed back up to the Upperworld and in the present time.
Within seconds, Griffin materializes in the time machine. Evander lets him out, and he rubs his eyes, trying to process what it must feel like to have time-traveled twice.
“I’m back?”
“Yes, you made it. But I can’t say the same thing for Onyx if we don’t hurry.” Evander gestures toward where Onyx is on his throne, the current almost completely sapping his energy from him.
“Wait, is this it? What’s happening?” Luna’s strained voice fills the void, and both Evander and Griffin look over at her with concern in their eyes.
“We do have to start the process, Luna. We have no other choice.” Evander pauses momentarily to look over at Griffin, and he motions toward the entrance to the Grand Hall. “Griffin, make an announcement to the sorters and other workers. We need to also notify the Undercover Earth Guides, as soon as possible. We are shutting this down.”
“But… how will humans survive without us?”
Evander pauses. “They’re resilient, you know. They’ll be just fine. This whole crazy scheme isn’t worth losing Onyx over. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened… and I know Luna would agree.”
Luna nods wholeheartedly, and Griffin pats her on the shoulder. “Okay, let’s do this.”
As carefully as possible, and without overlooking anything important, announcements are made over the loudspeakers, via Evander taking charge of the operation.
“Attention all Upperworld beings, we are hitting the kill switch, I repeat, are hitting the kill switch. Form an orderly line toward the transport room, so that we can conduct a mass exodus to Earth. Once there, you will be assigned an Undercover Earth Guide to help you assimilate. Onyx has held on as long as he possibly could but his body is quickly giving out. Do not panic, just follow instructions as you’ve been given. Thank you for your service and your time in the Upperworld. That’s all.”
Ironically, panic does ensue, even though Evander specifically warned them all against it. Regardless, they somehow make it to the transport room in one piece.
“Evander, I’ll go hit the kill switch. As soon as I do, I’ll need some help lifting Onyx off of the throne - can you get some infirmary personnel to bring a stretcher? And tell Luna that he’s going to be okay!”
“I’m on it! Then bring him to the transport room so he can be zapped to Earth. And instruct the personnel to stay with him there, he’s going to be very weak. Hurry!”
With fast footfalls, Griffin runs to the main system control room, and carefully launches the emergency switch into the “off” position, permanently. Ignoring the red, screaming sirens that are initiated, he then looks out over the deserted sorting room one last time, and then runs to the Grand Hall to help Onyx off the throne.
“I’m gonna need some help here!”
The infirmary workers rush to his aid, amidst the blaring sirens and the sort of organized panic that ensues. Griffin eases himself up to the throne, no longer worried about being eviscerated, as the current no longer flows through him. “I’m here for you, Onyx. You’re free now.”
Onyx only manages to mumble a few nearly inaudible words, and then the nurses carefully lift him onto a stretcher.
“We’re going to Earth now, just hang tight. Can we get some ambrosia for him? He’s fading fast and needs help.”
As Onyx receives some nutrients and aid that he needs, the group of workers and Griffin move toward the transport room for the mass evacuation. As the sirens continue to blare, the large, cavernous portal to the Underworld opens up directly in the middle of the Grand Hall.
“Is that the one that Jade fell into?” Griffin catches up with Evander, Luna, and Brielle, and nods.
“The very same one. And this time, we’re going to allow it to swallow everything in this realm. It’s time to go to Earth.”
After everyone is present and accounted for, Evander takes to the intercom for the last time, as Luna tightly grasps Onyx’s tired, aching body on the stretcher.
“It’s time, everyone. Please remain calm as I initiate the transport to Earth.” Evander hesitates for a moment, looking out over at what remains of the Upperworld, and cringes to himself as the cavernous portal to the Underworld rapidly grows in size and power, swallowing everything into it. And then, as he presses the button, darkness is all there is.
Descending int
o the nothingness leaves them all at a loss. But it’s how it was always meant to be, after all.
EPILOGUE
Five Years Later
“… and the very brave, very strong guide helped her, through everything. They never truly understood why they were stuck in that terrible place in the first place. But they realized, that without it, they never would have met. And meeting, even through the pain and the trouble that it caused, made everything worth it.”
Luna continues stroking the pale, blonde wispy hair of her daughter’s forehead, leaving a small kiss where her fingers once were.
“Tell me again, Momma!” She smiles up at her raven-haired mother, who had been through so much, and yet remained so relaxed and happy, even while reminiscing.
“Jaci, you know it’s almost time for bed. You don’t want to stay up all night hearing the same story over and over again - besides, you have school tomorrow!”
The little girl pouts, crossing her arms over her petite frame, and hoping for more of the story that she had come to love. Batting her long lashes framing her bright, violet eyes, she waits expectantly for her mother to cave. Little does she know, that very story is the story of her own origin, and the origins of those who came before her. And those that came before her, fought tirelessly through time and space in order that her own existence would come to be, exactly how it was always supposed to.
“What’s all this about?” Onyx appears in the doorway of the pale pink room, smiling at his little family.
Luna rolls her eyes but smiles. “Your daughter refuses to go to sleep even though she has school tomorrow. It seems she insists on hearing a story again.”
Onyx shrugs, and then plops down on the bed next to Luna at Jaci’s feet. “Well, then tell her, I suppose. It’s an important story, probably worth hearing more than once.”
Luna sighs. “I’ll tell her more tomorrow. It’ll be hard enough getting her out of bed in the morning.” She ruffles her tight, perfect, blonde curls, and gives her another kiss on the cheek.
“What can I say? She loves looking at the moon.” Onyx reaches over, allowing his lips to meet Luna’s. Their daughter protests, but neither of them care - they’re much too in love to care about any of that. The moon and the stars twinkle in perfect harmony as the nuclear family looks on, marveling at the sights and wonders of the things they had seen and experienced, and the way that they had found such a home on Earth, despite the long journeys and struggles they’ve had. And in the moonlight, the three of them look out the big, wide, bay window of their house at the Boston harbor below, realizing that where you come from, often has nothing to do with where you end up.
THE END.
Author’s Note
Thank you so much for coming along on the ride with Luna, Onyx, and all the other Upperworld beings that we’ve met along the way! As sad as it is to say goodbye, I truly hope that this conclusion is one that satisfies what I assume must be very lofty expectations for the characters you’ve come to know and love.
Keep an eye out for Luna, Onyx, and Jaci if you live around the Boston area – I’m sure they’d appreciate a local to show them around!
Angelina Singer is a college student studying English, Music, and of course, Creative Writing. In her spare time she enjoys crocheting, and mentoring younger music students at a local music store where she has been studying guitar for nearly a decade. She views her writing as a way to simultaneously escape from and embrace reality, especially through the twisted labyrinth of a dystopian setting as seen in The Upperworld Series.
Facebook: @AngelinaSingerAuthor
Instagram: @angelinasingerauthor
Blog: angelinasingerauthor.wordpress.com
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Also by Angelina Singer…
JUST LIKE A PILL
When Scarlett gets a sinus infection the week before Homecoming, she never knew that she would be plunged deep into a tangled mess involving the hunky guitar player, Maxx, who goes to her school. She quickly develops a mysterious side effect that appears to cause Maxx to be instantly attracted to her. With her health-freak fashionista friend Izzy by her side, Scarlett searches desperately to find answers about the sketchy "antibiotics" that she took to combat her symptoms. The time clock is set to one week, and between dodging the fiendish escapades of the high school "it-girl" who dates Maxx, as well as the feeble advances of nerdy Greg, Scarlett has to figure out what's real and what's not before anyone she cares about gets hurt.
ALSO AVAILABLE on Amazon and Kindle! Any reviews would be great!
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Book 1: The Sorting Room
Book 2: The Fall of Zephyr
Book 3: The Rise of Onyx
The Rise of Onyx Page 18