LAMENT OF PURGATORY (ASHWOOD CHRONICLES #1)

by Brandon Chandler

  Overhead a circular section of the roof was gradually sliding open, becoming wider as the many curved sections of metal retreated from the center. Ethan’s head smacked against the frame as he felt the ship jerk, launching him forward, then backward and nearly off his feet.

  Without warning, the ship streaked toward the gap in the ceiling like a bolt. Ethan yelped as the massive acceleration made his whole-body shudder and weightless.

  Then his body hit the floor as the aircraft leveled out. He quickly climbed to his feet and for a split second wondered if the others had gone through the same experience. But the thought was almost immediately pushed to the back of his mind as his eyes became glued to the serenity he saw through the window. The ship had burst out of the hangar soaring over the cloud of pollution. The city no longer visible, he was able to behold the stars glowing like bright snowflakes.

  Wrapped up in the beauty of it all, Ethan nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Dominic’s voice.

  “Can you give me a moment? ...I need to speak with Atticus alone.”

  Ethan swirled to face Dominic with furrowed brows. “Why?”

  “Leave,” Dominic demanded with finality.

  Ethan scoffed but didn’t protest. As he stormed towards the med bay’s exit he stopped at Kori’s bed. He observed her for a second or two then said. “You have ten minutes.”

  To his disbelief, Dominic responded with a nod instead of an insult or threat. A look of confusion crept upon his face as he exited the room.

  “Didn’t take you as the sentimental type,” Atticus said with a light chuckle.

  Dominic plopped onto a chair. “Shut up!” he snapped. “You’re an idiot...Why didn’t you let Brianna heal you?”

  His breath rasping in his lungs Atticus managed to retort humorously with. “Aww Dominic, I love you too.”

  The young teen glared at Atticus with a frown. “Bruh, stop. I want to know why you helped us out so many times. You didn’t know or owe us anything, but time after time you put your own life on the line to keep us safe.”

  A look of seriousness flashed across his face. “Because it’s what Raiziel would have done. And besides, you guys are only kids. I didn’t want you all to end up like me and my friends.”

  The room’s vague light cast a deathly paleness on Atticus’s features. Yet he carried on as if nothing was wrong. But Dominic knew better. He heard the suffering in his voice and in silence he sat listening as Atticus drew breath after strangled breath.

  “But now I can see why your father had taken such a liking to me and my friends,” Atticus said breaking the silence.

  Dominic raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

  “The five of us in our own unique way reminded him of you and your brother.”

  Dominic snorted. “Right.”

  “Think about it,” Atticus said lightly chuckling. “Lucia’s will to survive, Maxi’s intellect, Tira’s love, Kade’s strength and my resourcefulness, Raiziel saw all those qualities in us and our bond. Your father may have never mentioned you, but I bet it was to protect you from people like Giovanni.”

  Dominic looked away from Atticus and towards the floor once again. “...Growing up I hated Giovanni. All I could ever think about was getting revenge. I would fantasize about all the ways I would go about it. But then reality would hit me, and I would realize I was powerless. It made me feel so small, and alone. But when I found Alexander’s journal explaining where to find his hidden carcerem orbis, and my dad’s sword, I felt as if I finally found a way to not be afraid anymore. I was ready to turn my revenge into a reality.” Dominic laughed ironically. “And after all the hard work I went through; the damn sword chose Hayden over me.”

  Atticus coughed violently. “I’m sorry,” he said recomposing himself. “But you’re a kid. I’m not saying to forget about what happened to your family. In fact, burn it into your memories. But you shouldn’t fixate on revenge, instead honor the memories of your lost ones and cherish them.”

  Atticus reached up for a fist bump. Dominic couldn’t help but grin as they touched knuckles.

  You would have made a badass baby brother for Maxi and me.

  His last thoughts as his hand slumped to his side.

  Any other time Dominic might have thought he was slipping into a deep sleep. But when Atticus’s body began to glow blue, Dominic knew his friend’s time was up.

  Atticus’s body dissolved away, leaving behind clothing and a bright blue ball of light. Dominic watched it make its grand exit before softly whispering, “thank you... for everything.”

  ETHAN WALKED A NARROW hallway to a metal door that stood slightly ajar.

  He paused hearing voices on the other side of it. Pressing himself against the wall, he listened.

  “Are you okay?” It was Brianna.

  “Not really, but at least I’m not puking.”

  Ethan recognized the voice as Hayden.

  He heard Brianna sigh. “I wasn’t talking about your motion sickness. I mean... are you okay from losing control.”

  This time Hayden sighed. “I guess but I’ve been hearing voices...well, a voice that keeps whispering for me to release it. I don’t know if it’s a side effect from me going berserk or not.”

  Berserk, Ethan’s mind struggled to make heads or tails of the conversation. He heard them use the term berserk before but never understood what they meant by it.

  “That’s new...are you still hearing the voice?” Brianna asked.

  “No, but someone is eavesdropping.”

  There was a pause, then Ethan moseyed through the door and into the passenger cabin. Hayden and Brianna were lounging around on the most elegant couches near a row of windows. Coffee tables with ornate cabriole legs also decorated the room and a transparent canopy gave the passengers a fantastic view of the sky.

  The stars seemed to dart by injunction with the shipment movement. Ethan fumbled about the cabin staring upward.

  “Beautiful isn’t it?” Brianna said with a smile.

  Ethan nodded, “yeah, but I don’t recognize any of the star constellations.”

  Sitting on a couch across from Brianna Hayden asked, “where is Dominic?”

  “He wanted to speak with Atticus privately,” Ethan answered.

  Brianna lay back with a long yawn. “Why?”

  Ethan shrugged. “I should go check on Kori.”

  Brianna shifted on the couch. “In her current state there isn’t much we can do.”

  “What if she never wakes up?” Ethan said pushing down his dread.

  Brianna patted the cushion next to her. “I’m sure Tira might have a way to save her.”

  Ethan’s gaze fell to the floor. He felt tired and heart-weary but knew that what Brianna had said was accurate; he could not allow himself to welter in his angst. Kori wouldn’t have wanted that. Without a word, he slid next to Brianna.

  She playfully nudged him. “Cheer up.”

  Ethan nodded and looked across the coffee table separating him from Hayden. He sat leaning forward, elbows on his knees and chin resting on his knuckles. Ethan wondered what Hayden could possibly be thinking about so deeply. But his thoughts came to an end when a voice said, “Atticus is dead.”

  Though his face showed no compassion, Dominic’s eyes were glossy.

  “No-way! You’re kidding,” Ethan said with widened eyes.

  “The idiot wanted to die,” Dominic said with cruelty.

  For a moment, silence reigned over them.

  “When all of this is over, we need to tell Alexander everything,” Brianna said as Dominic sat next to Hayden.

  He nodded in acknowledgment, “How much trouble do you think we’re in.”

  “No telling with that old man,” Hayden said leaning back. “His idea of punishment is giving us the same stern lectures every morning and night word for word.”

  “He’ll probably ground us till our senior year,” Brianna said with a smirk.

  The siblings exchanged mocking glances as if they had rec
alled the same memories where they’ve been in trouble and had to sit through one of the many disciplinary lectures from Alexander. They exploded into laughter amongst themselves, triggering Ethan to glance at them with raised eyebrows.

  Their laughter made him miss Kori and even more determined to get her back. He gazed at the glass ceiling as if he could see beyond the stars and into the void.

  Hang in there Kori we’re coming for you.

  Right at that moment a metal door opposite to the one Dominic had entered opened. In stepped Hager.

  “Sorry about the bumpy takeoff,” he said. “Should have told you all to strap in, but I was in a rush to leave the city before the martial law took total effect.”

  He clasped his hands together. “Now how’s Atticus holding up?”

  When the teens fell silent, Hager suspected the worst, and the look of grievance on their faces was all the confirmation he needed. For a moment he too joined in on their moment of silence, before lightly chuckling.

  “That’s so like him, dying to get out of a debt.”

  He sighed looking towards the transparent ceiling. “You’ll be missed, my friend.” Now looking at the others, he said, “tell me how a bunch of kids ended up in purgatory.”

  The account was articulated in haste, with Brianna being the one to take the burden of retelling the tale with the occasional interject from the boys. Hager folded his muscular arms over his equally muscular chest. He gazed kindheartedly at the teens, studying them. Despite their youthfulness, they all looked tired, and as if they were about to pass out at any given moment.

  “I take it you know where we’re headed?” he asked.

  Brianna nodded, “To a place Atticus called the sanctuary, and it’s where his friend Tira lives.”

  Hager rubbed his hands across his face with a sigh, “the sanctuary is located on Alessandria Island.”

  “How long do we have till we reach it?” Ethan asked with urgency.

  Hager paused looking at his feet as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

  “We should arrive at the island sometime tomorrow around noon,” he answered. He turned on his heels and walked out the way he came. Moments later he returned with a bundle of blankets.

  “I suggest you kids get some rest while you can,” Hager said, issuing out the sleeping gear. “And if you need me, I’ll be in the cockpit.”

  He exited.

  Ethan stood up handing his blanket over to Brianna, “I should go sit with Kori.”

  She nonchalantly reached up and yanked him back onto the couch. “Kori isn’t going anywhere,” she said with conclusiveness. “We’ve been through hell and look like crap. So, let’s all finally get some well-deserved rest.”

  As if her words were a trigger, Ethan felt the exhaustion and all the pain he endured wash over him. He leaned his head onto the armrest and was asleep before any of the others. Brianna covered him with a blanket.

  She glared at her brothers after hearing a grunt of annoyance. Dominic had stretched out on the other couch, with his legs sprawled across Hayden’s lap. He was using one blanket as a pillow and had taken Hayden’s as a cover.

  He scowled and forced Dominic’s leg off him before abruptly standing.

  “Where are you going?” Brianna asked in a hushed tone.

  “Going to sit with Kori,” Hayden retorted normally.

  Brianna gave him a questioning look.

  But Hayden ignored it. As he made his way to the exit, he heard Dominic’s sleepy voice, “hey lover boy, maybe a kiss from you will awaken her.”

  Chapter-Forty-One

  Despite her chest steadily rising and falling, Kori Dawson looked dead. She laid on the padded bed, arms at her side, eyes closed with a vacant expression. There was no greyness, simply a lack of the usual pink in her cheeks. Why did he care about her? She was annoying and he didn’t agree with her about a lot of things. Yet there was a sentiment he couldn’t get rid of.

  Maybe a kiss from you will awaken her, Dominic’s words echoed through his memories.

  Then he knew. Knew why he wanted to see her. His hand tingled where he had touched hers and his heart pounded erratically in his chest, so hard he thought it might fly out, but it felt good. Hayden finally admitted to himself what he knew for quite some time but was too stubborn to acknowledge; he liked her...a lot. He knew it wasn’t love but more like the frail beginnings to something he wanted to explore more.

  “When we first met, I thought you were obnoxious. I wanted nothing to do with you, but our paths kept crossing. And then we ended up in purgatory. I acted like I knew what I was doing.” Hayden said with a scoff. “But truth is, I was constantly overthinking everything. I didn’t want you to know how scared I was. But you stayed optimistic and that’s what kept me going...your cute smile helped also.” He leaned back in his chair. “This conversation stays between us, got it?”

  ETHAN SAT UP IN FULL alertness after hearing Brianna shouting, “oh wow!”

  He hopped up from the couch and joined Brianna at the nearby window. He breathed out a sound of awe, unable to take his eyes off the seascape beneath him. Even Dominic had joined them.

  The sea below them, extended continuously like a carpet of sparkling cerulean in the afternoon sun. On the distant horizon, delicate clouds floated, showing the only signs of where the ocean concluded and the heavens began.

  Ethan had never flown over the ocean before. He had seen pictures and watched videos about the sea, but he never imagined its sheer size.

  “Are we close to the island,” Hayden said sluggishly.

  “I think it won’t be too long before we arrive,” Brianna turned away from the window. “Where did you sleep?”

  “In the med bay,” Hayden said massaging his neck and shoulders.

  Brianna turned towards her window with Hayden joining her. He too became mesmerized by the beautiful noon sun glinting off a million distant ripples of the cerulean vista below. They traveled a little longer gauging time by the mechanical whirs of the ship and shifting winds against it. Still reeling in the view of the vast ocean, an island came into view like a mirage. From the ship, it looked like an island paradise, with colors almost too intense to be true. There was the alluring blue of the ocean, spotless golden beaches, bright green pine trees, and a rain forest. But more impressive was the immaculate silvery mountain residing in the center of the island. It had a hint of pine green coated in crystalline snow and rose towards the blue sky with its top shrouded in a massive pool of clouds.

  “Is that Alessandria?” Ethan said in awe. His excitement tapered off abruptly. “But the island looks deserted.”

  Brianna could hear the disappointment in his voice.

  Then his excitement was back. Eyes wide, he began to tap on the window. “There is a building hidden in the mountain within the clouds.”

  Brianna and the others strained their eyes to see what Ethan was shouting about. Before any of them could see anything, the ship descended. They touched down on the ocean several yards out from the island. Water spurted around the ship as it bounced across the ocean top like a rock skipping across water and came to a sliding halt on the golden beach.

  SEVERAL MOMENTS LATER everyone was welcomed to the island by the cries of seagulls flying by overhead, a tropical onshore breeze and the aromatic sea air. All around them was a place filled with the unending grains of golden sands as if the whole beach was made of gold itself. In the distance was a majestic rainforest that looked like it could have been the entrance to the Garden of Eden.

  Hager eyed his passengers. Sighing he locked eyes with Hayden, who was fireman carrying Kori.

  “Getting here was the easy part,” he said. “Through the forest, you’ll find steps leading to the mountain top. Climbing them is the hard part.”

  “Why should anything be easy?” Ethan said mockingly.

  Hager laughed and gave Ethan a hardy pat on the back. “How right you are lad,” he said matching Ethan’s sarcasm. “But I’m sure you younglings can han
dle the climb to the sanctuary.”

  “Are you coming with us?” Brianna asked.

  Hager shook his head sadly. “Tira, though a sweet girl, gives me the creeps. I’m going take Atticus’s sword to Erstania.” His face flushed red. “I will have my beautiful Helen turn it into a memorial in his favorite bar.”

  Dominic scoffed with his tongue sticking out. “Did you say beautiful.”

  Hager’s coy manner faded. “Are you implying the love of my life is something other than beautiful.”

  Dominic opened his mouth, but Brianna violently elbowed him in the stomach. He doubled over with an oaf.

  “I never met her, but I bet she’s lovely,” Brianna said with a pleasant smile.

  Dominic regained his wits and rubbed his stomach. While looking towards Brianna he mouthed the words. “No, she’s not.”

  Fortunately, Hager didn’t notice. “Dominic and Ethan waved to Hager and Hayden nodded his gratitude while Brianna smiled and said, “thank you, Mr. Hager.”

  With a smile of his own, he bowed before he ducked inside his ship.

  Not long after, they heard the vessel bolting into the heavens.

  As they walked towards the forest the sea vanished from view, lost behind a seemingly impermeable shelter of vegetation. Here the atmosphere was humid and dense, and she could hear thousands of insects active among the leaves.

  Brianna shuddered.

  Turning back around, she nearly bumped into Ethan’s halted lanky frame. “Why did we stop?”

  Ethan pointed.

  In front of them were wide steps fashioned from various sized boulders. They erupted from the forest floor and snaked around the mountain and extended to the skies. But what stood on the base was what really caught her attention.

  A humanoid female made of rock, wood stood there with miniature trees and mushrooms sprouting from her body.

  “Um...Hello,” Brianna said, quizzically.