by JL Rothstein
“What do you want to do about it?” Kelly asked her.
“I want to get out in front of Schlosser,” Gen replied. “I’m sick of us running around chasing our own tails and getting our asses handed to us in the process.”
“How do you suggest we do that Genevieve?” Xavier asked.
“I’m not waiting around for Gabriel and Jared to come back and give us another subtle hint,” she bitterly remarked. “They both seem more powerful than before they left. We need that and whatever other information they are hiding. Tom is doing an incredible job holding us together, but we are suffering without Michael and Harry.”
“You have some way we are unaware of on how to find Gabriel and Jared?” Deb asked.
“Yes!” she said emphatically. “I’m going back to that park Gabriel brought me to.”
The room tensed as her brothers silently debated which of them was going to shoot down her idea.
“I’m in,” Kelly chimed in.
“Good,” Gen answered. “Deb, we’re going to need your help.”
“How?” Deb asked. “It’s not like I know some magic spell to get you there.
Gen replied, “It takes trust to let go of this plane and project elsewhere. Only you can calm our nerves so we can do that.”
“Plus,” Kelly added with a smile “You make one hell of a hot toddy. Gen and I are going to need one for the road.
“I am not in favor of this plan.” Deb looked between Gen and Kelly.
“I know, neither are they,” Gen said as she pointed at their brothers, “but it’s the only real lead we have to follow up on.”
The mood in the room grew glib. Gen knew it wasn’t the best plan, but at least it was something. Anything to keep moving, Gen thought. I can’t sit around here another day waiting for that bastard to hurt me or someone else I love.
“What do you need?” Xavier asked.
Gen felt a bit of relief, she wasn’t sure they were in agreement with her idea, but at least they weren’t stopping her. Could have been worse, she thought.
“Should we get something to bind them together?” Dan asked.
“That might not be a bad idea,” Tom said. “We don’t always know where we end up when we leave this plane, so I think tethering them together might work.”
“Well just in case, we should make sure they have weapons,” Frankie added.
“We have about thirty minutes before whatever Deb puts in the tea takes full effect,” Tom said. “Everyone go retrieve what we need and be back as soon as you can.”
Gen saw streaks of light flicker across the kitchen as her brothers vanished from the room. Deb threw out the shards of broken glass and walked to the stove to make more tea.
“I’m heading up to change clothes,” Kelly told Gen. “I think we should wear layers and I need to find those stupid boots I wore the night of the fire.”
Kelly left the kitchen heading for her bedroom. Gen walked over and got a warm cloth from the sink to clean up the mess she had made on the table.
“I appreciate you not putting me on the spot about coming along,” Deb said to her.
“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. I still feel that should have been me in that church courtyard.”
“No, everything that’s happened, it’s the way it was supposed to happen.” Deb pulled the kettle off the stove and poured boiling water into new mugs. “You just make sure you come back, both of you.”
Gen placed a hand on Deb’s shoulder. “I’m going to do everything I can to make this right, I promise.”
Gen left the kitchen. Pulling shirts and sweatshirts out of her closest she realized she needed to change her pants too, everything was wet with remnants of whiskey and tea. Once she was dressed, she pulled her black combat boots out of the closet and sat down on the corner of the bed.
Tucking her ring below the multiple layers of clothing she spoke to Gabriel. I don’t know if you can hear me, I’m not ready to put this ring back on, so we’re still disconnected, but I need your help. Please meet me there, Gabe.
Gen was lacing her boots when she heard Kelly leave her room down the hall. She moved quickly to join her; once back in the kitchen, they drank the hot toddies Deb made for them. Together the three sisters moved down the hall to the front living room.
Gen looked around at the furnished yet rarely used room. The wood floor was stained a dark chocolate brown. There was a sofa on one wall and two overstuffed matching chairs on the other. Each seat had a small end table next to it. Gen looked at the large fireplace in the middle of the room and struggled to remember the last time it was lit. The floor-to-ceiling built-ins on either side of the fireplace were dotted with pictures of the entire family, including one from many decades ago when she and Gabe lived here as husband and wife. On top of the wide mantle were the most recent photos.
“I put them up several weeks ago,” Deb told her. “It was going to be a surprise, but then everything happened.”
“It’s great Deb, it is a surprise and it’s beautiful. For my second time around in this house, it’s nice that I get to share it with my sisters. It makes the loss of him less painful,” Gen told her.
“You two better come back safe and sound,” Deb warned, “or, I’ll figure out how to go there and drag you back myself.”
“I have no doubt you would,” Kelly told her.
Deb gave hugs to each of her sisters and then sat on the sofa.
“So how are we doing this?” Kelly asked Gen.
“I say we pull out the sleeping bags from the hall closet, lay them on the floor. Deb can take us through relaxation breathing techniques. Once I can clear my mind, I’m going to focus on my memory of the park, pushing all other images away. Then, I should be able to project us there.”
After getting the room setup, Gen felt her brothers arrive in the kitchen.
“We’re in the front living room!” Deb yelled to them.
One by one they filed into the formal room.
“What’ve you got?” Gen asked them.
Xavier and Frankie handed her and Kelly a weapon each.
“Good idea, I remember wishing I had a weapon last time. Before I realized it was Gabriel that pulled me there, I was feeling pretty vulnerable,” Gen said.
“I’m sure he’s thankful you didn’t,” quipped Kelly.
Those in the room chuckled nervously while Gen smirked at Kelly’s sarcastic remark.
Gen noticed the Holy palms in Dan’s hand and asked, “What are those for?”
“We figured if you are going off on a magic carpet ride, we might as well pack it with as many Sacred or Blessed things as we could get our hands on.”
Gen laid down to Kelly’s left. Dan tied a loose fitted knot around Gen’s right wrist and attached the other end to Kelly’s left wrist. He intertwined pieces of the palm between the threads of the rope. Both Gen and Kelly held the weapons in their free hands, then Gen closed her eyes.
Deb, wanting a few moments alone with her sisters, ushered their brothers out of the room. She lit a few candles around the living room. It took a moment for the scent to reach her, but Gen realized they were Deb’s favorite aroma therapy candles. Deb placed a Bible on the floor between Gen and Kelly and, as her final send off, she wiped what Gen assumed was Holy oil underneath the rope on their wrists.
“We’ll be fine Deb,” Kelly stated. “Don’t worry.”
“You better be okay, I can’t do any of this without the two of you. Don’t linger, get in and get back, you hear me?”
“We will,” Gen told her. “Remember, when I went before, I was asleep for fourteen hours, so we’ll be back, but I think we should assume the same skewed time difference.”
Gen heard Deb’s footfalls on the floor and then the light dimmed. As Gen focused on her breathing, she felt Kelly fall asleep almost instantly. She continued to focus on the images of the park and felt the memories coming back to her. In and out she breathed, as she saw the outline of the big willow tree, she felt a
tug on her right hand. It was light, but somewhere in the recesses of her mind she knew Kelly was resisting. Gen was falling, spiraling down into unconsciousness. It was too late to turn back, and somehow, Gen sensed things weren’t right.
Gen woke in the grass, cold enveloped her. She sat up, the rolling fields spread across the valley below, just as they had the first time. She felt relief, but only temporarily. As she moved her right hand to wipe her hair away from her face, the rope tying she and Kelly together dangled in front of her. It had been cut, the end frayed as if it had been torn free.
She rolled to her right and stood, a glint in the grass caught her eye and she spotted the weapon, a long sharp spear, somehow it had made the journey. Thank goodness for small miracles, Gen thought.
Kelly! Are you here? Gen looked up at the large wrought iron gate and felt her first wave of uncertainty, both doors were closed. A giant lock hung from a thick chain wrapped around both doors.
“That doesn’t seem inviting,” Gen huffed as she made her way toward the gate.
She took the spear Xavier had given her and stabbed it into the lock. Jostling it back and forth she managed to get the pin inside to pop. The lock opened and she unwrapped the heavy chain and pushed the door open to enter the courtyard.
The big willow swayed as she approached, the branches swung up nearly hitting her in the process. The sun was out, but it was cloudier than when she was here last. It made the old tree appear ominous, adding to the overwhelming sense of unwelcome she was already feeling.
Gen hastily walked around the willow and made her way onto the canopied dirt path toward the park. Halfway down the rocky terrain she heard an owl and stopped. There were no sounds from the night with Gabriel, were there? Gen was starting to question herself but kept walking.
Coming out the other end of the footpath she found only grass, no stone tiles to walk upon. Am I not remembering everything or is this all different now? Gen questioned. The trees to her left were taller with more blooms than she recalled but she spotted the floral covered bridge and marched on.
“Kelly! Are you here?” Gen yelled again “Kelly!”
Looking at the bridge she spotted the first of many blue jays and shook her head.
Kell, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I see and hear birds. I swear there was nothing alive when I was here with Gabriel.
As she passed the last of the trees, she looked to her left expecting to see nightfall. The wall of darkness did not disappoint. It lay across the park like a lion waiting to pounce.
Gen heard the rustling of leaves and the feathers of birds as they scattered up and out of trees flying away from her. She was an intruder, she felt the sensation of trepidation and recognized it as she had the first time she was here with Gabriel.
“Gabriel!” Gen bellowed. “I need to talk to you, if you can hear me, please meet me!”
The wind picked up and she swore she heard the whisper of a response. Goosebumps rode her arms as her brain translated the word. “Go” the trees sang.
She walked toward the trellised opening to the dark half, but stopped, she felt she could walk no further, something was coming, but she had no idea what.
She backed up several steps and felt the warmth of the light side on her back. The extremes of the two halves of the park seemed palpable, whereas before she remembered it being subtle.
Gen tried speaking to her husband telepathically. Gabriel, I don’t know if you can hear me, we need your help. I need you.
If you only knew how much I needed you Gabe, she thought.
Stopping, she peered under the wooden trellis and saw shadows dancing near the fountain. What is that? she thought.
Every gut instinct was telling her to retreat, run back toward the bridge, to the safety of the light half of the park.
As she stood staring at the dark half, she heard claws scraping against something hard. Her eyes squinted to make out the movement in the darkness, and she saw the outline of something swoop down from the top of the fountain and land hard against the lip of the pool below. Water splashed up and over the creature. The bird-like animal shook off the wetness that covered it and flew back up toward the top.
“What the Hell is that?” Gen whispered. “There was definitely no water in the fountain last time I was here.”
Just as she was about to turn away a flash of lightning momentarily lit up the dark half of the park, as the sizzling bolt faded the flying creature turned and looked in Gen’s direction. The gray skin, pointy ears, and grotesque distorted face were crystal clear. The animals red eyes blinked in her direction as it shrieked an announcement of her presence.
Gargoyles. They’re guarding the fountain, Gen thought. Oh God, please don’t let Kelly be on that side of the park. The thought ripped through her and at that moment she was certain that’s exactly where Kelly was.
Gen shook her head back and forth. I need to cross, she’s over there, I just know it.
She ran toward the trellis and spotted the gargoyle sweeping down from above. It landed on top of the pergola with its long talons stretched out in front of it. She slid like a baseball player stopping inches from the entrance.
I’m only getting one shot to make it to the safety of the nearest tree, she thought.
Patting down her pants she hoped the vial of Holy water Deb had given her made the trip. As she pulled the small tube out, the animal shrieked and flew up into the night sky. The wind picked up, a tornado-like storm erupted in the middle of the dark half, just beyond the fountain. Something’s coming, Gen’s mind shrieked.
“No,” Gen whispered in reply. “Something’s already here.”
Taking a deep breath for courage, she got to her feet and stepped underneath the trellis. The sight in front of her nearly stopped her heart, the image obscured in twilight had now become clear.
“Kelly!” Gen screamed as she raged into the darkness.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Kelly was bent forward sitting on her knees. A wave of unrelenting pain woke her. The chill in the air was frigid and her hands were nearly numb. Able to pull her arms across her body, she understood immediately that she was no longer connected to Gen.
Using her right hand, she felt the ground below and scraped her palm along sharp gravel until it bumped into a rocky wall. Kelly’s right side was leaning against a cold slab.
“Gen,” Kelly grunted. “Are you alright?”
Hearing no response, she moved her left hand toward her stomach, and felt the edges of the small trident weapon Frankie had given her before drifting off to sleep. Somehow, Gen had managed to bring her to the park, but they were separated and now she found herself alone on the dark half. Face down, the weapon had punctured her stomach, nearly killing her in the process. Picking her head up to survey the area she was surprised at how pitch dark her surroundings were.
“Damn it,” she grumbled. “I can’t believe I’m on the dark half.”
Taking a deep breath and holding it, she used her right hand to pull the weapon out, warm liquid burst from the wound. She coughed and slid down to sit on the hard ground. Removing several layers of clothing, she used a couple of the T-shirts to make a bandage. Fortunately, a long piece of the rope Dan had used to bind she and Gen together was still connected to her wrist. Untying it, she wrapped it around her waist to help keep the T-shirts in place and then pulled her sweatshirt back on over her head. Every stretch of her body pulled at the gaping wound and made her wince.
Once her eyes had adjusted a little more to the lack of light, she hauled herself up to her feet. Pain coursed through her body and she felt a wave of nausea wash over her. Putting her arm out to defensively navigate, she pushed off the rocky ledge and limped away a few feet.
This is just great, where the Hell do I go from here? she complained.
She trailed her right hand along the rocky wall as a guide as best she could. When she reached the end of the wall, a strong wind picked up and nearly knocked her off her feet.
“Gen!” she yelled. “Where are you?!”
She coughed and tasted the saltiness of blood and knew yelling would stress her body too much if she continued.
Shuffling forward, she stumbled several times over large boulders that seemed to be dropped haphazardly along the path in front of her. Her eyes continued to adjust, she was finally able to pick up the outline of shapes in front of her. Kelly was now able to avoid the remaining rocky formations. Nearing the last one, she sensed she was at a precipice, the top of a small hillside perhaps. She took a moment to stop and rest. Stilling her body as much as possible, she listened.
In the distance she heard water, she couldn’t tell how far away it was, but she remembered Gen talking about a fountain.
If I was a betting girl, and I am, Kelly thought. Then Gen’s on the light half of the park. If the water I hear is coming from the fountain Gen described seeing from the light half, then that’s the direction I need to head in.
Shuffling in darkness she made her way to the edge and as she stepped down, her foot slipped out in front of her and she fell several feet down an embankment. She screamed out in pain.
How am I going to get down from here? her mind reeled.
“Don’t panic Kelly, don’t panic,” she reassured herself.
Rolling to her side, she struggled to get back on her feet. Once there she had to re-adjust the bandages. Slowly she proceeded forward trying not to let gravity propel her downward until she could sense a less steep part of the hill to continue on toward the bottom. Finally, she found a path down that appeared less arduous. Descending slowly, and at an angle, she didn’t like how much time it was taking her, but knew the pain was dictating her stride.
Crap, this path is taking me away from the water, she thought as the rhythmic pounding of rushing water faded behind her.
As she peered through the darkness the trees ahead seemed to be more visible than the ones behind her. Taking that as a sign she was moving toward light and in the correct direction, she gripped her stomach tightly and picked up the pace as best she could.
When she heard what sounded like flapping wings, she halted and waited for the sound to repeat. In the quiet that followed she thought she heard the hoot of an owl, maybe more than one.