by Holly Hook
A man shouted outside. The walls muffled his voice. Metal clanked somewhere, and a wheel squeaked.
I opened my eyes. My iPod had run out of batteries, and I took the earbuds out. Stuffed them back in my pocket. My room was dark, and no light except for the full moon made it through the crack in my curtains. The clock on my nightstand read eleven forty-five. It was almost time for my parents to stagger through the door and collapse into bed. Awesome.
My Lit book fell to the floor as I sat up. I crammed that in my backpack, too.
Hooves tapped concrete.
The carriage.
Had it come back?
I sighed. "Hardy." I crawled across my bed to the window and parted my curtains.
The street was empty, and the lights had all come on. The houses across the street were dark. Everyone was asleep.
There was a carriage waiting next to the curb, all right, but it wasn't the same one I'd seen earlier. The streetlight cast an eerie glow on it. This one was complete with four horses hooked up in the front and a hooded driver in a red and black robe. One of the horses tapped its foot in impatience as if it had to pee and didn't want to do it here. All four horses wore humongous red tassels on their heads with golden headpieces that looked more uncomfortable than those dresses Southern belles used to wear. I felt kind of sorry for them.
And this carriage was painted solid black except for a red coat of arms on the side.
A pumpkin. A castle tower. A goose.
And a spinning wheel.
A shudder ran up my spine. I squinted and slapped myself, trying to dismiss the image. It looked just like the tattoo that Mr. Crinkle wore.
And then two men came out from behind the carriage.
No. Two knights.
They stood in the glow of the streetlight and conversed with one another. Both had metal visors down on their faces, and their armor looked shiny and new. They had the same red tassels as the horses, making the entire crew a matching set.
If this was larping, they were doing the best job ever. Hardy had gone to some lengths here to get me back.
Or this might be some Renaissance club or something that just came to town. The guy I passed on the street was just the kid who got the crappiest role because he didn't get his name on the sign-up sheet until the very end. These people must have been the ones who knew the club leader.
Then I spotted something that blew my theory out of the water.
Both knights held swords.
They were complete with jeweled hilts and very, very sharp points.
One of the knights adjusted his helmet and waved the other one into my yard.
Towards the front door.
My chest constricted and I backed away from my window, shutting the curtains. A loud knock rang out on the door, and I froze, not sure what to do. Hardy had to be pulling some joke.
Those swords looked too real.
Another knock. "Open up!" a man shouted. "On penalty of death, open up!"
Okay. Hardy had taken this too far, or something strange and scary was going on here.
At that moment, I would have loved to see Mom and Dad pull up in that crappy little Saturn and run over those knights, turning them into hubcaps. But I couldn't count on that. A knock came again. Those guys were serious.
For the first time, I regretted not having a cell phone.
I bolted out into the kitchen, not sure what I was doing. I grabbed for the knife block and pulled out the sharpest one. Wait. That wouldn't do good against armor. I was better off going out the back door and vaulting over the fence to the neighbors' yard. I could run faster than a couple of knights bogged down in kitchenware. The carriage would never fit into my backyard. I backed towards the other door and prayed no one had thought to go around.
A hand wrapped around my mouth and squeezed.
I froze for a second, waiting for the feel of a blade on my throat, but nothing came. I breathed out, and my hot breath blew back up my nose. Someone had gotten into my house. The arm wrapped around me had no armor. And my flesh tingled where it touched.
"Quiet," the guy from earlier said. "You don't want to get caught by those knights. Follow me, and I can get you out of here."
Another loud knock followed. "By order of King Henrik, open up!"
The guy kept his grip as tight as ever on my mouth. I could make out his floppy hair next to my face and the mole on his nose. Even an ear that looked pointed on the top. Elf cosplay. That was it. I'd landed in some cosplay thing, and maybe they were filming this. It was the least scary explanation. Or perhaps they were a band of serial killers that no one knew about yet. Cosplay Killers Attack Again, the headline would read.
"What's this?" I managed. The loudest knock came yet. The door sounded ready to come down. Those knights knew I was in here.
"Ask later," the elf guy said. "They might get the battering ram." He loosened his grip on my mouth so I could breathe.
"The what?"
Bam!
I jumped. The noise came again, along with some splintering noises.
Okay. I'd go with this guy. He didn't have a sword, at least. That was a plus. A small plus.
I opened my back door, shocked that the knights hadn't thought to go around. Either this was an act, or they'd come right out of the middle ages and didn't know what back entrance was. Maybe this was a play after all, and they wanted me to get away. Fine. I'd play along and wait until someone pointed out the camera to me, then have a laugh and explain to Mom and Dad why the door got broken down. I knew how they'd make me pay for that, but at the moment I didn't care.
I opened the back door as another splintering crash came, along with a loud thud.
They had knocked the door down.
And heavy, metallic footsteps entered the house.
"Miss," a man called from under his mask. "We are to take you to--"
The elf guy pulled me out of the house before I could hear him finish. I closed the back door to slow them down on the off chance they didn't know how to use doorknobs. We bolted across the porch just as another shout rang from inside. They had detected us.
"Don't stop," the elf guy said. "Get over the fence. Now."
We bolted down the deck steps and across the grass. The elf guy shoved Dad's new grill out of the way. One of the men shouted, and the back door burst open. A metal blade scraped something. One of the knights. Or both of them. We had to go.
There was a chain link fence dividing us from the neighbors behind us. My heart sank.
These neighbors had one of those junkyard dogs that really should be on a chain. They also had signs posted around their property that read Is there life after death? Jump the fence to find out.
I glanced back. The two knights ran towards us, armor clanking, swords swinging. They meant business. A small, terrified part of me screamed.
We reached the fence.
"Over!" Elf Guy said.
Blind panic took over, and I vaulted over the fence. The chains grabbed at my jeans and tore at my legs, but I landed on the other side and right on a barren patch of ground where that dog usually stood to bark at us. I just hoped the dog was in a coma.
"Hey!" one of the knights shouted. "Young maiden! There is a sign that reads--"
I grabbed Elf Guy's wrist, and we bolted around the ragged house of the neighbors. There was a white kennel up ahead and a dark form stirring inside of it. The dog. Awesome.
A low growl sounded as we bolted past. If we could get over the fence in the front, we'd be fine. I ran ahead, pulling Elf Guy away from the beast that dwelled here.
And then I heard metal squealing and clanking.
One of the knights was climbing over.
The dog growled at us again. I reached the front yard fence in the front just as a drunken-sounding guy shouted from inside the house. We both jumped the next wall at the same time. Chain link dug into the inside of my thigh, and I bit in a scream. Elf Guy got the pant leg of his shin stuck as the dog emerged from the kennel behind hi
m. I landed on the sidewalk, and I grabbed his hand, helping him over. He grimaced as I did. "Thanks."
Now we both stood outside the fence. The knight ran through the yard at us, sword raised. I could see nothing but darkness behind that visor. He lifted the sword.
A black and brown form leaped on the guy, knocking him backward with the force of the blow. The dog growled and snapped at the knight, all teeth and slobber. Metal boots kicked. The knight dropped his sword and claws scraped against metal, making a horrible screeching sound. The second knight waited way back in my yard, watching and not daring to climb over.
"Let's go," Elf Guy said, catching his breath. "What kind of beast is that? It could rival any dragon I've seen."
"You're taking this larping thing too far," I told him.
"Larping?" He sounded clueless.
We ran down the sidewalk. Either way, I wanted away from this. I knew I should thank the elf guy, but this was getting too weird for me. I had to be dreaming.
And then I spotted the first carriage I'd seen that day. The two horses waited on the corner. The horses shifted like they were nervous. The hooded driver waited.
Nervous. So was I. I didn’t care if those horses had the runs. I was getting on that carriage and getting the heck out of here.
“Miss!” the first knight shouted from behind. There was a rage in his voice now.
Elf Guy opened the cabin door for me. I hopped in. Metallic squeals sounded. The knight had gotten away from the dog. Elf Guy got in behind me and closed the door. “Go!” he shouted at the driver. "Straight!"
The driver whipped the reins and shouted a command at the horses. It was a woman, all right.
With a jolt, the carriage took off.
It wasn’t a smooth ride like Elf Guy had promised, either. But I didn’t care. I glanced back through the back window, which had no glass, and spotted the knight getting stuck over the chain link fence in the neighbor’s yard. The dog snarled and grabbed at his leg, and he held the sword in the other hand. I was amazed the dog wasn’t cut in half yet. And then the neighbor guy came roaring out of his house, holding a beer can in one hand and a shotgun in the other.
The carriage turned the corner before I could see what happened. Not that I wanted to.
“Are you okay?” Elf Guy asked.
“Yeah,” I managed. “I just almost died, but yeah, I guess I’m okay.” I caught my breath. Where were the cameras? I checked the inside of the carriage, but this was what a peasant’s ride would have looked like back in the day. There was even some dried mud on the floor. At least, I hoped it was mud.
I bounced again on the bench. Even in a carriage, the potholes were horrible.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t secure better transportation for you,” Elf Guy said. He took off his leather hat and set it on his lap. His hair was messy. And yes, his ears were pointed. He stuck out his hand. “I’m Stilt. Don’t worry. I’m not with your pursuers. I’m here to get you away from them. Someone sold you out earlier."
I figured I might as well go along with it. There was nothing else I could do right now. “Brie.” The tingling ran up my hand and my forearm. This guy felt like pure magic. I let go, but the sensation remained. It was too much like what I felt every time I spun gold for Mom and Dad. I felt as if fairy dust were creeping into my skin.
Fairy dust.
No.
Of course not.
But I could weave things into gold. There was no place in nature for that, either.
I turn away and curse.
“I’m sorry if I offended you,” Stilt said, alarmed. “You see, I’m not too well versed in the ways of this world, and—“
More horses snorted.
Galloped.
I stopped my cursing and turned to check out the back window again.
I cursed again.
The black carriage was turning the street corner and roaring up the road towards us. All four horses charged, red tassels quivering. The driver in the red and black robe held a whip and kept cracking it above the animals, terrifying them into compliance. The driver’s hood covered darkness.
Our driver didn't need instruction. She cracked the reins, and our horses sprang forward.
Stilt swore too. “Brie, you have to tell us any shortcuts you know through this village. Now. We need to get to Tate’s Farm outside of town by midnight. It's the closest portal.”
“Tate’s farm?” I’d gone there last year to pick up a pumpkin for Halloween.
“Now!”
We rolled over a huge pothole, and I came off my seat. The two horses ran in front of us while our driver cracked his reins. Stilt and I managed to balance and get to the front of the carriage.
We were racing down Maple Street now. I could make out downtown. Tate’s Farm was on the other side of that. I had no idea why Stilt wanted to go there, or why I was here, or why any of this was happening, but once glance at the carriage behind us told me that it might be a good idea to get us there.
“Go right!” I shouted to the driver.
She cracked one rein. The horses turned. A single car slowed in the opposite lane and honked its horn. The driver—probably some kid going home from the closing Burger Planet shift—would have questions for days.
No one else was on the road. Stilt slapped my arm. “We have only a few more minutes!"
My mind had gone blank. Then I remembered. There was a trail that led to the farm that cut behind the library. It was down the next street—and there was another car coming out of the Seven Eleven. It looked like we were going to collide with it, but the driver stopped and waited for us to pass.
“Left!” I shouted. "Turn left in ten more seconds. Down that dirt road."
The driver held up one hand to say she got it. These role players sure got into it--if they were role players. They had to be. I had to hold onto that thought.
They couldn’t be here for my ability—could they? Only my parents and Harvey knew about it unless Hardy had opened his mouth.
The carriage made another sharp turn, and I crashed right into Stilt. We tumbled into the door of the carriage, which squeaked open. Air blew against my face. Stilt grunted and grabbed for the bench. The sound of galloping horses overtook everything. There was nothing but movement behind us.
Stilt's eyes widened, and he fell back, head going for the pavement. His hat flew out and slapped down to the concrete. If he fell, the road would scalp him.
I reached out and seized his hand. His energy was wild now, scared and racing up my arm like it was trying to flee. His eyes, wide.
"Don't let go!" I pulled with all my might. The carriage righted itself and ran over another pothole. I could hear the gallop of the four horses behind us. They were catching up. One snorted.
Stilt grabbed my wrist so hard that my hand went numb. Stilt leaned forward, putting his abs into it, and at last, I managed to pull him up to safety. He stood and closed the carriage door. A traffic light turned way behind us.
"Thank you," he breathed. Then his gaze flew to the back window, and he uttered something that might be a larping swear word.
My heart fluttered. The four horses had closed a lot of distance between us. I could make out their eyes, even in the dark. Behind the black carriage and the hooded driver, the traffic light turned from yellow to red. I blinked, and the red glow reappeared in the horses' eyes. I could make out no traits of the driver. The hood remained in place, and a pair of male hands kept a hold of the reins. And a whip. He still had that. I wondered if he could reach us with it.
"This needs to stop now," I managed. "I get it. I'm the joke here." I was begging more than anything for this not to be real.
"I can't keep this up much longer!" the driver shouted. She was a woman not much older than me.
"This isn't a joke," Stilt said. He took my arm and pulled me closer to the front of the carriage. We didn't have much room to stand. "I see Tate's Farm. Hold onto the wall or something." Then he shouted to the driver, "Turn left in five seconds
!"
He was right. Darkness closed in as we left the lights of town behind us. We passed one final house, and the faded sign to Tate's Farm waited up ahead with its dirt driveway and its advertisement for pumpkins. Three for ten dollars. My senses sharpened. We had to make it. To what, I didn't know.
The whip behind us cracked. I jumped but grabbed onto the wall. There was nothing else to hold onto but Stilt, and I wasn't that out of my mind with terror. If I survived this, he had a lot of explaining to do.
The carriage turned into the farm and bounced even worse than it did on the regular road. Scores of pumpkins rolled past, and the black wagon pulled up right behind us. They were going to mow us down. Why didn't I have a cell phone? I cursed myself for not getting one.
"Hold on," Stilt reminded me. He faced the driver. "Turn!"
We turned again, this time onto a path between twin pumpkin patches. There were still lots of them as the kids hadn't picked through them too much yet. A thud sounded, and our carriage lurched. I fell right into Stilt again, and his arm brushed my back. He grabbed onto my shoulder and pulled me close to him. I didn't care anymore. I hoped that whatever he had planned, it worked or I was going to die in this pumpkin patch.
Golden light, like the light of noon, exploded around us.
I cried out and closed my eyes. Stilt yelled something. The carriage bounced again and then met the smoother ground. The light remained behind my eyelids. The wheels underneath us slowed from a squeal to a squeak. Stilt's breathing slowed and blew against my ear, and the galloping of the horses slowed. Maybe I was dead. The black carriage had killed us. I didn't realize it yet.
"Brie," Stilt said. "You can open your eyes. We're safe."
I did.
And I beheld a new world.
Chapter Four
"What the--" I started, but the rest died in my throat.
It was daytime, for starters.
Just a couple of seconds ago we'd been speeding through a pumpkin patch with some evil hooded guy trying to make us turn over, and now we were rolling on a dirt road and surrounded by forest, grass, and flowers on all sides. Bugs buzzed, and birds sang and white, puffy clouds floated overhead. I blinked, trying to adjust my eyes to the light. It was daytime, all right, and this wasn’t Tate’s Farm. In fact, I didn’t spot any buildings anywhere. When my eyes stopped stinging I spotted another carriage, this one pulled by a single horse, far up the dirt road.
