Whispers of Time

by Gwendolyn Ilimaris

  “Stay behind me!” He did not take his eyes off the creature while it was shaking its head. “Paige!”

  When she heard her brother’s voice it broke through the terror that was holding her frozen, and she managed to stumble over to him. As soon as she reached him, he started backing them up the slope away from the creature. It was getting back up and acted like it had not been shot in the head several times. Its red eyes bored into them as it made another lunge. Jake shot it again and it stopped momentarily to shake off the blow. He reloaded two more shots while it was stunned and grimaced when he did not have time to load all five shots.

  This time the creature stalked them with cautious steps and attempted to lunge at them from the side. Jake fired again but only caught it in the front leg, as it swerved to the side, which did not slow it down but diverted its course. He cursed under his breath when he realized the last round did not eject properly and the gun was jammed. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a large boulder. He put out his left arm and started pushing the girls that direction and waited for the creature to lunge again. As soon as it did, he shoved both girls down and dropped to a knee, so the creature flew over the top of them. He spun and slammed the buttstock against the rock while he pulled back on the action release causing the jammed cartridge to eject.

  Jumping back to his feet, he faced the creature as it struggled to turn around on the slick slope. When it came to a stop it narrowed its eyes as it studied them. Paige and Sara scrambled back to their feet and hurried to duck behind Jake. The creature let out a low growl when Sara caught its attention. It seemed interested in her.

  Jake struggled to keep himself between the creature and the girls when it started to circle them waiting for its chance to strike. It crouched low to the ground, poised for the strike and the split-second Jake lost his footing on the wet ground it launched forward. Jake managed to get the shot off, but it only grazed its shoulder. With one swipe, it sent Jake sailing back into Paige and they both landed several feet away. Taking this opportunity, it stopped right in front of Sara.

  “How did you open the portal?” It growled at her. Sara looked up at it in terror, her whole-body trembling in response. “How? You are not an elf, but you smell of magic.”

  “I don’t know,” she stammered.

  The creature glared at her and howled in anger. It raised a claw to swipe at her, but a shotgun shell exploded against its side, knocking it to the ground.

  “Move!” Jake yelled at her.

  Sara scrambled backward and tried to run toward Jake, but the creature caught her foot and sent her sprawling. She thought she was finished when the creature leapt at her again, but a figure all clothed in black appeared out of nowhere. He stabbed the creature through the head with his katana in one smooth motion killing it before he disappeared.

  Sara just sat there stunned, staring at the dead creature in front of her. Her whole body was still trembling when she was pulled to her feet and she found Jake standing beside her. His face was expressionless as he slung the shotgun over his back, grabbed each girl by the hand, and headed off in the direction of the cabin. As they walked, he kept a sharp look out for danger. When they reached the cabin, he pushed them inside in front of him before he took the time to reload the shotgun. He set it down on the table.

  “What in the world were you thinking?” He asked, his voice hard and controlled.

  Both girls were still so shocked by what just happened that they just stared at him. He took a deep breath and struggled to keep his emotions in check as he waited for them to talk to him.

  “How are you here? Where’s your uniform?” Paige stammered a few minutes later. She seemed to be coming out of her shock and noticed he was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. “You left for the base.”

  “I tricked you, though you knew I had two weeks of leave and not just one,” he said. “I knew you would pull something like this and it’s a damn good thing I did.”

  Paige’s eyes flashed with anger, “You set us up? How could you do that?”

  “How could I?” He asked, his voice starting to rise. “How could I not when I knew you were just waiting for me to leave? Do you have any idea what would have happened if I hadn’t been there?” He paused and when neither girl replied he continued, “You would have died! That’s what would have happened.” He was so amped up on adrenaline and frustration that he started pacing around the kitchen to calm down.

  “You don’t know that for sure,” Paige snapped. “We could have handled it.”

  “You could have handled it?” he asked, his voice taking an incredulous tone. “How? You were totally frozen in terror. Sara had to save you.”

  Paige glared at him on the verge of tears.

  “I’m so sorry,” Sara gasped. “This is all my fault. I’m the cause of all of this and I should have stopped her from going. Please don’t yell at each other.” She ran from the kitchen and went straight to her room. Jake watched her go with a look of guilt. He did not want her to think it was her fault.

  “Nicely done,” Paige snapped before she followed Sara out of the room.

  Jake held up his hands, still not sure how this had become his fault. He saved his sister from dying but somehow, he was the bad guy.

  “That girl is enough to make a man start drinking,” he mumbled as he continued pacing around the room to work the adrenaline out of his system.

  Jake gave the girls space for the rest of the afternoon. They all ate dinner together with uncle Steve and discussed the plans for the next day. The girls had the tour of their college campus, which neither of them really felt like going to, but they put on happy faces. They did not want Steve to get suspicious and they both retreated to their rooms after dinner.

  A couple of hours later Jake passed by Sara’s room and noticed she was not inside. He went to Paige’s and found the two of them huddled together in the corner of the room beside the fireplace sharing one blanket. Neither one of them glanced at him when he walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He sat down across from the fireplace and leaned against the bed. Not saying a word, he stretched out his legs, folded his hands in his lap, and just waited while he watched the flames of the fire.

  It was not long before Sara could not help but look over at Jake. She was trying to support her friend, but every part of her wanted to be over by him. She wanted to feel his warmth and know she was at least safe for now. Sara glanced at Paige and when she did not make any form of response, she looked at Jake again. He noticed her gaze right away and gave her a tentative smile. Biting her lip, she looked back and forth between Jake and Paige several times before she could not stand it anymore. She took the blanket off her shoulders and put her end around Paige before she looked back at Jake. He could see the hesitation on her face, and he nodded right away. She took a deep breath before she got up and walked over to him and sat down beside him. Without looking over at him, she started fidgeting with the bracelet she was wearing. Jake just watched her for a moment, seeming not to know what to do, before he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her closer to him. Sara could feel her face turning red, but she could not help but lean into him. She rested her head against his chest, and he rested his cheek on the top of her head. The normally conflicted look Jake had when he was close to her was replaced this time with a look of peace.

  Paige rolled her eyes at the interaction between her brother and Sara. She had never seen two people who liked each other so much, that had no clue what to do about it. A few seconds later she sighed. She could not really blame Jake. He had always put all his attention into school and had never had a girlfriend. She also knew Sara was far too shy to have dated anyone.

  “Thank you,” Sara whispered, breaking the silence for the first time.

  “For what?” Jake asked.

  “For… for saving us.” Her voice cracked when she started shaking at the memory of the creature. The stress of the day finally came to a release and she started to cry.

 
“It’s okay,” Jake said, his voice soft. “You’re both safe now.” He looked away from Sara when he noticed Paige getting up. She had tears on her face when she hurried over to her brother. He put an arm around her when she sat down and held both of them until they were cried out.

  “The two of you should both try to get some sleep,” Jake said, breaking the silence. He looked back and forth between them after he watched them exchange worried glances. “You want me to stay, don’t you?” When they both nodded, he sighed and pulled his arms off their shoulders.

  “What if there are more of them?” Paige asked.

  “It’s fine, Paige,” Jake said as he stood up. “I will stay in here with the two of you. Just let me go and get something to read first.”

  While he was gone the girls put blankets and pillows on the floor near the fireplace. They were both laying down when he came back. He returned to where he was sitting on the floor and started reading by the light of the fire.

  “I’m sorry,” Paige said.

  Jake looked up from the medical journal with a raised eyebrow. His sister never apologized, “For what?” He could not help the note of suspicion in his voice.

  “I mean it this time,” Paige said with a frown. “You were right. We couldn’t have handled it and we should have stayed away. And… and don’t be mad at Sara. I totally dragged her along. So, I’m sorry.”

  Jake regarded her for a moment before he sighed, “I forgive you. I can’t say it’s alright because it isn’t, but I do forgive you.” He paused. “Please, please try to be more careful. I don’t want to lose either one of you.” Once Paige nodded, he looked back down at his medical journal. “Go to sleep. Both of you, I’ll be right here.”

  Sara closed her eyes. She was relieved that the two of them had made up and she drifted to sleep with a smile on her face.

  The first rays of the morning sun woke Sara up when they shined right in her face. She rolled over so that she was not blinded before sitting up. When her eyes adjusted back to the light of the room, she noticed Paige was still asleep by the fireplace and Jake was asleep leaning against the bed with the medical journal still in his lap.

  She smiled at him before getting up and leaving the room. After changing, she started to move away from the dresser when her violin case caught her attention. There had been no time for her to practice since they left Japan and she found she was yearning to play. It only took her a few seconds to decide that this was the perfect time to practice since everyone was still asleep. Her brows furrowed when she tried to figure out where to go so that she would not wake anyone. She glanced out the windows and decided to head outside but stay close to the house.

  After pulling on her boots and jacket she headed outside. Around the front of the house, she found a large firepit surrounded by evenly spaced logs. She sat down on one and laid her violin case on another. Once she checked that her violin was in tune, she started to play. The melody she played was beautiful but at the same time almost haunting. She closed her eyes as she poured all her emotions from the last week into the music. Her entire body started to move in time with it, she allowed the music to take over. She was so wrapped up in the music that she did not hear when Jake walked around the end of the cabin. He stood watching in stunned silence before the look on his face faded to a sweet smile. A few minutes passed before she happened to glance in his direction. She jumped at his sudden appearance and stopped playing with a painful screech when her bow dragged across the strings.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  Her gaze flew to the ground and she stood up while her face flushed a brilliant red, “How long?”

  “Not very long,” Jake said with a frown as he took a couple steps toward her. “The music was very beautiful. I can’t believe I’ve never heard you play.”

  Sara fiddled with the bow in her hand and still would not look up at him. She did not think he would really want to hear her play. Why would he?

  “I don’t usually play for anyone,” she whispered.

  “I would love to hear some more,” Jake said, his voice quiet as he continued toward her. He stopped when he was standing next to her. “Will you keep playing?”

  She finally garnered the courage to peek up at him and he smiled, “Please?”

  Biting her lower lip, she glanced at him again through her bangs before she finally nodded. She sat back down on the log and he sat down on the one next to her while he resisted the urge to look back over at her when she did not start playing right away. He did not want to make her more nervous. Sara noticed what he was doing, and a small smile crossed her face before she took a deep breath and started playing again. It was not long before Jake closed his eyes and just listened to the music. He found it soothing and had not felt so relaxed in a long time.

  “What’s going on out here?” Paige’s sudden shout caused Sara to stop playing as she jumped up from the log. Jake opened his eyes and glanced at his sister in annoyance.

  “I was just practicing,” Sara mumbled without looking at Jake.

  Paige gave her a knowing look. “You never play in front of people,” she said with a pout. “I mean, come on, you won’t even play for me.”

  “Sorry,” Sara said with a shrug.

  “It’s all good,” Paige said with a laugh. “But it is almost time to head to campus for the tour. We need to get ready.” She grabbed Sara by the arm and started pulling her back toward the cabin. Sara glanced back at Jake and made eye contact with him by accident. A crooked half smile appeared on his face and she looked away as her face flushed again.

  About an hour later the three of them were in Jake’s jeep heading toward the city of Fort Collins. Paige was talking nonstop about how cool going to college was going to be as they drove. Sara listened for a little while before she tuned her out and watched the scenery as they drove. The large mountain peeks in the distance and the thick pine trees made her smile. It made her feel at home even though it was thousands of miles away.

  “Oh Sara,” Paige said, veering the direction of conversation again. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. What did that thing say to you?”

  Sara appeared confused, “You didn’t hear it?”

  “Oh, I heard it, but it wasn’t speaking a language I’ve heard before. It sounded like a bunch of growling and stuff.”

  “It asked how I opened the portal and why I smell like magic,” Sara said with a frown. A sudden feeling of dread washed over her. How did they not understand it if she could? The feeling grew worse when she watched Jake and Paige exchange glances.

  “Do you know what it was speaking?” Jake asked.

  “No.” Sara’s eyes widened in alarm. “Oh no, did I talk like it?” She looked horrified by the idea and Paige looked out the front of the jeep without answering her.

  “Yes you did,” Jake answered after several moments before he glanced in the rear-view mirror and watched the panic appear on her face.

  “But how?” She asked, more to herself than anyone in the jeep. “I don’t even know what that thing was.”

  “Demon, a small one.”

  Sara jumped at the sound of the voice in her head, “A small one?” She asked out loud, her voice full of fear. Jake glanced in the rear-view mirror again.

  “A small what?” He asked, his face becoming wary.

  Sara’s face turned a brilliant red. She did not realize she said the question out loud and kept her gaze away from Paige when she noticed her turn around.

  “Again?” Paige asked, way too excited in Sara’s opinion. It took several minutes before Sara could force her nerves down enough that she could talk without her voice cracking.

  “Yes, I heard her again,” she whispered. “She said it was a small demon.” She cringed when she said the word demon. The thought of what they could encounter terrified her if that was just a small one. What would a big one be like? Her attention turned to Jake when he did not say anything. He was staring out the front of the jeep. His face was
devoid of all emotions and it did not appear as if he had even heard her. She glanced at Paige who just shrugged before they both waited for Jake to say something.

  “Can that voice tell me how to kill them?” Jake asked, his voice hard and cold, breaking the silence. Sara looked at the back of his seat.

  “She only says things once in a while and I can’t control when she answers,” she said as she fidgeted with the cuff on her sweatshirt. Jake only nodded in response before they all fell silent again.

  The rest of the drive to the campus no one talked, even Paige was quiet. When they arrived, they headed for the welcome center and were directed into a large room where the orientation would begin. They chose seats and a few minutes later one of the university advisors started the session.

  Sara found it hard to pay attention. She was so worried about what had happened the day before that she sat wringing her hands. Her nerves were palpable to anyone close enough to see. Jake glanced down at her a couple of times before he reached over and grabbed her hands with one of his.

  “It’s all right. I will figure this out,” he whispered into her ear. She turned her head to look at him and found his face inches from hers. Meeting his gaze, she shied away a little bit but did not break eye contact. She could feel her heart accelerating the longer they stayed that way. When she bit her lower lip, she heard Jake take a sudden deep breath and he sat back in his chair putting some distance between them. He held onto her hands a few moments more before, seemly reluctant, he pulled his hand back and interlaced his fingers on his lap. Sara was unsure what had just happened as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and tried to gather her scattered thoughts.

  After what seemed like an eternity to Sara, the session, including the question and answer session, was over and the families were taken on a tour of the campus. When they reached the music building Sara stayed with the group touring the department while Jake and Paige continued with the other group. Sara looked around in awe when they arrived in the concert hall. The room was huge with seemingly endless rows of seats, a two-level balcony at the back, and a stage in the front. Sara swallowed with nerves when she realized at some point she would have to play in this room.