Jack Staples and the Ring of Time

by Mark Batterson

Arthur couldn’t believe it. This boy didn’t even know his name, yet here he was, standing up to Jonty Dobson, the meanest bully Arthur had ever met. The schoolyard quieted as everyone turned to watch. Even Jonty stopped laughing as he stood and faced the boy.

  “What do you care? Is little piggy your girlfriend or something?” Jonty was a head taller than the slim boy with the book.

  “I just think it’s not very nice, that’s all.” The boy took a wary step back.

  Behind Jonty, Arthur was trying to stand while wiping the mud from his face. Offering a wicked smile, Jonty turned, set his foot against Arthur’s backside, and kicked, sending him into the mud yet again—this time flat on his face.

  “Aye, little piggy, I don’t remember saying you could get up.”

  Just then a large book slammed into Jonty’s back. The slim boy had charged the bully and whacked him with his book. Unfortunately for the boy, he wasn’t nearly as strong as Jonty, who was at least two years older. Without a second thought, Jonty punched the boy hard in the stomach and threw him on top of Arthur.

  “Look at that! Little piggy does have a girlfriend!” Jonty snorted. A few of the boys laughed, although most just watched nervously, hoping he wouldn’t pick on them next. Without another word Jonty turned and walked away with a trail of young bullies-in-training at his heels.

  The slim boy groaned as he crawled off of Arthur and wiped the mud from his eyes. Arthur sat and again spit out a mouthful of mud. The boy quickly grabbed his book from the puddle and tried to wipe the mud off of the cover, which only made it muddier. After a moment, he sighed, set the book on his lap, and stuck out his hand.

  “I’m Jack Staples. I’m assuming your name’s not ‘little piggy’?”

  Two years and twenty-one days later

  “Children! Come inside, and don’t dally. A dallier today, a sluggard tomorrow,” Mrs. Dumphry said as she marched inside the schoolhouse.

  Although he still thought Mrs. Dumphry far too old to be alive, Arthur was constantly impressed by how quickly she moved. She was a living legend. No one knew her age, but she had taught in this schoolhouse for as long as anyone in town could remember.

  Today had been a good day for Arthur so far. The good days just so happened to coincide with the days Jonty Dobson chose not to come to school. Had Jonty been there, Arthur would have remained inside, sitting at his desk for the entire day.

  As he walked into the schoolhouse after lunch, Arthur knew something was wrong. Standing at the front of the class were Minister McCarty and Doctor Falvey. Both men wore somber looks, and the minister was shifting nervously, crumpling his hat in his hands. Mrs. Dumphry sat at her desk watching the men.

  “Take your seats, children. Hurry up now,” Mrs. Dumphry said in her high voice. “These two boys have something they would like to share with the class.”

  Doctor Falvey glanced at Mrs. Dumphry irritably. “We aren’t boys anymore. I graduated twenty-eight years ago, and—”

  Slam. Mrs. Dumphry’s hand crashed down on her desk. Doctor Falvey jumped, and Minister McCarty let out a small squeal of fear.

  “You know better than that, Patrick Falvey. You may address me as Mrs. Dumphry. Or would you like to stay after class for detention?”

  Every student watched wide-eyed as the doctor opened his mouth angrily, then, seeing the look in Mrs. Dumphry’s eyes, turned beet red and nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, shifting uncomfortably.

  After a moment Mrs. Dumphry nodded. “As I was saying,” she continued, “these boys have something they wish to share with you.”

  With a cautious look at Mrs. Dumphry, Minister McCarty stepped forward. “Just a few hours ago, something was found down by the river.”

  Arthur could tell the minister wasn’t comfortable with the subject.

  “At least three farmers have had livestock go missing over the past few days. At first they thought the animals had just wandered off. But early this morning, while Andy McGibbons was walking through the forest …” The minister paused, paling slightly. “Well,” he said, as he looked at the ground, “poor young Andrew found the missing animals.” Minister McCarty stopped again, wiping sweat from his forehead as Doctor Falvey put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

  Mrs. Dumphry snorted. “In all the years I taught you, did you boys learn nothing?” she chided. “Bad news only becomes worse when you delay it. Speak the truth, and be done with it.”

  Minister McCarty shot another irritable glance at Mrs. Dumphry before continuing. “Andy found a large pile of bones.” The entire class gasped loudly, and then every child began talking at the same time. Some shouted questions, while others simply cried out in fear.

  Minister McCarty and Doctor Falvey seemed overwhelmed by the outburst.

  “Silence!” Mrs. Dumphry’s voice was like the crack of a whip.

  The voices cut off immediately, and each child watched their ancient teacher with wide eyes.

  “Children, listen to me. Just last year I went swimming with the great white sharks. I tell you this to let you know that animals can smell fear. And whatever is killing these poor beasts will only be encouraged by the smell. You mustn’t allow fear to rule you.” Mrs. Dumphry beamed with pride. “I swam alongside those sharks for hours, and at no time did they sense even a smidgen of fear.”

  Arthur would have been willing to bet it had been the sharks that had been afraid.

  “Patrick Falvey and George McCarty will escort every one of you to your homes. Over the next few days, or until we find the beast, school will be canceled. And remember, whatever happens, do not enter the forest.”

  Mrs. Dumphry grabbed an eraser and began clearing the chalkboard. Everyone just sat and watched with wide eyes, too afraid to move. After a moment Doctor Falvey shook his head and spoke to the class.

  He cleared his throat. “Yes, well, ah … that’s right,” he said. “Come along now, children, and stay together.”

  Arthur didn’t move. He sat at his desk staring fearfully out the window. Jack was out there. They’d promised to meet each other at their fort at the end of the school day. Feeling a sense of dread, Arthur decided it would be best to tell Mrs. Dumphry. Maybe she would go out and find his best friend.

  Chapter 5

  WITHIN THE CLOUD

  At the best of times, Jack Staples was not the greatest athlete. But running full speed through the forest while being pursued by black fog had left him exhausted. He could barely breathe. He’d run harder and faster than ever before. As Jack lay beneath the ocean of darkness, he turned onto his back and struggled to fill his lungs.

  The moment the dark fog crashed over him like a tidal wave, the whispering had stopped. And though the fog didn’t make a sound, he could feel it above him. With the fog came a wind that gave Jack the feeling of being doused in sewage.

  When a hand gripped Jack’s shoulder, he screamed in fear. As he turned to see who it was, he would have screamed again if he hadn’t been so confused. Lying beside Jack was … Jack. He was looking at himself. The other Jack was gripping his shoulder and weeping uncontrollably. His clothes were unlike anything Jack had seen before. He wore a black cloak and a shirt the color of a storm cloud with elaborate golden thread sewn into each shoulder. But what most drew Jack’s eye was the sword in the other Jack’s hand. Its blade was the color of pitch, and on its pommel was the head of a roaring lion.

  The sword-bearing Jack screamed through tears, “You have to listen to them, do you hear me? You have to listen! It’s you who kills them! You kill them all. Don’t you understand? Mother, the town, the city of Agartha! Its all your fault, all of it!”

  The weeping Jack pounced on Jack and began choking him. Jack fought with himself in a frenzied attempt to keep the other Jack’s hands away from his neck.

  “I can’t let you live,” the other Jack said, weeping. “Don’t you understand? We destroy everything! Th
e prophecy is about me. I am the one who will join the Assassin. I am the one who destroys the Awakened!”

  The only thing Jack understood was that he was slowly losing the battle with himself. Above them, the dark fog continued to rage as its scorching wind blew a torrent of earth and leaves into the air. Just as Jack thought he was going to lose the battle, the other Jack screamed.

  “No!”

  This was the last word Jack heard before losing consciousness.

  The words of Minister McCarty and Doctor Falvey spun through Arthur’s mind as he entered the forest. He was more afraid than he had ever been, yet he knew he could not turn back. Jack was his best friend and would never have left him in the forest. Arthur had hoped to ask Mrs. Dumphry for help, but she’d left the schoolhouse as soon as the chalkboard had been erased.

  He had then tried to tell Doctor Falvey about it, but the doctor refused to listen. “I am sure young Jack is safe at home, dear boy. No need to worry,” he’d said as he patted Arthur on the head like a dog. So, with no other options that Arthur could see, he’d sneaked away to warn his friend of the monster lurking in the woods.

  Arthur could hear the sounds of birds chirping and the wind blowing, and these sounds were okay; they were normal. But every now and then, he thought he heard a twig break or a whisper from somewhere in the trees. Each time this happened, he dropped to the ground or hid behind a bush, too afraid to move.

  “No!” a voice screamed.

  Arthur froze. The scream had come from somewhere deep in the woods. It hadn’t sounded like Jack, but could he be sure?

  “No! Why won’t you listen to me?” the voice screamed again.

  Arthur couldn’t move. He wanted to run, to hide; but he knew he should try to help whoever was screaming. Besides that, he still needed to make sure Jack wasn’t waiting at the fort. Just as he was about to step forward, a muddy hand shot out of the earth directly next to his foot. Screaming at the top of his lungs, Arthur turned to run and promptly tripped over his own feet.

  He looked back in horror as the hand quickly resolved into an arm. Before he could move, the hand shot out and gripped Arthur’s ankle, causing him to scream even louder as he tried to scramble away. Horrified, he watched the earth around the arm shift and swell. He nearly fainted when a terrible, beastly shape rose from the ground. Dirt and leaves fell everywhere, and the monster grew ever taller.

  “Don’t eat me!” Arthur shrieked.

  The beast let go of his leg and shook a head that seemed to be made entirely of mud and tree limbs. Dirt and branches fell everywhere. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut. He had no doubt he would soon feel razor-sharp fangs sinking into him.

  “What are you doing?” a voice called out.

  Arthur didn’t hear the voice; he was too busy begging. “Please, don’t eat me. Please, I’m sure I don’t taste very good.”

  “Arthur! It’s me. What are you doing here? Why would I eat you?”

  Arthur opened his eyes to see Jack kneeling beside him. He was covered in mud, with leaves and twigs sticking out of his hair and clothing.

  “That wasn’t funny!” Arthur shouted. “You scared me half to death!”

  “I wasn’t trying to scare you,” Jack replied. “I just woke up this instant. It was the dark fog that put me here.” He rubbed at his neck as if it were sore. “Did you see it? The black fog … or … or the other … boy?”

  Arthur was confused. “What do you mean you woke up here? What black fog?”

  Before Jack could answer, a beastly roar resounded through the forest.

  “The beast!” Arthur cried.

  “The fog!” Jack said as a second roar sounded, and this time it was closer. Without another word, the boys shared a fearful look, turned, and ran toward the schoolhouse. Not far behind, Arthur could hear the loud crashing of branches.

  Arthur half ran, half stumbled through the forest, yet he wasn’t as fast as his friend, and he began to fall behind.

  “We’re almost there!” Jack yelled encouragingly.

  The beast was closer now, so close that Arthur was sure it would be on him at any moment. As he ran, something high up in the trees caught his eye. When he glanced upward, he saw a flash of deep red passing between trees. Whatever it was, it easily kept pace with them.

  As his eyes were focused upward, Arthur’s foot caught on a root, causing him to fall flat on his face. He gasped for breath, frantically rolling onto his back. Before he could think to stand, the beast arrived and skidded to a stop less than twenty paces away. Although it was hidden in the shadows of the sinking sun, Arthur could tell it was enormous. It had a mammoth head and fierce yellow eyes.

  From somewhere high up in the trees, a small shape dropped from branch to branch, spinning around one only to jump to the next. What looked like crimson wings floated and swirled as it dropped toward the ground.

  As it landed directly between Arthur and the beast, Arthur realized it was not a bird but a girl in a crimson cloak. The girl shot Arthur an angry look before turning to face the beast. She had raven-black hair and emerald eyes, and looked to be two or three years older than he and Jack.

  Without ever taking her eyes off the beast, the girl called out, “You both need to get out of here! I can’t keep him away forever!”

  Arthur looked up to see Jack by his side. His best friend’s eyes were glued to the girl. “I know her,” Jack said.

  Arthur didn’t care who she was; all he cared about was getting safely away from the beast. He grabbed Jack’s hand and stood. Very slowly, both boys began walking backward. Arthur feared what might happen if they turned their backs on the beast.

  “Go!” the girl yelled.

  Before Arthur could make himself run, the beast let out a thunderous roar and leaped from the shadows. The red-cloaked girl dropped and rolled out of its way, screaming, “Run!”

  Arthur gasped. The beast was a black-maned lion! As he turned to run, Arthur saw Jack sit down. “What are you doing?” Arthur screamed. “We need to go!” But Jack didn’t move. He didn’t even blink. He just sat there, shifting his gaze between the girl and the lion.

  “It’s you!” Jack gasped at the girl.

  Chapter 6

  A BIRTHDAY TO REMEMBER

  Eight years earlier

  Alexia Dreager had been a tomboy from the day she was born. When she was only six months old, she would scrunch up her face and cry whenever her parents dressed her in anything even slightly pretty.

  As she grew older, her parents tried to teach her to act like a “proper lady,” but every chance she got, she would be off climbing something or playing in the mud. Alexia preferred play-fighting to dolls, and only once in her life did she willingly wear a dress.

  On the morning of her birthday, Alexia woke up well before the sun and was thrilled to finally be turning five! Sprinting into her parents’ bedroom, she leaped onto their bed and landed on her father’s chest.

  “It’s my birthday!” she shouted. Alexia had spent the whole night dreaming of sword fights, slings, and a new climbing rope. She couldn’t wait to open her presents.

  “Slow down there, Ally Goat,” her father said, laughing. “Look how big you grew last night; you must have turned five while I wasn’t looking.”

  Alexia smiled excitedly. She loved it when he called her Ally Goat. He’d come up with the nickname when he saw her climbing a large and very high boulder. After watching for a moment, he ran over, scooped her up, and told her that her new name was Ally Goat because she climbed better than any goat he’d ever seen.

  “I’m guessing you’ll be wanting your presents, then?” her father asked with a grin.

  “I can’t wait!” Alexia jumped up and down on the bed.

  Her mother smiled ruefully. “This year, my sweet Alexia, we have something very special to give you.”

  “I know you wanted a sling,”
her father said, “but what you are about to open will make you look like a princess.”

  Alexia wrinkled her nose. Sometimes her parents made her play with the girl who lived down the road, Sarah Cryst, who was the same age. Sarah loved to play dress-up. Alexia didn’t understand the game. All you did was try on different clothes over and over again. Sarah would try on outfit after outfit and then dance around and talk about being a “princess,” or she’d want to play “wedding.”

  Her mother saw her scrunched-up face and burst into laughter. “You are our greatest gift, my girl. You are my moon and my stars, and I made this present for you myself.”

  Alexia took the present. It was small and had a pink bow on top. Although she didn’t care about looking like a princess, she was excited to be given something her mother had made.

  “Okay, my little goat,” her father said and chuckled. “Open it.”

  As she ripped through the brown paper, the expression on her face shifted from excitement to confusion. In the box was a dress. It was deep crimson with black trim. She looked at the dress for a moment before setting it on her lap. She knew she should say thank you. She knew she should hug her mother and father and not be rude, but she couldn’t help herself. Alexia began to cry.

  Both of her parents burst into laughter. Soon they were laughing so hard they were also crying! “Oh, my Ally Goat,” her father said, hugging her close. “Don’t ever change.” After reaching behind his back, he handed her one more present. At the sight of the second gift, she smiled excitedly and wiped the tears from her eyes. She’d never had more than one present before!

  Alexia tore at the paper wrapping. Inside was a brand-new sling. “I don’t have the skills to make a dress, but I did make the sling,” her father said. Alexia immediately began swinging it around. She could tell her father was a master craftsman.

  “Not in the house, young lady.” Her mother snatched it out of the air.

  Alexia laughed as she gave both of her parents a big hug.