by Ben Cass
Jen exchanged confused looks with the others. Jerry and Kira didn’t seem to know what was going on, but Ellie looked...thoughtful? Lin-Vareen was frozen in place, his face suddenly looking worried.
Doyle was still speaking, but his voice was getting weaker. “It doesn’t take much, you know. Just a little bit of listening can accomplish something you never even thought about.”
ELLIE heard Doyle’s words, felt them curl around her heart. He was talking about her! She was supposed to do something!
But what?
Theonus’s voice came into her head. Don’t think; just do. She glanced up at the Wiler, who nodded at her. Listen, Tayamu, and you will hear. Just...listen.
Ellie closed her eyes, shutting out the image of the assassin holding his sword to Doyle’s chest, his posture a dichotomy of confidence and wariness. She did as Theonus had told her, and just listened.
She could hear the river just behind them, gently flowing, the water lapping against the shore, and tuned it out. She could hear Doyle’s ragged breathing, and the wild thumping of his heart, which was erratic and weakening. He didn’t have much time left, but she tuned that out, too. The officers, her sister, Jerry and Kira...she forced their noises away until all that was left was a soundless void.
No, wait...it wasn’t soundless. She could hear...something. A voice, soft and whispery, crying out in pain.
Wrong, wrong! So wrong!
She reached for the voice, letting it fill her. It was somewhere near, somewhere over—there! Ellie dropped Jen’s hand, opened her eyes, and ran. The voice called to her, begging her to help, to take away the thing that was wrong. She was almost there.
She felt it before she arrived. Something dark and evil throbbed in her mind, overwhelming the soft voice. Ellie looked down and saw two daggers lying on the grass, only a few inches apart. She reached down and picked them up, and the voice instantly changed.
Save! Save him! Save!
Without thinking, Ellie turned and started running back. She again felt the same sensations she had on the track with Doyle. Everything seemed clearer, the air fresher, the starlight brighter. She looked ahead, seeing the assassin drawing his sword back, preparing to drive it through Doyle’s heart.
She wasn’t fast enough; she wouldn’t make it.
Jump, child. Jump forward and I will carry you.
Ellie didn’t know the voice, didn’t know what was happening, but didn’t stop to think. She jumped, leaning forward, and her world suddenly twisted and shrank. She moved rapidly, the blades of grass blurring by as she rose and fell, tree branches gently grazing her body, other voices imploring her to save him. She didn’t have time to ponder what was happening; she could see her destination right in front of her.
Now, child. Leave and save him.
The world popped back into reality, and Ellie realized she was inside the wall! Without thinking, Ellie slammed her body into the assassin’s, the daggers in her hands driving into his chest, knocking him off his feet, his blade grazing off Doyle, leaving a long gouge in the flesh. Ellie hit the ground hard, dazed and confused. What had just happened?
She saw the flash of a blade coming towards her face and rolled out of the way, scrambling to her feet. The assassin stumbled to his feet, barely able to stand, and pointed his sword at her. “Tayamu!” he snarled, looking shocked, and started to swing the blade again, but it was caught from behind.
Doyle was back on his feet, bright green light literally blazing in his eyes. Ellie didn’t know how he was up, or what the hell the green glow meant, but she sighed with relief. The assassin spun around to face him, but Doyle’s fist met his face, spinning the Chiami around, sending teeth flying. Ellie leaped aside as the Chiami reached for her, and remembering the self-defense lesson Doyle had taught her PE class, lashed out with her foot, driving it into the assassin’s knee. There was a horrible cracking sound, and he howled in pain and collapsed to the ground.
“Ellie! Look away!” Doyle yelled. She closed her eyes, and there was a wet, gurgling sound. She realized what it meant, and her stomach heaved. She fought down the bile and nausea, and turned at the soft thumping of a body hitting the ground, trying to ignore the sight of the Chiami’s body, a sword going right through his neck and out his throat.
Doyle was on his back, blood pouring out of him, body shaking. He smiled weakly as she dropped to the ground beside him. A part of her mind noticed that the grass where they stood was brown and brittle, even though it had been green a few seconds earlier.
“Told you...you’re Tayamu,” he said, his voice now barely audible. “See you...around...someday.”
His eyes closed, and Doyle’s head slumped against the ground as his family sprinted to his side. The anguished screaming from her sister’s mouth tore Ellie’s heart into pieces. She watched as Jen collapsed onto her knees, Kira right beside her, both of them moving in slow-motion to reach for Doyle. The sheriff ran towards them, leading EMT’s with a stretcher.
Ellie fell backwards herself, tears pouring out of her eyes. She felt Jerry grab her by the shoulders and pull her against him, moving her aside as the EMT’s arrived.
Doyle had saved her sister again...but would they be able to save him?
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ellie paced around the hospital lobby, lost in her thoughts and fears. Doyle was still in surgery, and given that nobody had come out with any bad news yet, she took that as a good sign. She wanted to stay in the waiting area with Jen and Kira, but things kept happening around her. Small gusts of wind would blow by her body from time to time, or sparks of fire would leap from her fingertips. Jerry had tried to drink water, but when the liquid jumped out of the cup and into his face, Ellie decided it was safer for her to leave. She’d slipped away quietly. Only Jerry had seen her go, giving her a quick wink and a nod.
Ellie paused her pacing, gazing around the foyer. A large water fountain dominated the room. It was at least twenty feet in diameter, with a concrete bench all around it. The fountain, a dolphin leaping out of waves, sat in the middle of a pool of water. As often was the case, a ton of coins rested on the bottom of the fountain, their silvery and coppery sides gleaming in the light. Ellie stood looking down into the water, seeing her reflection.
She didn’t look any different. Well, not physically, at least. The face staring back at her didn’t look the way a magical warrior was supposed to look. It was the face of a scared girl, horrified by the things she’d seen and done.
There were plenty of chairs and couches in the lobby, separated by large fish tanks. Ellie had spent some time looking in the aquariums, but when the fish kept gathering together to stare at her, she’d stopped.
Other people milled about in the lobby, but not many. They occasionally cast curious glances at her, which was to be expected. They all knew her, and she’d undergone some drastic changes in the last few days.
Ellie looked down at her hands, considering them. Just a few hours ago, she’d stabbed a man. She again remembered the blades sinking into his skin, and Doyle’s sword sticking out of his throat, and her stomach heaved. Ellie fought down the nausea, but it refused to go away this time. She retched, praying she wouldn’t throw up. She looked around wildly for a garbage can, spotted one across from the fish tanks, and rushed to it, bending over.
Her stomach heaved again, but nothing came out. Tears started to stream from her eyes, and she tried to scrub them away with her fist.
“Ellie?” The voice was soft and tentative, a little confused. “Oh, honey, we’re here.”
She lifted her head to see her best friends standing near the aquariums, looking at her. Maddie came over and wrapped her arm around Ellie’s waist, while Abby and Olivia took her arms and guided her to sit down on the bench. When they got Ellie seated, her body started to shake with the stress. She’d been able to hold everything back thus far, but apparently, her system had finally grown tired of all the things happening to her.
Abby and Olivia sat on either side of her,
rubbing her back. Maddie stood in front of her, pressing Ellie’s head against her body.
“Just let it out, sweetie,” Maddie said into Ellie’s hair. “Don’t hold back. We’re here for you.”
Ellie tried to stop herself, but she couldn’t. All her worries, her stress and fears—they just poured out of her as she sat and cried. She lost track of time; it could have been five minutes or five days that she sat there, her friends comforting her.
Ellie became vaguely aware of a sloshing sound behind her. She heard the twins both shriek, felt them leap away as something cool started to wrap itself around her. Maddie let go of her at the same time as the twins, and the cooling sensation spread across her face. Ellie took a deep breath, inhaling the clean, crisp scent. It helped to calm her down.
“Well, that’s not something you see every day,” came Jerry’s voice, sounding slightly amused. Ellie opened her eyes and looked up, then started. She was surrounded by water! She spun around, looking at the pool behind her, and saw a large swath of water had lifted itself out of the pool and wrapped around her like a blanket. Even her head was inside of it; she could feel the liquid on her face.
How the hell am I breathing? she wondered.
A small, quiet voice replied. You are Tayamu.
The water receded, sliding off her and back into the pool. Ellie touched her clothing and skin, realizing she was completely dry. There was no indication there had been any kind of liquid near her.
She looked up, seeing the expressions on her friends’ faces, feeling her heart drop into her stomach. They were afraid.
Jerry calmly sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head. “Doyle’s out of surgery,” he said casually, as if she hadn’t just been wearing an overcoat made of water. “They got him stabilized, got all the bullets out and the wounds stitched up. Now it’s just a matter of fighting the poison in his system. That’s...well.” He shrugged. “Nothing us mere mortals can do about it.”
“You’re like him, aren’t you, Ellie?” Olivia asked suddenly. “You’re...you’re not human, are you?”
Jerry laughed. “Oh, she’s entirely human, and so is my jackass-in-law. They’re just a little bit—well, a little bit more than we are.” He squeezed Ellie’s leg. “It might be time to take Doyle’s advice and tell them,” he said.
The three girls exchanged glances, and Abby said, “I can’t speak for these two, but whatever’s going on...it’s not going to change how I feel about you. I know you, and I know what kind of person you are.” She gave a shaky smile. “I might be a little freaked out, but I can adjust to anything.”
“Same,” Olivia echoed, and Maddie nodded.
“We just want to help you,” Maddie said, “however we can.”
Jerry nodded and stood. “Perfect,” he said. “You can bare your soul, and I’ll go deal with your sister and my wife.” He sighed. “Too bad we can’t fit Theonus in here. Wiler fur gives off a relaxing scent, and they both could use it right now.” He gave a short wave and headed off, hands in his pockets.
Ellie sighed and stood up, running her hands through her hair. “So...I don’t even know where to start,” she said quietly.
Olivia raised a hand. “I think I do.” She pointed at Ellie’s body with both arms, fingers splayed. “What...the...hell? How?” Her twin nodded in fervent agreement.
Maddie clasped her hands together, index fingers pointed at Ellie. “Agreed. Definitely start there, because there’s no normal explanation I can think of!”
Ellie smiled and began talking. “So, as you’ve probably already figured out, Doyle isn’t really a teacher...”
MADDIE leaned forward on the bench in the hospital’s zen garden, her mind spinning with confused thoughts. They’d walked while Ellie told them everything, and had somehow ended up here. She’d been in here before, back when her grandmother had fallen ill a few years back. She’d recovered, thankfully, but Maddie had spent many hours in these gardens, on this very bench, thinking and praying and crying.
She glanced over to see if her favorite statue was still there, and was happy to see it was. A tiny carving, maybe two feet tall, of an elephant playing with a beach ball, hidden amongst the rocks. Maddie smiled at it.
Ellie had finished talking, and paused to let them all absorb everything she’d just said. Maddie’s brain didn’t want to believe it, but after seeing that giant dog—a Wiler, Ellie had called it—and then watching Coach Doyle...wait, he wasn’t a coach....she shook her head, reorganizing her thoughts.
“Let me see if I have this all straight,” Maddie said, resting her chin on her steepled fingers. “To start with, Doyle is from a...parallel universe?”
Ellie nodded. “Yes.”
“And Jen was born there, and was his girlfriend before she lost her memory and came here?”
“Yes.”
Maddie rubbed her forehead with her left hand. “And you...you were born here, but you’re from there?”
Ellie shrugged. “Apparently. Well...I mean, I don’t know whether I was conceived here or there. I try not to think about it too much. Too many bad images.”
Olivia shuddered. “Nobody wants to think about their conception. Ugh.”
Maddie continued, “And Doyle isn’t his real name, but he likes it because he hates his first name?” Ellie nodded again. “Hmm. I think Alistair is kinda sexy, personally. Anyway, he’s some kind of magical warrior ninja who can talk to a giant telepathic dog and control the forces of Nature.” She pointed at Ellie. “And you are, too. And your body delayed parts of your, umm, growth until now?” She waved her hand up and down, indicating Ellie’s body.
Ellie flushed from the compliment and lifted her hands up in a shrug. “More or less. And, remember, Jen can talk to Theonus, too.”
“But she’s not a magical warrior ninja?” Abby asked.
“Not that I know of,” Ellie replied, “but Doyle is keeping her past a secret. For her own good, he says. So...maybe she actually is? I really don’t know what to think at this point.”
“And you’re leaving us to go back to your own world?” Olivia asked quietly. Maddie and Abby both looked at her, then back at Ellie.
Ellie hugged herself, rubbing her arms. “I guess so. For a little while, at least. Doyle wants to make sure we’re safe.” She looked at her friends and smiled. “But you’re absolutely crazy if you think I’m leaving you forever. I’ll be back as soon as it’s safe.”
“Good enough for me,” Olivia said, tapping her finger against her cheek. “So...just asking for a friend here, are all Tayamu guys as hot as Doyle, and are any of them our age?”
Abby rolled her eyes. “Focus on the important things, sis,” she said, her tone not quite serious.
“I am!” Olivia protested, turning her hand palm-up and gesturing towards Ellie. “As Ellie’s best friends, it is our honor-bound duty to help her find the perfect guy, and if that means interviewing a bunch of half-naked, gorgeous magical warrior ninjas from a parallel Earth to see if they’re worthy of our best friend, and potentially dating the ones who don’t make the cut, helping ease their disappointment at not getting with the hotness that is our best friend...well, then, dammit, I’m willing to make that sacrifice for Ellie! And if you’re not, then shame on you!”
Ellie rolled her eyes and a soft chuckle escaped. She looked guilty immediately afterwards. “That was horrible of me,” she said quietly. “Laughing while Doyle fights for his life.”
Maddie shoved Olivia lightly. “Blame Olivia,” she said. “She’s the one plotting to find herself a magical boyfriend.”
Olivia shrugged, looking completely unabashed. “I’m not asking for much.” She ticked off points on her fingers. “Taller than me, as muscular as Doyle, preferably some kind of sexy accent, a lover of subtitled French films from the 1960’s, and open to possibly using his powers to be adventurous, if you know what I mean.”
Abby lightly punched Olivia’s arm, and Maddie wrapped her arms around Ell
ie. “He’s going to be fine, Ellie,” Maddie said gently. “I know it. There’s no way God or the universe, or whatever you want to call it, will end their story so soon.”
Ellie patted Maddie’s arm, resting her head on Maddie’s shoulder. “I hope so,” she said softly.
THE darkness was comforting, inviting. He drifted in it, blissfully unaware of anything. He didn’t know his name or how he’d gotten here, couldn’t remember anything...and didn’t care. He was resting, and nothing was going to interrupt him. For the first time in a very, very long time, he was free. Free from responsibility, free from worries, free from pain.
Voices drifted in and out, but he didn’t know what they were saying. He heard the words, registered them, but didn’t understand. He just floated, happy and peaceful.
A voice raised in anger, disturbing his peace. He knew the voice, could even picture the person it belonged to. Blonde-brown hair, a cheerful demeanor. Something special about her. Something...more.
“I’m going to say this one more time!” the voice snarled. “It’s been five days! You need to fix him! This is not how the story ends, do you hear me? He’s supposed to wake up, crack a bad joke, ask my sister to marry him, and live happily ever after! He’s supposed to be my family! Make...it...happen!”
Another voice spoke, trying to be comforting. He didn’t know this person. “Ma’am, you need to calm down. Why don’t you go back out, sit with your sister? She needs you more than he does right now.”
“Don’t you dare tell me that!” the girl raged. “I’ll...” Her voice cut off suddenly. There was a crackling sound, and somebody gasped. A scent came to him; smoke? Yes, smoke. He felt...heat. Lots of heat. Had she called up fire? He didn’t understand what that meant, but he knew she shouldn’t be able to do it yet. It was far too soon.
He heard more sounds. The crackling grew louder. Something crashed to the ground, clattering. A scream followed. The other voice spoke again, trying to be reasonable, but heavily laced with fear.
