by Lynn McCain
There was one more surprise he had for me, as if the proposal was not enough. Upon moving into Grandfather’s shop, they had simply packed his belongings and placed them into a closet. He mentioned that he had found something he thought I might like to have. From under his bed he pulled out a jewelry box and when he opened it a tiny ballerina began to twirl about. My brain began to twirl about also, and I fainted right there into Henry’s arms. I awoke to him sitting over me with a cold cloth against my head. I thought maybe it was just a dream, for I had dreamt of that same jewelry box every night since we had moved onto the estate. It was the same one Grandfather had given me. By this time, Mother was calling us to come in, for dinner was about to be served. I thanked Henry and quickly ran to my room, placing the jewelry box on my bed before anyone saw it.
Dinner was wonderful, in spite of all the unfamiliar faces. Henry announced that he had asked my hand in marriage and that I had accepted. There were large gasps all throughout the room. Mother excitedly jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around us both. She was absolutely thrilled at the idea. I was not to be an old maid without a husband after all. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of Mr. Emsworth. His eyes were very angry, or stern to say the least. His exit was welcomed. For the remainder of the night I endured many congratulations, although even the thought of my engagement could not keep my attention off of the box now sitting in my room. I remembered it from my summer with Grandfather. Why had I dreamt of it so often? I had to find out.
The party finally came to an end, and Henry and I said our goodnights. Mother wanted to discuss the engagement, but I told her I needed to lie down. I really just wanted to get alone with that jewelry box. I remembered placing a key inside, one I had found in the woods. I thought it might actually be in there. When I entered the room, there it sat on the side of my bed. It looked like any other jewelry box I had ever seen, an old wooden box, nothing special. So why had I dreamt of it so often? I needed answers for all the strange things that had been happening, for all the dreams.
I cautiously opened the lid. I guess I was expecting something spectacular to happen. Nothing did, I shook it and turned it upside down. Still nothing, so I grabbed a letter opener off of my desk to pry the base off from where the ballerina danced. My heart reacted before I could stop it. Inside the box was a folded piece of paper with the words, To my little, Lily flower written on top. I practically fell off of the bed. It was from Grandfather. How had he known I would find it?
I opened the letter and began to read. It started with the words, Neither light nor dark, sun nor rain, could ever keep your destiny away, nor my love, my little, Lily flower. He explained that it was now time for me to learn the truth of who I was. In large words across the bottom it said, Go find the book. The memories flooded in upon me. It had not been a dream, the boy in the woods, the key, all of it. But where was the key, I thought? I had hidden it in the box. Closing the lid, I slipped downstairs to make sure everyone was asleep, then quietly raced to the library.
I brought my lantern in and closed the door behind me. My insides quaked as I walked toward the book. I remembered it had a lily on the spine. The numbers 419 ran over and over in my mind. I found it on the shelf just behind Grandfather’s desk. I slowly opened it, my heart in my throat, and just like before the pages were blank, all except for the one with the picture of the key. As I flipped through the pages another image appeared right before my eyes. It was of me looking at the book. A chill raced across my spine as I slammed it shut and tossed it across the room. I couldn’t move. I was frozen. Soon, my eyes found the clock; I needed more answers. Walking hesitantly toward it, I set its time to 4:19, and just like before the wall began to move aside. It was terribly dark staring up into the space before me. Although I had a lantern, the thought of going up alone stirred fear within me, but the curiosity now racing throughout my body overcame the fear of the unknown.
I went around the corners and through the passages until I reached a wooden door. I placed my fingers firmly around the knob and pressed my weight into it. Nothing happened. Angrily glaring at the structure before me, something else in my life determined to keep me trapped, I kicked it as softly as I could, trying to make the least amount of noise as possible. There was a small clicking sound as if it had unlocked. My throat became dry and my breathing erratic. I had to pause for a moment before I entered. Whatever was behind this door, Grandfather wanted me to see. Maybe it would help all of this make sense, but did I really want to know?
Chapter 4
I slowly turned the knob and ran my fingers over the names that were carved in its wood. It creaked eerily as I opened it. Although it was not loud, I was sure I had woken everyone in the entire house. The scent of Grandfather’s pipe welcomed me. It looked just like one of his studies. A desk sat in the center of the room and a window was on the east wall. The jewelry box I had just left in my room was sitting there, right on top of the desk. I shivered wondering how it had gotten there.
The moonlight was shining through the window illuminating the left side of the room. I could see many drawings all over the walls. They were everywhere completely covering its surface. I recognized the tiny creatures that looked like squirrels in one of them. Many pictures of paths in the woods and some type of mythical dragons littered the walls as well. Sitting on top of the desk was also a leather satchel. As I unfolded it, I saw tucked inside a large book. It had a golden emblem of entwined snakes on the cover, looked like it belonged to royalty or something. Before I could open it, something within the satchel began to glow. Wearily, I lifted the flap back on the satchel. Inside I saw the key I had hidden in the jewelry box so many years ago. As my fingers wrapped around it, the key shone even brighter. I stuffed it under my shirt, dimming the light, and continued my search into the book. It was rather large and heavy but nothing I couldn’t handle. It seemed to be in another language, so I could not make sense of any of it. Inside the back cover, Grandfather had left me another clue. It read as follows:
Her name will represent purity; it is this one who holds the key. It will find her on its own and with her power the key will glow. With it, she will open the door, for only she can stop the war. Love, Grandfather
Was this all real? It sounded like one of Grandfather’s adventure stories. What war did he speak of? Where was this door I was to find? I needed Grandfather to answer all my questions. After studying the drawings, I thought the woods were a good place to start. That is where I had found the key in the first place. I wondered how I would get there without anyone noticing. The servants had guarded the gates all week. Maybe that’s why Mother had placed them there. Did she know something? My mind filled with wonder, and I soon found myself headed toward the woods; the one place I was told never to go, a forbidden land. Aside from the sheer terror that now gripped me at the thought of what might be out there, I also remembered the way out ended up in Grandfather’s old shop; now the home of the man I loved. I reasoned that I could be quiet enough, stealthy even, and not wake them.
I was not quite sure how to maneuver through the maze of passages to get back downstairs. When I finally reached a door, the wall slowly began to move aside. I rose up to the tips of my toes and prepared to sneak out. To my surprise, I was in the massive dining hall in the east wing of the estate. I must have taken a wrong turn, I thought. I still felt the need to remain stealthy. I crept through the darkness until I reached the kitchen. Still believing I was alone, I continued my tiptoeing past the massive burners. Out of the corner of my eye, I sensed movement. I froze. I could literally hear my heart pumping blood throughout my entire body. It was overwhelmingly dark with only the moonlight shining through the window. As I followed the beam of light, it landed just shy of a pair of socked feet moving up and down, up and down. Each time the chair rocked forward Grandmother’s silver hair illuminated underneath the light. For some reason, the sight of her caused my skin to crawl. Maybe it was the darkness or the oddity of her being downstairs, alone, rocking
in the black of night.
At the first sight of her I gasped, revealing my presence. Her eyes, now glaring into the darkness toward me, burned within her lids.
She began muttering, “They know your name. They know who you are. They know who you are!”
Each time it got louder and louder until she finally began to scream and pull her long, silver hair that lay in a fuzzy mess against her back.
Still taking refuge under the blanket of night, too afraid to move into view I nervously questioned, “Who knows my name?”
It was then that she began screaming, “The Dark Winds, the Dark Winds!”
By this time, Mother had woken and was racing into the room followed by many others. It took three of the male servants to restrain Grandmother, as she tried to claw her way out from their grasps. My feet remained planted on the ground beneath me. I stood praying I would go unnoticed. It was all in vain, for just as Grandmother was forcefully removed from the room, Mother began slowly lurking toward the window. I held my breath, hiding in plain sight. It didn’t work. She walked right up to me as if she had known exactly where I stood the entire time.
“Lily Channon, get to your room!” she sternly commanded.
Luckily, she did not notice the satchel I had over my shoulder. I had both of the books, the key, and the jewelry box tucked inside. Quickly running up the stairs, I raced to my room and locked the door behind me. I slept with the satchel under my blankets all night, if I slept at all. I kept waking up to Grandmother’s words ringing in my ears. Each time I found it harder and harder to fall back asleep.
I woke early hoping to find a way into the woods before the others began to stir, only to find Henry downstairs waiting on me. He had heard the screaming from Grandmother the previous night and was making sure everything was alright. I assured him all was well, despite the fact that I was unsure if it was true or not.
I didn’t know if I should tell Henry about all the strange things that had happened. I imagined he would think I was crazy. I was beginning to think so myself. Walking out to the lawn, I canvassed the entire property searching for a way out. My eyes landed upon the small gate that Henry had taken me through only the day before. Yes! That would be perfect, my secret garden. It was the closest I could get to the woods without being seen by anyone, except for Henry. The thought brought upon a sudden urgency to get behind that gate.
I asked Henry if we could continue our picnic that had been cut short the day before. He was delighted at the idea, and after gathering some goodies from the kitchen we headed out past the back lawn. Memories filled my mind; Henry’s face so close to mine I could feel the heat from his breath, our lips crying out for one another yet without answer, the aching desire to demolish the space between them. It was hard to remain focused on the task at hand with the flood of emotion now filling up my insides.
As Henry strategically spread each delicate morsel across the blanket on the ground before us, the trees above reacted in anger. Their limbs swung violently above our heads, knocking over my satchel in the process. The jewelry box fell onto the ground and landed opened, exposed. The ballerina slowly made one turn around. The wind stopped, suddenly, just like that. Not even a leaf trembled upon their branch. An eerie quietness filled the space around us. I glared at Henry and him at me.
“Huh, what was that about?” he shrugged before readjusting the picnic; not expecting an answer.
Henry seemed unconcerned about what had just happened. I, on the other hand, was curious but, for the moment, ignored the questioning within me.
He approached nervously, reached out for my hand, and pulled me into his chest. His eyes burnt through mine. My mind went blank, empty, nothing mattered. Only Henry and I existed on the entire planet. Sudden flashes began to explode in my head. His lips, soft and ready; his hand brushing across the small of my back, flames settling across my skin each place our skin collided. He leaned in, pressing my back against the ivy covered stone. His hand lifted my jaw. Our lips were so close yet suspended, not touching. We stood, breathing in sync, louder, heavier, as if we had run a great distance. In his eyes raged an unquenchable hunger, mine too, an edacious desire to consume what was before me. The anticipation almost crippled me. Slowly, at first, he placed his lips against mine, but like a shark in the presence of blood, a sort of frenzy started; his hands slid through my hair, mine gripping the cloth upon his back.
Suddenly, Henry thrust himself away from me, leaving an aching sensation where his body once stood. Leaning over with both hands rested upon his knees, he tried to catch his breath.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he panted in between breaths, leaned up farther and wiped his lips off with his hand.
Always the gentleman, he knew he had crossed his own line. I still couldn’t get my heart to settle. It beat now to a different tune.
A little embarrassed by my lack of self-control, I suppressed the raging hunger within me. Henry too suppressing his desire, began walking about attempting to make small talk. In doing so, he ran his fingers against the ivy covered walls; eventually coming upon a wooden gate. I was immediately brought back into reality. The gate, it is what I had come for. I had almost forgotten the entire thing. I began searching frantically for a stone to break open the lock. Henry appeared hesitant at first but soon found one, and after only striking it a few times, it fell to the ground.
With sadness in his eyes Henry spoke, “Please don’t do this.”
Confused by his words, I simply smiled and slowly pushed against the wooden gate. I grabbed my satchel and we stepped through the opening.
The wind brushed against my face, and the sounds of forest creatures filled the air. Freedom, I thought. I tagged Henry on the arm and began running deeper into the woods. I had an overwhelming sense of urgency to run hard and fast. Laughter exploded out of me that I could not contain. Henry pursued me with the same sense of urgency, yet he too exploded with laughter. It felt as if we were moving in slow motion, and the sound of our voice echoed throughout the entire place. The trees began acting strangely, their branches almost pushing me deeper into the woods, shielding me from Henry’s eyes. Like an orchestra all in sync, they began to sweetly sing my name. Their leaves encircled me before floating off as if leading the way to an opening in a rock. I followed them, trusting their direction. I could hear Henry in the distance calling out my name, his voice infused with panic.
Strangely tired from running, I leaned back against the rock. All at once, one of the squirrel like creatures was there in front of me. I was not entirely sure, but it looked as if it had the face of a man. As it scurried past me, it moved the greenery a bit, revealing a wooden structure. I leaned over and removed the plants that had grown over the face of it. There before me was a small door. It looked as if it were made for a child, only reaching the top of my waist. I imagined that this was the door that Alice had entered to go to her wonderland. Could this be the one Grandfather spoke of?
Still hearing Henry in the background, I knelt down on my knees, reached for the key, and placed it into the lock. With a small click it unlocked, just like that, almost too easily. Just as I was about to push it open, I grabbed for my satchel and heard Henry right outside the opening in the rock, desperately pleading for me to answer. I knelt quietly, with my hand still on the moss covered knob, and my body pressed against the door. I prayed Henry wouldn’t find me. I had to see what was on the other side.
Chapter 5
My eyes clinched shut as I leaned into the door, opening it just enough to feel a draft of air coming through. As I continued to press against it, I hesitantly opened my eyes and climbed across to the other side. The moment both of my feet hit the ground, the door slammed shut behind me, and the key fell to the ground at my feet. When it did, for a moment, it shone as bright as the sun. I turned and frantically tried my best to open the door back up; it would not budge. From the inside it looked more like a window than a door. Picking the key off the ground, I placed it back in my satchel and turned to g
et a better look at my surroundings. It was dark and entirely too quiet for me. There were embers still burning from a fire that had been lit in the fireplace. Yet the air all around me was as cold as a dark winter’s night.
After I finally got up enough nerve, I decided to unglue myself from the door, and ventured into the tiny one room cabin that lay before me. There was a small loft and an area that looked as if was used as a kitchen, not much other than that. A small desk sat in the corner with drawings placed up above it, some of which looked a lot like the ones I’d found at Grandfather’s study and a few other pieces of furniture scattered throughout.
As I stood studying the drawings, a bit of rustling outside caught my attention. I had no time to react before the door at the front of the cottage flung open letting in an enormous amount of wind and with that also a man completely wrapped up in warm clothing so as I could not see his face. He carried firewood over his shoulder and a very large ax in his hand. I had never been so frightened in all my life. I raced over to the tiny door I had come through, desperately trying to escape, yet just as before, the door would not budge.
He, himself, looked startled to say the least. Dropping all the timber on the floor, he drew back his ax as if to strike me.
Questions began erupting out of him, “Who are you? Where have you come from? How did you find my cabin?”
Without waiting for a reply he began grabbing at my dress pulling me toward the door. I began crying and for the first time allowed him to see my face. It was then that our eyes met. Even in the dark, he could see my eyes sparkle. His firm grip lessened, and I fell to the ground.
In a panic, he raced over and shut the door. The steps he took back toward me were cautious. He stretched out his calloused hand and pulled my trembling frame off of the floor. Grabbing both of my arms, he pulled me closely into his chest until our noses almost touched. Strangely, this made me less frightened. His lips kept moving as if he were trying to speak yet no sound left them. He leaned in even closer and rested his forehead against mine.
