The Ankulen

by Kendra E. Ardnek

  “Jen?” whispered Tisha. “Is that … can it be … you?”

  I grinned. “Seeing as how Lady Jenifer doesn't have an evil twin sister, I would deem it safe to assume that I am she.”

  Tisha tore herself from Chris's arms and ran over to me and threw her arms around my neck. “Oh! Jen! You're – you're ALIVE!!”

  “Of course I am,” I confirmed. “Had I perished, well …” I pushed her to arm's length, held up a hand and snapped my fingers. “Everything would have been gone like that.” I pulled her back into a hug. “But everything's still here – the two of you are still here – I'm still here.”

  Tisha held me tighter. “I – I know. It's just that they … that you –.”

  “They could find no trace of you after Coral Mountain was destroyed,” explained Chris. “We feared the worse.”

  I laughed. “So Queen Tailya told me. I had the presence of mind to step back into the real world before the Polystoikhedron could discover what I tasted like, and while I was out, decided that it was as good a time as any to take a quick lunch break. When I went back in, I decided that it would be too dangerous for me to continue to thus expose the two of you. Whatever persuaded you to hide in the Labyrinth?”

  “We were ashamed, Jen,” Chris confessed. “We didn't want to face anyone, knowing that there was now no hope. We didn't think that things would remain much longer, anyway, so …”

  “I understand,” I said, sighing. “I understand, I really do.” I wiped a tear off of Tisha's cheek and held it up so that it sparkled on the tip of my finger. “I'm in a good mood, Tisha. Why are you raining on my sunshine?”

  A smile slowly spread across her face, and soon she was laughing. I laughed too, and Chris joined in. All was still not perfect, but for now, we could laugh.

  “So you have your memories back?” asked Chris, as soon as our laughter was subdued.

  I nodded. “I made you sixteen, didn't I? I found the two of you in the Labyrinth, didn't I? I have color, don't I?”

  “Oh!” cried Tisha, clapping her hands together. “I knew you would find them, I just knew you would. And it's so good to see you with color again. You looked so …” she trailed off.

  “Didn't I, though?” I agreed. “Now, come along, we can explain ourselves while we make our way back to the surface. I'm afraid Derek might get impatient and try to come down after me.”

  “Derek?” repeated Chris, as he followed me out of the chamber.

  “My brother. He says that the two of you have already met, Chris,” I explained, glancing over my shoulder to see his reaction with my eyes. How much did they remember?

  “Oh,” said Chris, his face contorting as he poked around the memories that I had erased. I had done it rashly, and the effects were not as smooth as my own memory loss. While my own missing memories had been covered by what might have happened, had I never received my Ankulen, Chris and Tisha could feel the gaping holes that my anger had left.

  “You found your brother?” Tisha said at last. I glanced over at her to see that her face was similarly contorted. “What about your sister? Did – did you find her?”

  “Megan? Of course,” I confirmed. “She and Derek were hidden in the same place – Swinging Castle. Which just so happened to be the very location I needed to go to find my memories.”

  “Oh, good,” said Tisha, sighing in relief. “We knew that we had brought them here, but we couldn't remember where we left them. Honestly, Jen, if we had been able to, we would have led you right to them – first thing!”

  “I'm sure you would have,” I agreed, glancing over my shoulder with a reassuring smile. “I acted rashly, and I fear that I will find many reasons to regret it.” I sighed, then added. “I can't restore the memories I took from the two of you. I destroyed them.”

  “That – that is just as well,” said Chris. “We would be tempted to do it again had our memories remained.”

  My mouth twitched, unsure whether to smile or frown. “Still, I would like to know what you do remember.”

  They were silent for a few minutes. I didn't press them. The memories they had to dig up were painful, if they were there at all.

  “We were going to leave things alone, we really were,” Chris began. “We were going to let your parents adopt Derek and Megan.” He emphasized Derek's and Megan's names to fix them in his memory. “We knew that there was nothing we could do, nothing we should do.”

  “But then he came and told us that he knew a way to … do what we did,” continued Tisha. “It was so tempting – we wouldn't just be your imaginary friends, but your real, true brother and sister. We thought it was something that you would please you, since you made me up to be like a sister.”

  “We wanted to surprise you,” added Chris. “So we didn't say anything to you about it. We were scared, too. What if you didn't like it?”

  “We wanted it so badly,” whispered Tisha. “We were willing to deceive even you.”

  “And when you neglected 'us' after I arrived,” continued Chris. “It was our worst fears confirmed. In all appearances, you had forgotten about the two of us, simply because you had a real brother.”

  “Well … you were so like him – yourself,” I explained, after several seconds' silence. “I didn't feel the need to seek out Chris the imaginary friend when I had Chris the real brother standing beside me. Besides, you weren't all that keen on meeting your imaginary version, so I didn't press the issue.”

  “And then came the day you decided you didn't really need two Christofers,” added Chris. “But you couldn't find your imaginary Chris, so you got suspicious. I panicked and confessed everything.”

  “I responded by, well … let's not dwell on that,” I mused. “I've already relived that part pretty vividly today.” Silence reigned until I added. “Thing is, had Chris told me the truth of his identity when he first arrived, I probably would not have lost my temper, and a lot of this mess would not have happened.”

  “We're really sorry, Jen,” said Tisha. “If we had known that you were so opposed to the idea, we wouldn't have done it at all. We should have told you sooner.”

  “I won't say that you would have gotten away with it,” I continued, giving her another reassuring smile. “And I still would have been very disappointed, but …” I suddenly recalled a word that Tisha had said. “Who's he?”

  “The person who helped us do … what we did?” questioned Chris.

  I nodded in confirmation.

  “We don't remember,” he answered. “All we know is that someone told us that it could be done and how to do it, and that he wasn't anyone that you had made up.”

  I pursed my lips. “No, none of my imaginary people would have had the knowledge or ability to do that – any more than the two of you did.” I took a deep breath to force my upset nerves into a semblance of calm. “Oh, well, I suppose it doesn't really matter now. It's over and done. What does matter is the fact that there are two real people out there who deserve an apology. I expect the two of you to give it to them.”

  “Oh, we will,” Tisha declared. “We shouldn't have listened to him for a moment. We should have asked you if it were a good idea … Do you think they'll forgive us?”

  “Megan told me that she already has,” I assured her. “Derek though … hopefully I've done a good enough job directing his irritation onto myself, but … I'm not sure it's the best solution.”

  I found myself in another one of Tisha's hugs. “Oh, Jen, it's so good to have you back.”

  “It's good to be back – and to be able to remember who you are,” I whispered in her ear. “I think I've missed you.”

  “I've certainly missed you.”

  We resumed our journey, but said nothing until we emerged from the cave and Tisha and Chris beheld the playground for the first time.

  “You've been busy, Lady Jenifer,” Chris breathed. “This is amazing!”

  “I built it to keep Megan and Derek busy while I was in the Labyrinth,” I explained. Neither of my sib
lings were in sight, so I closed my eyes and rested my fingers on my Ankulen. Even though they aren't part of my imagination, I can feel their presence and location when they are in my world.

  “Megan's closer at the moment,” I announced, opening my eyes. “Follow me.”

  Actually, she wasn't, and she was also moving away from us while Derek wasn't moving at all. I wanted her to meet my imaginary friends first, though, before I submitted them to Derek's scrutiny. Besides, I hadn't had the chance to try out my new playground, and this was a perfect excuse to gallivant all about it.

  I found Megan climbing on one of the jungle gyms.

  “Havin' fun?” I shouted up at her, after I hid Chris and Tisha behind a climbing wall.

  Megan turned and a huge grin spread across her face. “Jen!” she exclaimed. “You're back!”

  “That I am,” I agreed. “Come on down, I have some friends I'd like you to meet.”

  “Oh!” said Megan. “I'll be right down. I suppose Derek can stay in hiding for a little longer.” Soon she was on the ground, and looking at me expectantly.

  I motioned for Chris and Tisha to come out. Megan's eyes went wide, her gaze fixed on Tisha. She had clearly not forgotten the face of her kidnapper.

  “Megan, I'd like you to meet my best friend, Fair Maiden Letitia, and our faithful protector, Sir Christofer. Tisha, Chris, this is my sister, Megan.” I glanced at my friends expectantly.

  Tisha stepped forward and curtsied deeply. “I am most sorry for stealing your life, Megan,” she said. “I failed to remember that I, a mere figment of Jen's imagination, had no business messing with the life of a real person.”

  If Megan heard Tisha's apology, she showed no sign of it. “You're even prettier than I remembered,” she whispered.

  Tisha, unsure what to do, glanced at me for help.

  “Megan,” said I, placing a hand on my sister's shoulder. “Tisha wants to apologize.”

  Megan blinked. “But I've already forgiven them. Besides, most of my dreams were nice, and your imagination is wonderful, Jen.” She smiled shyly at Tisha. “And you are very pretty.”

  I pressed my lips together, not quite satisfied with Megan's response. Tisha had stolen her life, yet she acted as though it didn't even matter. And here I had just spent the last eight years …

  “Megan, do you know where Derek is?” I asked. Derek would give Tisha and Chris the cold shoulder they deserved.

  Megan shook her head. “We're playing hide and go seek. I'm It.”

  “Ah,” I said, nodding. “That explains why he hasn't been moving around.”

  Megan blinked. “What do you mean?”

  “I can lead you to him,” I replied, not wanting to explain at the moment. “We're actually not far from where he's hiding.”

  I started running, they followed. Soon I came to a stop and motioned for the other three to do so as well. “He's behind that slide,” I whispered to Megan. “You're the one he's expecting, so could you please fetch him for me?”

  She eyed me for a moment, then shrugged. “Sure,” she whispered back, then she scampered off.

  “I like Megan,” whispered Tisha. “She'll make a good sister for you.” She sighed. “Knowing how nice she is only makes what I did to her all the worse.”

  Tisha's words brought me to my senses, and a smile curled my lips. “It was she who pleaded your case when I first realized that the two of you had stolen their lives. Luckily, Derek was still asleep, or popular opinion might have swung the other direction.”

  Tisha and Chris were spared the necessity of response by Megan's appearance. A reluctant Derek was not far behind her.

  “Oh, brother dearest,” I said, spreading a smile across my face. “I brought some friends of mine for you to meet.”

  Derek's eyebrow went up and his arms folded over his chest, but he didn't say anything.

  “They're very nice, Derek,” said Megan.

  “Of course they are,” I agreed, thankful for Megan's backup. “I wouldn't have selected them for my best friend and chosen protector if they weren't.”

  “Knowing you,” said Derek, not relaxing his skeptical position in the slightest, “you would have chosen the two worst scoundrels you could find. Like people who would steal other people's lives.”

  I felt both of my imaginary friends wince at those words, but I refused to let them affect me. “I'd like you to meet Sir Christofer,” I continued, as if Derek hadn't said a word, “and Fair Maiden Letitia. Chris, Tisha, this is Derek, who I'm sure will be the best big brother in the world.”

  Derek snorted and rolled his eyes. “That's what you keep saying. Hello, Peter Pan. This isn't quite how I expected Neverland to look.”

  “I am most sorry for taking your life,” said Chris, taking a step forward and bowing respectfully. “It was wrong of me, and brought less joy than I expected.”

  “So will you forgive him?” I supplied the question that Chris hesitated to ask.

  Derek's eyes narrowed. “Oh? So you think it's that simple? You think that you can just take my life and then, once you discover that it's not all it's cracked up to be, you can just fling it back at my feet with your only excuse being 'sorry'!”

  “I – well … there are no words by which I can excuse what I did,” said Chris, staring at his feet.

  I drew in a deep breath. “Derek, Chris chose you because you were the boy my parents had adopted. He wanted to be my brother.”

  “Well he can be your brother for all I care!” exclaimed Derek. “I'll go back to that swinging castle in that glittery forest and dream some more. At least I was wanted there.”

  “But you're wanted here, too,” I told him. “I don't want Chris for a bother – that's why my world is gray. I want you. Chris is my protector, and ideally, he shouldn't even have been able to step into the real world in your place – especially not without my knowledge, which he didn't have.” I drew in a deep breath and closed my eyes. “Now, I need to go talk to a few friends, so you guys continue your game of hide and go seek. Derek, you're It, I believe.”

  “Why can't we go with you?” asked Megan.

  “Because there are important matters that I'd like to discuss alone.” I fixed my gaze on Chris. “Just because my memories are back, doesn't mean that the Polystoikhedron is gone.”

  “There you go with the Pol-lee-sto-ik-whatever you said,” observed Derek.

  I hesitated, then said, “Chris, I give you the honor of explaining.” I spun around and took off running.

  Chapter 17

  In Which I Visit Queen Tailya and Ask the Old Woman for Advice

  TO make sure that no one disturbed my desired solitude, I placed a very high wall around the Playground. I also separated the Playground and the Labyrinth into separate locations. Having the two together was a missing person waiting to happen.

  I paid little heed to my surroundings as I ran. I knew that my feet would take me where I wanted to whether my eyes participated in the adventure or not. Soon, I reached the edge of the Ocean, and, even then, I didn't stop. I merely tapped my Ankulen and informed it of my intention to breath underwater. Once the water was over my head, I manipulated a few currents and soon the Sea Castle came into view.

  “Much simpler and faster than waiting for a mermaid to bring me,” I muttered as I swam towards the gate. The mermen guards were still there, holding their harpoons and tridents, glaring at anything that moved. This time, they didn't scare me.

  But a frown did pull down the corners of my mouth. I had something to fix here, too. I closed my eyes and rested my hand on my Ankulen, concentrating hard. Of all things, personalities are the most difficult and delicate to make. I had skipped the mermen as a child, but now that I was older, I had no excuse for ignoring them.

  The two who held harpoons I gave the names Herman and Porix, the trident guards were named Denton and Tryix. Tryix and Porix were twins, and Herman and Denton were bitter rivals.

  “Greetings, Lady Jenifer,” said Denton as the four snapped t
o attention. The first words ever uttered by a merman.

  “I desire entry into the Sea Castle,” I announced. “I was unable to fix the Queen's Necklace when I was last here, but I can do so now.”

  “At once,” said Herman, casting a quick glance in Denton's direction. Porix and Tryix pushed open the door, and so I entered.

  I did the same thing for every guard I met along the way to the throne room. The mermen would no longer be thoughtless musclemen there only to make the mermaids feel safe.

  I found Queen Tailya alone in the throne room, near the glass ceiling, staring at the gray water. The look on her face was grim. She held the Queen's Necklace in her hand, fingering the broken chain.

  “Would you like me to fix that for you?” I shouted up at her.

  Queen Tailya flipped over in surprise. “Lady Jenifer, is that you?”

  “The one and only,” I confirmed, as she swam towards me as quickly as she could propel herself. “I repeat my question. Would you like me to fix the Necklace for you? I've found my memories again, so it'll be no problem.”

  “It would honor me if you would,” said Queen Tailya, struggling to keep her voice even. She slid the Queen's Necklace into my outstretched hand, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

  “Then I will honor you.” I placed the broken ends of the chain on my Ankulen. The gems glowed purplish-pink, and the rainbow mermaids swam out of the pearl and circled the room. When I removed the Necklace, it was whole again. Queen Tailya dipped her head, allowing me to return the Necklace to where it belonged.

  “It's good to have you back, Lady Jenifer,” she said.

  “It's good to be back,” I agreed. “Though it would be much nicer if it weren't for the Polystoikhedron.”

  “Agreed,” said Queen Tailya. “But you can fight it now, can you not?”

  I sighed. “I can, but … let's not talk about that. Have you … did you ever see someone who didn't belong here. Before I abandoned the place?”