“And by the way, no, the lesson was not mastered.” Tears gathered in my eyes.
Ren’s forehead creased.
“Yes.” He whispered, his eyes a reflection of my despair.
“Yes, what?” I shrugged my shoulders exasperated.
He cleared his throat, before speaking.
“The answer to your question… about the consequences. Yes, they are real.” He said grimly.
Sucking in a breath to staunch the sob building in my chest, I rolled my eyes to the sky.
“So is this normal?” I asked.
Ren shook his head incredulous as he responded.
“No, certainly not in your first lesson. Yes, the scenarios can certainly be challenging, even frightening at times but they’re generally not so intense that you’re truly in danger. From the look of your wrists… I’m not sure what you did or didn’t do to deserve that.” His voice trailed.
“Deserve this? What is that supposed to mean? I was dropped into a medieval prison and shackled within the first thirty seconds. Are you implying that I was punished for missing something?” I responded sharply.
Ren pursed his lips.
“No… not necessarily but sometimes, if a student misses a clue that she should be able to spot the consequence can be a bit of a physical reminder, so to speak.” He responded hesitantly.
Ren stared at my wrists again thoughtfully, a puzzled expression on his face.
“I suppose a lesson could be more severe in order to pressure the student to learn more quickly out of necessity.” He said.
The bell rang signaling the commencement of second period. I pulled my hands away responding to the urge to rush to class. Ren caught my hands before I escaped.
“Eliza, don’t touch your primer again until we have time to figure this out.” His voice saturated with worry. He began to step away from me, clearly hesitant to release me from his sight.
“Ren, wait.” I’d somehow forgotten to address one of the most disturbing details of my lesson.
He stopped and I stepped forward, closing the gap between us. Most of the students languishing in transit had scattered at the sound of the bell. No one would likely notice or care about our conversation.
“There was a little boy in the prison. He was so young and helpless. I don’t know if he’s even real but I’m worried that there may not be much time left for me to save him. Is that possible? Could I go back and it will be too late?” The sudden revelation fell like a rock to the pit of my stomach.
Ren looked thoughtful and cast his eyes to the ground. Clearly, it was possible I could return too late.
“I can’t wait much longer then. Ready or not, I have to try.” I said gloomily. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to save myself much less anyone else.
Ren tentatively reached for me and clasped my hands.
“We’ll practice. But please, promise me, you will not crack that book again today.” He begged.
“I’m certainly not in any condition to go back now.” I sulked.
“I’ll see you at lunch. We’ll discuss it then. Alright?” He said with a forced grin.
“Yeah, see you then.” I replied and watched him jog off to his next class.
Alone, I cut across a small grassy lawn toward the library. The autumn wind swept across the field. It rifled my clothing and crept between the seams sending shivers down my limbs. I quickened my pace to the doors.
Once inside, I strolled between the stacks hoping to come across the section I needed without having to look it up. The computers used to search for books stood next to a very nosy librarian. After several minutes of searching in vain, I discretely slunk toward the computers and entered my search item.
Medieval Torture Witch
The bony middle-aged librarian watched me closely, looking for a sign of distress. I focused intently on the screen hoping to exude an air of confidence. After what seemed like an eternity of fidgeting and looking quite busy, several book titles appeared. I scribbled down the books’ location, gathered my things and dashed toward the nearest row of shelves like a deer into the trees.
Safely tucked between the screen of shelves, I relaxed enjoying the momentary peacefulness of being surrounded by rows upon rows of books. Old and new, the scent of paper aging and the cozy silence of the library was comforting. I searched the stacks for the location on the scrap of paper in my hand.
I gathered the books that looked most helpful and settled into a chair by a window to scrutinize my catch. After yawning through dense chapters filled with drab historical details of medieval life, I turned a page to find a sketch that froze the blood in my veins. A woman tied to a chair suspended above a rushing river. The description explained that ‘water torture’ was used most frequently in the case of suspected witches to force a confession from the prisoner.
The image of the chair in the dim, sweltering stone room flashed behind my eyes. A cool sweat spread across my forehead and neck. A confession.
And what if I did confess? Was that the key to the riddle of my first lesson? A flurry of students rushing down the aisle interrupted my thoughts. I glanced at my watch noting that the period was up. I left the books on the table and rushed through the stacks, down the stairs and out the door without looking back.
Lines like a rat racing through a maze sketched the image of the witch suspended over a river on the canvas of my mind. Oblivious to the activity in my classes, I mentally raced after the lines struggling to solve the riddle and change the outcome of the picture. Yet, it didn’t make sense. How would a confession to my captor satisfy a lesson in mind manipulation? Baffled, I ambled listlessly into the cafeteria in search of lunch.
Standing in line, a tingling vibration alerted me to Ren’s presence. It was clear he was as shocked by the scenario the primer had given me as I was. This grim fact suggested that we both had our work cut out for us. My goal, to stay alive and rescue Benjamin, and Ren, convinced of his duty as my pharos to protect me, would have to help me accomplish it.
“Hi.” I said weakly, while reaching for a grilled cheese sandwich beneath a heat lamp.
“An uneventful morning, I take it?” He asked optimistically.
“I suppose you could say that. I found some information at the library but I have no idea how it will help me.” I shrugged pushing through the crowd of students congregated at the end of the lunch line.
Ren stepped to my side as I passed through the checkout line.
“Eliza, wait. I have an idea.” He said in a hushed tone.
The din of a hundred conversations echoed off the tile floor and windows creating a shield of privacy for our conversation. Across the room, Bryn and Pete sat chatting at a table by the windows. Bryn’s eyes locked with mine then squinted suspiciously at Ren. I turned to Ren and smiled casually for Bryn’s observation.
“Alright. What’s your idea?” I asked gesturing with my eyes toward Bryn and Pete’s curious stares.
Ren nodded acknowledging the fact that we were being watched.
“Time is short and you need practice. I was thinking.” His brow bent and his gaze fell to the floor self-consciously. I scoured his face and was surprised to see a tinge of pink rising up his neck.
“Ren, it’s ok, just tell me. Look, I’m sorry for being so mean earlier today. I just thought, well, it felt like you’d set me up.” I confessed.
Ren’s eyes rose and seized my gaze sharply. “Set you up?” He asked taking offense.
I shrugged again, unashamed of the assumption. “Well, yeah, I can see now that you weren’t expecting me to have such a tough time with this lesson but my first assumption was that you’d done it on purpose. You know, like some sort of rite of passage or something. I was mad but I’m not anymore. Besides, I need your help. Ok?” I offered.
A spark of anger flashed in Ren’s eyes.
“You really thought I’d subject you to something like that without warning?” One corner of his mouth lifted forming a sarcastic grin.
“Well
, what was I supposed to think?” I asked flatly in return.
Ren’s lips drew together tightly before he spoke.
“Alright, but Eliza I hope you know that I am trying to help. There’s no instruction manual for me either… I’m doing the best I can. Which brings me to my idea.” He said conspiratorially.
“As we both know, there’s little time and you need practice. I was thinking that you should practice on Bryn.” Though the white noise of the cafeteria screened our conversation, Ren’s voice dropped at the suggestion.
I frowned in disgust. Ren raised his brows and squinted hard at me as if willing me to take his message to heart before speaking. As I opened my mouth to object, my voice caught in my throat. The necessity and sheer urgency of my situation caused me to pause and reconsider.
The fact stood that I did need practice. Besides that, Bryn’s thoughts and feelings about Ren were completely false and I had no idea how to correct them without causing further curiosity. Though I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the maneuver, seeing Jane’s complete recovery from mind manipulation gave me confidence that I could pull it off without causing Bryn harm. As my stomach growled reminding me that time was ticking away, I made my decision.
“Ok, I’ll try.” I said with resolve.
Ren sucked in a breath and nodded at my decision. Then, softly added.
“Alright then, I’ll find a way to distract Pete while you work on Bryn.”
Like two robbers enacting a plan to heist a bank, we strode casually toward the table where Bryn and Pete sat. Bryn’s expression darkened as we approached, her eyes followed Ren as if daring him to test her. A tinge of guilt stung me as I observed her protective instincts.
Without question she had loyally come to my aid and now I planned to manipulate her without giving her the benefit of the truth. Yet, I realized that by shielding her from the truth I was protecting her. Painfully, I also acknowledged that I had recently become dangerous company to keep.
My gazed focused singularly on Bryn’s face and I braced myself for the level of concentration I’d needed when bending Jane’s mind. A low buzz filled my ears blocking out the cafeteria din. In my periphery vision, I noted Ren leading Pete away from the table. As my mind quickly tallied the mental ingredients necessary to pull off the trick of ensnaring Bryn’s consciousness, I became aware that the pressure I was under mentally and emotionally was in fact working to my advantage. I was focused, sharp and ready.
I reached the table and set my tray down without taking my eyes off Bryn’s. She was watching me but not focused. Her eyes flitted over my body, my food and glanced warily at Pete and Ren’s retreating figures. I would have to capture her attention so intensely that she would focus entirely on me to make the endeavor a success.
With a deep breath, I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly parched. I spoke as if the message I had to give Bryn was of vital importance.
“Bryn, thank goodness we’re alone. I need to explain before Ren gets back.”
The intrigue I’d created with my tone and introduction was adequately potent because Bryn turned her gaze to mine. Her eyes open wide and vacuous ready to absorb every bit of information I would provide. I seized the critical moment and began the ritual I’d only conducted once before but felt oddly certain would work.
I softened my gaze enough to entice Bryn to decode the message behind them. As she studied me eagerly waiting, I fervently concentrated on her pupils and the message I wanted her to hear.
Forget…forget… forget. Forget… forget… forget.
The message was luckily simple because I knew exactly what she was thinking. She would be recounting the vision of my hideously bruised wrists and her conclusion that Ren was to blame for my injuries. All I needed to do was dissolve the memory and the feelings associated with it would follow.
My heart pounded in my chest and my breath quickened to match its pace. Bryn’s pupils rapidly expanded, a physical sign of enchantment. The buzz in my ears grew deafening as if an entire hive of bees swarmed around us. The bustling lunchroom scene in my periphery vision faded to black leaving only a tunnel with Bryn’s face at the end. I heard the words in my head as if I spoke them. The repetitive chant grew faster and louder taking on a life of its own. A swell of heat and emotion rose from the pit of my stomach, and swirled around us like a roiling current. I was as much a hostage of the procedure as Bryn. I didn’t know how to stop.
Just as panic began to take root, the cyclone lifted. I gripped the edge of the table to stabilize my position. My hands floated to my hair and face smoothing them. Once I managed to regain full consciousness of my surroundings, I dared evaluate Bryn’s state.
At first glance, her appearance was a frightening shock. Her face was pale and flaccid. Her mouth hung open and her eyes fixed wide, the pupils unnaturally large for the amount of light present in the room. She appeared frozen wearing a trance-induced mask. The panic I’d experienced earlier returned in force as I helplessly observed Bryn’s state. Too shocked to conceive of a remedy or take action I sat rigidly staring at her.
Caught in a daze, I heard a commanding voice close to my ear but was unable to discern the message. Then the voice was suddenly sharp and clear.
“Call her name, Eliza. You must say it. Call Bryn now!” The urgency of the command propelled me into action.
My voice sounded detached as it emerged from my body, like a butterfly lighting off a flower to land upon another.
“Bryn, come back now. Bryn.”
Within the blink of an eye, Bryn’s pupils shrank and behind them a vibrant recognition returned. She smiled easily and reached to my tray snatching a potato chip. Her demeanor was that of someone actively involved in a running conversation.
Shaken by the experience, I sat dumbly silent. Bryn seemed cheerful and unperturbed as she smiled and continued to snack on carrots and dip off of her tray. I was so bewildered that I almost fell out of my seat when Pete returned to the table boasting loudly.
“Ok, here it is, I finally found it.” He said breathlessly, as he jovially handed over a non-descript CD to Ren.
“It was crammed under the seat of my car. Hope it still works. If not, I can burn another copy for you.” He said.
“Thanks man. I’ve been hoping to get my hands on a copy of that show. I’ll check it out tonight.” Ren responded smoothly with absolutely no trace of concern.
My hands fluttered against each other anxiously reflecting my flustered mental state. Ren’s hand landed softly on my shoulder. His fingers pressed into the muscle, a small sign of support and assurance that the storm was over. Pete observed Ren’s gesture then averted his eyes. It was evident in Pete’s expression that he was aware something was amiss. Bryn spoke.
“Ahem.” She said confidently. “I’m Bryn and you are?”
Quick as lightening Ren, Pete and I all turned abruptly toward her. She smiled curiously at all of us surprised by our reaction before venturing further. Her gaze flitted to Ren’s hand on my shoulder, one eyebrow raised.
“I’m Eliza’s friend, Bryn. Who are you?” She asked dramatically.
Silence fell over the group as we all stared incredulously at her. Finally, Ren cleared his throat and responded delicately.
“Um, my name is Ren Alden.” He offered an outstretched hand, acting as if he was playing along with a game.
Bryn grinned coyly accepting the handshake.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Then she shot me a sassy wink, oblivious to my morbid expression.
My eyes darted in Pete’s direction. He was sitting down finishing the last remnants of his lunch. Mercifully, the bell rang.
Pete stuffed the last bite of a sandwich in his mouth and grabbed his bag. He shook his head and rolled his eyes as he mumbled a quick, ‘See you later’ to all of us. I was relieved to see he was chalking up Bryn’s bizarre comment to her general goofiness when it came to guys.
Bryn packed up her things before offering a cheerful ‘goodbye’ to Ren and me and w
hispering ‘we’ll talk about him later’ in my ear. Slumped in my seat, I watched her jaunt across the cafeteria and out the door. The sound of screeching chairs and pounding feet filled the air adding to the headache building behind my eyes.
“Well you were certainly thorough.” Ren mused. He turned his head from side to side, stretching his neck muscles then raked his fingers through his thick hair.
“Yeah… I hope you’re the only one missing in her mind.” I muttered glumly, my face falling in my hands.
Ren laid a hand soothingly on my back.
“Don’t worry, Eliza. Bryn’s memory of me must’ve just been so tangled up with recent events that it all broke free along with the important details.”
Bryn hadn’t known Ren very long, so it did make sense that her thoughts of him could be pulled like a shallow weed. Regardless, the fact that I had removed more than intended was a firm lesson that my instructions needed to be more specific the next time around.
“Eliza, there is something we do need to worry about.” He said gravely.
I wrenched my face from my hands to look at him. The cafeteria had largely emptied with the exception of a few lazy stragglers. From the look of the students left languishing in their chairs it was debatable whether they were planning to finish the school day. The noisy scrabble of the crowd was now gone and it was silent save the distant banging of pots from the kitchen.
“I’d say there is more than just one thing on my list of worries, Ren.” I said quietly.
Ignoring my tone, he cocked his head and continued.
“It’s Tuesday, Eliza. My prediction that you are safe from the Shadow is about to expire. I wish I could say with confidence that we have more time but really, I have no idea when it could attack again.”
I groaned. “What should we do now?” I asked.
“Can you come by my house tonight? I think Nan’s found a spell to protect you. Maybe you could join us for dinner?” He asked.
It could have been my imagination but Ren’s cheeks appeared to flush as he waited for my answer. My stomach tightened at the idea of plunging ever further into this strange world of magic and at meeting Nan. Considering the task of making a pleasant first impression over polite dinner conversation, I felt my head sway in response.
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