Into the Dark (The Conjurors)

by Kristen Pham

  “Exactly. The Globe is in the center of a black hole.”

  “That’s not possible. I’ve read about black holes. No one knows what’s inside of them, but they do know that anything that goes in will probably be crushed by the weight of the hole’s gravity.”

  “You’re kind of a know-it-all, you know that?” Cyrus said with a smile. “Technically, you’re right. But the creators of the Globe combined magic with all the energy in the black hole to create a planet inside that no one can see from Earth.”

  “And you want to take me there,” she said flatly.

  “Yes.”

  “It’s hundreds of light years away. By the time I get there I’d be dead of old age.”

  “That would be true except for magic, remember? Pay attention, sheesh.”

  “You really expect me to skip out of the hospital all alone and leave everything and everyone I know – forever?”

  Cyrus frowned. “What have you got to lose? There’s nothing here for you but death. Your magic is gonna kill you soon. And whatever you think of everything else I’ve told you, you know that fact is true.”

  She couldn’t deny it. Even though it was hard for her to accept that she had some kind of magic power, she could feel herself growing weaker. Her next standoff with yellow-eyes or Sanguina would probably be her last.

  He continued, interrupting her thoughts. “Besides, you wouldn’t be alone. We’re sending someone to guide and protect you. His name is Thai, and he’ll take you to the launch site where you’ll take off from Earth to the Globe.”

  A million thoughts tumbled chaotically around in her head, but she knew that ultimately there was only one choice to make if she wanted to survive. Finally, trembling, she whispered, “So what’s next?”

  “Does that mean you’re coming?”

  Valerie closed her eyes, but there were no answers there, only darkness. When she opened them again, the sky twinkled above her. “Yes, I’m coming.”

  Cyrus let out a yell of joy that made her smile.

  “Tomorrow you need to break the news to the hospital about your cousin coming to take you on a trip. Thai should be there soon. He lives in Vietnam, but he’s already on his way.”

  “So when I get to the Globe, you’ll be there? I won’t be on my own in a strange magical world…right?”

  “I’ll be here, I promise. Finally, we’ll be partners, duking it out for real.”

  Cyrus placed his hand on top of hers. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she felt a faint, gentle warmth driving the cold out of her fingertips. She looked up and their eyes connected. A flame of hope ignited inside of her that she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Maybe her luck had changed at last.

  Chapter Three

  The next afternoon, Valerie was ready when Dr. Freeman visited her on his rounds. The yellow-eyed medical assistant was nowhere to be seen. She was glad – she didn’t want to be distracted from her mission. Whether she was crazy or not, her decision was made. She was going to the Globe, and now she had to do her part.

  That morning she had forged a letter from her “cousin” to show Dr. Freeman. As he checked on the other three patients in her room, she felt like her face was burning – she hated lying, especially to him. He was the kind of person whom she wanted to be when she grew up – patient, smart, and caring. It didn’t feel right to tell him the biggest lie of her life.

  “Well, Ms. Diaz, you’re looking much better. It’s good to see pink in your cheeks again,” he said as he reviewed her chart.

  “I’m feeling a lot better. I have great news! My cousin is coming to visit. I haven’t seen him in a long time. I got his note today,” she said, unfolding the letter she had written.

  Dr. Freeman glanced at the letter over the top of his chart. “I haven’t met him, have I? I didn’t know you had family.” His voice was laced with suspicion.

  Valerie knew that he probably thought this was part of an elaborate schizophrenic episode. But if Thai showed up in person, he would have concrete proof that this was no delusion. “He’s been out of the country for the past few years. But he finished school and now he’s old enough to be my guardian. He’s working on getting temporary custody of me.”

  “That’s wonderful. I look forward to meeting him,” Dr. Freeman said, a little absently. He was already thinking about his next patient, she could tell.

  “One more thing – could he take me on a trip?” He looked at her sharply, and Valerie knew she finally had his attention.

  “You’re a very sick girl. We need to have you under observation.”

  She lowered her voice so the other children in the room couldn’t hear her. “I know I’m not getting any better. Every time I have one of my episodes, it gets worse. I know that you think I could even – die.”

  “Now, listen, no one has ever said that.”

  It was time for Valerie to play her ace card, but she felt incredibly guilty manipulating him this way. “I heard you tell Nurse Beth.”

  Dr. Freeman closed his eyes and raked a hand through his short, curly hair. “I’m so sorry,” he said quietly.

  “In my entire life, I’ve never left Oakland or seen much of anything, really. And Thai is willing to take me to see the world while I still have time left.”

  “I see.”

  “Thai is trying to get temporary custody of me for our trip. Will you at least meet him and then decide if you’ll help us?”

  “I need to think about this,” he said, and she could see the affection and worry on his face. It made her heart squeeze. At least there was one adult in her life who cared what happened to her.

  “Okay. That’s fair. But do you know how long I have? I don’t want to run out of time.”

  Dr. Freeman nodded and then left, deep in thought. She breathed a huge sigh of relief and fell back on her pillows.

  That night, Ming and Jeremiah’s soft, rhythmic breathing didn’t relax Valerie as it usually did. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she couldn’t stop thinking about what was coming next for her. Where was this launch site, anyway? She wished she had thought to ask Cyrus. Sleep was impossible.

  She quietly got out of her bed and went to the window. It was raining again, and the glass steamed up from her breath. She looked up, but she couldn’t see the stars tonight. Soon, she’d be looking at that night sky from a whole new perspective – or she’d be dead.

  It was all so exciting, but the enormity of what was happening to her was overwhelming, and Valerie started to feel choked with panic. She was taking a decisive step, one that would either yank her out of her life as she knew it, or kill her. When she got to this Globe place, where would she live? How would she support herself? Would she be lonely and miserable? Would the people on the Globe be nice like Cyrus, or cold and distant, like Mrs. Sims? What if they thought she was a freak?

  A tiny voice inside reminded her that even with the best case scenario, eventually Cyrus would probably get sick of her, like everyone else did. Then, she would be on a distant, foreign world with no one to turn to. Her stomach twisted, and her breathing grew ragged.

  A movement in the street below attracted her attention. Standing in a circle of flickering light shining from a battered streetlight was a solitary, drenched figure. Valerie looked closer. The figure was dressed in baggy jeans and wore the hood up on his dark sweatshirt. What could that guy possibly be doing out there at this time of night in the pouring rain?

  At that moment he looked up at the window she was standing in. Their eyes connected, and she put her hand against the glass. She felt as if he was standing right in front of her, close enough that she could hear him exhale, his breathing in perfect sync with her own. Somehow, Valerie knew that this was Thai, and the fear thrashing around in her stomach dissolved. She wasn’t used to instantly trusting anyone, but she knew that he was here to protect her. The intensity of the connection filled her with warmth.

  She didn’t know if a minute or an hour passed while they looked at each other, but finally
he nodded at her and looked down. She knew that he would be there for the rest of the night, protecting her. It gave her a feeling of safety that she had never known before. When she lay down in her bed, all her worries disappeared and she fell asleep seconds after her head touched the pillow.

  The next day, Valerie was ready when Beth told her that she had a visitor. She was alone in the craft room, cleaning up art supplies, and she stood up to meet Thai. When he entered, he seemed much bigger than the figure on the street the night before. He had an intense expression in his dark brown eyes, like he was ready for monsters to jump out of nowhere and attack at any second. Beth looked at him with suspicion, and Valerie knew she had to act.

  “Thai!” she cried, running to give him a hug. He froze for a second, but then hugged her back. In the moment they touched, she felt as if the air around them was crackling, like static electricity. Finally, here was the final proof that it was all real, proof that she could touch. Her whole body felt flushed with joy as the last of her doubts dissolved. She really was going to leave this lonely world behind and start a new life.

  Beth, apparently satisfied with their reunion, left them alone. Valerie stepped back, suddenly feeling a little shy. “It’s good to meet you. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you would do this for someone you don’t even know.”

  Thai relaxed slightly. “I know how it is. To have crazy stuff happen to you all at once, I mean. It’s a lot to take in. Someone helped me out when I was learning about – well – myself and my magic.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “You have magic too?”

  “Yeah,” he said, but didn’t volunteer any further information. “I’m glad I can help a kid like me out now.”

  Kid? Something about Thai thinking of her as a child stung a little. Then, feeling a bit ungrateful, she replied, “Well, thank you. I’m really excited for this trip.”

  “Yeah, about that. We’re really going to need your doctor to give all of this his okay, or it’s never going to happen.”

  “He’s thinking about it. I’ll try to talk to him again. I think it will help that I’ve got proof that you’re not just a hallucination.”

  “Something about me doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in authority, you know? So it’s up to you to convince them that I’m a good guy and that you’re well enough to travel.” She nodded, and Thai’s forehead wrinkled in thought. “You are well enough, right?”

  “Don’t worry. I’m doing much better.”

  “Good. Now, let’s talk about some ground rules.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “It’s my job to make sure you get to the Globe in one piece. We don’t know each other well, and I want to be certain we’re on the same page in terms of expectations. First of all, what I say goes.”

  She did her best to laugh as disdainfully as possible. “You know I’m fifteen, right? I’m not a little kid who needs my hand held when I cross the street. I’ve been looking out for myself practically my whole life.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You have no idea of the danger that could be lurking out there. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly and we’ll get you to the launch site with no problems. But I also know that some pretty insane stuff can happen that you’d never expect. I’m not used to looking after anyone but myself. I need to know that if I tell you to do something, you’ll do it. If anything goes wrong on this trip, listening to me could save your life.”

  “All right, Thai. You’re doing me the favor here, so I’ll play by your rules. Once I’m on the Globe, I’ll be on my own anyway. So consider yourself the boss.”

  Thai didn’t look like he exactly liked being the ‘boss,’ but he nodded. “Good. If you need to get a message to me, tell Cyrus. You work on your doctor, and I’ll talk to child services again. Let’s get you out of this place.”

  All afternoon, Valerie wandered the halls, searching for Dr. Freeman to try to persuade him to help her again. After awhile her energy began to fade and she headed back to her room. She paused outside the door, hearing a muffled crying coming from inside. She opened the door and found Jeremiah, the 8-year-old with leukemia who slept in the bed next to hers. She knew that he’d had a round of radiation to treat his cancer that morning. His mother was a single mom who had to work during the day, so she wouldn’t be back for a few hours.

  “Hi, Peanut.” At the sound of her voice Jeremiah covered his face, not wanting to be caught crying. She pretended not to notice as he wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. “I wanted to check to see if everyone liked your Halloween costume. You looked like a real pirate!”

  He smiled. “Yeah, my mom didn’t recognize me for a second. And my brother brought me black stuff to put on my tooth so it looked like it was missing,” he exclaimed. He was tired, but excited to tell her about how much candy he collected and what everyone thought of his costume.

  She listened to his chatter, watching his eyes droop. Right before he fell asleep, she took his hand and held it. He smiled as he drifted to sleep.

  Feeling eyes on her back, Valerie turned around. Dr. Freeman was standing in the doorway watching her, looking a little sad. “I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve gone to check on my patients and found you comforting them. I’ll miss that,” he said.

  “You mean I can go?”

  Quietly, he took a chair and placed it next to hers. “Yes. I met Thai today and then gave my approval to child services.”

  “Thank you so much,” she whispered earnestly.

  “No, don’t thank me. You’re something of a favorite around this hospital, Ms. Diaz. You’ve taken care of a lot of people here, and we’re going to miss you. But it’s time for you to have some experiences that are as exciting as those stories you’re always telling the kids.”

  “Believe me, I will.”

  He stood to leave. “Goodbye, Valerie.”

  Her throat closed up and it took her a moment before she could reply. “Good bye, Dr. Freeman. I’ll miss you too.”

  That night, Valerie went to the roof. She needed to talk to Cyrus. It drizzled slightly, but she wasn’t in a rush to call him. Instead, she pictured every beloved face in the building below her. She remembered friends who had shared so many fun and painful experiences with her. Several of them had passed away, like Katelyn, who had spent hours playing cops and robbers with her all over the hospital. Valerie tried to picture her face, but it was like seeing it underwater – all kind of blurry now.

  The building below held a world of memories and a life that she had built for herself. She was ready to go, but it wasn’t going to be without sadness for all the familiar faces she would never see again. Would anyone really remember her? Would Dr. Freeman think of her after she had gone, or would she be nothing more than an unusual medical case that he had never solved? Would Valerie Diaz’ face become a blur for everyone she had known, as their lives went on without her?

  Though she couldn’t see him, she sensed that Cyrus was there. At least one person cared enough not to forget her. She turned around, and he stood glowing in the night, the excitement visible on his face.

  “How did you know I was here?”

  “I can sort of feel when you’re around. Like a tingle in my mind.”

  “You look sad. Don’t you want to come to the Globe?”

  “I do. I guess I realized for the first time that there will be people on Earth that I’ll miss.”

  “You won’t be alone, you know. I’ll be with you for the entire trip. And then you’ll be on the Globe, and I’ll be by your side for real.”

  As she tried to imagine the possibilities of her new life, Valerie let her little flame of hope grow, and her sadness melted away. She felt a door open inside her, and she couldn’t wait to step through.

  Two days later, Valerie packed everything she owned into her backpack, which wasn’t much more than some clothes, a toothbrush, and the one keepsake she had from her grandmother – a faded old book titled The Legend of King Arthur. It was fi
nally time to go. It took hours to say goodbye to all of the hospital staff and children. Some cried, but most were happy for her.

  She visited Ming last. “I’m going away to get better, like I told you I would,” she whispered.

  “You won’t forget about me, will you Valerie? Someday will you come back and tell me about your magical world?”

  “It might take awhile, but I’ll find a way. But until then, will you keep this for me?” She asked, giving Ming Mr. Hopsalot, whom she had carried with her since her first Christmas in the hospital. Ming loved to stroke his long ears, and she took it without a word.

  They hugged tightly. Ming finally let go, and her mother scooped her up. Valerie blew her a last kiss and then took the elevator down to the lobby.

  Thai waited for her, and together they pushed the doors of the hospital open. A cool, fresh breeze lifted Valerie’s hair off her neck, and everything suddenly smelled amazing. She stepped into the light and a thrill sizzled through her entire body. The world shone brightly before her, full of possibility.

  Chapter Four

  Thai walked purposefully down the sidewalk, his eyes sweeping the dingy streets for any sign of danger. Valerie, too absorbed in her new freedom, didn’t even think to ask where they were going. Before she knew it, they were on the open air platform at the MacArthur BART train station, and Thai was opening one of the lockers lining the walls.

  “I rented this locker so I didn’t have to lug our stuff all over Oakland. I figure that would look more than a little suspicious to child services.”

  “Our stuff?” she asked, confused. The locker popped open, and he pulled out two large hiking packs, handing one to her.

  “You’ll need this. Dump all your stuff in here. We need to travel light. Almost everything we’ll need for the trip is in these two bags, so don’t let it out of your sight.”

  Valerie peeked inside and saw that Thai wasn’t kidding. He’d packed everything from a lightweight sleeping bag to what looked like an extremely fancy, technical pair of sunglasses covered in buttons and dials. She pulled the glasses out and started to try them on.