Ember Rising Light (Book One)

by C.K. Mullinax

  Chapter Twenty Five

  The world was all wrong when I opened my eyes. The sun was positioned too high in the sky – it’s already afternoon. As my eyes adjusted to the sunlight, I realized that I had no idea where I was. I noticed Tray’s heavy sleeping bag was wrapped around me. Then I looked up and saw the rips in the interior of the roof. I must be in the car.

  Horror washed through me as I realized that perhaps I had slept right through a move to another state. The empty space inside my soul continued to burn with an angry fury. A piece of me is still alive, back in North Carolina. I frantically kicked the sleeping bag off of my body. I shoved the car door open in a panic. Then, I fell out onto the gravel with a painful thud. That’s when I saw a pair of small, bright yellow rain boots standing in front of me.

  “OOppss, sorry,” I stammered.

  I looked around and noticed that I was outside of Sunridge Automotive. I immediately felt the urgency fade away.

  Maybe our talk last night had just been a dream…

  I probably would have continued to believe that too except for the fact that my new cell phone was in my pocket as a tangible reminder. I was also still wearing my clothes from last night. Obviously, I had slept the entire school day away. My cell phone displayed it was 2:19 in the afternoon.

  I really need a shower…

  About the time I started to obsess about the need to get clean, I remembered the yellow boots. The little boy wearing them stared down at me with a curious expression.

  “Well, that was fun…” I told him humorously as I stood up, dusting myself off.

  The wind stirred lightly. It was cold enough to send chills up my arms even though I had on five layers of clothes. I opened the driver’s side door, reached inside and found Tray’s winter coat. I pulled it on and suddenly it looked like I had gained fifty pounds.

  “I’m being rude, huh? Sorry ‘bout that, I’m Ember,” I said to the serious faced little boy who was staring at me.

  He didn’t reply right away and I stood there awkwardly. I smiled at him, but he still just stared and said nothing. Unsure of what to do next, I headed inside the garage to find my brother. The little boy followed me closely. I would stop abruptly and he would too. I would start walking again and so would he. I realized interestingly that it was like having a small shadow. Then I had an idea. I turned around and crouched down so I could look into his eyes.

  “My name is Ember – what’s your name?”

  “Boo,” my little shadow replied.

  “That’s a great name, Boo. I’m very happy to know you,” I offered with a warm smile.

  “Ember come,” Boo suggested and then reached out to take my hand – intent on leading me somewhere.

  I hesitated because I didn’t see any adults around. I also needed to let Tray know I was awake. It seems the powers that be had other ideas in mind. The music from the garage filtered through the air and the wind blew with intensity. I looked up at the towering trees and felt that strange ‘draw’ – it was calling out to me.

  The forest whispers my name…

  My feet were firmly planted on the ground, but my spirit remembered the wonderful flight. The inner fire that raged in the empty space inside my soul was kind of cooled by the thought. I needed to follow that memory…

  “Ember come,” Boo interrupted my reverie for one brief second and I finally took the hand he offered – I had to go wherever he was going.

  We walked across the yard to a clearing in the woods. We hiked up a very narrow mountain trail. The rugged terrain didn’t slow us down at all. I had never been on a mountain hike in my entire life. I certainly didn’t have on hiking boots either, but it felt like the wind was helping me along the journey. I was mesmerized by the haunted song of the forest.

  When we reached the top, I could hear water running over rocks. A creek must be nearby. I heard the faint sound of bells in the distance. The music of the forest was calling to my spirit.

  Boo dropped my hand and ran ahead to the edge of the creek. He had obviously been here before because he had a few toys lined up along the bank. They appeared to be waiting for him to come back and play.

  He selected a rubber duck and brought it back to me. It had a shoelace tied around its neck that served as its leash. A small vial of what looked like shiny blue sand was dangling from it. I squinted in an effort to check it out. Then he turned around and held the duck in his cupped hands as he stretched it out in my direction.

  “Ember play…” Boo stated, looked at the duck and then back toward me.

  He was inviting me to play with his cherished toy. My heart melted at the gesture. I walked over and carefully removed the duck from his hands. I stroked the vial and it felt cool to the touch like it was filled with ice.

  “Do you have a name, little duck?” I finally asked.

  “Heaven,” Boo replied softly.

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Heaven the duck…”

  I petted its rubbery head and this gesture thoroughly delighted the little boy. He squealed with excitement and clapped his hands.

  “Boo has given you the perfect home. This is an excellent place for any duck to live,” I spoke to Heaven.

  “Ember, swim…”

  “It’s too cold for people to swim right now. But it’s not too cold for ducks to play in the water.”

  I walked over to the edge of the creek bank. I leaned down and placed the rubber duck on the surface. The vial that dangled from the duck’s leash shimmered with an unbelievable brilliance. I watched Heaven float on the gentle current for a few minutes and then I handed the shoelace leash to him.

  “Heaven likes water.”

  “I do too,” I agreed and continued to watch the duck bob up and down on the miniature waves in the creek.

  The music of the forest seemed to draw closer as the minutes ticked by. I was distracted by the hauntingly beautiful melody. The cold weather was forgotten as I felt my internal fire respond to the forest’s beaconing. I sat down on the creek bank beside Boo and imagined a warm spring day. The celestial light welled up inside me and I allowed it to stream out into the water. I kind of expected to see silvery fog emanate from me, but it didn’t. Only my pure white light flowed from my body.

  I watched in awe as Boo began to shine with a faint blue light. It looked like a halo around his body. His blue light became brighter as the light grew from inside me.

  He held onto the duck’s leash with a tight little fist. My light caused his shadow to grow larger. He extended his free palm out in front of his body and attempted to touch the expanding brightness. I thought my light would retreat from his shiny blue aura. My light however allowed his palm and aura to pass right through it, uninhibited. He squealed in delight again.

  Forgetting all about his duck in the excitement, he dropped the leash. He wanted to touch the growing white/blue light mixture with both hands. Heaven started floating away quickly and I reacted on sheer reflex. I leaned forward and reached out into the water to save the duck from escaping. The brilliant inner light responded to the water by flowing into the ripples. My weight shifted from the swift movement and my hand unexpectedly plunged underneath the water. I managed to grab Heaven as I fell forward when I lost my balance. The rubber duck squeaked before it dove below the shallow surface of the creek.

  The water flowed around my hand – so very icy. Then, I seemed to be frozen in wonder. I continued to hold my hand under the surface and felt the sudden power of the rushing water enter my spirit. I plunged my other hand underneath the water. The light exploded into a hundred sparkling rainbows. They appeared to be rising from the water. We briefly had to close our eyes because they were so brilliant.

  Winter wind lifted my hair and seemed to dance on the surface of the creek water. The frigid air made the rainbows shimmer. The wind whispered my name repeatedly as it brushed by my ears. I realized, incredulously that the air was speaking to me
.

  Perhaps I can control the wind?

  I willed the wind to send the rainbows skyward and suddenly they headed toward the heavens. I silently commanded the wind to bring the rainbows back and it instantly obeyed my order again.

  “Water likes Ember,” Boo informed me happily as I knelt on the creek bank, stunned.

  We were both being blinded by the dazzling, shimmery rainbows when I heard the familiar sound of pure shock come from somewhere behind me. I quickly jerked my hands out of the water and the rainbows disappeared instantly. Mine and Boo’s celestial lights’ vanished just as swiftly. I turned around just in time to see a woman faint and fall to the ground.