Up in the Air

by Ann Marie Meyers

  I look at Jackson and Liz; they shrug. Are we supposed to go inside? The guides’ faces are unreadable, the kind of impassive expression that tells me they know exactly what’s about to happen.

  Before we can decide what to do, a baby eagle emerges, flies up to Liz and perches on her left shoulder.

  “The dark is on the outside only because it’s on the inside,” it says in a chiming voice.

  Liz strokes the eagle’s neck. “Whatever you say, little bird.”

  I stare at the opening. A unicorn is in there, too, I just know it.

  A low growl emanates from the hole. Jackson rushes forward and looks inside, but has to back up fast when the large head of a wolf appears. He drops to his knees, opens his arms wide, and the wolf trots up to him.

  “Continue to trust your heart and it will guide you always,” the wolf tells him.

  “I will,” Jackson says softly.

  My turn.

  The tip of a horn appears. It’s followed by a narrow white face with dark blue eyes, a tiny, quivering nose, and the delicate, beautiful body of a baby unicorn. He comes up to me and nuzzles my hand. I bury my face in his neck.

  “Thank you for your sacrifice,” he says in a soft, childlike voice.

  I can’t say a word because something is stuck in my throat.

  “Always remember,” the unicorn says, “sometimes to get the things you want, you have to let them go.”

  “Okay.” I have no idea what he means.

  The unicorn dips his head and flies off. Immediately afterward, the eagle goes “ye-ka-ka-ka” and soars away. With a soft bark, the wolf trots to the river and jumps in with a gentle splash.

  Sara sniffs as she hugs me. “I’m so proud of you. Once, the Guided couldn’t agree to part with their rings and weren’t able to learn what you three just did.”

  “I thought I needed the ring so I wouldn’t be afraid of the dark,” Liz says.

  “Now you know you only need to believe in yourself,” her guide tells her.

  Kevin joins Jackson, who is staring into the darkness.

  “I knew I had to give up my ring, but I didn’t think it would be so hard.” Jackson sighs. “I wanted to show it to my mom.”

  “But, in the end, you did what felt right, and that’s the important thing,” Kevin says.

  “What did the unicorn mean?” I ask Sara. “How can I let go of something I really want?” There’s no way I can stop wanting Dad to walk and dance again.

  “You did let go,” Sara says. “You gave up the ring, which obviously meant a lot to you. And because you did, you helped free three beautiful animals.”

  “But . . .” I have this sudden urge to tell her about Dad. And the accident. And what I did. I’m surprised there are no flower smells from my wings. “Why were they trapped?”

  “They chose to be the ones to teach you what you just learned,” Sara says.

  “What if we hadn’t inserted our rings?” Jackson asks.

  “They would have waited for three Guided who could,” Kevin said.

  “I’m glad it was us,” Liz whispers.

  “Me, too.” I touch my ring finger, which feels empty and cold. Yet I smile when I think of the unicorn soaring through the sky.

  “Well, I hope the flier outpost isn’t far,” Jackson says. “I’m beat. And starving.”

  “Tonight we don’t go anywhere,” Kevin says mysteriously. “Can anyone guess why?”

  “You know we can’t, Kevin, so spill,” Jackson says with a half laugh.

  “Patience. Patience.” Kevin makes a deep bow. “Guided, to honor our presence and your success, tonight we are guests of the merpeople.”

  21

  Confessions

  Kevin leads us to a flat rock, upon which are six oval leaves filled with what looks like seaweed and other greenish stuff I don’t recognize. I’m too tired to do anything but grimace. We each take a leaf and sit in a circle next to the rock

  For the first time since coming to Chimeroan, I’m homesick and can’t stop wondering if my parents can tell the difference between me and the girl who took my place.

  Is this other Melody ashamed of Dad, too? Does she try to fly like I did or can she already fly since she’s from Chimeroan? Can she do the zombie as well as I can? She should zombie Natasha and Wendy every day at school. Have she and the other Andrew become friends?

  I think of the Andrew I know, the one who is an elf. Hopefully he doesn’t stay on Chimeroan forever.

  “Why didn’t the merpeople wait to meet us?” I ask.

  “They don’t like to interact with land folk,” Kevin says. “I rescued a mergirl when I was training to be a guide, and we became friends. I contacted her as soon as we arrived here.”

  He points at his left ear and I notice a tiny black earring for the first time.

  “This gives me direct access to the Princess for services rendered,” he says.

  “Hold on there a second, Kevin,” Jackson says. “You rescued a princess?”

  “They made me an honorary mer, which is short for—”

  Jackson raises both hands. “I know what it’s short for. So, how did you rescue her?”

  We all stare at Kevin. I munch on something that tastes like chicken, though I have no idea where merpeople would keep chickens in the middle of a river. There aren’t any on this island.

  Kevin sighs. “I can’t tell you what happened because I made a promise.”

  “Are you surprised to hear that, Melody? Liz?” Jackson asks. ”Sometimes talking to my guide is the same as trying to get water out of a stone.”

  “Sara is the same,” I say.

  “So is Rhonda.” Liz points at her guide.

  “How is the food, Melody?” Kevin asks.

  He looks at me funny, and I guess he wants to change the subject. “Good. Is it chicken?”

  Kevin’s lips twitch. “It’s snake.”

  I choke, but it’s too late. The slimy meat slithers down my throat. I grab my neck with one hand, my stomach with the other.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jackson says. “You liked it before you knew what it was, and now . . . Girl, you’re something else.”

  I zombie Kevin, and am about to zombie Sara for not warning me, when Jackson bursts out laughing. So does Kevin. Liz. Sara. Everyone.

  I’ve lost my touch!

  Jackson stomps on the grass with his feet. “How’s that snake doing in your tummy, girl?” Some food is stuck between his two front teeth.

  I wait for the anger, so I can yell and throw the rest of this disgusting slimy snake at him. Except, he looks so funny. “Be careful or I’ll turn into Snakegirl. Ssssss.”

  “Ha, ha, ha!” Jackson roars, dreadlocks slapping against his face.

  “Your hair looks like, sssssnakes, too,” I say, wiping my eyes. This makes Jackson crack up even more. “What’s this?” I point to the other food on the branch plate.

  “Algae, moss, clams. Stuff like that,” Sara says.

  No one moves and I know they’re waiting for my reaction. I don’t like clams, but everything else looks like salad. I pick up a clump of algae or moss between my fingers and stuff my face. “Deeeeelicious.”

  That sends everyone off again. It’s the best dinner I’ve had in a long time, and not just the food.

  Afterward, we freshen up in the cool river water, girls on one side and boys on the other. Good thing it’s dark and no one can see my bruises. Sara, Liz, and Rhonda dive and splash about, making so much noise I’m sure they’re scaring the fish away. I take a quick dip and put on my pajamas, glad they’re too busy to pay attention to me.

  After we wash our flier outfits in the water and put them on some rocks to dry, we gather around the fire Kevin started and relax on the same spot where we ate.

  “Are there any Exit Points close by?” I try not to yawn. No use.

  “I’m not sure,” Sara says

  “She doesn’t know,” I say, rolling my eyes.

  “Let me explain,”
Sara says. “Even though we’re guides, we aren’t aware of all the Exit Points. I mean, I’d never before noticed the Snake Exit Point, Melody.”

  “So, people will see different ones depending on what their issues are, right?” Jackson asks.

  “That’s right, my man,” Kevin says.

  “I deserve a star,” Jackson says, hi-fiving the air. “So, Melody and Liz, were your first clues difficult?”

  “Mine made no sense at all, but I knew where I had to go,” Liz says.

  “Where?” Jackson asks.

  “To the mountain we saw from the first flier outpost.”

  “What was your clue?” I ask.

  Liz gazes into the fire:

  It’s a question of fear,

  Or is it love?

  Or maybe it’s about both in one.

  We all laugh, the guides the hardest.

  “Greenbay made this whistling sound when I looked at the mountain,” Liz says.

  “Greenbay?” I say before I can stop myself.

  “Her wings, silly,” Jackson says. “Don’t tell me you haven’t found out the name of yours yet.”

  “No.” I look him straight in the face. “Do you have a problem with that?”

  “Me? Never, Snakegirl.”

  I hiss at him and stick out my tongue. But I can’t keep my lips from stretching into a huge, wide grin.

  “Do you want to hear what happened or not?” Liz asks.

  “Yes,” we all shout.

  “Good.” Liz cradles her knees. “I had almost reached the mountain when I saw an eagle crash into it and land on a ledge. Then, it disappeared. Claudine and her guide turned up soon after. They’d seen the whole thing, so we went on together and found a cave. Our guides sat outside while we went inside. No need for me to mention it was dark, of course. Anyway, we found the eagle and mended its wing. My ring was behind a rock, and Claudine found this gorgeous diamond watch.”

  Sean found a watch, too. Maybe he’ll meet up with Claudine for his next clue.

  “Well, mine wasn’t as dramatic as that,” Jackson says. “Listen to this:

  Contrary to what you think,

  X does mark the spot;

  Just follow the dots.

  “Same as you, Liz, Drake flapped madly when I looked at the mountain. Soon after we left, we came across an Exit Point, and I knew we had to go through. It led to the sea, but once I got there I had no idea what to do. So, I was flying over the ocean, wondering whether I should have trusted this intuition thing, when I saw an island.

  “Kevin and I sped ahead and it turned out to be a group of islands forming an X. You can imagine how relieved I was. My ring was dead center of the middle island, on top of a rock, waiting for me. Your turn, Melody.”

  I smile.

  Many think we’re horses with horns.

  Find us.

  Liz squeals. “You saw more unicorns? How many?”

  “An entire herd, but at first I didn’t know where to go. Then, I noticed the forest, found the unicorns, and got my ring.”

  Jackson makes a face, his eyes spinning round and round and his tongue sticking out.

  I laugh so much my sides ache. “That was a good one.”

  “Girl, I can tell just by looking at you that there’s much more to your story. Come on, spill.”

  “Yes, Melody. Tell us,” Liz says.

  I’m so relaxed talking to Jackson and Liz, like I’ve known them all my life. My wings hum gently and send me the sweet scent of daffodils.

  An image of Mom gardening, Dad staring at his legs in frustration.

  “A leprechaun came down a rainbow to get his pot of gold. But hoarders got there first. They were ugly and smelly and their spit is poison. They spat on Patrick O’Hara, that’s the leprechaun. I distracted them while Sara snuck up and grabbed the pot of gold and gave it back to Patrick. A leprechaun’s treasure is magic and he used a ruby to scare the hoarders off. He gave me a jewel for saving his life.”

  “Whoa.” Jackson whistles. “Now that’s a story. And you wanted to keep it a secret? Girl, you’re something else.”

  I give him a thumbs-up.

  “Where’s the jewel?” Liz asks.

  I pull it from my pajama pocket and pass it around.

  “Man, this is freezing,” Jackson says.

  “To me it’s warm,” I say. “Patrick healed me with it. Oh, the hoarders spat on me, too. And this morning we found more hoarders. They captured a good witch and we went to help. Then a bunch of bad witches called Jibber Jabbers came and put a spell on Sara and me, but the elves rescued us. I met a boy from my school back home. He’s an elf. Okay, that’s it.”

  I try not to think about Andrew staying here and not going back home.

  Jackson whistles again.

  “And I thought my trip was exciting,” Liz says. “I-I have a confession to make. Something else happened. Not even you know, Rhonda.” She bites her lip. “When I was in the cave, and it was completely dark, I lost Claudine. I shouted her name and she didn’t answer. Later, she said she didn’t hear me.

  “I remembered something that happened when I was three or four. I got locked in the closet for hours. I screamed but no one heard me. My mom thought I was with Dad, and Dad thought I was with Mom. Strange, I’d forgotten about that until then. It feels good talking about it. That’s when I found out Greenbay’s name.”

  The scent of roses surrounds me, and before I’m aware of what I’m doing, I start talking. “When I was five there was an accident.” The words spill out. “My dad was driving and I distracted him. He ran into a car and became paralyzed. He can’t dance anymore.” I’m trembling.

  “Gee, that’s too bad,” Jackson says.

  “My mom stopped dancing, too, and she eats like a pig ’cause she’s so sad.” My voice breaks, and I have to clear my throat before I can speak again. Dad always gave Mom a bouquet of roses before a performance. “There was blood everywhere, and it smelled so awful, and my hands were sticky, and Dad wasn’t moving, and it was raining. A man in the other car got killed.”

  Sara comes over and sits next to me. “I’m sorry, Melody. I had no idea. You know, it wasn’t your fault.”

  I jump to my feet. “You’re wrong. It was my fault, don’t you see? I came out of my booster ’cause I was mad at Dad. Because of me, he took his eyes off the road. Because of me, he ran into the other car. Because of me, the accident happened, and because of me, that man died. I killed him. Me!”

  “No, you did not kill anyone,” Sara says.

  “I did.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  “Every person is responsible for his or her own actions,” Kevin says.

  “Don’t you see?” I back away from them. “He said so, and he was right.”

  “Who?” Sara asks.

  “Dad. He denies it now, but when he was on the stretcher, he looked at me and . . .”

  Daddy looks at me, blood all over his face and clothes. “Why, Melody? You know you should stay in your booster. Now you see what you caused? This is your fault.”

  “So you see?” I stare at the stunned faces in front of me. “I should have been paralyzed, not Dad. I should have been scarred for life.” I point at the bruises on my arm, then pull up my pajama pants and show them the scabs on my legs. When they see the one on my stomach, their eyes get even bigger. I touch my face, wishing Patrick O’Hara hadn’t healed the cut.

  “You see all these bruises on my body?” I say. “I deserve every single one of them. Those scars on my dad’s face should be mine. I should be the one in a wheelchair, not Dad. And you want to know something else?” I look at each of them, Liz, Jackson, Sara, Kevin, Rhonda, my eyes wide so they can read every gory detail of what happened. “One day, I’m going to have scars on my face just like Dad, and one day I’ll need a wheelchair, too. And when that happens, Dad will finally be able to forgive me.”

  22

  Dreamstar

  Humming softl
y, my wings envelop me as I lie on the grass and rest my head on my knapsack. I ache all over. The crying must have made my body sore.

  It’s hard to believe how nice everyone was. They hugged me and said they were sorry about my parents. Sara even told me she was sure my dad had already forgiven me, and that I needed to forgive myself. She said I should ask him when I go back home.

  My eyes grow heavy. When they close, I see bright red letters. There’s a D and an R and . . . It’s the word DREAM.

  I open my eyes. I’ve never before seen words when my eyes are shut. I definitely don’t want to dream tonight either. Since coming to Chimeroan, I’ve only had nightmares.

  The moon slips behind a lone cloud and I stare up at the thousands of stars scattered across the sky. Someone’s snoring, probably Jackson. Tomorrow I’ll tease him that he sounds like thunder. Snorforforus Boy, that’s what I’ll call him.

  As hard as I try to keep them open, my eyes get heavy again as I listen to the water gurgle and lap against the pebbles along the riverbank. The same letters are there, stationary this time, along with four others in bright blue: S-T-A-R.

  Dream Star? The two words come together: Dreamstar. What’s a Dreamstar? As I continue to watch, the color of the word changes to a dark blue with white borders, the same color as my wings.

  It’s like a bolt of electricity goes through my body. This is not a word, but a name.

  The name of my wings.

  “Dreamstar,” I whisper.

  Finally, Dreamstar hums.

  “Finally,” I mutter as I drift off to sleep.

  23

  Clue No. 3

  “The third clue is different,” Kevin says after a breakfast that was exactly the same as dinner last night. “Open it when you feel most inclined. But make sure you do so before the sun sets.”

  Jackson slaps his knees, while Liz doubles over in laughter. This is the craziest thing I’ve heard yet. I don’t even bother asking how we’ll know where to go. The guides’ answers won’t help anyway. In spite of this, I grin and place the sealed envelope with my clue inside my pocket next to my leprechaun jewel.