Destined

by Sophia Sharp

  She looked across to the other side. With regret, she realized it was too far for her to jump. There was no way she could make it. There was just not enough room to run up to it, and with the way the ceiling sloped downwards, it would be impossible to get enough air to get to the other side. The feeling of frustration in the pit of her stomach intensified, and she pushed it down again.

  She turned around. Two paths were blocked, with only one left. What would she do if that one was also in the same condition? No. She did not want to let her mind start playing those games with her, not until she had been down the final path. Been down the final path, and seen herself where it led. She prayed it would be unobstructed.

  Backtracking to the fork, she started down the third, final path. She walked slowly, at first, as a feeling of dread over what she might find crept up in the back of her mind. But she passed the first hundred meters without finding anything. Then the next hundred. Then the next. The dread slowly evaporated, and she started to run. This way was not blocked! She ran faster.

  All of a sudden, an uneasy feeling washed over her. She stopped abruptly and stood completely still, listening. She heard nothing. She began taking another step forward, but right then felt a… a type of resonance. Pushing weakly against her. Pushing her backwards. It was a strange feeling, sort of like the resistance one might feel when pushing two magnets of the same polarities together.

  She took a step forward, expecting the resonance to increase in strength, but instead, it stayed the same. She looked around carefully, wondering what might be causing it. But all she could see was the outer layer of rock. She took another step forward, and again, the resonance stayed the same.

  She continued on, more cautiously this time, tuning her body to feel for any shifts in the resonance. She didn’t know what she would do if it got stronger, but she knew she at least needed to be aware of it. Thankfully – or perhaps not, she didn’t know – the resonance remained the same.

  She walked straight ahead. Unlike the last path that twisted and turned, this one was cut like a straight line right into the stone. She continued on, walking deeper and deeper into the mines. All of a sudden, her eyes picked up a massive shape in the distance, and she instinctively she dropped down, flat on her stomach.

  She watched alertly, and waited for her eyes to adjust. The shape didn’t move. It was more of a shadow, really, although it was really big. Massively big. Big enough to take up the whole circumference of the tunnel.

  She crept forward slowly… and instantly felt the fool when she realized it was just another pile of rocks. Another pile of rocks? She leapt forward, panicking. If it was another pile of rocks, it meant the way was blocked, which meant…

  She ran up to them, scanning the entire pile from bottom to top – and relaxed. Luckily for her, not enough had fallen to block the path completely. There, at the very top, was a small space. It was tight, but she thought she could push herself through.

  Laura scrambled up the pile of rocks. Some shifted uneasily under her weight, but she ignored that. She had eyes and mind only on one objective: getting to the other side.

  She reached the top fairly quickly, pushing herself up against the rocks. And she saw her estimate had been right. The hole at the top was just big enough to make it through. Lying down on her stomach again, she squeezed into the slit between the top of the pile and the ceiling. When she came up to the other side, her jaw dropped.

  Chapter Twenty

  ~An Unexpected Finding~

  Built into the far rock wall was an enormous circular stone structure. A giant doorway. It looked like one of those entrances to a bank vault, except two, maybe three times larger. It was made of smooth stone, and was decorated with thousands of intricate little carvings, like an ancient Mayan calendar. But that wasn’t what shocked her so. No; instead, it was that she recognized some of the symbols on the door.

  Inscriptions ran along the outer edge, and glowed faintly in a fluorescent blue despite there not being any source of light that Laura could see. Their lettering was the same as she’d seen on that white tower with Logan – the same strange script. She wondered what it was. But more importantly, she wondered if the mines extended past this vault door far enough to reach the mushrooms she was searching for.

  She walked up to it cautiously. The resonance was still there, and while it wasn’t growing stronger, Laura felt like she could point to its source. And it was coming from the middle of the stone doorway. Or maybe from the other side.

  Laura ran her fingers against the round stone. To her surprise, she realized that the surface was not only smooth, but it was slick, also.

  She walked to the left edge of the circular door, and then to the right. On this side of the rubble, through the vault door was the only way to go. Either the doorway opened – or she had found another dead end.

  Laura inspected the door closely. Looking at the symbols running on the outer edge, she noticed there was a slight… pattern… to their shapes. Of course, it wasn’t enough to tell her anything, without being able to read the script, but it was interesting to note.

  Suddenly, Laura noticed a tiny gap – the smallest of crevices – running straight down the middle of the stone. She doubted she would have ever noticed it were it not for her augmented vision. But it told her the stone was actually two separate halves; two semicircles put together. Which meant that it could likely be opened.

  But the problem was, she had no idea how. She doubted it would be as easy as pushing the right way against a protruding rock, as she’d so often seen in movies. No mechanism behind the great stone could have lasted this long to make it so easy.

  The backed away, taking the whole thing in again. The vault just stood there, challenging her to go through. Except that she did not know how.

  On a whim, she came up to it and jammed her fingers in the middle crack, trying to pull it apart. It wouldn’t budge. Taking a steadying breath, she tried again, grunting with effort. Again, the thing wouldn’t move.

  There had to be some way to get past it; Laura just knew it. But how? The question clawed at her mind, and she could see no solution.

  In a last ditch effort, she moved from one side of the wall to the other, quickly pressing against every rock that jutted out. Every rock that she could discern. Nothing happened.

  She came to the middle, and put her hands against the smooth, slippery stone. She pushed against it, willing it to open. It didn’t budge. Determinedly, she turned around, putting her back into it and squatting down to gain more leverage. But try as she could, even with her newfound strength, even with the blood of another vampire running through her veins, there was nothing she could do to move the structure.

  No! Desperation crashed through her mind. I have failed him. There was nowhere else to go, and if she couldn’t get through, there was no way to find the fungus that would heal Alexander. She pushed herself up, stepped back, and slammed her shoulder against the stone. Nothing happened. She did it again, and again, and again, each time increasing the distance she took to run up to it, increasing the strength with which she slammed her body against it. Nothing happened. Angrily, she hit it once with her fist, with as much force as she could muster. Open, damn you! Nothing happened.

  Laura fell back down, feely uneasily defeated. She could not get through. And Alexander’s life depended on her getting through. She felt tears start to swell up in her eyes. He had depended on her, and she had failed him. She felt hopeless, and pathetic. It was one easy task – retrieve a simple mushroom – that could save his life, and she could not do it. Despite having all the new powers endowed upon her, despite having superhuman speed and extraordinary strength, despite being able to see in the dark, she could not do the task that was assigned to an ordinary girl.

  She had so much hope, so much desire to see it all work out, and now it all amounted to… nothing. One way was blocked with fallen rock, the other had a gap she could not jump, and this… this had the great stone entrance. An entrance that,
if she knew how, she could be able to open. But she did not, and so she slumped against it, feeling only shame and defeat.

  If this is what it had all come down to, her inability to go deep enough in the mines to find the vital ingredient… well, she may as well stay down here. She felt completely despondent and totally lost. She couldn’t get through, and Alexander would die because of it.

  Suddenly she realized something. Selaine had sent her here – surely that meant she might know about the structure. Maybe she didn’t expect for Laura to find it, or didn’t think it would be the only way of going deeper with the other paths blocked off. But if anybody knew about it, it would be the old woman. It was a small sliver of hope in an uncertain time.

  Laura wiped her face angrily, feeling a new resolve. She shouldn’t let her emotions overcome her like that. Pushing herself up, she started to run.

  She scaled over the pile of rocks, pushed herself through the opening at the top roughly, and slid down the other side. She ran at breakneck speed back up the tunnel, bursting through the rotting planks covering the entrance. She blazed by the belongings she’d brought with her – they didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting back as quickly as she could. She ran for all she was worth. Back to the village, back to Selaine, back to Alexander. Where – if she ran hard enough – she may yet have enough time.

  She ran all the way to Nakusp. While she ran, her mind worked. Where would Selaine be? Could she have already tended to Alexander? Perhaps. But the first place to check, no matter what, would be her shop.

  Laura raced down the now-empty streets through the darkness. Lights lit up a few windows, but most of the homes around her stood empty. Turning a familiar corner, she found herself staring right at Selaine’s shop. And a light, however pale, appeared from the upper window.

  Laura burst through the side door, running right into the shop. She consciously slowed her movement, but still took the stairs three at a time, and ran into the upper room, swinging the door open violently. There, she found Selaine sitting behind her desk, eyeing Laura calmly.

  “You came back fast, girl.”

  “I hitched a ride,” Laura lied.

  “Did you find what you were looking for?”

  “No,” Laura said. “But I found something else. Something you did not tell me of.”

  “Everybody finds what they need underground,” Selaine answered cryptically.

  “What does that mean?” Laura demanded. Then, realizing the most obvious question, added, “Have you seen to Alexander yet?”

  “In such a wild rush,” Selaine said smoothly. “Strange, for a girl to be so out of breath if she hitched a ride to town.”

  Laura didn’t have time for the riddles. Why couldn’t Selaine just give a straight answer? “I want to know about Alexander. Have you tended to him?”

  Selaine smiled. “Always so independent, as well. No regard for her elders. Not even a simple ‘hello’, or ‘how are you.’”

  Laura walked up to the desk. “Look,” she said heatedly, “you promised you would take care of him while I was away. Have you had time to prepare the herbs, or not?”

  Selaine reached under her desk, and pulled out a small glass flask. Inside was a small amount of a thick dark brown liquid. The flask was held closed by a cork stopper. “I have what you need, Laura,” Selaine said. “The question is, do you?”

  Laura sighed with relief. At least the herbs had been prepared. She ignored Selaine’s question. “Have you given it to him?”

  Selaine smiled again, and waved the flask in front of Laura’s face. “This is what I have, girl. It is up to you to administer it to your friend. He is in luck, it seems. It was getting late, and I had thought to wait until morning, but with you here, you can give it to him tonight.”

  “You thought to wait?” Laura asked incredulously. “You said he was dying! You said without it he would die!”

  “I said that, yes,” Selaine mused. “But while you were gone, I also took the liberty of visiting your friend once. He is strong, like I said, and has been fighting the poison with all he’s worth. So well, in fact, that I think he may have gained a slight edge. I do not know what did it, but I know that while he was in grave condition before, he is more stable now.”

  “Oh.” Laura relaxed. A bit. “That’s… good.” She reached out to take the flask from Selaine’s hands, but Selaine pulled back.

  “Nuh-uh,” she said provocatively. “I won’t give this to you until you give me what you went to search for. The mushrooms?”

  “Oh. No, I…” she cleared her throat, and continued with a stronger resolve. “I did not find them. But like I said, I found something else. A doorway. Or… something. It was carved with various designs and strange letterings. I tried getting past it, open it, but I couldn’t. I was hoping you might know of it.”

  “A doorway?” Selaine asked, raising and eyebrow. Although she did not sound surprised. “Tell me, was it made of grey stone? Did the surface feel like lacquered tile?”

  “Yes,” Laura nodded. “You do know of it!”

  “It is written in the histories of our tribe that such a place exists. Although… I was not aware it had been discovered in the mines. Foreigners, those who know nothing of the history of the native peoples, were the workers there. They would not have recognized it for what it is.”

  “And what is that?” Laura asked.

  “An ancient archive,” Selaine replied smoothly. “Protected by the spirits of earth and fire. It was put in the care of our ancestors long ago. It is said, in the legends, that powerful beings entrusted the people of this region with the safeguarding of the archive. Entrusted it to the native tribes that called this place home, before the westerners came. But knowledge of it has faded as generations passed. Save for the circle of chiefs of the Inuksuk people, I believe I am the only who would recognize it today. But tell me, child, how did you come across it?”

  “The pathway split,” Laura explained. “There were three tunnels. Down two of them, the way was blocked. I could not get past. It was only once I went down the third, in search of the mushrooms, did I come across it.”

  “The paths were blocked?” Selaine replied, the corners of her eyes tightening.

  “Yes,” Laura said. “The roof had collapsed, in one. And a… a wide fissure developed, in the other. There was no way through.”

  “And the third way… it led to the doorway?”

  “Yes.”

  Selaine leaned back and exhaled deeply. “An unfortunate finding. Without the mushrooms, your friend… he will not survive the week.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ~To Heal Again~

  Laura stepped back in shock. It felt as if she had been fisted hard in her stomach, and all the breath escaped her lungs. She was no fool; she knew in the back of her mind that without the mushrooms Alexander’s fate was already sealed, but hearing Selaine say it out loud made it so much more palatable. So much more real. There was no hiding from the knowledge anymore. She felt trapped within a horrible void; a life-numbing and soul-sucking void of despair and anguish.

  “But the archive,” she began desperately, “you said you know of it! You must know how it operates, how to open it! Tell me, I will go there again!”

  “Calm yourself, Laura. When fate starts you straight in the face, you do not cower in fear. Rather, you welcome it with open arms. And when the time comes… you must be ready to embrace your fate.”

  “How do I get inside?” Laura repeated, not hearing what Selaine was saying.

  “That is a question that has been asked many times.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It means,” Selaine replied calmly, “that the doors are said to open for some, but not for others.”

  “For who?” Laura demanded.

  Selaine spread her hands. “If I knew, I would tell you. But I do not.”

  “So do you…” Laura swallowed, “…do you mean there is no hope for Alexander?”

  “There is
always hope, child, but sometimes it is like a piece of string when you’re drowning. It is simply not enough to get you out by itself.”

  Laura stared at Selaine in disbelief. Was this the end for Alexander? Had she failed him so completely? “What hope is there?” Laura asked despondently. “If the way is blocked, it means you… you cannot make the antidote.”

  Selaine sighed again. “There is nothing for me to say that will ease your worries. And that should not be my intention in either case. But for now, you can give him this.” She pushed the flask across the table to Laura. “Give it to him tonight, and come see me tomorrow. We will recoup then. The herbs I put together – they should ease his suffering greatly. But it is not a cure, only a mask. We will see how long it holds.”

  “Ok,” Laura said. “I will.” If the brown liquid in the small flask was her last string of hope, she would grip it as tightly as she could.

  “Place two drops on the wound,” Selaine instructed, handing Laura the flask, “and give him the rest to swallow. The taste is vile, he may fight when he feels it against his tongue, but you must ensure he gets every drop.”

  “Every drop,” Laura repeated to herself. She turned around, holding on to the small glass bottle as if her life depended on it. She knew that Alexander’s life depended on it. Quickly, she ran down the stairs, and rushed outside. Pushing the door open with one shoulder, she was startled when she came face-to-face with a tall, dark man with shoulder-length hair. He looked just as surprised to see her, hand frozen in place where he had started to reach for the door.

  “Excuse me,” Laura muttered, brushing by. Right away, she could smell him – smell the human essence that breathed life into him and made him whole; the tangy-sweet smell of human blood. It should have called to her, but it didn’t. Her mind was set on getting the remedy in her hands to Alexander as soon as possible.