“I’m hungry.” Came out of his mouth without him even thinking about it. Tommy looked at him as if he was insane.
“Well, I am!” He protested as if Tommy had said something. “Stop looking at me like that.”
Just then they began to move again.
“Where are we going?” he whispered. Tommy gave one of his looks. “How am I supposed to know?”
“I’m scared,” Gary said.
“Yeah,” Tommy responded. In a tone, Gary didn’t know was supportive or agreement or something else.
“Yeah!?” Gary burst out. “Yeah? Is that all you can say? Yeah, we’re about to be eaten by… by I don’t know what, all you can say is yeah?” Gary realized how panicked he must sound but he didn’t really care. It would be nice if Tommy showed some emotion. Now he understood the meaning of, Misery Loves Company.
“yeah!” Tommy said quietly. “I think we are almost there.”
“There?” Gary said “There? Where is there? What are you talking about?”
“Listen,” Tommy said.
Gary didn’t want to listen. To tell the truth, Tommy didn’t have to tell him, to listen. He had heard the noises around them getting louder and louder. Some kind of chittering, like millions of insect wings. He couldn’t think, how he could be more afraid. Suddenly all the noise stopped.
The batteries in Tommy’s flashlight had dwindled down to almost nothing as they had trudged along the strange path. He could hardly see anything. Then suddenly a creature out of some nightmare, stepped toward him smacking its deformed lips, making some horrendous noise.
“It says, steps aside,” a voice that sounded like Marcy said, out of the darkness.
“It says?” Gary responded to the disembodied voice, trying not to show his panic and disgust. “You know what it says?”
The creature stepped past him and reached out its hand gently touching the pillar Gary had backed up against. He shuddered as it almost touched him, suddenly the cave burst into light and they were surrounded. There were hundreds of them, all shapes and sizes, not one looking like the other. It was amazing to see. Every creature from every nightmare he had ever had, had come to life there before his eyes. He didn't know whether to cry, or run or just scream. He was too shocked to do any of those things.
And the strangest of all Marcy stood there beside a giant hairy spider thing as if it were some kind of pet. It reached out one leg and gave her an unceremonious shove. Marcy was thrown across the cave and slammed up against Gary. Who was taken completely by surprise, as was Marcy. They tumbled onto the ground in a heap. Marcy was shaking like a leaf Tommy stood beside them, staring at the crowd of creatures. Gary realized, she had broken into fits of uncontrollable crying.
“Are…. Are you ok?” he ventured, but Marcy had a hold of his jacket and was crying into it with all her might.
He didn’t know what to do. She was so beautiful he had secretly had a crush on her for as long as he could remember, but to have her holding on to him like this was a shock.
“Make it stop!” she screeched and rolled away from him holding her head “Make them stop!” she screamed again. Gary and Tommy exchanged confused glances, they neither heard nor saw anything at all but she was definitely in some kind of pain. Gary picked up one of the flashlights like a club and advanced toward the horrible crowd, his fears behind him now
“What are you doing to her!?” he said in his most ferocious voice.
“Yeah!” Tommy said, picking up a large rock. “Whatever the hell you’re doing, stop!” There was a loud chittering from the assembled crowd as the boys advanced the creatures amazingly, began to back up. Marcy was still crying out.
“You better stop it, whatever it is you’re doing!” he said, waving the flashlight menacingly. There was an even louder chittering, and Marcy screamed! That was enough for Tommy. Hurling his rock he knocked a strange crab-like creature right over on its back. There was a strange squealing sound and Gary ran with his makeshift flashlight club at the strange creature that had turned the lights on. He wasn’t afraid now, he didn’t know what was infecting Marcy, but he was sure these creatures had a lot to do with it.
Tommy had picked up more rocks and was slinging them as fast as he could. But suddenly, everything seemed to slow. The rock he had just thrown slid through the air like a stick through water. He could see Gary’s lunge, slow to barely moving. Except for the surprised look on his face as he continued to fall forward like a toppling statue. The creature he had been trying to hit dodged easily. The cave had gone silent.
The stone Tommy had just thrown continued to sail through the air in slow motion. His own thrust forward continued to carry him. He realized too late, he couldn’t control his body, as the ground came slowly toward his face. There was nothing he could do except close his eyes as his nose hit the ground. He heard a woof sound as Gary hit the ground as well. The stone was easily sidestepped by its target.
Marcy had stopped her screaming. Either that or he had gone deaf as there was absolutely no sound… it was like... like when you go too high too fast and your ears pop. Or being under water. Movement was impossible, it was not that he felt he was being held as much as, he didn’t have any limbs. It was a little frightening. Well, actually a lot frightening, he thought as the strange sensation of something coming, became stronger. He was terrified! His skin crawled and there was nothing he could do, he couldn’t even scream.
Marcy lay there in a sweat. Her brain hurt, but the voices had stopped. She moaned and rolled over on the hard-packed ground. Her face was wet with her own tears and her body was shaking uncontrollably. She climbed to her feet only to notice Tommy and Gary laying on the ground in unnatural poses. Almost what a doll would look like if you had posed it, then tossed it on the ground. Tommy’s nose was bleeding and he had a strange look of dread on his face as did Gary.
She stood there a moment and slowly looked up. She was surrounded by them. Everywhere, strange misshapen creatures, but she didn’t fear them. She knew them, she knew every sad, strange story. They were all in her head, though still and silent now waiting. But for what?
The spider creature came toward her slowly stepping over the boys.
“You must come,” it said in her mind. She looked up at the terrible thing that was this creature, but now she was not repulsed. She was sad.
“So many,” she said quietly. “But why? It is so horrible. Please, you can’t let them into my mind, please it is too much.” She felt tears running down her cheeks and she slowly sank to the ground weeping. “Please, I will do anything, don’t let them in my head please.”
The creature stepped closer to her, her step so delicate on the ground, it made no sound at all.
“Come,” the voice in her head said more softly, as a delicate black leg pushed Marcy forward.
“What about my friends?” she asked. “Why are they like that?”
“Come,” the voice repeated.
“NO!” She stepped back. “MY FRIENDS!”
“Please. I think your friends would not want to go where you will go,” It said matter-of-factly.
“Look at them. There is, I assure you, very little pressure being put on them, and they cannot move. I think they cannot come with you.”
“But I don’t want to go anywhere,” Marcy whimpered. “Who are you anyway? What’s your name?!” she blurted out. “I don’t know what to call you.” A strange vision came into her head and even though she struggled, she couldn’t make it out but the word willow was what remained
“Your name is Willow?” She asked uncertainly what the vision had been.
“Willow?” the voice in her head said. Something strange happened in Marcy’s head like someone was rummaging around in her memories. It was dizzying.
Then. “Yes, Willow that will do nicely,” The voice said. “Are you ready?” Willow said
“No, I'm scared. Ready for what? I don't want to go anywhere with you!” Marcy said as they stepped up to a wall of rock.
&
nbsp; “What do you want from me?” She said as all of a sudden she felt herself being pulled toward the stone wall of the cave. Then she was being pulled through the very stone it was surreal. As the rock seemed almost liquid and passed over her body. She couldn’t close her eyes, but there was no harm. She was inside the very wall...
Gary was suddenly alert and jumped to his feet. He had been able to see the strange conversation with Marcy and the sickening creature, from where he lay in the dirt. Lying on the ground, he had seen it touch her and he had struggled with all his might to break free of whatever had him. He cried out in his brain. But nothing came out of his mouth. He barely noticed that Tommy was right behind him struggling as well just as Marcy disappeared through the wall.
Gary breaking free of whatever had held him, threw himself after Marcy and slammed into the stone cave wall. He bounced back in surprise. He had just seen Marcy and the strange spider thing go through there. He ran at it again, swinging his flashlight at the rock-face until it was nothing but pieces in his hand. He looked around the ground for something else to attack the wall with, when he felt a tug on his shoulder. He spun around grabbing Tommy by the shirt and lifting him off the ground.
“What?” he screamed in Tommy’s face. “They got her,” he shouted, shaking Tommy like a rag doll. He tossed Tommy aside “I’ll kill them all!” he shouted as he trudged toward the assembly of creatures but they were gone.
“Come back here you cowards!” he screamed. “What did you do with her?” He fell to his knees shaking. Tommy was shocked at what had just happened, he sat there for a little while, finally got up walked over to Gary.
“Hey! Tough Guy,” he said. “They’re gone.” He sat down beside Gary, who wasn’t shaking quite as much.
“What do you think we should do? Hey man, you got blood all over your face from smashing into that wall.”
Gary looked at him for a moment. Finally, he said in a shaky voice, "Yeah, well you don’t look too good after smashing your ugly mug into the floor either, smart guy.” There was a shift between them, a new relationship was formed.
“We got to get her back man!”
“Yeah, we do.” Tommy agreed. “But for a second there I thought you were going through that stone wall.”
“Yeah,” Gary chuckled a tear was in his eye. “Yeah, I guess I looked pretty stupid hey? Fat guy trying to claw through a stone wall?”
“Well, I didn’t think it was stupid,” Tommy said earnestly. After a moment. “And to be honest, I don’t think them creatures would have been laughing if you coulda’ caught ‘em either.”
He got up and slowly walked over to the wall. Gary watched as Tommy took a sharp rock and put a big “X” where he thought Marcy and the creature had gone through.
“You think that’s the spot?”
“No, I think it should be a little to the left,” Gary said sarcastically. “What are you planning on doing? Scratching through with that rock?”
“No, I was planning on us going and finding our stuff. I seem to remember you mentioning sandwiches. And since you did a real good job of smashing the flashlight, maybe we can find the other one as we don’t know how to turn the lights on if say someone were to turn them off. Then we can come back to this spot and wait… I guess.”
“OH!” Gary said “Good idea, but shouldn’t one of us wait here?”
“Yeah, maybe you're right,” Tommy said, “it could be hard to find our way back. Ok, I’ll go, see you.” With that, he left. Gary sat there for a moment, it suddenly dawned on him he was alone. What if Tommy didn’t make it back? Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he began to shake uncontrollably.
11 Realization
Z
houlin was running through a strange forest, chased by weird misshapen creatures. She wanted to cry out, but had no air left in her lungs. She stumbled and tumbled down, down, down, into the abyss. A strange creature looked down at her. Nothing she had ever seen before. It was like a huge, misshapen spider it hissed in her face. Venom spattering her and stung her delicate skin. She put her arm up to protect herself. A gentle hand pulled her arm away. The beautiful face of a young girl with long yellow hair looked down at her, trying to talk to her in some strange language! The face was ripped away and the spider was there hissing!!
Zhoulin woke up covered in sweat screaming. Everyone in the camp jumped out of their beds. Brother Dog was instantly alert, sword in hand. Uncle Xu crouched with his magic staff stretched out as if to cast some terrible spell. Billy looked around, he was lying on the ground on a mat of boughs and leaves. It took a moment to orient himself. “What?” He said tiredly.
“I had a dream!” Zhoulin said.
“Oh!” Billy said and rolled back over hoping to get some more sleep.
“A dream?” Uncle said. “Tell me child what was this dream about? Sometimes these things can have great importance.”
Billy moaned and tried to curl up in the cloak he was using for a blanket, but the mat of branches on which he lay had become thin under his weight during the night. Twigs were sticking through.
“It was terrible,” she said. “There was a horrific creature chasing me it was... a spider I think, but it was very big and its face was almost human??”
“Where was this?” Said Uncle.
“I am not sure I have never seen such a place before and there was something else it is so hard to remember.”
“Try!” Uncle said. “Anything might be important to our future, even a dream might make some difference”
Billy rolled around on the twig-bed, which was fast becoming just a bunch of flat sticks poking him and probing in uncomfortable ways no matter which way he turned. Pulled the robe up over his head, trying not to hear the conversation. The night sleeping out on the ground had been terrible there were noises everywhere. Even though he was with friends he still felt vulnerable. He’d had another bout of homesickness. He tried to hide it from them, but many nights he lay in his bed in tears.
During the day it wasn’t so bad. His adventurous spirit buoyed him up and there were so many marvelous things to see. He was fully caught up. The structures in the towns where unbelievable. Being a farm boy he knew a lot about building stuff, but he could hardly believe that these people were building and without any nails. Such beautiful buildings, that he could never dream of back home. He was also fascinated by the strange armor and clothing that people wore. But the nights were very hard. It was all dark and strange the constant diet of rice and mystery meat, while novel made him wish for some of Mom’s chicken pie. Or pumpkin pie or even a real sandwich.
“I just remember a thing chasing me…” Zhoulin continued. “But wait. There was a girl.”
“Oh?” Brother Dog said. “Please continue.”
“She had hair like the sun, it was so yellow. I could not believe a human could have such hair!”
“What?” Billy said. Now fully intent on the conversation, as he stumbled to unroll from the cloak. “What else did she look like?”
The rest were surprised by his change of attitude.
“She was beautiful.”
“What color were her eyes?” Billy blurted out.
“I am not sure I think they were blue? Yes, blue like the sky after a summer rain. I was so surprised because the creature was there too, it was like they were connected somehow. I think there were others there as well, people like you,” she hesitated. “But it was a dream, it is fading.”
“Tell me more about this creature,” Uncle said, “before you forget.”
“It was like a huge spider, but it had bits of other creatures mixed in it was horrible! I cannot believe that such a beautiful girl, would be with such a horrid creature!”
“Where were they?” Brother Dog asked. “Try to remember the surroundings, it might be important.”
“They were in a strange forest all dark and cold like stone, like the forest was made of stone.”
“Like a cave?” Billy said.
“Yes... Yes. Like a
strange cave, with huge stone trees, I have never seen such a thing
But as I ran, everywhere I looked were strange creatures it was terrible! But there were, boys as well, young boys, very frightened.”
“And?” Billy said. “What did they look like?”
“I think one was small the other was… fat? The younger was the stronger I think. But it was a blur. I remember nothing more I am sorry. Why are you so interested?”
Billy sat there for a moment and hesitated before he spoke “It sounds like my friends. Marcy has long yellow hair and very blue eyes, my friend Gary is kind of fat and Tommy is small but he is very tough”
“Interesting,” Brother Dog said thoughtfully. “It seems I have heard of such a place. Just a story… a myth, perhaps? But strangely similar to the place you saw.”
“Really?” Uncle said.
“Yes,” Brother Dog continued. “We are a star traveling race and there are many strange things that go on in the universes, many tales to be told but this one tale speaks of a place where Wolver magic is used to experiment on creature’s great and small. A place of foul creatures and weird magics. The legend speaks of a cave of stone trees.”
“Wait a minute!” Billy burst in. “I just remembered something! Remember your battle with the sorcerer when the magic pool blew up? I saw them!”
“What do you mean, you saw them?"
“I did. I saw them in the flash of green light. Marcy and Tommy and Gary they were in the light for just a second. Like there was a big explosion and they were caught in it somehow. But it was just a glimpse I didn’t think anything about it, till now. Thought I was seeing things.”
“This is truly strange.” Brother Dog said “I too saw someone in that instant, but had no idea who they were. Children around your age. Yes, I remember as well. At the little river, these ones came and patted me. If these are the same ones they are in grave danger, my young friend.”
“This is all very confusing,” Zhoulin blurted out. “I don’t understand how one thing is related to the other. It was just a dream.”
The Jewel of Nirune (The Sword of Time Book 1) Page 13
