by Jamie Magee
Chrispin stayed behind with Olivia. Ashten and my father joined us as we walked back to the string. Landen led us. We were going to use the new paths he’d discovered, avoiding Esterious altogether. Jessica and Hannah held their eyes down, as we walked, their eyes grew tired, and eventually, Marc and Brady carried them as they drifted off to sleep.
Landen found a passage that was on the roof of the only hospital in Franklin. The street lights started to blink yellow, meaning it was past midnight. My father had worked in the hospital for close to twenty years, and he knew everything there was to know about it. He went in to put the girl's names in the computer and assigned them a room. When he returned, he had two beds with him. Brady and Marc laid the girls down, and Ashten went with my father to take them to their rooms.
Taking advantage of the time that they were gone, I walked to the edge of the roof and gazed toward the town. Landen came to my side, smiling as if they were his memories as well.
The walk home was quiet, the mood complacent. No one wanted to comment on what had happened to the girls, or where we’d found them. Talking seemed to confuse the issue more. We made two stops on the way back. One in the Florida Keys to mail Olivia’s letter, and one in New York to mail letters my mother had prepared for her friends that she’d left behind. Sharon’s letter was on top.
Landen and I had agreed to return to Franklin that night while our bodies slept. It would be daylight soon. The girls would be awake, and we could see if forgetting had healed their hearing and voice. Once home, everyone departed to dress for the celebration. My father and Ashten lingered behind the others. Worried glances came from Aubrey as she helped Olivia into the car.
Ashten chose not to resume his lecture, a promise I felt him make Aubrey.
“Now that Willow’s friends are safe, will you stay here?” Ashten asked.
Landen glanced down at me, then to his father. “I won’t make you a promise I can’t keep,” he said
“Landen, this is the only dimension that will protect the both of you,” Ashten said stepping forward failing to hide his frustration.
“What do you mean?” I asked, looking from Ashten to Landen.
“Chara can only be found by those who were born here,” Ashten said, staring at me, hoping I’d be able to convince Landen to stay.
“Then why didn’t you just bring me here when you found me? Drake would never have found me.”
“We didn’t know that until Drake started looking for you. He passed by the passages to Chara blindly,” Ashten said defensively.
I believed him. Landen’s gift of truth was making itself known inside me. I also knew that wasn’t the entire story.
Ashten sighed and walked down the front steps. “Just promise me you won’t ever go to Esterious alone,” he said, looking back at Landen. “We’ll get the star one way or another.”
Landen stared back at him.
My father hugged me. “I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said as he let me go.
Landen and I walked inside our house to get ready for the celebration in town. “Why do you think they’re so worried about that star?” I asked, “Do you think it’s that important?”
“I don’t know. I do know I don’t want Drake to have anything that belongs to you,” Landen said.
“Do you think if we got the star we’d be able to heal my friends?” I asked.
“I do,” he said quietly.
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” I said confidently.
Chapter Fourteen
Astrology is just a finger pointing at reality – Steven Forrest.
Dinner was at sunset. We drove Landen’s black Jeep into town; this was the first time I’d left the area around our home. My eyes widened as I gazed at the lush fields, homes sprinkling the horizon. None of them looked the same, a unique personality accompanying each of them. The outline of the town was coming into view on the horizon; from where we were, it looked broader than Franklin.
Landen parked on one of the side streets. The roads were cobblestone, the buildings were crafted uniquely, with light colors and wood framework. Each stoop had beautiful flowers sitting on it. The town was full of people, each of them beautifully original; their skin was as dark as night, yet their eyes were a crystal blue. Others would be as light as snow and every shade in between; the one common factor was the peace you could feel emanating from them.
Along the streets, banners stretched across with our names written in a beautiful script. My parents, Dane and Clarissa, had banners as well. Lights reached out from building to building, giving the street a picturesque canopy. Music played throughout the town. Children ran through the streets dressed in beautiful bright colors. Their laughter energized us as we walked by.
The atmosphere was electric. It reminded me of how a full concert would be at home. Some were braver than others, stopping and shaking hands with Landen and me, others would only bow their heads, with a sweet smile. Landen introduced me to several couples he’d carried home. I met well over thirty of them in a one-block radius; the pride of having known him was overwhelming around them.
As we neared the center of town, large tables with white cloths lined the streets, and beautiful candles surrounded by roses set the centerpieces. The center of the city was transformed into a dance floor, and the band played a beautiful melody.
A path was made for us as we crossed the dance floor, and as Landen swirled me into the center of everyone, applause erupted. He caught me in my spin and pulled me to him, kissing me softly for the world to see. The crowd grew louder, their energy rushing through us. We lost ourselves inside each other’s eyes, dancing to song after song.
The impatience of our favorite little girl, Libby, caught our attention. We went to the other side where we could see our family sitting around a large U-shaped table; others that I hadn’t met sat amongst them.
We took our place near the center, next to my parents, Dane and Clarissa. Landen, with Libby in his lap, sat next to my father. Rose was to my right, Karsten to her side. I watched as they stood and greeted another older couple. A small crowd lingered around them, causing me to lose my stare. Desperate to regain it, I adjusted my seat. The man’s skin was dark, his hair was short and white, and his eyes were as pale as clear water. The woman was small with long black curly hair, her eyes were as black as coal, and I could feel their admiration. Feeling my stare, the man turned to me and smiled as he bowed his head.
“Landen, who is that next to Karsten?”
Landen looked up from his quiet conversation with my father to follow my gaze. He hadn’t noticed them before, once he did, I could sense respect, joy, and love coming from Landen. He stood, putting Libby on my father’s lap, and pulled me up with him.
“That is my grandfather, August, and my grandmother, Nyla. They’re home.”
I followed Landen as he stepped closer. His grandfather rose as he saw us approach his grandmother followed. Landen all but threw himself into his grandfather’s arms; it was easy to see that he was closer to his grandfather than he was to Ashten.
“Willow, this is August and Nyla, my grandparents,” Landen said, formally introducing me to them. They pulled me into their welcome hugs.
“I’m proud of you,” August said to Landen as he looked at me again. “We’ve been trying to get home for days. The storms were difficult where we were...they haven’t been giving you a hard time, now have they?”
“They’re silent,” Landen said in a frustrated tone as he pulled me closer, smiling down at me.
“I imagine that they are,” August said, laughing at Landen. “I spoke with your father. You’ve certainly humbled him.”
“Not intentionally,” responded Landen.
“I left something for you at your house. You were already gone when we stopped by,” August said.
Landen tilted his head curiously. August leaned in closer and whispered something to Landen, ending the conversation.
Couples filled the dance floor as dinner ended, and on
e had my full attention: Olivia and Chrispin; they seemed to glide across the floor. The smile on Olivia’s face overshadowed her recent blindness, and no one dared to try and divide them. Landen and I were separated unintentionally. His grandfather, Brady, and others who names I had forgotten surrounded him.
I nestled next to Rose as the conversations blossomed around us. I felt safe next to her and understood. The uncomfortable separation brought Landen back to me; his followers were close behind.
Across the street, I watched as Libby and an older woman were talking. Libby then followed her into the store that they were standing in front of, almost certainly convincing the woman to give her a special treat. My eyes were growing heavy. Our day had been long and arduous. I laid my head on Landen’s shoulder as he listened to one of August’s stories of recent travels.
Kissing the top of my head, he thought, “You’re not leaving me, are you?”
Before I could protest his thoughts, I felt Libby crawl across my lap and onto Landen’s.
“Willow, I have something for you,” she whispered.
“You do?” I said, genuinely surprised.
Libby reached into the pocket on her dress and brought out a small brown bag, trying to hide it from my parents’ view, not caring that she had Landen and Rose’s full attention.
“Tonight when you go see Hannah and Jessica, you’ll need this,” Libby said.
“What will I need it for?” The bag felt as if it were full of sand.
“When you see the mean monkey, throw this in his eyes, and he’ll go away and not hurt you.”
Landen reached for the bag and casually slid it into his pocket before anyone else noticed the exchange.
“What is it, sweetie?” asked Rose.
“Garlic salt,” Libby said, covering her lips to let Rose know it was a secret.
The feeling of certainty coming from Libby was frightening. A mean monkey—what did she mean? A little girl with ivory skin and liquid blue eyes came over, beckoning Libby to play with her. Libby hugged me tightly and said, “Don’t be scared. I’ve protected you.”
As she ran across the dance floor, my heart sank. We had no power to protect her from what she saw; defenseless, she would witness the battle before it came to be.
The dread was coming from Landen as well, but we were both thankful that whatever we faced tonight would be mild. Libby had no fear; her certainty still lingered around us.
The celebration went on. Not wanting to appear ungrateful for the companionship, we stayed, half-heartedly listening to the many tales around us. As the moon shifted, everyone’s eyes seem to grow weary, and one-by-one the town began to empty of people. Hoping we’d served our purpose, Landen excused us.
Libby had fallen asleep in my mother’s lap, and I hugged and kissed them both good night. Landen hugged August and Nyla. I looked for Rose, but I couldn’t find her. My father made his way to us, and he kissed my forehead, telling me goodbye.
When we reached Landen’s Jeep, we saw Rose leaning against the side of it, waiting for us to get to her. She hesitated as a group of people passed by before she spoke.
“I know the last thing you want is someone else telling you what to do. That’s not my intent, but I implore you to please tell me when you leave tonight,” Rose said.
We weren’t concerned with the ‘monkeys’ we were supposed to see that night, simply because Libby had no fear when she’d told us, assuring us we had no reason to be afraid. Rose’s concern, though, was shaking the solid ground on which we stood. Our pause gave her reason to explain further. “If you’re gone too long, or if you’re afraid, I want to try and wake you. That monkey could be anywhere between here and those girls, and waking you might keep you safe.”
Hearing her conclusion, we nodded slowly with eyes wide open, realizing the danger that she feared for the first time.
Rose’s calm returned to her.
Landen was looking up the street, watching Ashten and his mother leave, waving bye to them.
“Willow, I think we should tell your father, his insight would make what Rose wants to do more efficient.”
Looking now at Rose, Landen laid out a plan for her. “We’re going to tell Jason so he can help you watch us. After we fall asleep, we’ll come to the two of you before we leave.”
The conversation halted as Karsten and my parents approached. Rose coaxed my mother into letting her and Karsten take her and Libby home; sensing that I needed my father, she went hastily.
Landen opened the passenger door of the Jeep for my dad to get in. Looking confused, he complied. I then climbed in the back, and we drove off to a more private place. Landen and my father talked casually about the celebration, August, and others that had come from so far to see all of us.
The lights of the town faded; now only the stars and moon, which was growing fuller each night, showed the way. We stopped at the edge of the driveway that led to my father’s house, and Landen and I got out.
My dad made his way out, confusion coursing through him. I nodded in Landen’s direction, encouraging him to start. He cleared his throat and said, “Jason, we need you to do us a favor.” My father nodded, agreeing before he even knew what we wanted him to do. “Willow and I can control where we go when we sleep, and tonight we’re going to see if the herb healed Hannah and Jessica.”
“You can control it?”
“We taught ourselves last night,” Landen said.
“We came to see you,” I added.
My father glanced at me. “Did you change my emotion?”
I nodded. I felt my father’s amazement, mixed with pride.
“Jason, Libby told us we’d see mean monkeys tonight. She gave us garlic salt and said to throw it in their eyes. Rose wants to wake us if we’re scared. You’d be able to see if we were hurt,” Landen said.
“How would my mother know if you were afraid?” my father asked, shaking his head, trying to understand what we were saying.
I glanced at Landen, and he looked back at me; we’d both forgotten that Rose had kept her insight a secret.
“She has the gift of emotion, too,” I said, putting my hand on my father’s shoulder. “She said her dad told her that she should keep it to herself if she wanted to help people.”
My father nodded. I felt his understanding.
“If you know there’s going to be a danger, why are you going?”
“It’s just a precaution. Libby’s not afraid of what we’re going to see. Tonight will serve as a test. If we have enough control over this, maybe we’ll be able to get the star back without putting anyone in danger,” Landen explained.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go into Esterious without your bodies. I’m more than sure that they’d be able to hurt you.”
“How do you know that?” I asked, looking for more answers.
“The priests were able to put Drake in that state. They’d know how to hinder you,” my father explained. He looked glanced between Landen and me. “How are you going to contact me? Should I stay at your house?”
“We’ll stop here before we leave, try and get some rest,” Landen answered.
“I’m going to get Rose to stay with us, so you only have to stop at one place. I’d think you’d be stronger just as you left…don’t use all your energy finding us.”
We agreed with my father. Landen drove him to his front door, then took us home.
Walking in our home, we almost looked over the small package lying just inside on the floor. August had told Landen that he’d left something for us. I reached down for the box. I was excited to see what was in it.
“Do you know what it is? What did August whisper to you?” I asked, handing it to Landen.
“He said it would keep us both safe.”
When Landen opened the small brown box, something fell and hit the hardwood floor. It was two silver rings, which began circling in place. When they stopped, I reached down and grabbed them.
They were quite heavy for being s
o small. Within the band of the rings, an eye was inscribed. Two long lashes stretched out from the bottom, and seven gold lines made a border along the base of the eye. Landen glided the smaller ring on my left hand, and I slid the larger one on his. As if they’d found their rightful place, the rings tingled our fingers upon the first touch, and the silver seemed to brighten.
I slid the ring off again to look at the inscription; as I did, the silver dulled and the tingle left my hand in protest.
“Do you know what this means?” I asked, counting the seven gold lines. I’d seen this before—the night I picked out my tattoo. It was the eye of RA, and it meant “protection.” My ankh stood for “eternal life.” I reasoned that if I had eternal life, I wouldn’t need protection—that’s why I chose the ankh.
“August told me a lot of stories. If I remember correctly, I think it’s a watchful eye. I don’t remember what culture or dimension he was referring to when he described it, though.”
“Well, if it’s the same as my tattoo, it came from Infante. It’s Egyptian,” I said, looking at my wrist and the uninvited star inside my loop.
“Egyptians, as you call them, are in a lot of dimensions and are a very advanced people,” Landen said, sliding the ring on my finger again. The tingle came as the shine returned. “They’re the only other people that we’ve discovered exploring the strings. They’ve settled across many dimensions.”
“Seriously?” I asked, thinking he was just teasing me.
Smiling, he answered, “The string is energy. In theory, everyone should be able to see it. People have the power to change their perspective. They just get caught up in an endless cycle of foolish things that don’t matter.”
I looked down at my olive skin, matching my tone to Landen’s and wondering if that culture was a part of me.
“Do you know what my tattoo means?” I asked Landen.
He smiled. “‘Eternal life.’ I remember when you got it. I thought you were trying to tell me something,” he said, tracing the cross while avoiding the star in the loop.
“I think I was trying to tell myself something that I’d find you in this life or the next,” I said, looking up at him and smiling shyly.
