“Hi,” he said.
Kinsey did not reply, but gave him a weak smile.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. You ready for this?”
“I don’t think it matters,” he said.
Kinsey nodded. “Come on,” she said, adjusting her pack. “Let’s go meet the others.”
ix
Seth and Kinsey were the last to arrive at Samuel’s Creek. Crickets chirped rhythmically in the dark night. The others were already there, each burdened by heavy packs.
Not one of them had backed down. Seth nodded, feeling strangely closer to his friends than ever before.
“You made it,” Malcolm said, with relief in his voice.
Seth nodded.
“Hopefully we checked everything twice,” Malcolm said. “We’re in for a long haul.”
“Everyone’s got food?” Albert asked, and they nodded.
Seth noticed they looked the same, the sleeping bags tied to the top of everyone’s pack, resting behind their heads. Albert and Malcolm had tents strapped to their packs, while Albert had fishing poles and something else, Seth noticed, wrapped in a waterproof case.
Albert noticed Seth looking at the case and smiled. “Bang bang,” he said, letting Seth know what was inside.
“Well,” Malcolm said. “I hope everybody had a good dinner. We probably won’t have another one for a long time. Does anyone have anything that’s too heavy? Kinsey? You look a little bogged down.”
“I’ll be fine for the start, but I’ll let you know.”
“Gavin?” Malcolm asked.
The boy shook his head, most of his face hidden behind the cap he wore. He seemed more anxious to go than the rest of them.
Seth could not see the mountains in the dark. A half moon and the stars were the only illumination.
“What about your bike?” Eddie said, looking where Malcolm had set his BMX on the ground.
“Leave it, I guess,” Malcolm said. “I don’t know what else to do.”
“Do you mind?” Albert asked, grabbing the bike.
“No,” Malcolm said. “What do you have in mind?”
“Probably nothing,” he said. He wheeled the BMX to the canal and let it go into the deep, sluggish water.
“Good thinking,” Malcolm said.
“Hate to leave any evidence as to our whereabouts,” Albert said.
The others nodded.
“Well,” Malcolm said. “I guess we’d better get going.”
In the dark, they turned, heading north along Samuel’s Creek. After ten minutes, they found a makeshift bridge someone had placed over the canal. They took turns crossing, then made their way farther into the meadow.
No one spoke for a long time. To Seth, they seemed anything but children, leaving their homes, toys, schoolwork, and comic books behind.
Eager to stay a close-knit group, they stuck together, and headed west.
CHAPTER II
Fatigue settled in early as the night progressed. Stars were visible through dark patches of clouds. With the chill, Seth was already anxious for the morning sun. He’d been restless for most of the day, and wondered if the others felt the same.
Gavin lagged behind, but not far enough where the others lost sight of him. Seth was glad the boy had abandoned his sling, though he held his arm a bit while walking.
Ben was asking a lot, Seth realized. He only hoped it was worth it.
He looked to his companions, sensing their silent resolution.
Crickets chirped in the quiet, surrounding fields.
“So much for a nice, cozy fire,” Albert said.
There was no dry wood around anyway. The surrounding area was endless grass, streams, and copses of trees.
They’d have to go without fires for several days, Seth presumed. The less attention they drew to themselves, the better. Seth wondered what the town would suspect when they found them gone.
This is too much like Sadie, he thought. That’s gonna be the first thing they do, comb the meadows, looking for our dead bodies.
Seth’s pack grew heavier the more he trudged on. Already he was weary. The palace had never seemed so far away as it did then.
“I think we should call him something,” Eddie said.
The others looked at Eddie. Malcolm was farthest ahead, while Gavin lagged behind. The other four remained tightly knit together.
“Call who something?” Albert asked.
“You know, him. We don’t have a name for him.”
“How about Tinkerbell?” Gavin said from the back, and the others laughed.
“Or Mary Poppins?” Albert suggested, and they laughed again.
They were quiet for a minute.
“We should call him the Dragon,” Gavin said.
The others looked back at Gavin, but no one laughed.
“The Dragon,” Malcolm said, nodding. “It’s perfect.”
Seth nodded, too. “It is perfect.”
“Why the Dragon?” Albert asked. “It doesn’t make sense. He’s more like the bogeyman.”
He is not what he appears to be, Seth thought. He is more.
“I like it,” Kinsey said. “What else would you call it?”
“Yeah,” Eddie said, quick to defend her, whether taking Gavin’s side or Kinsey’s, Seth didn’t know.
“A big, scaly, repulsive dragon,” Gavin said.
“But it doesn’t even look like a dragon,” Albert said. “It has no dragon characteristics whatsoever.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Kinsey said.
“Yeah,” Eddie said.
“Looks like you’re out-voted,” Malcolm told Albert, who shrugged, not caring one way or the other.
They grew silent again and continued on. Horses would’ve been a luxury, Seth thought, thinking how—at the rate they were going—it would take them until the end of time to reach the palace.
ii
“Has anybody thought about what we should do if…” Eddie said.
“If what?” Malcolm asked.
“You know…we run into the Dragon?”
Malcolm shrugged. “Maybe Albert can shoot it with his rifle.”
Eddie was obviously looking for a different answer. As they walked, they were quiet.
Kinsey seemed preoccupied, Seth noticed. He wondered what she was thinking. Eddie tried to start a comic book conversation, but it didn’t have the same flair as on the first day of school, and Kinsey wasn’t interested in super-hero talk.
Eddie asked Albert, referring to the rifle:
“Do you know how to use that thing?”
“Of course I do,” Albert said. “I wouldn’t have brought it otherwise.”
“Just be careful with it,” Eddie said, and shuddered. “I hate guns. I feel like we’re hiding from the Russians.”
“We made peace with the Russians a long time ago,” Albert informed him. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Well, we’re hiding from someone, what’s his face…nine-eleven guy.”
“Bin Laden?”
“Yeah. We’re hiding from Bin Laden.”
“Actually he’d be hiding from us. We wouldn’t be hiding from a creep like that.”
“Well, then we’re hiding from Jack the frickin’ Ripper,” Eddie said, losing patience. “Just keep the stupid gun away.”
Albert looked at Seth. “I get the impression the kid doesn’t like guns.”
Eddie rolled his eyes and decided to walk next to Gavin.
“Was it something I said?” Albert asked.
Kinsey smiled at Seth. It was good to see. Things had been serious lately. The light-hearted humor was a relief.
After several hours, the six of them came to a small creek bed by a grove of trees.
“Maybe we should rest for a bit,” Malcolm said, and looked at his watch. “Jeez, it’s three-fifty-five. We’ve been gone almost four hours already.”
“Doesn’t seem like it,” Eddie admitted.
They took off their packs, setting
them on the ground, taking drinks from their canteens.
“Should’ve filled these with Gatorade,” Albert said.
“Gatorade?” Eddie asked.
“Athletes prefer it above all other revitalizing beverages.”
“But we’re not athletes,” Eddie said.
“Never mind, little man,” Albert said, and sat on the ground.
“How long do you think it’ll be before we reach the foothills?” Seth asked.
“More than a day or two,” Malcolm guessed. “If we can get to the hills, it might be harder for them to find us. I just don’t like being out here in the open.”
“Maybe we should rest for a couple of hours?” Seth suggested “So we can go all day tomorrow. We’re not gonna want to stop in the daylight.”
Malcolm thought about it and nodded. “Yeah. I was hoping we could get a little farther. But you’re probably right. We’d better not push ourselves. We’ll be dead by the time we get there.”
No one said anything as to what Malcolm’s statement implied, and the others nodded. Using their packs for pillows, they lied on the ground and stared at the sky.
“How will we know we’re not gonna sleep ’til noon?” Eddie asked.
“I have an alarm on my watch,” Malcolm said, and proceeded to set it by the light inside.
“Two hours everyone,” he said. “Is that enough time?”
They nodded.
“Try to get some rest,” he said.
They talked idly until weariness took over. Soon, the talk turned to silence, and they fell asleep under the light of the moon.
iii
Ben emerged from the trees. In the dark, the white on his coat shimmered chalky blue in the moonlight.
Seth’s friends were still asleep, light snores under the trees. Kinsey lay beside him, her face calm.
Seth awoke, rubbing his eyes, and sat up, seeing the tiger several feet away. “Ben?”
In the distance, under the murky illumination, a dark shape moved across the night. A giant shadow blotted the stars, then disappeared.
“Ben?” Seth said. “What’s out there?”
Nothing you have to concern yourself with now. I can guide you as much as I can, Seth, but I have to disappear for a while. There’s another battle besides yours, and I have to go at it alone.
You are no longer on the outskirts of Ellishome. This is a new world already. Use caution. Stick together, and stay strong. Be prepared. Our enemy is going to assault you quickly. So, be careful.
Ben’s voice held apprehension. Whatever was out there seemed twice the size of a small house.
He felt it, though, the transition from one world to the next, a subtle shift to the night air, a current moving through him, despite the landscape staying the same. Or was it the same? Everything looked similar, but…felt different.
Another land, another time and place. Seth didn’t know how that was possible.
“Ben? Are we safe?”
For now….
“Shouldn’t we do something?”
There’s nothing you can do about it now. Our enemy spreads his darkness wide. Where I’ve brought you…it is both worlds, his and mine. You have to understand this. You will witness battles taking place.
Across the terra firma, another wave blotted the stars, an ever-changing shadow, morphing against the sky.
Oh, God, he thought. What is that? What are we dealing with?
Ellishome suddenly seemed light years away. What kind of world was this, Seth wondered?
You’re doing well, Ben told him. Keep moving. You’re not in Kansas anymore.
Seth felt like laughing. How did the tiger know about The Wizard of Oz? Yet, Ben had never spoken truer words. Seth was afraid they might never be in Kansas again. Futility throttled his heart. Their endeavor would prove unsuccessful, miles away with nothing to defend themselves with. The rifle Albert brought would be useless.
Remember, I’m guiding you. Everything will be okay. I wanted you to know. You are not in your world anymore, Seth. You are in mine. Mine and his.
“Where?” Seth asked. “Where did you come from Ben? What are you? What does this thing really want?”
Ben looked behind him, sensing an unwanted presence, and then turned to Seth. In time, you’ll know all you need to. And in time, you will hopefully forget the things you won’t want to remember. I’m not keeping you in the dark by not telling you why or what. I am keeping you from harm. And maybe, in the end, when you call me to the meadow, I will be there. And we will be able to run free forever, any time you want. This is the outcome we are hoping for, Seth. This is the victory.
Seth accepted it and nodded. His friends trusted him. Shouldn’t he trust Ben as well?
The tiger turned away, walking slowly back through the meadow. Seth did not call to him, and Ben disappeared in the dark.
Remember your hope, the tiger announced one parting thought. Remember hope, Seth Auburn, Bearer of the Black Sword.
Black Sword?
Under the stars, the same heavy bulks moved across the meadow. They were far enough away not to pose a threat, but it didn’t make him feel any better.
How was he supposed to sleep now, but Ben’s voice came back to him:
Sleep. Rest.
What choice did he have?
He put his head on his pack, trying to ignore the dark shapes, hoping they were just a dream.
iv
Malcolm was the first to awake, his watch beeping, sounding out of character. He shook his companions, called their names, and everyone stirred.
Still wanting sleep, Seth looked to the sunrise. Soft rose and pale orange rays of light shot across the sky, touching the underbelly of the clouds. The moon was a pale white glow to the west. The sun, an intense yellow ball, peeked over the horizon. Seth couldn’t remember the last sunrise he’d witnessed, and he welcomed its warmth. Surrounding them, the mountain brome had turned to gold.
“Wow,” Kinsey said, sitting up.
Seth looked at his friends. Gavin, despite the bruises, the swelling on his face, looked more his old self. A gleam returned to his eyes.
To the west, the mountains were noticeably closer. Did they look different, too, he thought? It was hard to tell.
Mortals have never walked here.
Something did seem different, though. The land was pristine, fresh to the touch. When it had seemed unreachable, the palace actually seemed within their grasp now.
Seth held a silent reverence for the land, the lush trees, even the meadow.
“Let’s get going,” Malcolm said.
Did his friends know as well? Had Ben come to them while they dreamed?
The mystery of the land had only begun to unfold. They shouldered their packs and ventured on.
v
The sun rose higher, but thick, dark clouds moved in across the mountains. The wind began to blow, adding a deep chill to the air.
As the morning progressed, the clouds began to blanket the sky, blotting out the sun, and a cold mist began to fall. Strong gusts of wind whipped at their faces and hands, and they stopped to pull out their hats and gloves.
“Looks like we should find some shelter,” Albert said.
As they moved farther west, the meadow turned to lush green grass. Several groves of trees spotted the landscape up ahead before the foothills began.
“Do you think anyone’s noticed us gone yet?” Kinsey asked.
Malcolm looked at his watch. It was just after 11:00 a.m. “I’d say just about everybody has noticed by now.”
“No one will find us, though,” Seth added.
The others looked at him.
“What do you mean?” Eddie asked.
“We’re not in Ellishome anymore,” Seth explained. “We crossed over sometime during the night. We could stay right here, and they’d never find us.”
No one said anything, but they nodded, accepting what Seth told them.
“Let’s get out of the rain under those trees,” Malcolm
said, pointing to a grove of cottonwoods.
A small creek meandered between the trees. Thick branches and leaves sheltered them from the rain, which soon gathered momentum, and turned into a downpour. Flashes of lightening and cracks of thunder rumbled across the sky.
“Isn’t the worst place to be in a storm under a tree?” Eddie asked, though no one replied.
They waited for the storm to pass, sitting in the tall, wet grass. From their food storage, they nibbled on cereal bars, raisins, and dried fruit. Then, as though out of blue, Kinsey began to talk of home:
“I started crying before my mom and dad went to bed last night,” she said, looking at the ground, as though wanting to get something off her chest. “Mom kept asking me what was wrong. I made up some story like I was just tired of everything happening lately. Sadie dying, Howard, and then school closing, everything being so screwed up. God. I was mad I couldn’t stop crying, but I was sad, too, thinking I might never see my parents again. I think that’s why I started crying. Stupid, huh?”
The others listened and shared similar experiences. Malcolm talked about how hard it was to leave the night before, saying goodbye to his grandfather. He did not mention the episode in the wall. Seth talked about waiting for his sister to come home, and hoping he’d be able to leave in time.
“I wanted to write a note,” Eddie said. “I wanted to let my folks know I’d be all right. I didn’t want anyone to worry. Especially Mom. She doesn’t deserve this.”
“I guess we could have left a note after all,” Malcolm said. “I didn’t know we’d actually be in a different world already. Sorry about that.”
“I thought the same thing,” Albert said. “Writing a note, that is.”
“I think we all did,” Malcolm said. He looked at Gavin. “What about you?”
Seth had noticed Gavin walking with more stamina, and less pain. Maybe the open air was doing him some good. He was, however, still hard to look at.
“I tried to kill my mother.”
Snapdragon Book II: In the Land of the Dragon Page 4
