by Tina Engel
I looked at Brett, and he was there with me again. He let me back in. I felt him in my thoughts, saw his fear, but with us joined, his fear lessoned some and my strength increased. We both let go of the issue of Queen Anahita, for now.
I went in and over in a corner, was a table with something sitting on it that was covered with a cloth. Douglas stopped everyone else from coming in, but Lily said in a tone of authority, “Brett, you can come in too,” as she glanced at Rose, and then walked in after Douglas.
After Brett entered, Lily asked him to shut the door which, I wasn’t too sure of. I hated being in a confined area but I wasn’t alone, so I turned to the table, walked over to it and reached out to remove the covering.
Brett, being there in my thoughts, said, “You’re strong with us, don’t show fear.”
I turned and looked at Brett and saw the love and confidence in his eyes. There was a bit of sadness too. He knew something that he was keeping from me. It was hidden deep inside of his thoughts. So deep that I couldn’t reach it. Whatever it was, it caused a sadness that he tried to keep hidden but I could feel it.
I turned from Brett and took hold of the cloth and removed it. There in a clear box filled with water, was the piece of the creature that had been wrapped around my ankle. It was about a foot in length. It was silvery white, and it was still, as if dead, floating in the middle of the box.
I put my hand on the box. It was glass, cold and smooth, and as I did this, the creature quivered a bit, and then moved towards my hand.
Brett was suddenly behind me and put both hands on my waist. He didn’t pull me away and no one stopped him from doing this. I felt a deeper strength, with Brett’s touch and knew somehow that he was supposed to be with me.
As the part of the creature in the box touched the glass too, my hand tingled, and then turned the same color as the creature. The color spread up my arm and I knew that my entire body was the same color, the way it was when I kissed Brett.
Somehow I knew that I needed to hold the creature, and reached up to open the box. Brett started to object but Lily suggested he keep quiet, in a not so kind voice.
As I reached my hand into the water, the creature came to me and let me pick it up. I held it as if holding a small animal, gentle and caring. I felt something sharp then, as if many needles entered my hand.
Deep inside my body, I felt a sensation, the tingling went from mild to that same sharp pain, which my ankle felt when the creature grabbed me and put its fluid in my body.
Brett felt it too, I knew, for his hands held tighter, and I could feel his body behind me stiffen a bit, but he didn’t let go. I was one with this animal, the entire animal, even though it was deep in the waters somewhere. The creature that did this to me, was still attached to its appendage and I became aware of it.
It wasn’t an octopus, as I had thought. I couldn’t make out exactly what it was, but somehow I knew that I would see it again.
I felt the creature let go of me then, and I put it back into the water. The creature moved away from my hand, shivered in a convulsive way, and sunk to the bottom, Lifeless.
I looked down at my hands, still stinging. I saw several dozen small egg-like things on the spots where the needles had pierced my skin. They suddenly moved, and sunk into my hands. The pain increased, and then the small puncture wounds closed as I could feel these things, whatever they were, creep up my arms and spread through my body, spacing themselves out as if knowing exactly where they were supposed to be.
My hands and arms turned back to my normal color and the pain deep down, ceased. I felt a new sensation, as if something had awakened inside of me, a part of me that had been dormant but now was awake, aware, and caused the need I had, that different type of nourishment, to be even stronger.
The door to the cooler flew open and suddenly there were voices, commotion and chaos, coming from the kitchen. As I turned towards the door, my mother, Angelina came rushing in.
“It’s Rose!” She said. “Something is happening, she started trembling and then crumbled to the floor.” Angelina said in a panic.
Douglas glanced at Lily and then was the first out the door. I followed, with Brett still having one hand on my waist. Lily was last and shut the door behind after taking one last look at the box.
I dropped to the ground next to Rose on one side and Douglas on the other. Lily touched Douglas’s shoulder and as he looked up at her, he moved away, letting Lily get down next to Rose.
Rose looked up at me and reaching up, put her hand on my cheek. She said weakly, “Its okay Princess, you will be okay, I will always be with you. I am inside of you. We will always be together.”
I put one hand on Rose’s hand that was still on my cheek. It was cold, like death. I put a finger in my mouth and bit down, intending to put it in Rose’s mouth. I had to heal her, save her.
Lily touched my hand as I was reaching down to Rose’s lips. “No” she said firmly but kindly. “It won’t help.”
I looked up at Lily’s face and saw it filled with anger. I was beside myself with fear and anguish and told her that we had to do something. Rose was dying.
Lily’s anger grew as she said calmly but more forceful, “It isn’t time, and he knew this. His meddling has got to stop. I don’t think you were supposed to feed on Rose after this new element was placed in your body, but I wasn’t told this. For some reason, I didn’t see this. You still needed her blood for strength until the time was right. Why did I not see this?”
Lily then looked at me and said, “She is not dying, not yet anyway. Emilee, put your cameo on her left side, just above her breast, put your ring on her right hand, on the finger that it fits the tightest and put your diamond necklace around her neck.”
I looked at Lily stunned, confused as to why she would want me to give Rose my gifts, the gifts that gave me such strength and protection.
“Now!” bellowed Lily. “There isn’t much time!”
I did as I was told, first the cameo, then the ring, which fit tightly on her right middle finger and then the necklace.
Rose’s skin coloring had been changing as the minutes had passed, turning deathly white, but when I put the necklace around her neck and laid the diamond on her chest, her color came back just a bit, not the vibrant tan, still pale, but not death white. I could see Kimberlite’s face in the diamond, and acceptance was what I felt coming from him.
Rose looked at me with a sweet smile, touched my cheek again, and then as her hand dropped, she stopped breathing.
I looked to Lily in anguish, as my tears started to flow. “She isn’t dead, Emilee, but it wasn’t supposed to happen this way and at this time.”
Lily stood then, as Douglas turned towards Trevor and said, “Come with me. We’ll take Rose, and place her where she will be safe for now.”
Lily shouted with anger in her eyes, “Douglas, find the fey on the ship who is working as his eyes. They must be closed!”
I was so confused by her statement “His eyes.” Whose eyes? I thought, and looked to Douglas as he acknowledge what she said, in an understanding manner.
Lily then said to Eagle, in a calmer tone but still agitated, “Come with me, we must stop him before it’s too late. It isn’t time yet. If he continues to interfere, he will ruin everything and destroy us all. Damn him anyway!” And she headed towards the door, with Eagle following.
My head was spinning. Trevor reached down and picked up Rose in a gentle manner, with deep sadness on his face. Angelina and Jordan were standing next to each other looking at me, and Captain Adam was talking to Douglas but I couldn’t hear anything, my mind was so full of my own thoughts.
As Lily and Eagle ran from the room, I followed, with Brett behind me, insisting I stop. I felt his hand on my arm and it slid down to my hand, which jerked me to a standstill.
I turned with venom in my eyes and told Brett to let go or come with me, but I was following them, I wanted to know what was happening.
I turned back and hea
ded out the door and up the stairs, with Brett right behind me, as he tried to get into my thoughts. I could feel him, but he wasn’t able to enter. Was I stopping him or was something else?
All I could hear were my thoughts, confused, who is he? What did Lily mean? There was no way I was letting Rose die.
As I reached the deck, I saw Lily point towards the sun, saying, “Take me there.”, and turned into her domestic cat shape.
Eagle scooped her up in his talons and soared into the sky. As he flew away from the ship, he yelled back down to me, “Don’t worry Princess, I won’t drop her, I know how cats hate water.” He chuckled and then let out a yelp, as Lily reached up and scratched him slightly with a claw, not finding what he had just said a bit humorous at all, at the moment.
They heading towards the sun. I had to put my hand up, to shade my eyes from the glare, to be able to see them and then they just disappeared. They were gone, just gone.
Chapter 7
Sadness,
Fear,
Emotions we need to
Survive.
I gazed up, looking directly into the sun, wondering where they were, what place they entered, for I knew somehow they had left Terrafirma. Did they go to the humans’ dimension, Earth or another place?
I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned my head to see who it was. There stood, Angelina my mother, my mom. She was my mom and I hadn’t even called her that yet, my mom.
I suddenly had such a need for her, my mother. She stood there with love in her eyes, and I turned and crumpled up into her arms. The tears started to flow as my knees buckled and my legs gave way. I let them go, let it all go and as I wilted to the ground, Angelina came down with me, as if in slow motion. She kept me safe in her arms and we rested gently on the ground. I laid my head in her lap and sobbed quietly.
My hair was plastered to my face by my tears and Angelina carefully and lovingly, brushed the hair away. She wiped the tears and soothed me by whispering over and over again, “I’m with you now, you’re okay, its going to be okay.”
I could feel Brett close by, that vibration, the safe feeling I had, the connection we shared. He stayed some distance from us though, not wanting to intrude, he knew what I needed then, not him but her. He wasn’t offended but relieved, I could tell, our thoughts were one again. He was there, but not intrusive.
I sat up finally, and Angelina removed the hair from my other cheek with a kind smile across her lips. I looked at her face, so beautiful and warm and said in a whisper, “Mom”, and she just smiled.
We stood and Brett came over then, knowing that I was okay. I said, in a rather babbling manner, “I need to see Rose, I need to talk to Douglas, I need to know what is going on, and who was Lily talking about, where did they go?
Brett tenderly put a finger to my lips to quiet me for a moment. His touch sent a slight zing to my lips but it didn’t hurt.
“Emilee, Rose is in a safe place and Douglas is trying to figure out who is on this ship that shouldn’t be. We will get more answers soon and will tell you as soon as we know, I promise.”
I smiled up at him, knowing that he was being truthful and Brett continued, “You need your rest now Emilee.”
I opened my mouth to object, but before anything could come out, Angelina spoke quickly and firmly, “I agree with Brett completely and I will be with you while you rest. Brett will have someone outside the cabin door to make sure no one comes in except Douglas, Adam, Trevor or Brett.
I realized then just how tired I was and I wanted Rose, but then remembered she wasn’t with me. I couldn’t feed from her and the sadness overwhelmed me all over again.
We went down to my cabin and as we entered, I thought of Rose, she should be here with me too.
“Why?” Was all I could say, as Angelina led me over to the bed. I kicked off my shoes, and crawling under the blankets, I felt suddenly cold.
Angelina sat down on the edge of the bed, kissed me on my forehead and told me to shut my eyes and rest. She would be here when I woke.
I shut my eyes and heard, as if someone was calling from far away, “Emilee, it’s time to come home.”
I heard Rose calling me, “Princess Emilee, wake up, Princess Emilee!”
I opened my eyes, and was blinded momentarily. The sun was shining brightly in my eyes, as it seeped between the branches of the tree that I was lying under. I put my hand up to shade my eyes and turned my head to see that I was in the wheat field.
I heard voices, happy, squealing voices, a child and Brett. As I sat up, again I heard Rose, up above me, “Princess, nap time is over!”, as she giggled.
I looked up to see Rose and Lily, sitting on a big branch. Lily was laying lazily in cat form, grooming herself, acting irritated as Rose stroked her.
I turned back to the wheat field and saw Brett and Katie running through the field, with Katie holding a string. As my eyes followed the string up into the air, there at the end was a kite; a dragon, large and red, with golden eyes that seemed to be looking down at me.
Brett stopped and turned, and our eyes locked in a loving gaze and his smile, as always, made my hearts skip a beat and that tingling sensation swept over my body.
He turned back again to Katie and the kite, and continued to back up towards the cliff and ocean below, causing the kite to soar even higher.
I stood up and turned away from them, looking behind the tree, and there stood the castle, large and grand, as it sparkled in the sunlight. This was my home and Brett’s, with Katie our daughter, I knew it. I felt such happiness and peace within.
I could hear Katie giggling again, and Rose and Lily up above fussing with each other and I smiled contently. I was home, finally, and Rose was alive and well.
I turned back to Brett and Katie, as Katie pointed up and laughed, saying, “Look Daddy, look!”
I looked up to see, flying around the dragon, an eagle. It was Eagle, and he was here too.
I heard a noise behind me and as I turned, there in the distance was Kimberlite, standing in front of the castle. He had an odd look on his face, and a strange slight glow around him.
Suddenly, from behind the mountain that the castle was protruding from, came a cloud, dark grey, as it swirled and churned, engulfing the castle and Kimberlite.
The wind started to blow and I turned around to look at Brett and Katie. They were looking up in horror. I looked in the direction they were staring and saw the kite turn into a real dragon, and it consumed Eagle with one bite. The string to the kite fell as the dragon flew towards the greyness that seemed to ooze towards us and then the dragon disappeared.
I ran to Brett and Katie as they rushed to me. As I turned back, I saw the greyness overtake the tree, with Lily and Rose still up in the branches, and heard Rose yelling, “It can all be different, don’t quit.”
I looked up into Brett’s eyes and knew there was nowhere to run, and as I wrapped my one arm around Katie and the other around Brett, with Brett’s arms holding us both, I shut my eyes as the greyness engulfed us.
I opened my eyes as I sat up, gasping for air. My hearts were pounding as I looked around and saw I was in the cabin on the ship, with my mother sitting there in a chair, reading. She looked up with concern and rushed over to me, dropping the book on the floor.
She was there in a moment, sitting next to me and as she wrapped her arms around me, and as I looked over her shoulder, the book lifted from the floor and set itself down on the table.
Suddenly, there was a shadow. Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me, but I saw a shadow. It cleared just enough that I saw her there, she had picked up the book, it was Rose. As quickly as I saw her, she was gone, but not before she smiled, put a finger to her lips as if to shush me, keeping a secret of sorts.
“She’s alive?” I said in a whisper, as Angelina pulled away just a bit, still holding onto my arms. Her look was that of worry but she said nothing.
“Rose,” I said, “I want to go see Rose.”
Angelina smiled
a faint smile, and said, “Let’s wait for Brett. He went to talk with Douglas and then we will know better what this is all about.”
I agreed, with a nod of my head, and told her that I needed water. Angelina got up and told me she would get me a glass of water. That wasn’t what I wanted, I needed water, to be in water and told her so.
I stood up and headed to the door, letting her know that I was okay, but needed to be in the ocean, for just a while. I needed water, I was so thirsty. I opened my wings, and they seemed dry, irritated, they needed water.
Angelina started to argue, out of concern I knew, but I turned to look at her feeling angry for some reason. She had a look of uncertainty on her face for a moment, and then composed herself, as she came to me.
I lowered my wings as she put her arms around me, kissed my cheek, and said, “I love you and will be with you to the end, but I don’t think going into the waters below is a good idea at the moment. Go do what you must in the bathroom, and I’ll be out here waiting. Please.”
Looking into a mirror behind Angelina, I saw my reflection again, it didn’t look like me, I was silvery white, with eyes emerald green. Then as I pushed gently away from her, I was back, my tan color with blue eyes.
Angelina smiled and kissed me once more before releasing me as I turned and entered the bathroom. As I shut the door, I could feel Brett then, that vibration, tingling throughout my body as he entered the room.
He was there in my mind, calm and kind, as he said in a joking way, “Remember, if I need to, I will come in so don’t get any mischievous ideas about taking a swim in the ocean. That’s not going to happen.”
I smiled slightly, happy that he could still be silly, as it calmed me some and I took off my clothes and stepped into the warm shower. As the water fell on my body, I could feel it entering every pore as my body drank the liquid that I needed so badly. I released my wings partly, letting them lay down my back, as the tips touched the shower floor. They were what needed the water.
It wasn’t the only liquid I needed though, and I wondered why I wasn’t craving Rose’s blood. Why did her blood taste so odd? I knew that I didn’t need her anymore and that terrified me. Why, I wondered, and then reflected on the dream. In my mind, I kept hearing Rose say, something about it could be different and don’t quit.
