I looked again at Hailey and saw her fade into nothing and I knew then, I too, would be leaving soon. I looked at the figures in front of me and tried very hard to memorize every detail I could.
My hair on my right arms started to stand up. I felt there was another presence with me in the tunnel to the right of me. I took a quick peek around the tunnel wall but I saw no one. I decided not to tempt fate and headed the other way. But I felt the presence was following me. I wasn’t sure where I was going. I just needed to get as far away from whomever it was that was following me as fast as I could. I went deeper and deeper into the tunnels. I ran as fast and as quietly as I could. Without warning, the air started to glisten. A milky white film covering the entire cavity of the tunnel appeared. I tried to stop but my momentum was too great. I was in midstride when I crossed over the almost opaque cloud in the tunnel.
After what felt like a long time walking, I saw it: the jail Kieran described. I approached it with caution, scared of what I was about to see behind the bars. The tunnel behind me was still empty but I knew it was just a matter of minutes before he or she broke through that barrier. Sweat trickled down the back of my shirt. My whole body quaked from a mix of dread and anticipation. But I had to work fast. I clenched my jaw and prepared myself for what was inside those bars.
My heart pounded in my chest as I got closer and closer. From where I was, I saw two figures huddled in the corner. I recognize that red and black plaid shirt and that sweater anywhere. And I will never forget those birthday shoes I bought my mom a long time ago. Those are my parents’ clothes and those are the clothes they were wearing the day of the crash! But they looked so still. I needed to open this cage. I need to get them out. I pushed on the bars but my hands just passed through them like I was made of smoke.
I heard footsteps. A hooded man approached the cell. His strides were long and sure and from the faint glimmer at the end of his belt, I could see the dagger. I must have tripped some kind of alarm. Maybe he was the person behind me all along but I couldn’t be sure.
I backed away from the cell, quickly.
“Make sure they haven’t escaped. And make sure you feed them, we will need them soon!” a female voice filled the cavern.
“I always do!” answered the male coming towards the cell. He muttered something under his breath, annoyed at being sent to do chores.
He’s coming really close. I can’t be caught.
“I need to wake up. Abigail, wake up!” But I couldn’t. I was still there, with my back against the tunnel wall unable to move from fright. My hands were flat against the wall. I felt my right hand grow limp and my whole arm grew numb. It fell to my side as if I had lost all muscle control. Before I realized what was happening, I felt an abrupt sensation that my body was being sucked away. For an undetermined length of time I was floating away from the tunnels and at the same time seeing my “real” body slumped over the kitchen table. And just as unexpected as the first time, I felt the siphoning sensation come over me again. This time, I woke up with my head on the table and my right arm dangling from where it had fallen off the side. I shook my head and picked up the cake knife from the floor.
CHAPTER 13
The Third Knight
I hurried to get ready for school that day. I needed to get there before anyone else so I could talk with Hailey about the dream.
As soon as I got there, I went straight to Hailey’s locker.
“Abigail, I didn’t get your essay and no running in the hallway,” Professor Andrews called after me. Of course he was there at 7:30 a.m. just waiting to catch me.
“Sorry, Professor Andrews. I will get it done tonight!” I yelled as I ran even faster so that the professor couldn’t keep up.
“One additional day of detention!”
“Dammit,” I wanted to say but bit my tongue, instead. I turned around while running backwards and said, “Yes, sir! Of course, sir.” He gave him a fake salute.
Until I figure out how to unravel this mystery, it will be detention forever for me, anyway, I thought as I ran through the still empty corridors of the school.
Not surprisingly, Hailey wasn’t there yet. I figured it was too early so I decided to come back later. But I couldn’t risk losing this opportunity to talk with her so I decided to stay there and stake out the corridor.
I was almost ready to give up when just moments before the bell rang, Hailey showed up looking like she hadn’t slept in a hundred years. Her hair, which was always trimmed and gelled in place to keep the gothic appearance, was tousled to a more “bed head” look today.
It wasn’t just the hair. Hailey didn’t look like her usual gothic self. Her features looked kinder and more approachable. Then I realized Hailey had no makeup on. Her actual skin was glowy white, which made her periwinkle eyes stand out more.
She doesn’t look half bad without all the emo makeup.
Hailey eyed me with one eye, which she decided was the most awake, harrumphed and muttered, “What are you doing here so early?” she drawled and opened her locker door. “Don’t tell me. You had a bad dream.”
“Didn’t you?” I said.
“Yes, I did and what do you know, you were in it. Why is that? Why are you even in my dreams? Bad enough I have to deal with you in real life and you had to be in my dreams, too?” Hailey continued.
“Lucky, I guess.”
Pulling on her now bushy bangs and firmly tucking it behind her left ear, she growled, “People don’t share dreams. Well not like that way, anyway. This is beyond weird.”
“Never mind that. The important thing is: did you see anything or anybody there that—you know—is weird.”
“Define weird. If by weird you mean groups of cloaked men and women talking about that crazy black-hole-inducing-crown then yes, I saw weird stuff. If by weird, you mean cages with people imprisoned and chained, then yes! I saw weird stuff. Oh and if by weird you mean I saw a classmate, wait no, a detention-mate, sneaking about in darkened-super-creepy cave, then bingo! I saw weird crap in there,” Hailey said with emphasis.
I rolled my eyes at her and moved on to my real topic before I got distracted.
“Hailey, I’m trying to figure out who are the Knights that those purple orb-hoods were talking about. They seem to think I’m supposed to be one of the Knights of the Crown. Not only that, they think that I, along with some other knights, am supposed to be protecting the Crown! There was someone else there. I felt the presence.”
“But Dr. McFake said that the Knights of the Crown are the enemies,” protested Hailey. “At best, she could wrong, at the worst, she could be lying to us. And I wouldn’t put it past her to come up with a bald-faced lie,” she added.
“Yeah, I just don’t know why my instincts are so against trusting her. Anyway, I think there were three of us there when the orb-hoods made their pledge. But I don’t know who the third person is.”
“Orb hoods? That’s what we’re calling them?” Hailey said in disdain.
“Yeah, orb versus dagger? I don’t know what else to call them. Now that we know none of them are the Knights of the Crown.”
She inclined her head slightly which I was supposed to interpret as “I hear you and I agree.” She pulled my arm to stop me from walking, “Are you saying that the orb hoods just pledged their allegiance to us?” she said, wide-eyed.
“I don’t know for sure but they did say my name and you were there with me. I just don’t know who the other person is.” But there was something that Hailey said earlier that nagged at me.
“Wait, did you say you saw people in the cages? Did you see them closely?” I asked.
“No, those black-cloaked hooded figures didn’t look too friendly. I didn’t think sticking around to get invited into the dungeon was a great idea. I took off. Although there was that one cage, I thought I heard a woman and a man talking. I heard their voices.”
/> “I saw them too, but I didn’t hear them say anything. I think I know them.” I looked away so Hailey couldn’t see the hope in my eyes.
“You don’t think they’re your parents?” Hailey asked.
I walked away a few paces to give myself time to think of my answer, then said, “Actually, I do. Those were the clothes they were wearing when we left.”
“What! Well—I don’t think we can rescue anyone from the dream world,” Hailey said each word with emphasis but in a low whisper under her breath so people couldn’t hear what she said.
“Why not? We brought someone back from the dead!” I retorted in the same low voice.
She stared me through slitted eyes to express her displeasure. “Keep it down! Really? You’re going to go there?”
I nodded. “Why not?”
“Well I suppose if you put it that way,” Hailey conceded. “But I need to get to class. At least class is normal. I need something normal in my life. And you should at least pretend you still go to school here,” she reprimanded and strode off.
I walked towards the opposite direction, pleased with myself thinking I gained a little bit of victory over the conversation and maybe a little closer to helping the people behind the bars. Despite what I said to Hailey, I dared not let myself hope too much that the couple could actually be them.
The morning classes were one long blur. I was so excited about the dream and being able to convince Hailey that it was possible to rescue the couple that I wouldn’t be able to tell anyone if I attended to Math or Geography. It seemed noon was never going to come. Then it struck twelve and I rushed out of my class to find Hailey.
I didn’t have far to go since Hailey was already standing by my classroom door waiting for me.
“We need to talk to Kieran,” Hailey said as she almost caught up with me as I running out of my class into the hallway to find her.
“Oh hey! I was just about to look for you. Why? I mean, why are we looking for Kieran?” I asked.
“Well you said there was a third person there. Maybe it’s the third Knight? Who else could it be?”
I slowed down to match Hailey’s pace. After thinking it over in my head, I thought Prom Royal Couple Taylor and Blaise were very unlikely candidates for magical knighthood. So, I said, “Okay, I see your point. If I were Kieran, where would I be?”
“The library!” we both said and ran towards Solomon Triangle.
When we got there, the library was empty except for a couple of students cramming for their exams. We asked one of them and the student pointed with her hand, jabbing in the direction of the track and field area.
“That Blaise guy took him,” she said in a squeaky, high-pitched voice, obviously annoyed at being interrupted.
We apologized and thanked her profusely and started for the field.
“Hey, did you notice anything peculiar about the hooded men?” I asked Hailey, wanting to confirm my observations.
“And women,” Hailey countered by wagging her index finger in the air authoritatively. Then she continued, “Well aside from the fact that one group had blue balls hanging from their gold belts and the other ones had ordinary ropes with nasty-looking knives, I’d pretty much say, they all look the same.”
“Purple orbs,” I corrected her. She chuckled, realizing that I caught on her joke. I continued, “You know, I don’t remember seeing the ones with the daggers from those who attacked the library. If that’s the case, that would mean they’re wearing the purple orbs,” I said.
“Maybe they were or maybe we were just trying so hard to stay alive that we didn’t bother to look. I can’t tell you what I was wearing when we got attacked much less what was hanging from their belts.”
“You’re right; I didn’t even remember that was my birthday.” I raised my right hand and nodded to close the subject but couldn’t shake the vision of the hooded attackers. I was convinced they didn’t have daggers. I thought I would have remembered if they had but I couldn’t be entirely sure. But why would the orb hoods be attacking us?
We passed by the gym and saw Taylor practicing with other gymnasts. She was doing floor exercises. She looked so graceful as she started her run into a roundoff that sent her airborne. She soared and executed a double backflip in midair like a bird in flight. Hailey and I couldn’t help but gape in wonder as Taylor landed on the mat without even a slight sound. I shook my head in amazement as we headed past the gym to the football field amidst the clapping of Taylor’s fellow gymnasts.
When we got there, several students were running sprints while their coaches were keeping time and yelling encouragements. The football team was practicing in the middle of the field. At first glance, it was just another day at Thurgood Prep.
“Well, if Blaise has Kieran, then all we have to do is—” I let it linger.
“—Find Blaise,” completed Hailey.
I got up on the bleachers with my hand over my eyes to block the glare of the sun.
“What’s his jersey number?” I asked.
“Thirty-one, I think!” Hailey yelled back.
“He’s not here.”
“Ya sure?” she asked while trying to clamber up the bleacher from the other end.
“He’s not here,” I repeated.
“Wait, what’s that? Do you hear that? I think that’s Kieran’s voice,” she said.
I strained my ear to listen. I heard some rattling under the bleachers and something like a squeal. She waved me down so we could check it out.
Hailey was in front of me and had her index finger over her lips telling me to be quiet. I nodded and followed her under the bleachers. We found Blaise crouching, trying to pull something or someone from under the lowest seat. From the looks of it, he was bullying someone again.
“You need to tell me what you know! What about the Knight?” Blaise said.
“Did he say Knight?” Hailey asked me, an alarmed look in her face.
“It sounded like it,” I said.
“I don’t know anything!” Kieran cried out.
I looked at Hailey and whispered, “It’s Kieran.”
She stepped away from the under the bleacher and stood. In a loud voice, she said, “Oh boy, really, Blaise? After we took the time to save him, you’re back to your old tricks? Come out from under there, Kieran. You’re coming with us.”
Blaise was so alarmed by Hailey’s voice that he got up too fast and hit his head on the bleacher.
“Ouch! What are you guys doing here?” Blaise asked as he also got out from under the bleachers to face us.
“The more important question is what are you doing with Kieran?” I asked.
“Monty, maybe next time you should be a little bit more choosy as to who you save from a fireball blast!” said Hailey with her right hand on her hip and her left index finger poking at Blaise’s chest.
“You guys don’t know what’s going on.”
“And I’m sure you do!” Hailey’s finger poked at him a little harder. He slapped her hand aside and walked away.
“Get out of my way!”
“I don’t trust you!” Hailey yelled back.
“Whatever!” Blaise responded.
“Man, what a piece of work that one is,” Hailey said. “We shouldn’t have him in our conversations anymore. We really can’t trust that guy.”
“Agreed,” I said as I started to help Kieran out from under the bleachers where he was still cowering. I pulled out a pack of tissue from my backpack to stop Kieran’s bleeding nose.
“C’mon, Kieran, we need to talk.” Hailey started to tell him about the shared dream. After finishing the story, she asked, “There was another person there but we couldn’t see who it was. Was it you?”
“Y-yes, yes I was there. But I got too scared and left,” Kieran said.
“Figures!” said Hailey jokingly and took a
quick jab at Kieran who nearly fell off his seat from the force.
“Well at least the mystery is solved,” I said.
“Also, they kept talking about finding the Knights. Well we know they’re looking for the Knights and for some reason they need to get to Monty.”
“Maybe we’re the knights?” Kieran said.
“That kind of makes sense. It seems three is the magic number. Three of them and three of us,” I said.
“I still don’t know what they need from Monty, though?” Hailey said.
“Maybe to get the box. We really don’t know their intentions, right?” Kieran squeaked, pulling his head back to keep his nose from bleeding to his shirt.
“Yes, true. But wait,” Hailey said thinking out loud, “Monty doesn’t have the box. Dr. McGrath or whatever her name is has it.”
“If you’re correct, then they’re going to go after the doctor. We need to let her know,” I said. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed the doctor’s number. “She’s not answering. Let me text her.” I sent her the text as fast as I could. Once, Twice. “Still no response. We should go. We should check on her. Hurry guys!”
“We need to get out of class. But how do we get out of school?” Kieran said.
“Leave that to me. Just meet me by the gate in ten minutes,” Hailey said as she sprinted across the lawn towards the classrooms.
Sure enough by the time Kieran and I got to the gate, Hailey was already running towards us holding a piece of paper.
She shoved the paper at the guard who was rather curious why three students were at the gate when it was school hours.
“You need to let us through at once. Kieran’s parents have been notified. We need to take him to his doctor’s office across the street. I have a note from the school nurse. Here it is. We are his friends and we need to accompany him. Listen, you can’t wait too long. He’s a hemophiliac, if he loses too much blood he will die. No need for 911, his doctor is just across the street,” Hailey said to the guard in rapid succession so that the guard didn’t have time to respond. One guard reached for the phone to call the office, but Hailey said, “Look he needs to go now. Are you the one who’s going to explain to his parents why he died at the gate?”
The Obsidian Crown of the Lost Dominion Page 11
