Talisman

by S.E. Akers

  From out of nowhere, an unexpected sound scored the eerie silence like the edge of a cold knife. The tune was muffled, but it was coming from somewhere close. My eyes flared as soon as I recognized the melody. Daddy’s cell… Frantically, I searched every inch of the cab before it stopped ringing, pausing only to process its direction. I whipped around in my seat. A faint light glowing under the canvas tarp sent me bursting out of the cab like a shot from a pistol and racing to the rear of the truck.

  “Shiloh . . . Come here,” Mike called out. I ignored his request as I lowered the tailgate, untied my shoes, kicked them off, and climbed inside the bed of the truck.

  I scrambled to throw back the tattered canvas tarp. To my horror, I found Daddy lying there, barely moving. And judging by the way he was grimacing, I could tell he was in an immense amount of pain.

  I panicked. “DADDY! WHAT’S WRONG?”

  His eyes opened slightly at the sound of my voice, seeming somewhat more conscious. Though as soon as he tried lifting his head, his body started to convulse.

  “Call 911! NOW!” I screamed to Mike.

  Daddy grabbed my arm. He attempted to pull me closer as he flailed about the bed. From the direction Daddy was guiding my hands, I could tell he wanted me to look at something. Immediately, I ripped open the top of his shirt. Smudged on his neck, I spotted what appeared to be a set of faded handprints, one on each side. They were a light, iridescent shade of blue and all the visible veins pressing against his skin were pulsating in the same uncanny hue. I’d never seen anything like them before and honestly didn’t know what to think.

  Daddy started mumbling something. “Shi—Shiloh,” he gulped, struggling to speak through his strain.

  I hovered over him. “I’m here, Daddy. I’M RIGHT HERE! Mike’s calling an ambulance. Just hold on! Please, HOLD ON!” I pleaded, my eyes never leaving my father’s face.

  “Did they say when they’d be here?” I hollered to Mike.

  Daddy attempted to speak again. “Shi . . . Shi, PLEASE GO.”

  “I’m staying RIGHT HERE!” I cried back, my entire body trembling.

  He squeezed my hand and made a horrible face. My heart pounded inside my chest at the possibility that my father’s life could very well end within a matter of seconds.

  He pulled me closer. “Ada—Adamas,” Daddy whispered.

  “What?” I asked, baffled by the strange word he had mumbled. “Is that who did this to you? Who is . . . ADAMAS?” I questioned.

  “Shiloh, I said come over here, NOW!” Mike yelled.

  I’d heard Mike calling and sensed the agitation in his voice, but I chose to tune him out. If it wasn’t a siren blaring from an ambulance, then I wasn’t interested. As I sat hunched over Daddy, I stared anxiously at his eyes. On any given day, I could count on their special twinkle to warm my soul. But tonight, their light seemed to be fading with each and every blink. A pool of darkness was slowly devouring any traces of the blue-green hue like a fiendish black plague. Watching them grow dim was unbearable.

  This can’t be happening! IT CAN’T! Please let this be a vision! A horrible, horrible dream! The face of the man who’d loved me unconditionally since birth was starting to blur from the tears welling in my eyes.

  I was desperately trying to wipe them away when I heard Mike clear his throat. “THAT WASN’T A REQUEST!” he roared, the ferociousness in his voice echoing through the darkness with an undeniably formidable air.

  His tone sent me spiraling into a rage—tightening all of my muscles and balling my fists on the spot—but I had to keep it together for Daddy’s sake. He still needed my help, and seemingly Mike’s, too. I paused over my father’s body to take a calming breath before turning towards Mike.

  “Look, Mike—,” I began and then whipped my head around. I was instantly taken aback and lost my ability to speak. Mike was standing on the edge of the tailgate with the most menacing look about him. The cocky jock had a scowl on his face and a look in his eye that could crack a mirror. His presence was so alarming that even with Daddy struggling for his life merely inches from me, I couldn’t help but become flustered and then my mind went blank.

  I hustled to reclaim my wits. “Mike . . . Did you call for an ambulance?” I questioned, my voice slow and skeptical.

  The hostile expression had set onto his face like stone. Mike never replied. He just held up the cell phone to where I could see it and then pitched it into the snow. I watched in utter disbelief as it sank into one of the icy drifts that had formed from the harsh wind. All I could think was, Why in the hell did he do THAT?

  Mike crossed his arms. “Are you going to make this difficult?” he grumbled.

  His bizarre demeanor left me completely stunned. My father was lying here, dying in my arms, and I didn’t have one freaking clue as to why he was acting like this.

  “What are you talking about, Mike?” I asked cautiously. “Where’s the ambulance? My dad is DYING — Can’t you see that?” I cried.

  Mike paid no attention to my pleas. A frightening glare flashed in his eyes as he lowered his body into a crouch. Watching him rear back exuding that kind of hunger jerked me straight into a flinch. His aggressive posture was impossible to ignore nor deny. It was just like I’d seen mountain lions around here pose — right before they pounced on their prey.

  Quickly, I grabbed Daddy's cell as I rose to my feet. My instincts forced me to take a defensive stance while I waited for his next move.

  I didn’t have to wait too long. Mike dove at me not a second later. He knocked the phone out of my hand and then shoved me into the cab of the truck. I felt the metal caving around my back when I struck it. Then the next thing I knew, he’d thrown me down onto the hard bed and was on top of me. I tried to hit him, but he had me pinned before I could even attempt a swing. I knew Mike was strong from watching him wrestle in gym class, but he seemed almost freakishly strong — unnaturally strong. I tried kicking to no avail. My legs were just flailing about underneath his. Mike then pressed my squirming body down against the bumpy grooves of the bed. The cold metal was stinging the backs of my legs, and its cutting burn was wearing me down. I couldn’t care less about his motives right now; all I knew was somehow I had to get free.

  We wrestled around for a few more seconds. I hoped that maybe someone off in the distance could hear us. Surely the stillness of the night would carry a voice even farther without any other sounds, so I screamed as loud as I could.

  Mike growled and released one of his hands, only to muzzle my mouth. I jumped at the vulnerability of his free hand. As soon as it touched my lips, I bit down on it angry and hard. He grimaced and then backhanded me across the face with his other one. The initial sting of the blow had left me shaken for a moment, though a brutal after-bite of pain quickly brought me back around. My cheek was stinging, and my jawbone was throbbing. Ironically, the frigid air that was searing my skin was also numbing some of my suffering. He clutched his hands around my neck and began to squeeze relentlessly. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me, of all possible times. I was going to die here, alongside my father. My only consolation — I wouldn’t be alone.

  The next thing I knew, a strange light began flickering under my chin. Then all of a sudden, flames came shooting out from my neck, unexplainably. His merciless mitts released me not a second later. Mike let out a blood-curdling scream as he held his hands up in the air. To my complete shock, they were all ablaze! Bright red flames had engulfed his hands and were racing halfway up his arms. He fell to his knees, dropping right beside Daddy, who still lay unconscious in the bed of the truck.

  How in the hell his hands caught on fire was beyond me, but I saw my chance for a getaway. I crawled to the tailgate, as best a girl in an evening dress who’d just gotten a beat-down from her date could. I looked back to see Mike desperately trying to extinguish the flames. He noticed my attempt to flee as soon as I hopped off the back o
f the truck and started writhing his way closer to the edge. As soon as he’d reached the end of the bed, I let out a grunt and then forcefully slammed the tailgate back up to cold-cock him in the head with a “THUMP”, leaving him howling in agony.

  I ran over and jumped into Mike’s car. My eyes scanned down to the ignition and then all around the seat. I whacked my fists on the dashboard. Shit! He’s got the keys, I grunted in a panic and then hurried out of the car. I took a deep breath to assess the situation. Mike was still trying to extinguish his burning hands, but the unearthly red flames were starting to dwindle. I looked at the road. Not one car had passed the entire time we’d been here, and the chances of flagging one down were next to none. I could go back to the fork and run up the mountain to head for the house, but that was several miles, uphill all the way. Mike would surely hop in his car and run me down to finish the job. It was evident — this was no mere rape attempt. He wanted to kill me. But “why” I had no freakin’ idea!

  I turned towards the tree line across the road. If I trekked through the forest that had a more gradual slope up the mountain, I could take the short cut across Shiloh Ridge. That was my ONLY viable option. I looked back to see Mike trying to rise out of the truck. The blaze igniting his arms now appeared only half as fiery…and that was all I needed to see.

  “Dammit!” I shot across the road and disappeared into the trees. I’d vowed I would NEVER step one foot on that ridge again, but it was my only chance for an escape — regardless of the fact that whatever supernatural creature had tried to kill me the other day could still be lurking up there. The only comfort I took was thinking that maybe the demonic black fog might set its sights on Mike, instead of me. I was running barefoot. I was cold. I was fearful for my life, as well as the unknown fate of my father’s, but assuredly most of all — I was on my guard.

  I ran as fast as my frozen, bare feet would allow. They radiated a constant throbbing pain up my legs as I weaved through the rugged landscape, but at least it served as a reminder that I was still alive. And I felt every sharp branch scraping my legs as well, even though they were bordering on numb. My dress ripped several times when it got caught up on some of the more jagged limbs. As cold as I was already, I couldn’t afford to lose much more of it.

  My shivering frame ran for what seemed like an eternity before I stopped to get my bearings. I thought I’d come to a somewhat familiar small clearing when I heard a voice cackling in the distance. The sound was chilling. I didn’t know who I was hoping it was more — Mike or the monster.

  I didn’t think the base of the ridge was too much further, but I needed a diversion to buy some time just in case. Swiftly, I removed Ty’s tuxedo jacket and threw it on some bushes in the opposite direction I would be running. I made sure it was visible, but not too noticeable that would raise any flags of a possible ruse. I carried on for several more minutes through the shadowy forest with the sounds of the fiendish laughter growing louder and closing in on me fast. The light from the half moon served as my only guide amid the surrounding darkness. It had been so long since I’d ventured through here, and I was unsure of my exact location with every step I took.

  Any doubts regarding my whereabouts waned after I tunneled through some bushes. I spotted one of the ridge’s high cliffs and rallied a second-wind as I scrambled towards its base. I tried to jump up and grab several of the rocks embedded in the walls of the rugged cliff, but I couldn’t reach them. Even scaling its side was out of the question, what with all the snow that had saturated it. And I seriously doubted I had enough time to make it up the side before Mike came along, not without any shoes to provide me with some decent traction. I scanned down along the base of the cliff in both directions. It was even higher no matter which way I would attempt a go at it. This spot was my best chance. It was the lowest, but unfortunately, it wasn’t low enough. There weren’t even any trees around that I could use as a ladder to climb it. Shiloh Ridge was right there, but it may as well have been a million miles away.

  A heinous cry called out, “SHILOH. . . SHILOH . . . ” If my bones weren’t already chilled, they sure as shit were then. The voice was Mike’s, and he was close — too close.

  I scanned around for some decent camouflage. With a deep breath of hopefulness, I eyed a stretch of leafy bushes running along the base of the cliff. Then without a second to lose, I dove straight into them and tried to remain as still as my freezing, quaking bones would permit. One thing was certain: if Mike or the fog monster didn’t kill me, Mother Nature would surely finish the job.

  The random sounds of twigs snapping and leaves shuffling alerted my ears. He was almost here. I peered out through the small breaks in the bush I was hiding behind. Suddenly Mike emerged, his form cutting through the darkness. His gait had slowed to a more scrutinizing stagger while he scanned all around, searching for any traces of me. As he moved closer, I was able to get a better look at him.

  OH SHIT! My eyes swelled as fast as my hands flew up to silence my gasp. I didn’t have to worry about Mike or the black cloud of death. From my vantage point, Mike was completely engulfed in the mysterious black fog. The eerie haze followed his every move and trailed away from him like a cat’s tail. Apparently, somehow Mike was the black fog.

  WHAT THE HELL…?

  In the midst of my daze, I spotted my footprints embedded in the snow. Damn. They were like a roadmap that would lead him straight to me. A small tear ran down my cheek as I thought about my father. I didn’t even know if he was dead or still barely alive and there was nothing I could do to help him…or myself. I was helplessly trapped with no means of escaping. This would be my final meeting with this creature — that was more than certain.

  Third time’s a charm, I affirmed fearfully as I trailed the billowy black fog with a pair of somber eyes. Then from deep recesses of my mind, my little girl instincts came charging out of the bleakness to take hold for one last-ditch effort, and I found myself praying, Don’t let him see me… Don’t let him see me, over and over like a tireless loop desperately running through my head.

  Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, I noticed the makings of a tiny spark flaring from out of the corner of my eye. I looked down at my left hand. My little round golden topaz was flickering. I’d never seen a ring shine like this before. It wasn’t a blinding light, more like the soft glow from a candle. Nevertheless, the moonlight was already working to my disadvantage. I didn’t need another light source hailing any attention my way like a flashing neon sign. I tried to cover the ring with my right hand, but it seemed to glow even brighter and started to shine straight through it. How the heck is this possible? And of all times, WHY-freaking-NOW?

  I checked on “Mike”. He was still searching for me in all directions. He stopped instantly when his eyes fell to the ground. This was it. He’d spotted my footsteps in the snow. “Mike” looked at the bush and then up towards the ridge. He cracked a blistering scowl of determination and then ran straight for the bush I was hiding behind. There was nothing I could do. “Mike”, or rather, “IT”, would surely overpower me. I braced myself against the side of the cliff, closed my eyes, and prepared for his final attack. The agony I felt because I couldn’t help my father had consumed me, and I couldn’t muster the will to fight what I knew would be a losing battle.

  Though my eyes remained firmly closed, I was well aware of the creature’s approach, plainly hearing the bushes being pushed back and feeling the scrape of their leaves against my skin. The foul stench of sulfur made my nostrils flare. My ears detected the sounds of heavy breaths while their wet shots of warm air smacked my face like the stinging blow from a whip.

  Why hasn’t he grabbed me or hit me? Choked me or something?

  Unable to take the nagging suspense any longer, I slowly began unclenching my eyes. Once they had opened, I found myself staring face-to-face with “Mike”. His eyes appeared eerily hollow and looked a
s black as coal. They weren’t the eyes of Mike Riverside. They were someone’s or something else’s. Something undeniably dark and fiendishly wicked. “Mike” was looking dead at me, but he did nothing. A confused expression shadowed his face. I watched quietly as he turned his head to the right and looked, and then to the left to do the same.

  What’s he waiting for? I’m right HERE?

  “Mike” swiftly rose to his feet and took a step back to look up at the ridge. Then he shot straight into a fit of rage, screaming and storming about the clearing.

  I was dumbfounded. What is he doing? Why isn’t he attacking?

  Suddenly something caught my eye—my own hand—and it was glowing! Freakishly mesmerized, I quietly moved around to check out the rest of my body, only to discover that every last inch of me was now glowing a shimmery golden hue. I trailed the beautiful golden light to its source, which oddly was coming from my ring — Ms. Sutherland’s ring. I sensed a tingling kind of energy pulsating throughout my entire body as I sat there staggered and amazed. And if that weren’t crazy enough, I could now clearly see the snowy ground below me through my fingers, like my skin was somehow transparent. Driven by a courageous cry from my gut, I rose from the bushes and stood plainly within the being’s sight. “Mike” heard something and turned, but he never focused on me. He couldn’t see me. It was like I wasn’t there.

  Impossible…

  Then from out of the sky, my feathery little friend swooped down and attacked “Mike” with a vengeance, pummeling him with ferocious pecks every chance it got. The feisty falcon spiraled around him in a mystical golden haze. I watched stupefied as the battle between bird and beast unfolded before my eyes.

  “Mike” finally secured a firm lock on the fowl and then hurled it towards a tree. It fell to the ground, injured and squawking. I watched as he picked up a large rock and started walking towards the falcon as it flailed about, trying to flap its wings. “Mike” then raised the crude weapon high over his head to crush his opponent with one calculated strike.

  I couldn’t let that happen. This was the second time it had helped me fend off this creature. I sprang out of the bush and started to run over to save the bird when all of a sudden, a streak of purple mist shoved me back against the mountainside. I felt the earth crumbling all around me from the powerful force of the blow. Then it barreled into “Mike”, knocking the large rock out of his hands. The purple mist had “Mike” firmly in its grasp as they propelled off down the mountain like a rocket. It had all happened so fast they were already out of sight. The falcon quickly stretched its wings and then soared up into the night sky straightaway. I looked back towards the direction where the purple mist had bolted in such a hurry. There were no more signs of “it” or “Mike”.

  How did that strange purple mist know I was there, if “Mike” didn’t? I still had the mysterious golden aura flowing around my entire body. Somehow that, I presumed, was preventing me from being visible. My eyes scanned the woods with a diligent sweep while I absorbed the comforting grace of its hush. I was finally all alone.

  I took a moment to thank whatever the universe had summoned to save me. Now, all I had to do was run home and get help for Daddy.

  If he still needs it, I shuddered fearfully.

  Since the coast was now clear, I attempted to jump up and scale the side of the cliff. I managed to grab a tree root that was growing out of its side and held on with a tight grasp. I seem to be having a lot better luck this time around, I noted with a hopeful wave of gratitude as I inched up the side of the cliff. Just a little more and I’ll reach the top. With my feet dug in and planted firmly against the cliff’s hard surface, I continued climbing its slippery side.

  My confidence started to waver when a rumbling sound roared from out of nowhere. The side of the cliff began shaking violently. It was like an earthquake was occurring directly underneath Shiloh Ridge. Massive hunks of snow-covered rocks and earth began to crack and crumble away from the side of the cliff, right beneath me. A large hole soon appeared, almost swallowing me whole. I scrambled to hold on to the tree root. Well over half of my body was already dangling inside the gaping crevice. I kicked my legs, hoping to feel some sort of safe ground. Sadly, there was nothing but air. Not good. Another powerful tremor shook the ridge and inevitably rattled my hands right off the root. I scrambled to grab on to something, but I couldn’t because of the snow. I slid down what remained of the cliff and apprehensively counted the seconds until I wouldn’t be able to feel any more earth or snow between my fingers at all. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind; I was headed for one mother of a nasty fall.

  OH NO…

  I let out a shrill scream as I dropped into the pitch-black hole. Then my helpless, falling frame crashed against the sides of the fissure’s chamber, painfully. Every rock I hit delivered an even more agonizing blow than the last. The jagged stones carved into my skin like a knife and every slice felt nothing less than excruciating.

  The golden light the stone was casting acted like a flashlight around my body, allowing me to vividly see every sharp and savage obstacle in my path like a harrowing 3-D horror movie. Just when I thought I couldn’t take the torture of my agonizing descent any longer, my hip crashed down hard onto a large boulder, and then my limp frame rolled the rest of the way to the bottom.

  My whole body was throbbing when I came to a stop, and the pain was steadily intensifying. The numbness from the cold temperatures was starting to wear off. I was pretty sure my right arm was broken because I couldn’t move it without wincing. My left arm felt wet and when I looked down, I noticed blood pouring out of a large gash that ran roughly the length of my hand. My hip ached from the impact of the collision, and I just knew it was shattered. I raised my head up to examine the rest of my ravaged frame. The jagged rocks had ripped my beautiful dress to shreds and what remained was covered in dirt and blood. My harrowing inspection concluded with my legs. They looked like someone had taken a spiked baseball bat to them and shown no mercy with their strikes — none whatsoever.

  My eyes followed the walls of the dark chamber all the way up to its opening. I could only see a hint of the night sky. I judged the distance from the bottom to be about a couple hundred yards. I used the light my ring was granting to survey my surroundings. I’d fallen into some sort of cavern. I started to cry when my head fell back against its craggy floor, but not a single sound would come out no matter how hard I tried. The pain had left me broken and breathless.

  I can’t climb out and no one knows I’m down here…

  The light coming from the golden topaz was starting to fade. My surroundings were growing darker with every second that passed until there was nothing left but a small, candle-like flicker barely glowing from the center of the gemstone. Perfect, I thought angrily. On top of everything else, now I was going to die in the freakin’ dark.

  Even though I knew I was just a mere knock away from death’s door, I couldn’t help but think of my father. There was nothing I could do for him now, and I was of little help to him when I was up there. No matter what injuries were plaguing my body, the ache my heart was suffering with was more than I could bear. A horrible wave of sadness rose from the pit of my stomach as one small tear finally fell from my eyes.

  No one will come. There would be no rescue and certainly no knight-in-shining-armor to save me tonight.

  As I felt the tear roll down my cheek, my eyes focused on the opening of the cavern. A faint beam of light suddenly appeared that seemed to be oddly building in strength. I struggled to prop myself up on my elbows, grimacing and trying to keep the pain from my broken limb from forcing me back down.

  Maybe there’s someone up there with a flashlight?

  “He—Help,” I called out in a weak, raspy voice. I could barely hear my own self. There was no way anyone a couple of hundred yards away could. The sound wasn’t even loud enough to echo. I stared at the opening and tried to lis
ten for any sounds coming from above. Soon the dark cloud cover rolled back and revealed its source. It was the half moon, shining in the night sky. My elbows collapsed, and I fell back against the cold hard ground in despair.

  No one’s there. As disappointed as what I was, I took some comfort in the modest bit of illumination that the moonbeams were emitting into the cave. I closed my eyes for a moment and thought to myself, Maybe a snakebite wouldn’t have been so bad?

  Suddenly my eyelids began to twitch. They were being stimulated by something. It felt bright and was escalating by the second. I opened my eyes to see the beam of moonlight streaming into the cavern. But that wasn’t it. The vibrant light I sensed wasn’t coming from above. I turned my head and followed the direction of the moonbeam. My eyes traveled along its path, crossing the cave like a well-guided arrow. The mystical beam of light grew brighter the further I looked and eventually revealed a large rock formation where the source of illumination appeared to be hovering. I couldn’t tell if it was reflecting off the rocks or if there was actually something lying on its surface that was stirring the infectious glow. The longer I stared at the dazzling light, the more I became memorized by it. Totally and inescapably spellbound. The harder I focused, the more enthralled I became by its brilliance. It was absolutely scintillating. I grimaced as I attempted to roll my body over and onto my stomach. Once my weight had shifted, I placed more pressure on my fractured hip and howled in agony.

  I had to get a closer look at whatever was there. I couldn’t walk, so I was forced to crawl along the rugged bottom of the cavern. Every inch I traveled was more painstaking than the last, but for some reason, I didn’t care — no matter how much blood poured from my battered body or how many tears fell. I was in a trance and clearly under the mysterious light’s spell. It felt like I was being pulled toward the light, like it was calling to me, tempting me to come. Whatever it was blazed hotter and brighter the closer I crept.

  I struggled through the crippling pain, wailing the entire way, until I’d finally reached the bottom of the rock formation where the light was emanating. I looked up. There above me lay a long glowing rod of some sort, embedded in dark raw coal. My eyes widened in their trance. The energy and fervor of the anomaly had overpowered all of my senses, and I was its willing prisoner.

  The hallucination I’d had when I was dancing with Ty flooded my mind with the force of a raging river. This was the same object from my vision. I remembered all the same desires I felt when I’d seen it before. I had to get closer to it. I needed to touch it. I would have to pull myself up to it, but that meant getting to more of a standing position. The pain from that endeavor was sure to kill me, but at that moment, I didn’t care.

  I braced my hands against one of the rocks and then pushed myself up with the last few ounces of strength I had left. I swung my hips upwards and staggered as my feet shuffled to grip the side of the rock formation. My body trembled, and I gasped breathlessly from the sheer agony of the painful maneuver. All of my vigor had faded from my muscles, but my mind pressed me to carry onward.

  Determined, I threw myself at the object that had revealed itself. Before my eyes lay a magnificent, six-sided crystal. It was a little longer than my arm, and its radiance was almost blinding. I gazed deeply into the bewitching crystal. It appeared to have some kind of fiery light moving within it, like an untamed spectacle of free-flowing energy.

  I rested my left hand firmly underneath the base of the rocks and swung my broken right limb over to grasp it. As I clutched the awesome crystal, it began sporadically shooting out rays of intense light in all directions. I was so fixated on its beauty that I didn’t want to let go. A spark shot through my right arm and blazed a trail throughout my entire body. Its dynamic energy began to flow through me with breakneck speed. It felt like I was being struck by a billion bolts of lightning, but its force was more thrilling than fierce. Then all of a sudden, every broken and cut part of my body started to reel with an agonizing pain. It was a brutal torture that couldn’t be fathomed no matter how hard you tried imagining. I couldn’t take its toll any longer, so I attempted to release my hand — but the crystal wouldn’t allow me to loosen my grasp. Somehow I was now adhered to it. I jerked my hand violently, trying even harder to pull it free.

  When the light finally climaxed, an overwhelming burst of pain erupted from somewhere deep within my body, and I belted out a scream. It was as if an explosion had set my insides on fire, like my blood was burning with hot molten lava that coursed through every one of my veins.

  The blazing light from the crystal rod disappeared in an instant. There wasn’t any light of any kind that remained in the cavern. I was now standing in pitch-black darkness. My grip loosened from the crystal and straightaway, I began to slip into an unconscious state. I wobbled and then collapsed onto the rocks below. When my head hit the ground, a random memory of my father drifted through my mind and then a sense of blissful peace fell over me. My misty eyes fluttered to a close, catching only a glimpse of a shimmery purple light. I was certain of two things at that precise moment: when my eyes did reopen, I would see my father—his hands stretched out lovingly and his serene blue-green eyes blazing—and he would be standing there, right alongside my maker, waiting to take me into his arms.

  Chapter 12