Alosha (10 page)

Ali got excited. “I've always wanted to learn spells and potions. I've read books about them.”

“That is not magic, that is fiction. Real magic is always connected to the elements. When you master them you gain powers. See what happened to you in the river today. The rushing water could not knock you over. You were able to pick up heavy rocks. That is because you have already passed the tests of water and earth.”

Ali was delighted with the news. “You mean I'm a superhero now?”

“You will not be strong all the time. But when the need is there, your powers will appear.” Nemi added, “Hopefully.”

“What do you mean, hopefully?”

“Maybe not all the time you need them.”

“That's kind of scary.”

“It's a scary world.”

“Let's talk more about these elementals. How many have invaded this forest?”

“A few. But in two days there will be a full moon. That is when the Yanti will open all the way. An entire army of elementals will come through then.”

“What will they do?”

“Kill people.”

“But people will fight back. The army will be called in.”

“More elementals will appear, and there will be a big war. It is hard to say who will win, and it doesn't matter in a way. The world will be in ruins, in both dimensions.”

“Say I get to this Yanti in the next two days. When I close it, won't the elementals who are already here in our dimension be trapped?”

“No. They will shift back into their own dimension. The forest will be free of them.” Nemi added, “Unless you want some to stay.”

“I was thinking about that. I'm not sure what the elementals are doing is wrong. Lumberjacks are destroying this forest. I want someone to stop them.”

“Things are out of balance in your dimension, that is true. But a war is a poor way to bring balance.” Nemi added, “Think of the men who work on the mountain. They have families. Do you want them hurt?”

“Of course not. But someone needs to teach them a lesson.”

“What lesson do you want to teach them?”

“I don't know, something.”

“You think about my question. You might get an answer to it before the day is through. You think about the task that has been put before you.”

“Do I have to go up there alone?”

“You may take whomever you wish. I can only advise you—you have to make your own decisions. You don't have to go at all. It is entirely up to you. But if you do go, be wise and be careful. The forest is now a dangerous place to be. Certain elementals will do everything in their power to stop you from reaching the Yanti. Many of them are much more dangerous than trolls.”

“When will I face the other tests?”

“Soon.”

“And each test I pass, I gain more power?”

“Yes.”

“What if I fail one?”

“You will die.”

“That's a pretty severe punishment.”

“You are an unusual girl. A lot depends on you. If you do not reach the Yanti in time, there will be few left alive, on both sides. Think about that as well.” Nemi added, “Now it is time for you to find your friends and return home.”

“But I don't want to leave. I feel happy with you.”

“I am always happy to be with you. But if you are to reach the Yanti in time, you must make preparations.”

“One last question. Two days from now, exactly when will the Yanti open all the way?”

“When the moon is straight overhead. That will be late at night. At that moment, the moon will begin to burn.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you have the courage to go on this quest, you will see for yourself.”

Ali fidgeted where she sat. Her eyes burned; she wiped away a tear before it could touch her cheek. Here she was talking to no one and it broke her heart to leave.

“Can I talk to you again, Nemi?” she asked.

“I am always nearer than you think. Go, Alosha. Be brave.”

Ali opened her eyes and stood. She looked around the inside of the tree. There was no one there, not even a ghost of a person. Yet she felt as if Nemi touched her heart in farewell. She was reminded of her mother's love. She wished she had remembered to ask Nemi about her. Maybe next time.

“Thank you,” she said.

Ali climbed out of the tree and hiked toward her friends.

She found Cindy and Steve twenty minutes later, at the same spot on the path where she had been thrown in the water. When she walked up, they were both sitting on the ground and going through his daypack.

Cindy appeared unhurt, and Steve did not look bad, although he had a bruise on the side of his head and a spot of blood near his left eye. Seeing them alive, Ali let out a squeal and leaned over and gave them a hug. Intuition and talking trees aside, it was good to see with her own eyes that they were all right.

“They didn't eat you!” she exclaimed.

“You didn't drown!” they cried.

Ali stood back up. “There was a tree hanging over the river. I was able to grab it and escape the falls. Then I . . . well, I can tell you later. I'm just so happy you guys are okay!”

“I was looking all over for you!” Cindy said. “I figured you went over the falls and finally gave up hope. I just got back to Steve a few minutes ago.”

“I just woke up,” Steve muttered.

Ali was shocked. “You were knocked out all this time?”

“Must have been.” Steve shook his head in disgust and pointed to his pack.

“My camera's gone, and all the rolls of film.”

“What happened?” Ali asked.

“I don't know,” Steve said. “One moment I'm walking behind you and the next I got hit on the head.”

“You didn't see what it was?” Cindy asked.

“I didn't even hear it coming,” Steve said, getting up slowly. His eyes were clear and he was not wobbly. “But it must have been strong to put me out so easily, and lift you and throw you so far.”

“I know what happened,” Ali said.

“You do?” Steve asked, puzzled.

“Yes.” Ali offered Steve her arm for support. “But let's talk about it later.”

A
funny thing happened to Ali on the trip back to town. She tried to imagine telling her friends about her battle with the three trolls, and her conversation with the tree, and a lightbulb went off in her head.

They would think she was crazy.

Bigfoot was one thing. Lots of people had seen the creatures. But an army of invading elementals? That was too much for any reasonable person to accept, never mind the fact that she was supposed to be the “chosen one” who was destined to defeat the magical army. She could just picture Steve and Cindy's faces if she started to explain such a scenario. They would not laugh, they would rush her to a doctor.

So on the way home she said nothing. The others did not care. They were
all exhausted. By the time they reached town, Cindy and Steve did not even bother to quiz her about what she had seen. They each just wanted to get to their houses and rest.

Yet Nemi's explanation haunted her as she entered her house. She knew for a fact the trolls were real; since they were, everything else he had said was probably accurate. The world was in danger, she thought, something had to be done. But why had he placed all the responsibility on her head?

She hated to ignore what he said for another reason, one that she was almost too embarrassed to admit. She trusted Nemi, she trusted his love. More than anything else, that is what she had felt inside the tree. She wanted to talk to him again soon, have him approve of her.

She did not know what to do.

Filthy from her adventures, Ali jumped in the shower and let the hot water pour over her head. Clean at last, she dressed in her bedroom while she let a frozen dinner heat in the oven. She hated pre-packaged meals but felt too weary to cook.

She threw her dirty clothes in the wash. In two days she had lost a sweater, a coat, a daypack, and ruined one pair of pants. She couldn't keep this up; she would have nothing left to wear. She felt especially bad for Steve. He loved his camera; it had taken him two years to save for it. His parents had even less money than her father did.

The phone rang. It was Cindy.

“Did you hear what happened to Ted Wilson?” she asked.

“Tell me,” Ali said.

“A tree fell on him. He's in the hospital, in a coma.” Cindy added, “The doctors don't think he's going to make it.”

“How could a tree fall on him?” Ali asked.

“I don't know. The logging company is investigating the accident. They have closed down their operation for the time being.” Cindy added, “I guess you got what you wanted.”

“This is not what I wanted,” Ali cried, remembering her arrogant remark to Nemi about teaching the lumberjacks a lesson.

Cindy heard the pain in her voice. “I didn't mean it that way.”

Ali was shaking. “Look, I can't talk right now. Let me call you later, okay?”

The second Ali set down the phone, she was out the door. The town had only one hospital, Breakwater Memorial. Her father always said he wouldn't go there unless he was dying, and then only if he wanted to speed up the process.

Ali rode her bike to the hospital. Parking it outside without locking it, she hurried inside and asked directions to intensive care. She figured that was where Ted must be. But when she reached the area she ran into an old and wrinkled nurse with a face as stiff as her starched uniform. She told Ali that only family was allowed inside.

“But I'm a good friend of Ted's,” Ali protested.

“Those are the rules,” the nurse snapped, sorting a stack of files. “Now, please, I'm very busy.”

There was no point in arguing. Ali stepped into the hallway outside intensive care. The interior walls had many windows; she could still see into the nurse's station. A few minutes later, Ted's family came out from one of the back rooms, his wife and Sharla, her not-so-nice pal from school. They were a mess: Sharla was crying and the wife was white as a sheet. They spoke to the nurse a minute, then the woman led them into the hallway. Ali ducked around a corner. The nurse was giving them directions. Ali watched as the three of them walked down the hallway and disappeared.

Ali seized the opportunity, not even sure what she was doing. Dashing back to the nurse's station, she hurried to the room the others had exited. These were not real rooms, however, more like sterile cubicles separated by glass and curtains.

Peeking inside, she saw Ted lying in bed with a dozen wires and tubes attached to his battered body. The sight broke her heart. Two days ago he had been a vital man and now his skin was the color of a corpse. It did not seem fair.

Ali entered the room, stood beside Ted. A monitor above his head beeped with an annoying rhythm. The room stunk of alcohol and pain. Ted's head was heavily bandaged; it looked as if his right arm was broken. Purple bruises covered his eyes and his breathing was ragged. Ali felt sick to her stomach.

“Oh Ted,” she whispered, taking his lifeless hand. It was cold; he did not react to her touch. But it was when she touched him that she understood why she had come. Nemi had said she had magical powers. Was it possible—was it too much to ask—that she could heal him?

Gently, Ali put her left hand over his forehead and her right above his heart. She did not know what she was doing; she had never done it before. But she felt it was the right thing to do. She prayed that some kind of magic would flow through her hands and make him wake up.

Ali closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. She thought of how much she loved Ted. Most of all she tried to feel the power that had swept over her that afternoon when she had fought the trolls.

Minutes went by. The monitor kept beeping.

Nothing happened. No power came.

Ali opened her eyes and stared down at Ted. She spoke to him in a soft voice, knowing he could not hear her.

“I'm sorry about what happened to you. I'm sure you were not stupid enough to let a tree fall on you. A troll must have got you, or else it was one of the other elementals. I'm sorry I can't heal you. But seeing you like this, I know now what I have to do. I think that's what Nemi wanted me to see. Tomorrow, I'm going to climb the mountain. I'm going to find the Yanti. Until I get back, I need you to hang on. You're not to die.” She lifted his hand and kissed it and her eyes burned with tears. “Don't die, Ted.”