Chaos (The Realmwalker Chronicles Book 1) (7 page)

She’s shorter than I am but looks about my age. She’s pretty. She’s thin and pale with deep emerald eyes. The most distinguishable thing about her, however, is her unnaturally bright red-orange hair. I try not to imagine her head on fire as she grins at me and says, “So you’re Adelaide! Wow! You’re bright. And adorable! Happy to meet you.” She holds out her hand and waits.

“Um … hi.” Unsure what to do, but not wanting to appear rude, I show her my bandaged hands so she understands why I can’t shake.

“Oh, of course! Sorry. Here.” She balls her hand up and gives me a fist bump. “I’m Ember! I’m pretty sure I’m your new best friend. I’m a great judge of character and from what I can see of you so far, I know we’ll get along great!”

The sound of someone clearing their throat a little ways behind Ember startles me. I look out and standing on the lawn with his hands in his pockets is none other than the burger-joint guy—Tori’s “Mr. Hottie.”

Ember turns in his direction and says, “I know! I’m getting to it. I’m only trying to be polite. So much rides on first impressions you know.” She turns back to me. “So Adelaide, you wanna come for a walk? We’ve got lots to talk about.”

Chapter 6

My curiosity is
piqued. I should be concerned, maybe a little frightened, that there are strangers at my door who seem to know an awful lot about me. Either I have taken complete leave of my senses, or my instincts are telling me these two are no threat.

“I think I would like that very much. I’ve got a lot of questions,” I tell her.

“And we’ve got your answers.” She grins at me in a way that makes me feel like we’re old friends. I glance meaningfully behind her. She understands right away. “You don’t have to worry about Sam. He’s a great guy—one of the best. You’ll see.”

I have to take her at her word. “Give me a minute please,” I say to her. She nods her head and goes to stand by Sam. I find Mom in the kitchen, checking the pot roast in the slow cooker.

“Those are some nice-looking kids. I’ve never met them before, have I?” she asks me.

“No, Mom. You’ve never met them.”
And neither have I
, I think to myself. “Listen, do you mind if we go for a walk? I won’t go far.”

“Sure honey, just take it easy, okay? Remember Ronnie suggested you rest today, so don’t overdo it.”

“I won’t. Thanks, Mom.” I turn to leave.

“Oh hey! Dinner should be ready in about half an hour. Try not to be late. And your friends are more than welcome to join us. We have plenty.”

“Sounds good. Thanks.”

I find Ember and Sam on the lawn where I left them. Ember smiles warmly and asks, “Is there a shady place nearby we can sit and talk?”

I look up and down the street, thinking. The Morgans have some good shade trees on their property, and they won’t mind us hanging around.

“There’s some horse property right up the street there. They’ve got lots of trees.”

“Perfect!” Ember crows. “I LOVE horses!”

We head down the street. Ember walks next to me while Sam stays a few paces back. “Have you lived here long?” she asks me cheerfully.

“All my life.”

“I’m from Omaha. Not for long though! As soon as I graduate, I’m moving to L.A. I can’t wait! Are you a senior too?” she asks.

“Yeah, I graduate in two weeks.” My mind races with questions and I wonder when she’ll cut the small talk and explain what’s going on.

We get to the edge of the horse field and the section of fence that’s shaded by a big leafy tree. The wooden fence isn’t too high, so I carefully pull myself up to sit on it. Ember does the same and sits next to me. Sam leans on the side of the tree trunk facing us.

Ember looks me in the eyes. I get the same feeling I did when Sam was sizing me up in the parking lot at lunch. She smiles, so I must not be a total disappointment.

“You have pretty eyes,” she tells me. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. “They shine like your aura – which is very bright by the way. You have one of the brightest auras I’ve ever seen. It’s a pretty, sunny yellow. I’m getting major good vibes from you, Adelaide, and I’m excited to get to know you.”

What she’s saying is kind, I guess, but it’s only confusing me more. Auras? Vibes? Was she some kind of hippie into “mojo” and stuff like that?

She suddenly laughs. “I can tell from your face that I’m not helping things. All right then, first things first. What I’m about to tell you, Adelaide, is difficult to accept. But try to remember that we all have gone through this and that we are here for you. Don’t forget that.” She places her hand on the back of mine.

Before continuing, she looks at Sam, and he gives her a small nod. She takes a deep breath.

“Adelaide. Sam drove out here from Los Angeles to find you. And I flew all the way from Omaha to meet you and tell you the dream you had last night wasn’t a dream. You entered Chaos last night for the first time. When you fall back asleep tonight, you will find yourself in Chaos again, at Minor Calm.”

I stare at her blankly. Did I hear her right? In my head I go over everything she just said. Then I understand what’s going on and I’m suddenly angry.

“This isn’t funny,” I tell her. She immediately starts shaking her head.

“No, I’m not-”

“Seriously,” I cut her off before she can say more, “I don’t know who told you. It must be someone my mom told, but I really don’t find this amusing.” I slide off the fence, intending to go straight home, but I bump into Sam as he blocks my path. He puts his hands up in front of him in a “wait” gesture.

“Give us five minutes,” he says softly. “And in five minutes, if you still aren’t convinced, we’ll leave you alone.” He’s looking down into my face, but my attention is on his upraised hands. I inhale sharply at the sight of them. I start to shake and find my legs aren’t strong enough to support me. Sam reaches out to stabilize me before I collapse. I feel lightheaded and dizzy. This can’t be real.

He sets me on the ground gently and sits next to me, one arm still on my back for support.

Ember is there in a flash, sitting on my other side, looking concerned. “What is it? Are you all right?” she asks anxiously. I’m shaking my head back and forth, refusing to accept what I just saw.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it was a trick of light. I see Sam’s hand, the one that’s not supporting me, resting on his leg. I reach for it, take it in my own, and slowly turn it over. No, it wasn’t a trick of light. His palm is scarred.

I lightly run my fingers over it. His hands are warm and rough and nearly twice as big as mine. I can feel the scar tissue and I know it’s real. Resigned, I take off my bandages. It takes me a second but once they’re off, I hold my open hand next to Sam’s to compare. My injury is nearly identical to his. As I’m looking between our two hands, Ember places hers next to ours. She has the same scars.

“We keep the scars,” Ember explains quietly, “the ones we get from falling. It’s a personal choice. We can choose to have Doc heal the wounds with or without leaving scars. I guess it’s sort of a rite of passage, a badge of honor. It’s something we all have in common and we wear them proudly.”

I can’t deny what they’re telling me anymore. If my dream wasn’t a dream, and Chaos is real, then everything Mel and Crank said was real too. I was summoned to Chaos. Something, or someone, some grand unseen power, plucked me from this world and quite literally thrust me into a horrifying dimension where giant evil beasts roam free.

“Why?” I ask aloud.

“Because you are needed, Adelaide,” Sam says to me.

“Me?” I erupt with laughter but it sounds more hysterical than amused, and that frightens me so I abruptly stop.

“Yes, you,” Ember insists. “Everyone who is chosen to come to Chaos has a purpose there. We each have some unique, much-needed quality that we bring to the fight.”

“Fight? What fight are you talking about?” I’m starting to feel sick thinking about what she may say next.

“Before you can understand that, you first have to understand what Chaos is. Are you well enough for me to continue?”

I nod.

She takes a deep breath and continues. “Chaos is another realm of existence. Some would call it a parallel dimension. We aren’t really sure how many different realms exist, but we do know of three for sure. First, there is Earth realm, where we are right now. Some Realmwalkers call it ‘Top-side’ or ‘Earth-side.’ Then there’s the realm of Chaos.”

“Where I was last night.”

“That’s right. Chaos alone isn’t an evil place. It simply acts as a bridge-realm between here and the third realm I’m going to tell you about.”

“But if Chaos isn’t an evil place, why are there Calms to protect you? And what are Calms exactly?” I interrupt.

“Good question. Mel and Crank mentioned Calms to you, right?” she inquires.

“Yeah. Mel said we were in Minor Calm and that we were safe from that creature there.”

“That’s right.” She nods. “A Calm is a space created by the Realmwalkers within Chaos. It’s easiest to think of it as a room within a room. There are currently two Calms in Chaos. Major Calm is our main base. It’s basically our headquarters.

“Minor Calm is more like a way-station for Realmwalkers who need a safe place in a hurry and are too far from Major Calm. The Calms are the only places in Chaos that we can be safe all the time with no fear of Shades. There’s only one entrance into a Calm, and it’s protected by wardings.”

“Do you mean, like, magic spells and stuff?”

She smiles. “Not exactly. What we do in Chaos can easily look like magic to an outsider, but it’s really not. You’ll learn all about that soon.” She looks at Sam. “Am I doing this right?”

He nods approvingly. “You’re doing well. Now tell her about the third realm and the reason the Realmwalkers are needed.”

“Right. The third realm that we know of is referred to as the Nether Realm. This is the realm of the Shades. It’s where they come from. All of us Realmwalkers have our own ideas and theories of what it actually is. Some say it’s a prison for damned souls, some think it’s a negative version of our Earth Realm, and some say it’s Hell. Just like some people from Earth Realm are able to enter Chaos, so can some of the Shades from the Nether Realm.”

I stop her again. “So that creature that tried to kill me, that was a shade from the Nether Realm?”

Sam answers my question. “Yes. The shade that attacked you last night is what we call a Lesser Shade.”

“There’s more than one kind?”

“Yes,” he answers again. “There are two kinds that we know of. The Lesser Shades, like the one you came across, and the Greater Shades.”

Despite the heat, I can’t stop the shiver that runs down my spine. The fact that there are shades referred to as “Greater” seems to suggest that they are somehow more dangerous than the one I saw. How can there be anything in existence more dangerous than that horrible beast?

Ember scoots closer to me and leans into my side. It’s comforting feeling her there as she continues to explain.

“You’ll learn all about Shades in the nights to come. For now, there is only one thing you need to know about them. Some of them have the ability to tear holes in the fabric of Chaos. Through those holes, they are able to enter THIS realm. Once a tear has been made, it’s then possible for entire hordes of Shades to pass through. Once they are here, they wreak havoc, causing death and destruction everywhere they go.”

“Those things come here? Why haven’t I heard of them before? Why doesn’t everyone know about them?”

“They can only be seen by Realmwalkers, those who have been touched by Chaos.” She waits for me to process this. “Okay, so for example, you know Hurricane Ilsa? The one that recently tore up the East Coast?”

I nod my head. “Are you saying Shades caused that? Wasn’t that a natural disaster?”

“The Shades are creatures of pure evil. They don’t belong over here. The Lesser Shades’ presence has a terrible effect on this realm. They tend to bring out the ugliest and most hateful traits in people. They stir up emotions and adrenaline, causing mass riots, or if their numbers are large enough, even wars. They can focus their energy on the elements causing fires, storms, tornados, and earthquakes.”

Sam explains further, “There was a tear in Chaos last week, and we weren’t able to close it fast enough. An entire herd of Lesser Shades escaped through before we could seal it. Hurricane Ilsa is an example of what these things can do when they get over here.”

“But why? I mean, what’s their purpose?”

“We used to think it was just in their nature to be evil,” Sam says. “But in the last couple hundred years we’ve come to understand that these Lesser Shades are driven by an intense and unquenchable hunger. They literally feed off of the misery of men. The pain and agony of mankind is what sustains them. That’s why they create horrific events of mass destruction everywhere they go.”

I cringe as I think of a herd of those things romping over the land unseen by others as they thrive off the turmoil and misery of humans.

“You said ‘Lesser Shades,’” I point out. “What do the Greater Shades do once they get here?”

Sam’s face is etched with disgust. “They are drawn to the worst of us, individuals who are destined to do evil. Like parasites, the Greater Shades tie themselves to these people, feeding off the horror and pain they cause. They follow them throughout their lives, whispering dark deeds into their subconscious, encouraging and inspiring them to commit even greater acts of evil.”

Ember nods. “Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot. Even men in our own backyard—Manson, Bundy, Dahmer—all tromping throughout history with their own personal Greater Shade.”

My heart goes cold at hearing this.

Ember continues, “It is our sole purpose, as Realmwalkers, to make sure these things don’t happen. There is a war going on, Adelaide. It’s good versus evil and human lives are at stake. It’s we who must protect them. We are the guardians of Earth Realm.”

Chapter 7

This is too
much for me to take. I don’t understand why I was called. I’m not special. I’m not a warrior. I wouldn’t even say I’m particularly brave.

I think of the giant black monster charging down the street at me. I’m supposed to fight those things? And the Greater Shades? I’m embarrassed to find tears standing in my eyes. I’m not cut out for this. I wish so badly that I could make it all go away. I look at Ember, then Sam. Did they feel like this in the beginning? Were they as scared as I am now? It’s hard to imagine Sam afraid of anything. What do I do?

I close my eyes and see my father. I’m entirely overwhelmed by the feeling that he’s here with me. I think of how he lived his life and how he would have wanted me to live mine. I want more than anything to make him proud.

“Okay,” I whisper. I open my eyes. Looking from Ember to Sam I say, “I’m a Realmwalker now. I’m scared, and I don’t have any idea what I can possibly do to help, but I promise you both I’ll do everything I can. I’ll try my hardest.” I’m surprised at the conviction I hear in my own voice and how certain I feel as I say those words. It’s as if my whole life has been leading me here, to this very moment, to say those exact words and accept this calling.

I look at both of them. Sam is smiling for the first time since I’ve seen him, and Ember is grinning as big as she can.

Ember squeals and throws her arms around me. “Welcome to the family!” I wince as she squeezes my sore ribs but I can’t help laughing. I feel some relief now that I’ve accepted my fate. At least I know I won’t be alone. I look at Sam over Ember’s shoulder and he nods his head in approval at me. I’m filled with the familiar swell of emotion that I had in Mel’s and Crank’s presence. I just met these two people, Ember and Sam, but already they are two of the most important people in my life.

It’s beginning to get dark out, so I look at my watch and see that it’s been over half an hour since we left my house. Mom will start to worry if I don’t head back soon. At first, I’m sad I have to leave them. I still have so many questions. Then I remember Mom’s offer.

I smile at both of them. “Are you guys hungry? My mom made pot roast and it should be ready by now.”

Ember gets a dreamy look on her face. “Mmm, that’s what I smelled when she opened the door! It had my stomach growling. What do you think, Boss? Wanna stay and eat?”

“I don’t know. We may get asked questions that we don’t have answers to right now.” He looks to me for my opinion. “Do you plan on telling your mother about Chaos?”

I haven’t even considered this. “Would she even believe me?”

“Well,” Ember smirks, “we have ways of proving ourselves.” She glances around, checking to see that we’re alone. Holding a fist out in front of us, she opens up her hand. At the same time, a spark and then a small ball of fire ignites and hovers over her palm. I jump back reflexively, but she’s already closed her fist and the fire is gone as quickly as it appeared.

“They don’t call me Ember for nothing,” she says with a wink.

“That. Was. Awesome,” I say. This opens a whole new set of possibilities. I could share all of this with my mom, even Jana. I wouldn’t have to hold it all in like some terrible secret. But then, how would she feel about it? After losing Dad, Jana and I are all she has left. She’s already so protective of me. She may beg me not to fight. The constant worry about my safety may drive her crazy. I don’t know if she can handle it.

“I don’t want to tell her anything yet. She’ll worry herself to death,” I decide.

“Well, then, if we are going to meet your family, we are going to need a good cover story. How do you know us?” Sam asks me. I get the feeling he’s testing me. I’m reminded of something and turn to Ember.

“Did you call Sam ‘Boss’ a minute ago?”

“Yeah, he’s the boss. Well, reluctant boss really. He’s the oldest Realmwalker we have right now. Not by age—he’s been in Chaos the longest of all of us, so that makes him the most likely candidate for our leader. We all still vote every six months, but for the last two years, the vote has unanimously been for Sam. Well, except for his own vote of course.” She jokingly punches his shoulder. “He hates having so much authority, but in my opinion, that’s the best kind of leader.”

“That’s why you sound so familiar. I heard you on Mel’s ear thingie last night. She called you ‘Boss.’”

Sam nods. “Mel did good getting to you so quickly.”

“Yeah,” I agree with him. “She saved my life.”

“So,” Ember reminds me, “what should we tell your mom for now? Who are we, how do you know us?”

I rack my brain for anything that might be believable. I really hate the thought of lying to Mom, even though right now it’s for her own good. Maybe I can find some middle ground.

“Okay, how does this sound? I’m not really comfortable lying to my mom, so let’s make the cover story true.”

Ember nods her head enthusiastically. “Sounds good to me! Tell me what to do.”

I tell them my plan and we use Ember’s smartphone to put it into action.

I’m excited at the thought of having friends over for dinner. Real friends. I haven’t had a real friend in who knows how long. When we get to my house, my mom is in the kitchen getting plates out of the cupboard and Jana is slicing cucumbers for a salad.

“Mom, Jana, these are some friends of mine. This is Ember and Sam.” I motion to each in turn. “Guys, this is my mom, Margaret Shepherd, and my sister, Jana.” Everyone shakes hands and exchanges the standard pleasantries. I can’t help but notice that Jana saves her warmest welcome for Sam. She flashes him her best smile and holds on to his handshake a second or two longer than necessary. I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

“I hope you’re all hungry,” my mom says eagerly.

Sam asks if he can wash up before eating, so I point him down the hall to the restroom. Ember and I help set the table.

“So, you have to tell me, Ember,” Mom starts out, “where did our Addy meet such good-looking kids?”

Ember doesn’t even miss a beat. “Oh, it’s funny really. We hadn’t even met her before today. Not in person anyway. We’re all members of the same fan club. Have you heard of the band Souls on Board?”

Jana lights up. “Oh yeah, they’re really good. I didn’t know you were a fan club member, Addy.”

“Yep,” I say. “I joined online.”
Ten minutes ago from Ember’s phone
.

Ember continues, “Well, Sam and I came out here from our hometowns. We bought tickets to their show in Phoenix for tomorrow night. When we got here, we thought we’d come meet Addy.” I take note of how she words her response. She’s good. Everything she said is the absolute truth. She bought the tickets from her smartphone right before coming in.

“Oh, that’s wonderful. I’m so glad you did.” Mom smiles at her.

We’re almost finished setting the table and Sam hasn’t returned yet. My mom asks me to go check that he’s not lost as she puts some rolls into a basket.

I head through the living room, intending to go to the back of the house where the restroom is, but I stop when I see him in the entryway. He’s standing and looking at a painting hanging on the wall to the right of the front door. It’s hung over a side table where we drop our keys when we come in. I go and stand next to him and look up at the painting.

It’s a portrait of my father in his uniform. We both stand there and look at it for a little while.

“Did you do this?” he asks quietly. I look at him, but his pensive expression makes it hard to tell if he likes it or not.

“Yeah. It’s not that great. I was only thirteen at the time. I know it’s pretty basic, but it was done at a time when I still had a clear image of him.” I study the picture too. I pass it every day, but it’s been a while since I actually looked at it.

“It’s really good. You’re talented.” He indicates one of the items on the table directly below the picture. “Did he die in the line of duty?”

I pick up my dad’s old police badge and run my thumb over the front of the shield. “No. Nothing like that.” I shake my head, a familiar frustration bubbling inside my gut. “He goes to work every day, puts himself in grave danger, risks his life, and he dies on the side of the road, in the middle of a rain storm.”

He’s quiet for a moment. Then he asks, “What was he doing?”

I sigh and look up at him. “He was driving me home from a party one night during a storm. He saw a neighbor of ours stranded on the side of the road, so he stops, gets out to help her, and some inexperienced teenage driver in a sports car comes barreling down the road and hydroplanes right into him.” It’s been four years, but it’s still painful to remember.

“Adelaide, you should know something.” He takes his eyes off the painting and faces me. He looks at me with conviction in his eyes. “Your father is a hero. He did die in the line of duty.”

I look back at him, puzzled.

“Your father took an oath as a police officer. He vowed to serve and protect—not just in uniform, but always. It’s not only a career; it’s a way of life. And that’s exactly what he was doing that night. He saw someone in distress and he knew it was his duty to aid them. Your father’s a hero.”

I’m speechless, and I fight back tears of shame. All I can do is stare back at him. Why did it take a stranger explaining this for me to understand? Of course my father died a hero. I feel the need to apologize for not realizing sooner. Gosh, I wasted so much time being angry.

I was angry because I thought he had died doing some mundane task. I was angry because I knew he was worth a more heroic ending. I was so angry that I couldn’t see what was right in front of me the whole time.

I open my mouth to say I’m sorry to Sam, but I realize he’s not who I need to apologize to. It’s the memory of my dad that I’ve wronged. I say a silent vow to never forget that he died trying to fulfill his oath. He died a hero’s death.

“Thank you,” is all I can say to him. He nods almost imperceptibly and heads back in the direction of the kitchen. I follow him with my eyes. Does he know he’s helped heal the biggest hurt inside me? I think he must know. I don’t know how he can be so perceptive, but I’m overwhelmingly grateful to him.

This must be what it takes to be a great leader. You heal your peoples’ wounds, and they will not only follow you but throw down their lives for you. I have no doubt that any and all of the Realmwakers would follow Sam into hell and back. And I’m beginning to see why.