Darlings (25 page)

“It’s nice to meet you.” Gwen said. 

“Likewise!” Soula responded.  

You wouldn’t by chance know where I can find
a dark fairy?” Gwen eagerly asked. 

Soula gasped. “Why would you ever want to do
that? Oh no no no. You need to stay far away from the dark spirits
and half deads. They’re dangerous.” 

“Sounded like a bad idea to me too, but she
refuses to continue until she finds one.” Ry added, shifting
awkwardly on his large heels.

Soula contemplated the situation. Sighing,
she figured it was pointless to discuss it. “You want her to bring
the boy and his Mantican back?” 

She knew. “Yes…I have to, could you help us
find them?” 

“Yes and yes. I’ll take you to the dark fairy
and tormented spirits usually stay near where they were killed. You
said Minnesota right? Any idea where?” Soula asked. 

Gwen shook her head, “No.”

“Well lucky for you I have a friend in middle
earth that sticks around Central Lakes. Had a horrible encounter
with a pirate there. She’s a little batty these days, but she seems
to know most immortals that stick around middle earth in the spirit
world. Come on, take hands, quickly now and we’ll get on our
way.” 

They trio joined hands and Soula quickly
explained. “Close your eyes, clear your mind.” Gwen did just that
and suddenly Soula sang, “We’re here!” 

Gwen opened her eyes, and found herself
sitting on a shore by a beautiful glimmering lake. Tall pine trees
surrounded the shore in all sides, an array of chocolate and dark
emerald. They sky was strikingly blue against the dense white
clouds that floated by. Gwen could smell the crisp fall air; it
felt good to be home…in middle earth anyways. 

“Haluna!” Soula shouted. All of the sudden a
colorless figure appeared from the tree line. She was tall and had
her dark hair weaved into a single braid that wrapped perfectly
around her head. She wore an off the shoulder evening gown that was
surprisingly still beautiful. 

“Haluna, I have visitors!” 

“Soula. How nice to see you, it’s been a
while.” The spirits embraced warmly as Soula introduced Gwen and
Rynnal. 

“This is Gwen and Rylie.” Soula said
excitedly. 

“It’s Rynnal,” the gauche boy
corrected. 

Soula smiled. “Yes, yes sure it is,” she
pacified. “He’s an alchemist.” Gwen laughed to herself. Seemed
Soula’s the one who’d gone batty. 

“I thought I felt a living enter.” Haluna
answered, ignoring Rynnal as well. The boy just rolled his
eyes. 

“I’m Haluna. Care to join me for a walk? We
could head over to the lodge and listen to some fiery conversations
between an adulterer and his mistress. Always keeps me
entertained.” 

“No, no my friend. We are here strictly on
business.” 

“Business you say?” Haluna asked. “What kind
of business? Pirate business?” 

“Yes.” Gwen answered, eyeing Soula and
Rynnal. “We’re in a hurry actually,” she said as she explained the
magnitude of the situation. “…which leads us to now. I need to find
him the boy named Samuel and his mantican Etu. 

Haluna smiled. “It is you. I felt your
presence greater than any other immortal who’s entered the spirit
world,” she moved closer to Gwen outstretching her dreary hand to
touch her saviors dirty face. “I will help you find Samuel. If you
agree to one thing,” she said taking Gwen by the shoulders.
“Promise me you’ll take them down Gwen. Take them all down. Too
many souls have died at their hands. It’s too late for me to leave
here…but I can’t see any more of us senselessly die like this. It
has to stop and it stops with you beautiful one.” 

Gwen nodded. She had no idea if she was “the
one,” or who this one was, but if allowing them to believe she was
indeed just that helped her stop the pirates Gwen didn’t think it
could hurt.

“Let me think now. No, I don’t believe he’s
crossed so that’s great luck! Hmmmm,” she thought. I believe I
remember him wandering around a nearby cabin.” She brought her hand
to her ashy lips. “Yes. Alright this way grab hold,” she said
extending her hands. They formed a circle and closed their eyes
again clearing their minds. 

“There he is,” Gwen heard Haluna say as she
opened her eyes. A boy grey as expected stood staring into the
window of a cabin. The family inside, a man, woman, and young girl
were eating their supper in silence. 

“Hear me!” the boy screamed, and no one
looked up from their plates. He sat down on the ground and lowered
his head full of dark hair onto his knees. Another figure, almost
translucent appeared behind him. He was large and dark. Etu.

“Samuel. You know it’s no use. We have to go
to the light.” 

“You go, Etu. I can’t  leave them. They
don’t even know what happened to…I don’t even know what happened to
me!” he shouted. Etu nodded and stood silently behind his
immortal. 

“Why is he see-through?” Gwen
asked. 

“Manticans don’t have long to find the light.
He has to go or….he will lose his chance and end up in the dark
world.” Soula explained. 

Gwen took a deep breath and began toward the
boy…her victim. “Samuel,” Gwen said softly. 

The boy jumped up at the sound of his
name. 

“Who…you can see me?” he asked,
wide-eyed. 

“Yes, I can see you, and Etu?” she asked
eyeing the larger boy beside him. He nodded. 

“I’m Gwen. Etu, Andrew is my sworn one,” she
said attempting to lay out some common ground and trust…she’d need
lots of trust. 

Again Etu nodded and Gwen gulped
hard. 

“You’re, you’re in color. How can you see
us,” Samuel skeptically asked. 

“I’m an immortal, dual-locating,” Gwen
answered, keeping things short. “Listen I need you to come with me.
I…I’m going to bring you back.” Good. Maybe she wouldn’t have to
explain how she…killed him. 

“You can’t bring me back. You’d need a dark
fairy,” he said, waving his hand. “Go away. I want to watch what’s
left of my family in peace.” 

“I’m going to get a dark fairy. At least
that’s my plan,” Gwen said as calmly as she could. 

“Ha,” the boy laughed smugly. “What are you
going to do, waltz into the dark world, even if you could get there
and do what? Oh, hi I’m Gwen, any of you horrible evil torturers
want to give me a hand? Gee that’d be swell,” he shook his head.
“Just get out of here.” 

Gwen was become irritated at his blatant
disregard for her help. “No. Actually I plan to find a half dead
and hopefully, just hopefully she might be able to help
me…us” 

“Why would any half dead want to help you?
There’s probably only a handful in existence. A worse fate than
death if you ask me,” Samuel rolled his eyes, but Etu seemed
intrigued. 

“Because…she’s my sister.” 

Chapter 10

Samuel was quiet. “I’m sorry –” 

“Don’t. Just agree to let me help you. Come
with us. We don’t have much time.” 

Samuel looked to Etu, who nodded his head. “I
say we go Sam, what other choice do we really have?” Samuel
contemplated this. 

“You think I could find out what happened to
me if I get back?” he asked. It was as if a knife had been thrown
through Gwen’s pounding heart. Should she tell him? No. She had to
save him instead. He could hate her later. 

“I’m sure,” she said shortly, fidgeting in
the dirt with her bare toe. 

“You really have no choice, boy!” Soula
shouted. “Come now let’s gooo!” she shouted in her familiar sing
song voice. 

Gwen lowered her tone. “That’s what happens
when you stay too long,” she motioned to Soula. “Trust me.
Please.” 

“Okay,” Samuel said. “We’ll try
it.” 

Gwen breathed a sigh of relief as she made
her way back to the group. The boy walked up to the cabin window
and put his hand up to the cool glass. “I’ll see you soon, Mom,” he
said barely loud enough for anyone else to hear. 

They gathered again. “Samuel and Etu this is
Rynnal, an alchemist, Soula and Haluna.” The boys nodded at the
matching pallor people. 

“Okay. Back to the camp for Marriam’s
mother.” Gwen said. 

“You’re bringing more?” Samuel asked in
disapproval. 

“One,” Gwen said.  They quickly appeared
back at the camp. Groups were practicing as Gwen had
instructed. 

“What the hell is this? Are we in a pirate
camp?” Sam asked terrified. That moment he was glad he was already
dead. 

“No boy,” Soula said softly. “We’re in the
pirate camp.” Samuel swallowed hard. 

“Adeline,” Ry motioned to the woman still
seated beside her grieving daughter. “Come on, hurry. It’s time.”
The woman reluctantly got up and walked slowly to the group staring
straight ahead, not uttering a word.  

Gwen nodded. “Alright princess, I can take
you to the dark ones,” Soula said. “Once we get there you are on
your own. I don’t venture past the roots.” Before Gwen could ask
any questions the girl said in her high fluttering voice, “Hold my
hand. You too, Rynnal. Close your eyes and clear your thoughts.”
Gwen took the girls slender hand. “We’re here,” Soula
whispered. 

Gwen opened her eyes and saw a barren field,
with a single gray tree in the middle. It looked madly out of place
but was no doubt what Tiger was talking about. Stay away from the
gray tree Gwen recalled. Must be the place. 

Thick sprawling roots dove and leapt through
the black dirt. Soula tip toed up to the first root. “That way. You
must place your hand on the heart of the tree to enter and you may
nevvver come out,” she sang. “Stay safe,” Soula said, embracing
Gwen hard. With the goodbye hug, Soula was gone. 

“Good luck, brave one,” Haluna said as she
disappeared as well. Adeline stood eyes wide swaying back and
forth, in her own delusional world. Rynnal positioned himself next
to Gwen. Hands shoved deep into his pockets, he nervously adjusted
his glasses and took a deep breath. 

“Well. Looks like we’re here,” he said. “Do
you have a plan?” 

“No. No plan. Just find Emma I guess.” Gwen
said still staring at the tree. 

“She might find you. Half deads can feel
changes in energy too…like dark ones. You won’t have much time when
you cross. They’ll come looking for us right away.” 

Sam and Etu stood silent. 

“Right.” Gwen answered eyes stuck. Shaking
her head she looked to Rynnal. “Ready?” 

“When you are,” he shrugged. “What are we
going to do about them?” 

Gwen looked at Adeline now sitting on the
ground brushing her imaginary daughter’s hair. Samuel watched the
woman in disbelief and Gwen could see the sympathy in Etu’s coffee
colored eyes. Turning, she walked over to the singing woman.
“Adeline? Adeline. Do you want to see Marriam?” 

The woman perked up at the mention of her
daughter’s name. She nodded quickly as a child would. 

“Okay. Then you have to follow us and do what
we say, alright?” Adeline again, nodded her head. Gwen felt as if
she were talking to Adeline’s five year old daughter instead of a
grown woman. She studied her youthful face. Gwen would have guessed
her at no more than sixteen. It was still odd to her that
immortals, though some hundreds of years old, look no more than

eighteen. “Good. Come on then stay close. You
two as well,” she instructed. Gwen rose and hopped and skipped over
large roots until finally arriving at the massive base of the
tree. 

“See the heart?” Rynnal asked. Gwen searched
the scratchy bark for any sign of a heart. 

“Here,” she said pointing to a large black
knothole twisted oddly in the shape of a heart. 

“No mistaking it. That’s most undeniably a
heart,” Ry said, eyeing the hole. 

Gwen took a deep breath. “Ready?” she asked.
Ry nodded and Adeline stood close behind, her frizzy red hair
blowing in the wind. Samuel hesitantly nodded while Etu looked far
more controlled. Good, Gwen thought. He could watch over the other
two.   

She extended her hand and placed it perfectly
over the midnight heart.

It swept over her. The feeling of knowing
someone is watching you. Goosebumps rose like tiny mountains on her
ivory arms. The hairs on the back of her neck stood like a scared
mangy cat. She opened her eyes. Darkness. Fog. Wind. Cold. It was
freezing. A dark forest full of rotting gray trees. A bleak middle
world. Not heaven not hell not earth not space. Somewhere in
between they stood. 

Gwen looked behind her. She swore she felt
fingernails on her neck. Nothing but the tree behind them. They
gateway back into their world. Her exit. She was tempted to turn
back like a hungry child behind the counter of a candy store. No,
she thought. She would continue. 

Finding a large hole in the base of the tree
Gwen whispered, “Adeline. Stay here by the tree. Do not move, stay
hidden. 

Adeline obeyed and sat still as a rock in the
small opening of the hole. Gwen looked around. She wasn’t sure
where to go. 

“Any ideas?” Ry asked, shivering. 

“Not a single one,” she replied. 

Suddenly, a black owl like bird appeared. It
was missing feathers and had only one remaining eye.  It
landed with a thud on the ground before them. The creature twisted
his head all the way around to peer at Gwen with its one good
eye. 

“Interesting little fellow,” Ry whispered,
eyes wide. 

It hobbled up to Gwen, and suddenly pecked
her bare right foot, almost drawing blood. 

“Ouch!” Gwen shouted louder than she
anticipated. The bird held up his deformed claw and Gwen saw a tiny
piece of rolled up paper inside. She bent down and slowly took the
note from the bird, attempting to avoid another injury. It
read:

Follow the bird.

She handed the note to Ry, who stuck it
inside his pocket after reading. “Do you think it’s a trap?” he
asked. 

Gwen shrugged. “I don’t know.” 

A figure screamed in the distance. The pair
froze afraid to move. The bird hopped behind them pecking at their
ankles as a sheep dog would do to members of his flock. With two
large hops, it became airborne before them.