Escape (5 page)

            Esmeralda wandered over to a bookcase and perused its contents, while Connor stood in the middle of the room, amongst stacks and towers of books that were scattered along the floor. He kept his thumbs hooked in his pockets and watched Sir Jedalf with a calm patience, underlined by a hint of annoyance. Once again, she marveled at the change in his whole attitude since they first met. She hoped that he would stay this unruffled for the rest of their acquaintanceship, which would hopefully not last much longer. That thought gave a bizarre tug upon her stomach, as if she dreaded when that moment would come.

            Amelia squatted next to each book stack on the floor and read their titles. She didn’t recognize a single one. And that wasn’t all too surprising, seeing as the great literary authors of her world didn’t exist in this reality. She wondered if their equivalent or counter-part had existed as some sort of monster. She could just imagine Jane Austen being a vampire or Charles Dickens a demon like Connor. She giggled at the idea.

            Finally, after moments of waiting, Sir Jedalf shouted out, “I’ve got it!”

            The three perked their heads up and approached the front of his desk to see what it was he had exactly.

            “Here’s the spell that will do the trick!” he proclaimed, then slammed the book shut, spewing dust into the air before Amelia, Connor or Esmeralda had a chance to glimpse into the tome. Sir Jedalf stood up, slid over to a cluttered corner of the study and bent over, rummaging through the contents.

            As Sir Jedalf sifted through the junk, Amelia stole the occasional glance in Connor’s way. Sometimes he wasn’t looking, but there were a few times that he was and it made Amelia’s cheeks flush.

            Soon, the wizard stood up, holding a box that looked to be something like a thick brief case with a thinner base. Its outer texture looked rough, leathery and worn by years of use and travel. Its black coat was peeling and chipping away in some places to reveal the brown wood underneath and it seemed to be speckled with paint or some other sort of white staining substance along its sides. The handle looked sturdy, with a silver lock just below it, latching the two halves of the lid together. And as Sir Jedalf took the box by the handle and swung it up onto the desk, the metal hinges squeaked against the rough treatment.

            The box didn’t seem special in any way. It was just an old box. Amelia stared at it, waiting for it to do something spectacular. Instead, Sir Jedalf only waved his pudgy fingers over it and chanted a mystic Latin incantation. He smacked he box’s lid firmly three times, then straightened, smiling to the three as if he’d accomplished something extraordinary.

            “Is that all? Why is she still here?” Connor asked, motioning his elbow towards Amelia, his hands still fixed in his pockets.

            “Because, there is more, silly boy!” Sir Jedalf cried out, picking up a cane and popping Connor on the top of his head. Connor shrank under the impact and rubbed his head, frowning dryly at the old man.

            “Why does everyone enjoy the privilege of hitting me?” Connor asked himself under his breath. Amelia tittered, glancing between him and Sir Jedalf.

            “Here is what you do: first, you must travel to the shore of Gastro Bay. There, open the box with this key.” Sir Jedalf pulled out a key from his vest pocket and held it up for them to see. “Open the box, look inside and you will be transported back to your world.”

            Sir Jedalf rocked back on his heels with a cunning smile and handed both the box and key to Amelia with the utmost care. The box was not particularly heavy, but she let it hang in front of her, both hands clutching its handle after she securely placed the key in her pocket and lodged the water bottle under her arm.

            “Is that it? Are you sure that will send her back? Just by looking inside that stupid box?” Connor asked, gesturing with cynicism towards the object.

            Sir Jedalf lifted his cane in a threatening fashion and Connor immediately took the hint and backed away out of range from the weapon.

            “What Connor means is: are you positive that if we do this, that Amelia will be sent back home?” Esmeralda said clearly, with a witty grin.

            “Of course I’m positive! I’m always right and I know everything.” Sir Jedalf hooked his thumbs around the shoulder straps of his vest and beamed with absolute confidence, the wooden cane still held in one hand.

            “Yeah, sure you do,” Connor muttered. Sir Jedalf squinted sadistically at Connor and raised the cane above his head once more.

            “Boy, you’re asking for it!” he reprimanded. Connor walked a few more steps away and waved his hand indifferently. “I know all. I even know that your coming here, Miss Amelia, was not by accident. You were meant to come here and you two were meant to meet.” Sir Jedalf waved his cane between Amelia and Connor, and then planted its tip firmly on the floorboards with pride.

            “What? Now I know you’re nuts. How could that possibly be true?” Connor said, becoming even more irritated and confused by the moment.

            Amelia innocently held the box and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, ready to get going. She looked between Connor and Sir Jedalf, waiting for another caning moment.

            “You both were supposed to meet and your destinies are intertwined, whether you like it or not… A word of warning, though, about this box.” He tapped the cane’s tip against the object. “Anyone who is in this world and is transported into the human world will become as human as this girl is. So, for example, if little miss vampire here looked in the box by accident, then she would become human in the other world.”

            Connor’s eyebrows popped up with interest and he stared at the box with sudden intrigue. “Is that a fact?” he mumbled, thinking of the possibilities.

            Amelia’s eyes darted between Connor, Sir Jedalf and Esmeralda, feeling like she had just been dropped into this plot a little too late to understand what was really going on. 

 
          Amelia, Esmeralda, Connor and Sir Jedalf walked back into the great hall with the staircase. Amelia was dazed by the daunting task ahead. The Gastro Bay was miles away and it could take what she knew as days to get there. How would she get there all by herself in such a foreign world? If she knew it would work, she would simply imagine herself there and she would be. But that would only work if this were truly a nightmare. She was still convinced that this all was a nightmare, but it hadn’t behaved like one as of yet.

            Connor was deep in thought, his brows pinched over the bridge of his nose. Esmeralda eyed him with both worry and sadness, as she knew exactly what he was thinking about.

            “Another thing about that box,” Sir Jedalf said, hobbling closer to Amelia. She lifted her eyes to give the eccentric man her attention. “It will only work for you and not before reaching the bay. You must be at the bay when you open the box so you may go home.”

            “What do you mean it will only work for her?” Connor chimed in.

            “She is the only one who can open the box on the bay. If you try to be sneaky and open it yourself, it will not activate the portal into the mortal world.”

            “But,” Amelia began, trying to make sense of it all, “why does it have to be at the bay? Why can’t I just open it now and go home?”

            “Because I said so!” he exclaimed. By their blank stares, the wizard could tell they expected a better answer. Sir Jedalf sighed and slowly led them towards the front door as he explained. “There is a great body of water where you are from, correct?”

            “There’s a big lake just north of my town,” she replied after some thought.

            “You must open the box at a landmark that connects the two worlds. You can’t here because this mansion does not have a counterpart in your world. Nor does Esmeralda’s house, nor the hole from which you came from.”

            Amelia remembered how she had tried to stand up in the burrow only to find that from where she had fallen had been filled in with dirt, blocking her way back. “But, where is Gastro Bay? How will I get there by myself? Do you have a map?”

            Sir Jedalf’s boisterous laugh rattled the ceiling rafters above them. She couldn’t understand what was so funny about her questions. “Connor will guide you there, of course.”

            All eyes turned to the demon, who was suddenly paying attention to the conversation. “Me?” he questioned. “Who said I even wanted to go?”

            “You didn’t have to say it. Your eyes did for you.” Sir Jedalf came to Connor’s side and herded him away from the ladies. “I know why you want to go,” he whispered, “and I think it’s a good idea.”

            Connor looked at the serious countenance of the wizard, and then glanced back to the others who were edging towards the foyer to make their exit. “Are you saying that because my destiny is intertwined with this human?”

            “Not only that, but I can see the longing in your soul to leave this place. And it’s time for you to go. You’ve been here long enough.”

            Connor’s eyes grew dark and a shadow passed over his face. He scowled at the old man and muttered, “I have no soul”. He broke away from the wizard and joined the girls in the foyer.

            Esmeralda looked to Connor and could sense the turmoil within him. She turned back to look at Sir Jedalf. He nodded and spoke to her in his mind. The vampire understood and left the house with the others.

            As they made their way back to Esmeralda’s house to gather some meager supplies, Amelia’s mind reeled with so many questions and reservations. All of which having to do with Connor. Sir Jedalf’s words repeated in her mind about how their destinies were linked and how it was so obvious that Connor should take her to the bay. She didn’t understand why it was such a cut and dry solution.

            How could a nobody from Saxondale have connected fates with a demon from another universe? It made no sense and was puzzling, disturbing and thrilling all at the same time. She wanted to know why. Her natural instinct to learn and discover drove her to ask these questions. But, she couldn’t simply pull out a textbook and search for the answers in words on a page. She would be forced to search in Connor for those answers. She knew that she had nothing to offer him, nothing special to give. Or did she?

            Amelia waited patiently in the living room as Esmeralda stuffed a backpack full with water bottles, snacks and two thin blankets for their journey. Connor leaned against the kitchen countertop, his arms crossed over his muscular chest once more, eyes cast down to the tile floor. His expression was one of pure focus, as if there were some riddle written on the stone for him to solve.

            Esmeralda knew well that he was looking in the wrong place for the answers he sought. She zipped up the bag and brought it to him. “I packed only the basic needs for the trip.”

            Connor took the pack from her and slipped one strap onto his shoulder. He was about to turn and leave the kitchen when her gentle hand reached out and touched his sleeve. He met her tragic gaze. They spoke no words for a moment as Esmeralda read his thoughts and emotions.

            “I know you won’t come back,” she whispered, just soft enough so that Amelia wouldn’t hear.

            “You don’t know that,” he contested, keeping his deep voice low.

            She gave him a weak smile and nodded. “Yes, I do. I know what you’re planning. I can’t say that I’m happy about it, but I know you will be happy.”

            Connor sighed and slid a calloused palm up to rest on her cheek. A blood tear rolled down the vampire’s cheek and Connor wiped it away with his thumb, leaving a smear of crimson across her pale skin. They had so much history together. “I will come back.”

            Esmeralda was still not convinced. She glanced towards the living room and motioned her head in the same direction. “Don’t let anything happen to her. She’s still terrified and in denial that any of this is real. Be gentle with her and protect her. For my sake if not hers?”

            He couldn’t argue and only nodded his head as a silent promise to Esmeralda. He owed her that much. He swayed to turn again, but her grip upon his sleeve tightened. “Just, one last time?” she begged.

            Before Connor could protest, their lips connected in a tender kiss that he knew well. He felt nothing. He never felt anything with her. Not joy, not bliss, not a single emotion to set his blood ablaze. All he ever felt was rage and bitterness, but that wasn’t her fault and she didn’t deserve the treatment he gave her. When she pulled away, he could see the spark of love in her eyes that once was a constant, but had faded in the many years they had lived together.

            The light slowly dissipated and Connor could bear no more. He tore himself away from Esmeralda and entered the living room.

            “Let’s go,” he barked to Amelia, feeling he couldn’t stand another moment in this house.

            Amelia quickly stood and went to the kitchen to say goodbye to Esmeralda. She didn’t get a chance. The last she saw of the vampire was the sight of her wiping something red from her face and disappearing into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Amelia wanted to thank her for her hospitality and kindness. If it weren’t for her, she would still be cowering in the burrow.

            She went forward and raised her hand to knock on the door, but Connor’s harsh voice stopped her.

            “Come on!” he commanded, growing impatient.

            Amelia hurried to join him at the open front door, carrying the magic box at her side. Connor slammed the door tight and charged off towards woods, adjusting the pack to rest more comfortably on his shoulders.

            “Esmeralda didn’t want to come along?” Amelia questioned once they found the path that slithered through the forest. The ground was still quilted by a blanket of mist that rose above their ankles. With every step, the fog swirled around their legs as if they were wading through the shallows on a beach.

            “She was tired,” Connor replied. Amelia could still detect the potent taste of resentment in his tone. It was clear that he didn’t want to travel with her just as much as she didn’t want to be in this world at all.

            They walked for what seemed like hours, not speaking a word to one another. Amelia hated the silence, but felt that talking would only make matters worse. Like ripping off a band aide, she just wanted to get this painful experience over with.

            She purposefully positioned herself behind Connor instead of at his side. She didn’t want to be entranced by his piercing eyes like she was before. Just thinking about what happened in the kitchen earlier sent shockwaves down her spine and made her skin flush.

            All around, Amelia could hear the calls of strange birds and chirping of insects. A light wind rustled the branches that arched over the path, making them quiver and scratch against their neighbors. The heady scent of bark and weeds filled her nostrils, but occasionally she could catch the delicious aroma of whatever cologne or deodorant Connor wore. She had smelt it several times when she had gotten close enough to him and it aided in the affect that he had upon her. The thought entered her mind if this world even had such modern commodities as perfume or cologne.

            Amelia was at least thankful that the moon was still shining bright enough to light their way, despite the dark wisps of clouds that floated across it. She did notice, however, that the moon hadn’t moved at all. It was fixed in the same spot in the night sky. It was like no time had passed at all.

            She wondered if any time had passed in her world. She wondered if her parents were home already and if they had seen the packet from Princeton still sitting on the dining table. Would they notice? Did they care? If they had noticed and cared then why hadn’t they woken her up yet? She so wanted to be woken up. She was tired of being in this nightmare. She hated the darkness, the monsters and the crazy vividness of this dream.

            Perhaps, if the monsters were more pleasant, she wouldn’t mind it so much. Amelia looked up to Connor’s broad, rigid back and wished that he had been kinder to her. There was something about him that pulled at the corners of her heart. It was a peculiar longing to understand him, to know him and be accepted by him. He put up such a wall that it seemed not even Esmeralda could penetrate.

            Before she could stop herself, Amelia spoke. “Why do you hate me so much?”

            Connor froze in his steps and turned to face her. His eyes were cold and his expressions stony. “Because you’re everything I hate.”

            Amelia blinked, feeling like that should have made sense. But all she felt was that she had just been insulted for something that wasn’t even her fault. “What do you mean? What have I done?”

            “This isn’t your world.” Connor’s lips curled with contempt as he growled out each word. “You don’t belong here.”

            “You don’t think I know that? It’s not my fault that I’m in this nightmare. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t be stuck here.” Amelia’s voice grew shrill as she tried to defend herself against this man’s inexplicable rage.

            “If it were my decision, you would have been left in that burrow to die or be eaten.”

            Amelia felt even more hurt by his words. “How can you wish me dead like that? You don’t even know me.”

            “I know your kind. I know of humans. You’re nothing but a greedy, selfish race doomed to bring about your own destruction.”

            “We’re not all like that.” Amelia knew of many people in her own life that were selfish like he said, but she knew many more that were good-hearted and generous.

            “I haven’t met a single human who was truly good.”

            “Then you obviously haven’t spent much time with one.”

            “I’ve spent too much time with them. You’re no different than any of them.”

            “You don’t even know me!” Amelia raised her voice, practically yelling. “You’re making an assumption about my character that is not at all true!”

            “All you care about is getting home. Tell me how that isn’t selfish.”

            Amelia’s shoulder sunk at the idea. Yes, she wanted to get home more than anything right now, even at the expense of inconveniencing Connor to lead her there. But, she was too proud to lose this argument. A clever rebuttal came to mind and she lifted her chin a little higher. “I want to leave so I don’t have to bother you anymore.”

            Connor’s lips pursed together and she could see a hint of surrender in his eyes. Was she actually winning? “Then let’s get this over with,” he muttered, then turned and continued on the path.

            Amelia timidly followed, keeping a few more strides behind him than before. She was surprised how easily he caved under her argument, but she could still feel the tenseness radiating from him like a warning beacon. He was just one comment away from exploding and Amelia didn’t want to be the one to set the bomb off.

            They walked for another long while, not speaking until Connor unexpectedly broke the silence.

            “You mentioned this being a nightmare.”

            She knew that he meant that as a question and to explain her choice of words.

            “This isn’t real. It can’t be. Nothing makes sense about this place or you or anyone else. This is all just a nightmare and I’m going to wake up any minute now. Monsters don’t exist.”

            Connor looked over his shoulder to her, frustration mounting in his tone. “So, you don’t think I’m real?”

            “Nope, not one bit,” Amelia said cuttingly.

            “And you don’t think I’m scary, either, huh?” Connor’s upper lip rose a bit to reveal one of his sharp fangs.

            “Nope. You’re just a result of a bad mixing of garlic powder and minced onion.” Amelia felt it was her turn to slur his existence like he had slurred her race. What could he possibly do to her anyway? This was just a nightmare. She had completely forgotten that he was close to the edge.