Story (c) Llee 2001
Novia, Corbin (c) Llee
Everything else, including that catchy phrase (c) Susan Cooper
Chapter 1~
The Dream
It was New Years Eve, the time just before things would be renewed, reborn. Novia would be celebrating a birthday. For her, eleven didn't seem to be anything special, but a birthday was a birthday. Her family didn't celebrate the holiday as most Americans would, staying up 'til midnight and yelling and drinking. Novia went to bed, as did the rest of her family. She fell asleep thinking pleasant thoughts.
Novia was awake. She dragged herself out of bed and put on some warm clothes. The house seemed to be very still. Maybe she had risen early? It seemed doubtful. Her parents got up at six in the morning for work. Then, maybe they left for work while she slept? But surely they didn't have work on New Years Day?
She glanced out her bedroom window. She gasped. It must be a dream. It must. The landscape wasn't a familiar block, with a street, with an occasional car driving by. The trees were numerous. They were crowding around everywhere like a huge throng anxious to buy a newly released Harry Potter book. She crept into her parents' room. Of course she had more sense than to run in yelling. Her parents strongly disliked that kind of behavior. They would have yelled and dismissed her. She gently shook her mother, who usually woke up quite quickly after a shake or two. She was sound asleep, dead asleep.
Novia knew then that it was no use. She clambered downstairs. She pulled on a jacket and went into the garage. She opened a little side door that led outside, careful to close it behind her. She unlocked the old white gate and closed it behind her. She could hear the latch shutting with a click.
She stepped forward a couple paces. The environment was so different. She couldn't help feeling lost. She took a last glance at the house, but it had vanished. She frowned hopelessly. She saw the cold earth beneath her. The trees stood tall and dominant. Where was she to go in this strange world?
'Hello, having some trouble finding your way?' came a voice from behind her.
Novia turned around. She examined the stranger closely. He had raven black hair and peculiar green eyes. He was a bit taller than Novia. 'Where am I?' she asked, dumbfounded.
'You are where you've lived practically your entire life. Don't you recognize it?'
'This place? It couldn't possibly my home. Where's my house for one thing?' Novia asked doubtingly.
'Your house hasn't been built yet.' Novia stared at the raven-haired boy, puzzled. He sighs. 'Haven't you figured it out yet?'
'I... It's impossible. I... I must b... be dreaming,' she stuttered.
'Have you tried pinching yourself?' the raven-haired boy asked, amused.
'Very funny,' she said dryly, but she pinched herself anyway. 'Ouch! Ok, so I feel pain. That still doesn't mean this isn't all a bad dream.'
'You're very stubborn aren't you?'
She suddenly laughed. 'An imaginary figure is telling me that I'm stubborn! That is hilarious.' Novia continues laughing.
The raven-haired boy rolls his eyes. 'Get over it. You aren't in Dreamland. This is reality.'
'Why should I listen to you? You're all up here.' She points to her head. Then she turns around a starts strolling through the woods.
'Where do you think you're going?'
'Dreams always end eventually. I think I'll just walk around until I wake up.' She starts humming merrily.
'Wait!' He runs to catch up to her. 'Um... I'll go with you.'
'Fine with me, little boy from my imagination.'
'Call me Corbin,' he instructed.
'Corbin? What kind of name is Corbin?'
'I can't say Novia is much of a name either.'
Novia became suddenly silent for a while. Then she said, 'How do you know my name?'
'This is your dream right? It's all in your head.'
'Oh, right.'
They walked through the woods for a while until they reached a small clearing. It was a beautiful meadow with flowers and tall grass that reached up to Novia's knees. She spotted some deer nearby and rabbits chewing on some clover. 'Oh! How pretty!' she exclaimed.
'This is where the neighborhood park will be,' Corbin stated.
'Know-it-all,' Novia muttered.
'Well, if I'm going to prove to you this is not a dream, might as well start here. Hm...' He picks up a stick. 'Ah, why not do the usual?' he said mostly to himself. 'See this? Feel it.' She did so. 'It's moist, no? Probably wouldn't burn and complete useless.' Corbin glanced at Novia. She was watching intently. 'I bet you could set it on fire.'
Novia burst out laughing. 'I don't even have any matches. Am I supposed the rub it together with some other stick?'
'No, all you have to do is tell the stick to burn. Tell it in your mind.'
She decided to amuse him. She said silently in her mind, Burn, stick, burn. The stick burst into flames. Every inch was engulfed by the fire. She backed away, mouth hanging open. She repeated in her thoughts, It must be a dream. It must be a dream, but somehow, realization slapped her across the face. It left quite a noticeable bruise.
'Now, do you see? You feel the warmth from the fire. How could this be a dream? It's reality, Novia.' Novia stood unable to speak. 'Well, try putting out the fire now.' She told it to go out. It obeyed without defiance. The stick was as cold as a snow cone at the fair. 'Now, let me explain the whole situation. I think it's best if we sit down.' They sat comfortably on the grass. 'At the beginning of time, there was Light, but with the Light, came the Dark. Over the centuries, the Light and the Dark battled against each other for dominance. Of course, none prevailed completely over the other. It was a continuing stalemate. The war went on, but then, there came the Six, who put a stop to the Dark for good. The Dark was vanquished, never to be heard from again. Now, there is a rebirth. The Dark is reforming under new order, new control. How this ever happened is unexplainable, but now they need to be once more put to an end...'
'Wait just a second. Why am I involved? Can't the Six just do what they did last time?'
'Ah, I knew you'd ask that. The Light has dwindled. It needs to be rekindled.'
'Huh?'
'The immortals that are of the Light are called the Old Ones. They have fallen asleep, and they need a wakeup call. That's your job.' Corbin pointed a finger at Novia.
'Is this like Mulan, where the little dragon gets a gong and bangs it to wake up all the ancestors?'
'No... it's a bit different than that...'
'Oh, that's too bad. I liked that little dragon with his little gong.'
Corbin sighed. 'You must find the Six and repeat these words...
When the Dark comes rising, Six shall turn it back,
Three from the circle, three from the track.'
'Ooo... catchy! So, who are the Six? Where do they live?'
'You must find that out for yourself.'
'WHAT? Not even a hint?'
'Nope, sorry. You do this on your own.'
'Aw man, and I didn't even get a gong!' Suddenly, she was back in her own time. She sat up in bed. She was still in pajamas. 'Whoa, what a freaky dream.' But in her heart, she knew it had all been real. She jumped out of bed and into the new day.
To be continued...
Novia, Corbin (c) Llee
Everything else, including that catchy phrase (c) Susan Cooper
Chapter 1~
The Dream
It was New Years Eve, the time just before things would be renewed, reborn. Novia would be celebrating a birthday. For her, eleven didn't seem to be anything special, but a birthday was a birthday. Her family didn't celebrate the holiday as most Americans would, staying up 'til midnight and yelling and drinking. Novia went to bed, as did the rest of her family. She fell asleep thinking pleasant thoughts.
Novia was awake. She dragged herself out of bed and put on some warm clothes. The house seemed to be very still. Maybe she had risen early? It seemed doubtful. Her parents got up at six in the morning for work. Then, maybe they left for work while she slept? But surely they didn't have work on New Years Day?
She glanced out her bedroom window. She gasped. It must be a dream. It must. The landscape wasn't a familiar block, with a street, with an occasional car driving by. The trees were numerous. They were crowding around everywhere like a huge throng anxious to buy a newly released Harry Potter book. She crept into her parents' room. Of course she had more sense than to run in yelling. Her parents strongly disliked that kind of behavior. They would have yelled and dismissed her. She gently shook her mother, who usually woke up quite quickly after a shake or two. She was sound asleep, dead asleep.
Novia knew then that it was no use. She clambered downstairs. She pulled on a jacket and went into the garage. She opened a little side door that led outside, careful to close it behind her. She unlocked the old white gate and closed it behind her. She could hear the latch shutting with a click.
She stepped forward a couple paces. The environment was so different. She couldn't help feeling lost. She took a last glance at the house, but it had vanished. She frowned hopelessly. She saw the cold earth beneath her. The trees stood tall and dominant. Where was she to go in this strange world?
'Hello, having some trouble finding your way?' came a voice from behind her.
Novia turned around. She examined the stranger closely. He had raven black hair and peculiar green eyes. He was a bit taller than Novia. 'Where am I?' she asked, dumbfounded.
'You are where you've lived practically your entire life. Don't you recognize it?'
'This place? It couldn't possibly my home. Where's my house for one thing?' Novia asked doubtingly.
'Your house hasn't been built yet.' Novia stared at the raven-haired boy, puzzled. He sighs. 'Haven't you figured it out yet?'
'I... It's impossible. I... I must b... be dreaming,' she stuttered.
'Have you tried pinching yourself?' the raven-haired boy asked, amused.
'Very funny,' she said dryly, but she pinched herself anyway. 'Ouch! Ok, so I feel pain. That still doesn't mean this isn't all a bad dream.'
'You're very stubborn aren't you?'
She suddenly laughed. 'An imaginary figure is telling me that I'm stubborn! That is hilarious.' Novia continues laughing.
The raven-haired boy rolls his eyes. 'Get over it. You aren't in Dreamland. This is reality.'
'Why should I listen to you? You're all up here.' She points to her head. Then she turns around a starts strolling through the woods.
'Where do you think you're going?'
'Dreams always end eventually. I think I'll just walk around until I wake up.' She starts humming merrily.
'Wait!' He runs to catch up to her. 'Um... I'll go with you.'
'Fine with me, little boy from my imagination.'
'Call me Corbin,' he instructed.
'Corbin? What kind of name is Corbin?'
'I can't say Novia is much of a name either.'
Novia became suddenly silent for a while. Then she said, 'How do you know my name?'
'This is your dream right? It's all in your head.'
'Oh, right.'
They walked through the woods for a while until they reached a small clearing. It was a beautiful meadow with flowers and tall grass that reached up to Novia's knees. She spotted some deer nearby and rabbits chewing on some clover. 'Oh! How pretty!' she exclaimed.
'This is where the neighborhood park will be,' Corbin stated.
'Know-it-all,' Novia muttered.
'Well, if I'm going to prove to you this is not a dream, might as well start here. Hm...' He picks up a stick. 'Ah, why not do the usual?' he said mostly to himself. 'See this? Feel it.' She did so. 'It's moist, no? Probably wouldn't burn and complete useless.' Corbin glanced at Novia. She was watching intently. 'I bet you could set it on fire.'
Novia burst out laughing. 'I don't even have any matches. Am I supposed the rub it together with some other stick?'
'No, all you have to do is tell the stick to burn. Tell it in your mind.'
She decided to amuse him. She said silently in her mind, Burn, stick, burn. The stick burst into flames. Every inch was engulfed by the fire. She backed away, mouth hanging open. She repeated in her thoughts, It must be a dream. It must be a dream, but somehow, realization slapped her across the face. It left quite a noticeable bruise.
'Now, do you see? You feel the warmth from the fire. How could this be a dream? It's reality, Novia.' Novia stood unable to speak. 'Well, try putting out the fire now.' She told it to go out. It obeyed without defiance. The stick was as cold as a snow cone at the fair. 'Now, let me explain the whole situation. I think it's best if we sit down.' They sat comfortably on the grass. 'At the beginning of time, there was Light, but with the Light, came the Dark. Over the centuries, the Light and the Dark battled against each other for dominance. Of course, none prevailed completely over the other. It was a continuing stalemate. The war went on, but then, there came the Six, who put a stop to the Dark for good. The Dark was vanquished, never to be heard from again. Now, there is a rebirth. The Dark is reforming under new order, new control. How this ever happened is unexplainable, but now they need to be once more put to an end...'
'Wait just a second. Why am I involved? Can't the Six just do what they did last time?'
'Ah, I knew you'd ask that. The Light has dwindled. It needs to be rekindled.'
'Huh?'
'The immortals that are of the Light are called the Old Ones. They have fallen asleep, and they need a wakeup call. That's your job.' Corbin pointed a finger at Novia.
'Is this like Mulan, where the little dragon gets a gong and bangs it to wake up all the ancestors?'
'No... it's a bit different than that...'
'Oh, that's too bad. I liked that little dragon with his little gong.'
Corbin sighed. 'You must find the Six and repeat these words...
When the Dark comes rising, Six shall turn it back,
Three from the circle, three from the track.'
'Ooo... catchy! So, who are the Six? Where do they live?'
'You must find that out for yourself.'
'WHAT? Not even a hint?'
'Nope, sorry. You do this on your own.'
'Aw man, and I didn't even get a gong!' Suddenly, she was back in her own time. She sat up in bed. She was still in pajamas. 'Whoa, what a freaky dream.' But in her heart, she knew it had all been real. She jumped out of bed and into the new day.
To be continued...