Chapter 11

Even from a distance Joey could tell Mai was in trouble. All the sand had disappeared and all that was left of Marik's twisted punishment was a lifeless looking Mai sat in the bottom half of a large hourglass. Without hesitation Joey closed the gap between him and the hourglass. He could feel his heart beating hard in his chest as he stared down at what was left of Mai's mind.

'Mai! He began to pound his fist against the glass, trying to get it to break.

Mai stared up at him without recognition, her eyes glazed over with a misty cloud.

'Mai! Mai! It's me Joey, can you hear me? I'm going to get you out, okay? Just hold on.'

'She can't hear you.' Catilin's voice sounded almost curious as though she wasn't sure how she knew what was going on.

'But she looked up at me.' Joey shot a glance back towards her.

'No,' Catilin shook her head, 'she looked up because she heard a noise. You're nothing more than a noise to her. No body... no voice... just a noise. Her mind doesn't have the strength for anything else.'

'But what can I do to help her?'

'I can't tell you.' Her voice was almost too soft for the weight of the words she'd just spoken.

'You can't tell me?' Joey gritted his teeth. 'Then what was the point of bringing me here?'

'I... I don't know. I... I can't tell you.'

'Great, that's just great.' He could feel himself getting really angry now. 'Well I guess it's in keeping with how you've been acting so far. I mean, let's face it, half the time I'm talking to you its like you're not even there and then when you do have the decency to respond to me it's to say nothing you've told me so far matters. Or that you can't explain. Or that you don't know. So what do you know Catilin? What can you tell me? What does matter?'

'I...' She shook her head. 'I... I can't... I... I don't... This... this is too hard.' Catilin gripped the side of her head. 'Stop shouting at me, that doesn't help. Please... please stop shouting at me. I want to help you.'

'Then tell me how to help Mai.'

'I can't. I can't. You... You've got to learn it for yourself. I can't tell you anything. That's the way it works. Anything else would be breaking the rules and I can't break the rules, I can't. I can't. I'll be in trouble. And... and I... I don't understand... please... I don't understand. I want to help you.'

'Then help me. Tell me how to get Mai back. Please.'

'I... I can't Veronie... you... you have to learn it for yourself.'

'What did you just say?' Joey frowned at her, his anger momentarily forgotten.

'I... I said you... you have to learn it for yourself.'

'You said something else too. You called me something.'

'I called you Joey. Your... your name. You are Joey Wheeler, aren't you? You told me you were Joey Wheeler.'

'My name is Joey Wheeler, but that's not what you called me just now,' he took hold of her shoulders and forced her to meet his gaze. 'You called me Veronie, I heard you say it. Why did you call me that?'

'I... I didn't. I didn't, you misheard me.'

'No I didn't, you called me Veronie. I want to know why.'

'I... It... it was a mistake... I... I didn't...' Catilin's eyes darted from side to side in confusion.

'Stay with me Catilin,' he gave her a hard shake. 'I need you to stay with me.'

'Ow, you're hurting me.'

'No, I'm just trying to shake some sense into you. I need to know why you called me Veronie.'

'This isn't helping. This isn't how to help Mai.' Her gaze went towards the hourglass. 'We have to help Mai. That's why we're here. That's why I brought you here. You're hurting me. Stop hurting me.'

'Stop changing the subject; I need to know who Veronie is.'

'Why? Why do you need to know?'

'Because I need to,' in desperation Joey's grip on Catilin tightened. 'I don't know why, but I need to know. I need to know who Veronie is, Catilin? You have to tell me.'

'He's no one.' Her eyes remained focused on the hourglass.

'I don't believe you.'

'He's no one yet.' Catilin's gaze flicked to meet with his.

'What's that suppose to mean?' Joey could feel his heart pumping hard in his chest as blood started to rush through his ears.

'I can't tell you. I can't. It's against the rules.'

'What rules? Cat, please, I need you to give me a straight answer.'

'You shortened my name.' Her face filled with an odd look.

'So? I need you to tell me...'

'You know who Veronie is.' Catilin's gaze began to flicker from side to side again.

'No I don't.'

'Yes you do.' She nodded slowly. 'You know who he is.'

'I don't...' Joey gritted his teeth again. 'Stop playing games with me Cat, tell me who Veronie is.'

'You already know.' Her gaze fixed on him. 'You already know.'

'I... If I know then you can tell me.'

'No, it doesn't work like that. You've got to say it yourself.'

'Why?'

'Because you must.' She grabbed hold of his arms; her face taking on an expression of certainty it hadn't had since she'd joined him in the wasteland.

'But I don't know who Veronie Lutoni is.'

'I never said he was a Lutoni.'

At her words Joey felt his heart lurch. His mouth went dry and his grip on Catilin loosened.

'You didn't?' The words felt almost stale in his mouth.

'No.'

'But... he is?'

'Yes.'

'How...' Joey swallowed hard. 'How did I know that?'

'Because you know who he is, Joey. You know who he is.' Catilin gave a joyful sounding laugh. 'If you know who he is then you'll know how to help Mai and you'll know how to help me. I can't tell you anything, but if you know it then I don't have to.'

'But…'

'The confusions all around me. It's around you too, but I remember why I'm here now. This isn't how I thought things would go, but... This is how things are,' now it was her turn to tightened her grip. 'This is how things are. I know it's confusing, but once you understand, it'll be all right. I won't be on my own anymore. I'll have someone who understands; someone to talk to. But until you know, I can't tell you anything.'

'Why? Why can't you tell me anything?'

'It's against the rules. I can't make you wake up.'

'Wake up from what?'

'You know. You know. I know you know.'

'My head hurts,' Joey pulled away from her. 'I'm so confused.'

'It's the confusion. My confusion. It's breaking into you because there's nothing else right now. It can't be helped. Trust whatever your gut is telling you. Only you know what to do. Only you can find a way out of the confusion. Only you.'

Joey's gaze returned to Mai, focusing hard on the hourglass that trapped her. He moved back towards it and placed his right hand on the glass level with Mai's head.

'Mai, I need you to listen to me. I need you to concentrate on the sound of my voice. You can hear it, I know you can.'

He held his breath and listened to the silence.

'Mai, please, concentrate. I am more than just a noise to you. You have to listen to me. You have to hear me. Mai, I need you to hear me.'

'J-Joey...?' Her eyes stared sightlessly in his direction.

'Yes Mai, it's me and I'm going to get you out of there.'

'J-Joey...?' The clouds over her eyes began to lift.

'That's right Mai, it's me. I'm right here. I'm right here for you.'

'J-Joey... Joey I can hear you. Where... where am I?'

'You're in the shadow realm; you were trapped here by Marik. But I'm going to get you out, just keep talking to me.'

'Joey... Joey I... I remember. It... It's so cold here... so dark.'

'I know Mai, I know. But I promise... I promise I'll get you out.'