Chapter three
The fog around Jessondra and her skiff parted, showing the cliffs where Castle Wyvern stood.
Once stood.
For when she looked upon the cliffs, the castle was nowhere to be seen.
"Where in the world...?"
The skiff came to rest upon the rocky coast, sending up a spray of foam. Jessondra carefully climbed the rocks using her skills she had been taught as a child. Looking around, it was hardly recognizable. The smooth land that had once been a town was torn up and the castle was gone, and so were the statues.
Jessondra ran to where the rookery was. Inside was just as gloomy as always, only empty.
The gargoyles were gone, and so was her home.
She ran out and stood on the cliffs edge, looking for something that had remained the same.
The wind blew through her hair, carrying the sounds of long ago with it.
There was laughter, and crying. Roars of bittersweet happiness...
"Excuse me, miss?"
Jessondra was pulled from her daydream by a stranger's voice. She turned from the ocean horizon.
A boy was standing there, about her age, maybe a year or two older. "Come away from there. You could fall."
"Aye. Sorry to upset ye. I don't s'pose ye could tell me what happened to the castle. Or what year we have."
"That I can. It's 1994 and a young Greek man came and took it back to America with him just a few days ago."
"Greek? America?" Jessondra asked.
"Yeah, you know countries."
"No, what are countries?"
"Geez. Where'er you from? Venus?"
"Nay. I be from Scotland. Tell me, how I can find this... America."
"Come. You must be hungry and tired. I will tell you how to get to America on the way to my house."
* * *
Jessondra directed her skiff through the churning waters of the Atlantic. "That boy must think me a fool. America. Bah."
She continued her course until sunrise showed her a most, illuminating, thing.
"What sorcery is this? A woman as tall as a castle tower, with a book and a torch."
Jessondra beheld the Statue of Liberty.
"Avalon must have sent me through the gates of time."
She maneuvered the skiff to the coast and hopped out onto the pier in Central Park.
"Wow, could this be America?" she asked herself.
A young couple passed by. The woman had a green jump suit and matching headband, while the man had a gray suit and trench coat.
"Excuse me." Jessondra asked. "Might this be America?"
The man seemed about to answer, but taking one look at her ancient garb, the woman pulled him away.
"Let's go Brendan!" She said.
Jessondra watched them disappear around a corner.
She traveled down the main city street leading from the park, and turned into an alleyway to catch her breath.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?" A man asked
"What's a pretty gem like you doing in a bad place like this?" another asked
"What do ye want?" She inquired with a sigh.
"Not much. A meal every night, good education." the third said.
"But we'll settle for a first date." The first one stated and lunged for her.
Jessondra jumped out of the way and drew her dagger. The three punks encircled her, each with a weapon of their own.
"Canna ye leave me alone?"
A loud shrill whistle cut through the alley, and a cop came running with his gun drawn.
Jessondra braced herself for another attack, and poised her dagger. The cop stopped short.
"Hey, easy there." he said, putting up his hands. "I'm only here to help."
"Well if ye're here to help, can ye tell me where I can find Castle Wyvern?"
"Sorry, no. But I will ask you if you have a license for that knife."
"License?"
"And where are your parents?"
"My parents have been dead for a thousand years."
"Okay. . . maybe you should come with me."
"And who are ye to be telling me what to do."
"I'm Officer Morgan, and I'm the law around here."
"Morgan? I had a friend once, named Morgan. I'll cooperate with ye."
* * *
Sometime several months ago...
"Peter, what do you think about doing foster care?" Diane Maza asked.
"What?"
"I think it's a wonderful idea mom!" Elisa said
"Yeah, me too." Derek agreed. "What about you dad?"
Peter looked cautiously at his wife.
"What brought this up?" he asked. Diane held up the news paper she had been reading. "Child is drowned by mother" Peter read aloud.
"There are too many children out there without a decent home that need people like us to look after them."
"Well if it would make you happy."
"Hey Pop," Derek said, "don't sound too enthusiastic."
* * *
Present Day
Jessondra turned back and forth in the swivel chair in interrogation room one, her bare feet had been clad into stiff canvas tennis shoes, and she had been fed from the cafeteria.
Even though she was fifteen, her feet swung several inches from the floor, and even the chair seemed too big. Outside she could here the voices she had just frustrated.
"She just won't talk captain. I can't even get her name, let alone her age or address."
"Maybe I should try talking to her." the captain, Maria Chavez, said.
Elisa chose that moment to enter the station.
"Hey guys, what's goin' on?"
"We have a teenager in integ one, who won't talk."
"So. . .what a druggie, prostitute. . . "
"None of the above. We can't even get her name."
"Why don't I give it a go?"
"Be my guest."
Elisa opened the door and was greeted with the sight of one of the prettiest teenagers in her lifetime.
"Hi." Elisa said "I'm Detective Maza. Elisa. Can you tell me your name?"
Jessondra just gave her a blank look.
"Do you speak English? Hablas Espagnol? Parlez-Francais?"
Jessondra cracked a grin. "Are all law enforcement officers as strange as ye and yer friends are?"
"So you're Scottish."
"Mayhap. Why do ye wish to know?"
"Well, so we can find out where you're from, who your parents are, or I'd settle for your name. And help you."
"I need no one's help, except to answer one question."
"And what's that?"
"Where is Castle Wyvern?"
Elisa paled. "Why do you need to know where Castle Wyvern is?"
"I canna tell ye." Jessondra said turning away for fear of the tears that were approaching. "But why is that important? Why canna any of ye answer my question? Why canna ye give me the help I need instead of the help ye need?"
The tears poured freely now, and she spoke softly. "Why, does everybody care only of themselves and not the ones who are needing?" She pulled her knees up to her chest and started crying softly.
"You poor thing. You must've gone through something terrible."
"How could ye possibly imagine what I've been through." she whispered.
"Why don't you cooperate with us and we can help you."
"Jessondra." she said sniffling.
"What?"
"My name is Jessondra."
"It's nice to meet you Jessondra." Elisa said. "Do you have a last name?"
Jessondra shook her head.
"What about your parents?"
"I've never had any, ever."
"You're an orphan?"
"Aye, if that's what ye call it."
"Well Jessondra, how would you like some?"
"Orphans?"
Elisa laughed. "No, parents. A family. How would you like to be my little sister?"
"Can ye do that?"
"Yep. It's all the magic of New York government."
"New York?"
Elisa looked at her kind of funny. "Yeah, that's where you are."
"I thought I was in America."
"Maybe, you and I should talk."
* * *
Jessondra found herself pouring out her life story to Elisa, a person she had begun to trust in this strange new land.
They pulled up in a driveway of a country style house, and knocked on the door.
"You'll really love it here Jess. I promise."
* * *
"She's been spotted at the Maza's house, sir." Owen stated.
Xanatos' eyes narrowed. "Bring her to me."
The fog around Jessondra and her skiff parted, showing the cliffs where Castle Wyvern stood.
Once stood.
For when she looked upon the cliffs, the castle was nowhere to be seen.
"Where in the world...?"
The skiff came to rest upon the rocky coast, sending up a spray of foam. Jessondra carefully climbed the rocks using her skills she had been taught as a child. Looking around, it was hardly recognizable. The smooth land that had once been a town was torn up and the castle was gone, and so were the statues.
Jessondra ran to where the rookery was. Inside was just as gloomy as always, only empty.
The gargoyles were gone, and so was her home.
She ran out and stood on the cliffs edge, looking for something that had remained the same.
The wind blew through her hair, carrying the sounds of long ago with it.
There was laughter, and crying. Roars of bittersweet happiness...
"Excuse me, miss?"
Jessondra was pulled from her daydream by a stranger's voice. She turned from the ocean horizon.
A boy was standing there, about her age, maybe a year or two older. "Come away from there. You could fall."
"Aye. Sorry to upset ye. I don't s'pose ye could tell me what happened to the castle. Or what year we have."
"That I can. It's 1994 and a young Greek man came and took it back to America with him just a few days ago."
"Greek? America?" Jessondra asked.
"Yeah, you know countries."
"No, what are countries?"
"Geez. Where'er you from? Venus?"
"Nay. I be from Scotland. Tell me, how I can find this... America."
"Come. You must be hungry and tired. I will tell you how to get to America on the way to my house."
* * *
Jessondra directed her skiff through the churning waters of the Atlantic. "That boy must think me a fool. America. Bah."
She continued her course until sunrise showed her a most, illuminating, thing.
"What sorcery is this? A woman as tall as a castle tower, with a book and a torch."
Jessondra beheld the Statue of Liberty.
"Avalon must have sent me through the gates of time."
She maneuvered the skiff to the coast and hopped out onto the pier in Central Park.
"Wow, could this be America?" she asked herself.
A young couple passed by. The woman had a green jump suit and matching headband, while the man had a gray suit and trench coat.
"Excuse me." Jessondra asked. "Might this be America?"
The man seemed about to answer, but taking one look at her ancient garb, the woman pulled him away.
"Let's go Brendan!" She said.
Jessondra watched them disappear around a corner.
She traveled down the main city street leading from the park, and turned into an alleyway to catch her breath.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?" A man asked
"What's a pretty gem like you doing in a bad place like this?" another asked
"What do ye want?" She inquired with a sigh.
"Not much. A meal every night, good education." the third said.
"But we'll settle for a first date." The first one stated and lunged for her.
Jessondra jumped out of the way and drew her dagger. The three punks encircled her, each with a weapon of their own.
"Canna ye leave me alone?"
A loud shrill whistle cut through the alley, and a cop came running with his gun drawn.
Jessondra braced herself for another attack, and poised her dagger. The cop stopped short.
"Hey, easy there." he said, putting up his hands. "I'm only here to help."
"Well if ye're here to help, can ye tell me where I can find Castle Wyvern?"
"Sorry, no. But I will ask you if you have a license for that knife."
"License?"
"And where are your parents?"
"My parents have been dead for a thousand years."
"Okay. . . maybe you should come with me."
"And who are ye to be telling me what to do."
"I'm Officer Morgan, and I'm the law around here."
"Morgan? I had a friend once, named Morgan. I'll cooperate with ye."
* * *
Sometime several months ago...
"Peter, what do you think about doing foster care?" Diane Maza asked.
"What?"
"I think it's a wonderful idea mom!" Elisa said
"Yeah, me too." Derek agreed. "What about you dad?"
Peter looked cautiously at his wife.
"What brought this up?" he asked. Diane held up the news paper she had been reading. "Child is drowned by mother" Peter read aloud.
"There are too many children out there without a decent home that need people like us to look after them."
"Well if it would make you happy."
"Hey Pop," Derek said, "don't sound too enthusiastic."
* * *
Present Day
Jessondra turned back and forth in the swivel chair in interrogation room one, her bare feet had been clad into stiff canvas tennis shoes, and she had been fed from the cafeteria.
Even though she was fifteen, her feet swung several inches from the floor, and even the chair seemed too big. Outside she could here the voices she had just frustrated.
"She just won't talk captain. I can't even get her name, let alone her age or address."
"Maybe I should try talking to her." the captain, Maria Chavez, said.
Elisa chose that moment to enter the station.
"Hey guys, what's goin' on?"
"We have a teenager in integ one, who won't talk."
"So. . .what a druggie, prostitute. . . "
"None of the above. We can't even get her name."
"Why don't I give it a go?"
"Be my guest."
Elisa opened the door and was greeted with the sight of one of the prettiest teenagers in her lifetime.
"Hi." Elisa said "I'm Detective Maza. Elisa. Can you tell me your name?"
Jessondra just gave her a blank look.
"Do you speak English? Hablas Espagnol? Parlez-Francais?"
Jessondra cracked a grin. "Are all law enforcement officers as strange as ye and yer friends are?"
"So you're Scottish."
"Mayhap. Why do ye wish to know?"
"Well, so we can find out where you're from, who your parents are, or I'd settle for your name. And help you."
"I need no one's help, except to answer one question."
"And what's that?"
"Where is Castle Wyvern?"
Elisa paled. "Why do you need to know where Castle Wyvern is?"
"I canna tell ye." Jessondra said turning away for fear of the tears that were approaching. "But why is that important? Why canna any of ye answer my question? Why canna ye give me the help I need instead of the help ye need?"
The tears poured freely now, and she spoke softly. "Why, does everybody care only of themselves and not the ones who are needing?" She pulled her knees up to her chest and started crying softly.
"You poor thing. You must've gone through something terrible."
"How could ye possibly imagine what I've been through." she whispered.
"Why don't you cooperate with us and we can help you."
"Jessondra." she said sniffling.
"What?"
"My name is Jessondra."
"It's nice to meet you Jessondra." Elisa said. "Do you have a last name?"
Jessondra shook her head.
"What about your parents?"
"I've never had any, ever."
"You're an orphan?"
"Aye, if that's what ye call it."
"Well Jessondra, how would you like some?"
"Orphans?"
Elisa laughed. "No, parents. A family. How would you like to be my little sister?"
"Can ye do that?"
"Yep. It's all the magic of New York government."
"New York?"
Elisa looked at her kind of funny. "Yeah, that's where you are."
"I thought I was in America."
"Maybe, you and I should talk."
* * *
Jessondra found herself pouring out her life story to Elisa, a person she had begun to trust in this strange new land.
They pulled up in a driveway of a country style house, and knocked on the door.
"You'll really love it here Jess. I promise."
* * *
"She's been spotted at the Maza's house, sir." Owen stated.
Xanatos' eyes narrowed. "Bring her to me."