Chapter Two: Moonshine Island
Wyn's P.O.V.
When I regained consciousness, I could barely lift my eyelids, especially
my black and blue left eye, it hurt so much. I tried to roll over, then
groaned at the effort and pain. I noted that I was wearing what I wore
yesterday, and I clearly remembered getting undressed. My vision blurred
and unconsciousness threatened to claim me once again, but I fought it.
I tried to take in my surroundings. The sound of waves crashing on sand
told my I was by a large body of water. Probably a sea at least, maybe
an ocean.
But then I had to wonder. How did I get the Ocean? I was lying
on soft warm sand. It was very pleasant. I almost didn't want to get up.
Just lie here, calm, safe. Warm. Happy. My thoughts slurred together to
sort of a buzzing or humming sound just inside my ears. It was very pleasant.
Sleep threatened to take me now. I would have graciously accepted, only,
someone picked me up very carefully. I groaned softly. It hurt to be moved,
and I was so happy just lying there.
"Poor girl," a male voice, but kind, calm, soothing. "Someone isn't
treating you right, that's a fact." I opened my eyes as much as I could,
to look up into beautiful blue-green eyes. The same shade as Daemon's,
I noted.
"Who're you?" I said, it sound rather slurred together.
"Me? I'm Silas." a small lock of grey-silver hair fell in front
of his beautiful face.
"And you?"
"Wyn. Wynter."
"Hmm...what a lovely name. Suits you too. But right now is not the
time for chatter, Savil will have my head. You need to rest." and with
that, a calming sensation spread throughout my body, and a dreamless sleep claimed me.
"Young lady, young lady, are you awake?" a young female voice wafted
into my ears. I groaned slightly, as the pain finally caught up with me.
"Huh?" I said sleepily. "Where'th Thilaths?" my lip felt swollen.
Probably was.
"Who? Oh, Master Silas?"
"Yeth."
"Do you wish to see Master Silas?"
"Yeth."
"One moment." she left and a few moments later, Silas was with
her.
"Master, she wanted to see you."
"Oh but- bother." he looked at me. Pity filled his blue-green
eyes. "Dear me, you are in terrible shape, lady."
"Pleth, call me Wynther."
"Alright. What do you want, Wynter?"
"I don't know. I juth had to thee you." he smiled. My heart beat
like it does when Daemon smiles like that. That's when I noticed that
he looked exactly like Daemon. I mean, not visually, except for facial
expressions, but like mentally. Spiritually. He had Daemon's...charm.
No, that's not the right word, but, he reminded me of Daemon.
"You, 'mind me of thumone."
"Who?"
"Daemon." he looked startled for a few seconds, then smiled
again.
"In a way, I am Daemon." I gave him a curious look.
"We-ll. Like, I'm a guardian angel. His soul.
"Hith daemon."
"Good! You got the idea. How do you feel?"
"Like hell in a basket."
"Which one?"
"Wha?"
"Which hell? There are 12."
"All. All put together into one."
"Ow. There anything I can do to help?"
"Yea, where am I?"
"Moonshine Island."
"Where?"
"Moonshine Island. It's a Haven for lost, weary, saddened, and
such, souls, bodies, minds."
"So that's why I came here."
"Why?"
"I'd just gotten the worse beat I'd ever gotten since year one."
"WHAT?!?!"
"It's not uncommon. Almost all my friends are beat mercilessly."
"Are you a slave?"
"No, I'm his daughter." he gaped at the very thought.
"Your father beats you?"
"Yes." I said matter-of-factly.
"That's pure insanity!"
"Tell him that. Not that he'll listen."
"You've come to the right place. You should never have to go
back."
"But what about Llana? And Leif! And Kairi! And Daemon. What
about them? Do they get Havens from their Hells?" he looked awkward for
a moment.
"Nooo, but-"
"WHY THE HELL NOT?!"
"Because, as much as I'd like to, I just can't. Daemon constantly
is asking God to save you from the agony he knows you face, but we couldn't
do that, until you asked to be saved from your hell. He loves you that
much. He'd rather have you be save and well, while he endures his hell
on his own, knowing that you're okay."
"But how will he know?"
"You can visit him. Or I can."
"But I want him here. With me." I got the burning feeling behind
my eyes, but I didn't cry.
"But you see, I can't. As much as I wish I could bring every
unfortunate child to a Haven like this, I can't. I just-can't."
"You don't want to." I mumbled.
"Wrong. Daemon also prays for all the other unfortunate children.
But we can't-"
"Stop. No. Just stop. Go away. No, better yet, take me back. If
I'm the only one who gets special treatment, then I don't want it. I want
to be treated equal. If nobody else gets a Haven, then I don't deserve
one."
"But don't you see, we-er..." he stumbled slightly with whatever
he was planning on saying next.
"We, that is, Me, Savil, Leareth, and a handful of other unfortunate
people. Vanyel, Moondance, and especially Starwind. They all, we all need
you."
"Woah woah woah. What are you talking about?"
"You have a Gift."
"Of...?"
"Two, actually."
"They are...?"
"Mindspeech and Healing. That's all."
"Mindspeech?"
:Being able to talk to another Mindspeech through their mind,
and feel their feelings. Or you could project what you feel, so that others
feel the same way.:
"Oh. Okay..."
"Yeah, anything else?"
"When can I go back?"
"When-well, probably never."
"WHAT!?!?!" he winced as I shrieked. I attempted to sit up but
just couldn't.
"If I was well enough, I'd strangle you right here and now."
"Oh? Would you?"
"Yes. I want to go back. I want to see Daemon, and Llana, and
Leif and Kairi, and Dameon. God, I must be desperate if I want to put
up with Dameon."
"Well, until you get better, you can't see Daemon, but I'll
make sure he has nothing to worry about until you're well. Then you can
see him yourself."
"Really? Physically?"
"Well, more like spiritually, like a hologram."
"Oh. Well, I suppose that's good enough. Do you think, if he
told my friends, they would believe him?"
"That depends, what if they get visitors?"
"They might think, well, Leif, she'd probably think that she was
finally being visited by her made up characters she has conversations
with." a funny looked crossed his face, but he shook it away and looked
at me again in interest. "Kairi would think that Riku is visiting her
and all her greatest dreams have all suddenly come true. I mean, you do
look like Riku."
"Who's Riku?"
"A character from a video game. Kingdom Hearts."
"Oh, yea, Daemon spends hours playing that game. Even though he's
beaten it a zillion times."
"Sounds like him. Llana, Llana would wonder why she was being
visited by Riku instead of Sora, who she's madly in love with. I don't
understand that. I hardly understand her sometimes..."
"And this Dameon?"
"Who cares?"
"Oh, but I thought you wanted to help everyone."
"Uh-well, I don't really like Dameon. He's kind of a dork. I mean,
he's always goofing off in class. Completely obnoxious."
"Well, what if he craves attention he's not getting somewhere
else?"
"I-I never thought of that."
"Of course not. You were too worked up about him being so
obnoxious."
"Say, you said you were Daemon's daemon. What about mine?" he
smiled. Then he whistled softly.
"Yes, Silas?" a very slender young woman dressed in simple
leathers, walked in.
"Well, Wynter here, wanted to meet her daemon." she turned to
me and smiled.
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Leareth."
"But doesn't that mean 'darkness'?"
"How did you know?"
"Mercedes Lackey. The Last Herald Mage: Magic's Pawn. One of my
prized possessions. GO VANYEL!" Silas looked at me funny.
"She doesn't mean..."
"No, a different Vanyel from a book."
"Oh, okay, um, well...shall I leave?"
"NO!" me and Leareth both said at the same time.
"No? Don't go? Sheesh, you would have thought you two liked me \
or something." we grinned. Then I remembered.
"Oh no!"
"What?"
"I left Daemon's note on the table. Now Dad's gonna find it and
torture Daemon to near death!"
"You mean," he flicked his fingers and a neon yellow note card
was in his hand. "This?"
"YES!" I reached for it and he gave it to me. I stuffed it into
my pocket.
"Wyn, why is it you never cry? Or show much emotion?" Silas asked
this.
"Because, well, I taught my self so that I'd never give in, to
how much it really hurt to Dad, cuz then he'd just call me a wimp and
beat me more."
"Oh. I see. But what about positive emotion?"
"Again, I didn't want to reveal myself, cuz if he found out about
that I'd never hear the end of it. Plus the beatings. He believes in
late marriage and such. Don't ask me where he got it from. Say, is his
daemon here too?"
"No, his was sent to hell after his first sin."
"What was that?"
"Lying. To his mother about whether he hit Johnny or not."
"You mean great uncle Johnny?"
"The same."
"He hit him?"
"Nope. Bit him, then hit him, then beat him up. He was only 7."
"No. Way."
"Yep. Drew blood too. That bite did."
"Oh. My. God."
"Which one?"
"Alta. Great Alta. Lady Alta of the Light."
"Where'd you get that one?"
"Jane Yolen, Sister Light, Sister Dark. Another prized possession.
Go Jo-an-enna. She rules. That was a good book. Even if it has a disturbing
cover."
"Really?"
"Well, that's what my friends all said. I don't think it is that
much. Considering all the things I've imagined and seen. I mean, my friends
think I'm very sensitive to these things. I just don't like saying them.
I mean, think of what I've written. Leif, of all people, should know.
We write together. Stories."
"Oh, yes, and one of your best, DreamWriter. Right?"
"How'd you-oh, well, no matter. Yes, that is one of our best if
I do say so myself." Leareth smiled.
"What's your next book?"
"Oh, it's called 'A Raindrop for Every Tear.'"
"Pretty, did you come up with it?"
"No, Leif did."
"What's the next book you yourself are doing?"
"Um...one about a girl who lives a life similar to mine, called
'Unshed Tears.' only she goes to Destiny Island and has adventures with
Riku, Sora and the real Kairi."
"What do you mean? The real Kairi?"
"Well, there's a girl at my school, named Silma, but we call her
Kairi cuz she loves KH so much."
"Oh, I see."
"Yea."
"You seem to be much better. Do you trust us now?"
"Yes. I did right away, cuz you understood."
"What?"
"You understood what was going on, and what I needed. Nobody's
ever understood me before."
"Oh. I see. Daemon thinks he does. And right now is when he
usually waits for me, so I will go to him now.." he stood up.
"ME TOO!" I yelled. "Take me too." I struggled to sit up. "I...
wanna.... see....Daemon."
"Hush, hush, don't trouble yourself, you'll only make it harder
on yourself. You need rest. You need it now. The sooner you get better,
the sooner you can see Daemon." he smiled and waved his hand in a funny
motion, then looked at me. I stared back at him, unfazed.
"Was that supposed ta do somethin?" I asked dully. He stared,
aghast, at me.
"What?"
"You-you're-" then I felt something hit me dead in the face and
I became drowsy. Very drowsy. My eyelids lowered and the last thing I
saw before sleep claimed me, was Silas smiling. The last thing I heard,
was 'Good, I was afraid I was wearing out!' from Silas and light laughter
from Leareth. Then, willingly or not, sleep claimed my severely bruised
body.
Wyn's P.O.V.
When I regained consciousness, I could barely lift my eyelids, especially
my black and blue left eye, it hurt so much. I tried to roll over, then
groaned at the effort and pain. I noted that I was wearing what I wore
yesterday, and I clearly remembered getting undressed. My vision blurred
and unconsciousness threatened to claim me once again, but I fought it.
I tried to take in my surroundings. The sound of waves crashing on sand
told my I was by a large body of water. Probably a sea at least, maybe
an ocean.
But then I had to wonder. How did I get the Ocean? I was lying
on soft warm sand. It was very pleasant. I almost didn't want to get up.
Just lie here, calm, safe. Warm. Happy. My thoughts slurred together to
sort of a buzzing or humming sound just inside my ears. It was very pleasant.
Sleep threatened to take me now. I would have graciously accepted, only,
someone picked me up very carefully. I groaned softly. It hurt to be moved,
and I was so happy just lying there.
"Poor girl," a male voice, but kind, calm, soothing. "Someone isn't
treating you right, that's a fact." I opened my eyes as much as I could,
to look up into beautiful blue-green eyes. The same shade as Daemon's,
I noted.
"Who're you?" I said, it sound rather slurred together.
"Me? I'm Silas." a small lock of grey-silver hair fell in front
of his beautiful face.
"And you?"
"Wyn. Wynter."
"Hmm...what a lovely name. Suits you too. But right now is not the
time for chatter, Savil will have my head. You need to rest." and with
that, a calming sensation spread throughout my body, and a dreamless sleep claimed me.
"Young lady, young lady, are you awake?" a young female voice wafted
into my ears. I groaned slightly, as the pain finally caught up with me.
"Huh?" I said sleepily. "Where'th Thilaths?" my lip felt swollen.
Probably was.
"Who? Oh, Master Silas?"
"Yeth."
"Do you wish to see Master Silas?"
"Yeth."
"One moment." she left and a few moments later, Silas was with
her.
"Master, she wanted to see you."
"Oh but- bother." he looked at me. Pity filled his blue-green
eyes. "Dear me, you are in terrible shape, lady."
"Pleth, call me Wynther."
"Alright. What do you want, Wynter?"
"I don't know. I juth had to thee you." he smiled. My heart beat
like it does when Daemon smiles like that. That's when I noticed that
he looked exactly like Daemon. I mean, not visually, except for facial
expressions, but like mentally. Spiritually. He had Daemon's...charm.
No, that's not the right word, but, he reminded me of Daemon.
"You, 'mind me of thumone."
"Who?"
"Daemon." he looked startled for a few seconds, then smiled
again.
"In a way, I am Daemon." I gave him a curious look.
"We-ll. Like, I'm a guardian angel. His soul.
"Hith daemon."
"Good! You got the idea. How do you feel?"
"Like hell in a basket."
"Which one?"
"Wha?"
"Which hell? There are 12."
"All. All put together into one."
"Ow. There anything I can do to help?"
"Yea, where am I?"
"Moonshine Island."
"Where?"
"Moonshine Island. It's a Haven for lost, weary, saddened, and
such, souls, bodies, minds."
"So that's why I came here."
"Why?"
"I'd just gotten the worse beat I'd ever gotten since year one."
"WHAT?!?!"
"It's not uncommon. Almost all my friends are beat mercilessly."
"Are you a slave?"
"No, I'm his daughter." he gaped at the very thought.
"Your father beats you?"
"Yes." I said matter-of-factly.
"That's pure insanity!"
"Tell him that. Not that he'll listen."
"You've come to the right place. You should never have to go
back."
"But what about Llana? And Leif! And Kairi! And Daemon. What
about them? Do they get Havens from their Hells?" he looked awkward for
a moment.
"Nooo, but-"
"WHY THE HELL NOT?!"
"Because, as much as I'd like to, I just can't. Daemon constantly
is asking God to save you from the agony he knows you face, but we couldn't
do that, until you asked to be saved from your hell. He loves you that
much. He'd rather have you be save and well, while he endures his hell
on his own, knowing that you're okay."
"But how will he know?"
"You can visit him. Or I can."
"But I want him here. With me." I got the burning feeling behind
my eyes, but I didn't cry.
"But you see, I can't. As much as I wish I could bring every
unfortunate child to a Haven like this, I can't. I just-can't."
"You don't want to." I mumbled.
"Wrong. Daemon also prays for all the other unfortunate children.
But we can't-"
"Stop. No. Just stop. Go away. No, better yet, take me back. If
I'm the only one who gets special treatment, then I don't want it. I want
to be treated equal. If nobody else gets a Haven, then I don't deserve
one."
"But don't you see, we-er..." he stumbled slightly with whatever
he was planning on saying next.
"We, that is, Me, Savil, Leareth, and a handful of other unfortunate
people. Vanyel, Moondance, and especially Starwind. They all, we all need
you."
"Woah woah woah. What are you talking about?"
"You have a Gift."
"Of...?"
"Two, actually."
"They are...?"
"Mindspeech and Healing. That's all."
"Mindspeech?"
:Being able to talk to another Mindspeech through their mind,
and feel their feelings. Or you could project what you feel, so that others
feel the same way.:
"Oh. Okay..."
"Yeah, anything else?"
"When can I go back?"
"When-well, probably never."
"WHAT!?!?!" he winced as I shrieked. I attempted to sit up but
just couldn't.
"If I was well enough, I'd strangle you right here and now."
"Oh? Would you?"
"Yes. I want to go back. I want to see Daemon, and Llana, and
Leif and Kairi, and Dameon. God, I must be desperate if I want to put
up with Dameon."
"Well, until you get better, you can't see Daemon, but I'll
make sure he has nothing to worry about until you're well. Then you can
see him yourself."
"Really? Physically?"
"Well, more like spiritually, like a hologram."
"Oh. Well, I suppose that's good enough. Do you think, if he
told my friends, they would believe him?"
"That depends, what if they get visitors?"
"They might think, well, Leif, she'd probably think that she was
finally being visited by her made up characters she has conversations
with." a funny looked crossed his face, but he shook it away and looked
at me again in interest. "Kairi would think that Riku is visiting her
and all her greatest dreams have all suddenly come true. I mean, you do
look like Riku."
"Who's Riku?"
"A character from a video game. Kingdom Hearts."
"Oh, yea, Daemon spends hours playing that game. Even though he's
beaten it a zillion times."
"Sounds like him. Llana, Llana would wonder why she was being
visited by Riku instead of Sora, who she's madly in love with. I don't
understand that. I hardly understand her sometimes..."
"And this Dameon?"
"Who cares?"
"Oh, but I thought you wanted to help everyone."
"Uh-well, I don't really like Dameon. He's kind of a dork. I mean,
he's always goofing off in class. Completely obnoxious."
"Well, what if he craves attention he's not getting somewhere
else?"
"I-I never thought of that."
"Of course not. You were too worked up about him being so
obnoxious."
"Say, you said you were Daemon's daemon. What about mine?" he
smiled. Then he whistled softly.
"Yes, Silas?" a very slender young woman dressed in simple
leathers, walked in.
"Well, Wynter here, wanted to meet her daemon." she turned to
me and smiled.
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Leareth."
"But doesn't that mean 'darkness'?"
"How did you know?"
"Mercedes Lackey. The Last Herald Mage: Magic's Pawn. One of my
prized possessions. GO VANYEL!" Silas looked at me funny.
"She doesn't mean..."
"No, a different Vanyel from a book."
"Oh, okay, um, well...shall I leave?"
"NO!" me and Leareth both said at the same time.
"No? Don't go? Sheesh, you would have thought you two liked me \
or something." we grinned. Then I remembered.
"Oh no!"
"What?"
"I left Daemon's note on the table. Now Dad's gonna find it and
torture Daemon to near death!"
"You mean," he flicked his fingers and a neon yellow note card
was in his hand. "This?"
"YES!" I reached for it and he gave it to me. I stuffed it into
my pocket.
"Wyn, why is it you never cry? Or show much emotion?" Silas asked
this.
"Because, well, I taught my self so that I'd never give in, to
how much it really hurt to Dad, cuz then he'd just call me a wimp and
beat me more."
"Oh. I see. But what about positive emotion?"
"Again, I didn't want to reveal myself, cuz if he found out about
that I'd never hear the end of it. Plus the beatings. He believes in
late marriage and such. Don't ask me where he got it from. Say, is his
daemon here too?"
"No, his was sent to hell after his first sin."
"What was that?"
"Lying. To his mother about whether he hit Johnny or not."
"You mean great uncle Johnny?"
"The same."
"He hit him?"
"Nope. Bit him, then hit him, then beat him up. He was only 7."
"No. Way."
"Yep. Drew blood too. That bite did."
"Oh. My. God."
"Which one?"
"Alta. Great Alta. Lady Alta of the Light."
"Where'd you get that one?"
"Jane Yolen, Sister Light, Sister Dark. Another prized possession.
Go Jo-an-enna. She rules. That was a good book. Even if it has a disturbing
cover."
"Really?"
"Well, that's what my friends all said. I don't think it is that
much. Considering all the things I've imagined and seen. I mean, my friends
think I'm very sensitive to these things. I just don't like saying them.
I mean, think of what I've written. Leif, of all people, should know.
We write together. Stories."
"Oh, yes, and one of your best, DreamWriter. Right?"
"How'd you-oh, well, no matter. Yes, that is one of our best if
I do say so myself." Leareth smiled.
"What's your next book?"
"Oh, it's called 'A Raindrop for Every Tear.'"
"Pretty, did you come up with it?"
"No, Leif did."
"What's the next book you yourself are doing?"
"Um...one about a girl who lives a life similar to mine, called
'Unshed Tears.' only she goes to Destiny Island and has adventures with
Riku, Sora and the real Kairi."
"What do you mean? The real Kairi?"
"Well, there's a girl at my school, named Silma, but we call her
Kairi cuz she loves KH so much."
"Oh, I see."
"Yea."
"You seem to be much better. Do you trust us now?"
"Yes. I did right away, cuz you understood."
"What?"
"You understood what was going on, and what I needed. Nobody's
ever understood me before."
"Oh. I see. Daemon thinks he does. And right now is when he
usually waits for me, so I will go to him now.." he stood up.
"ME TOO!" I yelled. "Take me too." I struggled to sit up. "I...
wanna.... see....Daemon."
"Hush, hush, don't trouble yourself, you'll only make it harder
on yourself. You need rest. You need it now. The sooner you get better,
the sooner you can see Daemon." he smiled and waved his hand in a funny
motion, then looked at me. I stared back at him, unfazed.
"Was that supposed ta do somethin?" I asked dully. He stared,
aghast, at me.
"What?"
"You-you're-" then I felt something hit me dead in the face and
I became drowsy. Very drowsy. My eyelids lowered and the last thing I
saw before sleep claimed me, was Silas smiling. The last thing I heard,
was 'Good, I was afraid I was wearing out!' from Silas and light laughter
from Leareth. Then, willingly or not, sleep claimed my severely bruised
body.
