Destiny Islands......
Riku and Sora met the next day. The raft had been finished. All that was left was to set sail, or so it seemed.
"You know," said Sora. "The raft needs a name. How about Excaliber, or Titan or something cool like that?"
"Cool like that?" asked Riku. "Those names are lame."
"And what would you want to call it, Titanic?" asked Sora, playfully.
"You guys at it again?" asked Kairi as she approached.
"No....." they said, sheepishly.
"Hey, how about we have a race to determine who's right?" asked Riku.
"You're on!" agreed Sora.
"I'll be the judge, again," said Kairi. She looked around, over the debris that littered the abandoned section of the treehouses. "The usual rules apply. The first one to tag that tree and make it back wins." The tree was a particularly large palm tree. It had a scar on it shaped like a star. To get to it a person needed to climb either up the debris or the trees. But it was dangerous, the wood was rotting.
"If I win, I'm captain!" chimed Sora, energetically. "And if you win...."
"I get to share a paopu fruit with Kairi," said Riku.
"Huh?" asked Sora. He hadn't anticipated this.
"Deal?" asked Riku, quietly, so Kairi wouldn't hear. "The winner gets to share a paopu fruit with Kairi."
"Wha....? Wait a minute....." Sora began to protest.
"Okay, on my count," said Kairi, mostly unaware of their conversation. "One, two, three!"
The guys tensed then took off. They started by leaping over the remains of a walkway. Sora could feel the boards creak beneath him as he put his weight on them. He knew he couldn't stay in one place long, without the entire structure giving out on him.
Riku was neck and neck with him. He seemed to move fluidly through the unstable walkway, while Sora was struggling to keep his balance and go full speed.
They reached the end of the walkway, both breathing somewhat hard. From there they had to climb up an old scaffold, which led to a treehouse that had fallen down years ago. The rungs were soft with dry rot and hard to grip. Both boys struggled up it.
From there, still tied, to boys had to jump down, using the branches and trunks of palm trees to shimmy to the tree with the scar on it. Sora swung down one branch. Trying to keep his momentum, he grabbed the trunk of a tree, and spider crawled around it, to another branch. Then he swung up and touch the star.
"Good job," complimented Riku, who was next to him. "But the race is only half over." With that Riku turned and jumped on another tree branch.
"It isn't over," agreed Sora, filled with renewed determination. He could see Kairi in the distance, cheering them on. Sora jumped down to a tree branch and swung to the top of a palm tree.
From there he took a quick second to figure out the best route. He jumped to the trunk of another tree, climbed up it, then jumped down on the old scaffold. He could hear the scaffold groan under the combined weight of him and Riku. They made eye contact, then started to run, as fast as they could.
They reached the end of the scaffold and began to climb down. They both knew they couldn't jump straight to the walkway, because that would cause it to collapse.
"Good.....race...... Riku," panted Sora as he worked his way down.
"Yeah," agreed Riku. "But it's about to end." They both jumped to the walkway. But Riku was prepared. He jumped, hard. Then he leapt again. The weight of his first jump caused the section of the platform to collapse under Sora's feet.
"Woah!" exclaimed Sora as he fell. Riku ran and gave Kairi a high five.
Sora looked down, sad. He climbed back up to them, trying not to let his disappointment show on his face.
"You were great, too, Sora," said Kairi as she walked up. "Now that you boys decided who's captain, we can get food for our voyage."
"Huh?" asked Sora, taking a moment to realize what she was talking about.
"I've already given Riku his list of things to find," continued Kairi. "Now let's see, Sora...... You're looking for one seagull egg, three mushrooms, two coconuts, and three fish." Then she pulled out a bottle and handed it to him. "Take this and fill it with drinking water, but not from the ocean!"
"I know," said Sora.
"Bring everything back here," said Kairi. "If you need help, just ask."
"I'll be fine," said Sora. He tried to sound perky, but he was still bummed about losing.
Sora hopped off of the platform they were on and head back to the course. He remember seeing several coconuts in the trees when he was racing Riku. He headed over to them.
Sora instantly noticed several coconuts on the ground, probably knocked down from the race. He picked them up, then realized they were under-ripe. Sora could see some ripe ones in the tree. He pulled out his wooden sword and began to hit the trunks of the trees, hoping to dislodge them. He was lucky, they did fall. But so did many others, most landing right on him!
"Ow!" moaned Sora as he rubbed his sore head. He picked up two of the ripe coconuts and walked away, trying not to limp.
Sora sat on a boulder, waiting for his head to stop throbbing. But as he sat down the boulder shifted under him. Sora gasped and rolled off.
"What the?" he asked. He pushed the boulder aside, revealing a small cave. Inside two large mushrooms were growing.
"I hope these aren't poisonous," muttered Sora as he picked them. He walked away, looking for the other items on his 'list.'
"The ocean has a lot of fish," muttered Sora as he waded in. He had known how to swim for a while now, having loved so close to the ocean and all. He figured he could just swim in and catch the fish.
Let's just say that turned out not to be a good idea. Several hours later he had caught his three fish.
Sora walked out onto the beach again, trying to remember what else he needed.
"Oh, yeah!" he exclaimed, looking up. "A seagull egg." He noticed a nest high in the branches above him.
Sora walked up and began to climb up the trunk. It wasn't to hard, he had done it enough. He twisted around a branch and snatched the egg out of the nest.
"This kind of makes me feel bad...."
Sora landed and pulled out all the items out of his pocket. Then he found the water bottle Kairi had given him at the bottom. "Oh, yeah!" He looked around, trying to find some clean water. He heard a waterfall and knew that had to be it. There was only one fresh water spring on the island, which ran into the ocean. Sora went to it, emptied the ocean water out of the bottle, and filled it with fresh water.
"Now to see Kairi!" chimed Sora as he walked back over to the raft.
"You're back," stated Kairi when she saw him.
"Yeah, I think I have everything," he said.
"Let me see," said Kairi as she took his items and counted. She put the in a pile next to the things her and Riku had gathered. "Sora, we need one more mushroom."
"Mushroom?" asked Sora. "Okay......" He walked off again. He could hear Kairi giggle behind him.
Sora roomed around, until at last he found himself at the waterfall. He looked at it a moment, then noticed a dark shadow off to the left. Curiosity got the better of him and he poked his head inside.
It was quite a large cave. It was hardly damp, and the light from outside lit it well enough. But the first thing Sora noticed was a mushroom growing on the wall.
"Ah-ha!" he exclaimed as he picked it. Sora then looked around. The cave wasn't beautiful, but it wasn't ugly, either. The rocks were mostly brown or a shade of. But then Sora noticed some white streaks in the far wall.
He walked over. The streaks were actually scratches, drawings. The drawings brought back one fond memory for him.
"I've been here before," he muttered, remembering. One drawing was a crude version of him, the other was a crude version of Kairi.
*Flashback*
Sora was sitting here with Kairi, they couldn't have been older than ten. Each had a rock, a crude carving tool. They agreed to carve each other's faces into the stone. Sora tried really hard, and his picture did look a bit like Kairi, a bit.
When they were done they back up and showed each other. Then they started laughing.
*End Flashback*
Sora smiled at the memory. It still hurt that he had lost the race against Riku. Sora sighed, then picked up a rock. He went up to the picture he made of Kairi all those years ago. He carved a star in front of her and showed it going into her mouth. That represented the paopu fruit he had longed to give her. Sora smiled sadly and stood up.
Then a chill came out of nowhere. A shadow fell across him. Sora felt the hair on the back of his neck rise even higher.
"Who-Who's there?!" demanded Sora, as he jumped up and twirled around. He caught sight of a shadowy figure wearing a hood. But the person wouldn't step enough into the light for Sora to make out any features.
"I've come to see the door to this world," the man replied (it was a man's voice), somewhat ominously.
"Huh?"
"This world has been connected," he continued, that strange fact making him seem sort of....... happy.
"Wha-What are you talking about?" asked Sora, nervously.
"Tied to darkness," the man said, as if that answered anything. ".....Soon to be completely eclipsed."
"Well, whoever you are, stop freaking me out like this," said Sora as he summoned his courage. Then a new idea hit him. "Huh? Where did you come from?"
"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door," said the man.
"So, you are from another world!" exclaimed Sora, some of the fear vanishing as it was replaced by desire.
"There is so very much to learn," said the stranger, mostly to himself. "You understand so little."
Sora felt offended. "Oh, yeah? Well, you'll see. I'm am gonna get out there and learn what's out there!"
"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing," said the man. For a second Sora thought he saw the outline of a door behind the hooded figure. But he blinked and both were gone.
"Weird......" he muttered, double checking the area. Everything was normal.
Sora exited the cave to bring the last mushroom to Kairi. He found her where he had left her. She was stringing small shells together to make a necklace.
"Found it," said Sora as he sat down.
"Thanks, Sora!" chimed Kairi as she put it in the food basket. "I found something for you, too. Here." She handed him another Hi-Potion.
"Okay, I get the message," sighed Sora as he put the Hi-Potion in his pocket.
"Tired?" asked Sora when she noticed how somber he was. "Want to call it a day?"
"Yeah, let's go home," agreed Sora, thinking that sleep would help him understand what had went on in the cave.
"Okay," agreed Kairi. "Tomorrow is the big day! Let's rest up!" She looked out over the ocean happily. Sora smiled, too.
They started to walk back to their homes, but the day turned out to be too nice for them to call it quits just yet. They had made it to the dock when they sat down to watch the sun set. It was an exceptionally beautiful sunset, too. They watched in silence for a while. Then Kairi said something that had been on her mind for a while.
"You know," she said, "Riku has changed."
"What do you mean?" asked Sora.
"Well....." stammered Kairi, not sure how to word it. It was just something that was bothering her.
"You okay?"
"Sora," said Kairi, a daring look in her eye, "Let's take the raft and go, just the two of us!"
"Huh?"
"Just kidding," she laughed. But Sora could have sworn she was serious for a moment.
"What's gotten into you?" asked Sora, who was a bit taken back by her mood- swing. "You're the one that's changed, Kairi."
"Maybe....." she admitted. "You know, I was a little afraid at first, going off on our own. But now I'm ready. No matter what happens or what I see, I know I can always come back here, right?"
"Yeah, of course!" Sora instantly agreed.
"That's good," said Kairi, then she was serious. "Sora, don't ever change."
"Huh?" asked Sora, again perplexed by her mood-swing.
"I just can't wait," said Kairi, happy again. "Once we set sail, it will be great!"
**************************************************************************** ****
Metro City.....
Verity raced downstairs to answer the ringing doorbell. Meg was there, waiting for her.
"Hi!" they greeted each other.
"Are you heading to the library again?" her mom asked from the kitchen.
"Yeah," admitted Verity.
"Don't be gone so long. I need your help here, too," said her mom.
"Okay," agreed Verity and she left with Meg. Verity lived alone with her mom, her dad having abandoned the family years back.
"So have any more ideas for props?" asked Meg. They talked and walked towards the library.
"Huh? Not really....." said Verity.
"But your wand really did turn out great," Meg pointed-out. "And I'm being serious."
"I know...... And you know that art has never been my forte," added Verity.
"Yeah, you like logic," mock sighed Meg. "Oh, let me show you the patterns I came up with for the fairy outfits. They're gorgeous. With the right kind of shimmery fabric, they'll steal the show!"
"And as Scott would say....." started Verity.
"They are completely impractical," said Scott, who walked up from behind them.
"Hi, Scott!" chimed Meg.
"Hi," he greeted back. "So, what dreamer's fantasy has Meg come up with today?" Meg handed him her notebook of sketches. "Wow......"
"Well, they are pretty," said Verity, trying to help Meg feel better.
"These would be great...... for Broadway," commented Scott. They all laughed.
"Well, I guess we don't have to go so elaborate," sighed Meg. "I mean, the basic shape works."
"Oh, Verity," said Scott as he turned to her. "I borrowed this from you last night. Good book." He handed her back Our Other Worlds.
"You read it already?" gasped Verity. "That sounds like something Samantha would do."
"It is a good book, and sci-fi," said Scott with a smile. "But there is enough fantasy in it that I think you would like it, Meg."
"Really?" asked Meg. She took the book from Verity.
"So, do you think it is possible?" asked Scott. "For there to be other worlds out there than our own."
"There can't be life on other planets," said Verity. "At least not on the ones we know. The lack of a decent atmosphere and sufficient water would make it impossible for anything to survive. Even if that life form didn't need oxygen or water, the chemical and atmospheric make up of most planet's surfaces are completely contradictory to supporting life."
"That's the Verity we know and love," said Meg with a smile as she flipped through the first few pages of the book.
"But this book doesn't talk about different planets. It talks about different dimensions," said Scott. "Other worlds that are like earth, except they have different kinds of creatures living on them."
"A world of dragons?!" exclaimed Meg as she read. "Magic, too! Way cool!"
"Magic?" asked Verity, doubtfully.
"Think of it this way," said Scott, "magic is just the physics of another dimension."
"Yes!" cheered Meg.
"How did I end up with you two as friends?" asked Verity, jokingly.
"Because you need some spice to life," replied Meg. "I wonder if Shakespeare's Tempest was real in another dimension?"
"Well, the book does say that 'all dreams are but another reality. Don't forget,'" said Scott.
"Then how do we know about it?" asked Verity. She was glad they were having fun, but this was too far out there for her to feel comfortable with.
"Think of it like a radio," said Scott. "Some people are 'in tune' with other dimensions. This is what inspires stories, plays, and movies."
"So, if I dream of a world where magic is real, with dragon who pulled carriages and wizards and lost prophecies, then somewhere out there, that world would be real?" asked Meg, eagerly.
"Um, Meg," said Verity. "This book is fiction....."
"Oh....." sighed Meg.
"Hey, we're here!" exclaimed Scott as they walked up the steps of the library.
"It's nice outside. Let's work in the courtyard," suggested Meg.
"Fine," agreed the other two. They headed to the side of the building.
The courtyard was pretty, with flowerbeds circling the trees and lining the walkway. In the middle was a large replica of Nike, Winged Victory. The group sat beneath it. Meg handed out scissors and cloth and they began to work.
They talked about meaningless stuff for a while. Then they went silent, enjoying the atmosphere.
"Verity," said Meg, at length.
"What?" asked Verity.
"We need to find out how many fairy wings we need to make," she said. "But I left my copy of the Tempest at home. Can you go in and get it?"
"Why not Scott?" she asked, even though she was already standing up.
"Because I would get stuck in the science fiction section and you'd never see me again," answered Scott.
"Yeah, you'd get sucked into another one of those worlds," said Meg with a giggle. Verity smiled too, and then went inside.
She scanned the shelves, looking for the drama section. A few rows over she saw Willis reshelving books. He smiled and waved at her. She waved back. Verity continued on. The library was air conditioned, and it felt nice.
Verity found herself in the back of the library. She cursed herself for letting her mind wander. She turned to head out, but something caught the corner of her eye. She turned around. It was a door that had been half opened. Verity paused, looking in at the old books on the other side. She didn't remember the door being here before. Then again, it was probably for library personnel only. Verity made up her mind and entered.
She was surprised at what she saw. The books had to be ancient, and most were covered in dust. Verity could even see a few scrolls on the shelves. A spider lazily made its web in a dirty window. The lamp over head was dark and just as filthy.
"What is this?" asked Verity, thinking she had stumbled on a forgotten room. Then a shadow fell over her, chilling her to the bone.
"Who's there?" asked Verity. She whirled around, her heart pounding. Behind her was a human figure whose entire form was covered by a large, brown robe, complete with a drawn hood.
"I am here to find the door to this world," he said.
"What do you mean?" asked Verity. "That door?" She pointed to the door to the room, which was behind them.
He shook his head. "The door that will connect this world."
"Connect this world?" repeated Verity, confused.
"Soon this world will be connected to darkness," he said. He then looked her right in the eyes. Verity didn't actually see his eyes, but she could feel them on her. It was very unnerving. "You are a very pretty girl, it is such a shame....."
Verity tensed up even more. No one had ever called her attractive. In fact, she always tried to not stand out. "Who are you? What are you talking about?!"
"You do not know what is behind the door," he said, ignoring her questions. "You want to know so much, and yet you know so little. You seek the truth, and yet you deny it when you find it."
"What are you talking about?" asked Verity, who was confused. And that was one thing she hated. "Quit speaking in riddles!"
The man made a gesture with his hand. A book floated off of the shelf and drifted into his open hand. Verity could see the title. It was an ancient edition of Our Other Worlds.
"That book..... Are you trying to tell me there's other worlds?!" gasped Verity, her heart rate picking up even more. "That's impossible..... Scientifically speaking....."
"There is so much to learn," he said as he opened the book carefully so not to tear the aged pages. "Not everything is science. You understand so little."
"Well, no one knows everything," admitted Verity. "But I do know logic, and this is lunacy."
"One who knows nothing cannot hope to understand anything," he replied, shortly. Verity felt that as a direct attack on her pride.
The man laughed and the lights flickered. Verity gasped. She blinked and the man was gone.
"What just happened?" she asked herself. She looked around the dusty room. There was a square in the dust where Our Other Worlds had been. Besides that, nothing had been disturbed.
Verity crept out, shut the door, then bolt down several rows of books. She was breathing hard, and it wasn't from running. That man had truly shaken her.
Verity looked up. She was in the drama section. She found the Tempest fairly quickly, checked it out, and returned to her friends.
"Maybe we should have sent Scott in after all," said Meg, jokingly, when she returned.
"Sorry," apologized Verity. "There was this weird man there..... he really freaked me out."
"It's people like that that give libraries bad names," sighed Scott.
"Can I see that book?" asked Verity as she reached for Our Other Worlds.
"Verity, are you sure you're feeling okay?" asked Meg, shocked.
"There's just something I need to look up," said Verity.
"Here," said Meg as she handed Verity some wire and blue nylon. "Make this into a pair of wings."
"But you know I can never make them as good as you can," said Verity as she put the book down.
"As long as they get done," muttered Meg.
"Do these look okay?" asked Scott as he held up two hats he had been working on.
"The one is fine," said Meg. "But the other is too big for anyone's head." Verity giggled.
They continued to work on into the afternoon, at which time they decided to call it a day for lunch. The packed up there stuff and began to walk home.
"Verity, when you are done with the book, can you let me borrow it?" asked Meg as they walked.
"I told you, you'd like it!" exclaimed Scott.
"Actually, I want to see if there is a spell or something that will let us get to the other worlds," said Meg.
Verity felt a chill again. For some reason the older edition of the book that the man had taken popped into her mind. It bothered her deeply, for some reason.
"Yeah," Meg laughed with Scott. "We can use this!" She pulled the wand Verity had made out of her bag.
"Hey!" protested Verity as she took it back. Scott and Meg laughed some more.
Verity put the wand back in the bag and her hands brushed Our Other Worlds. She pulled it out and turned it in her free hand. She didn't see and edition number on it.
"Uh-oh," whispered Scott to Meg. "Verity is thinking."
"And she thinking about fantasy," Meg whispered back, smiling. "I think the world just ended." They laughed again.
"Stop it," said Verity, although she didn't really care.
Meg was exceedingly happy as they continued to walk home. It had to be all the attention Scott was showing her.
"Scott, you missed your turn," Verity pointed out.
"Actually, I wanted to walk the two of you home," he said, sheepishly. "My room is being painted, and I can't keep my part of the props there."
"You can keep them at my place," volunteered Verity. "My mom and I have more than enough space for these fairy wings."
"Thanks," he said.
"Yeah, I'd have to hurt you if you got paint on them," said Meg, teasingly. They walked up Meg's driveway.
"See ya later. I'll call you and arrange the next time we can get together," said Meg as she disappeared into her house.
"Bye," they waved back and walked over to Verity's.
"Here," said Verity as she opened the front door. Scott set his bag inside.
"Thanks again," he said. Then he got serious. "Listen, there was something I want to tell you, while we are alone...."
"What?" asked Verity, curious.
"It's hard...." he muttered as he worked up his courage. Then he looked her directly in the eyes, "I like you, Verity."
"What?!" Verity gasped. This had never happened before.
"I like you," said Scott. "And more than a friend, too. You are always nice, and I love listening to you. But you don't talk all the time, you also listen. I know I surprised you, but I wanted to tell you. I believe in the phrase 'better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all.'"
"Well, you are right, you did surprise me," stammered Verity.
"I want to know how you feel," he continued. "But you don't have to tell me right away. I'll let you think it over."
"OK," agreed Verity. "Bye." She stepped into her house.
"Bye," waved Scott as he started towards his home.
Verity closed the door and leaned against it. "Meg is going to kill me......."
**************************************************************************** ****
Forgotten Forest......
Lee walked into the camp the next morning, rubbing his sore head. He still carried the Starli branch that had hit him in the meteor shower last night.
"Lee!" exclaimed Adeola as she raced out to him. "Where have you been?"
"Um, by the lake," he said.
"Lee! Adeola!" exclaimed Devan as he stepped out of his tent. "Did you see the star shower last night?"
"Yeah!" exclaimed Adeola. "It was beautiful. I'm mean...... Wow!"
"I guess you were right," said Devan. "There are places where the forest touches the stars."
"It was pretty....." agreed Lee, who was still a little disoriented.
"What happened to you?" asked Devan when he saw Lee's appearance.
"Um, I was by the lake," he answered.
"For how long?" asked Devan.
"I just remembered!" exclaimed Adeola. "We have to plan our hiking trip!"
"Oh, yeah," remembered Devan. "I guess we should prepare."
"We have to leave soon," said Adeola. "That is, if we want to find the end of the forest and make it back before our families leave."
"But, are there any trails?" asked Lee.
"We'll blaze one," said Devan.
"That works!" agreed Adeola. "What are we going to need? Sleeping bags, food, good shoes, a pocket knife, a first aid kit, cooking equipment, matches....."
"Let's divide up and get stuff," suggested Lee.
"Okay! I'll take care of food and sleeping supplies!" volunteered Adeola.
"I'll get the other necessities, like matches and the pocket knife," said Devan.
"I'll get together the first aid kit, we'll probably need a cell phone or something, maybe bug spray...." said Lee.
"Well, if you think of anything else, bring it," said Adeola. "We'll meet here in an hour."
"Right!" agreed the two boys as they started. They headed back to their tent and began to rummage through their supplies.
Lee quickly found two Potions for the first aid kit. Then he added some bandages and poison ivy lotion. He put in a lantern, as well as some matches. He knew they could never have too many of them.
Lee walked out of the tent, trying to think about what else they'd need. He walked the campsite, looking for ideas.
"Let's see," he muttered, roaming around. By the fire pit he found an empty water canteen.
"Of course!" exclaimed Lee as he picked it up. "We need water."
He began to explore some more, trying to get ideas. He knew it would be awful to be far away from civilization and find out they were missing a necessity. He trusted that Adeola and Devan would come up with some good stuff too. But it was also crucial that they didn't take too much, because they'd be stuck carrying it.
Behind the tents, by the wood pile, Lee found a Hi-Potion to add to the first aid kit. He began to scout around, hoping to find a few more. He saw Nyx, Xan, and Nathan goofing off with a Frisbee. He smiled. Like Adeola, he never wanted this week to end.
Lee continued to make a slow circle of the camp. He found a half used Hi- Potion in a bush. He also found some old Beef Jerky in a pot. Food would be very helpful for their trip. Sure, Adeola knew a lot about natural foods, but it was always god to be prepared. Lee looked at his watch and noticed nearly an hour had gone by.
"Wow!" he exclaimed and started to head back to the meeting place.
But as he passed another tent, he saw a folded piece of paper on a folding chair. He walked over and looked at it. It was a map of the park! Sure, the forest extended beyond the map, but it would help them get started. He picked it up and walked over to the base of the tree where they were supposed to meet. It looked like he was the first one there. That is, it looked that way.
Lee felt an acorn bounce off of his head. He looked up. Adeola was sitting in the tree, smiling down at him.
"You made it," she said, calmly.
"Yeah, and I found a bunch of stuff," said Lee as he began to disassemble his first aid kit, showing each item to her. "I even found a map, some beef jerky, a lantern, and a canteen!"
"Wow!" exclaimed Adeola, who was clearly impressed. Lee enjoyed her smile. "The only thing I could think of that we were missing was a compass." She held it up.
"What an unusual bird," commented Devan as he walked over. Adeola smiled and jumped down.
"I brought the bed rolls and a bunch of food," said Adeola. "But we should be able to forage pretty easily."
"I grabbed some fishing line and some hooks," said Devan. "That should help. I also found a real nice pocket knife, from my dad. And the biggest box of matches I could find!"
"I found some too," added Lee. "You never know how many of those things you are going to need."
"What's this?" asked Devan as he grabbed Lee's Starli branch.
"That's mine!" protested Lee as he took it back.
"What is it for?" asked Adeola.
"Um, in case we have to fight off a bear," said Lee as he put it deep into his backpack.
"Do you think we have everything?" asked Adeola as she looked over their equipment once more. She thought nothing of Lee's unusual behavior.
"Well, we need to fill up the canteen," commented Lee as he pulled it out.
"That gives me an idea!" exclaimed Devan. "It is too hot to start walking now, how about we head to the lake and take a dip."
"Sure!" agreed Lee. "What do you think, Adeola?" He turned, but Adeola had already started running towards the lake.
"What are you two waiting for?" she asked, over her shoulder.
"Come on," said Devan as he took off after her.
They all made it to the lake, but they didn't stop running until they had to swim. Water went everywhere. The group laughed.
"I wish I could stay here forever," sighed Adeola as she began to do the back stroke.
"I have to agree," said Devan.
"I wish it would never end," added Lee.
"Who's up for a game of water volleyball or something?" asked Devan as he retrieve the ball he had grabbed before they left.
"You and your games," sighed Adeola, who was content with swimming.
"I'll play," volunteered Lee. "But we will have to use our invisible net." They laughed again.
Lee and Devan started to bounce the ball around while Adeola looked on. This continued for a while, until Adeola stepped on something.
"Ow!" she exclaimed.
"What is it?" asked Devan as he caught the ball.
"One minute," said Adeola. She dove and retrieved the object that had cut her. It was a strange rock.
"Weird," commented Devan.
"I've never seen a rock like this, not here," said Adeola. She turned the rock in her hand. It was black, but clear crystal flecks caught the sunlight and sparkled.
Lee instantly knew where it was from. It had to be from the meteor show last night.
"It is pretty," said Lee, at length.
"I'm keeping it," said Adeola. "I'll be right back." She swam for sure to put the rock with her stuff.
"One minute," said Lee to Devan. He swam over to Adeola. "Did you cut yourself?"
"Yeah, but not bad," answered Adeola. They stepped out of the lake and she showed him her foot. There was some blood on it.
"That could be bad, especially with all the walking we'll be doing," said Lee. "Here." He rummaged through his first aid kit and pulled out a cloth bandage.
"Thanks," she smiled. "I can take care of it." She began to wrap her foot.
Lee went to put the first aid kit away when he saw the Starli branch. He pulled it out and examined it. Now was the time, if ever, for him to complete it. He looked over his shoulder.
"I remembered I forgot something," he said to Devan and Adeola. "I'll be right back."
"Fine! Don't be gone too long," they called.
Lee waved and headed back into the forest. Then he bolted, running straight for the camp. When he got there he found the pocketknife that Devan had brought. He took that and without anyone noticing he again disappeared into the forest.
About half way between the lake and the campsite Lee stopped and began to carve. It was hard work. He had to be very careful not to separate the two rings he was making. They were too big to be practical, but Nyx had said nothing about size. And it was easier to carve them if they were big.
An hour later Lee had finished. He stood up and brushed the shavings off of his legs. The rings weren't prefect, but they were together. He smiled and looked for a good tree to bury them under. He was also trying to think of a good excuse to tell Adeola and Devan.
Lee spotted the perfect tree, not too far off. He walked over to it. It was a large oak tree with towering branches. Lee smiled as he thought of Adeola climbing it. He bent down near the roots and started to dig with his bear hands. But as he dug, he got another idea. He pulled the pocketknife back out and picked up the rings. He carved his name on one and Adeola's name on the other. Lee smiled again and finished burying them.
As he stood up he felt a sudden chill. Lee got the feeling that he wasn't alone. He turned around quickly and realized that his suspicions were true. A shrouded figure stepped out of the shadows.
"Who are you?" asked Lee, cautiously.
"I have come to see the door to this world," the man answered.
"Door? In the middle of a forest?" asked Lee as he looked around for an escape.
"This world has been connected," continued the man.
"Connected? To what?" asked Lee. "Or do you mean the thing about the tree roots?"
"Connected to darkness," said the man, ominously. "And soon, to be gone."
"What to be gone? The world?" asked Lee, now a bit more than nervous. "What do you mean?"
"What is behind the door...... You do not know," the man said. "But darkness awaits us all."
"Who do you mean?" asked Lee. "Do you talk normally?"
"You put your faith in your friends," the man commented.
"Yeah, so?"
"But darkness will claim every last one of them," said the man. There was something about his tone.....
"Listen! I don't know what you are talking about, but leave my friends alone!" snapped Lee. "I won't let anything happen to them, that includes you!"
The man chuckled. It was not a nice laugh. "You understand so little."
"I don't care," snapped Lee. "I know what is really important."
"And you think you can save them?" asked the man. "A fruitless effort. Soon nothing will remain, but darkness."
The shadows seemed to come alive. Lee gasped as they reached out for him. He stumbled backwards. He fell and landed hard. When he looked up again, he was alone in the forest.
"Adeola! Devan!" he gasped. He leapt up and started to sprint to the lake.
When he got there, his worst fears turned out to be an overreaction. Devan and Adeola were drying themselves on a rock. Devan had cast a line in and was fishing while they talked. The saw Lee coming and waved.
"What kept you?" asked Adeola.
"There was this weird man in the woods....." answered Lee. "He kept talking about darkness."
"Probably a camper who got drunk," said Devan as he pulled his line in. The fish had stolen his bait.
"Probably......" agreed Lee.
"So, when do we start out?" asked Adeola, who was probably the most eager.
"We want to do it before sunset," said Devan. "Otherwise we may as well spend the night at the campsite."
"We can go now," suggested Adeola. "But I kind of want to stay here a bit longer." She sighed as she looked at the picturesque lake scene.
"Just until the two of you dry fully," said Lee as he sat down with them. "So how long will we be gone?"
"Who knows?" asked Adeola. "Time isn't important. It is what we do with it."
"It will be great," agreed Devan. "Think about it. Where we are going, no human has gone before."
"You make is sound like we are going to the moon," giggled Adeola.
"As long as we are friends though it all, I'm happy," agreed Lee, determined not to let what that man said bother him.
**************************************************************************** ****
Northern Shoal........
"I could have sworn I saw a fish there!" exclaimed Faye as the group continued to explore the Northern Shoal the next morning.
"I didn't see it," said Tamsin.
"Maybe I was seeing things....." sighed Faye.
"I wish I brought a camera," sighed Crysta as the three continued to explore the rock formations.
"That would be too much to carry," whined Faye.
"But Crysta does have a point," agreed Tamsin. "I wish there was some way we could box this up and take it home."
"Hey!" exclaimed Crysta, getting an idea. "Do you see that big rock over there?" She pointed. "Race you up it!" With that she started running.
"Crysta!" exclaimed Tamsin and Faye as they took of after her.
Crysta laughed as she reached the rock. She found several grooves in it and used them as hand holds. She began to scale up the rock.
"Shouldn't you use a rope?" asked Faye as she looked up from the bottom.
"Nope!" replied Crysta as she kept climbing.
"Wait for me!" exclaimed Tamsin as she started up, climbing very similarly to Crysta.
They both reached the top and pulled themselves up. They alternated between breathing hard and laughing.
"Okay, you had your fun, now come down!" yelled Faye, who refused to climb it.
"There you three are!" said Corey as he walked over. "I've been looking for you. Head back to base camp. We are going to do something important." He turned and walked away to gather the rest of the group.
"Well, see you," said Faye as she turned away and started walking.
"Hey!" protested Tamsin and Faye as they climbed down the rock as quick as they could.
The three friends joined the rest of the group as Corey started talking.
"There is an alcove in the middle of the Northern Shoal," he was saying. "It is tradition that each group we take go there. Inside, we write our names on the wall. But there is an old story that goes with the cave."
"Oh, what?" asked Celia, eagerly.
"They say that the cave used to be a shrine to a powerful star spirit. This spirit once guarded a bright star. The star guided travelers at night and gave hope to the lost. The spirit is said to have fallen from the star, because the star was too proud to have a guardian."
"The guardian of the star fell hard to this world. It lost most of its power coming here, because our world drained it when the spirit touched it. The power was too much for the land, and it died. But the spirit did not give up hope. It knew that nothing would grow, so it set up natural formations that did not need to grow. It was the one who made the Northern Shoal."
"But that is not the end of the story. The spirit was still faithful to its star. It looked up at the sky from the rocks each night, watching its star. At first the star glowed as bright as ever. But then, one night, darkness came to claim the star. Without the guardian to defend it, the star was lost to darkness, never to glow again."
"The guardian saw this and despaired. It went into the ground, through the alcove which we are going to see. The spirit did not stir from the shadows, and darkness eventually destroyed its body. But the guardian was more than a body. They say that is spirit still lives on, looking for one who will make his star shine bright once more. Then the guardian shall arise and return to its home."
"Wow......" the group muttered, shocked.
"I feel weird about going in there now," muttered Tamsin. "I mean, would that make the spirit mad, graffiting on his home?"
"No," said Corey. "You write your name in there so the spirit will know you, and thus not consider you an enemy. If you turn out to be the one to re-light its star, it will know your name as well."
"I can't believe you are buying into this," Faye whispered to Tamsin.
"It is almost like what we talked about last night," said Crysta, the three breaking into their own conversation. "This sounds kind of fatalistic. (AN/ as in fate). It means that someone is meant to do something, and nothing he or she does will alter that. This person's destiny, so to speak, is reviving the star."
"Why do you sound so negative?" asked Faye.
"Because we all have a choice," said Crysta. "We cannot change our circumstances, but we can change how we react to them. I am beginning to think there is no such thing as fate. I have thought a lot since we started. I used to think that there was a set path everyone was meant to follow, some set purpose. But it is us who decides our purpose and us who decide our path."
"Our choices determine our destines, you mean," said Tamsin.
"Ladies....." said Corey, getting their attention again. "We are heading to the alcove. Stick together."
"Okay," they all agreed and started walking.
"I want to know the reason for everything," sighed Crysta, picking up her conversation with Tamsin and Faye. "I mean..... I don't know. It is like we are all stones in a mosaic. I want to see the mosaic."
"Yeah, but we have more control over our lives than that," said Tamsin.
"I know, it is so hard to put into words how I feel," Crysta sighed again.
"You people are hurting my head," whined Faye.
"I know that our choices and reactions guide our lives. I now that there is no 'chance machine' of the universe that dictates our lives. But I still feel like I can't see the whole picture, how other people react, how my reactions effect other people......"
"We're here," said Faye as she pointed to the alcove.
"It looks cozy," said Tamsin as she examined it.
The alcove was a slab of a rock that had cracked in half over a pudgy boulder. The rocks were gray with white mixed in. Inside the rocks were mostly white, save the ink where people had written their names.
"Here," said Corey as he threw them a pen. "Don't forget to sign."
"Let's all sign it together!" chimed Tamsin.
"OK!" agreed the other two girls. Celia and Tuan had just exited. Otherwise there wouldn't have been enough room for them.
The three friends entered the cave. The entrance was well lit, but it got very dark very quickly. The rocks eventually got too close together for anyone to get through. But through the shadows it was obvious the crevice continued for a long ways down. Crysta stared down it, curiously.
"Here!" exclaimed Faye as she founded a relatively clear space on the wall.
They wrote their names, and the under it they put the year and the phrase 'friends forever.'
"All we need is a ghost and a mysterious disappearance and this would make a great movie," said Tamsin as they exited.
"I hope not!" protested Faye.
Crysta half listened to their conversation. But she was keeping the alcove in her peripheral vision. She had a desire to see inside, just one more time.
"I'll be right back," she said to Faye and Tamsin as she darted back into the alcove.
"That was weird....." commented Faye. Tamsin shrugged.
Crysta entered again and started to wonder why she had come back. She peered into the darkness before turning to catch up with her friends.
Then a flash of movement caught her eye. She turned and saw a dark, cloaked figure in front of her, blocking the exit.
"Who are you?" she asked. "The star guardian?"
"The star guardian died with its star," the man replied. "I am here to find the door."
"Door?"
"I am looking for the door that has connected this world," he said.
"What do you mean?" asked Crysta, still trying to figure out how this tied to the story that Corey had just told.
"But tied to darkness instead of light," he said. "And soon, it will eclipse. It is inevitable."
"One moment," said Crysta. "We all have our choices, we can all chose not to..... whatever."
"You don't know what is behind the door," he said.
"What door? What are you talking about? I control my own life!"
"Huff! You understand so little. You cannot hope to learn about the events that have been set in motion."
"The big picture......" Crysta said, wide-eyed. "I want to know! And somehow, I will make sure that my choices make an impact!"
"It is futile," said the man. "You cannot alter fate."
"Fate doesn't control me!" exclaimed Crysta, almost yelling. "I determine my destiny!"
The man laughed and Crysta felt the world spin. A door seemed to appear behind him. Crysta started to fall, but she grabbed onto the wall to steady herself. She shook her head to clear it. And when she did the man was gone.
Crysta exited the alcove and caught up with Tamsin and Faye.
"Find what you were looking for?" asked Tamsin.
"No......" said Crysta. She wanted to tell them all that had just happened, but she wasn't sure herself. She shook her head again and kept silent.
"This is turning out to be fun," admitted Faye. "But when I get home I am catching up on my shopping time."
"I want to come out here again, one day," said Tamsin. "Maybe even lead tours or something."
"Be sure to bring a camera," commented Faye.
"Faye, Tamsin," interrupted Crysta. "No matter what happens, we will always be friends, right?"
"Of course!"
"Why do you ask?"
Crysta wasn't sure herself, but the answer was very important. "I-I want us to decide that now. I want us to make a choice to always be friends, to always be there for each other, and to never give up on each other."
"It's a promise," said Faye.
"Cross my heart and hope to die," added Tamsin.
"Now and forever," said Crysta. They did a three way hand shake to seal the deal. They all smiled, but Crysta could shake the feeling that hard times were coming.
**************************************************************************** ****
AN/ Sorry again about the delay. And many thanks to loyal and patient reviewers. That is the key to updates. It takes me a bit longer with this fic, because the chapter s as so long (this on is 25 by my count!) Like I said before, review and be patient. (I've just gotta say it.....) And, as always, please read, review, and enjoy! (
Riku and Sora met the next day. The raft had been finished. All that was left was to set sail, or so it seemed.
"You know," said Sora. "The raft needs a name. How about Excaliber, or Titan or something cool like that?"
"Cool like that?" asked Riku. "Those names are lame."
"And what would you want to call it, Titanic?" asked Sora, playfully.
"You guys at it again?" asked Kairi as she approached.
"No....." they said, sheepishly.
"Hey, how about we have a race to determine who's right?" asked Riku.
"You're on!" agreed Sora.
"I'll be the judge, again," said Kairi. She looked around, over the debris that littered the abandoned section of the treehouses. "The usual rules apply. The first one to tag that tree and make it back wins." The tree was a particularly large palm tree. It had a scar on it shaped like a star. To get to it a person needed to climb either up the debris or the trees. But it was dangerous, the wood was rotting.
"If I win, I'm captain!" chimed Sora, energetically. "And if you win...."
"I get to share a paopu fruit with Kairi," said Riku.
"Huh?" asked Sora. He hadn't anticipated this.
"Deal?" asked Riku, quietly, so Kairi wouldn't hear. "The winner gets to share a paopu fruit with Kairi."
"Wha....? Wait a minute....." Sora began to protest.
"Okay, on my count," said Kairi, mostly unaware of their conversation. "One, two, three!"
The guys tensed then took off. They started by leaping over the remains of a walkway. Sora could feel the boards creak beneath him as he put his weight on them. He knew he couldn't stay in one place long, without the entire structure giving out on him.
Riku was neck and neck with him. He seemed to move fluidly through the unstable walkway, while Sora was struggling to keep his balance and go full speed.
They reached the end of the walkway, both breathing somewhat hard. From there they had to climb up an old scaffold, which led to a treehouse that had fallen down years ago. The rungs were soft with dry rot and hard to grip. Both boys struggled up it.
From there, still tied, to boys had to jump down, using the branches and trunks of palm trees to shimmy to the tree with the scar on it. Sora swung down one branch. Trying to keep his momentum, he grabbed the trunk of a tree, and spider crawled around it, to another branch. Then he swung up and touch the star.
"Good job," complimented Riku, who was next to him. "But the race is only half over." With that Riku turned and jumped on another tree branch.
"It isn't over," agreed Sora, filled with renewed determination. He could see Kairi in the distance, cheering them on. Sora jumped down to a tree branch and swung to the top of a palm tree.
From there he took a quick second to figure out the best route. He jumped to the trunk of another tree, climbed up it, then jumped down on the old scaffold. He could hear the scaffold groan under the combined weight of him and Riku. They made eye contact, then started to run, as fast as they could.
They reached the end of the scaffold and began to climb down. They both knew they couldn't jump straight to the walkway, because that would cause it to collapse.
"Good.....race...... Riku," panted Sora as he worked his way down.
"Yeah," agreed Riku. "But it's about to end." They both jumped to the walkway. But Riku was prepared. He jumped, hard. Then he leapt again. The weight of his first jump caused the section of the platform to collapse under Sora's feet.
"Woah!" exclaimed Sora as he fell. Riku ran and gave Kairi a high five.
Sora looked down, sad. He climbed back up to them, trying not to let his disappointment show on his face.
"You were great, too, Sora," said Kairi as she walked up. "Now that you boys decided who's captain, we can get food for our voyage."
"Huh?" asked Sora, taking a moment to realize what she was talking about.
"I've already given Riku his list of things to find," continued Kairi. "Now let's see, Sora...... You're looking for one seagull egg, three mushrooms, two coconuts, and three fish." Then she pulled out a bottle and handed it to him. "Take this and fill it with drinking water, but not from the ocean!"
"I know," said Sora.
"Bring everything back here," said Kairi. "If you need help, just ask."
"I'll be fine," said Sora. He tried to sound perky, but he was still bummed about losing.
Sora hopped off of the platform they were on and head back to the course. He remember seeing several coconuts in the trees when he was racing Riku. He headed over to them.
Sora instantly noticed several coconuts on the ground, probably knocked down from the race. He picked them up, then realized they were under-ripe. Sora could see some ripe ones in the tree. He pulled out his wooden sword and began to hit the trunks of the trees, hoping to dislodge them. He was lucky, they did fall. But so did many others, most landing right on him!
"Ow!" moaned Sora as he rubbed his sore head. He picked up two of the ripe coconuts and walked away, trying not to limp.
Sora sat on a boulder, waiting for his head to stop throbbing. But as he sat down the boulder shifted under him. Sora gasped and rolled off.
"What the?" he asked. He pushed the boulder aside, revealing a small cave. Inside two large mushrooms were growing.
"I hope these aren't poisonous," muttered Sora as he picked them. He walked away, looking for the other items on his 'list.'
"The ocean has a lot of fish," muttered Sora as he waded in. He had known how to swim for a while now, having loved so close to the ocean and all. He figured he could just swim in and catch the fish.
Let's just say that turned out not to be a good idea. Several hours later he had caught his three fish.
Sora walked out onto the beach again, trying to remember what else he needed.
"Oh, yeah!" he exclaimed, looking up. "A seagull egg." He noticed a nest high in the branches above him.
Sora walked up and began to climb up the trunk. It wasn't to hard, he had done it enough. He twisted around a branch and snatched the egg out of the nest.
"This kind of makes me feel bad...."
Sora landed and pulled out all the items out of his pocket. Then he found the water bottle Kairi had given him at the bottom. "Oh, yeah!" He looked around, trying to find some clean water. He heard a waterfall and knew that had to be it. There was only one fresh water spring on the island, which ran into the ocean. Sora went to it, emptied the ocean water out of the bottle, and filled it with fresh water.
"Now to see Kairi!" chimed Sora as he walked back over to the raft.
"You're back," stated Kairi when she saw him.
"Yeah, I think I have everything," he said.
"Let me see," said Kairi as she took his items and counted. She put the in a pile next to the things her and Riku had gathered. "Sora, we need one more mushroom."
"Mushroom?" asked Sora. "Okay......" He walked off again. He could hear Kairi giggle behind him.
Sora roomed around, until at last he found himself at the waterfall. He looked at it a moment, then noticed a dark shadow off to the left. Curiosity got the better of him and he poked his head inside.
It was quite a large cave. It was hardly damp, and the light from outside lit it well enough. But the first thing Sora noticed was a mushroom growing on the wall.
"Ah-ha!" he exclaimed as he picked it. Sora then looked around. The cave wasn't beautiful, but it wasn't ugly, either. The rocks were mostly brown or a shade of. But then Sora noticed some white streaks in the far wall.
He walked over. The streaks were actually scratches, drawings. The drawings brought back one fond memory for him.
"I've been here before," he muttered, remembering. One drawing was a crude version of him, the other was a crude version of Kairi.
*Flashback*
Sora was sitting here with Kairi, they couldn't have been older than ten. Each had a rock, a crude carving tool. They agreed to carve each other's faces into the stone. Sora tried really hard, and his picture did look a bit like Kairi, a bit.
When they were done they back up and showed each other. Then they started laughing.
*End Flashback*
Sora smiled at the memory. It still hurt that he had lost the race against Riku. Sora sighed, then picked up a rock. He went up to the picture he made of Kairi all those years ago. He carved a star in front of her and showed it going into her mouth. That represented the paopu fruit he had longed to give her. Sora smiled sadly and stood up.
Then a chill came out of nowhere. A shadow fell across him. Sora felt the hair on the back of his neck rise even higher.
"Who-Who's there?!" demanded Sora, as he jumped up and twirled around. He caught sight of a shadowy figure wearing a hood. But the person wouldn't step enough into the light for Sora to make out any features.
"I've come to see the door to this world," the man replied (it was a man's voice), somewhat ominously.
"Huh?"
"This world has been connected," he continued, that strange fact making him seem sort of....... happy.
"Wha-What are you talking about?" asked Sora, nervously.
"Tied to darkness," the man said, as if that answered anything. ".....Soon to be completely eclipsed."
"Well, whoever you are, stop freaking me out like this," said Sora as he summoned his courage. Then a new idea hit him. "Huh? Where did you come from?"
"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door," said the man.
"So, you are from another world!" exclaimed Sora, some of the fear vanishing as it was replaced by desire.
"There is so very much to learn," said the stranger, mostly to himself. "You understand so little."
Sora felt offended. "Oh, yeah? Well, you'll see. I'm am gonna get out there and learn what's out there!"
"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing," said the man. For a second Sora thought he saw the outline of a door behind the hooded figure. But he blinked and both were gone.
"Weird......" he muttered, double checking the area. Everything was normal.
Sora exited the cave to bring the last mushroom to Kairi. He found her where he had left her. She was stringing small shells together to make a necklace.
"Found it," said Sora as he sat down.
"Thanks, Sora!" chimed Kairi as she put it in the food basket. "I found something for you, too. Here." She handed him another Hi-Potion.
"Okay, I get the message," sighed Sora as he put the Hi-Potion in his pocket.
"Tired?" asked Sora when she noticed how somber he was. "Want to call it a day?"
"Yeah, let's go home," agreed Sora, thinking that sleep would help him understand what had went on in the cave.
"Okay," agreed Kairi. "Tomorrow is the big day! Let's rest up!" She looked out over the ocean happily. Sora smiled, too.
They started to walk back to their homes, but the day turned out to be too nice for them to call it quits just yet. They had made it to the dock when they sat down to watch the sun set. It was an exceptionally beautiful sunset, too. They watched in silence for a while. Then Kairi said something that had been on her mind for a while.
"You know," she said, "Riku has changed."
"What do you mean?" asked Sora.
"Well....." stammered Kairi, not sure how to word it. It was just something that was bothering her.
"You okay?"
"Sora," said Kairi, a daring look in her eye, "Let's take the raft and go, just the two of us!"
"Huh?"
"Just kidding," she laughed. But Sora could have sworn she was serious for a moment.
"What's gotten into you?" asked Sora, who was a bit taken back by her mood- swing. "You're the one that's changed, Kairi."
"Maybe....." she admitted. "You know, I was a little afraid at first, going off on our own. But now I'm ready. No matter what happens or what I see, I know I can always come back here, right?"
"Yeah, of course!" Sora instantly agreed.
"That's good," said Kairi, then she was serious. "Sora, don't ever change."
"Huh?" asked Sora, again perplexed by her mood-swing.
"I just can't wait," said Kairi, happy again. "Once we set sail, it will be great!"
**************************************************************************** ****
Metro City.....
Verity raced downstairs to answer the ringing doorbell. Meg was there, waiting for her.
"Hi!" they greeted each other.
"Are you heading to the library again?" her mom asked from the kitchen.
"Yeah," admitted Verity.
"Don't be gone so long. I need your help here, too," said her mom.
"Okay," agreed Verity and she left with Meg. Verity lived alone with her mom, her dad having abandoned the family years back.
"So have any more ideas for props?" asked Meg. They talked and walked towards the library.
"Huh? Not really....." said Verity.
"But your wand really did turn out great," Meg pointed-out. "And I'm being serious."
"I know...... And you know that art has never been my forte," added Verity.
"Yeah, you like logic," mock sighed Meg. "Oh, let me show you the patterns I came up with for the fairy outfits. They're gorgeous. With the right kind of shimmery fabric, they'll steal the show!"
"And as Scott would say....." started Verity.
"They are completely impractical," said Scott, who walked up from behind them.
"Hi, Scott!" chimed Meg.
"Hi," he greeted back. "So, what dreamer's fantasy has Meg come up with today?" Meg handed him her notebook of sketches. "Wow......"
"Well, they are pretty," said Verity, trying to help Meg feel better.
"These would be great...... for Broadway," commented Scott. They all laughed.
"Well, I guess we don't have to go so elaborate," sighed Meg. "I mean, the basic shape works."
"Oh, Verity," said Scott as he turned to her. "I borrowed this from you last night. Good book." He handed her back Our Other Worlds.
"You read it already?" gasped Verity. "That sounds like something Samantha would do."
"It is a good book, and sci-fi," said Scott with a smile. "But there is enough fantasy in it that I think you would like it, Meg."
"Really?" asked Meg. She took the book from Verity.
"So, do you think it is possible?" asked Scott. "For there to be other worlds out there than our own."
"There can't be life on other planets," said Verity. "At least not on the ones we know. The lack of a decent atmosphere and sufficient water would make it impossible for anything to survive. Even if that life form didn't need oxygen or water, the chemical and atmospheric make up of most planet's surfaces are completely contradictory to supporting life."
"That's the Verity we know and love," said Meg with a smile as she flipped through the first few pages of the book.
"But this book doesn't talk about different planets. It talks about different dimensions," said Scott. "Other worlds that are like earth, except they have different kinds of creatures living on them."
"A world of dragons?!" exclaimed Meg as she read. "Magic, too! Way cool!"
"Magic?" asked Verity, doubtfully.
"Think of it this way," said Scott, "magic is just the physics of another dimension."
"Yes!" cheered Meg.
"How did I end up with you two as friends?" asked Verity, jokingly.
"Because you need some spice to life," replied Meg. "I wonder if Shakespeare's Tempest was real in another dimension?"
"Well, the book does say that 'all dreams are but another reality. Don't forget,'" said Scott.
"Then how do we know about it?" asked Verity. She was glad they were having fun, but this was too far out there for her to feel comfortable with.
"Think of it like a radio," said Scott. "Some people are 'in tune' with other dimensions. This is what inspires stories, plays, and movies."
"So, if I dream of a world where magic is real, with dragon who pulled carriages and wizards and lost prophecies, then somewhere out there, that world would be real?" asked Meg, eagerly.
"Um, Meg," said Verity. "This book is fiction....."
"Oh....." sighed Meg.
"Hey, we're here!" exclaimed Scott as they walked up the steps of the library.
"It's nice outside. Let's work in the courtyard," suggested Meg.
"Fine," agreed the other two. They headed to the side of the building.
The courtyard was pretty, with flowerbeds circling the trees and lining the walkway. In the middle was a large replica of Nike, Winged Victory. The group sat beneath it. Meg handed out scissors and cloth and they began to work.
They talked about meaningless stuff for a while. Then they went silent, enjoying the atmosphere.
"Verity," said Meg, at length.
"What?" asked Verity.
"We need to find out how many fairy wings we need to make," she said. "But I left my copy of the Tempest at home. Can you go in and get it?"
"Why not Scott?" she asked, even though she was already standing up.
"Because I would get stuck in the science fiction section and you'd never see me again," answered Scott.
"Yeah, you'd get sucked into another one of those worlds," said Meg with a giggle. Verity smiled too, and then went inside.
She scanned the shelves, looking for the drama section. A few rows over she saw Willis reshelving books. He smiled and waved at her. She waved back. Verity continued on. The library was air conditioned, and it felt nice.
Verity found herself in the back of the library. She cursed herself for letting her mind wander. She turned to head out, but something caught the corner of her eye. She turned around. It was a door that had been half opened. Verity paused, looking in at the old books on the other side. She didn't remember the door being here before. Then again, it was probably for library personnel only. Verity made up her mind and entered.
She was surprised at what she saw. The books had to be ancient, and most were covered in dust. Verity could even see a few scrolls on the shelves. A spider lazily made its web in a dirty window. The lamp over head was dark and just as filthy.
"What is this?" asked Verity, thinking she had stumbled on a forgotten room. Then a shadow fell over her, chilling her to the bone.
"Who's there?" asked Verity. She whirled around, her heart pounding. Behind her was a human figure whose entire form was covered by a large, brown robe, complete with a drawn hood.
"I am here to find the door to this world," he said.
"What do you mean?" asked Verity. "That door?" She pointed to the door to the room, which was behind them.
He shook his head. "The door that will connect this world."
"Connect this world?" repeated Verity, confused.
"Soon this world will be connected to darkness," he said. He then looked her right in the eyes. Verity didn't actually see his eyes, but she could feel them on her. It was very unnerving. "You are a very pretty girl, it is such a shame....."
Verity tensed up even more. No one had ever called her attractive. In fact, she always tried to not stand out. "Who are you? What are you talking about?!"
"You do not know what is behind the door," he said, ignoring her questions. "You want to know so much, and yet you know so little. You seek the truth, and yet you deny it when you find it."
"What are you talking about?" asked Verity, who was confused. And that was one thing she hated. "Quit speaking in riddles!"
The man made a gesture with his hand. A book floated off of the shelf and drifted into his open hand. Verity could see the title. It was an ancient edition of Our Other Worlds.
"That book..... Are you trying to tell me there's other worlds?!" gasped Verity, her heart rate picking up even more. "That's impossible..... Scientifically speaking....."
"There is so much to learn," he said as he opened the book carefully so not to tear the aged pages. "Not everything is science. You understand so little."
"Well, no one knows everything," admitted Verity. "But I do know logic, and this is lunacy."
"One who knows nothing cannot hope to understand anything," he replied, shortly. Verity felt that as a direct attack on her pride.
The man laughed and the lights flickered. Verity gasped. She blinked and the man was gone.
"What just happened?" she asked herself. She looked around the dusty room. There was a square in the dust where Our Other Worlds had been. Besides that, nothing had been disturbed.
Verity crept out, shut the door, then bolt down several rows of books. She was breathing hard, and it wasn't from running. That man had truly shaken her.
Verity looked up. She was in the drama section. She found the Tempest fairly quickly, checked it out, and returned to her friends.
"Maybe we should have sent Scott in after all," said Meg, jokingly, when she returned.
"Sorry," apologized Verity. "There was this weird man there..... he really freaked me out."
"It's people like that that give libraries bad names," sighed Scott.
"Can I see that book?" asked Verity as she reached for Our Other Worlds.
"Verity, are you sure you're feeling okay?" asked Meg, shocked.
"There's just something I need to look up," said Verity.
"Here," said Meg as she handed Verity some wire and blue nylon. "Make this into a pair of wings."
"But you know I can never make them as good as you can," said Verity as she put the book down.
"As long as they get done," muttered Meg.
"Do these look okay?" asked Scott as he held up two hats he had been working on.
"The one is fine," said Meg. "But the other is too big for anyone's head." Verity giggled.
They continued to work on into the afternoon, at which time they decided to call it a day for lunch. The packed up there stuff and began to walk home.
"Verity, when you are done with the book, can you let me borrow it?" asked Meg as they walked.
"I told you, you'd like it!" exclaimed Scott.
"Actually, I want to see if there is a spell or something that will let us get to the other worlds," said Meg.
Verity felt a chill again. For some reason the older edition of the book that the man had taken popped into her mind. It bothered her deeply, for some reason.
"Yeah," Meg laughed with Scott. "We can use this!" She pulled the wand Verity had made out of her bag.
"Hey!" protested Verity as she took it back. Scott and Meg laughed some more.
Verity put the wand back in the bag and her hands brushed Our Other Worlds. She pulled it out and turned it in her free hand. She didn't see and edition number on it.
"Uh-oh," whispered Scott to Meg. "Verity is thinking."
"And she thinking about fantasy," Meg whispered back, smiling. "I think the world just ended." They laughed again.
"Stop it," said Verity, although she didn't really care.
Meg was exceedingly happy as they continued to walk home. It had to be all the attention Scott was showing her.
"Scott, you missed your turn," Verity pointed out.
"Actually, I wanted to walk the two of you home," he said, sheepishly. "My room is being painted, and I can't keep my part of the props there."
"You can keep them at my place," volunteered Verity. "My mom and I have more than enough space for these fairy wings."
"Thanks," he said.
"Yeah, I'd have to hurt you if you got paint on them," said Meg, teasingly. They walked up Meg's driveway.
"See ya later. I'll call you and arrange the next time we can get together," said Meg as she disappeared into her house.
"Bye," they waved back and walked over to Verity's.
"Here," said Verity as she opened the front door. Scott set his bag inside.
"Thanks again," he said. Then he got serious. "Listen, there was something I want to tell you, while we are alone...."
"What?" asked Verity, curious.
"It's hard...." he muttered as he worked up his courage. Then he looked her directly in the eyes, "I like you, Verity."
"What?!" Verity gasped. This had never happened before.
"I like you," said Scott. "And more than a friend, too. You are always nice, and I love listening to you. But you don't talk all the time, you also listen. I know I surprised you, but I wanted to tell you. I believe in the phrase 'better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all.'"
"Well, you are right, you did surprise me," stammered Verity.
"I want to know how you feel," he continued. "But you don't have to tell me right away. I'll let you think it over."
"OK," agreed Verity. "Bye." She stepped into her house.
"Bye," waved Scott as he started towards his home.
Verity closed the door and leaned against it. "Meg is going to kill me......."
**************************************************************************** ****
Forgotten Forest......
Lee walked into the camp the next morning, rubbing his sore head. He still carried the Starli branch that had hit him in the meteor shower last night.
"Lee!" exclaimed Adeola as she raced out to him. "Where have you been?"
"Um, by the lake," he said.
"Lee! Adeola!" exclaimed Devan as he stepped out of his tent. "Did you see the star shower last night?"
"Yeah!" exclaimed Adeola. "It was beautiful. I'm mean...... Wow!"
"I guess you were right," said Devan. "There are places where the forest touches the stars."
"It was pretty....." agreed Lee, who was still a little disoriented.
"What happened to you?" asked Devan when he saw Lee's appearance.
"Um, I was by the lake," he answered.
"For how long?" asked Devan.
"I just remembered!" exclaimed Adeola. "We have to plan our hiking trip!"
"Oh, yeah," remembered Devan. "I guess we should prepare."
"We have to leave soon," said Adeola. "That is, if we want to find the end of the forest and make it back before our families leave."
"But, are there any trails?" asked Lee.
"We'll blaze one," said Devan.
"That works!" agreed Adeola. "What are we going to need? Sleeping bags, food, good shoes, a pocket knife, a first aid kit, cooking equipment, matches....."
"Let's divide up and get stuff," suggested Lee.
"Okay! I'll take care of food and sleeping supplies!" volunteered Adeola.
"I'll get the other necessities, like matches and the pocket knife," said Devan.
"I'll get together the first aid kit, we'll probably need a cell phone or something, maybe bug spray...." said Lee.
"Well, if you think of anything else, bring it," said Adeola. "We'll meet here in an hour."
"Right!" agreed the two boys as they started. They headed back to their tent and began to rummage through their supplies.
Lee quickly found two Potions for the first aid kit. Then he added some bandages and poison ivy lotion. He put in a lantern, as well as some matches. He knew they could never have too many of them.
Lee walked out of the tent, trying to think about what else they'd need. He walked the campsite, looking for ideas.
"Let's see," he muttered, roaming around. By the fire pit he found an empty water canteen.
"Of course!" exclaimed Lee as he picked it up. "We need water."
He began to explore some more, trying to get ideas. He knew it would be awful to be far away from civilization and find out they were missing a necessity. He trusted that Adeola and Devan would come up with some good stuff too. But it was also crucial that they didn't take too much, because they'd be stuck carrying it.
Behind the tents, by the wood pile, Lee found a Hi-Potion to add to the first aid kit. He began to scout around, hoping to find a few more. He saw Nyx, Xan, and Nathan goofing off with a Frisbee. He smiled. Like Adeola, he never wanted this week to end.
Lee continued to make a slow circle of the camp. He found a half used Hi- Potion in a bush. He also found some old Beef Jerky in a pot. Food would be very helpful for their trip. Sure, Adeola knew a lot about natural foods, but it was always god to be prepared. Lee looked at his watch and noticed nearly an hour had gone by.
"Wow!" he exclaimed and started to head back to the meeting place.
But as he passed another tent, he saw a folded piece of paper on a folding chair. He walked over and looked at it. It was a map of the park! Sure, the forest extended beyond the map, but it would help them get started. He picked it up and walked over to the base of the tree where they were supposed to meet. It looked like he was the first one there. That is, it looked that way.
Lee felt an acorn bounce off of his head. He looked up. Adeola was sitting in the tree, smiling down at him.
"You made it," she said, calmly.
"Yeah, and I found a bunch of stuff," said Lee as he began to disassemble his first aid kit, showing each item to her. "I even found a map, some beef jerky, a lantern, and a canteen!"
"Wow!" exclaimed Adeola, who was clearly impressed. Lee enjoyed her smile. "The only thing I could think of that we were missing was a compass." She held it up.
"What an unusual bird," commented Devan as he walked over. Adeola smiled and jumped down.
"I brought the bed rolls and a bunch of food," said Adeola. "But we should be able to forage pretty easily."
"I grabbed some fishing line and some hooks," said Devan. "That should help. I also found a real nice pocket knife, from my dad. And the biggest box of matches I could find!"
"I found some too," added Lee. "You never know how many of those things you are going to need."
"What's this?" asked Devan as he grabbed Lee's Starli branch.
"That's mine!" protested Lee as he took it back.
"What is it for?" asked Adeola.
"Um, in case we have to fight off a bear," said Lee as he put it deep into his backpack.
"Do you think we have everything?" asked Adeola as she looked over their equipment once more. She thought nothing of Lee's unusual behavior.
"Well, we need to fill up the canteen," commented Lee as he pulled it out.
"That gives me an idea!" exclaimed Devan. "It is too hot to start walking now, how about we head to the lake and take a dip."
"Sure!" agreed Lee. "What do you think, Adeola?" He turned, but Adeola had already started running towards the lake.
"What are you two waiting for?" she asked, over her shoulder.
"Come on," said Devan as he took off after her.
They all made it to the lake, but they didn't stop running until they had to swim. Water went everywhere. The group laughed.
"I wish I could stay here forever," sighed Adeola as she began to do the back stroke.
"I have to agree," said Devan.
"I wish it would never end," added Lee.
"Who's up for a game of water volleyball or something?" asked Devan as he retrieve the ball he had grabbed before they left.
"You and your games," sighed Adeola, who was content with swimming.
"I'll play," volunteered Lee. "But we will have to use our invisible net." They laughed again.
Lee and Devan started to bounce the ball around while Adeola looked on. This continued for a while, until Adeola stepped on something.
"Ow!" she exclaimed.
"What is it?" asked Devan as he caught the ball.
"One minute," said Adeola. She dove and retrieved the object that had cut her. It was a strange rock.
"Weird," commented Devan.
"I've never seen a rock like this, not here," said Adeola. She turned the rock in her hand. It was black, but clear crystal flecks caught the sunlight and sparkled.
Lee instantly knew where it was from. It had to be from the meteor show last night.
"It is pretty," said Lee, at length.
"I'm keeping it," said Adeola. "I'll be right back." She swam for sure to put the rock with her stuff.
"One minute," said Lee to Devan. He swam over to Adeola. "Did you cut yourself?"
"Yeah, but not bad," answered Adeola. They stepped out of the lake and she showed him her foot. There was some blood on it.
"That could be bad, especially with all the walking we'll be doing," said Lee. "Here." He rummaged through his first aid kit and pulled out a cloth bandage.
"Thanks," she smiled. "I can take care of it." She began to wrap her foot.
Lee went to put the first aid kit away when he saw the Starli branch. He pulled it out and examined it. Now was the time, if ever, for him to complete it. He looked over his shoulder.
"I remembered I forgot something," he said to Devan and Adeola. "I'll be right back."
"Fine! Don't be gone too long," they called.
Lee waved and headed back into the forest. Then he bolted, running straight for the camp. When he got there he found the pocketknife that Devan had brought. He took that and without anyone noticing he again disappeared into the forest.
About half way between the lake and the campsite Lee stopped and began to carve. It was hard work. He had to be very careful not to separate the two rings he was making. They were too big to be practical, but Nyx had said nothing about size. And it was easier to carve them if they were big.
An hour later Lee had finished. He stood up and brushed the shavings off of his legs. The rings weren't prefect, but they were together. He smiled and looked for a good tree to bury them under. He was also trying to think of a good excuse to tell Adeola and Devan.
Lee spotted the perfect tree, not too far off. He walked over to it. It was a large oak tree with towering branches. Lee smiled as he thought of Adeola climbing it. He bent down near the roots and started to dig with his bear hands. But as he dug, he got another idea. He pulled the pocketknife back out and picked up the rings. He carved his name on one and Adeola's name on the other. Lee smiled again and finished burying them.
As he stood up he felt a sudden chill. Lee got the feeling that he wasn't alone. He turned around quickly and realized that his suspicions were true. A shrouded figure stepped out of the shadows.
"Who are you?" asked Lee, cautiously.
"I have come to see the door to this world," the man answered.
"Door? In the middle of a forest?" asked Lee as he looked around for an escape.
"This world has been connected," continued the man.
"Connected? To what?" asked Lee. "Or do you mean the thing about the tree roots?"
"Connected to darkness," said the man, ominously. "And soon, to be gone."
"What to be gone? The world?" asked Lee, now a bit more than nervous. "What do you mean?"
"What is behind the door...... You do not know," the man said. "But darkness awaits us all."
"Who do you mean?" asked Lee. "Do you talk normally?"
"You put your faith in your friends," the man commented.
"Yeah, so?"
"But darkness will claim every last one of them," said the man. There was something about his tone.....
"Listen! I don't know what you are talking about, but leave my friends alone!" snapped Lee. "I won't let anything happen to them, that includes you!"
The man chuckled. It was not a nice laugh. "You understand so little."
"I don't care," snapped Lee. "I know what is really important."
"And you think you can save them?" asked the man. "A fruitless effort. Soon nothing will remain, but darkness."
The shadows seemed to come alive. Lee gasped as they reached out for him. He stumbled backwards. He fell and landed hard. When he looked up again, he was alone in the forest.
"Adeola! Devan!" he gasped. He leapt up and started to sprint to the lake.
When he got there, his worst fears turned out to be an overreaction. Devan and Adeola were drying themselves on a rock. Devan had cast a line in and was fishing while they talked. The saw Lee coming and waved.
"What kept you?" asked Adeola.
"There was this weird man in the woods....." answered Lee. "He kept talking about darkness."
"Probably a camper who got drunk," said Devan as he pulled his line in. The fish had stolen his bait.
"Probably......" agreed Lee.
"So, when do we start out?" asked Adeola, who was probably the most eager.
"We want to do it before sunset," said Devan. "Otherwise we may as well spend the night at the campsite."
"We can go now," suggested Adeola. "But I kind of want to stay here a bit longer." She sighed as she looked at the picturesque lake scene.
"Just until the two of you dry fully," said Lee as he sat down with them. "So how long will we be gone?"
"Who knows?" asked Adeola. "Time isn't important. It is what we do with it."
"It will be great," agreed Devan. "Think about it. Where we are going, no human has gone before."
"You make is sound like we are going to the moon," giggled Adeola.
"As long as we are friends though it all, I'm happy," agreed Lee, determined not to let what that man said bother him.
**************************************************************************** ****
Northern Shoal........
"I could have sworn I saw a fish there!" exclaimed Faye as the group continued to explore the Northern Shoal the next morning.
"I didn't see it," said Tamsin.
"Maybe I was seeing things....." sighed Faye.
"I wish I brought a camera," sighed Crysta as the three continued to explore the rock formations.
"That would be too much to carry," whined Faye.
"But Crysta does have a point," agreed Tamsin. "I wish there was some way we could box this up and take it home."
"Hey!" exclaimed Crysta, getting an idea. "Do you see that big rock over there?" She pointed. "Race you up it!" With that she started running.
"Crysta!" exclaimed Tamsin and Faye as they took of after her.
Crysta laughed as she reached the rock. She found several grooves in it and used them as hand holds. She began to scale up the rock.
"Shouldn't you use a rope?" asked Faye as she looked up from the bottom.
"Nope!" replied Crysta as she kept climbing.
"Wait for me!" exclaimed Tamsin as she started up, climbing very similarly to Crysta.
They both reached the top and pulled themselves up. They alternated between breathing hard and laughing.
"Okay, you had your fun, now come down!" yelled Faye, who refused to climb it.
"There you three are!" said Corey as he walked over. "I've been looking for you. Head back to base camp. We are going to do something important." He turned and walked away to gather the rest of the group.
"Well, see you," said Faye as she turned away and started walking.
"Hey!" protested Tamsin and Faye as they climbed down the rock as quick as they could.
The three friends joined the rest of the group as Corey started talking.
"There is an alcove in the middle of the Northern Shoal," he was saying. "It is tradition that each group we take go there. Inside, we write our names on the wall. But there is an old story that goes with the cave."
"Oh, what?" asked Celia, eagerly.
"They say that the cave used to be a shrine to a powerful star spirit. This spirit once guarded a bright star. The star guided travelers at night and gave hope to the lost. The spirit is said to have fallen from the star, because the star was too proud to have a guardian."
"The guardian of the star fell hard to this world. It lost most of its power coming here, because our world drained it when the spirit touched it. The power was too much for the land, and it died. But the spirit did not give up hope. It knew that nothing would grow, so it set up natural formations that did not need to grow. It was the one who made the Northern Shoal."
"But that is not the end of the story. The spirit was still faithful to its star. It looked up at the sky from the rocks each night, watching its star. At first the star glowed as bright as ever. But then, one night, darkness came to claim the star. Without the guardian to defend it, the star was lost to darkness, never to glow again."
"The guardian saw this and despaired. It went into the ground, through the alcove which we are going to see. The spirit did not stir from the shadows, and darkness eventually destroyed its body. But the guardian was more than a body. They say that is spirit still lives on, looking for one who will make his star shine bright once more. Then the guardian shall arise and return to its home."
"Wow......" the group muttered, shocked.
"I feel weird about going in there now," muttered Tamsin. "I mean, would that make the spirit mad, graffiting on his home?"
"No," said Corey. "You write your name in there so the spirit will know you, and thus not consider you an enemy. If you turn out to be the one to re-light its star, it will know your name as well."
"I can't believe you are buying into this," Faye whispered to Tamsin.
"It is almost like what we talked about last night," said Crysta, the three breaking into their own conversation. "This sounds kind of fatalistic. (AN/ as in fate). It means that someone is meant to do something, and nothing he or she does will alter that. This person's destiny, so to speak, is reviving the star."
"Why do you sound so negative?" asked Faye.
"Because we all have a choice," said Crysta. "We cannot change our circumstances, but we can change how we react to them. I am beginning to think there is no such thing as fate. I have thought a lot since we started. I used to think that there was a set path everyone was meant to follow, some set purpose. But it is us who decides our purpose and us who decide our path."
"Our choices determine our destines, you mean," said Tamsin.
"Ladies....." said Corey, getting their attention again. "We are heading to the alcove. Stick together."
"Okay," they all agreed and started walking.
"I want to know the reason for everything," sighed Crysta, picking up her conversation with Tamsin and Faye. "I mean..... I don't know. It is like we are all stones in a mosaic. I want to see the mosaic."
"Yeah, but we have more control over our lives than that," said Tamsin.
"I know, it is so hard to put into words how I feel," Crysta sighed again.
"You people are hurting my head," whined Faye.
"I know that our choices and reactions guide our lives. I now that there is no 'chance machine' of the universe that dictates our lives. But I still feel like I can't see the whole picture, how other people react, how my reactions effect other people......"
"We're here," said Faye as she pointed to the alcove.
"It looks cozy," said Tamsin as she examined it.
The alcove was a slab of a rock that had cracked in half over a pudgy boulder. The rocks were gray with white mixed in. Inside the rocks were mostly white, save the ink where people had written their names.
"Here," said Corey as he threw them a pen. "Don't forget to sign."
"Let's all sign it together!" chimed Tamsin.
"OK!" agreed the other two girls. Celia and Tuan had just exited. Otherwise there wouldn't have been enough room for them.
The three friends entered the cave. The entrance was well lit, but it got very dark very quickly. The rocks eventually got too close together for anyone to get through. But through the shadows it was obvious the crevice continued for a long ways down. Crysta stared down it, curiously.
"Here!" exclaimed Faye as she founded a relatively clear space on the wall.
They wrote their names, and the under it they put the year and the phrase 'friends forever.'
"All we need is a ghost and a mysterious disappearance and this would make a great movie," said Tamsin as they exited.
"I hope not!" protested Faye.
Crysta half listened to their conversation. But she was keeping the alcove in her peripheral vision. She had a desire to see inside, just one more time.
"I'll be right back," she said to Faye and Tamsin as she darted back into the alcove.
"That was weird....." commented Faye. Tamsin shrugged.
Crysta entered again and started to wonder why she had come back. She peered into the darkness before turning to catch up with her friends.
Then a flash of movement caught her eye. She turned and saw a dark, cloaked figure in front of her, blocking the exit.
"Who are you?" she asked. "The star guardian?"
"The star guardian died with its star," the man replied. "I am here to find the door."
"Door?"
"I am looking for the door that has connected this world," he said.
"What do you mean?" asked Crysta, still trying to figure out how this tied to the story that Corey had just told.
"But tied to darkness instead of light," he said. "And soon, it will eclipse. It is inevitable."
"One moment," said Crysta. "We all have our choices, we can all chose not to..... whatever."
"You don't know what is behind the door," he said.
"What door? What are you talking about? I control my own life!"
"Huff! You understand so little. You cannot hope to learn about the events that have been set in motion."
"The big picture......" Crysta said, wide-eyed. "I want to know! And somehow, I will make sure that my choices make an impact!"
"It is futile," said the man. "You cannot alter fate."
"Fate doesn't control me!" exclaimed Crysta, almost yelling. "I determine my destiny!"
The man laughed and Crysta felt the world spin. A door seemed to appear behind him. Crysta started to fall, but she grabbed onto the wall to steady herself. She shook her head to clear it. And when she did the man was gone.
Crysta exited the alcove and caught up with Tamsin and Faye.
"Find what you were looking for?" asked Tamsin.
"No......" said Crysta. She wanted to tell them all that had just happened, but she wasn't sure herself. She shook her head again and kept silent.
"This is turning out to be fun," admitted Faye. "But when I get home I am catching up on my shopping time."
"I want to come out here again, one day," said Tamsin. "Maybe even lead tours or something."
"Be sure to bring a camera," commented Faye.
"Faye, Tamsin," interrupted Crysta. "No matter what happens, we will always be friends, right?"
"Of course!"
"Why do you ask?"
Crysta wasn't sure herself, but the answer was very important. "I-I want us to decide that now. I want us to make a choice to always be friends, to always be there for each other, and to never give up on each other."
"It's a promise," said Faye.
"Cross my heart and hope to die," added Tamsin.
"Now and forever," said Crysta. They did a three way hand shake to seal the deal. They all smiled, but Crysta could shake the feeling that hard times were coming.
**************************************************************************** ****
AN/ Sorry again about the delay. And many thanks to loyal and patient reviewers. That is the key to updates. It takes me a bit longer with this fic, because the chapter s as so long (this on is 25 by my count!) Like I said before, review and be patient. (I've just gotta say it.....) And, as always, please read, review, and enjoy! (