Chapter X
We ran back to our "hotel," and up to our rooms, but by that time it was pitch black outside, and there was no sign of Afni. April, once she realized why we hurried, shrugged, and dropped onto her bed.
"Well, it doesn't matter to me whether or not we find her, or if she comes back. I think we're better off without her." Janet collapsed onto her bed.
"I agree with April. I mean, so what if she doesn't come back?" I knew that we should be worried about her, but we weren't. No one even seemed curious as to her whereabouts.
"Well, I guess I'm going to get some sleep. And, I don't care if someone decides to stay up to…take watch, I guess…" I laid back on my bed, closed my eyes, and fell asleep.
Sunlight was filling the room, and everyone else was moving around and talking when I woke up. I looked around the room, and rubbed my eyes.
"About time you woke up," a voice said. I lifted my head, and saw Janet walk over.
"Why? What time is it?"
"Here? Or in the real world?"
"Here…"
"Judging by the sun, almost noon. We should keep going if we want to be somewhere, quote-unquote, safe by nightfall," Cossette stated, starting out the door. Nodding, I followed her, and everyone else followed us. We had just gotten on our horses when Jalil spoke up.
"Are you sure we should leave? I mean, what if Afni comes looking for us and we aren't there?" April turned, and gave him a look that meant he could drop dead.
"She's a witch. She can find us if she wants to." Jalil sighed, shrugged, and heeled his horse to keep up with the rest of us as we took off.
We walked through the afternoon, in the hot sun, and when night came, we found ourselves at a little stream quite a ways away from the village. I was concerned about Afni, but shrugged it off as Janet walked into the woods to get something for dinner. Cossette began a fire, and I sat and watched it spark and explode, the colors of the flame blue as it got closer to the logs.
The six of us got on our horses the next morning, and headed out of the woods, only to find it had begun to rain during the night, and it was still doing so now. A little unhappy, we trudged our horses through the mess and slop that was beneath our feet, and their hooves, throughout the day, until it was too dark to see anymore. By that time, however, the rain had stopped, and it was a little chilly.
Jalil squatted in the mud, and attempted to start a fire. After a few minutes struggling, he threw the sticks into the ground, and stood up, irritated. I smiled a little.
"I wish Afni were still here…she could get this to start."
"Who cares about Afni, Jalil? She was a snotty, know-it-all witch who claimed we couldn't go home without her, and I know we can," April stated, and suddenly, the fire flared. Everyone turned to face it, and watched in amazement as it kept getting larger, and we continued to back away from it. Just when we thought it was going to touch us, burn us, eat us alive…it stopped. The fire backed down to a tiny flame, and we looked at each other.
"What the hell was that?" Christopher asked. We saw a light through the trees, a faint light, coming towards us. As it came closer, we saw someone in front of it. As the fire got bigger again, we saw their face. Afni. She walked through the woods in a pair of somewhat tight blue jeans and a T-shirt. Afni walked through the circle we had made, and right up to April.
"I am nothing but a snotty, know-it-all witch, huh? Well let me tell you something, buddy. I am not trying to be anything but your goddamn savior! Once we find my sister, Cossette is going home, which leaves me as the only person who knows where the gateway is, and if you don't like it, you can just shove it up your ass, alright, because I don't wanna hear you complaining anymore as long as I have to deal with you!" she screamed. April stumbled backwards, into the ground, and Afni spun around, and dropped beside a tree.
"Now, I don't wanna hear another word from you tonight, got it?" April nodded. My eyes were as wide as everyone elses, because Afni had never blown up like that.
Morning came, and we set off, Afni being the only one to walk. It was silence on the way through the forest, and when we came out, to the clearing, she stopped us.
"Everyone, off your horses." Hesitantly, we got off.
"Why, Afni?" Janet asked. Afni turned her head.
"We are approaching water, and we have to get across without the horses." We smacked our horses, and they took off back towards Olympus. Cossette knelt down, and ran her hand across the surface of the water.
"Actually, we don't have to go over it."
"What?" Afni asked.
"We must go under." We stared at her.
"What do you mean, under?" Jalil asked.
"Ciniya is on the ocean floor, in Atlantis, and that is where we must go." Afni nodded, and stepped into the water. After a second, she stopped, and motioned for us to join her.
"We must be in the water before I can give you the gills you need to survive." We joined her in the water, and for a few seconds, nothing happened. Then we felt the gills wiggle on our necks, and she was quickly leading us further into the water before we suffocated.
We swam down in the water, further and further into the darkness before us. Faintly, I could see Afni stop, and clap her hands together. She held flares…a little bag of flares. Lighting the one in her hand, she continued to head down to the ocean floor, occasionally letting one flare go, and lighting another. Finally, a city loomed in the darkness, but as we drew closer, we could see the lights that were on inside the city. They landed, and Cossette led them to a building right inside the city. Once inside, and guard swam up to her.
"Cossette." Even though his voice was sort of warped by the water, she smiled, and nodded her head.
"Hello, Charin. Is it possible to get the water out of this room? We are from the land, you know."
"Oh, of course. How thoughtless of me." He swam back, and flipped a switch. The water slid from the room, and with the air came a strong push of gravity. Afni lost her balance and hit the ground, and I heard her knees scrape against the floor as she pushed herself into a kneeling position. Her fingertips pressed against the floor, and she managed to shove herself up so she was standing. April was smirking.
"Having some fights with gravity, Afni?" Afni didn't move. She stood still, breathing quietly, trying to keep her balance, and April stood, her eyebrow raised, waiting for a response. After a minute, Afni turned around, and walked over to April, pushing her into the wall.
"Do not push me. I'm going be seeing my sister for the first time in nearly a year, and I swear on everything holy that if you mess this up, your whole family, your whole…posse will cry when they see what I've done to you, do you understand!" April shrunk into the corner, slightly nodding. "Say it! Say that you understand!"
"I…I understand."
"Good." Afni spun back around, and walked from the room. I looked at the faces of those around me, and ran after her.
She had just walked into her own room when I grabbed her wrist. Afni spun around to face me, anger on her face, but fear in her eyes.
"What?"
"What is it with you? Ever since we met you here, you've been nothing but a…a…"
"A bitch? David, what do you care? Ever since I met you guys here, when April and Christopher began badmouthing me behind my back, what did you do? You certainly didn't try to help, all you did was harm. You know as well as I do that you need me to get you out of here, and if you still wanna leave, you'd better get your friends in line. One more bad word from April's mouth, and I will rip her apart." Afni turned, and walked away. A little surprised, I went back with the others.
"What's up with her?" April asked.
"She says that if you say one more bad thing about her, then she'll rip you to shreds…I wouldn't piss her off anymore, guys." They nodded, and I turned, and sat against the wall. Cossette took a breath.
"Well, when she comes out, I'm taking her to meet her sister, so it's up to you guys: are you coming with, or are you staying here?"
"I'm going with you guys," Jalil said. April looked up.
"Why?"
"Because Afni is my friend. I'm the only one that hasn't said anything negative about her." April rolled her eyes. Afni walked out, wearing a pair of blue jean cut-offs and a black T-shirt.
"Cossette?"
"Yes?"
"Can we go now?" She nodded, and started for the door. Jalil followed. I looked around, got up, and dashed out after them. We walked into the wall of water waiting for us outside, and Afni gave us our gills back. Cossette led us through the streets of the city, Jalil and I looking around at the mer-people around us. Afni dropped her head, and looked at us.
"David, Jalil, get up here." We moved quicker and stood beside her as we were led inside a building.
"What is this place?" I asked. Cossette turned around.
"A tavern." Afni nodded, and looked around. Leaving us in the doorway, Cossette went to the counter, and whispered to the man behind it for a second. She came back, and headed upstairs. We followed.
Upstairs was different from the downstairs. Downstairs was still full of water, and everything had a blue tint. Upstairs was air, and one solid color over another. No tints, nothing like that. There was green and red and brown and black and yellow…but no blue anywhere except the floor. The marble was blue, but we weren't paying attention the floor. We watched Cossette, and followed her to the end of the hall. She pushed open a door, and Afni stopped. Jalil walked in, but I took her arm.
"Af? You okay?"
"Can I do this, David?" she whispered. I nodded, and she lowered her head. I put my arms around her, and held her for a minute, trying to help her out. She nodded, pulled back, and smiled.
"Thank you." She walked into the room, and we found Cossette crouched in front of someone, blocking Afni's view of their face. She turned her head.
"Afni? You alright?"
"I'm fine…can I…?" Cossette smiled, and stood up. As she walked out of the way, Afni's hands flew to her mouth, and she gasped. I turned my head, and saw the girl in the chair. Her grayish blue hair was hanging around her face, like a frame, and her blue eyes were foggy, cloudy, as though she had been crying. I knew who it was. She stood up.
"Afni?" she whispered. Afni ran across the room, and grabbed her in a hug.
"Oh my God, Ciniya, I have missed you so much!" she cried. Ciniya's eyes overflowed, and the tears fell onto Afni's shoulder.
"I missed you too, sis. I love you…"
"I love you too…" They stood, and held each other for the longest time.
