Chapter XVI
I shook Janet, and woke her.
"What?"
"Come along. Time to get going." The sun had not yet broken the horizon, and she groaned.
"No."
"Get up, Janet," April called from behind me. I nodded, and stood. She mumbled some curses under her breath, but stood anyway, and I nodded again.
"Thank you, April." She shrugged. I set off down the trail, and they hurried to keep up.
I watched the trees grow thicker, the forest grow dense, and the darkness become darker.
"Afni?" I heard Jalil call. I stopped.
"I have stopped, be careful." They all stopped, and I reached out, finding his hand in the darkness. "Everyone link hands. We cannot risk getting lost from the rest of us." After a moment, I heard Janet's distant voice say, "Finished!" I tugged Jalil, and we continued down the trail. As the forest broke, I looked up. The moonlight was gone, and the sunlight was just now beginning to peek out. "Even though daybreak is coming, we must still stay connected. When the sun is just rising, people can still be blinded, and unable to see. So be careful." I led them over the grass, ignoring the path that led continually thru the trees, and stopped, glancing down.
"Why did you stop, Af?" David called, looking out from his place in line.
"I am trying to find the picture that shows I'm getting closer…" I moved up a few steps, going very slowly. I stopped again, and smiled. "Got it."
"You find it?"
"Found the picture…"
"How much further?" Janet called. I paused, staring up at the sky.
"About…an hour and a half…" I heard the groans behind me, but smirked, and began to walk again.
I felt Jalil let go of my hand, and when I turned, David stood behind me. I smiled.
"David, why're you up here?"
"Wanted to spend some time with you…before…" His voice trailed, and I knew he was trying not to be sad.
"Yeah…" I squeezed his hand, and looked around, stopping again.
"What?" I let his hand fall, and stepped away, looking at the line.
"Can you guys see me?"
"Yeah!" I heard Christopher yell. I smiled.
"Then we can let go of hands, and just follow each other…or clump up in a circle again, and walk…"
"I am actually kinda thirsty," Ciniya said, looking up at me. I bit my lip, and clamped my hands together. Pulling them apart, I handed her a bottle of water.
"Anyone else?" I couple hands went up, and I nodded, making more, and passing them out. "Let's take a small break so you guys can drink those…" We dropped into the dirt, and I looked over at David, sitting a couple feet to my right, and sighed.
"David?" He poked his head out from behind the door, and smiled.
"Afni! Hey…what're you doing here?" I glanced over my shoulder, at the other customers at Starbucks, and sighed.
"David, can I talk to you?" He nodded..
"Sure…" He turned, and took a breath. "Yo, Katy! I'm taking a break!"
"Fine!" He tossed his apron behind him, and walked out from behind the counter, following me to our seats by the window. He slid his chair up beside me, and took my hand.
"Afni, what's up?" he asked. I had been looking down, avoiding eye contact with him. Finally, I looked up, and he saw the tears in my eyes. "Afni, what's wrong? What happened?" he asked, squeezing my hand. I sniffled, and wiped my eye.
"It's Ciniya…She's…gone…"
"Gone? Gone how, what happened?"
"I don't know…I was bringing her home last night from a friend's house…And she twisted her ankle on a step. I sat her on a bench, and went to hail a taxi for her. When I turned to tell her this would be her first time in a taxi, she was gone…Just…gone…I never heard anything…She…was gone." David slipped his arms around me, and held me. "And it was so odd!" I said, my voice muffled by his shoulder.
"How odd?" he asked, confused. I pulled back a little, and looked up at him.
"She…told me she was afraid…She had these feelings…and a dream that she was in a place…that…was somewhat cool, but scary. A place that nightmares and dreams are made up of…with fantasy creatures, and mythological creatures…and all this stuff. She said it frightened her because she was all alone…but she saw me and she was okay…But that…as she sat on the bench…she was afraid again…" David pulled me back into a hug, stroking my hair.
"Afni…It'll be okay…It'll be alright…" I began to cry, wrapping my arms around his shoulder. "Shh…" He moved his head, and pushed his lips against my cheek, still stroking my hair.
"Hey, Levin!" I pulled back a little, and looked up. I groaned, looking away. Christopher walked up, smirking.
"What, Christopher?"
"What'd you do to your little girlfriend?" he asked, motioning.
"Christopher, go away…" I mumbled.
"Wanna make me?"
"What do you want, Christopher?" David asked, his voice angry. I squeezed his hand, looking up at him.
"I wanna know what you did to your little girlfriend, and…if you pissed her off…If I can fix it," he said, winking, and dropping his hands to my shoulders. I looked up at David, and stood, shoving my chair into Christopher, which knocked him backwards. "Hey!" David pulled me back to the counter, and leaned over.
"Katy!" A tall, blonde woman looked out.
"What?"
"I'm taking the rest of the day off!"
"Check out!" she said, jerking her thumb behind her. David patted my shoulder.
"Be right back…" I watched him, still slightly shaking and tears in my eyes. He ran back out, taking my hand, and we walked outside. He motioned to his car, and I went to get in, when Christopher ran up, grabbing me by the waist.
"C'mon, Af, you know you don't want him…"
"Christopher, I swear to God…"
"What do you swear…" David looked over.
"Christopher, leave her alone…She didn't do anything to you…"
"Ha! She kicked me in the shin in soccer yesterday…" I spun around, and shoved him back.
"It was PE!Dumbass!" I slammed my fist into his cheek, and climbed into David's car, curled up in the seat, as he peeled out of the parking lot, glaring at Christopher as drove off.
I giggled, thinking back.
"C'mon guys…Let's go…"
We started off again, walking for what seemed like forever, to get to the gateway. After roughly an hour, I heard a groan.
"Afni, how much further?" April called. I shrugged, and stumbled, looking at the tree in front of me.
"What?" Janet called.
"We're here…" They gathered around me, and I moved closer, standing directly in front of the wall. After a second, we watched the cars appear, the bank, the highway…Everything.
"Wow…" I watched Christopher move closer, and touch the gateway, smiling.
"It's real…" He ran his hands over it, looking out at the cars flying by. "Oh, God, cars! I miss cars!" I laughed, and pulled him back.
"Alright, guys…its time…" I shot a look over at Ciniya and David.
"I think…" he began. We looked over at David.
"What?" Janet asked.
"I think we should say goodbye, since we aren't entirely sure where we are right now…Since we aren't sure when we will see each other…" They all nodded, agreeing. I moved over, hugging Janet, hugging April, and Jalil. I looked at Janet.
"Look us up. You know our names…" She smiled.
"Yes, I do." I wrapped my arms around Christopher, pushing my lips against his.
"I'll come find you in an hour…" he said. I sighed, and nodded, trying to believe it all. He kissed my neck, and I stepped away, looking over at David and Ciniya, tears in my eyes. I hugged my sister, whispering, "I'll miss you so much…" She nodded, unable to speak. I pulled back, and looked at David. I threw my arms around his shoulders, sniffling.
"I swear, Afni, I will keep my promise…I swear on everything…" he whispered. I kissed his cheek, nodding sadly. After a minute, I pulled away, squeezing his hands, and letting them fall. We stood in a line, me right in the middle.
"Alright…This is what will happen…Janet goes first. Followed by April, and Jalil, and David…then Ciniya and Christopher. I'll…" I paused, and swallowed hard. "Follow last…" They all nodded, but David and Ciniya, knowing I wouldn't be coming. "You will go out of this gateway, and stand in between the two. Once this one closes, that one will be concentrated on, and opened. Anyone in between the gates will be pulled thru the open one, and placed back in their bodies…" Everyone nodded. I sighed, sadly.
We stood, staring out at the gateway, thinking hard. There was a loud creaking sound, and it slowly began to open. After a moment, Janet moved towards it, going in. We watched her stand outside the gateway. April followed. As she stepped out, Jalil went. Then David, who turned, and winked at me. I faintly smiled, still concentrating. Ciniya left, and turned to face me. As Christopher exited the gate, I changed my concentration, and closed the gate. He heard it closing, and turned, confused, to see me still standing there.
"Afni? What are you doing?" he called. I moved closer, placing a hand in the air, tears streaming down my cheeks.
"David will explain it all to you later…I promise…" He slammed his fists into the gate.
"No!" I placed a hand firmly on the gate.
"I love you…" He reached up, touching it. As I began to concentrate on opening the other gate, Christopher's eyes widened. I turned my head, and smiled. Ganymede was floating behind me, his body covered in a white, ghost-like film. I nodded to him, and turned my head the other way. There stood Sir Galahad. He smiled down at me, his body looking just like Ganymede's. They waved to Christopher with one hand, the other one on my shoulders, helping me. I looked back out at Christopher and opened the gate.
"Afni! Don't do this! Please!"
"I'm sorry…I love you…" My voice was faint, barely audible through the tears I let loose. I watched him fly thru the open gateway, into the real world. The world I wanted to be back in, but would never see again. Sighing sadly, I closed the gate, and stepped away. "Thank you…" They nodded, smiling, and disappeared.
The End
