My sincerest gratitude to those who reviewed. P.S. I apologize for the chapter title sucks.
Chapter 6: Astrid's Vanishing Day Phenomenon
Merlock found himself in a fantastic place full of buildings which were seemingly constructed out of precious gems. As he persistently passed through the area, he could not help but turn his head to every direction. He exceedingly admired what surrounded his path. He did not even stop to meditate regarding where he was. His walk led him to enter a room meant for discoing. At first, his head moved according to the tempo of the song he was hearing. Next his hands were in motion due to the said rhythm, and then his feet stepped in line with the beat. Soon, he was dancing wildly as if there would be no tomorrow. Later, it appeared as if the music was getting louder. Merlock decided to ignore it. The tune continued to be louder than it was before, until it became deafening. Merlock ceased dancing and covered his ears with his palms. He ran away from the dance floor, but the earsplitting sound was audible no matter where he went. There was nobody in sight to ask aid from. He shouted in horror.
"Merlock, wake up!" said Sara, patting him on the cheek.
Merlock opened his eyes. He realized that he had been dreaming. No, he had the worst of nightmares. He was fortunate that Sara was there to make it easier for him regain his senses. But then, the haunting melody was real. He guessed that a fairy band was playing nearby.
"What on earth got into you?" asked Sara with a concerned look on her features.
He sat up and informed her about his dream to the last detail.
"Nothing to worry about! What you had been hearing was the hymn of the festival. You see, there's a parade outside," a female fairy with long silver hair said, pointing at the window.
"Who are you?" Merlock asked her.
"Merlock, meet Elyssa. She has been present for more than half an hour," Sara said.
"Yes, and I'm here to assist you in preparing for Astrid's Vanishing Day Phenomenon," said Elyssa.
"How old are you?" asked Merlock.
"Eleven. But then, I am one of the few fairies who know how to communicate in your language. Thus, Hyacinth assigned me to lend you a hand since he had to lead the parade," replied Elyssa.
As Merlock and Sara ate their breakfast of pancakes with honey, Elyssa proceeded to tell them about the festival.
"Astrid's Vanishing Day Phenomenon is celebrated every March 21 to commemorate the mysterious loss of a young maiden named Astrid during the 1870's. Legend says that she was abducted by an ethereal young man who brought her to his home world, which exists in another century, without her consent. It may seem like a tragedy yet the happening brought a benefit. As part of the tradition, there is a parade, a banquet, and a ball at first. And the highlight of the event, which I referred to as the benefit, is the sending of letters to the past and the future," she said.
"Letters to the past and the future? How is that possible?" asked Sara.
"The boundary separating the components of time and space disappears. Therefore all one needs to do is wish in order for his or her letter to reach its destination."
"How? By Hyacinth's powers?" asked Merlock.
"No, it happens naturally. If I remember it right, there was a damage, caused by the man who kidnapped Astrid, to the delicate web of history which cannot in any way be fixed," replied Elyssa.
"Okay, this is how I understand it. Correct me if I got it wrong. During March 21, 1870-something, a girl known as Astrid was taken by a man who belonged to another part of history. In doing so, he was able to cross the limits of time and space. Since then, every March 21, there would be a particular gateway to the past and the future that would be accessible. Is that it?" said Sara.
"Right. You actually explained it better than I did," said Elyssa.
"What year is this?" Merlock suddenly asked.
"The start of the 25th century," answered Elyssa.
Merlock sighed at the conclusion that they could not send letters to the Bureau of Time and Space for they were in the same year as the bureau was.
"Can we mail letters to another world?" asked Merlock.
"I don't think so," said Elyssa.
Merlock groaned. There was no means that he and Sara could contact their friends about their current situation. He made his mind up that for the meantime, he would just focus on the festival. And the key. He wondered how he had almost forgotten about that only thing that would make them escape the Faeries' Abode.
After they had their morning meal, Elyssa guided them out of the crystalline palace and gave them a tour around the town. She greeted the other winged beings they saw along the way. Also, she mentioned a lot of data about every crystal establishment they encountered. The trip was giving Merlock the creeps, for the environment looked almost exactly the same as his . . . his nightmare. Yet, he dared not to say so, for he noticed that Sara was amused by their activity. Much to his relief, they returned to the palace at noontime. Elyssa led Merlock and Sara back to their room.
"I'll just meet you again in the afternoon," Elyssa said, and then she flew out of sight.
"Sara, remind me about the key later," Merlock said.
"Know what, last night I went to Hyacinth. But when I spoke to him, the thought of asking him about the key left my mind," replied Sara.
"This isn't good. It seems like he is controlling our brains."
"But we can't demand to be in his presence now. He is the leader of the fairies. And they are to hold a special festival tonight. He must be very busy."
"I reckon we will see him later. I hope we won't forget about the key."
By four o'clock pm, Elyssa arrived at their room.
"You need to get dressed. The festival's starting in hours!" said Elyssa.
Merlock and Sara felt as if there were invisible palms lifting them up. They were carried to separate bathrooms, each with a tub filled with perfumed water. In an instant, the clothes that they were wearing were gone. The unseen hands put each of them in the corresponding tub. Merlock and Sara were totally refreshed. Never had they experienced such an invigorating bath.
Then, after an hour, the bathrooms transformed. In place of the tubs were large cabinets of clothes with full-length mirrors. A voice seemed to say, "Take what you prefer." Merlock put on a crimson long-sleeved shirt with golden collar and cuffs, and matching pants and shoes. He did not know what made him pick up a few golden leaves and stick them in his hair, but then it felt right. Meanwhile, Sara selected a mint green off-shoulder gown with silver floral accents at the waist and hemline. She also wore matching shoes, a silver necklace with a crescent moon pendant, and a silver circlet on her head. Once Sara and Merlock finished marveling at their reflections, they were transported back to their room.
"You look beautiful, Sara," said Merlock as he approached her, and then held her right hand and kissed it.
Sara blushed at the handsome sight before her. She did not say anything, but instead she touched his cheek with her free hand, moving his face closer to hers. He grinned, surprising her. Without Sara expecting it, Merlock kissed her. She lost her balance because of his action, but his arms wrapped around her to prevent her from falling. She savored the irresistible feeling as their kiss deepened.
"Ahem," they heard, causing them to pull away from each other.
"We better go outside now," Elyssa, clad in a stylish yellow dress, said.
Merlock and Sara nodded and followed Elyssa's lead to a spacious public plaza.
The three, together with all the other fairies, witnessed the setting sun and the rise of the moon. Fireworks signaled the start of the celebration. The fairies cheered joyfully. Bright lights were turned on and musicians performed with their instruments. Almost everybody began to dance to the elegant tune, including Merlock and Sara. Elyssa also found a partner to dance with. Nearby, a huge table for the banquet was being set by male uniformed fairies. And on a throne not so far from the dance floor Hyacinth was seated, once in a while gesturing at his attendants.
Merlock and Sara looked into each other's eyes as they danced. They never seemed to notice the others around them. And they did not heed how many melodies had been played by the band and how many hours had already elapsed. It was like they found a lovely world of their own in each other's arms. Once in a while, Merlock would whisper sweet phrases into Sara's ear, making her giggle and blush.
"Yes, and you don't have to use hypnotism in order to have me kiss you," Sara said softly to him.
Just then, it dawned on Merlock that Hyacinth might be using hypnotism on them.
"Sara, thanks for reminding me about the key," he said as they walked to a corner to rest.
"Huh?" she asked.
"I mean, when you mentioned the word 'hypnotism', I had a sudden thought that it is what Hyacinth is doing to us. He is making us very happy in his realm so we would not leave this place," he replied.
They looked at the direction where Hyacinth was. The leader of the fairies was sitting on his throne with legs crossed and his chin on one of his fists. The innocence that his face used to convey was gone. Instead, he had an evil smirk gracing his lips.
"Okay, so what's your plan? We'll talk to Hyacinth now about the key?"
"Yes. Now and not a moment later," Merlock said.
Merlock and Sara made their way to Hyacinth's side.
"Hi! This is fun, isn't it? Wait until you see the main event!" Hyacinth said to them.
Merlock shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, but we need the key now."
"That is just so rude, don't you think? How dare you ask me for such a thing when I am delighting in the most sacred of festivals!" replied Hyacinth.
"We appreciate that you have welcomed us warmly and have invited us for the festival, but then we don't belong in this world," said Sara.
"And whoever told you that you don't? Did any of us act to make you feel out of place, huh? Haven't I given you more than you can ever wish for?" asked Hyacinth angrily, and then his eyes began to glow with intense power.
"We don't mean to be discourteous. It's just that we want to go back to our world," said Merlock.
"So, you ungrateful creatures!" Hyacinth said, his fierce gaze meeting Merlock's eyes.
Hyacinth's hypnotic powers caused Merlock's head to ache excruciatingly. Yet, the vampire knew he had to win against Hyacinth. Slowly, he tried to fight back with his own hypnotic powers. The other fairies stopped whatever they were up to and stared at what was happening, yet nobody risked to help Hyacinth or even move towards him. Merlock gathered all his hypnotic energy and hit Hyacinth's mind with it in full force. Hyacinth yelled. Exhausted, Merlock closed his eyes and was not able to see Hyacinth's unconscious body transforming into an ivory lyre. All that was left of him was the crown with the letters "DH". But, the two letters melted. The other fairies clapped their hands, much to the astonishment of Merlock and Sara.
"Thank you for defeating him. We have been under that wicked fairy's dreadful spell for years. Hyacinth was too powerful for all of us to beat," said Elyssa.
Elyssa came near the couple and took the lyre.
"This is the key you need. Listen to your heart and pluck the strings in order to produce the notes you hear," she said, handing the lyre to Sara.
"And this," she said as she wore the crown, "is mine."
"Thanks," Merlock and Sara said to Elyssa.
Merlock and Sara wandered away from the fairies. They struck the lyre strings in random order. The lyre was changed into a warp gate, which opened and sucked them in.
Merlock and Sara were brought to a dark corner of what seemed like a house. After several minutes, a lamp was turned on by a tall guy. He was wearing an outfit similar to those of ninjas, so his gray eyes were his only body parts which were observable. His belt had a buckle shaped like the letters "DH." Once he laid eyes on Merlock and Sara, he threw a net over their heads so that they could not go anywhere else.
"Who are you and what is your business here?" he asked in a very serious tone.
"She is Sara and I am Merlock. We do not mean to disturb you. We are only here for the key you are keeping," replied Merlock.
"I am not sure if what you said is true, but then I shall soon find out," the guy said as he removed the net covering the pair.
"By the way, my name is Goio and I'm thirteen years old," he said.
The sixth chapter ends right there! Please review!