James loaded the last bit of luggage into his car, along with over two weeks worth of food and drinks. He was determined to make it all fit.
His sister Donna stood by and watched, laughing at the excessive amount of supplies he was taking. "You weren't kidding when you said you didn't want to see another soul for the next couple of weeks."
With the boot of his car now overflowing, James had to use all his weight to slam in closed. He failed twice, but got it on the third try. "I just want a quiet, uneventful holiday with no car horns, loud music, or people asking stupid questions."
"Sounds boring," Donna teased. "You probably won't last a week, knowing your sense of adventure." She handed him the keys to the cabin that had once belonged to their parents.
"It may sound boring to you, but if you spent every waking moment hounded by students and attending meetings, you'd want to get away from it all too."
"You're the one who chose to be a professor," Donna chided him. "Plus, nobody forced you to take on that extra workload when Dr. Smith left."
Not wanting to admit to his sister that she was right, James simply rolled his eyes. "Can I leave now, or are you gonna continue nagging me?"
"Fine, go then," Donna gave him a playful shove. "London will be quieter without you."
With a quick mussing of her hair, James dodged her slap and hopped into his car, locking it to be safe. He looked out the window at his sister who was now glowering at him and he smiled back. Starting the car, he headed off on his long journey.
This was the first time he was taking this trip alone. He could remember how much he used to hate being crammed in the back seat of his dad's car with no leg room, his bags jamming into his ribs, and his sister singing horribly off key for the entire ride.
When he was nineteen he began making up excuses to avoid taking the trip, thinking he was doing himself a favor. Then, when he was twenty-one, his parents died in a car crash. After that, he couldn't work up the courage to go back.
Pulling up to the cabin, James could see that it hadn't changed one bit. His parent's chairs remained in their same spots on the porch, which overlooked the pond. The swing his father had made for his sister still hung from the tree branch out front. Even the ghastly flower printed curtains his mother bought still adorned the kitchen window.
Fighting the urge to turn away and head back to London, James dragged his feet up the steps and to the door. Taking a deep breath, he unlocked it and stepped inside. It was all the same, but yet, so different. It felt… empty. Although he had come here hoping for some time to himself, he had never felt so lonely.
The remainder of his day was uneventful as he unpacked the car, got the power working, and cleaned up the dust. After a small meal and a shower, he went to bed.
As he stared at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep, he listened to the nothingness all around him. The silence was suffocating. Maybe this wasn't what he wanted after all.
Rose didn't know what to expect when she stepped into the rift. Would she float, fall, or perhaps simply step into the next world?
What she didn't anticipate at allwas to be pulled away, as if tied to an invisible rope, and get sucked into emptiness.
She began to think the unpleasant feeling would never end, when another crack, resembling the one she had just stepped through, appeared. Without losing momentum, she was hurled into this new world. Slamming back first to the ground, she skidded to a stop.
The force of the fall knocked the air from her lungs and she gasped. After a few deep breaths, she had just started settling down, when she felt the sharp pain in her left arm. Looking for the source, she noticed her sleeve was torn and there was a large gash just below her elbow.
Without magic, Rose couldn't do anything to heal it. She checked the rest of her limbs for injuries and thankfully found them unharmed.
Standing up took a great deal of effort. She had no strength in her legs and Rose had to hobble to a nearby tree to prop herself against. She was exhausted and every part of her body felt heavy and sluggish.
She checked the stone, straining to lift her arm for a better view. With a small flicker of light, the stone let her know it was ok. Rose wondered if it felt as awful as she did from that trip.
After placing the stone in the leather pouch attached to her belt, she reached over and unsheathed her dagger. Carefully, she cut off her left sleeve at the shoulder and groaned at the pain from the wound as she slipped it off. Upon closer inspection, the cut looked deep and it was bleeding heavily. With nothing else to use, she wrapped the sleeve around her arm snugly and hoped that would be enough for now.
Regardless of her fatigue, Rose knew she had to keep moving and took a few experimental steps to the next tree. Falling against it, Rose panted for air. If a few steps wore her out, how was she supposed to find her way out of this forest?
She placed her palm against the tree trunk and asked if it could help lead her in the right direction, but it remained silent. Feeling at a loss, Rose dropped to the ground.
Now what? Her mother had said the stone would take her where she needed to be and here she was, trapped in one of the emptiest forests she had ever been in.
It was the second day of his holiday and James was eager to explore the forest, as he had often done in his youth. Some of his fondest memories were of climbing trees and hiding in their branches to escape from his sister. Although, he probably shouldn't try doing that now.
As he hiked deeper into the forest, the sound of a loud crack erupted from the distance. It wasn't a gunshot, or a falling tree, and he was positive it wasn't thunder. This was a noise he'd never heard before and damn his curiosity, he had to find out what it was.
He took off in the direction of the sound. The forest was like a second home to him and he knew it well. He also knew how big it was and that the chances of finding the source were slim.
As the forest grew denser, it was becoming more difficult to continue moving forward. He considered heading back, but something within him told him to keep going. Taking a small diversion, he found a way across the heavy vegetation and marched on.
As he was passing one of the larger trees, he heard a rustling. He figured it could be a squirrel, but he still chose to investigate. He rounded the tree's massive trunk and suddenly found himself at the pointed end of a dagger.
"Whoa," he took a step back and held his hands up in surrender. "No need for that. I was just taking a walk."
Whoever this girl was, she looked far more scared than menacing. Taking in her clothing, he could have sworn she had just stepped right out of a fantasy novel. She had on a well-fitted leather vest and her black trousers were tucked into a pair of mid rise boots. His eyes traveled to her arm where one of her long cotton sleeves had been cut away to wrap around what appeared to be an injury.
With the dagger in her right hand, her left guarded a leather pouch on her waist. James wondered what was so important in that pouch that she felt the need to protect it.
"Who are you," she demanded.
"James Noble," he told her as calmly as he could. "My family owns most of this land, so I was just having a look around."
"How many of you are there," she probed.
"Only me," he said. "Our cabin isn't too far from here. We used to visit here on holiday with our parents, but now it's just me and my sister."
To his relief, she lowered her dagger but kept it firm in her grasp. "Only two of you?" There was a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Yeah, but right now it's only me," he assured her. "My sister, Donna, is back in London. She just started a new job as a receptionist, so she won't be taking any time off for a while."
She looked puzzled, as if he were speaking in a foreign language.
Bracing her back against the tree, he noticed her struggling to stay upright.
"Are you hurt," he asked gently.
She studied him, probably assessing whether or not he could be a threat, then stared into his eyes. After a moment of consideration she became less tense. "I fell."
James looked up at the tall trees, assuming that's where she fell from. "Yeah, I've done that before." It appeared she was alone and the forest remained silent. "Are you here with anyone else? I can help get you back to them."
"I'm alone," she told him sadly. "My parents sent me here, but I can't go back. Not right now."
Maybe she was hiding, James wondered. That would explain her defensive demeanor. But what, or who, was she hiding from?
Carefully, James took a step closer. "Listen, I'm not gonna to hurt you. My cabin isn't very far from here. I can help get you cleaned up and take a look at your arm. Or maybe even drive you to a hospital if you want. But, if you think someone is looking to hurt you, I promise to keep you safe."
Finally, she sheathed her dagger and attempted to push away from the tree stand. "I don't know if I can walk."
He reached out to her, "Can you try?"
She looked down at his outstretched hand and slowly extended her arm, placing her hand in his. It felt surprisingly warm, and a pleasant tingle radiated through his arm. She stared at their joined hands in wonder before glancing back up, her eyes meeting his. Her lips curved into a smile and James felt his walls crumble.