Chapter the Second: The Five Companions

Esme had gone from romance to terror in the last 12 hours and she did not find it helpful that she had not given that extremely attractive intern her phone number or anything of relevance to get her out of her present predicament. She went limp for lack of strength because of constant fighting with Darcie's pudgy arms. Esme saw this lack as a way to escape; Darcie's arms went lax and with one last burst of strength she broke free of her grip and ripped through the blindfold. Darcie had taken her to a meat packing plant from the 1940s. She wondered what they were doing there, but she had no time to stay and find out. Esme had to find that intern. He had to know about this. By his appearance he had to know everything. She had to learn his name; she had to learn everything about him.

She saw him at school the next day. It was a Thursday. Esme made it obvious she wanted to get his attention by showing off her legs through her white lace dress blowing in the non-existent breeze with a pink flower in her stunning brown hair put up into an elegant ponytail. The house that was supposed to be her home had been vacant for days giving her time away from running and more time to make an impression to the one she loved. She was at home, without a parent or parental figure for days. She dared not tell social services. Esme wanted her uncle to be taken care of, but she, under no circumstances wanted or needed to be moved to a foster home. Although she still had the house, she had hardly the money to pay the bill and interest that came every month. If Esme did nothing about that she would have the house repossessed thanks to her uncle who had not paid in months because of the recent contraction of his alcohol addiction.

Matt, who Esme learned that interns name, was asked for a date. The date ran smooth as ice. Until, that is, Esme walked with Matt home afterwards. It rained. Although, Matt having a conversation with her was so astounding she hadn't noticed until a car on the road drove through a puddle of water turned brown with mud. It then splashed her and she was sopping wet until she went under an awning and into a booksellers shop. Then, once she was seen by one of the employees to be dripping a stream of water over countless books she was told to leave. "Although we would have liked your business" said the employee snidely. Esme was back in the rain with Matt. Esme was happy whenever she was around him. Once that had glimpsed Matt's house Matt said "You can leave me here my house is just over that hill and under those trees" "Alright" Esme said. While Matt walked over the hill and beyond the trees Esme waited. She waited to pounce and as she had promised find out everything about him, to find out if love really existed for her in this boy.

She passed over the hill and through the trees and in front of a gigantic house a circle of stones with odd markings stood like a modified version of Stonehenge. Esme saw Matt and what must be his family standing in the center of the circle. One rune glowed, and then another, then another until all the runes were lit with an eerie blue light. All were engulfed in it and disappeared into a pink bubble and floated away. Esme stood in the circle as Matt and his family had and waited. One rune lit. That was all. Esme noticed that there were five total. This must mean that she needed four more people to pass to the realm new to her. Esme walked swiftly through the trees and descended down the hill which Esme thought was steeper than that of which she had climbed. School was the only place she would find more of the interested type of people that wouldn't think she was crazy. She had to move quickly. Matt would be back any time now. Esme had to get home. On her way she found a black umbrella. It had been broken, charred, and from what she saw, frozen. Esme left it to decay however slowly it may do so.

Through, which the family she had had, but barely known had passed was the way Esme was determined to go. She reported to school after the weekend with her head held high. Esme went to the administrator's office to see Matt as she had done everyday since she'd known him. He wasn't there. She was astounded and frozen to the spot with a creepy chill running down her spine. Esme asked the secretary about where he was and she knew as much as Esme did. She could not help her at all. The gathering of a search party had to begin soon. Honesty would have to be one of the qualities she should look for in someone she took to find Matt and his family.

Esme had found her first candidate. Her locker partner and buddy because she was a freshman in high school and her buddy whose name was Rachel was in charge of showing her around the school and making sure she kept on track with her work. Although after half the year it was getting pretty cumbersome to have an eerily happy straight A student with her. It was like she was breathing down your neck all the time. She was pissed after she remembered all this, so she decided to consider another person. As she walked down the hall to the lunch room as it was already twelve thirty seven and she would be forced to go hungry if she didn't high-tail it there soon.

After a lunch of steamed- Yes you heard it right STEAMED lima beans. She went back to her locker with an incurable stomach ache. Kaylee, a wannabe poser Goth-girl walked up behind her just then. Esme had the perfect person. Kaylee understood what she was going through and she had a good personality, but the obsession with Marilyn Manson is kind of different Cringes in fiddle position. Esme plucked up the nerve to ask and Kaylee was on board without a second thought.

One down four to go she thought with glee and at the same time disgust. How was she, Esme to trust herself with the consequences of what would happen if something bad happened to her and the people who she has and will choose with the utmost care to come with her into the unknown world of who the hell knows what?

Kaylee walked home slowly from school avoiding her over protective mothers' route to her school and took a detour through a back alley, over a dumpster, and up the fire escape of an old couple with their grandkids and a pink plushy feel to the room in which she saw them. Kaylee shivered at the overly happy atmosphere in the room and walked on. She stood on the top of the red brick building she had climbed. Kaylee usually took this route home from school because as she avoided her problems, she saw a group of construction workers building an addition to a book shop. Kaylee avoided her normal route because of this unforeseen activity and back tracked to school. Her mom was waiting impatiently tapping her stiletto heel. Before she knew it Kaylee was grabbed by the ear as her mom was attempting to drag her home. Kaylee grappled with her. She kicked her heel as hard as she could and broke the heel off of the left $71 stiletto shoe.

"That tears it!" Kaylee's mother yelled shrilly. Luckily, her mom knew how she usually got after school. That was unlucky for Kaylee though. She was confined to her room for an amount of time that her mom did not even bother to specify. Kaylee had to get out of this prison, but how? The tree outside her window would work well. Kaylee opened the window as quietly as she could and slid down the trunk. Then she ran off to meet Esme at her house and planned to get back when her parents awoke to go to work the next morning. As Kaylee crept into bushes and narrowly avoided brambles of the tremendously pointy quality. Once she missed and one of the spikes grazed her shoulder. Esme's house was in sight after walking and hiding herself in the shadows for about three hours. She'd not expected to take this long although she thought it was worth it because police were known to catch wondering teens and other miscreants out at this hour.

Kaylee went in through the bathroom window and saw that the house, once she had opened the door was a complete disaster. Esme knew that was because her uncle had not been home for days, but of course, Kaylee did not know of that little problem just yet.

As Kaylee looked she realized she had forgotten why she had come. She had to hide as Esme came swiftly around a narrow corner of the hallway. She crept out. Then, she ran after Esme and caught her just as she was watching World's Scariest Places. "Esme?" She said feebly. Esme jumped at the sight of Kaylee standing dirty in her home and as she figured that Kaylee had not noticed she said "Yes?" "What shall we do about the rest of out adventurers Esme?" "They are needed to go and you'd feel better knowing they are with us. Right?" "I don't know" Esme said. She had wondered about this herself. What were they going to do?

At the end of the next day Esme had picked five people who would accompany her to the new world which were Kaylee, Jared, Lindsay, Chris, and David. Jared was her high school's starting quarter-back last year and she thought he could be used as a survival expert because of his knowledge of edible plants and building fires etc. Lindsay is into Wicca and she is going with Esme for insight on magic. Chris took Jujitsu and was good at fighting with weapons. Esme thought he was a great asset to the team. Kaylee knows Kung Fu and she is reasonably good in other areas too. David, he is one that is there to research and he plans to document this expedition for future generations to read and take after.

They were ready. Esme took the over the hill and through the trees. She had already gone over the whole rune thing with everyone. Esme had said "Stand by a rock with a rune on it and walk to each one until one of them lights up." Esme stood by the one she had found before and waited for everyone to become situated. As soon as they were all lit Esme commanded them all to hold hands and not to let go. They did as she instructed. They were jerked off the ground with a sharp upward tug. All of them clustered together. The pink bubble that Esme had seen before formed around them. They floated off into the distance. Everyone was blinded by a bright flash of light, and they were gone.