Chapter 7: Return to the nightmare
The time was around four thirty at night. I was still unable to get any sleep, thinking about how close I was to my old home. Eventually I got out of me bed in one of the guest rooms of the house, located a device Eric called a "flash light" and used its light to lead me back to the glen. I snuck through the front door of the house keeping as quiet as possible, opening the door slowly to try and cut down on the creaking. Once outside, I slowly closed the door to the house and crept towards the glen. Aiming the flash light at the gummi berry bushes I recalled the differences between the berries from my own time and these wild berries.
Continuing on toward the main entrance of the glen, I aimed the light down as far into the tunnel as it could reach. A sharp bend in the tunnel kept me from seeing completely into the glen however. So, I slowly climbed into the ruggedly enlarged hole and made my way down.
The feel of dry tough dirt passed under my paw as I slid down the entrance tunnel reminded me somewhat of the way we would jump into and slide down while hiding from humans and escaping ogres. I descended deeper into the tunnel until I emerged in to the glen itself. Aiming the flash light around the main room I imagined what it all used to look like. The upside down glass dome on the ceiling that was filled with water from the outside due to its location under a nearby pond, the hand carved furniture made by Gruffi, the elegant paintings of past gummi's that lived in the glen.
My imagination crumbled when another source of light shone from the enlarged entrance and started making its way toward me. I switched off my flash light, hurried over to the entrance's right side wall and pressed my back against it to hide my presence. The light grew larger and larger until its original source emerged with the figure wielding it. Apparently, Eric was a light sleeper and heard me sneak out of the house and followed me. "Eric?" I gasped when I realized it was him. He quickly spun around and shined his flash light in my face, with a look of slight shock in his eyes. The light was intense and I had to cover my eyes. "Sorry, Sunni. You startled me." He admitted to me as he moved the position of the light away from my eyes and down near my feet. "And you, me." I said to him trying to blink away the new annoying spot that displayed itself in front of my eyes. "So, this was your old home?" He solemnly asked, looking around using the light from the flash light. He kept the device in his right hand so I walked up and hugged his left arm. "Yah. It used to be." I sadly answered. He then looked at me with his right eyebrow raised and asked, "Couldn't sleep?" I looked up at him slightly surprised and simply hugged his arm slightly tighter and nodded. He then looked down the hallway and thought out loud, "Since we're here, might as well look around. Right?" He turned his gaze back toward me and I saw that genuine kindness in his eyes I saw the first day I met him. Afraid of proceeding because of the horrors I've seen here, but still magnetized to explore the depths of the glen, I hesitated while staring down the flash light's shaft of light and again tightened my grip on Eric's arm.
"You don't have to push yourself to do this if you don't want to." Eric said, sensing my hesitation. I just stared down the hallway with a look of determination and fear painted on my face. I knew that sooner or later, I'd have to go in and explore my old home. Bad memories or not, I needed this. Eric sighed in defeat and then asked, "You want me to come along don't you?" I just nodded in affirmation. "Alright, I'll lead then. When you want to turn back, you lead, alright?" Again I stayed silent and just nodded. He began walking through the glen, watching the low ceiling so as to not hit his head too much. The first stop was the kitchen. All throughout the kitchen a rotten stench filled the air. I saw the remains of Grammi and Gruffi near the stove. Their bones picked clean and their clothes tattered by rats, bugs and decay. Although the smell was rank, it wasn't exactly the smell of death. It was sour, much like the smell of rotten berries or fruit. Trying to use the collars of our shirts to help siphon the smell, Eric and I approached the door that led to the cellar. Eric reached down and grabbed the handle of the wooden door and pulled it towards him. The door swung open and around six large, fat rats scurried past our feet. We danced around them at the mere sight of the critters trying to avoid stepping on them and at the same time trying to keep them from stepping on us. Shock and mild panic washed through our bodies as the rats scurried away. When we finally calmed down from the sudden adrenaline rush, it was pretty apparent where the strong sour smell was coming from. Eric pointed the flash light down into the room and we noticed the wooden barrels stored down there. Some of them even had swarms of flies hovering just above them, indicating that the contents within have been spoiled for a long time. The smell began to be a bit much for both of us so Eric closed the door quickly and we proceeded to the next area of the glen.
We walked down the halls, Eric with the flash light and me, still clutching his arm. At some point we passed by a familiar artist's studio, and I desperately wanted Gusto to poke his head out from behind his latest work and say, "Welcome home Summers! Who's your friend?" However, the only thing that awaited us was a room full of tattered paintings, chunks of granite and marble scattered about the room and another skeleton left in a pose as if it had been tossed like a rag doll while it still had flesh on it. Dried blood stained the wooden floor in a splattered trail leading from the door to the skeleton. Tears began running down my cheeks once again as I recalled the brutality of the invasion by Igthorn. I buried my face in Eric's side as I began to bawl from the sadness permeating the air in the glen. Even Eric began to cry from the mere sight of seeing me sad like this. He simply closed his eyes and let the tears run down his cheeks. When I wouldn't stop crying, he knelt down to my level and wrapped his arms around me, keeping me close to his chest. I finally began to calm down by the sound and feel of his heart beat as it thumped smoothly and evenly in my ears and I fell right to sleep in his embrace.
I awoke the next morning back in the room given to me by Rose. The smell of cooked eggs and ham hung in the air and my stomach agreed that collapsing from starvation wasn't gonna help anyone. I was just about to get out of bed and make my way to the kitchen when Eric opened the door to my room with a bed table with my meal sitting on top of it. He gracefully brought it over to me and gently placed it over my lap. The steam coming off of the food carried with it the gentle aroma of freshness. The eggs were scrambled with little squares of red and green bell peppers mixed inside, the ham was hot and moist, shredded hash browns sat beside the eggs, golden brown and mildly seasoned. Placed beside the plate, stood a glass of cold white milk that rocked gently as the table was place in front of me. A metal fork and knife also sat beside the plate, ready to be used. Surprised, I looked up at Eric inquisitively to try and ask him what the occasion was. "You've been through so many traumas lately. I just thought it would be nice to remind you that you're not alone in this." He said as if he read my mind, his gaze so gentle and kind yet sad. "Eric, you don't have to feel responsible for what's happened. I don't blame you or Rose." I explained to him. He sat down at the end of my bed, smiled warmly at me and said, "Thanks for that Sunni, but I'm doing this for a different reason." I was puzzled, but grateful. I picked up the fork and knife and began cutting away bites of the food just large enough to chew on and started eating.