Another chapter of the tale of mystery.

FAMILY SECRETS

A HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE FANFIC

Chapter 16

It was another day or two before I could convince Howl to try again. He definitely wasn't keen on it, but he understood why I needed this. I had to understand my dream. It was very important. I just didn't fully understand how. I needed their help to get those answers. I could not get them on my own. Lettie and Suliman came back quickly and were ready to go. They were much more willing to do this than Howl was. It was always funny how protective he was of me. You would hardly know it but the way he acts. However, Howl always obsessed with keeping me safe: Even from myself. It was why it was so hard to convince him to try again. He did not want me to collapse again. Neither did I for that matter. That was not fun. I would be more careful this time. He just needed to believe me!

The castle was full of people yet again. Which put Howl even more on edge. At least it distracted him from what happened last time. He really didn't like a lot of people in here. It was his reclusive tendencies. He barely tolerated the intrusion. It was best that I could hope to get from him: tolerance. He really wasn't onboard with this right now. If I thought we had more time then I would give him space. As is we had taken too long. I had bungled everything up yet again. It was time to make things right. I hoped that what I saw would help me do it.

We sat around the circle again. Before we linked hands Suliman reminded me, "Now, Sophie, this time you cannot break the link. Allow Lettie and Howl to guide you back. Then you can break the link. Not a moment before, got it?"

I nodded then we began once more. Suliman directed me back to the scene with the other Howl and Sophie. Once again there was the flower I saw. He said, "Good. Now, Sophie, stare at the flower. Make it your entire world. Push aside the other two." I did exactly as he asked. "Good. Now, let the flower guide you. Allow it to bring you to the next scene."

Suddenly, I was looking at huge ocean. It was exactly the same dream. It was as foreign and strange to me as ever. I knew that this place did not exist anywhere in Ingary. It didn't know how I knew that, but I did. I didn't recognize the place apart from being the one in my dream. It could have been anywhere!

"I don't know this place." I told the group.

Howl chimed in. "I do. It's in Strangia, close to the border of Ingary. It's called Fisherman's Cove. I'm not surprised that you don't recognize it Sophie, I don't think that you have ever been outside of Ignary or Wales."

It was a bit weird to have your 'silent' anchor speak. I was fairly certain that Howl wasn't supposed to do that. It shook things up a bit. Lettie was able to hold me steady, but it was disconcerting. I became worried. Which translated down the link. Howl was quickly silenced. Howl's job wasn't to comment. It was to keep me safe. We could talk later. When I was safely back in my body.

"Thank you Howl." Suliman said gruffly. "Sophie, walk around the place. See if you notice anything odd."

That was asking for a lot. The whole place was odd. It seemed harsh yet it was more beautiful than anyplace that I had ever seen. The place was wild and unspoiled. There was a village nearby, but it was also strange. It was a bit plain and a rundown. Yet, there was a warmth there that made it feel special. Like I should know of it somehow. Why I could not fathom. It was so odd.

"Sophie, focus!"

I couldn't though. The place was so weird, so familiar. I had never been here before yet I felt like I had been here before. I didn't understand. Why, why, why, WHY! That's when two figures came sauntering up the hill. One she recognized instantly. It was father as a younger man. The other took me a second to recognize. It really was mother! It had been so long that I had almost forgotten her face. Lettie's hesitation told me that I was right. It was mother. I was not imagining things. Why where they here? What was going on?

Father led mother to the sea. He kissed her then placed his hand on her stomach. He asked it, "How is Sophie today?"

SOPHIE? I stared at father in wonder. Mother must be pregnant with me! But why where they here. I was not born in Strangia. So why?

"She's fine!" Mother teased him. "She's a little feisty this morning, that's all. Takes after her father it seems."

"Sophie," My father chided. "You leave your mother alone. You'll be out soon enough. You just need to be patient!"

My mother suddenly became serious. "Father is suspicious. I been able to hide her for now, but I can't do it forever. He's going to find out soon!"

Hide me? Why? What is going on? I wondered as the scene played out.

"He'll never get his hand on her." Father vowed. "I've managed to arrange passage to Port Whisper. A local fisherman has agreed to take us. No one will be suspicious. Then we can head to my homeland. Your father will never find us there."

"Are you sure? Wouldn't that be the first place he looks?"

Father shook his head. "True, but we won't be found. He'll be looking for Louis Gardenia and his wife. That's never been my name. It won't be yours either. Mrs. Hatter."

They left the area and never came back. As I sat there, I noticed in the distance the flower from my dreams. It was in the background, quietly blooming. Again the actors did not seem to notice the presence of the flower. I went over to it and said, "Look! There it is! The flower is back!"

Indeed it seemed to be the same flower as before. How it got there I did not know. I stared at it for a while. Suddenly, it fell off into the sea and changed color. As I stared at it a gateway opened before my eyes. The gold color shot out from the flower and became a golden light. That light became a door hovering just above the sea. A silhouette appeared in it that I couldn't recognize. It wasn't my father like I thought previously. His shape was all wrong. He was too tall and round to be him. The man stared at me with eyes that saw right through me. It terrified me. I could have shown that he was staring at me right now. Which shouldn't be possible.

"Something's wrong." My voice shook as I spoke. "That man. He's staring right at me. He's staring right at me!"

Howl and Lettie started to drag me back. With the two of them working together it should have worked. Unfortunately, that man had started to drag me towards him. It became a tug of war with my soul being the rope. No one wanted to let go. I could feel Howl and Lettie starting to lose. Whoever this man was, he was strong! This was no illusion, no echo of another time. This was happening now! Pain washed over me was they fought back. I started to scream! It was unbearable! I could feel their resolve give way as the pain increased. They did not want to hurt me. Nor did they want to lose me. I didn't want to go either. That man scared me. He was going to horrible things to me. I was sure of it. I found it difficult to speak. Somehow I was able to work my mouth long enough to beg.

"No, don't let go! Please!"

They renewed their efforts. Suliman had even joined in. That turned the tide. The strange man lost his grip on me and I was thrown back into my body. It nearly killed me. If it wasn't for Howl using his magic on me then I might have died. He managed to stabilize me but I couldn't maintain consciousness. My soul simply could not take the strain. I tumbled into a deep sleep that I would break out of for days.

Next Chapter coming up!