Chapter Three
Kaylee and I worked night and day to restore my powers right after King Gordon dismissed us from the meeting. He anticipated it would take two months to heal most of the remaining Whispers, and another two months for them to get adjusted to a new diet of actual food and sunlight. I was full of questions about how I could heal an entire city of people. Kaylee never explained to me before exactly how I am capable of this.
“Councilman Marcus asked if I was a witch, you said no, that I was like the Whispers. What does that mean?” I asked Kaylee when we were alone in his shop.
“Every person in this world is born with special powers. However, the Whispers have the ability to see and use their powers. I must teach you how to use the powers you were born with.” Kaylee said as he turned to return a bottle back to the little shelf that hung on the dirt wall.
As I looked at Kaylee’s shop, a thought hit me. There was something he was not telling me. His frail body stood in front of small rows of powders he created from dry herbs, fruits, and flowers. Three shelves made from wood lined one tiny part of the wall in front of me. The powders varied in color and were placed into small glass vials with cork stoppers. I sat on a small table with a small metal weight scale to the right. My legs kicked freely under the table as I thought. “No, no, no. You said I was like the Whispers. Does that mean my parents were Whispers?” I asked with narrowed eyes.
“No, Anna. When I said that I meant you can be trained to see and use your powers, just like the Whispers. And you were born in Whispering Woods, which makes you a natural borne Whisper.” He said with a smile.
“Then why did you perform a ceremony making me a Whisper when I was a child?” I did not mean to sound suspicious, it just naturally came out that way.
Kaylee’s smile dropped. I do not think he expected me to make so many connections. “I had to mark you.”
“Why?”
He did not answer me. I looked at his face, but Kaylee refused to meet my gaze. I watched him as he stared at the ground. His head shook as if he was having an internal conversation with himself, and disagreed with it. I waited as he shook his head, and whispered words I could not hear. The room was deadly quiet, but I could not hear anything he said to himself. I decided to wait patiently until he was ready to answer me.
He took a deep breath five minutes later and lifted his head to meet my eyes. “Anna, I think it’s time to tell you something. Something important.”
“I’m listening.” I whispered. I was afraid to say anything else for fear of stopping his confession.
“It’s time for me to tell you about your real family.” Kaylee said and finally looked into my eyes. I felt locked in his stare. Something lurked behind his eyes. I was not looking into the eyes of an old man. He was a young spirit trapped inside a decrepit body. He was….
“Anna! They’re here!” Jacob shouted in the hall. I broke Kaylee’s eye contact to see Jacob run into the room. “Come on!”
“Whose here?” I asked with alarm.
Jacob’s face flushed with excitement as he grabbed my hand. “Just come with me. It’s a surprise”
“I can’t. I need to talk to Kaylee.” I said.
My old friend shook his head at me and laughed. “It can wait. Go on with Jacob. Be young and excited.”
“You owe me a conversation.” I said to Kaylee with a smile as I hopped off the table. I let Jacob take me to the doors leading out of the ground. I saw others running to the doors with the same excitement Jacob held. They smiled and whispered as they ran. Their excitement was like a contagious virus. I could not help but be infected with it.
Jacob emerged from the double steel doors first to help lift me out. The moon was low in the sky and the wind blew pleasantly into the kingdom when the doors were opened. When I came up, I saw people standing outside in the darkness, but they were not ordinary people. They had wings! I saw beautiful orange wings on the backs of our visitors. They looked just like us, but their skin was the same color as their wings. An orange glow softly emanated from their skins, the way fire burns in a lantern. I knew this had to mysterious colony known as the Flies.
Instantly, I looked at Jacob and saw his skin glow the same orange color. I was amazed at this and stopped to gape at the change. I reached out my hand to touch is skin. He felt the same, only a little warmer. The darkness of my hands looked eerie against it.
“Like it?” He asked me with a wide smile.
I giggled. “I like anything that involves you.” His lips found my cheek easily in the glow of his skin. I closed my eyes to enjoy the feel of Jacob’s lips on my face. It was a wonderful moment with him. He smiled at me and led me to the Flies waiting for us.
“Robert. Lilly.” He said to two people and shook their hands. “Thanks for coming.”
“The Queen foresaw you needing our wings.” The woman with curly black hair said.
“Thank the Universe.” Jacob turned to me. “Anna, I would like you to meet Robert and Lilly from Firefly forest.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” I said in awe with my mouth agape. I reached out to shake their rough hands.
“We are here to take you to the forest when you are ready.” Lilly said to me. She was a beautiful young girl with chocolate colored skin and curly black hair. Her face radiated health and vibrancy. I noticed her robe was purple where Robert’s was yellow.
I heard someone behind me breathe a sigh of relief. I looked to see Sarah coming out of the double doors of the kingdom. She eyed Robert with interest. Robert was a large man with big muscles and even bigger facial features. His hair was cut short to his scalp. It was difficult to see his facial features since it was lit up. Nor Lilly or Robert wore shoes. I listened to the sweet way he spoke to Sarah, as if he missed her. Two more Flies landed as Sarah hugged Robert to her. Their glowing bodies appeared as if they were congealed together.
“I brought others in case you need us. This is Cyrus and Armando. Cristian is flying above us. He’s evaluating the woods from above. I can send for more Flies, if you like.” Lilly said to Jacob.
“No, five should be fine. Thanks, Lilly. Thanks for coming for us.” Jacob said.
“You can thank the Queen when you see her. Now, when do we leave?” She asked him.
Jacob looked at me, and I could not help but laugh at his exuberance. He was anxious to travel to Firefly forest. It was nighttime and I still had many people to heal from Slider’s curse. I did not anticipate we would leave for Firefly forest so soon.
“We can leave as soon as my people can walk in the sun. So it might be awhile.” I answered honestly. She understood me and shook her head with a sympathetic look on her face.
“The Flies are at your service until then.” Lilly said as she bowed to me.
I wondered what I did to get such an honor from people whom I did not know. Then I realized it probably was not a secret that I would murder Slider and free every person from his Law. It seemed as if every person Slider hurt in this world wanted to help me succeed. Maybe I’m wrong about it all, and killing Slider is the only option? Regardless, I felt honored and grateful for their assistance. “Thank you, Lilly. This is very kind of you and the Flies.”
“Lilly!” I heard Via shout.
She ran to Lilly, and embraced her. They spoke immediately to formulate plans to help the Whispers hunt for food. I felt happy that they no longer lived on blood to survive. As soon as the curse on my people was broken, they would need to eat.
Kaylee assisted me in composing a difficult spell made of herbs and my own blood. It sounded disgusting, but Kaylee assured me much of my blood would not be needed. He instructed me how to burn the sage correctly and drop the ashes into a small bowl of my blood. After I mixed it together, I combined the roots Kaylee laid out for me into the mixture. It was a thick, nasty paste that had to sit for one week before it could be deemed as ready to use. What made the spell so difficult was the focus I had to give while creating it. It was imperative I focus my positive thoughts and energy into the mix. If I was worried, hungry, tired, I could not work on the potion. Any other thought or feeling could be included into the potion, so I had to keep my emotions in constant check. Herbs had to be added during certain times and I could only mix it with ten spins. When it was ready, Kaylee instructed me to wipe the paste on the heads of the Whispers and say, “dontona clumdebon.” Every time I said the words, I felt myself grow tired and weary. I started with Kaylee, King Gordon, and the men of the council. Once I finished, I had to rest for an entire day. Kaylee explained my powers are limited and only sleep replenished them.
Most days, I dragged my drained body to my room to sleep for a day. As usual, my mother watched over me as I slept and tended to me when I woke up. I felt complete when I had her beside me and slept peacefully knowing she was there. Jacob stayed with me, as well. He held my hand as he slept in the chair beside my bed. Sometimes, he stayed up to speak to my mother. I heard them talking some nights outside my room. Their voices did not disturb me. I felt comforted knowing they were there if I needed them and that they loved me enough to stay by my side.
My new sleeping habits brought back the nightmare. As Regina, the nightmares varied from the house, the Academy, and the roads. Now that I am myself again, the dreams are only of the road. I dream it every time I sleep. The reason behind my ability to dream the future was lost to me, but one thing was certain, anything I dream about comes true.
For four weeks, the Flies assisted Via and her army in gathering animals from the forest to feed the Whispers. It took me four months to brew enough potions, and heal the entire city. Via wanted to draw plans to build another castle for Whispering Woods, but the ever changing world around us forced her to abandon her plans. In the end, she decided on establishing a new city in the very place Whispering Woods thrived. They constructed four homes with plans to build more once we returned. It took them much thought, but they finally decided how to build a road to connect the city together. The citizens included themselves in construction. The sooner the homes were done, the quicker they could move out of the ground. It amazed me how quickly they adjusted to the sun. I thought it would take years to adjust to their new way of life, but that thought turned out wrong. The entire kingdom was outside, plotting spots for their new homes, before I left the city. Via instructed her guards to continue construction while she was away. Since we would not be walking to Firefly city, Via anticipated our quick return.
I felt nervous and full of anxiety as the days grew close to our departure. I needed to know what Slider was up to, but time was growing short, and I would be forced to make a decision. Once I received Queen Veronica’s fire, I would return to Whispering Woods to plan the murder of a man. Every time I thought of it, my hands went numb, and I could not catch my breath.
One day, my mother walked into my room while I was having an attack of anxiety. She observed me in a large pool of sweat, hands shaking, and trying to catch my breath. We planned to leave in two days. The reality of the situation punched me in the face and stomach, and left me paralyzed with fear.
“Anna! Are you alright?” She ran to comfort me.
“Mother ….I ….I,” I tried to say.
“It’s alright, sweetie. Take a deep breath. I’m here.” She said as she stroked my hair.
Tears fell from my eyes. My heart felt comforted to have my mother beside me. Agnes Anderson may not be my real mother, but she has always treated me as if she were. My soul warmed as we sat together in silence. Minutes later, I whispered, “I don’t think I can do this, mother.”
“Do what, honey?”
“Murder Judge Slider.” I answered.
“Oh, thank the Universe!” She exclaimed as he gathered me into her arms. “It makes me happy to hear you say that, darling.”
“It does?” I asked with confusion.
“Yes. Anna, your father and I took you in because we wanted you to live a life of love and light, not hatred and darkness. When you came home from the Academy, we thought we lost you to the darkness, and the evil lurking inside it. I see you now, and I see that we did not fail you.”
I chuckled and wiped my eyes of tears. I could not confess to her that she did fail me, but it was not her fault. Darkness lived in my soul. It’s now my belief that it has been there from the beginning, since I was created. Telling my mother this would only disturb her, so I stayed quiet. “Everyone around here is looking forward to seeing Judge Slider die, like they want to sell tickets to the event of the century.”
“I’ve noticed that, too. I cannot explain what has come over them, even King Gordon is affected by it. Maybe it’s the effects of five hundred years underground?” Mother said as she shrugged her shoulders.
“What do you think I should do, mother?”
“I can’t tell you what to do, Anna. Only you can make that decision.”
“Then tell me what you would do in my situation. What would you do if you were me?”
She took a deep breath before she answered me. “I would go to Judge Slider and offer him peace, but not before I made it known to him not to cross me.”
“How would you do that?”
“Once the spell you need is complete, I would use it to see where Slider is, and go there. I would wait until he’s alone and put a knife to his throat. It’s an opportunity to show him I could kill him if I wanted to. I could find him alone at any point in his life. He would never be safe from me. Then I would offer the truce to him. At that point, I hope he would be too afraid to do anything else but accept it.”
I shook my head. “That sounds like a more humane plan.”
My mother giggled. “Yes, but you must remember, I’ve lived underground my entire life. I barely remember what it’s like to live about the dirt and roots. I can hardly recall my Tillman. Well, no matter what happens, Anna, I support you. Soon I will be reunited with my Tillman, and my sweet Syler. The world we live in will not matter to me anymore.”
I kissed her forehead and let my tears drop into her lap. I did not wipe them away. My mother was right. I knew once the curse was lifted from her, she would wither and die. The thought of losing her again tore my heart to pieces. It pained me to see everyone I love die while I continued to live. It was a pain so deep it made my heart feel as if it literally burned from being set on fire. No matter how much I prepared myself, I knew I would be devastated when my mother passed. It was only a matter of time.
The next night I had another nightmare. It was the same one where something tried to steer my car into darkness, but I drove us into a tree. I gasped as I woke up. My sheets were wet with my sweat and clung to my body. I told myself it was only a dream. Nothing was wrong, it was only a dream. I took deep breaths as I looked around my room. I was alone, but glad to see the familiar sights of my bedroom. I had the urge to feel the wind on my face so I got out of bed. I grabbed my robe and pulled socks onto my feet.
It was nighttime above us and the underground kingdom was quiet. Most of the people had gone to bed, except King Gordon and his Council. I peeked into the main room to see them talking in low voices at a table. It was a small room in the shape of a rectangle, but it fit three long tables with chairs and gave the people places to eat their food. I did not see Via or her guards so I assumed they were training or in another part of the ground. I snuck away before anyone could see me. I could have returned to my room to dress, but the opportunity to leave the ground without being seen would happen once in a lifetime. If anyone saw me attempting to leave, they would insist on accompanying me. The point of going outside was to be alone and they would ruin my plans. I tiptoed to the double doors and pushed one open, but it would not rise up. I pushed harder against the door, but it would not budge. I stepped back to look at the door from afar. I saw something that could be considered to be a lock. I slid my fingernail inside the lock and into the interlocking teeth. I was lucky to have such strong fingernails, but my pinky nail broke as I pulled the gear up. I did not expect it to work, but it did. The lock sprung open. I opened the door and stepped up the outside. I closed the door quietly as I could.
It was windy that night. It felt wonderful when the wind touched my hot face. It blew my long blonde hair around and lifted it up so the air could caress my neck. I took off my robe and placed it on a thick cedar tree branch right outside the doors. My black satin button down pajama top and long pants were stuck to my skin, but the wind gave my hot body relief. My pants floated around me as the air invaded the thin fabric. It felt wonderful. I giggled as I danced in the wind. I grabbed the sides of my pants and treated them as if I wore a dress. I rolled my hair into a bun on top of my head and struck a ballerina pose. The wind made my nightclothes flap behind me, then the wind would suddenly blow the opposite way. I felt in synchronization with the beauty of nature as I danced like a perfectly trained ballerina. I probably looked better as a ballerina in my imagination than I did in reality. Soon, all the wind made my mouth dry. All I needed to make the moment complete was a cold glass of water, but I was not ready to go back inside. I sat down on the grass and stretched my feet out in front of me. The stars were bright in the black sky and I sat back to enjoy them. I was outside for five minutes when the desire for water completely overwhelmed me. I knew Kaylee kept cold water in his workshop so I decided it was time to go back inside. I started to open the door when I realized I forgot my robe.
I saw it dangling from a tree farther away from where I remember placing it. I guess I misjudged the tree. I walked lightly to the tree since I only wore socks. I watched where I placed my feet so I would not step on something sharp. When I looked up, the robe was farther away. I gazed behind me, and saw the double doors a few steps behind me. I felt odd about it, but I continued my mission to regain my robe. I counted my steps as I carefully placed my feet. When I got to ten steps, I looked up. Once again, the robe was not in my reach. I kept going, but if this persisted, I would give up. No piece of clothing was worth this much trouble. I looked up once more to see I had gotten closer to my robe. It hung on a thin branch just out of my reach. A couple of thick vines hung between me and my robe, and prohibited me from going further. I tried to get through them, but the vines were strong I could barely get my hand through. With great struggle, I stuck my hand through the vines. My fingers clasped around my robe. My face was pressed against the vines as I freed it from the branch.
The wind blew fiercely as I closed the robe around me and rubbed my shoulders for warmth. I looked up at the moon. It was full and bright tonight. I gaped at it in amazement. Was it this bright when I came outside? I heard something rustle around me. I shifted my gaze from the moon to a figure standing in front of me. I gasped in silent fright as I recognized Rei Soton, a friend of Jacob’s from the Academy. His skin was white as milk, and a silvery blue glow emanated from his eyes. Instinct almost forced me to scream, but Rei brought his hands to his mouth to indicate I should be quiet. My hands smothered my screams, but the sight of Rei did little to smother my fear. His eyes were missing and in their place was a silvery blue glow. Blood oozed out of large cuts on his arms and hands, and puss leaked out of a circular wound in his neck. Rei’s face was the worst. Missing was the bottom left half of his face. It looked as if something ripped it away with one swipe of their claws. The torn pieces of flesh dangled from his cheek and ear. The moonlight highlighted the moisture that dripped from his open mouth. I heard his drool slap the leaves on the ground below him.
I slowly stepped closer to him. My eyes took in his devastating injuries with horror. I never took my hands away from my mouth, but as I reached him, I brought my hands down. The wind stopped as I asked with a trembling voice, “Rei?” He slowly nodded his head at me. His motions made the shadows move around his face. I could not help but tear up when I saw him. He was obviously dead, a ghost standing in front of me. “Oh my Universe. What happened to you?”
“I have a message for you.” He tried to say. It was difficult for him to speak with half of his lower jaw missing. His eerie face moved as he continued to whisper. He slurred the letters when he spoke.
I could not stop the chills from running amuck on my back. I looked around to make sure he was actually speaking to me. “From who?”
The tree branches cast a shadow across Rei’s face, only his eyes could be seen. “The Universe.”
Now this was weird. I asked the Universe for help, but I did not think it would deliver the message to me so directly. I stepped closer to him. “What does it want me to know?”
A wicked smile crossed his face. He leaned his face down to stare are me with those creepy eyes. I stood speechless, and ready to listen.
End of Sample