Tales from Amaranth Ch 2

A small town girl and her best friend get thrown into another world with magic, technology, and creatures beyond their wildest imaginations...

Eleven-eleventy-one Mountain Berry road was a two story brick house with a tidy front yard. It seemed a nice house, nothing too special or extravagant. The kind of nice house you drive by everyday without taking too much of a second glance, though it was a bit large compared to the surrounding houses. It was up this driveway Rebekah strolled, a new book in hand entitled “Math-a-magic” by one Rascal Fortesque. A book Rebekah seemed to fancy with numerous mind benders and the occasional Pandora’s puzzle.

She popped up the stairs to the large white door of her two story house and opened the door. The inside was nothing like what was to be expected. The threshold held a fire burst and gold trimmed the blood red carpet which laid the floors as well as the staircase the front left of her. Craven the bronze eagle, with his wings spread majestically was there to meet her on his mounted branch perch that marked the stair null post. She reached up and stroked his left wing absently as she turned to the living room when the letter caught her eye.

Rebekah took the letter and continued into the living room.

Warm light poured through the drawn curtains, spreading through the entire room. It was a very spacious and comfortable room, though there was no couch to be seen, there were a great many colorful pillows and bean bags, just perfect for reclining and relaxing. The fireplace was large enough to fit a cauldron. Rebekah would often tease her mother about this.

“All the better to cook the children I didn’t want.” She would often reply.

“I knew there was something special about me,” Rebekah would say with satisfaction.

“Yes,” her mother would say, “And if I ever find it… soups on!”

Two real 16^th century rapiers crossed each other, tips up over the hearth. The swords were hardly decorative. Her mother never believed in decorative tools.

“Sure,” she would say sarcastically, “nothing stops a burglar like better homes and gardens!”

Whatever she owned, it was authentic. The paintings, books, and even the suit of armor that stood sentinel at the top of the stairs were real. Many of their possessions were handed down from the past three generations. Her mother said she that they were descendants of adventurers and artisans, poets and pirates. Of course the pirating was always fair game. She just liked the sound of it.

Rebekah opened the letter while plopping down on a particular fat green bean bag. It read:

“Hey Kitten! So sorry I’m not home. I had to go out for a bit to run some errands and pick up more supplies for the green house…”

“More supplies for the green house?” Rebekah said to herself. Behind there humble two story house, a mere hop skip and jump was the family greenhouse. Moderately sized, she and her mom grew everything from vegetables and fruits to herbs and spices. Fresh vegetables every day three times over in preserves and reserves. Her mom was good at cooking meals, but it was her apple cinnamon pies that she coveted most. The letter continued:

“…I may be a little late coming back, hold the fort, there’s food in the fridge - love Mom.”

A knock came from the door.

Rebekah put the letter down, walked to the front door, turned and leaned her back against it.

“May I ask who it is?”

“It’s your knight in shining spandex,” A boy’s voice from the other side of the door. Rebekah smiled.

It was Sean Constantinople.

“Will you not open the door, woman?” Sean said in a fatigued masculine voice.

“Not right now.” said Rebekah.

“What? Now you listen here, missy, I skateboarded all the way up here, with a backpack, uphill, five feet of snow, when all we had to eat was dirt growing up, working my fingers to the bone for you ungrateful children!”

“Society has shown that the youth of America lacks self control,” Rebekah said matter-of-factly, “At you own admittance we all need to be more grateful, and surely a strong and surly youth like yourself can learn a little patience.”

“Youth!?” Sean said incredulously, “I’m two years older than you, you popsicle!”

“And I lead by example.” Rebekah said smugly.

“You lead by exasperation!” Sean yelled through the door, “And this is the thanks I get for getting suspended!”

Rebekah’s mouth fell open, “You got what?”

“S-U-S…P-E-N…W-X-Y-Z!!!” Sean cried in frustration. Rebekah turned and opened the door. Sean was a lean, wiry teen half a head taller than Rebekah. His dirt covered green striped shirt was ripped at the collar, there was a cut on his left cheek, and his left blue eye was swelling up to be a nice ripe shiner. His short brown hair was ruffled and his smile couldn’t have been bigger.

“What happened to you?” Rebekah grabbed his arm and pulled him inside, half dragging him into the kitchen. The kitchen was quite spacious, with a black and white checkered floor. The kitchen isle was stainless steel, as were the pots and pans that hung overhead. The stove was gas with a half grill flat surface, with grey brick trim around it and the chimney. The fridge was a two door, and the cabinets beside were mahogany. The kitchen table on the other side of the isle was mahogany as well and seated up to eight.

At the opposite end of the kitchen was a bar with stools and a fat 50’s jukebox sat squat against the wall and door that lead back into the living room.

It was to the kitchen table where Rebekah dragged Sean and forcefully sat him down.

“I heard what happened to you,” Sean said as Rebekah went to fill a rag with ice from the fridge, “'Princess' Cornelia Cooper was bragging about it during lunch. ‘That just isn’t right’ I said to myself. The picture they put up and tearing up your books and the names they wrote. She kept going on about how awesome it was that Jinlad took it out on you. She hoped it set an example. ‘Well’ I said to myself, ‘if it’s examples she wants, let me be the first to pay a little homage.’

“So I grabbed my brand muffin,” Sean winced as Rebekah gently placed the ice rag over Sean’s swollen eye and let him hold it there, “walked over to Cornelia, grabbed her pasty blonde hair, yanked her head back, and said ‘Chow down porky, them jowls are lookin’ a little thin,’ while I shoved the whole muffin into her mouth.”

“Oh Sean,” Rebekah sighed, “You shouldn’t have. It wasn’t worth you getting into all that trouble, but… how did you get hurt? Surely not Cornelia! If you will excuse my saying so, she hits like a girl.”

“Naw,” Sean said wryly, “As soon as I did that, I turned and walked right into the MacElroy brothers. And I accidentally knocked their food trays back on them.”

Rebekah winced. The MacElroy brothers were as rough and rowdy as country boys could come.

“Yeah, they kinda took it personal. I don’t think it was getting food all over them so much as making them miss a meal.”

“That’s horrible! And you got suspended for that?”

“Yeah, Jinlad was already in a mood fit to rip a teddy bear’s head off. So, he sent all of us packing at once and as soon as we got outside… well, the rest is obvious.”

Rebekah looked at Sean intently. “All boys are such Neanderthals; thoughtless and uncivil. Reacting to every problem with the best intentions and worst decisions imaginable…” Rebekah studied him a little more, “Thanks.”

She smiled. It was contagious.

“Yes sir!” Sean leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on the table, “It takes a real man to get the job done! Be a doll and massage my feet, woman!”

“Oh, you…!” Rebekah grabbed Sean’s feet and threw them up, tossing him backwards off of his chair, tumbling face down on the floor. Rebekah froze, forgetting he was so injured. But Sean, still face down, raised a single finger and said, “…about us boys being thoughtless and making bad decisions…”

Rebekah fought the urge to kick him.

***

The sun had finally set when Gina Alexander pulled into the driveway. The green four wheel drive Jeep Cherokee looked as if it had braved two swamps and a desert, but it still purred. Despite what some might think, she took a special pride in what she owned. She just thought the things she owned should be useful and used. The Cherokee wasn’t there to be pretty. It was strong, rugged, and fast. It was powerful and loved to play rough.

The engine cut, and Gina, tall and beautiful, lean and graceful form emerged. She had shoulder length wavy brown hair and her hazel eyes were strong. She wore a leather jacket over a tee shirt and jeans with designer black boots.

After she grabbed a few bags from the back seat, she walked up the steps into her house.

“What I want to know is…” Sean started as he tossed away one comic book and picked up another, “How did you find the time to sneak out of the house in the middle of the night, highjack a tractor trailer, and clean out the first national library of the continental United States of God bless America?”

Rebekah sniffed at Sean, but she herself couldn’t deny the shelves upon shelves, stacks upon stacks, and the ever increasing trunks of books she owned. It seemed to be all her room consisted of aside from a few Indian decorations, a couple of dream catchers and a ‘you better not use until you are at least thirty’ authentic peace pipe, “I enjoy reading.”

“Yeah,” Sean smirked; his black eye had stopped swelling, “just didn’t think you would also clean out a convention of their comic books either.”

“I enjoy all forms of art and literature, as long as the story is good and it isn’t too random or tasteless.” Rebekah tossed down a book entitled ‘Forget me not’, a thriller.

“Finished.” She said and got up from her bed.

“Didn’t you just start that book?”

“You know I read fast,” Rebekah smiled.

“You skip chapters.”

“Only what’s irrelevant.” Rebekah walked to the door, “Mom’s home.”

“I didn’t hear a car.”

“Boys tend to be more singularly focused than girls…” Rebekah said as she left her room.

“Sometimes I wonder about her…” Sean tossed his atomic-frog comic down and followed her downstairs.

Gina was already unpacking groceries when Rebekah and Sean came downstairs and into the kitchen.

“Hey Kitten!” Gina stopped what she was doing and gave her daughter a hug, “How are you holding up?”

“Oh, mom you can’t imagine how much better life has been since this morning!” Rebekah said.

“Speaking of which, I went by your school to see your principal.” Gina smiled, “and don’t worry, you’re not expelled. And your grades will not be affected. Jinlad sends his most scrupulous apologies and has graciously given you the rest of the week off to overcome your traumatic event.”

Rebekah couldn’t help but jump for joy, “Mom, you are the absolute best!”

“A firm voice and a good right hook will get you through most issues with people. What happened to you?” Gina had just noticed Sean and began to look him over.

“Nothing… it’s nothing,” Sean started, trying to keep Gina from forcefully examining his entire face and failing.

“Were you fighting?” Gina looked over his face roughly.

“I don’t think he had the chance to,” Rebekah smiled.

“Gee thanks,” Sean said, “Didn’t you just say something about a firm voice and a…”

“It’s called sarcasm,” Gina said flatly, “Something you are well acquainted with and not the only thing you’ll get when your parent’s see you!”

“Kind of why I was hiding out here…” Sean shrugged.

“It wasn’t his fault mom,” Rebekah said earnestly. Gina looked at them skeptically and smiled.

“Alright,” Gina said, “But where were you after you left school, I expected you to come straight home.”

“Oh!” Rebekah suddenly turned and ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs while yelling, “I went to Toni’s. She wanted me to give you something…”

Rebekah Ran into her room and looked for the yellow book. It was laying face down on her bed and open. As she grabbed it, something fell from inside its covers and made a clinking sound as it fell to the floor. Rebekah stopped and looked at it.

It was a key. It was the oddest and again the most beautiful key she had ever seen. It looked to be a large skeleton key made of the shiniest silver with silver ivy and leaves embracing it and large thumbnail sized emerald that was its head. It hung from a long silver chain necklace. Rebekah looked at it wonderingly, dreamily. The fire of the emerald seemed to pull at her as she gazed into it. It seemed warm, glowing and alive.

“Kitten?” Gina’s call from downstairs brought Rebekah back to reality. Rebekah looked at the book and saw that a hole, perfectly fitting for the key had been dug into the pages. Without thinking, she slipped the chain over her head. The necklace and key came to rest at her heart and seemed to generate heat. Normally such anomalies would bring a deluge of questions. But Rebekah’s mind was strangely silent with the key. It made her feel warm, and at peace. Reality became slightly surreal, almost dreamlike. She walked downstairs, weightless.

“Mom, what’s this?” Rebekah came into the kitchen where Gina was further inspecting a mutinous Sean.

“Whoa!” Sean said at the sight of the key. Gina’s expression, however, was completely different. Her lips were pursed, her brows furrowed, it seemed her mind was working furiously.

“That is absolute!” Sean said absently as he took it from Rebekah’s hand and turned it over in his, “It’s like it’s on fire, but on the inside!”

“Where did you get that key?” Her mother’s voice was no longer warm and inviting. She was urgent, demanding. It scared Rebekah.

“T-Toni,” Rebekah said and immediately took it off and offered it but her mother didn’t take it, “It was inside a book. I didn’t even know…”

“What was the book?” Her mother asked even more tightly.

“Um,” Rebekah seemed to be drawing a blank. It happened to her every time she was under pressure.

“Rebekah,” Gina put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and forced patience, “Which book did Toni tell you to bring me? Baby, this is very important! Which book?”

“Um, it was about Pearl Harbor,” Rebekah said a little shakily, “The night before, but why? Mom, what’s wrong.”

“Kind of curious myself,” Sean shifted a little uncomfortably. Gina was quiet for an unnerving minute.

“Okay, honey,” Gina said to her daughter while putting the key and necklace back on her, “We don’t have much time.” Gina ushered her and Sean into the living room, locked the windows, and drew the curtains closed while muttering indignantly to herself. Rebekah heard a name but couldn’t quite make it out.

“Is everything okay? Should I be going?” Sean didn’t quite know what to say. He was just as alarmed as Rebekah was.

“No, it’s too dangerous,” Gina walked over to the fireplace and retrieved one of the authentic rapiers, checked it and turned to Rebekah, “Kitten, I want you to go upstairs.”

“But mom,” Rebekah began but was cut off with a sharp look.

“Sean,” Gina said without looking at him, “Go and lock the back door then go upstairs with Rebekah. No questions. Do it now.”

“I don’t get it,” Sean said while walking down the hallway to the back door to turn the deadbolt, “If something’s wrong, why didn’t Toni just call you earlier?”

Before Gina could reply, a loud piercing cry of an eagle echoed throughout the house. If Sean and Rebekah didn’t know any better, they both would say it came from the bronze eagle Craven.

“Mom,” Rebekah began with much confusion. Suddenly, a strong knock came at the door. Gina motioned them both to be silent. She then motioned Sean to answer the door. He shook his head at first but a stern look from Gina fixed him.

“H-Hello?” Sean said as he approached the door, “Who is it?”

“Here to see a Gina Alexander.” A cool monotone voice issued from the other side. Sean looked back to Gina who was squatting just inside the living room door with Rebekah. Gina made a ‘get rid of them’ gesture.

“I’m sorry sir,” Sean said a little more steadily, “She isn’t available. Please come back tomorrow.”

“I’m afraid this can’t wait until tomorrow,” the cool voice uttered, “My name is Lieutenant Carl Baxter and I need to speak with Gina Alexander. This is in regards to a Miss Toni Averly… I’m afraid there’s been a terrible accident.”

Rebekah gasped, but Gina shushed her.

“What do you mean, ‘an accident’?” Sean replied. Gina slowly leaned out from the living room to get a better look.

“I’d rather discuss that with Misses Alexander. Miss Averly has no immediate family in the area, but we are sure that Misses Alexander is a friend of her family. We need to get in contact with them as soon as possible.” The voice seemed to be getting impatient.

Gina looked from the front door down the hallway to the back door. Its’ knob was turning back and forth furiously. A giant’s shadow loomed in the window nearby it.

“Go!” Gina shoved her daughter and Sean onto and up the staircase. She then turned to the door, “I’m Misses Alexander, could you tell me what happened?”

“Ma’am, there’s been an accident regarding a family friend,” the voice went smooth again. “I’m going to have to ask you to accompany me to the hospital. I have a few questions for you if you’ll be so kind…”

“Sure,” Gina said calmly as she began to back up the stairway with Rebekah and Sean behind her, “Just let me get my…”

The door burst open with a splintering crack from the man’s kick. The one calling himself Baxter stepped inside the house and stared up at them with a cold emotionless face. He was dressed in a limo driver’s suite, with dark shades over his eyes.

“Run!” Gina yelled to the kids as she brandished her rapier towards him warily. He did not stop but began to pursue her up the steps despite the nasty blade. Almost to the top, Gina braced herself and stabbed. The blade sank deep into the man’s left breast. His hand shot up and grabbed the blade in an incredible grip, his face never changed. Gina seized her chance and planted a stiff right foot into his diaphragm that lifted him off his feet and sent him tumbling back down the steps. He immediately rose again.

“Into your room,” Gina said to Rebekah, “Both of you, now!”

From the first step, the man called Baxter leapt into the air all the way to the top in a single inhuman jump right nearly on top of Gina. A right black gloved hand closed around her throat and the sheer force of his flight sent her into the suit of armor, knocking it down. His strength was nothing short of superhuman, and Gina quickly found herself pinned down and unable to breath. Again and again, she struck him in his left side with the rapier to no avail. Darkness was coming over her when…

“Hey!” the man called Baxter looked up just in time to get a face full of steel helmet from Sean. The shades on the man called Baxter shattered into oblivion and his hand released its’ death grip on Gina. His eyes were two bulbous, puss filled orbs that glowed a sickly yellow green light. The rapier took aim and Gina sent the blade up through his throat and out the top of his head. He began to convulse. Gina put her foot into him again sending him back down the stairs once more. He never rose again.

Without any time to breath, the back door exploded inward with titanic force. Massive footsteps were heard from downstairs. Gina got up and ushered them into Rebekah’s room.

“Quickly!” Gina locked the door and began to heave one burdensome trunk of books in front of the door. Sean helped her. Rebekah fought against the already existing stream of tears and joined them. Within a minute they had five trunks set to barricade the door.

“Mom…” Rebekah had never been so scared. She had never seen anyone killed and it was nothing like she had ever read about or watched on television. It was the true definition of horror. The sick feeling in her stomach and the tightness in her throat seemed to intensify with dizziness. She was going to faint.

“No you don’t,” Sean eased her over to her bed and sat with her.

“The backdoor downstairs was metal,” Gina said absently, “There’s no other way.”

“We’re trapped, aren’t we?” Sean began to look around nervously. “What about the window?”

Gina didn’t seem to hear him. She stared intently at the key around Rebekah’s neck. She made her decision.

“Sean,” Gina looked squarely into his eyes, “I want you to promise me…promise me, that no matter what, you will look after Rebekah until I can come for you!”

“I promise,” Sean said, more than a little confused, “It’s not even a question.”

Gina took the key from around Rebekah’s neck and walked over to her closet. After making sure the door was shut, she opened it one more time. A hollow inlet filled with plain dress skirts, blouses, and shoes. She closed it again and inserted the silvery key. A fire burst of green light and smoke lit the frame of the door and faded just as quickly.

“Come on, both of you,” without much reiteration, a powerful force buckled Rebekah’s barricaded door. It would surely cave in soon.

“Kitten,” Gina said as she hugged her daughter for the seemingly last time, “I love you, baby! I swear I’ll come for you! I swear it! Be brave for me! Don’t be afraid. Hold on to each other no matter what!”

A hulking fist and arm burst through the door accompanied by an enraged bellow. Gina opened the closet door. The clothes and shoes were no longer there. Nothing was there but a great chilling void of darkness. And before they could protest, Gina shoved the key into her daughter’s hand and shoved both of the children through into the nothingness as the barricade failed behind her. She closed the closet door, and she remembered nothing else as she received and monstrous blow to her head.

Author's Note

I'm trying to become a better writer so I would love some constructive feedback... hope you enjoyed it!

Reviews

[Rana]

It had my attention so much so that I felt like I was right there with the characters, hovering above them and watching them queitly. A really engrossing read and it's a lot better than the first chapter. Love the characters you've added, specially Sean. Found no inconsistency, only a couple of inevitable errors out of typing. The action scene, the suspense, everything has been looked after so well. The muffin scene was hilarious, the mystery of the key is baffling and I'm worried about Toni as well. The ending promises fantasy and adventure. Oh, I love this.

[Joshua Clement]

It gets crazier... I'm so happy you enjoyed it... and thank you so much for the feedback!!!