Forgotten Dreams; Left Behind Memories

“How do you like the anime I recommended?” Jules asked from the seat next to her. Jules’s light blue eyes sparkled with amusement as the other girl’s face lit up.

“I love it! I had heard of it but never watched it! It is so good!” Averey responded animatedly, bouncing in her seat.  She waved her hands beside her. Her black braids jumped with her and her grin nearly split her face.

“Everyone off the bus! We’re here!” Teacher called. All of the students flooded the doors. Three steps out; Averey stopped dead, her eyes wide with what looked to be fear and confusion. Jules pulled her to the side of the mob of students.

“Averey are you okay? Hey! Averey what’s wrong?” Jules asked, worried, shaking Averey’s shoulder and snapping her fingers in front of the other’s face.

“I feel so weird. The oddest case of déjà vu. For some reason I’m so terrified. I want to run and run and never stop until I am so far away from here I can’t run anymore.” Averey muttered, shaking her head as if trying to dispel the feeling. Jules looked up at the sky, her eyes flicking from one cloud to another. She looked that way when she was thinking, usually of an excuse as to why she hadn’t done her homework this time.

“Then maybe you have been here before. This place attracts wiccans like a moth to flame. Maybe your mom took you here when you were little.” Jules suggested, trying to reassure Averey. Averey looked at Jules skeptically. She was not reassured in the least. Her dark eyes glowed with the terror she was concealing. It was a wonder to Jules that the other wasn’t shaking.

“Then why am I terrified? I feel like a deer. I feel bloodlust emanating from this place like a war ground.” She asked.

 Jules shrugged. ”Maybe that’s why. Maybe so many people died here that the blood stained its very essence.” Jules suggested. Averey nodded slowly, considering.

“Maybe.” She agreed. ‘That’s a hell of a lot of people. This place reeks of blood. The whole genocide of a clan could have been committed and it would have smelled like a drop on an ocean.’ She thought wrinkling her nose.

            Jules glanced back at the bus, resisting the urge to sigh. God how she wished this day would never come; how she wished Averey would stay a little girl forever; how she wished the two of them weren’t ‘certified geniuses’, whatever that even means. She watched the suns glitter and burn above her head for a moment.

Grabbing Averey’s hand, Jules towed her along to catch up with Teacher and the rest of the students. Teacher was showing them the memorial made by the dwarves and elves after the Last Great War. Jules confident smile slipped to a worried frown when her back was to Averey. When teacher had announced that they would be taking a field trip to Cliff Agnaron her heart had skipped a beat. She had been hoping to protect Averey from this for as long as she could. Averey was distant as Teacher told the students about the memorial. She knew that Averey would not be able to stop the awakening now and she would come here.  Jules had simply hoped it would not happen so soon. She was staring off at the distant woods that covered most of the cliff. They were at the very base of the cliff where the tourist shops were. There was a thin path that led up to the small house at the base of the forest. Being this close would be driving Averey insane. Jules would leave the doors unlocked tonight. Not that it would make a difference Averey knew how to get out without making a sound. But it was a sign that Averey would appreciate. They were silent on the trip back. It was a Saturday so not all the students were there. Averey watched the cliff receding from her vision.

Averey was seated on the giant chair in their small house. The thing made Averey look five, instead of almost thirteen. Jules looked up from her laptop to watch Averey read for a moment.

“I am going to leave the doors unlocked for you.” Jules stated sadly. It had taken her a while to decide whether or not to tell Averey. Averey smiled over at her.

“Thank you Jules. Do not sound so sad. I am coming back, believe it!” Averey grinned at her. Even though Jules hated Naruto with a passion, that quote coming from her was a sure fire way to make her smile. Jules looked at her for moment. Then she smiled.

“I know. But there are a lot of creeps out there. Just be careful.” They laughed together for the first time in what seemed like decades.

+          +          +

It was a full moon. Averey put a flash light in her big pocket anyway. For some reason she knew she would be back tomorrow night, the night of the new moon. Averey smiled, this was going to be fun. It had been a long time since she had broken her own personal curfew. ‘In the house by midnight, in bed by two.’ She whispered to herself, and looked over at the big clock on her dresser. Eleven fifty seven. Perfect. She rummaged in the bottom drawer of her dresser for her hidden knives. After a moment she found them. They didn’t go in her pockets. She dropped them into the many sheathes hidden around her body. Averey slipped down the stairs and out of the house. Jules watched her go from the upstairs window. Averey ran steadily for Cliff Agnaron. It looked different in the light of the full moon. She stopped at the top of the path, not sure where her feet where taking her. She was not angled towards the house, so where? Ah, the woods of course. Satisfied she began to run again. Darting through the woods, she wondered how she knew where to go.

            Suddenly she burst into a clearing at the tip of the cliff. It was beautiful. There where rosebushes and every other type of flower, surrounded all around by trees. A small stone cottage was directly in the middle of the clearing. The moon shone on the ivy covered stone cottage. This was what she was looking for. She walked for it, reveling in the moonlight. She pushed slightly on the rotted wood door and it crumbled before her eyes. She was shocked by the darkness inside the cottage. She sighed and waited for her eyes to adjust, which they did rapidly, she had an abnormal amount of rods in her eyes. Averey half knew what she was looking for. After a moment she found the small black carpet in the corner concealing the trapdoor. It was all far too predictable, as if she had done the hundreds of times before.

“Now I wonder when the evil villains will rear their ugly heads.” She chuckled to herself as she descended the steps. Averey closed the trapdoor behind. She walked down the stone steps a little uncomfortable. She wished Jules was with her. They had been together forever. They were almost never separated ever since their parents had died so many years ago. Averey was two years younger than Jules but had been able to skip to grades. Jules had never seemed to resent her at all for being in the same grade even under the circumstances. This was the first time she had been away from her sister for so long a time and it made her very uncomfortable.

            Averey was so preoccupied thinking about Jules that she slammed straight into the giant door at the end of the hallway. She stumbled back from the stone door. It had carvings on the door frame. They looked to be runes. Averey walked back up to the door and carefully felt some of the runes. ‘Most defiantly Dwarven runes.’ She concluded, satisfied. She began to push open the huge doors without even looking at the rest of the runes. Suddenly she stopped and looked back up the way she had come. Averey felt terrified. She abandoned the doors and ran back up the hallway. Averey scrambled out of the trapdoor and half fell out of the crumbling cottage. She ran back through the woods and down the thin path to the far below ground. She flew like a bullet through the town and to the house she shared with Jules. Silently she slipped through the house to Jules’s bedroom. She had the horrid feeling that something had happened to Jules. Quiet as a church mouse, quieter actually, Averey slipped into Jules’s room to find her perfectly safe and sleeping.

‘With her damn tummy out, again! Gah I feel like I am older sister! What are we the Elric sisters?’  Averey ranted familiarly to herself, pulling Jules’s shirt down to cover her stomach. She still had that feeling. Averey stood still and silent. There. A noise from the closet. Tick, tick, tick, tick. A bomb…in the closet. Averey sighed.

“Not very original.” She commented quietly, opening the closet. She slid a knife from her boot and easily disabled it. “Easy!” she said, straightening and turning away from the closet. Jules looked at her from the bed with a smile on her lips.

“Not very original, huh?” she laughed.

“Nope! Not one least little bit.” Averey grinned back.

“I wonder who set it though. It figures this would happen on the one day we leave the doors unlocked.” Jules sighed. Averey smiled. Just like Jules to make a joke when she had been ten seconds from being crispy barbecue on an autopsy table. Averey bid Jules goodnight and padded back to her bed room. She knew she would be going back. She simply needed to make a trip to the library first.

                       +          +          +

            The next day was Sunday. Unfortunately nothing opened until round noon on Sunday’s so Averey had time to waste. Impatiently Averey killed time by watching some of the anime Jules had suggested. Even that could not hold her interest. When noon finally rolled around Averey, literally, ran from the house. The people in the town were used to seeing Averey run to her destination instead of walking. She ran straight into the library, skidding to a walk as she entered. Averey went straight to the books on dead languages. Immediately she found three books on Elven runes, and eight on Greek, Latin, and Roman. She didn’t find even one about Dwarven runes. Slightly puzzled she walked to the receptionist.

“Um, excuse me Miss? Do you have any books on Dwarven runes?” Averey asked. The receptionist looked down at her.

“None in the kids section, only in the restricted adults.” She replied. She was apparently new. “

Okay. Thank you.” Averey said and walked away.

“Hello Morris.” She greeted the guard to the restricted area of the adults section.

“Hey Averey. Jules doing okay? Did she get over the flu?” he asked.

“Oh yes she is fine now. Thanks for asking.” She replied smiling.

“Well, hope you find what you are looking for.” Morris said. Averey smiled and walked into the restricted area. The new receptionist looked at him, confused. He shook his head.

“Don’t ask.” He said simply.

            Averey waved to the librarian in the restricted area.

“Hello Kara. Can you show me to the Dwarven runes, please?” Averey asked walking to her. Kara nodded silently and began to walk away. They walked in silence to the shelf Kara had picked out. She knew every book in here, where it was, and was it contained by heart. Kara pointed to it.

“Thank you, Kara.” Averey smiled at her. Kara nodded and walked away. The book she wanted was too high for Averey to reach. She scowled angrily at the book.

“Get down here right now you damn book.” Averey muttered at it. The book sat there, teasing her. Averey stomped over to the step stool, picked it up and stomped back. She did not appreciate having to use it. Averey climbed up on the stepstool and pulled the book off the shelf. It was huge, and heavy. Averey sneezed. It was also very dusty. Averey sat down on the stepstool and opened the book. Immediately Averey found the rune she had seen, well more felt. Death.

“Well, that’s nice.” Averey chuckled quietly. She closed the book. Averey heaved herself and the book off the stool. Grumbling at the book about it needing to lose weight or she might drop it she walked back to Kara. Averey heaved the book on to the counter and puffed.

“Odd book. Why this one?” Kara asked. It was the first time she had spoken to Averey. Or to anyone for that matter. Averey blinked.

“Oh, um, I found some Dwarven runes and I wanted to interpret them. You know how I am I just couldn’t let them go.” Averey replied.

Averey liked Kara. She was the youngest of the librarians but also the most senior. She had been with the library for the longest. (Her legal guardian had been the library owner.) Averey never played the child with Kara the way she did with most adults. The very first time one of the books she wanted was in the restricted section she had pleaded with Morris to let her in: ‘Oh please Mister Guardsman just this once? My sister is ill but she wanted me to get her this book. Please?’ It hadn’t worked on Morris like it usually did on everyone else. Kara had told him to let her in. Or rather she had walked over and grabbed Averey and led her inside.

 

Kara humphed. “Be careful. Danger lurks in every page of this one. I like you. Don’t get hurt.” Kara handed the book to Averey.

“I will keep that in mind. Thank you again, Kara.” She said and turned away.

“Oh, and Kara. I like you too.” Averey smiled, looking back at her. Kara smiled for the first time, and her lip ring turned up at the corner of her mouth. Kara had a beautiful smile. Jogging home Averey couldn’t help but think of Kara’s warning.

“Danger lurks in every page.” What had she meant? Averey looked around and wondered why she was going home and not straight to Cliff Agnaron. Averey shrugged, she would trust her feet. She jogged home.

Averey went straight to her room and opened the book. On the very first page was a picture she recognized. Averey put the book down and reached under her bed for a small box. She pulled the pendent hidden inside out. Sure enough it was the same as the picture. On her death bed Averey’s mom pressed the pendent into her six year old daughters’ hand bidding her guard it with her life. Averey climbed onto her bed with book and pendent, and began to read. It wasn’t just about runes. It was a history. It was not a history of just the dwarves. It told about the cottage on the cliff, the door in the ground, most importantly it told about the bearer of the pendent.

“Well. That was not what I expected.” Averey commented, closing the book.

“Do you understand now?” Jules asked from the doorway. She walked towards Averey her brown hair swishing in front of her bright blue eyes. Averey pushed her own short brown bangs out of her eyes.

“Yes. I understand. I know what I have to do. I know we have to carry on the traditions of our people. I have only one question. Why is our legend recorded in a book of Dwarven runes and history?” Averey asked.

“Because of every one the Dwarves were most perceptive to our powers. They believed. They were smart.” Jules replied sitting down next to Averey.

“Does Kara know of this? She has read it before.” Averey asked. Jules nodded.

“Kara is of Elven blood. Her grandparents believed so she believes. She is a friend to us.” Averey smiled.

“Good. When do I go?” she asked.

“Next full moon at the eclipse.” Jules replied. Averey looked up at her.

“That’s also the solstice right?” Averey asked.

“Yes. Be there before the eclipse. But the awakening must happen during the eclipse.” Jules said. She smiled and got.

“Be careful.” She grinned and ruffled Averey’s hair.

The next month dragged by. Averey took to wearing the pendent around her neck, and going to the library to talk to Kara, who was only five years older than her. Finally it was the day. Averey flew to the cottage and down the steps. She took off the pendent and unlocked the door. Inside were books. Averey checked her watch.

“Damn I am early.” She muttered. Averey searched through the books for her peoples’ history.  When she found it she searched hurriedly looked for the chapter she needed. She read through it quickly. Finally she knew what to do. She was running out of time. She ran out of the book room, up the stairs and out of the darkened cottage. She pushed through the rosebushes to the very tip of the cliff. She came out exactly where she wanted. There was a man there waiting.

“Gimme the pendent girlie and I won’t hurt you.” He said trying to be threatening.

“Stupid.” Averey told him. She ran up to him and pushed him off the edge of the cliff. The moon was still shining but not for long. She looked back at the circular slab of rock. It had four rounded triangles of the same rock coming off it in all four cardinal directions.

Averey stepped into the center of the rock and slipped the pendent over her head. She carefully fitted it in to the slot of the same shape cut into the stone. The stone made a horrid grinding sound and raised her about ten feet. She stood directly in the moon light and raised her arms to the moon to begin the chant she had found in the book. She had been practicing all month. There was more pressure now, it was the real deal. Averey breathed in. “Calm.” She told herself. Her heart slowed and she began the chant as the moon began to turn red. The red light of the moon shone on her skin making it almost seem to glow red. The four triangles gathered moonlight and threw it up at her hissing at spitting with electricity. Averey screamed as it touched her, feeling her skin burn. Averey fell to her knees. It was almost over. The moon through blood red light at her still. Suddenly it seemed to brighten and a woman stood before. The moon went black. She was beautiful. Her white hair fell in graceful waves to her knees and her skin glowed softly. The moon, Luna. She said not a word, but maid her hands on Averey’s temples. Averey felt energy course through her. She felt more and more energy enter her. It was too much. She couldn’t handle it all.

 “You have been chosen, young Averey TwoStar. Do not fail me.” Luna told her. Averey descended into darkness. She had done it.

Averey awoke to unfamiliar surroundings. There was something around her wrists, her ankles too. Ropes.

“You are one troublesome girl.” A male voice said from somewhere.

“I am sorry if I caused you any inconvenience.” Averey muttered without opening her eyes. The man chuckled.

”What do you want?” she asked, though she knew.

“You know full well. I want the power you posses.” He answered.

“I figured I should ask, in case you actually weren’t making a cliché of me. Who was the dumbass I pushed off the cliff?” Averey asked.

“Just an ambitious lackey.” He replied.

“Not very bright.” She observed.

“No, he wasn’t, was he?” the man said.

“So how do you expect to make me go along with the convoluted plans you are sure to come up with?” Averey asked companionably.

“By forcing you of course.” He said plainly.

“How?” She demanded just as plainly.

“Do you happen to recognize her?” the man asked. Averey opened one eye to see Kara standing before her. She opened the other eye.

“Who are you?” Kara asked.

“Averey. Nice to meet you.” Averey smiled at her.

“Kara.” Kara replied.

“Do not try to lie to me.” The man said from the shadows. Averey’s head whipped around to him and she gave him her trademark ‘eye of the devil’ stare.

“I never lie.” She lied. The man stepped from the shadows.

“Morris!?!” Kara and Averey exclaimed. He just looked at her.

 “Well then.” She muttered exasperated and flustered. They heard noises from outside. There was a thump and a crash.

“You dumbasses! How dare you touch Averey and Kara?! I will beat all of you to bloody pulps. Damn it!” Were some of the more child friendly things issuing from the other side of the door. After a bit more thumping, crashing and cursing Jules exploded through the door.

“You. You kidnapped my sister and my best friend. How dare you even think of touching them?! You b*****d!” She shrieked. He blinked at her. Jules clenched her fists. She punched him hard in the face. He flew across the room and slammed into the wall, out cold.

Jules conjured a knife from somewhere to cut Averey and Kara’s bonds. Averey yawned and stretched.

“Well that was boring. Maybe we can find something more fun to do?” Averey laughed and skipped out the door. Jules sighed then laughed.

“Kara. Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you did he?” Jules asked.

“I am fine.” Kara replied quietly.

“You good for now? I have to go find her before she hurts herself in the name of fun. Or worse someone else. Come by later okay? You can have dinner with us.” Jules offered. Kara nodded her thanks. Jules was out the door in a flash.

“Hey! Wait for me Averey! I can’t let you have all the fun!” Jules laughed running to catch up. Kara smiled after them.

“They will do well, Mother, I am sure of it.” She said looking out at the shining moon.

Author's Note

So, guess who wrote this like four years ago. Me.
I've been thinking of rewriting it some time, so just..anything would be helpful.