Chapter 1

 

 I lay in my bed, tossing and turning. The summer breeze tickled the hairs on my arms as it blew in through my window. I kicked the blankets off of my legs. My tank top was pulled up a little, and slightly uncomfortable.

Frustrated, hot, and unable to sleep, I climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of my shorts. I reached for my phone, and as if it knew I was reaching for it, it vibrated. Startled, I looked to see who it was. It was a text from James.

'Meet me at the gate' So he, too, couldn't sleep, interesting. I replied to his text.

'I'll be there in 5 minutes' I knew it would take longer than that, but James was always late, so it wouldn't matter.

I shoved a pair of flip-flops on my feet and my phone in my pocket. Running my fingers through my hair I slowly opened my bedroom door and walked down the stairs, carefully over stepping the creaky stair in the middle of the staircase.

I walked to my back door, my parents had locked it before going to bed. That meant I was going to need to take the spare key. I grabbed the key off the top of the refrigerator and unlocked the door before stepping out into the cool summer night. I shut and locked the door behind me, then broke into a jog down the dirt path to the gate.     

I could feel my breathing getting heavy as I approached the gate. I slowed my jog to a walk as I could see James walking up the dirt path on the other side of the gate. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before a rather large smile graced my face.

"So, you couldn't sleep either, huh?" I asked him as we both came up to the gate at about the same time.

"No, it was so weird, I couldn't even think straight. I think it's time." He gave me a stern look.

"Already? It hasn't even been a year yet!" I answered, appalled at the idea.

"I know, but that doesn't really matter. They need someone there at all times, and their time goes a lot faster than ours." He tried to reason with me, opening the gate towards himself and gesturing for me to walk through. I walked through the gate. It didn't seem too significant, but at the same time it brought back some memories.

"Ok. So, where do you think they hid it this time?" I put my hands on my hips and glanced around us.

I could hear the ocean far to my right, its scent of salt water was pulled up the bank and over the hill by the summer breeze. There were grasslands stretching out as far as the hill. Just beyond the hill sat the ocean, lapping at the shore. Its waves were like arms reaching and pulling at loose rocks upon the sand.

To my left was a smaller stretch of grassland, then there started the woods. I loved those woods. I hadn't been in them since the last time they needed us, and I wasn't alone then, I was with James. When I was little I used to have a tree that I would hide in when my parents were fighting. It fell over last month in a wind storm. I think they had something to do with the tree falling. Maybe it was a warning. I'm really not sure.

"Well," James interrupted my thoughts, "last time it was the woods. Why don't you go look where it was last time, and I'll go look along the beach." His idea sounded plausible.

"Can't we stick together? They didn't like me as well as you, remember? Just because I'm a girl." I trailed off, knowing I was acting childish but that part of the woods scared me.

"Common Dezzy, you know that they can't hurt you. You still have that necklace." He reminded me, making a very good point.

"Ok, fine." I gave him a resigned look, "Meet me back here in half an hour. DON'T be late." I looked at him long and hard, he stared back at me, tilting his head to his right before lunging towards me and grasping me in a hug.

I laughed, surprised by his action, but at the same time, glad he did it. He whispered in my ear, "Don't worry, we'll both be fine." He kissed me gently on the cheek before breaking apart from the hug.

I sighed, "Ok, I guess you're right. Set an alarm on your phone for 25 minutes, so we can be back here in a half hour." I pulled out my phone and set the alarm at the same time as him.

"See you in thirty minutes." He flashed a smile at me, stuck out his tongue and turned around, jogging towards the ocean.

I watched him jog for a good 5 minutes, then realized I was loosing time. I started down the dirt path again, towards James' house. I turned left at the sign post and stopped. Looking into the woods, familiar as they were, a wave a fear still washed over me.

 

The woods were dark, very little light was being provided to begin with, as the moon wasn't full tonight, and it wasn't as bright as it usually was either. Shadows were cast eerily and seemed to move constantly, as if they were waiting for something. I could hear the whisper of the trees around me, their branches swaying in the breeze, their leaves dancing. The sounds around me calmed my nerves. 

 

I took a few steps into the trees, their shadows now becoming one with mine. I ducked here and there periodically, following the path which James had cleared out for us last time. They hadn't exactly liked that we had destroyed portions of their homes, but they agreed to leave the path open so that we could easily find the hidden entrance again. 

 

I stepped on a twig and heard a loud CRACK! Startled I jumped a little. I stopped walking and listened for a moment, just to be sure I was alone. What I heard hadn't been what I was expecting. I heard voices. Small, and low, but they were there. 

 

I could feel my heart speed up in my chest, moving closer to my throat and pounding hard. I stood up and started walking again. This might be a good sign, if those voices were the ones that I hoped they were. I could see ahead of me a small light, hidden in the tree that had the hole in the base of it. It was still here. I watched as the light coming from it moved, and grew, then shrank and went back to its original position. 

 

The roots of the tree seemed to move, sending small quakes outward, away from it. I could feel the quakes in my feet, running up through my legs, following my pumping blood to my heart, then through my arms and head. The constant beat of the tree roots calmed me a little more. My heart moved back to its place in my chest, but it remained beating against the inside of my ribcage.

 

I started to move forward, forgetting to call James and tell him it was still here. The light in the hole at the base of the tree was hidden slightly by the roots. It was small, it would be a tight fit. I thought back to last time and how I managed to get through. I took a deep breath and watched the light again, this time more cautiously. 

 

"Who approaches me, wearing a red ruby necklace?" I heard a voice, and stopped watching the light. My head moved slowly from side to side, trying to find where the voice had come from.

 

"You, child, who are you?" The voice spoke again, this time gentler and soothingly, like a mother trying to lull a child to sleep with softly spoken words. 

 

"I-" My voice got stuck in my throat. I didn't even know who, or what, I was supposed to be talking to. I took a deep breath, freeing my voice and tried again "I am Dezzoray, I protected the kingdom that was here not long ago from the great Manchua that came." My voice shook in nervousness, my heart grew faster, now almost like a butterfly fluttering around in my chest looking for a way out. 

 

"Ah, yes child, I remember you. Dezzoray... the name doesn't seem to ring a bell, but Danielle does." The tree seemed to lean closer to me, the quakes in its roots slowing, and almost stopping. It seemed that the tree was the one who was talking to me.

 

"Yes, your people, they call me Danielle." I said it, a weak smile painted across my face. 

 

"Not my people, child. They are yours." The tree spoke once again before leaning back and returning its attention to the quakes in its roots. 

 

"My people?" I was stunned, they had hated me and now they were mine? I looked at the tree, hoping for an answer, but I didn't receive one. The light in the hole at its roots had changed colors, no longer did it glow slightly red, it now glowed blue. 

  

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and jumped back several feet. No longer could I feel the quakes in my feet and body. I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I had 5 minutes to go meet James. I turned on my heel and ran back through the trees, emerging next to the sign post on the dirt pathway. 

 

I turned and ran the last few yards to where I saw James standing. He looked disappointed. I practically knocked him over with the force of my hug. I hid my face in his shoulder as tears started pouring down my face. 

 

Author's Note

Grammar, spelling mistakes, additions, corrections, anything, just let me know.

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

You're a very good story-teller, Unknown. I noticed a number of mis-spelled words and problems with punctuation, but overall, you're doing a fine job with this story. You make me want to follow your characters and see what's going to happen. Thanks for sharing it. Sam