Chapter 22 Aanya

Chapter 22 Aanya

            I spin around and observe my new surroundings, “Now what?” Rachel asks.

            “I’m not sure, are we in a different country or something?” I enquire.

            Talith begins to walk forward as if he’s been here before and Rachel and I look at him questionably.

            “Hey Tailith, where are you going?” Rachel calls.

            “I don’t know,” he replies.

            “Then why are you going?”

            “Because I’m going to find out where we are.”

            “New place, plus explore, equals bad idea,” Rachel preaches.

            “Whatever you say Rachel but I’m going to take a look around because new place, plus explore, equals getting home.”

            Rachel groans and motions for me to follow her, “I think you’re both right,” I indicate, and we jog to catch up with Talith. As of right now it feels as though we’re on earth but in the deep wilderness of Ireland. The grass is a bright healthy green and hills roll softly all around us into the distant mountains.

“This place is incredible,” Rachel proclaims, “I’ve never seen such beautiful green.”

            “It is beautiful,” I nod. We all continue to walk in silence as we take a look at our new surroundings. I look over to the side and a small pond shimmers in the sunlight with a few ducks settled inside. Every inch of this new land has something significant, something that signifies hope and peace. The sky is blue not a single cloud in the sky and the light of the sun doesn’t give off the color I’d usually expect, it was more pink, but it was light, it was almost like magic was protecting the land. I don’t notice I’m in a trance until Rachel calls after me,

“Hey Slacker, walk faster you’re falling behind.”

“Sorry guys, this place is just so, I don’t know.”

“Fantastic, Perfect, Utopia, Special,” Rachel suggests.

“All in one.”

“Wait a second,” Rachel says confused, “Where’s Tailith.”

“Over here,” we hear someone call,

“Tailith don’t run away like that, it was your idea to go venture off into this mysterious place.”

“I know, but look,” Talith says pointing down.

“It’s a river,” Rachel muses.

“I know, but how are we going to cross it?”

“That is an excellent question,” Rachel confirms, “Guess we have to swim.”

“We can’t” Talith emphasizes.

“Why not?” she fumes

“It’s too deep,” he explains.

“Well fine then,” she chortles.

            I stand there and roll my eyes while they argue how to cross the river and see a path of rocks that stretch all the way across the river and it’s not too far. “We can jump across those rocks,” I suggest.

            “Nice work Slacker,” Rachel confirms, “See at least Aanya’s thinking.”

            “What are you talking about?” Talith articulates, “It was your idea to swim,”

            “Stop complaining and lets go Tailith,” she commands.­

            We walk along the river for about five minutes before coming to the rocks I had seen.  The rocks sparkled and shimmered much like the one I had seen in my cave, the one that lead me to the gray room. “We can’t jump on these rocks,” I state.

            “Why not?” Rachel inquires

            “Because,” I begin, “This the same kind of rock that put me in the gray room, you know the one with all the moving walls.”

            “Well that’s just peachy,” Rachel bellows.

            “I think there fine,” Talith assumes, “you never know until you try.”

            “I’m telling you Talith the rock that took me to the room looked just like those ones,” I debate.

            “Well I’m going to try and if I disappear you know not to step on them,” he bargains. Rachel and I take step back and look at Talith astonished,

            “Are you crazy?” Rachel asks,

            “Kind of,” Talith concludes stepping onto the first stone. “See look I’m perfectly fi-” he begins to shout.

            “What?” Rachel jumps.

            “Nothing I’m fine, just messing with you,” he laughs.

            “You are jerk,” Rachel accuses.

            “Come on, let’s go,” Talith advises,

            I look at Rachel and agree, “He didn’t go anywhere.”

            “Fine but if I die I’m blaming both of you.”

            Talith steps on each individual rock and makes it to the other side with Rachel following close behind. I look at each rock nervously, I know Rachel and Talith made across safely but what if only I can activate the power the posses.

            “Come on Aanya, you can do it,” Rachel encourages.

            “We made it over here safely,” repeats Talith.

            “I know, I know,” I say, “But what if I don’t make it.”

            “You’ll make it,” she calls.

            “Okay, okay, I’m coming.” I reach out my right foot and cautiously step onto the first stone, nothing happens.

            “See I told you,” Rachel smiles, “You can do it.”

            I smile back at her and release my left foot from the grass and onto the stone with my right foot. I breath in and out heavily still praying nothing will happen, I walk across the next stone, the next, only three more stones and I’d be on the other side with Rachel and Talith.

            My right foot leaves the fourth stone and hits the next one and I feel a powerful force pull me down, I scream knowing just what was going to happen until I here Talith’s soothing voice, “Aanya, it’s okay. Just move your arms back and forth and try to keep a float while Rachel and I look for something to pull you in.”

            I force myself to push my arms and legs in a regular pattern to avoid drowning in the deep river. “I found a giant stick,” Rachel coos, “That’s right I’m just that cool.”

            “Aanya,” Talith begins, “Grab the stick and Rachel and I will pull you to shore.” The stick she found slowly creeps toward me as they both push it in my direction. After a few more stretches it’s finally close enough to where I can touch it and I grab it and hold on tightly.

            I can feel them pulling on the stick as I slowly slither forward through the water. At last I feel the soft grass press against my face and I pull myself up out of the water and onto the fresh ground. “Don’t worry Rachel,” I stutter, “Turns out you’re not the one that almost died.” We all laugh and Talith helps me up while Rachel says,

            “Well I guess Talith is right, we did make it over.”

            “Yes, but now I’m all wet,” I reply.

            “Sorry about that,” Talith apologizes.

            “No worries, it’ll dry eventually,” I assure him, “I hope.”

            “Well if we move around some more you’ll dry off faster,” he predicts.

            “Let’s get going then,” I agree.

            We all begin traveling forward again with Talith in front while Rachel and I stand next to each other following him. The pink sun begins to set behind the mountains and the wind picks up just enough to make it a little chilly, especially for a wet person. Just as the last light of day disappears behind the hills we decide to stop at a quiet little spot in the middle of a circle of trees.

            I find a few boulders somewhere in the middle of the circle where we all sit down and exhale. “I am exhausted,” Rachel confesses.

            “Me too,” I crack.

            “Ditto,” Talith expresses.

            “Does anybody now to make a fire?” I request.

            “I kind of do,” Talith admits, “I can try and find some wood in those trees and attempt a fire.”

            “Worth a shot,” I say.

            “I’ll be right back,” he states.

            A shiver rolls through my body as I sit on the rock in the dark. “You cold,” Rachel asks.

            “A little chilly, I’m still a little wet,” I reply.

            “That makes sense,” she confirms, “I’d probably be cold too.”

            “I don’t think It’s only because I’m wet though, I’m pretty much always cold.”

            “I see. So Aanya, tell me about your family.”

            “My family?”

            “Like your family members, what they’re like, what’re their names?”

            “Well, I have a 9-year old sister named Brooklyn and I live with my mom.”

            “What about your dad,” she enquires.

            “He ran out on us a long time ago, I’m not sure where he is,” I reply.

            “What does your mom do?”

            “She’s an eighth grade science teacher at the middle school near my house. I grade a lot of papers.”

            We both let out a giggle and Rachel asks, “Do you miss them?”

            “As annoying as my little sister is, yes I miss them, a lot actually. What about your family,” I echo Rachel.

            “My family? Well I have an older sister, a little brother, and I live with my mom and dad.”

            “What does your mom do?” I ask.

            “She’s a stay at home mom, but we try not to let her do all the work.”

            “What about your dad?”

            “He's a lawyer.”

            “That’s cool,” I conclude, “Look, it’s Talith and he has firewood.”

            “Thank goodness,” Rachel enthuses, “make us a fire Tailith.”

            “I’m working on it,” he begins. Talith puts the firewood down on the ground and arranges it in a teepee like shape. “Here goes nothing,” he hesitates.

            Rachel and I get up and take a few steps back, “Go ahead Tailith,” Rachel announces, “make some magic.”

            Talith takes a deep breath and picks up one of the sticks ready to the spinning thing when suddenly we all see a small flash of white light and fire sets ablaze on top of the teepee.

            “Holy cow,” Rachel hoots, “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

            “I don’t,” he admits, “It wasn’t me. Something lit that fire, almost by magic. Aanya did you see anything?”

            “Just the white flash you guys saw,” I express.

            “Well shall we go to sleep then?” he asks.

            “Sure,” Rachel says, “Tailith, you can sleep on that end of the camp the “boy’s” side, and Aanya and I will sleep on this half the “girl’s” side.”

            “Sounds good,” Talith insists, “I am exhausted so I don’t know about you guys but I’m going to bed.”

            “Me too,” Rachel exclaims.

            Rachel and Talith both walk to opposite sides of the camp while I stay in the middle warming up by the fire. I sit against my boulder chair and stretch my legs out in front of the flame. The heat wiggles its way in between my toes and I fall asleep next to the magic fire.