Webspun, Chapter 3: Not Safe Anymore

Lance found himself with nothing to do on the second day of summer vacation. He had done everything, beaten all his musical video games, completed all the Sudoku puzzles in his Sudoku books, and even finished the crossword puzzle in the paper today, all just because he had been thoroughly bored.
Of course, Jenna was sleeping in, Kimmy had undoubtedly stayed up all night reading, and Ethan was so obviously on his morning walk.
He lay on his bed, wondering if the entire summer was going to be like this. The confusion of the last two days had completely vanished and now he had nothing to do. It was raining again, and the rhythmic pounding on the window was starting to annoy him. He turned on some Coldplay and sat up in his bed.
He got up and went to Arthur’s room. Before he knocked, Arthur said from behind the door, “Not now, Lance.”
Lance wheeled around silently, and found the door to Maxx’s room open. He peered meekly inside to find Maxx lying on his bed, reading a thick book.
“You can come in if you like.”
Maxx didn’t look up from his book as Lance trotted into the room and sat on a mesh carpet. Almost every inch of the wall space was covered in bookshelves, but the spaces that didn’t showed pictures from concerts or slogans like “Gay Pride” or “Be Proud”. The largest poster in the room had a picture of a woman on a red carpet and clearly read “MONSTER BALL TOUR 2010”. Lance always admired his brother’s boldness.
Lance looked at Maxx, “What’re you reading?”
Maxx said, still not taking his eyes from his book, “Plutarch.”
“Is that summer reading?”
“No, I’m reading it for fun.”
Lance looked around the room, and then said, trying to be casual, “How’s Oliver?”
Maxx smiled at his book, and said, “He’s fine, I just texted him; turns out we have a shared interest for Greek literature, since he’s reading the Poetics right now.”
Lance started bouncing up and down.
Maxx turned his head away from the page and said looked at his identical triplet, slightly annoyed and said, “Please stop being so distracting.”
Lance stayed still, and then said, “I think I’m going to write something.”
Maxx nodded. As Lance left, Maxx said, “Yes, go; be inspired.”
Maxx’s door closed gently when Lance was almost down the hallway.
Lance walked down to the office space underneath the stairs and grabbed a piece of clean printer paper from the printer. When he sat down and began to write in his room, there were already words on the piece:

Hi.
Lance was intrigued, yet confused. He recognized the handwriting instantly. It was Solitude’s. It was as though an invisible hand was writing on the paper, as if passing quick, but actually meaningful, notes in class.

Umm, hi?
It’s Solitude. How are you?


Good. You?

I’ve been better. I have an urgent message for you.

Which is?

Go to the closest mall. I will be waiting for you there. I think it may be easier to find than the Lost Temple.

Lance thought for a moment. This was an excellent opportunity to meet Solitude.

Did you invite anyone else?

What do you think?

I think you did.

I think so too. It would be good for you to meet me.

I’m coming.

Awesome.

Intent on finding whom Solitude was Lance told his mother he was going to the mall with his friends. He walked to the car, as his mom insisted on taking him.
Lance met up with Ethan, Kimmy, and Jenna at the mall. The mall was nearly empty, which they found very strange, especially in the summer. The lights were dimmed.
“Solitude said she’d be waiting,” Lance said nervously, “she said she’d be here.”
“We’ll look for her,” Ethan said reassuringly. “We’ll split into two groups. Lance and Jenna can go together and Kimmy and I can go together. We’ll cover more ground that way.”
They all agreed. They walked through the food court and into the actual mall. Jenna and Lance went towards the western wing of the mall, which left Kimmy and Ethan the eastern wing.

Lance and Jenna walked through the mall, holding hands.
“What do you think Kimmy and Ethan are doing at the moment?” Lance said conversationally.
“Looking for Solitude, you idiot,” Jenna said, clearly annoyed. “I’m happy they’re gone right now, I’ve been spending way too much with them this summer, especially with,” she paused and put significant emphasis on the next word, “her.”

Kimmy and Ethan were deep in discussion about what had happened the last few days.
“If anyone knew that we can do this sort of thing…”
“We’d be running for our lives. I know.” Ethan said, looking exasperated.
“I don’t really like this situation.”
“May I ask why?”
“It just feels strange. Unearthly, perhaps, would be a better word for what it feels like.”
“Well, yes, Kimmy.”
They walked in silence for a couple moments, and then Kimmy said conversationally, “Did you hear about those stolen paintings?”
“No, I didn’t,” said Ethan, who furrowed his brow at the idea.
“Yes, it was on the news this morning. Apparently there was no evidence of a thief; they were just there one minute and gone the next.”
“Interesting,” Ethan said absentmindedly.
Kimmy said, not looking at him, “Yes, it is curious, isn’t it?”

“Does this entire Solitude incident freak you out?” Jenna asked Lance softly, so that no one could overhear. 
Lance seemed to not have heard, as he was staring off into the distance again with that sort of squinted-eyes and open-mouthed expression that Jenna found so familiar, but oh, so annoying.
“You’re doing it again.”
“Pardon me?” Lance seemed to have returned to Earth. He was looking slightly dazed and weary, as though he was tired of hearing anyone at the moment.
“Does this entire Solitude thing freak you out?” Jenna repeated very slowly.
“I’m not stupid. Talk at a normal pace.” Lance said flatly. He hated when she did this to him. “But, no, not really.”

Ethan turned around very quickly outside of Hollister.
Kimmy looked at him shrewdly, “You seem jumpy. What’s up?”
“It’s nothing. I just thought I heard noise.”
“We’re outside of Hollister. I think be hearing the sound of preteen girls fawning over half naked models.”
“Sure, Kimmy, that’s what I heard,” He said, his voice, brimming with sarcasm. Regardless, he looked around nervously. He looked up and noticed that the lights were flickering. A moment later and they had died. Kimmy’s hand was suddenly lit with circling flames.
Ethan said, “You’re controlling it.”
Kimmy looked up at him and said, “If I have the powers, I’m going to make them useful.”
At the opposite end of the mall, footsteps were clattering against the floor.  Ethan felt something coming closer. He spun around again.
Jenna slammed into Ethan and both of them fell to the floor.
Ethan responded quickest. “Jenna! Don’t scare me like that.”
“Sorry, Ethan.”
Lance walked out of the darkness to Kimmy, who extinguished the flames. They now were standing in one of the many plazas where light shone through the glass window above. It seemed to be deserted, as they looked at it from the boundary between it a hallway.
A sudden heat pressed upon their backs. They turned around and immediately ducked out of the way of a comet zipping toward them.
The comet turned upright in the middle of the room, and the four friends watched as it began to unfold and blossom. A strange, light, frothy mist filled the room.
The comet was nearing the ground now. A beautiful woman could be seen within the descending light. The light stopped shining as bright, but still remained brighter than the room had been. But something else had changed. The air had changed; stopped even. The girl, who was tall and thin, was walking toward them. Kimmy looked at her strangely, even suspiciously, while the others looked awestruck. She seemed to let out kindness, and more importantly, truth.
“Solitude,” Lance whispered, like a rustle of leaves in the wind. All of them turned to look at Lance. He had never done anything like this before.
“Yes, I am Solitude.” She said with a smile, “And I know who you are. You are Kimmy, Ethan, Jenna, and Lance. You are different than I imagined you to be. Younger, in fact. But I do not judge by age alone, I judge by intellect and personality.”
She gave off an aura that enlightened anyone in her path. She had long silvery white hair and deep black eyes like tiny, curious abysses. Her hair and clothes fanned out though there was no wind, and she wasn’t wearing shoes. Her nails were snow white and almost shining, and her skin was so pale that she looked like a ghost. And her voice, oh, her voice; it rang out like a foghorn though it was gentle and serene. She was perfect looking, as though she was modeled by a professional sculptor. Except, she wasn’t human, she couldn’t be human, she was too beautiful.
Lance said quietly, “W-w-what are you?”
Solitude’s expression changed, she smiled, and she turned her head, “Now that’s a very different question. Not who are you, but what are you. I am a Demon. Not the way humans interpret demons. I am a good Demon, one that brings great fortune, deep bliss, forgotten power, tremendous responsibility, utter peace, and irreparable truth. I am meant to be enticing, beautiful, and unavoidable. I am the light in everything: the sun, the moon, and the world; everything that is, it is of me.”
She walked towards Lance, and he froze. She reached out and touched his hand. Her skin was neither warm nor cold. She said, “I am the Child of Light.”
She took her hand off his, and turned away from them.
“I have much to explain, but little time. I have come to take you away from this place. You must trust me. There is little light left in this world.”
She took a glance, and raised her hand to the window above. Tinkling, like little footsteps, could be heard. She looked back at them.
“Run! Go, go!”
They turned to the dark hallway.
“Into the darkness?”
“If you want to live, then, yes!”
They started running. Solitude created light. They got out of the hallway.
Jenna was clutching her chest, unable to breath. Ethan looked slightly abashed. Solitude turned around.
“Where are Kimmy and Lance?”

“Where are we?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know anything.”
“That’s not true.”
Kimmy held up her hand. A tongue of fire illuminated their path, and Lance momentarily shielded his eyes.
“Kimmy, there’s a giant bloodthirsty spider behind you.”
“That’s ridiculous, Lance.”
“Although I may be ridiculous, I’m not kidding.”
“Oh, be quiet.”
“Humor me and just turned around, please.”
As Lance had said, there was a giant bloodthirsty spider behind her. Tattooed with red markings all over its back, and its legs were as thick as basketball poles, and it was the color of pitch. It snapped its pincers loudly.
“Believe me now?”
“Run for your life!”
They ran into another spider on the opposite direction. They were trapped.
The spiders did not advance.
Kimmy stood, muttering to herself and shaking.
With a soft “oh” she said. “It’s a test.”
She walked up to the spider, but it collapsed weakly.
Light had filled the hallway. The other spiders collapsed as well.
Solitude appeared.

All of them were together, gathered in the food court.
“Now that we’re all here, I come fr…”
The glass windows shattered in succession; the glass shattered inward. The sparkling shards turned into a powder. Solitude held her hand up.
The powder spun itself into a glass ball. It set itself on the floor near Solitude.
“…om another world, which is corrupted and lost. I fear our attackers are…”
Fire sprayed into the room. Jenna made a quick move toward the fountain, and a disc of water was sent flying towards the flames, extinguishing them.
“…those of Mesagon, the powerful trade lord I told you about in the let…”
“Explain later. Fight now!”
Jenna made another movement with water, causing a whip to lash out on a cloaked figure standing in the light from outside. Solitude grabbed her wrist, spun around and said strange words in an unearthly tone. A terrible, bloodcurdling scream echoed through the food court. The scene froze. Everything dimmed. Solitude fell to her knees. The court seemed to emit a sense of mystery. Solitude slowly rose.
“Mesagon, I have heard your anger. I have heard my people cry.”
She stopped briefly.
“You will not take their lives.”
A deep voice reverberated through the hall. It was as cold as ice. It whispered dreamily, “I wouldn’t dare, for I predict one of them will come to me.”
Solitude looked puzzled and skeptical. She turned to the four and held out her hand. A flower blossomed in her palm, light pink, as though inviting them in. It grew, and soon the entire place was covered in floral life, blossoming, beautiful, and endless.
“A new world waits for you,” Solitude said slowly. “Come with me. You are no longer safe here, and I want to protect you.”