Chapter 5, 6 & 7-Into the Nevernever

Chapter 5

Unfortunately mom was still up, sitting on the corner of the couch expectantly. It took one look at her face to observe that she had something on her mind. "Well?" she prompted "How was it?" With a groan I collapsed into the couch.
"Do we have to do this now? I'm exhausted"
She pursed her lips together, her eyes unreadable. After a long pause she sighed
"You're right" Mom shook her head and adjusted herself so she was more comfortable. "And that's not what I want to talk to you about anyway" By the look on her face something was troubling her.
"What's the matter?" I asked, wary now. After a long, irritable pause mom finally met my eyes, her own expression shaky.
"It's Isabel..." She began. I straightened up abruptly my heart getting rapidly faster with each beat, all tiredness forgotten.
"What's the matter with her? Is she alright? Did something happen?" It took me a few panicked moments to realize how fast I was speaking. Mom looked alarmed at my sudden outburst.
"No, no of course not" She said quickly "Nothing has happened" Relieved I calmed down, my heart rate soon returning to its normal speed. Sinking back into the cushions I allowed myself to relax. Once mom was sure I was okay again she carried on.
"Isabel keeps seeing things. "She got up and began to pace the living room back and forth. The expression in her eyes showed that she was thinking. "Tonight before she went to bed she complained about something-or someone stealing dolly." She stopped and turned to face me. "Do you know what this is about?"
Oh I knew. The answer made the unsettling feeling of nausea wash over me, and I suddenly fought the urge to vomit. It was them, it must be. Just as I had feared the fey were starting to invade my younger sister's life like they had done to me. My heart rate increased once again, and I dug my nails into the smooth leather of the sofa.
"Skylar? Are you okay? What's the matter?" Mom's puzzled voice broke through my dark thoughts, "How much have you had to drink?" I looked up at her. Her face was shadowed. Whether with uncertainty or concern I couldn't quite tell. I opened my mouth to speak but it felt dry, like I hadn't had a drink in months.

"No, no. I...It's okay mum" I said, my voice a little shaky "I was just...thinking" Shaking my head I pushed down the panic rising like bile in my throat and stood. "I'm not sure what Isabel is on about, but I'm sure it's just her imagination" Mum looked me up and down through leaf-green eyes. I was half expecting her to push the subject further, but fortunately she didn't. Her eyes brightened once more and she relaxed.
"Of course" she chuckled, walking over to me and drawing me into a hug "Of course it's just her imagination" I could tell she was trying to convince herself that it was nothing, but deep down I knew that her curiosity had not yet been satisfied. Finally she released me.
"Well, at least that's something I don't need to worry about anymore. You should go to bed"
Without another word I nodded, turning I walked to the bottom of the stairs and began to climb. My limbs were stiff, and my heart still raced.
If Isabel is starting to see The Fey then it won't be long before mom finds out and something terrible happens.

Chapter 6

I closed my bedroom door behind me and swung my back pack over my shoulder. It had been an awfully long night. I had hardly managed to sleep a wink. My dreams had been disturbing, full of darkness and bloodshed. Unusual creatures locked in battle, and me being in fact, right in the middle of it all. Not a very pleasant image.
As I walked across the landing, my steps heavy with exhaustion I passed Isabell's bedroom door. Still half asleep I continued to walk past, and had just reached the first step when a loud giggling erupted from Isabel's room. I stopped abruptly for a moment, debating whether or not I should just ignore it, but eventually curiosity overcame me, and I turned around and walked up to the pink door dotted with daisies. Pressing my ear to the wood I listened.
"Would you like some tea?" my little sisters voice drifted from inside, high pitched and formal, broken only by her occasional giggles. I listened carefully for whomever she was talking to to reply. A long pause and then what I had been waiting for sounded. It was unusual at first, a static hissing. I recalled hearing the same sound before. As I racked through my brain, hoping for answers- "No! Don't do that!" Isabel's shocked gasp made me jump. A loud thump was enough to set me barging through the door.
"Isabel?!" I let out a gasp of relief. There she was, sitting around her little tea set table. She was still in her pyjamas, and her hair was messy in some places. "What's going on-"Before I could say another word a loud buzz rang in my ears, followed by the sound of static laughter. Out of nowhere a fuzzy creature blipped into existence right before my face, hanging upside down from the ceiling with long upper limbs and luminous green eyes. I gasped in surprise, stumbling backwards.
"Dingo!" I heard Isabel yell "Dingo no! Bad gremlin!" After I finally recovered my steps I stared directly at the creature. Eyes wide. 'Dingo' as Isabel called it disappeared in thin air in a blink and appeared again on Isabel's shoulder. The gremlin grinned widely at me from across the room, flashing rows of sharp neon-blue teeth which glowed in the dawn light filtering in from the bedroom window. By now I was wide awake, all traces of exhaustion gone. "Isabell, get away from that thing right now" I murmured, grabbing her arm and pulling her to me where I crushed her to my chest and held her like a lifeline.
The Faerie leapt off her shoulders and landed with a soft thump on Isabel's four poster bed where it began bouncing up and down, its forearms waving about and its bat like ears flapping ridiculously. The Gremlin let out cackles of joy.
"Sky, Its okay!" Isabel squeaked, tugging herself out of my grasp and looking up at me with big blue eyes. "Dingo's my friend!"
I narrowed my eyes firstly at her, then at the small Faerie still jumping on her bed. "It's dangerous" I told her "You don't know what those things are capable of!" I had had enough experience to know that Gremlins in particular were seen as Pests to the Fey. Wherever they went you could guarantee that chaos was not far behind. Gremlins were the type of Faeries born from computer games and consoles, quite common in the mortal world. I had never seen these creatures until a few days ago when that one Gremlin darted out in front of my mo-ped as I was on my way home. Since then I had researched all about them, and knew enough to determine that they were nothing but trouble makers.
"No." My sister's eyes were hard with defiance "Dingo is friendly" She wrenched her arm free and, before I could stop her, walked over to the bed. Squaring her shoulders at the gremlin she fixed him with a hard stare "Dingo. That's enough!" she ordered and abruptly the creature stopped his fun, and scrambled onto her shoulder. It sat with a frustrated buzz. Isabel giggled as its fuzzy fur tickled her neck. I clenched my fists, looking at her with a wary expression
"I didn't know you could see them" I murmured softly, my voice shaky with each word.
It was true then. What I had feared for so long. Isabell could see The Fey, just like me. My throat became dry and my heart beat quickened. My mind drifted back to last night, the worried look on mom's face as she explained what Isabel had seen. I had comforted her, telling her that what Isabel was experiencing was nothing but her imagination, and soon the craziness would stop. This would kill her if she found out that what I had said was all a lie, and that there really were creepy creatures, unknown to mortals who lurked under children's beds and in their closets.
She mustn't find out. Something whispered in my mind. It's too risky.
And she wouldn't. Now was not the time to tell mom about The Fey, maybe there never would be a time.
"Have you seen anything else Isabell? Other Faeries?" My voice dropped an octave and I knelt down so that I was level with her. Her eyes widened in amazement,
"There are more?"
I groaned, burying my face in my hands "Yes Isabel, there are more" I murmured, my mind racing. What would happen now that Isabel was in danger?
The little girl shook her head "No Skylar, I haven't seen anymore, just Dingo" I could tell by her shifting from foot to foot that she could barely contain her excitement. The muscles in my shoulders relaxed a little at her words. I raised my head to look at her dead in the eye.
"Isabel, do you know how dangerous this is? Being friends with a Faerie?" When she didn't reply I continued, "These other creatures Izzy, they're not friendly, they are bad."
Isabel's eyes turned fiery with anger. "I told you Sky! Dingo is not bad! He's good!"
I could tell if I didn't get on her good side now, she'd have a terrible temper tantrum like she always did when she got too angry...or didn't get her own way.
"Isabel listen to me" I murmured gently, glad to see that my sisters muscles relaxed and her fists unclenched "I have seen The Fey a lot longer than you have...I know how dangerous they can be" The anger in my sisters eyes faded, and I gently brushed a long blond strand out of her eyes.
"How long have you seen them?" Isabel asked, biting her lip. I gave her a confused look. Why did she want to know how long?
"I have known they exist for a couple of years now" I replied, eyeing the Gremlin on her shoulder. "Why do you want to know?" I was suspicious now. Had Isabel been seeing the fey longer than I thought?
My sister looked at her feet but didn't give anything away. "Isabel-" The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs startled me.
"Isabel, is that you making all the noise?" yep. That was definitely mom.
The bedroom door opened and mum poked her head inside.
"Who are you talking- oh, Skylar! You scared me!" She gasped, looking me over. I risked a glance at Isabel. She stood next to me, hands behind her back with that innocent look on her face. Dingo dived into the cover of her hair, two electric green eyes just visible amongst a curtain of blond, muttering in that funny voice. I looked back at mum who had her hands on her hips.
"What are you doing here? School is about to start!" She raised an eyebrow.
"I-um...I was just on my way" I quickly stood up and brushed down my jeans. Walking towards the door I prepared to exit when mom blocked my way. I winced, meeting her eyes. Surprisingly she wasn't angry, just shocked, and was that concern I saw reflected there?
"You don't look very well, are you alright?"
I bit my tongue, obviously she would suspect something.
"I'm fine" I lied, looking at my feet "Just tired"
My mother didn't look convinced. I wasn't feeling too good at all. I had just found out my sister could see The Fey, that was enough.
"Sky was just helping me pick up my toys" That was Isabel speaking. "I asked her to"
I let out a breath of relief, hopefully that would be enough to convince mum. Though the thought seemed unlikely. Isabell's toys were all over the place. Thanks to that stupid gremlin and its bad behaviour. Mom stepped out of my way when I told her I was going to be late. I quickly kissed her on the cheek and exited the room, looking back I gave Isabel a we-will-talk-later look and with that I closed the bedroom door. I looked at my watch.
Five minutes until the bell. I thought, jogging down the stairs. I was definitely going to get a lecture when I got to school. And worst of all, I had Mrs Braxton first period.

Chapter 7

The end of school bell rang, knocking me out of my daze.
All I had been thinking about since that morning was Isabel and the fact that she could see The Fey, like me. It had put me into a really crappy mood, where I continuously felt worried at what might happen.
All around me students collected their books and headed for the door, the boys shoving each other and trying to all get out at once whilst girls hovered behind, rolling their eyes.
I got up out of my seat and slung my rucksack over one shoulder, kicking the chair under the table half-heartedly I made my way to the door where the boys had now emerged from the class room in a wave of bodies. Shouts sounded followed by laughs and I-told-you-so's. Pushing my way out of the stuffy room I continued down the hall, ignoring their childish behaviour. On my way to the main entrance I stopped by my locker and chucked my books in with more force than necessary.
"Hey Snowdrop"
Robbie stepped up beside me, his arm brushing mine for only a brief moment. The feeling stretched out for miles, feeling like it had lasted years. I shook it off immediately and kept a frown plastered on my face, pretending not to notice. "Hi" I slammed my locker door and prepared to leave when he grasped my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
"What's up?" Robbie's tone was packed with worry as he positioned himself in front of me, urging me to look up at him.
"What does it matter?" I snapped, waving my arms in the air. "The Fey have ruined my life, that's it!" I tried forcing myself past him but no matter how much I tried I couldn't budge. What a way to act like in front of everyone, like a little kid having a tantrum when her ice-cream fell on the floor. Warm fingertips grasped my chin and nudged it upwards, and those piercing eyes met mine.
"What have they done now?" Robbie asked, voice weaved with frustration. He studied my face, looking for any hints. I narrowed my eyes, wondering whether or not he'd care if my sister could see the ignorant little creatures like I could.
"Isabel can see the fey" I muttered, biting the inside of my cheek. Robbie's eyes lit up with blunt surprise.
"That why you're so stressed? Because your sister can see Faeries?" I could tell he was trying not to laugh.
"Yes because her life will be ruined!" I growled, wrenching myself free. "The last thing I ever wanted was for her to start seeing them, for her to be put in danger." Robbie's amused expression thinned out when he saw my reaction. I poked my chest "Look at me! I'm not the same person I once was!"
The crimson haired Faerie glanced down at the ground in shame, "Sorry Snowdrop" He muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets. By now most of the corridor had emptied, leaving only them.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" I grumbled, pushing past him and beginning to walk towards the school doors. "After all, you are a Faerie. Any mischief planned?"
"Actually, yes." I hadn't noticed how fast Robbie had moved, and was now walking at my side. "I am going to accompany you home." I scoffed at this, keeping my eyes firmly ahead.
"I am not a child. I can find my own way home you know." My mo-ped had in fact, of all mornings decided to break down. So now it was either the bus, or by foot. And I wasn't planning on sharing an inside space with a bunch of sweaty, dirty football thugs. So I had decided on walking.
"Great! I'm glad you see it my way. Now, let's get you home" Obviously Robbie had chosen to ignore my lame protest, and happily waltzed out the doors and into the courtyard like nothing had happened.
Ugh! This fey boy really did know how to get on peoples nerves.
I didn't protest further, and instead ignored him for most of the journey back. I was just thinking of all the pessimistic details about Isabell's sight when the blaring of an alarm-no, not an alarm, a siren called in the distance, growing nearer and nearer until a bright yellow car passed us at an alarming speed, the luminous blue lights atop of it almost blinding me. I winced as it flew past, and resisted the urge to cover my ears. I wondered for a moment what could have happened, when I noticed it heading straight for my village, disappearing ahead and out of sight.
It must be nothing. I thought with a shrug, stealing a glance at Robbie whose eyes followed the marked car's trail. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.
It wasn't long before we rounded a final corner that led to my home, and I picked up the pace, wanting to be out of Robbie's presence as soon as possible. That was when I noticed the same police car that had just passed us, parked up alongside my house.
What-
"She was just here this morning. I told her to-to tidy her room before school" Mom? I threw my rucksack on the floor and ran up the lawn, not caring whether or not Robbie would follow. The twisting feeling in my gut told me that something was very wrong, and I didn't stop until I had reached the decking.
Mom sat on the front porch steps, her eyes wide and frightened. From the redness around them I could tell she had been crying.
"And at what time was this Mrs Blackwood?" A man of about 6 feet dressed in black uniform stood at her side, a notebook in one hand, and a pen in the other. Another officer stood at mums other shoulder, listening in.
"Ab-about 8:30" Mom stuttered. She held a tissue in her hands and was blowing her nose violently, her hands shaking with the effort.
But where was Isabell?
"Mom?" She looked up as I spoke, and her eyes creased at the corners as she forced a smile at me.
"Hello sweetie"
"What's going on?" I demanded, looking sharply at the police officer, expecting an answer. "Where's Izzy?" The two men exchanged a glance,
"Your sister disappeared early this morning, just after you left for school..." The officer with the notebook paused and licked his lips, clearly trying to find an easier way to explain. "Your mother claims to have not notice her leave, and Isabel has not been seen since." Mom had started crying again, her breaths coming out in short, ragged gasps.
Right then the world seemed to give way beneath my feet and next thing I knew I was falling, falling into darkness, nothingness. Isabel? Missing? My mind retraced its steps back to that morning, the last I had seen of Izzy she had been messing around with that stupid Gremlin of hers. Sudden realization hit me like a gunshot in the stomach.
Oh no.
A warm hand rested on my shoulder, bringing me back to reality. "I know." That was Robbie speaking, he must have heard all the commotion and come to see what was going on. My mind felt all fuzzy, and for a moment I imagined myself swaying on my feet, I couldn't focus right, my body not seeming to function properly.
I quickly pulled myself back together, that is, enough to allow me to turn my head, and watch as Robbie's face bared a look of mixed surprise, anger, and shock. "You know what?" My voice was barely audible, nothing more than a whisper. "What do you know?"
A pained expression etched across Robbie's already complex expression. "It's them. They have your sister."
I already knew that. It was obvious. Those creatures had kidnapped Isabel. Even though i already understood what had happened, his words sent yet another wave of despair through my already stiff limbs. Right then all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry, or better yet, die.
"W-why?" I murmured, panic edging its way up my throat like bile. I could tell by the look on the fey boy's face that he too, was just as confused as I was.
"I'm not sure Skylar. But I do know one thing..." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck with a wary look. I could clearly tell he wasn't happy about the idea.
"What? Tell me Robbie. If there's anything- anything at all, I need to know." My voice took on a desperate tone, if the red haired boy had an idea, then I would definitely hear it.
"You're not going to like it-"
"I don't care Robbie, dammit! Just tell me!" I had to find her. Wherever she was, I would not stop until I got to Isabel, or die trying.
"We have to go into the Nevernever." He finished, scanning her face. "There's nothing else we can do."
Apparently that was enough to snap me out of it, and before I knew it I had straightened my back and gasped. "The Nevernever? Are you insane? Or just ill?" There had to be another way, there just did. The Nevernever was completely over the top. The realm of Faeries? The home of monstrous beasts and hungry redcaps?
"I told you, you wouldn't like it" He sighed, grabbing my hand and pulling me back in the direction we had come. "We have to move quickly."
"Whoa! Hold on a minute!" I hissed, wrenching my hand out of his grasp. "What are you doing? If Isabell disappeared from her room, wouldn't it be there that we would find her?" That was the last place she had seen her sister earlier that morning. Surely her room would be the most obvious place to look first. Then i thought of something,
How the hell were we supposed to get there? The realm of Faery was beyond the borders of the mortal world, out of reach of any normal human being. What were they going to do? Jump through magic portals? Walk through walls?
Unfortunately I had thought too soon.
"We have to go to the park." Robbie said, gesturing back down the drive, "There's a portal, a gateway into the land of Faery. It's the only one for miles around. Just trust me." He held out a hand to me, that stupid lopsided grin ticking at the side of his perfectly lined mouth. He was looking forward to this.
I narrowed my eyes at how simple he made it sound. "And what about mom? I can't just leave her!" I muttered, placing my hands on my hips.
"You won't have left her. She has Becky, plus...we shouldn't be gone long." For a moment I thought I caught sight of Robbie's eyes flashing with a sudden doubtful emotion, but it was gone long before I could confirm it or not. Becky was mom's best friend. They had been as thick as thieves since high school, and had hardly ever been apart since Dad left. I knew that if there was anyone I could trust- it was Becky.
But the pain of leaving mom behind only ate into me more, and i glanced in the direction of our house. The police cars had by now driven off, and mum was still sobbing on the doorstep. Just as I had thought the words, the front door opened and the familiar long Ginger hair of Becky came into view. In one hand she held a cup of something which I guessed was hot chocolate from the way it steamed like a freshly boiled kettle. The woman sat down beside her friend, and handed her the mug. My mother took it gratefully, and before long they were talking between themselves, before Becky finally managed to usher her inside.
"Um Snowdrop? Just to let you know, times running out. It'll be sunset soon."
Turning back around I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. The feeling however was gone before I could think anything more. I hated the thought of leaving mom, after all she had been through, and now she had lost her youngest child. But I knew that Isabel needed my help, and right now the most important thing, was to rescue her. "Alright, just let me get changed." I sighed, turning and running towards the house. Like Robbie said, they didn't have much time...I needed to get in and get out without mum or Becky noticing, and fast.
Slowly I opened the front door of the house, trying to keep as quiet as possible. From what I could hear, everything was silent apart from the faint sound of people talking. Taking a chance I hurried towards the stairs, and began making my way up them. The smooth polished wood of the banister felt good beneath my palms, and the house smelled wonderful. The staircase overlooked the living room, where a plasma hung from a wall above a wide, open fireplace. Sitting on the white leather sofas was mom and beside her, Becky. From the way Becky was rubbing the other woman's back, I could tell she was crying again. My gut twisted with the shameful thought of leaving, without even so much as a goodbye. Words could not describe how much pain I was going through right now.
Remembering the slim amount of time I had, I climbed the rest of the stairs in a few easy bounds, and ran straight for my room. Being the tidy person I was, it was always spick and span, not a piece of clothing nor rubbish in sight. Diving under my bed I retrieved my traveling bag. It was old and battered due to the use of it over the years, but it would easily do the trick. Throwing it on my bed I hurried over to my wardrobe and yanked out a few changes of clothes. Nothing fancy- mainly sweatpants, jeans and tank tops. If I knew anything about the realm of Faery, it was that having too much weight on your shoulders would only slow you down. And being in the Nevernever that was a very bad idea indeed. Fancy being torn limb from limb by a chimera because you couldn't outrun its poisonous bite. Or end up dangling over a pot of boiling water at the hands of a hungry Red cap. Not a very pleasant thought.
I shoved my clothes into the bag, and then made my way to the chest of draws at one end of my room. There I pulled open the top draw; inside were different items. Pieces of loose string, old bottle caps, keys and half a dozen pins. I dug around in there for a moment, before I found what I was looking for. Reaching into the draw I pulled out a worn out bracelet, made completely of solid iron, and slid it onto my wrist. It locked, and once I was sure it wouldn't slip off, I grabbed a small bottle of salt, a lighter, and shoved them into the bag with the rest of my things. Fey weren't immune to iron, one single collision with skin and bam! They're sent howling in pain. The salt was just a minor addition, it resisted all- or most fey.
Throwing a few more things into my bag I finished off by putting on my awesome skulls- and- rose's hoodie that I got off grandma for my birthday, and headed out the door.
I reached the top of the landing and to my luck, mom and Becky were still talking to one another, hot cups of chocolate placed in the palms of their hands. Taking advantage of the distraction I silently sneaked back down the stairs and made way for the front door. Opening the painted would I was struck by a chilling breeze, and looked once more over my shoulder sorrowfully, at the two women I was about to leave behind.
I'm sorry.
Then in a few fast footsteps I was out the door.
Making sure the it was fully shut behind me I kicked off at a blinding speed, running past mum's ford, past Becky's Toyota and regrettably my own mo-ped, down to where Robbie was stood waiting for me.
He looked up as I approached in surprise, I had returned pretty quickly. "Ready?" At my nod he smiled and turned, heading in the direction of Forest park.
I was not sure how long it had been until we finally reached the small secluded play area. At the far end of the park were two swings, a slide and what appeared to be a funny looking roundabout. Closest to where we stood were a set of monkey bars and an unsafe seesaw. For once no one was here, at least Robbie and I could disappear without anyone witnessing us. That was a start.
Without even a moment's hesitation the fey boy entered the park, and headed directly for the slide.
"Um, question. Why are you walking over to the slide? I thought you said we didn't have time to mess around!" I called in frustration, marching after him. The trees and forestry around the playground did their best to shield us from the icy breeze, I still shivered.
Since when did it get so cold?
Robbie let out an exasperated sigh, though I could tell he was only joking around. I had never seen him angry. "The slide is our doorway into the Faerie realm." It was then, as we neared that I noticed a gap in between the ladder, and the slide itself. It was small, only able to fit a couple of people at most.
"Another question. Why is this 'portal' you speak of in a park anyway? Surely the fey wouldn't be stupid enough to create a gateway right in the Centre of an area that is usually full of humans?"
"We Fey have a funny way of disguising things Snowdrop. Encase you haven't noticed already Faeries live and feed off of mortal emotions. Kids nowadays have minds bursting with colorful imagination, hence where this portal came from." He replied, giving me an are-you-stupid? Look. As we approached the slide, I found myself thinking hard about what he had just said. I never knew that. They survived off of our emotions? What a silly thought. I opened my mouth to ask something else, but Robbie spoke before the first word was even past my lips.
"Now if you please, can we stop with the questions for one second and focus on the task at hand?" I glanced over at Robbie to see him smiling at me. He only earned himself a death glare in return. Holding up his hands in a gesture of defeat once he saw my expression Robbie grinned and turned back towards the slide. "One other thing you should know Snowdrop, is that only a Faerie can open up the portal." I watched as he reached out his hand, palm facing upwards and waited for me to grasp hold.
Here goes.
Holding my breath I took his outstretched hand and before I knew it, we were heading through the hole beneath the slide.