Iceblade: Chapter 1

Chapter 1

                      Emily’s father had told her that the crash was at the Ghostwoods, so, that was were she was headed.  She glanced at the many cars that passed her easily, wondering if her Dad would have let her borrow the car, but dismissed the idea. He was far too conservative, she decided.  Besides, he was at work, like he always was on Saturdays.  Realizing that she was slowing down considerably, she quickly sped up, hoping that the convienient distraction would be enough to keep her busy for the afternoon.  The Ghostwoods were only a few blocks ahead, which caused her to sigh with relief.  Nothing this exciting had ever happened in Gunthill before, she reflected.  In fact, it was the most interesting thing that had ever happened to her ever since her parents had divorced a few years back.
            Emily chuckled. It just showed how small of a town Gunthill was. She strolled over to the boundaries of the forest, then leaned against one of the elms  surrounding the area. Gazing at the scarlet canopy, she almost missed the discovery, hidden in the fall leaves.
            A glint of gold snagged her attention. Dropping to her knees, she cleared the leaves aside, until a metallic, red box was revealed, about the size of a small dictionary. Clutching the sides, Emily held it up to her hazel eyes. The object was metal trimmed with a gold-like substance, with a lace-like pattern.
            All of a sudden, voices shouted from ahead. Hastily, Emily stuffed the box under the blue sweatshirt she was wearing. “Hey, Emily!” The voice shouted. Emily looked up to see an eleven -year-old running over to her. His orange hair was almost covered in leaves, and as he got nearer, she could see the sunlight sparkling in his blue eyes. Emily smiled, shifting her knees beneath her in a kneeling position. Then she notices the pendant the boy held.
            “Hey, Blaze. What’s that in your hand?” The girl asked, gesturing to the glittering gold in his hand. It was an inverted triangle, with a jet-black center, hanging from a leather cord. “It’s pretty.”
            Blaze nodded, smiling secretively. “I was looking for aliens.  You know, because of the meteor? I found this, hanging off of one of the branches, of the oak over in the middle of the Ghostwoods.  The really big one, you know?  You can have it, if you want.” He shoved it into her hands without waiting for a response. He waved, then walked off, continuing his search for the extra terrestrial. Emily stared at the gift, then, shrugging, hung it around her neck. She felt the pendant press against her chest, heavy and cold like a heart of ice.
            Looking around for further interruptions, she pulled out the box, searching for a latch of some sort. It seemed impossible to open. However, Emily soon found an indentation at the top, near the bottom-right corner. The curious thing was it was in the shape of the charm given to her seconds ago.
            Emily blinked, removing the cord. It was a key! She cautiously inserted the object, and was rewarded with an answering whirr of gears, followed by a small click. Gingerly, she lifted the top to reveal several necklaces, extremely similar to the one Emily had used as a key. There was a tooth, a teardrop, an eye, a thunderbolt, a little ring, flames, and a snowflake.  They were a set, Emily realized, fingering each one.  Putting the first one back around her neck, Emily examined the eye, which interested her the most, perhaps because of its mysterious air, after all, this one had appeared out of nowhere, and weren’t eyes the window to the soul?  A pity she didn’t where it had come from….
            -Etherworlder?- A thought seemed to echo in her mind.  The only thing was, wherever had she heard of an Etherworlder, whatever it was?
            -Hello, Etherworlder.  My name is Megas.-
            Emily’s mind spun, as if she had been told that multiplication was illegal.  Furtively, she looked around, searching for some hidden speakers, or a person hiding behind one of the many trees.  “Where- where are you?”
         -Um… I think… yes, I’m in your, um, mind.-
         Disbelief crept into Emily’s voice.  “No… That doesn’t happen… Only in stories… no, really, where are you?”
         -You have to believe me.  Listen, I’m in your mind, because of, well, how do I explain…-
        “You have got to be kidding-  I would… No, this isn’t happening, this is all a dream…” Closing her eyes, Emily rubbed against her eyes, hoping to wake up from a bizarre dream that would explain everything, but when she opened them, nothing changed.
        -It’s not a dream!  I really need your help!-  The voice grew frustrated, though Emily was much more concerned with her own sanity.
        “Yes it is!  People don’t suddenly get voices in their heads, not unless they’re crazy!” Emily snapped.  Then realizing what she just said, she moaned a little, her eyes shutting again.  “That’s it, isn’t it?  I’m going crazy.  Great.  School’s starting, the leaves are changing colors, and I’m going crazy.  Perfect!” she said aloud, sarcasm almost dripping from her mouth. 
        -Now you’re just acting childish.  Won’t you at least try to let me explain?-
        “No, because, this is all some sort of crazy dream, and nothing you say is true!”
        -Great.  First you’re dreaming, then you’re crazy, and next, it’s a crazy dream!  I’m stuck here, in your head, and you won’t help me at all, or even find out why I’m here!  That makes no sense at all!  Maybe you are crazy, and it’s just my luck that I’m here!-
        Throwing the metal box to the ground, Emily stood up, upset.  “I’m going home, and I won’t talk to you, so you can get away from me!”  Turning around, she started running towards the edge of the Ghostwoods, the voice the only thing on her mind.
            -Hang on, just... stop!-
            Emily froze, then tripped and tumbled to the ground.  She lay there, breathing deep breaths.  “Go away,” she tried, fingers pressing into her skull.  “You’re not real, you’re my…” She paused.  She couldn’t be crazy, she told herself.  She was too young, and besides, didn’t everybody say that crazy people never knew they were crazy?  And you’d have to be really gullible to believe that the Ghostwoods were really haunted, which narrowed it down to…  “That box!” she gasped, thinking of the metal case.
            -Yes, that’s right, though I’m surprised it took you this long to figure-  -       
          “Oh, shut up!”  Emily snapped.  “All I need is some rest, and… then you’ll go away,” she answered, trying to reassure herself.
            -I told you, I need help, otherwise… I just need to see my uncle, he can help- -
            “No.  No more things in my head,” Emily said, shaking her head as she got up from the ground.  “I’m too- too young to go crazy.”  She started to comb the leaves from her hair as she started sniffling.  It was simply too much for her, at this point, the strange box, probably radio-active, she thought, and then an odd voice, which was never a good sign, not to mention the fact that all it seemed to do was argue.
            -You repeat yourself a lot, you know that?  Listen, I’m sorry… Etherworlders don’t have this sort of thing happen to them a lot, huh?-
         “No.  And I’m just freaking out for no good damn reason, huh?”  Emily retorted, her rationality returning.
         -Well-  Okay, you have a point.  It’s just that, the last thing I remember, I was really frustrated.  I’m sorry.-
            “Hmm?”  Emily murmured, starting to get used to the voice.  She assumed that it was a boy’s, it sounded like one.
            -I’m not from here.  I want to leave as much as you do, but we need to help each other for that to work.  Got it? I’m from another Realm called Myrcadia.  Now, what’s your name? -
            “Oh. Um… Emily.  Emily Frostlen.  But what’s a Realm?”
            -Ach.  How do I explain this?  Um, what was that word…? Okay, I’ve got it.  Say this.  Myr-cad-ia e-lei.-
            No longer too upset, Emily became confused.  “Why?  What good will that do?”
            -Etherworlders.  Never should have been neglected.-
            Emily was just about to ask about this comment when she started to realize that her mouth was moving of its own accord.  She started to panic, when she heard the voice echoing what she herself (unwillingly) was saying.  “Myrcad…ia…elei?” she seemed to be saying, her tone rising at the end of her sentence.  A wave of nausea hit her, and staggering, Emily closed her eyes…
            As soon as she opened her eyes, the dizzy feeling disappeared.  However, an even more curious feeling substituted the dizziness quickly.  Almost falling over, Emily tried to guess at the new imbalance on her back, similar to wearing a backpack.  “What did you… you just, possessed me, or something…  Why on -” Her disorientation disappeared, replaced with offense from  Megas’ invasion.  “What was that for?” 
        -I’m sorry, I had to show you somehow what the pendants can do!-
        “That was uncalled for!  How would you feel if-  You are incorrigible!”
        -You sound like… never mind.-
        Emily groaned.  “What did you do?”
        -Nothing too terrible.  Just gave you wings, is all.-
            “Wings?” Emily almost choked.  “How- wings?  Who- What?”
            -Go on.  Just try to move them.-
            Emily had no idea what Megas was tying to do with her, but it did feel like all of a sudden she had two extra arms.  Reaching back with one arm, she could feel the large, leathery limbs that Megas had provided for her.  “Can I fly with them?” she asked, forgetting her frustration for an instant. 
            -Sorry, the gravity and stuff on this Realm doesn’t make it possible.  If you started out high up, you could glide, I suppose.-
            “Never mind.”  Emily, now used to the feel of wings, though really couldn’t control their movements, suspiciously asked, “Why are you helping me?”
         -I told you, I need your help.  What do you say, yes or no?-
         “Well,” Emily started, thinking about her answer, though she still had trouble believing it.  Megas… he seemed okay, if only a little impolite.  She didn’t really have anything to lose, although there still was the possibility that she was somehow dreaming, still.  “I guess so.  Yes, I mean.”
            -Nice. Now, let’s get the other pendants.-
            Emily’s mind froze.  “Other pendants?”
            -Don’t you remember?  You’re still wearing mine.-
            Then Emily remembered that she had never removed the first pendant. “Okay, I see now.  It’s not me having hallucinations after all, is it?”
            -I never said it was.  I’ve been trying to explain the whole thing.  You just haven’t been listening.-
            Emily started for the box, but then her curiosity got the better of her.  “Well, tell me the ‘whole thing’ first, and then I’ll get the pendants.”  The reply was simple.
            -Fair enough.-