The Vanishment, Chapter Five

Chapter Five:
         That night, as Alaina fell asleep she couldn’t get Boeme’s story out of her mind. Images formed in her sleeping brain that were so detailed she might have been remembering the events rather than seeing them for the first time. In this dream world, she saw a tall, thin woman with red hair and a black gown. She stood at the edge of Boeme, shouting orders to her soldiers – thick, strong men in green and black uniforms. Front doors were smashed in off their very hinges. Men and women together took on two or three guards at a time and were beaten with heavy weapons. The cries and wails of the villagers echoed against her skull. Their loved ones were dragged from their fingertips and trouped into the forest like horses being taken to market.
         Still trapped in this unusual world, Alaina saw the captives facing the sorceress within walls of stone. Fear and horror washed over them like buckets of ice water. They seemed unable to move by themselves, as if that same water had trapped their willpower under a frozen surface. The woman sneered at them, standing before a giant, round well. The water in the well boiled and simmered as if it was cooking the giant batch of star knots that rested within its depths.
         “Tied by a tie and held by a word, cemented by tears and scrambled for words.” The words Saige had uttered tumbled back to Alaina in her dream, pouring forth from the lips of the witch. The next image showed the townspeople being dragged in to a large garden filled with dark, wretched plants that reached out and cut them as they passed. If plants were ever capable of looking evil or malicious these ones would have fit that mold. Their thorns were ragged and knife-like; their leaves sharp and razor-edged. They trembled and crawled across the ground, stretching toward the prisoners like they had a mind of their own.
From this ocean of darkness and despair, the red-haired woman swept up a handful of black soil. She cradled it in her hands and, without warning she blew its particles into the faces of her prisoners. Their eyes and nostrils seared with a gritty, alien pain and their cries reflected their suffering. This was more than dirt that invaded their bodies. This was power, magic, and a chain that bound them tighter than any physical one ever could. Beside them, the woman laughed maniacally, her red hair floating behind her on the wind.
         Then, suddenly, the dream shifted gears. The witch stood in a cold, dark room by herself. Somewhere behind her Alaina could see pieces of the same dark garden. As Alaina watched, the witch smiled at a soft, white towel that appeared to have scrapings of blood on it. The witch petted the napkin like it was a special friend, then she muttered something under her breath and tossed the towel into the same well Alaina had seen the star knots boiling in.
         Immediately, an awful, racking pain seared across Alaina’s face. The cuts on her face burned so intensely she felt it penetrate the bones underneath her skin. The searing pain struck her so hard Alaina physically jumped from the bed, letting out an awful, but quiet cry. Her hands flew to her face, certain she must be bleeding profusely from her recent injuries. After a moment the pain subsided and she became convinced that her cuts were still healing like normal.
         A quick glance around brought her panic right back to the surface. Where was she? This wasn’t her room.
         Then she remembered she was in Boeme, not Briarton. She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. Her knees came up to her chest and she rested her chin on them.
         She thought of the tall woman with the fiery red hair. Certainly that couldn’t be the real sorceress Jadyn had spoken of. And yet, Alaina felt sure it must be. The details she’d seen were too clear and precise to really be a dream. She sat sideways on the bed and stared around the dark, moonlit room. Part of her wanted to wake Jadyn and ask him some questions. But she knew he’d had a hard time getting to sleep. She’d heard him pacing in the other room late into the night.
         Instead, she tiptoed into the kitchen and searched for a lantern. Once she had one lit, she pulled the book from her knapsack. Opening it, Alaina ran her hand down one page. It had been a long time since she’d seen any kind of book. They’d had several as she’d grown up but they had to sell those when she was younger so her dad could buy a few more horses to help with the farming. She sighed. How many times had she longed for those books since her mother had died? Any memory of her mother was a good memory but she remembered the times they’d read together as particularly happy times.
         She brushed those dark thoughts away and forced her focus back to the book at hand. Curious, she flipped back to the first page and re-read the words that had caught her so off-guard at first.
         “To whomsoever finds this book: hidden within its binds are some of the deepest, most profound secrets of all magic. I sent this book out into the world so it could find you. Use its contents well.”
         Suddenly the light in the lantern flared. Alaina closed the cover quickly, chills running down her spine. What was this thing? She wondered. What was the author trying to say? Now that she had a chance to fully comprehend those words, Alaina’s mind went back over them again and again until they sounded even sillier. The book couldn’t really be meant for her specifically. The very idea was ridiculous, even impossible. But what if it was, somehow, meant for her? What would that mean?
         Alaina rolled her eyes at her foolishness. The author probably just thought he was being clever. Still, she couldn’t resist reading further. The author continued explaining himself, telling of the many places he’d visited around the world. He told of the different magical things he’d come across and the people he’d spoken to along his travels and Alaina realized briefly that he must have done the same thing Saige had said her mother had done for a profession. There were a few names in the book that she recognized from old stories, but most were unfamiliar. Most of the ones she knew belonged to characters she’d read about in fairytales – in stories she’d been certain were fictional.
         On and on she read until the dim light of dawn filled the kitchen. Eventually, sounds from the other room suggested she was no longer the only one awake. A few seconds later, Jadyn stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.
         “What’s that?” he asked, yawning.
         “It’s the book I had with me the other day. I found it in the forest,” Alaina answered.
         Jadyn yawned and nodded. “I was going to ask you about that.”
         “I just started to read it,” said Alaina. “It’s really amazing. This guy, Grover Mildro, traveled all over the world learning about magic and he put it all in this book. Hey, did you know that there are things called wind toonels?
         Jadyn stopped walking to squint at her. “You mean tunnels?” he asked.
         “Yep,” Alaina continued. “People get caught in them during storms and the wind tunnels turn them around so they don’t know which direction they were going.”
         Again, Jadyn yawned. “No, I’ve never heard of those.”
         “Yeah and apparently there are things called glow bugs. They live in certain types of trees.” Alaina stood and crossed her arms, leaning against one counter. “Their bodies emit a bright light and they enjoy being mischievous and sneaky.”
         Jadyn snorted derisively. “Yeah, I’ve met those types before. They stole my shoes and tied me to a log.”          
         But Alaina didn’t notice this odd response. She closed the book and pushed it aside, resting her chin on one hand. “Hey, Jadyn? I have a weird question for you.”
         Jadyn turned around and threw his hands in the air. “Whoa, whoa. Hold on a second.” He ran his hands through his thick, tousled hair and rubbed his eyes again. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to answer all your questions, but give me a little bit of time. I’m not exactly a morning person. Give me a chance to wake up.”
         There was no doubt he was telling the truth. It was almost difficult to watch him without laughing. He stumbled around the kitchen, bumping into chairs and counters. Every time he’d hit something, he would stop where he was, drop his head back and sigh. Then he’d shake his head and continue about his business.
         Alaina, on the other hand, found herself fidgeting with everything around the room. She tapped her fingers distractedly on the wall behind her, and then progressed over to her seat where she repeatedly picked up and dropped her fork, watching the different ways it clattered against the tabletop.
         After about the twentieth drop, Jadyn stopped what he was doing to stare at her. Watching her distracted motions made him let loose a funny little chuckle. “Do you have something on your mind, Alaina?” he asked.
         Alaina settled her hand over the fork and glanced up at him. “I’m sorry, what?”
         He grinned. “You’re fidgeting.”
         Alaina straightened her fork and sat back in her chair. “Well I kind of have a weird question for you,” she repeated.
         Jadyn sipped his tea and sat across from her. “Okay, I suppose I’m ready. What is it?”
         “What does Helecia look like? I mean you’ve seen her in person, right? How does she look?”
         Jadyn eyed her with a bewildered expression. “Why do you want to know?”
         She shrugged. “I’m just curious.”
         “Well,” he said. “She’s very tall and thin. She’s got a long, pale face and very long, bright red hair. She’s rather beautiful actually.”
         Alaina nodded. “Okay, can I ask you something else? All of the people who were taken by the witch – the people you were telling me about yesterday – did they, I mean, were they all pretty good with plants? Farming, gardening, and stuff like that?”
         Jadyn tilted his head at the question. “Yes, actually. I mean, everyone here kind of has to have skill with plants and soil, but those ten always had a real passion for that sort of thing. My mom was like that. She always kept a private garden here before Helecia came.”
         “Your mom was one of the ones taken?” Alaina asked, surprised. Jadyn nodded. “But I thought you said those people always come home at the end of the day,” she said. “How come I haven’t seen your mom yet?”
         Jadyn sighed. “Her dog ran off in the middle of the rain storm that trapped us here.” He shook his head at the memory. “That dog was her life. She went after him despite the rain and was stuck outside the town when the invisibility fell over us. After that she was just like everyone else. She couldn’t see or hear us anymore.”
         “Oh, I’m so sorry, Jadyn. That must have been really hard for you.”
         He shrugged and dropped his eyes. “We’ve all had difficult times since Helecia showed up. At least she has Winchester with her wherever she is.”
         “So you have no idea where she is now?”
         He shook his head. “No. She hung around in the woods for a few days, trying to find some way back in. Then I presume she gave up and moved on.”
         “You could still see her the whole time she was around these parts?”
         “Yes, we’re invisible to everyone else, not the other way around. I could see and hear everything she did and said.” Once more he sighed. “You have no idea how frustrating it is to be so close to someone you love and not be able to communicate with them.” He stood to refill his cup. “I shouldn’t complain, though. Like I said, almost everyone here has some loved one on the outside.”
         A sudden realization fell over Jadyn just then. He spun to face her and crossed his arms. “Wait a minute. How did you know all those things? About the people being gardeners and all that?”
         “Well, that’s what I was gonna tell you,” she said. “I had a strange dream last night, but that was really specific; almost like a vision or something. I saw a tall woman exactly like you described. She was with a group of people in this large, open garden.”
         “That’s amazing!” Jadyn exclaimed. “I don’t know how you would know this, but everyone here knows the witch’s most precious possession is this large garden that encircles the castle. We were all warned from the very beginning that the garden and everything in it was strictly off limits.” He sat back at the table, his hands wrapped tightly around his cup. “That’s actually part of how the invisibility happened. A group of young boys dared each other to steal an apple from one of her trees and eat it. The witch saw them and that’s when the storm started.”
         “What happened to the boys?” Alaina asked.
         Jadyn blew out a bitter breath and shook his head passionately. “She turned the rain above them to acid rain. The boys suffered greatly and it took them a very long time to recover.” He paused and looked up at her. “The boy who bit into the apple died a short time later.”
         “Oh,” Alaina said, sitting back in her chair.
         Jadyn nodded at her reaction. “Are you starting to understand how dangerous this could really be?”
         Alaina nodded silently. She would be lying to herself, however, if she said she wasn’t still excited about the prospect of a real adventure. This was going to be even better than she had imagined. Thoughtfully, she ran her fingers over the book that lay in front of her.
         Jadyn watched her movements with a curious expression. “Hey, I have a question,” he said lazily, almost too casually. “You seem awfully interested in this stuff for someone who doesn’t believe in magic.”
         “That’s not a question,” Alaina said.
         Jadyn arched an eyebrow in response.
         “Okay, okay,” she said. “I guess I’m curious. Supposedly my mom was really into this stuff. She traveled all over the country searching and cataloging magical incidents. Kind of like this Grover guy, I guess. I’ve been told she even wrote a book just like this one.”
         Jadyn nodded. “She was a mage.”
         Alaina shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t know. Is that what you call people who do that?” Before Jadyn could answer she went on. “Anyway, supposedly there was some magic involved in her death and I guess I’m just curious if there’s anything in this book that might explain what happened.”
         Jadyn nodded sympathetically. “How did she die?”
         But Alaina didn’t hear his question. Her eyes had drifted to the star knot he had hanging up and her face suddenly lit up as if she’d thought of something brilliant. She scrunched her eyebrows and examined her companion’s features. “Jadyn?” she began. “What was your mom’s name?”
         He blinked, surprised at the question. “Saige. Why?”
         A flurry of excitement swept over Alaina. “Jadyn, I know your mom!”
         “What?” Jadyn leaned forward in his chair. “What do you mean?”
         “There’s a woman named Saige who lives in my town. I didn’t realize until now how much you look like her. She showed up a couple of years ago and she has a golden retriever named Chessie.”
         “Winchester was a golden retriever!” he exclaimed. “We always called him Chessie for short. This is amazing! How is she? Is she doing okay?”
         Alaina laughed. “She’s great. She was my best friend there. She was actually the one who - er, who convinced me to come help.” She dropped her eyes as if she read something scrawled across the floor. “Now I understand why she was so encouraging. I wonder why she didn’t tell me she came from here.” She glanced back up at him. “That’s kind of strange, don’t you think?”
         Jadyn shrugged. “Not really. She probably didn’t want to influence your decision in the wrong way.”
         Alaina grinned. “Well that explains the star knot.”
         Jadyn quirked an eyebrow. “What?”
         Alaina nodded to the star knot over the fireplace. “The star knot,” she said. “Your mom has one in Briarton.” Alaina chuckled. “I asked her about it right before I left.”
         Jadyn fingered the star knot thoughtfully. “Yeah, she used to wear these things all the time.” He shook his head ruefully. “They have become quite a fad around here, it seems like I see them every time I turn around.”
         “A fad?” Alaina asked.
         He nodded. “Yeah, a lot of people around here wear them pinned to their clothes. I’m sure my mom explained their significance?”
         Alaina nodded.
         “Well, then,” Jadyn said. “Certainly you can understand their significance to this town. Everyone started wearing them shortly after the first group of people were taken to the castle…er, what?” He squinted at Alaina questioningly. She had a thoughtful expression on her face.
         “I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head. “I dreamt something about the star knots last night while I was dreaming about the witch, but I can’t put my finger on it. I can’t quite remember why they were in the dream.” She shrugged. “Oh well, I’m sure it’s not important. I was probably just thinking about them cause I had your mom on my mind. She played a big part in me coming here.”
         Suddenly, Jadyn jumped from the table and paced the kitchen, running his hand through his hair. “I can’t believe this! You’ve seen her? You’ve actually seen her and spoken with her every day for the last two years?” Alaina smiled at his excitement and nodded. Jadyn returned to his chair and took her hand in his. “Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for telling me that. It really means a lot to me.”
         His sincerity touched her. She considered the rest of Boeme’s people. She really was their only hope; she had to remember that. She caught Jadyn’s eye. “You see how happy that made you? No matter what the dangers are, I’d like to try and make everyone else here just as happy. So, let’s just make a deal. You tell me the most you can about everything and I’ll do the best I–” Suddenly her response was cut off by dismayed cries that broke through the window, shattering their happy moment.
         Immediately, Jadyn leapt from his seat and stuck his head out the window. “No!” he said, fear making his voice tremble. “No, no, no.” He bustled quickly about the kitchen, snatching up her small leather bag, throwing several food items in it before tying it shut.
         “What is it?” Alaina asked, jumping to her feet.
         “It’s her,” he said. “You’ve got to go, now!”
         “What do you mean I’ve got to go now? I haven’t been told everything yet.”
         “It doesn’t matter!” Jadyn cried. “Don’t you see? They’re searching the village. Helecia’s out there. If they find you it’s the end of everything. I’ve got to get you out of here!”
         “I don’t understand!” Alaina exclaimed. Panic rose in her throat, threatening to choke her. “How can I go now? I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do yet. I don’t even know where I’m going!”
         Jadyn placed a hand on her shoulder and hissed for her to be quiet. “You’ve got to pay attention, Alaina. This is very important.” He held out a parchment with a single name on it. “Edan Chase,” it said. “This man is Daphne’s brother. He lives in the town just north of here. You’ve got to go there and find him. That’s very important. He can help you. Tell him everything I’ve told you and he’ll be able to work with you.”
         “But Jadyn!” Alaina interrupted. “You haven’t told me anything yet. This is ridiculous. What am I supposed to tell him?”
         “Listen, Alaina,” Jadyn shook her hard enough to make her teeth clatter. “We’ve only got three chances to bring Helecia down. Three chances, that’s it. You’ve got to be careful with everything you do.”
         He stepped away, glancing out the window. “They’re getting closer. You’ve got to go out the back. Quickly. Now!”
         “But Jadyn,” she protested.
         “No, Alaina! Now!” He practically pushed her out the back door, leaning close and hissing at her. “Tell Edan to remember the rumor. Now, you need to go. Keep a sharp eye out. Wait for your opportunity then run for the trees. Stay hidden and for goodness sake be careful.” He shoved her away, only pausing for a moment as she stumbled away. “And Alaina,” he said. “Thank you … for everything.” Then he turned and slammed the door shut behind him.

         Alaina’s heart practically beat through her chest as she shouldered her bag and leaned in close to the building. The cries from the town members reached her ears from over the rooftops. She heard Jadyn shout at the guards who were breaking into people’s homes. She smiled gratefully. He was trying to give her an idea how close they were.
         She kept her eyes trained forward and strode in quick, punctuated steps toward the edge of town. It wasn’t until she reached the furthest building that panic threatened to overwhelm her. There was a good three or four hundred feet between the building and the trees. There was no way she’d be able to run there without being spotted. Not to mention her foot was still very sore, which meant she wouldn’t make good time.
         “Alaina!” a voice hissed off to her side.
Alaina jumped at the sight of Daphne peeking at her from around the corner.
“We’re going to storm the guards; take all their attention to the back of the town. That should give you your chance to run.” She reached out and gave Alaina’s hand a quick squeeze. “Thank you for what you’re doing. Good luck!”
         Then she turned and ran in the opposite direction. Tremendous roars broke out amongst the town’s people. Alaina snuck a look around the corner and saw a mob charge toward the soldiers. Between the bodies, she caught sight of a thin, red-haired woman watching the whole scene with crossed arms.
         Alaina suddenly jerked back around the corner. Had the sorceress seen her? She couldn’t be sure. She certainly wasn’t going to wait around to find out. She shouldered her knapsack and limped for the forest as fast as she could, hitting the tree line at full speed. But the edge of the trees didn’t feel far enough. She kept going until she was deep into the forest’s shelter. When at last she felt safe, Alaina turned and hid behind one tree that still allowed a good view of the town. Even from where she stood, she heard the yells of the town’s people.
         She squeezed her eyes shut and reached down to feel her ankle. Throbbing pain stretched up through her leg. She winced and stood straight, keeping the weight off that foot. Then she leaned forward and peered once more at Boeme.
         “What are you looking at?”
         Alaina jumped in surprise and turned to see Arick sitting atop a tall horse. “Arick!” she screeched quietly. She snatched the reins of his horse and dragged horse and rider far away from the edge of the trees.
         “What are you doing here, Arick?” Alaina asked. She glanced back toward the town then back at her brother.
         “I came to find you,” he said. He squinted at her and stared past the trees. “What do you keep looking at?”
         “Never mind,” Alaina said. “You shouldn’t be here. What do you want?” She spun away and limped north through the forest. She heard his horse clip-clopping close behind her.
         “I came to find you, Alaina,” Arick repeated. “I had to tell you something. I knew it would be important to you.”
         “Oh yeah? What’s that?” she snapped. Her eyes darted between the path and Boeme.
         “Saige is dead.”
         “What?” Alaina spun around so suddenly she almost smacked into Arick’s horse.
         He dropped his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said. “There was a fire last night at her house. We heard Chessie barking, but no one was able to get there in time to do any good.”
         Alaina took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She’d heard his words but they sounded meaningless in the wake of leaving Boeme. She wasn’t sure what to do with them. “Thank you for finding me and telling me,” she said. “You should go now, Arick.”
         He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “That’s it? But aren’t you going to come back with me? I thought for sure that–”
         “What?” Alaina turned and snapped. “You thought I’d come running back to Briarton because my only friend is no longer around? Not likely.” She rolled her eyes and turned, trying to rush over the ground. She desperately wanted to increase the distance between her and Helecia.
         “What do you mean your only friend?” Arick asked quietly. “What about me?”
         “You’re my brother,” Alaina returned.
         “Yeah, but I thought I was your friend, too.”
         Again, Alaina spun on him; this time fire flashed behind her eyes. “You sold me out to Dad, Arick!” she hissed. “You told him I was leaving. I don’t want to have anything to do with either one of you. And I have more important things to do now. Go home, Arick. I can’t stay and talk anymore.”
         “But I didn’t tell him anything, I swear!” cried Arick.
         Alaina staunchly refused to respond to him anymore. Despite his protests, she continued walking forward over the harsh landscaping. Arick stayed behind, sputtering in her wake.