Facing Ma after Meg's and my adventure in the cave of wells went pretty much as I expected. I was confined to the house until further notice. Now, while it's true that I'm technically an adult now, and can do as I please, life is - well, different - when you're part of a pack. Going against Ma was pretty much unthinkable.
I missed Meaghan something awful, and the thought did cross my mind to just disown the pack, and run off with her - maybe one of the remote beaches where no one ever ventured. But the news of her that I pumped out of my little brother was unsettling to say the least.
"There's rumors going around - Aster told me - that you tried to drown Meaghan in a well because she wanted to be with Val? What the hell, Andrae?"
"That's a vicious lie and you know it, Rudy," I whispered hoarsely, afraid that if I spoke any louder, it would come out as a scream.
"What about Meg? What has she said? She refuted it, didn't she?"
"Didn't she?" I repeated, when Rudy didn't answer.
"Uh.. that's the thing.. Meg hasn't said a thing. Aster says she's been sick - coughing and throwing up like crazy. The witches have all been to see her, with their potions and all, but she hasn't said a thing. We - that is Aster and I - aren't sure if she's too sick to realize what's going on, or... well, if Val's gotten to her somehow."
The next few weeks crawled by in blurry slow motion. I morosely watched Rudy and Pa play kingpins in the cellar, while I contemplated diving into our well and never coming up again.
I bugged Rudy for new information every time he went out to meet with Aster. Meaghan was still sick, and although she was improving, her lips were still sealed about our last night together.
One late night after another day of no news, that well was looking pretty good. I waited until everyone was in bed, and walked slowly over and stood at the edge, staring down into the black depths.
I slowly lowered myself into the icy cold water and floated for a few minutes, before gradually allowing myself to sink into blackness. Tendrils of seaweed wrapped themselves around me as I drifted in the darkness, and I found myself remembering the night I dove into the library well after Meg. Meg - oh how I missed her. There had to be something I could do to get her back. I wasn't sure what, but I wasn't going to give up yet. I was running out of breath quickly, so I kicked furiously toward the surface...
... and found myself once again in the glowing cave of wells. Disoriented and gasping for breath, I dragged myself out of the well. I was at the opposite end of the cave from the library well.
I stumbled across the uneven stone floor to the hot spring. I closed my eyes as my thoughts whirled around in my head. This place - some sort of central location for an old water system? It was the only thing that made any sense. And if that was the case - did all these wells lead somewhere? Where?
As my body began to relax, my mind slowed and turned once more to thoughts of Meaghan. I was worried sick about her. I had to see her, even if it meant ignoring Ma's ultimatum. A plan began to form in my mind.
I waited patiently for my chance. It would have to be early in the morning - late enough that I hoped Meaghan would be awake, but early enough so Ma and Pa would still be sleeping. I quickly navigated the now familiar tunnels, but when I launched myself from the library well, I was in for a surprise. Someone had been working in the library cellar. The sand was mostly cleared away, and lanterns now hung from the walls at regular intervals. Worst of all, I could hear voices at the top of the stairway, and the sounds of hammering up above. My plan was over before it began, and I dejectedly returned the way I had come.
Over the next several nights, I explored the wells in the glowing cave, searching for another way out. Some of them were completely blocked with debris. Most led to small underground rooms filled with rubble. I expected that with the proper tools and a great deal of time, the rubble could be cleared to reveal exits to the surface, but I had neither, so I continued to search.
I was down to the last well. As I climbed out into what first appeared to be another small rubble-filled room, a torch on the wall flared as if by magic, revealing a doorway into a larger room.
I was amazed at what I saw. There was some sort of glowing orb in the middle of the room, casting a light bright enough to light up the entire room. Mysterious footsteps were painted on the floor in front of the orb. They seemed to be instructions of some kind. I puzzled over them few a few minutes to no avail, then turned my attention to the figures on the walls. I counted three stars on the far wall, and three more on the right wall.
On the left wall was one more star, along with the figure of a young man with golden hair, and a symbol I didn't recognize at all. Seven stars in all - I wondered what significance that had, if any. And who was the man? He didn't look like a witch, or a djin, and definitely not a wolf. His hair appeared similar to a fairy's, but he didn't really look like a fairy either. He was an enigma.
But although the room was fascinating, there was still no way out, and I needed to return home before I was missed. Hopefully someday I'd show it to Meg - maybe she'd read something that would shed light on what it all meant.
I fell into bed as the sun came up, and slept all day, dreaming of strange glowing orbs, and footsteps leading nowhere, and of course, Meaghan. I thought I heard her calling me, and ran toward her voice, but she dove down a well and disappeared.
"Andrae! Aanndraeeee! Where have you gotten yourself to, boy?"
I awoke to the sound of Ma calling for me. Reluctantly I left my dream behind and went to see what she wanted. She was expecting again, and it had put her in a worse mood than usual.
"I'm in the mood for steaks tonight. Go see if you can rustle some up at the Garden Grove."
"Sure thing, Ma."
I tried to keep a straight face, but inside I was bursting with joy. I made a beeline for Meaghan's house. I knew if I could only talk to her, everything would be good again. But there was no one home, so I headed to the garden.
I stopped short at what I saw as I approached the gate. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.
But it was. How was it possible? Had our whole time together been a lie?
My joy at finally being released was instantly forgotten. Tears sprung to my eyes, and I doubled over in grief and anger. How could she do this to me? My Meg. My beautiful, caring, wonderful Meg. It was like watching something out of a nightmare.
They were so intent on each other, they never say me standing there. Silently I turned and raced home, steaks forgotten, and tearing streaming down my cheeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment