As we rounded the bend of the tunnel the boat
unexpectedly lurched forward into the dark. Amidst the din of rushing water I
heard Ren yelp. One of the oars crashed loudly overboard splashing into the
black water.
“Eliza, get down!” Ren shouted.
The dark of the tunnel closed in on us. In a
panic, I slumped from my seat to the floor of the boat and strained to keep Ren
in sight.
“What’s wrong?” I shouted over the maddening echo.
“I don’t know. Something ripped the oar away from
me! This doesn’t look like the tunnel I thought we needed to take.” He said
sounding panicked as he peered over each side of the boat.
With every moment that passed, we were losing more
of the weak light that filtered in through the tunnel opening. Soon, we would
be lost to the dark. The boat continued to rock, dip and dive recklessly as the
water coursed roughly below carrying us deeper into the foreign passageway. The
blackness encased us. Like a fog, the air felt heavier and suffocating. Blood
pounded in my ears.
Then a noise penetrated through the din, an icy
hiss that slithered around my neck and into my ear.
“Eliza…”
My spine stiffened and my hands shot to my neck
frantically searching for the talisman. The small soft bag rested against my
chest. Panic seized me.
“It’s here.” A whisper, leaked between my lips.
It was so dark I could barely detect Ren’s shape
across the boat but he was most certainly still there. If I could see Ren, then
I wasn’t being sucked into the Shadow’s realm as I had at the concert with
Pete… Yet, if the creatures of my nightmares were here, what did that mean?
A loud crash came from the side of the boat. Ren
screeched in frustration.
“The bastard took the other oar!”
He slumped to the floor of the boat and inched
toward me. I reached out, instinctively searching for his hand. Streams of
electricity pulled him to me. Grasping his hand, we leaned toward each other.
“Ren, it’s here. It’s the Shadow.” I whispered
again.
“What?!” He said alarmed.
An explosion of blue green light burst from the
water, illuminating the slick walls of the tunnel. In those brief seconds of
light, I saw streaks of red swirling in the water near our boat. They were
rising. A chorus of voices sang through the dark.
“Eliza… join us...”
I shivered uncontrollably as the voices grew
louder followed by a stream of sickening laughter.
“Ren… What are we going to do?” I asked
frantically, my fingers digging into his palms.
Irregular flashes of light, like lightning, burst
from below splattering the tunnel walls with an eerie glow. With every flash
the red streaks in the water multiplied. Soon they would overpower us.
The boat slowed and swayed dangerously, tossing us
from side to side. Tears streamed down my face. My fingers clutched the
talisman around my neck in vain. The spell that protected me was only suitable
against Shadows. What lay in the watery depths beneath us were most certainly
not Shadows.
The taunting chant grew louder, becoming a
deafening screech. Laughter pounded against the tunnel walls.
Suddenly an angry roar erupted from Ren. His hands
hot, he released me and a ball of fire appeared in the space between his hands.
He cradled the brilliant orb in his palms, then tossed it into the air. It
hovered obediently, smoldering above our heads.
With a growl, another fireball sprang up in his
hands. He tossed it into the water directly at the streaks of red rising to the
surface. The fireball splashed against the surface of the water and exploded
into a million little flames like a grenade. The red streaks sank deeper into
the water in retreat. But the shrieks intensified wailing in response to the
assault.
The flashes of light from below came faster and
bounced around the tunnel walls like a strobe light. From a far corner, I saw
the water part as one of the creatures rose above it.
“That is not good.” Ren groaned with horror.
The woman’s long red hair swirled around her like
red snakes and her bright amber eyes glowed. She hovered above the water until
suddenly a pair of scaly wings sprang out behind her, their skin stretched
tight and filmy like a bat’s.
“Oh no!” I uttered in terror as I realized what
was happening.
The woman’s wings flapped sending a breeze of wet
air crashing into us. Within moments she would be on top of us.
Ren’s eyes glowed wild with anger and
determination. “That’s it. Let’s go, Eliza!” He shouted, sparks shooting off
his tongue.
He stood steady and commandingly in the hull of
the tipsy boat. Anger gleamed in his eyes transforming him into a warrior.
“How?” I yelled into the deafening shrieks.
“Tell the water to take us. If you can get us
moving, I can take care of her.” He shouted.
With the seconds we had left, he reached for me
again and his hands nearly burned my skin. The energy coursing from him was so
intense it shook my body.
“Eliza, you can do this.” He said encouragingly.
Warmed by the borrowed confidence, I quickly
hunkered down into the hull of the boat and clenched my eyes shut. I struggled
to control the panic in my chest and block out the screeching and the wind
whipping around me to focus on the water.
Snap. Something coiled around my neck. I choked.
My eyes flew open but all I could see were wings fluttering around me.
There was a burst of fire and a scream so loud I
thought my ears would bleed. The noose around my neck unraveled. I fell back
into the hull of the boat gasping for air.
“Eliza! Are you alright?” Ren’s hands roved
frantically over my neck, lifting me up.
“I’m ok!” I said quickly crouching back down
against the bottom of the boat.
If we were ever going to escape the tunnel, I had
to concentrate. I determinedly turned inward, focusing on the water, and
clamped my hands over my ears blocking out the din. I imagined the black
current flowing faster and faster below the boat, racing to a place out of the
wretched tunnel, beneath the stars.
Within moments the tiny boat began to move,
coursing swiftly forward through the water. Feeling the wind against my cheeks
and the movement below the boat, I dared not open my eyes for fear of losing
concentration. My hands slipped from my ears and pressed against the bottom of
the boat steadying me against the movement.
Another splash and furious shrieks from below told
me Ren was working hard to beat off our attackers. I lost myself in
concentration, becoming one with the water. Willing our rescue. With my body
tense and eyes firmly shut, an unknown amount of time passed before the sound
of battle faded.
The light behind my eyelids softened.
“Eliza, open your eyes. We’re free.” Ren’s voice
sounded distant.
My senses awoke as if from a coma and my body
shook with chill. When I opened my eyes, I nearly collapsed with relief to see
stars above and grand homes lining the river. Porch lights shone like beacons
in the hazy evening light. I looked around the boat. Several inches of water
pooled around our legs.
Ren carefully crept closer to me and wrapped his strong
hot arms around my shoulders. He smelled of sweat and smoke. I buried my face
unabashedly in the crook of his neck.
“We’ve almost reached the dock.” He whispered into
my ear.
We floated toward a small pier jutting out of the
steep riverbank. Ren stood and reached for the support beam, pulling the boat
up next to it. His wet shirt clung to him, accentuating his sinewy arms and
chest. I stared at him, still stunned by his display of power and strength.
He quickly retrieved a rope and tethered the boat
to the pier, then heaved himself onto it. He pulled me from the boat and set me
on my feet. My body swayed involuntarily, unable to believe I had escaped the
raucous ride.
In silence, Ren wrapped an arm around my waist and
nearly dragged me up the rocky path along the riverbank to the street. Once on
the sidewalk, we gave each other a long look, evaluating our haggard
appearance. I recognized the street and identified Uncle Harold’s house across
the road.
Soaked to the bone with sloshing shoes, Ren and I
slipped through the heavy front door as soundlessly as possible. Though the
porch light burned, only a small lamp atop a side table in the foyer was
illuminated inside.
“Best to change into dry clothes before we look
for Uncle Harold.” Ren whispered.
“No need to look. I’m right here!” Uncle Harold’s
voice boomed from one of the older rooms just beyond the foyer. A lamp sparked.
Ren and I exchanged a rueful glance.
Uncle Harold stumbled into the foyer blinking
heavily behind his glasses. He frowned as he absorbed our disheveled state.
“Oh my… I’ll set the kettle to boil.” He said
sternly.
“Uncle Harold, I’m sorry we’ve arrived so late. I
hope we didn’t worry you.” Ren lamented.
“Not at all.” Uncle Harold said shortly as he
turned toward the kitchen.
Ren and I towed behind him in our wet clothes.
Detecting his following, Uncle Harold turned
halfway to face us.
“Oh please, do change into dry clothing! I’ll
prepare the tea.” He said with a shake of his head.
Ren and I turned and headed for the stairs,
relieved for the pardon.
* * *
I entered my room and closed the door, relishing
the quiet moment alone. I shimmied out of my wet clothes, wrapped myself in a
robe, and sank exhausted onto the bed. Closing my eyes, a barrage of images
scrolled across my eyelids. Mysterious flickering light below the water and
fire. The haunting voices rang in my ears, calling to me. Would it ever end? I
sighed in despair.
A soft rap at the door startled me.
“Eliza, I’m going downstairs. Are you alright?”
Ren asked.
I crept to the door and cracked it, carefully
shielding my robed body.
Ren’s face was frozen in a worried expression.
“I’m ok. I just need a few moments alone, that’s
all.” I answered.
His eyes lowered as he nodded in response.
Clearly, he harbored guilt over the evening’s events.
“At some point, you’re just going to have to
relinquish your sense of responsibility over all that happens to me. You know
that, don’t you? Some of this really is just about me.” I said exasperated.
His eyes darted up, a shocked expression spread
across his face, his cheeks flushed.
“I’m sorry, Ren. It’s just that… the monsters and
their Shadows, it’s about me. They came for me. It’s not your fault, ok?” I
added morosely.
“I’ll be downstairs.” He said with a somber nod
and strode toward the stairs disappearing into the dark.
Remembering the hour and the fact that Uncle
Harold was waiting for me, I reluctantly pulled on my pajamas and slippers,
threw the robe around my shoulders, and padded down the stairs.
22
Light streamed from the
kitchen at the back of the house. I could hear the soft prattle of Ren and
Uncle Harold’s voices as I approached.
“Cream and sugar?” Uncle Harold asked cheerfully
as I entered the kitchen.
I sank into a petite chair at the tiny kitchen
table.
Ren dunked butter cookies into his cup.
“Yes, both. Thank you.” I said.
Ren’s relaxed demeanor distracted me. How had he
managed to switch gears so easily? My nerves were still rattling. It was all I
could do to act even slightly normal and I struggled to make sense of the
conversation between Uncle Harold and Ren.
A delicate china cup and saucer appeared before me
on the table. Uncle Harold’s wrinkled fingers slid it into my resting hands.
“You found the river, I take it?” He asked
blinking curiously.
“I wanted to give Eliza the river tour. I’m sorry…
I should have asked you if it would be alright for us to go down there.” Ren
answered bashfully. His fingers nervously stroked the cup in his hands.
“It’s been many years since I’ve traveled below
ground.” Uncle Harold murmured distantly.
At that, I blanched. Ren had led me to believe
Uncle Harold travelled the river path routinely.
Ren peered guiltily at me from the corner of his
eye. “Uncle Harold… Something happened down there. If… if I had any idea that
something lived down there, I wouldn’t have gone.” He said remorsefully.
Uncle Harold’s eyes grew wide. “No bother, my boy,
if there is anything I understand it is the quest for adventure. Do share what
you found.” He pressed.
“Maybe a little background information would be
helpful.” I interjected.
Ren’s eyes darted to mine, a thankful expression
colored his face. I scowled in response, still irritated that he’d misled me.
“The story, yes, there is always a beginning.
Please begin.” Uncle Harold’s knowing smile puzzled me. I wondered how much he
already knew and why he wasn’t angry with us.
“Several months ago,” I began. Reaching to my
neck, I pulled out the talisman from beneath my pajama top.
“I had a problem with a Shadow. Nan cast a spell
on me to protect me from the Shadow and until now, the spell’s worked.” I
explained as calmly as possible.
“But the things we found on the river were
definitely not Shadows.” Ren added, his eyes bouncing excitedly between Uncle
Harold and me.
I nodded in agreement. “But they are definitely
the creatures who’ve been after me. I’ve seen them before and they called my
name.”
“What did the beasts in the river look like?”
Uncle Harold asked, his brows drawing together.
“They look like women.” I began, “They’re actually
quite beautiful. They all have long red hair and are tall and graceful.” I
said, glancing toward Ren who nodded in agreement.