Forbidden Choices by Jen Weddle
Chapter 28
Riley and I sit on his bed, each turning over the transparent boxes. We don’t talk about what happened earlier today. We don’t discuss the healings or the possibility of war. We have to figure out these boxes.
They’ve fallen asleep now. They aren’t changing colors or shape anymore. They remain the same transparent box with shimmering silver smoke inside. And I grow increasingly more frustrated.
We attempt all kinds of methods: Nothing works.
Riley sings to it and gently strokes the top of it, as if to serenade it.
I yell at it and smash it against a wall a few times.
Our methods are a little different.
I toss the box aside irritated. I turn towards Riley and to my relief the box shifts and bounces towards my feet. It begins to nudge my leg and so I continue to ignore it. It begins to change colors. I continue to ignore it and only momentarily do I look at it. To my astonishment, the box has grown a full set of arms and legs.
One of the hands attached to the arm is holding out a small golden key towards me, it rocks back and forth as if trying to get my attention now. The outstretched arm waves impatiently at me. I pick the box up and take the key from it.
“You have solved the mystery!” The box exclaims.
It glows a golden yellow like the bright rays of the sun. I set the box on the ground gently. A small door appears that we would have to crawl through in order to use. Riley stares over at me astonished.
“Open me.” The door whispers through his ever-growing callous smile. I hesitate for a moment.
“Are you sure about this?” Riley asks, “We have no idea what’s behind this door. It could be anything and that smile plastered on it is weird. It reminds me of Alice’s cat.”
“Alice?” I ask bemused. “The Cheshire cat?”
I stare at the door and realize how very similar the two do look with their pink and purple striped colors and mischievous grin.
“How do you know about Alice in Wonderland?” I ask.
“My mother used to read it to me. She had managed to find an illustrated copy.”
“Well, I guess I have a bit of curiosity like Alice because I have to know what’s behind the door.”
I gently bend down to grab the golden doorknob, slowly turning it. I’m expecting the worst because this door could be a trick. It could lead absolutely anywhere or nowhere. I throw the door open and get on my hands and knees. Riley blocks the entrance.
“Let me go first.”
He crawls inside without hesitation. I grab the other box and place it in the backpack. I close my eyes and I descend into a tunnel.
It’s pushing me from all sides and it’s hard to breathe in here. I’m starting to feel dizzy and claustrophobic. The air grows frigid and the tunnel begins to swirl around in a blue and white haze. It feels like ice is pounding my skin. I’m so cold. Then I see the dark hole and the bottom of the tunnel. I’m rushing toward it because it’s sucking all the colors and myself inside. I close my eyes and hold my breath.
Is it a black hole? Are we going to a different dimension?
I land on something scratchy and I open my eyes to find sand covering my legs. I cry out in pain.
“Are you okay?”
Riley rushes to my side and helps me get up.
“That was a strange experience.” I mumble.
“Those were the Spirit Doors—they were used by the Spirits many years ago to travel between worlds that were no longer easily accessible.” A tall man in a dark cloak explains.
I jump with fright at the sound of the unfamiliar voice behind me.
“Spirit Doors, I thought those had all been destroyed by the Elders.” Riley states.
“Yes, almost all of them were destroyed, except for two. I am Tovla.” The strange man replies, extending an outstretched hand. Riley takes it graciously.
“I have been expecting your arrival for quite some time. I have so much to tell the both of you but I’m afraid that our time is limited.”
“Why have you been expecting us?” I ask bemused.
The wind begins to escalate and the sand starts to spin dangerously around us. It stings as it pierces our skin and eyes.
“Follow me. We must get indoors quickly. It’s time for the sand storm.” Tovla answers. We follow him into a small cave. There isn’t much inside, other than a bed, a stove and a sink. The only personal item inside are a few books and one very old photograph on the wall.
“This is my home. I mean prison… but I’ve been here so long that it’s starting to feel like home.”
Tovla walks over to his bed and pulls out a long dagger from his pocket. My heart begins to race. Was this a bad idea? Should we have come to a criminal’s prison? But he’s our only hope to get some answers…
Tovla struggles to flip the mattress over. Riley grabs my hand, it shakes nervously and I look over to see small beads of sweat forming on his chin. Tovla begins to cut down the middle of the mattress; it makes a loud searing sound. He sticks his hand inside to retrieve yet another book with frayed golden pages. It looks similar to my grandfather’s journal. He also removes a piece of rolled up parchment. He hands the items to me and then flips the torn mattress back over, sticking the knife inside of his cloak pocket.
“I’m sure you’re wondering what these are and why they’re so important that I would need to keep them hidden. This is the Prophecy.” He declares, pointing to the rolled up parchment. “It was created by the very first Seer. He has long since died. He said that the girl with the Amethyst colored eyes shall be found again. And only when she is found can she put the world back together.”
He takes a deep breath before he continues.
“The book explains how to use the Spirit Doors. Remember, they are not just doors. They wouldn’t have been destroyed if they were merely doors, they can be and do many things. The reason I am here and considered an Unnamed is because I stole these so that you could reunite and bring us peace once more. If you succeed, maybe one day I’ll be free again…”
He removes his hood so that I can see the truth.
He’s a Spirit—a transparent being, ghost-like and grim but he’s still able to grasp solid objects. He was perhaps handsome when living, but now he’s frail and thin, his curly hair is wild and unkempt and his glasses are too large for his huge nose.
I hug him because I realize that he sacrificed his life to help me protect everyone.
“Tovla if it is the last thing I do. I will come back to set you free.” I reply. I look into his ghostly, haunted face and for a brief moment a smile appears. His hollow eyes sparkle enthusiastically with life and determination.
“I wouldn’t have done it for anyone else.” He replies, grabbing my hand in his cold skeletal fingers. “It will not be easy but you will succeed. I have seen it. And my visions are never wrong.”
He winks at me and points at the old scroll rolled up in my hand.
“Are you the Seer who created the Prophecy?” Riley inquires.
“I am.” He replies. A faint scratching noise begins to grow louder at the door. “Riley, don’t give up for you are the truest of the two.”
The scratching sound becomes louder and now we can see long nails piercing through the door frame.
“Go children. Hurry! And safe travels. Please retrieve the box before the Wilders find you!” He shouts.
I’m already snatching the box from my bag. I place the scroll and the book inside. I set the silver box down and it magically transforms into a large golden door with a key inside the lock, much bigger than the tiny door we had to crawl through before. As we jump through the door, I can hear growling and screaming, but it’s too late and we’re plunging head first into ice. I’m shivering and I look over at Riley, his face is pale and his lips are blue, tiny icicles start to form on his eyelashes. We hold onto each other tightly falling on the wooden floor of his room. I land roughly on top of him.
The golden door fizzles and bursts
“That was intense.” I reply.
“Alison, we can’t let anyone know we have these, or we’re going to end up on the Island of Suamar with all the other Unnamed. These things were banned in the ancient times because anyone who acquires them is guaranteed infinite power. And the more we use them, the more powerful we will become.”
He picks them up gently and places them under his bed. I open the backpack up unrolling the scroll carefully.
It’s yellowed and weathered with age, there are strange red symbols and markings all over the page. I don’t understand what any of it says.
“Do you know what language this is?” I ask, hoping that Riley might have some sort of clue. He shakes his head and I flip the scroll over. There are pictures drawn on the other side. Oh great, Prophets for Dummies… just in case this language is old and outdated, just flip over for pictures.
One of the scenes displays a girl with black hair and purple eyes, there is fire in the foreground and the other image shows her riding an enormous wolf with a sword in her hand, in a fighting position with her head turned to the side. I roll the scroll back up.
“Do you think anyone could translate the words for us?” I ask.
“I know we have Historians that work here, they can translate some of the archaeological finds from the Ancient world. They might be of some help.” He replies, his eyes full of hope.
“They might be our only option.” I say sighing deeply.
“Alison, where do you think Theo is?” Riley ponders.
The question shocks me; I’m surprised that Riley even cares enough to ask. I sit and contemplate the question.
“Maybe, he’s on the island.” I say, “That’s the only place he could have escaped, but he does carry a teleportation device so he could be anywhere by now.”
“Oh.” Riley replies glumly. “Well we’re going to find him and kill him.”
“What?”
Should I be shocked that he said that? I mean he did try to murder me, and he did technically hurt everyone that Riley has ever cared about. But I still can’t imagine killing Theo, something burns in my stomach and I feel the slightest glimmer of optimism. I hope he’s still alive.
How can I still care about Theo? After he’s tried to kill me twice… but he didn’t kill me. He tried to protect me. He told me to run away from him because he knew that he was being controlled.
“Wait, Riley. I just realized something. Theo knew what he was doing.” I say pausing for a moment.
“He tried to kill you and everyone else I cared about.” Riley replies. “Obviously he knew what he was doing.”
“No. That’s not what I mean. He was trying to protect me. He picked me up in the palace and carried me to the ocean so that I’d be able to get away. Whenever we were swimming he was telling me to get away from him.” I explain. “I saw the Sneaks in the walls before we left the palace. That means that Mathew has found a way to get them here. He used them to kill your family and friends. It wasn’t Theo.”
I begin to feel sorry for Theo. What kind of life would it be if you never really had a choice in the way you lived it—if you had to worry at every instant if you were going to hurt someone. Theo’s mind hasn’t actually ever been his own… it has always been Mathew’s.
“You think that Theo was trying to save you?” Riley asks irritated. “I’m the one who saved you; the Nymphs owed my family a favor. How can you feel sorry for him after everything he has done?”
“I do feel sorry for him.” I reply simply, “Imagine how you would feel if you were constantly being controlled and forced to do things that could hurt other people. It’s not his fault that his father is a monster. I don’t think Theo would do any of those bad things if he was given the choice.”
“You don’t want to kill him because you still love him, don’t you? You still believe that he’s your Soulfire.” Riley shouts heatedly. His cheeks grow red with frustration and he stares at me furiously.
Riley sighs deeply and then he takes my hand in his. He places a small purple velvet box with a neatly tied white ribbon in my hand and then he turns away.
I’m left in the room. I silently stare at the box. I’ve grown too afraid to open it. I know what’s inside, but why would he give me something like this at such a terrible moment. If I choose to open this box, does that mean I really do love Riley?
If I choose to keep it closed am I choosing Theo?
I stare at the tiny box, the one that could hold my future. I know what I have to do, but I don’t know who’s going to get hurt in the end. I put the box into my jacket, knowing that the decision can wait.