Teruvisa
Two Kingdoms
By Gentry Winn
Copyright 2011 Gentry Winn
Smashwords Edition
Smashwords 4th Edition, License Notes
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Contents
Chapter 1: Nightmares and Visions
Chapter 3: The Coincidental Deaths
Chapter 8: The Rebellion Begins
Chapter 13: Neural Connections
Chapter 18: The Uninvited Guest
Chapter 22: Danielle’s Sacrifice
Chapter 24: Light Versus Darkness
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Prologue
Vanished
The instant Hilcar exited the portal of swirling light, he crouched down by a nearby tree and looked around to see if his arrival had been noticed. The portal had vanished, and all he could see around him was jungle, blanketed by the usual misty darkness that covered Obalin.
The last place Hilcar wanted to be was Obalin, but he didn’t have a choice. That was where he had tracked Amron, Meya, and Jared (he started tracking them the instant they left Teruvisa).
He took out his treyo—a silver, credit card-sized handheld device. He used it to quickly verify his position and then, returning the device to an inside pocket of his brown robe, looked in the direction he needed to go.
Just up ahead. Better get going. Hilcar took a deep breath and set off into the jungle and its thick darkness toward his family.
In less than a minute, Hilcar reached the clearing he was looking for. Through the dark mist, he could see movement. His heart raced, but he crept closer—the haze still helping to hide his advance.
When he reached a large tree that was about 10 feet from the clearing, he turned around and leaned back against it. This is close enough for now. He didn’t want to risk being seen—the mist, though thick, wasn’t thick enough to conceal his presence if he got any closer.
I need to come up with a plan. He took a deep breath to calm himself and listened.
There were sounds of some shuffling and a physical struggle. Jared, Hilcar’s two-year-old grandson, began to cry.
Hilcar rotated slightly to the right and peeked out from behind the tree, concerned for Jared. They better not hurt him.
Dreggan, who was wearing a black, hooded robe with wide, gold trim, had taken the boy from Meya.
Meya reached out for her crying son but was held back by one of Dreggan’s black-robed thugs. “Let him go!”
Amron was also being restrained by a large, robed man.
“Silence her.” Dreggan gave the command as casually as someone would say the time of day.
The large, robed thug holding Meya turned her around and then swung a massive fist into the side of her face. She squeaked and let out a groan as she fell to the ground.
Amron called out to his wife as he struggled in vain to free himself, “Meya!”
Hilcar tensed up, clenching one hand into a fist and clawing at the tree with the other. After witnessing Meya getting struck and seeing her lying motionless on the ground, he wanted to storm into the clearing and fight off the captors, but he couldn’t allow his emotions to cause him to act impulsively. Dreggan was too powerful. Hilcar needed a better plan than rushing into a fight and hoping they could escape.
But what? Frustrated, Hilcar hit his forehead with his fist a couple of times. Come on... think. He wished he had more time.
Meya stirred slightly and moaned.
Hilcar relaxed a little. Good. She’s coming around. Tough girl. His daughter-in-law was about as tough as they came. He smiled to himself, remembering how she had stood up to him once. And stubborn.
Dreggan waved his hand in front of Jared’s face, and the toddler instantly stopped crying. “Where are they?” He sounded calm but determined.
Amron fired back, “I’m not telling you anything!”
Nearby, to his left, Hilcar saw a dense group of tall plants with broad leaves and thick stalks, behind and to the side of Dreggan, and got an idea. If I can make it over there, I just might be able to get Amron’s attention without the others seeing me.
Hilcar crawled behind the low-lying foliage along the edge of the clearing toward his next hiding place.
“If I have to ask again, your precious little boy won’t have a mommy.” Dreggan snapped his fingers.
The man standing by Meya picked her up by the throat. Her feet dangled above the ground. Gasping for breath, she began to kick her legs wildly and clawed at the arm of the brutish attacker choking her.
Hilcar’s blood boiled. He clenched his jaw as he restrained himself from rushing to her aid. Almost there. Just keep going.
“Okay, I’ll tell you!” Amron cried. “Just put her down!”
Dreggan’s thug dropped Meya, and she went crashing to the ground. She coughed and gasped a few times but otherwise seemed to be okay.
Hilcar made it to the plants behind Dreggan undetected. Now, how am I going to get his attention?
Hilcar decided to try beoveh. Since Dreggan apparently hadn’t noticed that his prisoners had been followed by Hilcar, the odds that he would be listening for a beoveh communication from Hilcar were pretty slim. However, it was still risky.
Hilcar did his best to concentrate on sending his message to only Amron and then reached out mentally to his son. Son... I’m here... don’t try to talk.
Hilcar saw Amron’s eyes dart around, looking for him.
Wanting to let Amron know his position without anyone else noticing, Hilcar looked around for something small to throw at him—something inconspicuous—but not too small that he wouldn’t feel it or too big that it would hurt him. A drop of liquid was the first thing that he thought of, but he didn’t see any dew on the leaves of the plants he was hiding behind or any other form of moisture nearby. So....
He stuck a finger in his mouth and pulled it out with a bit of saliva on it. Right... He flung the saliva at Amron’s face, and then, using some of his powers, he pushed the spit with a focused, almost microscopic, stream of air that propelled the drop to its target. Here.
Amron wiped the moisture from his cheek and looked right in Hilcar’s direction, but it was unlikely he could see Hilcar hidden behind the large plants in the mist at the edge of the clearing.
“Well? I’m waiting.” Dreggan, who was still cradling Jared in his arms, sounded very impatient.
It was time to act. Hilcar risked one last beoveh communication with Amron. Distract them, and I’ll grab Jared.
Amron exhaled loudly. “Why do you want them, anyway? There’s no way you can get into Teruvisa now.”
Dreggan barked out a laugh. “Ha. Teruvisa? Obalin will become more powerful and glorious than Teruvisa ever was.”
Hilcar wondered what Dreggan meant by that statement but dismissed it. He didn’t want to get distracted while waiting for Amron’s distraction.
A thug escorted Meya, who had gotten back on her feet, to Amron’s side.
Dreggan said through clenched teeth, “Now, tell me where they are.”
Amron took a deep breath. “Right here.” He reached into his robe and then threw something down.
Dreggan’s attention turned to the ground. Amron had tossed an olamshi—a golf ball-sized, silver orb—at Dreggan’s feet. Hilcar immediately threw an arm up to his eyes to protect them from the blinding flash of light he knew would come.
The olamshi made its high-pitched squeal.
Dreggan wailed, “AAAAAH!”
Hilcar sprang forward and jerked Jared from Dreggan’s arms.
“KILL THEM!” Dreggan shouted.
Amron called out, “Dad, get Jared to the rendezvous point! We’ll meet you there!”
Hilcar, holding Jared tight against his chest, launched himself up and out of the jungle. At the other end of his mile-wide arc, he let himself freefall into the Divide—a great canyon—until his robe, acting like a parachute, slowed him down.
When Hilcar landed gently on the thin strip of shoreline between the river and the canyon wall, without so much as a stumble, he took out his treyo and pointed it straight ahead. A disk of light appeared in the rock, and he stepped forward through it.
A breath later, Hilcar was standing on the steep slope of a forested mountainside. The earth beneath his feet loosened, and small rocks tumbled down the hill. He grabbed onto a nearby boulder, heaved Jared onto it, and then climbed up next to his grandson.
Hilcar sat up and exhaled loudly to calm his nerves. Made it. He looked around at the scenery and then at the silent, passive toddler, wearing the same style of blue pants and white collared shirt as he.
Hilcar remembered that Dreggan had waved his hand and made Jared stop crying. I’ll have to remove that soother Dreggan put on him as soon as we get to the rendezvous point.
“Well Jared, we better get going.” Hilcar picked Jared up, pulling his cloak around the boy and holding him tightly, pictured the exact spot in the backyard of the house in Riverside, California (more than 50 miles away) where he intended to land, and then sprang into the sky and rocketed toward the rendezvous point.
In the blink of an eye, Hilcar and Jared reached the back porch of their new home. Hilcar opened the sliding glass door and went inside.
“Hello. Anyone here?”
No answer.
That’s odd. I wonder why they’re not here yet. Hilcar reflected on the escape from Obalin, trying to remember what Amron and Meya were doing right before he flew out of the jungle with Jared. He recalled that they were both free and were leaving the clearing in the opposite direction as he and Jared.
He shrugged. They’ll probably be here any second.
Hilcar glanced down at Jared and then walked over to the family room couch. “Well Jared, let’s get you back to normal.”
After placing him on the couch, Hilcar waved his hand in front of Jared’s face and said the words to release him from the effects of Dreggan’s soother. Surprisingly, Jared didn’t start crying or even look around at his new surroundings as Hilcar had anticipated. He just fell over onto his side, closed his eyes, and went to sleep, apparently exhausted from the day’s events.
Hilcar carried him upstairs and tucked him in bed.
As he shut the door on the way out of Jared’s bedroom, worry started to set in. Amron and Meya should be here by now. He started to feel a little guilty for leaving them. I shouldn’t have abandoned them like that.
But, Amron had told him to get Jared out of Obalin and meet at the rendezvous point. There hadn’t been time to argue or discuss a different plan, and Jared’s safety had to take priority. I thought they would be right behind me. He clenched his jaw and balled up his fists.
A thought crept into his mind. What if they didn’t make it? Immediately, he reprimanded himself. No, don’t think that. He didn’t want to think about “what ifs” and went downstairs. Manasto will be able to send some people to find out where they are, he assured himself.
Hilcar contacted Manasto using beoveh. Manasto.
Manasto answered almost immediately. But, before Hilcar could explain what had happened and ask for help, Manasto’s voice filled his head, “We know. We were tracking them, too. Some men arrived at Obalin only moments after you left.” He paused (which caused Hilcar to gulp and a sense of impending doom to fall upon him). “I’m sorry, but they found no trace of Amron or Meya.”
No. Hilcar didn’t want to believe it. But if they were still alive, they would have been here by now.
His heart sank, and his legs lost their strength. He let himself collapse to his knees.
Hilcar wanted to cry out and beg Manasto to keep looking, but he found it hard to breathe, let alone speak. The world around him seemed to go dark, and it felt like time had stopped.
Manasto’s next words sounded distant. “We’re still monitoring all movements in and around Obalin as best we can, but so far, no gateways have been used to leave Obalin other than yours. So, Hilcar, for the time being, you must look after Jared.”
Hilcar muttered, still in disbelief, “Of course.”
“Good. I’ll keep you informed.”
The beoveh conversation ended, and Hilcar fell face down on the ground, groaning and sobbing uncontrollably.
When the tears stopped coming, he realized that he was curled up in a ball on his side, covered by his robe and its hood, but had no idea how long he had been like that. He was still shaking a little, so he tried taking deep breaths to steady himself.
After a few minutes, he reached deep inside—past the shock, disbelief, and grief that had overwhelmed him—and summoned the strength to get up. He took a step toward the stairs, intending to go up to his bedroom, but despair started to swell inside him again as he thought of Jared, who was asleep upstairs. How am I going to tell him?
Hilcar stumbled backward and then fell onto the couch as he let himself go limp. He sank into the cushions, and his head tipped back. He felt a great sense of loss and emptiness inside him as he stared at the ceiling.
Eventually, he succumbed to emotional exhaustion and fell asleep.
**********
Hilcar was awakened by a quiet voice and someone pushing on his shoulder. “Grandpa. Grandpa.”
He turned his head and saw Jared kneeling next to him on the couch.
Jared rubbed his abdomen. “I’m hungry.”
Hilcar put Jared on his lap and smiled at him. “Of course, you are. I’m sorry grandpa’s being such a sleepy-head this morning.” He gave Jared a big hug.
As Hilcar led Jared by the hand into the kitchen, Jared asked, “Where’s mommy?”
Hilcar’s heart melted again, but he tried to be strong for Jared’s sake. He wasn’t sure what to say, but he managed to explain the situation in simple terms. “She and your daddy have gone away, so you’ll live with grandpa for a while. Does that sound okay?”
As innocent as could be, Jared answered, “Yeah.”
A tear rolled down Hilcar’s cheek, but he quickly wiped it away and stood up. He didn’t want Jared to think something was wrong and start asking questions that Hilcar couldn’t handle at the moment.
Hilcar didn’t feel like eating anything, so, after he got Jared some breakfast, he went back into the family room and sat down on the couch.
He remembered Manasto’s words, “...you must look after Jared,” and began to think about what he would tell people (and eventually Jared—when he got older) about the deaths of Jared’s parents and about how he would convince others he was Jared’s legal guardian. I’ll have to come up with the appropriate documents: a will and death certificates.
His thoughts turned from death certificates to coming up with a story about how Jared became an orphan. I guess I could go with something easy... like he lost his parents in a car accident in Los Angeles.
It seemed almost cruel to use something so ordinary as the cause of their deaths when, if they were killed, it would have been in a self-sacrificing act of heroism. But, not wanting to dwell on the cause of their deaths (especially if they were still alive), he moved his thoughts along. So, when will I say they died? He quickly decided, I’ll make it recent... like a month ago.
Hilcar began to wonder if, to the people on Earth, it would seem strange that an older man (and a widower, as well) would be taking care of a toddler. I’ll have to say that Jared didn’t have any other family to take him in. I suppose I could say that Meya didn’t have a good relationship with her family—so they refused to care for him—and Amron was our (my wife and mine) only son, so there were no siblings on our side of the family to take responsibility for him, either.
Responsibility... That word prompted Hilcar to think of what one of his Earthly responsibilities would be—work. Of course, he would only have to pretend to go to work, but Jared would still need to be in day care.
So, what’ll my career be? Nothing came to mind. Well, it should probably be something ordinary so that people don’t ask too many questions about it... He thought of accounting. Yeah. That’ll be fine.
Hilcar had come up with a good story, but being an older man (according to Earth’s standards) and having to raise his grandson alone was going to make living on Earth challenging. Additionally, he couldn’t use any of his powers around Jared or teach him anything about Teruvisa until Jared was old enough (that was what the Council, himself included, had decided would be best).
Hilcar groaned within himself, Aaah. The boy would be better off with his parents. Tears started to well up in his eyes, but he took a deep breath and tried to focus on what had to be done. No use in dwelling on what can never be.
Hilcar became determined to raise Jared the best he could, love him as his own son, give him a good life, and prepare him in subtle ways for the time when he would return to Teruvisa.
Chapter 1
Nightmares and Visions
Jared wanted to run, but he couldn’t. A force of some kind held his bare feet firmly to the cold ground. He twisted and tugged, desperate to escape from the dark, silent forest that refused to release its grip on him.
Moments later, a robed figure came out from behind a nearby tree and approached Jared with the confidence of a hunter who knows his prey can’t get away. Without a word, the tall stranger grabbed Jared by the shirt and lifted him off the ground with ease.
Jared’s face was inches from the menacing stranger’s face, but he could see only darkness where the person’s face should’ve been. “Who are you?”
Jared woke up. His eyes darted in every direction.
He exhaled loudly, annoyed and impressed by the realistic dream, and then rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. Wow. It seemed even more real than last time.
It had been over a week since the last time Jared had had that recurring nightmare, and he hoped, just like he did every time, that this would be the last time. He hated how the nightmare made him feel weak and alone. He also disliked admitting how strong of an effect it had on him because, after all, it was just a dream, and he wasn’t a child.
With a groan, Jared sat up and stretched before throwing off his covers. He got out of bed, picked his algebra book and homework folder up off the nightstand (he had done his homework in bed last night), and then tossed them both on his backpack, which was lying open on his desk by the door, as he left the room.
He crossed the hall to the bathroom to start getting ready for school. It wasn’t going to be just another day of seventh grade, though. It was the Friday before Halloween, which meant that the students could dress up in costumes at school, and Jared had decided to wear his soccer uniform to show off that he was on a soccer team.
Seeing his black goalie shorts, orange-and-black-striped soccer jersey, black tube socks, and shin guards sitting on the bathroom floor by the wall renewed his excitement about his costume choice. A light had been shined on the dark gloom left in his thoughts by the nightmare he had.
About 20 minutes later, as Jared came out of the bathroom, he got lightheaded, and an image of a white hand on a black background flashed before his eyes. Whoa. He leaned against the wall to steady himself.
After a couple of seconds, he took a deep breath and pushed off from the wall. He was about to take a step when his grandpa approached him in the hall.
“Jared, I was wondering if...” Jared’s grandpa paused and got a concerned look on his face. His voice became softer. “Are you alright?”
Jared nodded. “Uh—hm.” He didn’t feel that getting lightheaded after standing up too fast was worth mentioning.
His grandpa took a step closer and then put a hand on Jared’s shoulder. “Did you have that nightmare again last night?”
Jared was stunned. He did have the nightmare again. But, why is he bringing it up?
The last time Jared had his nightmare, more than a week ago, his grandpa mentioned he thought Jared looked tired, and that’s when he told his grandpa about the recurring nightmare he was having. But, he hadn’t made a big deal out of it.
Maybe I look tired again. Jared wondered if that was what prompted his grandpa’s question.
Jared looked down to the side and shrugged. “Yeah.” He tried to make it seem unimportant, even though the nightmare really did bother him. “But, it’s no big deal.”
His grandpa slid his hand off Jared’s shoulder. “Well, I think I have an answer as to why you’ve been having these bad dreams.”
Jared looked up with curiosity and disbelief. “What do you mean? They’re just dreams.”
“No. I think it’s something else.” Jared’s grandpa looked more serious than usual. “Have you seen any images outside of your dreams?”
Jared never seemed to be able to hide when something was bothering him from his grandpa, but he was still surprised by the question. How did he know? Sometimes, it seemed like his grandpa could read his mind.
Hesitantly, Jared admitted, “Well... I did see something just now.”
“What was it?”
Jared couldn’t believe he was going to tell his grandpa what he saw, but, for some unknown reason, he felt he should say what it was. “I think it was a hand.” He shrugged, not thinking that it had any great significance.
To Jared’s surprise, his grandpa seemed very interested. “What did it look like? Describe the hand to me.” Jared must have had a weird look on his face because his grandpa said, “Humor me.”
Jared didn’t know why his grandpa was acting so strangely over nothing, but he held up his own hand, with his palm facing himself, as he described the hand he had seen. “I got lightheaded and then saw an image—or I guess you could call it a drawing or a symbol—of a white hand on a black background. The hand was open, with the fingers together, and the thumb was sticking out to the side.” After he said it, he realized just how stupid it sounded.
“This is very serious.” Jared’s grandfather remained straight-faced.
Jared expected his grandpa to start laughing or at least smile, not carry on like he was. “Serious?”
“Yes, very. I’m going to have to pick you up right after school and bring you home, and you won’t be able to leave the house at all tonight.”
“What?” Jared thought that maybe his grandpa was teasing him.
His grandpa kept the same serious look on his face and tone in his voice. “Meet me on the south lawn outside the school as soon as your classes are over. I’ll get off work early today and give you a ride home.”
It took a few moments for the reality of what his grandpa was saying to sink in. This... can’t be happening. His grandpa had approved Jared’s plans that evening. He can’t change his mind like that.
“But, I was going to go trick-or-treating with Tom. Remember?” Jared whined.
Jared’s grandpa remained solemn. “I know. I’m sorry.”
That answer wasn’t nearly good enough. It only made Jared more annoyed. I can’t believe he’s doing this. Anger started creeping into Jared’s voice. “Can’t it wait ‘til tomorrow?”
Jared’s grandpa shook his head. “I’m afraid not.”
“Why not?” Jared wondered if the reason his grandpa was having second thoughts about him being out after dark was because he thought Jared might pass out on the street and get run over by a car or something, even though Jared was 12 years old—old enough to go out at night around the neighborhood without his grandpa having to worry about him—and his friend Tom would be with him. “I’m sure Tom—”
His grandpa cut him off. “Jared, your dreams have crossed into your waking hours. There’s a reason for these nightmares and this hand vision. If you’ll just—”
Jared couldn’t hold in his frustration any longer. “A vision? Okay, now you’ve gone totally crazy!” He had never insulted his grandpa before, and he almost wanted to take it back right after he said it.
“No.” His grandfather was noticeably agitated and waved a finger side to side. “I assure you; this is no little thing. Based on what you’ve told me, I can’t let you go out tonight.”
Even though Jared felt a little guilty for having spoken so disrespectfully, he remained firm against his grandpa’s ridiculous conclusion. I can’t go out because of a stupid nightmare and some so-called vision? “What are you talking about?”
“You’re my responsibility.” His grandpa’s tone softened slightly. “I could never forgive myself if something bad were to—”
Enough is enough, Jared thought. His grandpa was being way too overprotective about nothing. “What do my nightmares have to do with going out on Halloween?”
Jared’s grandpa had never been so controlling before. He was acting very strange—even unreasonably.
That’s why Jared was so shocked when his grandpa cleared his throat and said definitively, “Your parents left you in my care, so I’ll decide what’s best for you.”
“It’s not fair,” Jared pouted as he stomped his foot and folded his arms. He didn’t know what else he could say to change his grandpa’s mind.
With an empathetic tone, Jared’s grandpa responded, “I know. I want you to be able to have fun with your friends. But just not tonight, okay?” He put a hand on Jared’s shoulder and spoke more softly. “I’ve never asked you to do anything without a reason, so I need you to trust me when I tell you that it’s very important that you stay home tonight. I wish I could explain, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.”
His grandpa seemed sincere, but that didn’t make Jared happy about not being able to go out with his friend. Jared looked down and grumbled, “I don’t understand. What are you so worried about?”
His grandpa reached out to Jared with his voice. “What every parent’s worried about—the health and safety of their child.”
For some reason—maybe because he was caught up in his emotions—Jared said something to his grandpa that he never had before. “Yeah, but you’re not my dad.” He shrugged his shoulder, pulled away from his grandfather’s touch, and turned around. He couldn’t look at his grandpa anymore. “I better finish getting ready for school,” he muttered.
As Jared started down the stairs, he heard his grandpa say, “It’ll all be clearer tomorrow. I promise.” There were unmistakably tears in his grandpa’s voice.
Jared was torn by the hurt he caused his grandpa, but his frustration was equally strong. “Yeah right,” Jared said under his breath as he entered the kitchen to get some breakfast.
A few moments later, his grandpa came down the stairs. Jared expected his grandpa would come into the kitchen, but instead, Jared heard the door that led to the garage open.
“Have a good day at school.” The sadness in his grandpa’s voice weakened the sentiment. “Don’t miss the bus.”
Jared, still sulking, called back halfheartedly, “Okay.”
Jared heard the door shut, the garage door open, his grandpa’s car start up and drive away, and the garage door close. Then, there was silence.
Jared sat down to eat. He struggled with what he should do and stared absently at the back of the cereal box as he ate.
After finishing his breakfast, Jared stared down at the milk left in his cereal bowl. He was disappointed and felt justified in his anger about not being allowed to go trick-or-treating. He thought about going out anyway—sneaking out—but then reconsidered; he knew by the tone in his grandpa’s voice that he better not disobey.
Yet, he still wondered what his grandpa was so worried about and what his reasons were for making Jared stay home. Jared shrugged. He didn’t see how there could be a reason for the dreams—dreams just happened.
After thinking about it for a while and not being able to come to any rational conclusion, and because he noticed what time it was, he got up, put his bowl and spoon in the sink, finished getting ready for school, gathered up his things, and then left for the bus stop.
**********
From his desk, Jared looked up at the clock above the whiteboard at the front of the classroom. The bell to start the last class of the day would ring in a couple of minutes. He turned slightly to the right in his chair and stared blankly at the large poster of the Periodic Table of Elements on the side wall.
He was still upset—though considerably less than that morning—over the argument with his grandpa. Jared’s thoughts turned to the discussion he had about it with his friend Tom at lunch.
Tom was just as baffled as Jared about why Jared’s grandpa was overreacting. Tom had even tried to convince Jared to sneak out that evening, but Jared declined. He made up some excuses—like he didn’t want Tom to get in trouble for helping him—but the real reason Jared wasn’t going to disobey his grandpa was that, despite having had a heated argument with him, he respected him and didn’t like disappointing him. Of course, he didn’t tell Tom that because it would have made him sound like a sissy.
Jared sighed and resigned himself to being stuck at home and bored, and at that moment, Tim, a large, round, blonde boy, tromped into the classroom. Jared kept looking at the poster on the side wall to avoid making eye contact with the school bully.
Jared heard some commotion near the front of the room and then a book hitting the floor. Noise always seemed to follow Tim wherever he went. Though, it would be more accurate to say that he caused noise wherever he went.
“Hey!” a girl complained.
“Sorry. It was an accident.” Tim was obviously lying.
Out of the corner of his left eye, Jared watched Tim stroll over to his desk, which was across the aisle from Jared, and sit down.
Tim started slapping Evan—the pale, skinny boy he sat behind—on the back of the head and the ears. Without saying anything, Evan leaned forward as far as he could, rested his forehead on his desk, and cupped his hands over his ears. Tim didn’t stop, though, and Evan, who was wearing some kind of superhero costume, started whimpering.
Jared wished someone would teach Tim a lesson. What a jerk. He fantasized about learning martial arts and kicking Tim in the face but knew he was only kidding himself. Dream on.
“What are you looking at?”
Jared snapped out of his trance and realized that he had turned almost completely sideways to watch the torture session. He found himself staring right at Tim. With a jolt, he turned his body back to face forward, and his eyes darted to the blank whiteboard at the front of the classroom.
“Nothing,” Jared muttered.
Panic replaced the swelling of hatred that Jared had been feeling toward Tim. His heart pounded in his throat, and he found it hard to breathe. He gulped and tensed up, wondering if Tim was going to start picking on him next.
Fortunately, the teacher, Mr. Hobson, appeared in the doorway. Jared relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe, for the time being.
Mr. Hobson, Jared’s seventh grade science teacher, was a tall, dark-haired, handsome man. Jared noticed that, as usual, the eyes of all the girls had became riveted to Mr. Hobson as he walked across the front of the room. Practically all the girls in the class—and all the girls in the school for that matter—had crushes on him.
Jared rolled his eyes. Mr. Hobson was way too old for any of them, and he was a teacher.
“Hey, Collins.” Tim’s voice caused Jared to cringe.
The tardy bell rang.
Jared gritted his teeth and clamped his eyes shut. Leave me alone!
“Hey, soccer boy. Quit ignoring me.”
The same symbol he had seen that morning—of the white hand on a black background—flashed across Jared’s mind. His eyes popped open.
“What? Do you think you’re too good to talk to me? You freak!”
Jared saw Mr. Hobson look at him and, at the edge of his peripheral vision, saw Tim move his arm. As if he had sensed something flying toward his head, with cat-like reflexes, Jared turned his head, lifted his hand, and batted away what Tim had thrown at him.
Jared’s eyes followed the small, thin, yellow object—almost like it was moving in slow motion—as it flew toward the back of the class, hit a lab table, and then landed on the white vinyl floor. Tim had thrown a broken pencil at him.
Jared couldn’t believe what he had just done. How did I do that?
He looked at the palm of his still raised hand and marveled at the spot of graphite he saw where the tip of the pencil had hit his hand, or rather, where his hand had hit the pencil. Then, he glanced over at Tim.
With narrowed eyes and a scowl, Tim shook his head. “Lucky.”
Luck? Jared didn’t have an explanation for what happened, but he felt that luck wasn’t a good enough reason. Also, he was baffled that he had seen the hand vision again, and right before Tim threw the pencil. Coincidence?
“Tim! I saw that!”
Jared’s attention shot back to the front of the class.
Mr. Hobson demanded, “Come up here, right now!”
Tim waved his hand dismissively. “It was just a pencil.”
“I don’t care what it was. You don’t throw things at other people. I’m sending you to the office.” From a drawer of his lab table, Mr. Hobson took out a small, pink pad of paper and began writing on it.
Tim shrugged with his hands held out. “What’s the big deal? It’s not like it would’ve hurt him. He has a metal plate in his head.” He pointed to his own head.
“That’s enough.” Mr. Hobson gave Tim a stern look. “Come here.” He motioned with a curling finger for Tim to approach and then continued writing.
“Aw, man,” Tim whined.
Jared’s plump classmate got up and dragged himself to the front of the class. Once he reached the teacher’s lab table, he leaned against it, rested one arm on the countertop, and then began tapping on the lever of the gas spigot next to the sink.
After Mr. Hobson finished filling out the hall pass, he ripped it off the pad of paper and held it out between two fingers. Tim stood up, snatched the note from the teacher, and turned toward the door to leave.
With all the maturity of a third-grader, Tim dangled the hall pass out in front of himself between his thumb and index finger, pinched his nose with the fingers of his other hand, and cringed at the pink piece of paper like it was a piece of stinky garbage. Then, continuing his dramatics, he wiped both sides of the paper on his faded, black T-shirt to clean the fake grime and germs off the note.
Next, smiling, he shoved both of his hands into his front pockets and strutted across the front of the classroom. His jeans, already riding too low on his hips, were pushed down even more, exposing more of his white boxer shorts.
And, for his big finale, once Tim reached the open doorway, he said over his shoulder, “On my way to the office, I’ll try not to walk too close to the library, so the plate in my head doesn’t set off the metal detector.” He made a few high-pitched beeping noises as he stepped out of sight.
There were a few snickers. Jared could feel his ears burning with embarrassment. He bowed his head and slunk down in his chair.
Mr. Hobson made downward motions with both hands. “Alright, alright. Settle down. We’re going to watch a short video now.”
**********
Jared’s grandpa was waiting for him after school. When he got in the car, his grandpa asked him, “How was your day?”
Jared didn’t want to look at his grandpa but muttered, “Fine.”
After the silent car ride home, Jared went straight upstairs to his bedroom. He changed into a pair of blue shorts and a black T-shirt and then went downstairs.
His grandpa was on the phone ordering pizza. Jared managed to smile. His grandfather was obviously trying to smooth things over with him—pizza was one of Jared’s favorite foods.
Jared sat down on the couch and turned on the TV with the remote.
His grandpa asked, “Is pizza okay with you?”
Jared gave a short, flat reply. “Sure.”
His grandpa went upstairs to his bedroom and didn’t come out until the doorbell rang.
“Sweet. Pizza’s here.” Jared went into the kitchen and got some chips and soda while his grandpa answered the front door.
They set their bachelor’s meal on the glass coffee table and began eating while they watched Halloween movies. Jared hoped that eating and watching movies would take his mind off his disappointment about not being allowed to go trick-or-treating and would make it easier to give his grandpa the silent treatment.
Jared was anxious to hear his grandpa’s explanation of the hand vision and recurring nightmare, but his grandpa had insisted that he wouldn’t be able to tell Jared until the next day. So, to show his displeasure, Jared had decided to talk to his grandpa as little as possible.
As Jared took a bite of pizza, he wondered, What’s he going to find out between now and tomorrow that will explain what’s going on? He shrugged to himself, Well, it better be good, whatever it is, and turned his attention back to the movie.
Later that evening, as Jared was starting to doze off, he looked at the clock on the wall above the TV. It read 10:05. He couldn’t stay awake any longer. I’m going to bed.
Without looking at his grandpa, who was seated next to him, or saying good night to him, Jared got up, yawned, and then dragged himself upstairs. He plopped down on his bed and then pulled the covers over himself.
Resting his head on the pillow, he wondered if he would have the nightmare again, what his grandpa would say about its meaning, and what the hand vision had to do with it. It didn’t take long for those thoughts to fade, though, and he was soon fast asleep.
However, if he’d known that he would definitely have the nightmare again and that the outcome would be life changing, he might not have fallen asleep so easily.
Chapter 2
Under the Lake
Jared sprinted through the maze of dimly lit hallways without knowing where he would end up. He sensed something or someone lurking in the shadows, following him, and desperately wanted to get away.
With his next step, a force propelled Jared into space. Then, as quickly as he was rocketed into the heavens, he fell back down to Earth.
He landed on his feet in a dark and silent jungle. An icy chill ran through him.
He looked around for an escape route and saw a crack of light ahead in the trees. He tried to run toward it, but his feet were stuck.
A robed figure came out from behind a tree, grabbed Jared by the shirt, and pulled him closer. He felt the menacing stranger’s breath on his face, but there was only darkness where the person’s face should’ve been.
Jared was jarred awake from his nightmare. His eyes burst open, and he gasped. To his surprise, he discovered that his feet were dangling above his bed. He felt two big hands holding him up by his armpits, and, as his eyes started adjusting to the dark, he saw that those big hands were attached to two strong, hairy arms, which were connected to a rather large person wearing a hooded robe.
Jared’s nightmare had become real!
The dark figure growled in a low, resonating tone as he moved Jared closer to him. Jared cringed from the stench of the putrid breath entering his nostrils.
The stranger’s facial features were no longer shadowed by the hood of the robe he was wearing, and Jared could see the man’s flared nostrils and pointed teeth. He seemed like more of a beast than a man.
Jared tried unsuccessfully to jerk himself free.
Jared’s grandpa, wearing a hooded robe, burst in, fracturing the door jamb where the bolt of the doorknob broke through and almost knocked the door off its hinges.
The man-beast dropped Jared onto the bed, turned, and then leapt out the second-story window, his black robe fluttering behind him.
What the...? Jared looked from the window, to his grandpa, to the broken door, back to his grandpa, and then back at the window.
Jared wondered why the window was open. He was sure it was shut when he went to bed.
He guessed that his attacker had opened the window when he entered the room. But why?
Jared sat up and tried to collect his thoughts, but he wasn’t sure he could make sense of what took place. The whole thing had happened so fast. It was like a blur.
Jared’s grandpa walked over to the window and paused briefly, looking into the night, before shutting it.
He stepped toward Jared and put a hand on Jared’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Jared didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded. Also, he noticed that his grandpa didn’t seem worried or upset about the startling break-in.
Jared heard the front door downstairs open, and his heart started racing again. He’s back!
Jared’s grandpa turned and stepped slightly to the side. Jared scrambled out of his bed and stood half-hidden behind his grandpa.
A few seconds later, a man in a hooded robe entered the room.
Jared felt some relief when he realized that it wasn’t the man-beast that attacked him. Who is that? Did he chase away the other one or capture him?
Jared’s grandpa spoke to the man. “It got away?”
“Yes.” The stranger took a couple of steps toward Jared and his grandpa.
The man was wearing a hooded, brownish-green robe made of a lightweight material that hung down to his calves. The robe was open in the front, and he wore black pants and a white shirt.
Jared then noticed that his grandpa was wearing a robe similar to the other man’s in style and material. The only apparent difference was that his grandpa’s was light brown. Are they in some kind of robe-wearing, criminal-fighting club together? Jared also wondered how long his grandpa had had that robe because he had never seen it around the house before.
Jared’s grandfather said, “No sense in worrying about it too much, Gromagan.”
Jared looked up at the tall, well-built man, who had a prominent nose, deep set, brown eyes, angular jaw and cheek bones, and strong facial features that had the appearance of being chiseled out of stone. Gromagan? He scrunched his forehead. That’s a weird name. “Gromagan?”
Gromagan nodded, acknowledging his name.
Jared’s grandpa added, “But, it’ll be back. And with help.”
Jared was stunned to learn that the man-beast would come back. He stepped forward and looked up at his grandpa. “What?”
“It’s okay. Calm down, Jared.” His grandpa patted his shoulder.
Jared wasn’t entirely sure what had happened in his room, but he was sure it was nothing to stay calm about. “How can I be calm after what just happened? That... that thing attacked me! And, it’ll come back?!”
“Jared.” Jared’s grandpa turned, put both hands on Jared’s shoulders, and then gave him one of his serious looks. “I’d love to spend some time explaining to you what’s going on right now, but we need to leave immediately.”
“Leave?” Jared’s voice cracked.
“Yes, leave. Right after I contact the other guardians.” Jared’s grandpa closed his eyes as if he was concentrating.
Guardians? Jared furrowed his brow. Is that the name of his club?
“Dorn. Prienna. This is Hilcar.” Jared’s grandpa spoke as if he was talking to someone in the room, but he wasn’t wearing the wireless earpiece to his cell phone. “We’ve been discovered. Get to the rendezvous point as soon as possible.” He opened his eyes.
What was that? Telepathy? And why did he call himself Hilcar? Jared’s frustration and curiosity slipped out. “What’s going on?” He looked at both men. “Who are you?”
Without answering, Gromagan and Jared’s grandpa ushered the reluctant Jared out of the bedroom.
After a few nudges from his grandpa, Jared threw up his arms in defeat, “Fine,” and went downstairs without resisting. I’ll go along with them, for now. As they entered the garage, Jared also decided that he would keep his thoughts and his questions to himself for the time being because he figured he’d just be wasting his breath.
Jared got into the front passenger seat of his grandfather’s white Acura Legend, and Gromagan got in the back seat.
When Jared’s grandpa got in the driver’s seat, he said, “Sorry to drag you off so suddenly. I thought we’d have more time.”
Whatever. But, I better get some answers soon. As they sped away from the house, Jared wondered where he was being taken and when, or even if, he’d be back. It didn’t even dawn on him, until they were already well on their way, that he was leaving the house in just the shorts and T-shirt he wore to bed.
After they were on the road for a while, Jared noticed a traffic sign with “San Bernardino” on it and, later on, another with “Mountain Resorts.” He wondered if they were going to the mountains—they seemed to be headed in that direction.
Jared’s observation turned out to be correct. They were soon winding their way up the San Bernardino Mountains. Through the breaks in the trees and between the boulders that lined the road, Jared caught glimpses of flickering lights glowing from the dark, smog-filled valley below.
Jared noticed that his grandpa was driving aggressively (more uncharacteristic behavior from his grandpa). He seemed to be in a hurry, taking some of the turns a little fast.
Jared wanted to ask why he was in such a rush, but, when he glanced over at his grandpa, he decided it would be better not to distract him. His grandpa seemed so focused on his driving. He had an intense look on his face, was gripping the steering wheel tightly, and checked his mirrors frequently.
Jared tried reading road signs to keep himself from dwelling on the uncertainty he felt about his situation and his grandpa, who seemed like a different person—one with a second, secret life.
After passing the next few signs, it seemed evident that they were going toward Lake Arrowhead, and Jared asked himself, Why the mountains? Is there something up here that has to do with the explanation grandpa said he had for my nightmares and that “vision”?
The silent drive on the winding roads up into the mountains and around Lake Arrowhead finally ended when Jared’s grandfather pulled the car over onto a shoulder. “This is it.”
Jared looked around as he got out of the car. Most of the houses in the area were hidden in the pines. He wondered if they were going into one of those secluded homes or somewhere else.
Jared followed his grandpa and Gromagan to a cement slab. He took the few steps across the gravelly shoulder carefully because it was uncomfortable walking on the rocks with bare feet.
“This way.” Jared’s grandpa pointed down a concrete staircase between two houses.
As he turned to go, Gromagan gestured for Jared to go ahead of him, so Jared stepped over to the stairs, placed a hand on top of the metal rail that lined one side, and began descending.
On the way down, Jared’s grandfather, a few steps ahead of Jared, said, “Things are different now, Jared. There’ll be many new things for you—some things that might even be hard for you to understand, at first, but you’ll understand them in time.”
What’s that supposed to mean? Jared furrowed his brow and just kept following silently, looking at his surroundings and wondering where they were going.
At the bottom of the steps, there was a chain-link fence with a locked gate. On the other side was Lake Arrowhead. Moonlight glimmered across the surface of the water.
“Gromagan, open this, please.” Jared’s grandpa pointed at the padlock.
Gromagan stepped forward, grabbed the lock in one hand, pulled on it until it snapped, and then threw it aside. He held the gate open for Jared and his grandfather, so they could pass.
Jared glanced at the broken padlock on the ground as he walked by Gromagan. How did he do that? Gromagan seemed to possess superhuman strength.
They continued another few feet on a concrete walkway until they came to a dock. Jared’s grandfather led Jared and Gromagan out onto the wooden pier, which was about 15 feet long. They had walked almost to the end when Jared’s grandpa signaled for them to stop.
Jared and Gromagan waited as Jared’s grandpa continued to the edge and then looked down at the water. “Jared, come here, please.” He gestured, without looking up, for Jared to approach the end of the dock.
Jared was resistant to do anything. “Wait. You’ve dragged me out here to jump off a pier? What’s going on? Who are you?”
His grandpa turned sideways and looked at Jared. “There isn’t time for this right now.”
Jared could sense his grandfather’s frustration, but he didn’t budge. He just stood where he was with his arms folded across his chest in defiance. He wanted answers, and he was going to get them. After all, his grandpa—or Hilcar or whoever he was—promised he would explain what was going on. No time like the present.
His grandfather softened slightly. “Okay. As you overheard at home, my name is Hilcar. But, I’m still your grandfather. So, listen to me. Right now, we need to get you to Teruvisa.”
Teruvisa? Jared didn’t move. “What are you talking about?”
“Fine.” Hilcar lay down on the pier, put his finger in the water, and swirled it around in a pattern like he was writing something. When he finished, he rose to his feet and wiped his finger on his robe. He pointed to the water past the end of the pier. “There. Now, will you look, please?”
Jared approached, eyeing Hilcar curiously. He was still upset that he didn’t know what was going on but was interested to see what his grandpa did to the water.
Once at the edge, Jared leaned forward and looked down. Instead of water at the end of the pier, there was a square, transparent platform slightly bigger than the width of the pier.
“Go ahead. Get on.” His grandfather motioned for Jared to get on the platform. “It’s okay. It’ll hold you. It’s safe.” Something reassuring in his grandpa’s voice urged Jared to trust him.
So, Jared took a deep breath and stepped down. The platform was sturdy—not at all like it was floating.
When he placed his other foot down on the platform, Jared instantly found himself in a transparent chamber. He touched one of the sides. It was smooth and cold. Water surrounded the glass-like compartment on all four sides and above.
He looked down at his feet. Through the platform on which he was standing, he could see the night sky. At that point, he realized that he was standing upside down under the surface of the lake!
But, he didn’t feel upside down. What? How? He couldn’t make sense of it. Weird.
Suddenly, Gromagan appeared in the small chamber and then Hilcar a few seconds after that. There wasn’t much breathing room in that compartment, and Gromagan elbowed Jared in the ribs.
“Hey,” Jared complained.
Gromagan apologized and then pulled something out from inside his robe.
The object, which fit in the palm of his hand, looked kind of like a credit card, except silver in color, and a faint glow emanated from the side facing up.
Jared asked, “What’s that?”
“A treyo,” Gromagan replied.
“A treyo, huh?” Jared shrugged. He liked to keep up on the latest technological toys, but he couldn’t recall ever hearing about anything called a treyo or about any small, illuminated cards being developed.
Gromagan pointed the handheld device at the wall that faced back toward the shore. The wall turned into a non-transparent, metallic panel, and then promptly disappeared.
Jared blinked hard. He wasn’t expecting the treyo to do anything like that. Is it some kind of ultra-thin remote control?
“Okay. Let’s go.” Hilcar stepped out of the chamber.
Gromagan ushered Jared through the opening onto a long pier that was about 50 feet long and appeared to be made of wood, but the surface was in perfect condition—not worn, cracked, or faded.
Jared took a tentative step onto the pier (yet, at the same time, he felt adventurous). The wood—if that’s what the material was—was smooth to the touch.
As Jared followed his grandpa, he glanced up at the sky a few times. He couldn’t see a sun, any stars, or even a moon. Yet, it wasn’t totally dark outside. He wondered if maybe it was just before dawn or just after dusk.
Jared looked around, intrigued and wide-eyed, at his new surroundings. When they were about halfway down the pier, he noticed that they were walking toward a cave in the towering rock wall ahead of them. “Are we going in there?” He pointed around Hilcar’s shoulder at the cave as they proceeded along the pier.
“Yes,” Hilcar stated.
Oh great. He’s still doing that whole not talking very much thing. I wish he’d stop it. It’s annoying. Jared just wanted his grandpa to tell him what was going on. That’s not too much to ask, is it?
Jared’s frustration vanished when the murky water attracted his attention. It looked as smooth as glass and had what appeared to be fire burning just below the surface.
After a dozen more steps, Jared and Hilcar reached the end of the pier. Jared stepped down onto the shore. The fine sand underfoot was warm. As he looked to both sides, he couldn’t see an end to the wall of brownish rock marbled with off-white.
Continuing a couple more steps, Jared and Hilcar entered the cave. The inside of the shallow cavity was shaped like a dome cut in half vertically.
Hilcar turned around to face the outside. Jared figured he should do the same.
Gromagan, with his back to Hilcar and Jared, was still standing at the other end of the pier, looking out over the water. The chamber from which they had emerged was gone.
Jared continued to survey his surroundings. The lake—or vast river—was probably a mile wide and was situated in a deep canyon.
Jared looked to the left and right. Off in the distance, to both sides of him, there were bends in the canyon, so he had no way of knowing how far the water reached in either direction.
Jared’s focus went back to Gromagan. “What’s he doing?” he asked his grandpa, without looking at him.
Even though Jared had said the name Gromagan before and heard his grandpa say it, that name still sounded strange. Of course, the name Hilcar seemed just as foreign.
Hilcar stated, “Waiting for the others.”
What kind of answer is that? “What others?” Jared was getting more impatient and wanted the awkward moments of silence and short answers to end. His grandpa wasn’t usually a talkative person, but his lack of explaining things had gotten to be ridiculous.
“Others like you.” Hilcar turned to Jared and tried to offer what Jared interpreted as comfort. “Don’t worry. Soon, all your questions will be answered.”
That’s what you keep saying. Despite his grandpa’s attempt to appease him, Jared was still tired of not knowing what was going on. He didn’t like the lack of control he felt. He wanted to grab his grandpa by the shoulders and shake the answers out of him.
“What did you say this place was?” Jared didn’t care that he sounded impatient.
Hilcar glanced over at Jared. “Teruvisa.” His grandpa’s eyes lit up as he said the word.
Sensing by the way his grandpa said the name, Teruvisa was obviously an important place. But why? Jared wanted to find out more. “So, how did we get here? I mean, I know we came through that chamber thing.” He pointed at the other end of the pier, where Gromagan was. “But, what makes it work?”
“Our technology.” Hilcar piqued Jared’s interest with one of his favorite words—technology.
Jared definitely wanted to learn about Teruvisa’s technology.
Hilcar started to say something else but then pointed toward Gromagan. “Ah, there they are.”
A metal panel appeared at the end of the pier. It promptly disappeared and exposed the inside of the chamber Hilcar, Jared, and Gromagan had been in.
A boy and a man stepped out onto the pier. Gromagan shook the boy’s hand as he was introduced by the other man. After Gromagan directed them to walk down the pier, the two newcomers walked over to the cave.
The boy, who was about the same age as Jared, had a slightly olive complexion, brown eyes, and curly, jet black hair. He was wearing pajama bottoms with vertical white and blue stripes, a white T-shirt, and leather sandals.
The man accompanying the boy looked a lot like Hilcar—so much so, they could’ve been brothers. He was also wearing a robe like Hilcar’s.
Hilcar smiled as he stepped forward to greet them. “Hello, Dorn.” He put his hand on the man’s shoulder.
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(Pages 1-31 show above.)