I sat by the gate staring out at the land beyond my aunts property. One she was now insisting I couldn’t step foot off of. Even in my small life back in Maine, never had I felt more trapped. Surrounded by this beautiful landscape, I felt like more of a prisoner here than I had anywhere else.
I wish I was home. I thought mindlessly pulling at the grass by my feet.
It was then I heard it, a slight rustling. Not loud but soft as if made by a squirrel. Maybe it’s a rabbit I thought crawling forward towards the ornate fence my eyes on the grass..
Scanning the shrubbery, I sighed in disappointment as I looked up.
Into clear eyes.
With only the thin wires of the gate between us, I threw myself backwards as a scream choked deeply into the base of my throat causing me to gasp in fear.
“We see you.”
I didn’t see his lips move, but the words hit my ears the way glass breaks, making one whole sound while fragments made separate clamors. I cringed knowing my fatal mistake.
I had acknowledged him.
He knew, that I knew he was there.
As I sat there my arms thrown backwards as if to catch myself, I couldn’t look away.
And he too stared at me. Probably committing me to memory I thought. His face, neck and even his hands were translucent, the veins underneath his skin so prominent I felt I would be able to feel them if I tried.
Eyes that protruded bulging, from a dominating face were clear and colorless to the point that I felt I was looking through them not at them.
“We see you.” He said again.
Again, I didn’t see his lips move and I realized it was because I couldn’t see them, thin and bloodless it was if his nose ended and there was nothing but skin continuing to his chin and further on.
As I stared horrified, he stood and walked if possible even closer to the gate. His face was centimeters from the gate and I heard the sound of burning flesh hit me. He raised his hands and to my horror curled his fingers around the wire.
Instantly his fingers turned black as the sounds of burning flesh got louder.
“These won’t last forever. We see you, and we will have you all.”
He shook the gate as terrified, I slammed upwards and ran for the house to the only safety I could think of.
“I believe you.” I said as I careened into the kitchen. My aunt Cherise was carrying a tray filled with bread and jars of butter and jam. I crashed into her and the tray fell to the floor shattering glassware all over the stone tile.
“Rheya, what is it?”
I heard the voice of Decklen but made no notion of answering him as I shook. I looked at him wide eyed as I saw his concern. He frowned as he knelt to my level. Placing both hands to my face he looked at me worriedly.
“What is it?” He asked me.
“By the gate.” I finally said.
“You saw one.” Cherise said to me.
I nodded unable to look at her. Decklen stood and within moments vanished. A minute later he was back.
“There is no one there.” He said.
“They do not stay long. The wards are to strong.”
“He touched the gate.” I murmured.
“All the faster he would have left.” She said.
I looked at my aunt’s face filled with worry and Decklen’s filled with something else. It was skepticism I thought. I shook my head as I sat on the warm kitchen floor.
“This is insane. I shouldn’t have been so scared, he was just a person.”
“Who made you feel as helpless as a child, incapable of doing anything ever again. I know, they have made us all feel that way.”
“Decklen doesn’t.” I said.
He smiled softly if not reluctantly.
Cherise frowned. “I have noticed that as well. He does not make me feel that way either. But I still recognize the look of one that was touched. The pale skin, with veins prominent, grey eyes almost clear. They all have the same look. But he looks as if he stopped halfway. It has been very vexing.” Cherise said.
“Rheya what did this man look like?” Decklen said.
I stood and went to the table and sat down. “He was crouched down, so I couldn’t tell how tall. All I really remember was his face. His head was covered, and he had eyes that were big, almost bulging from his head. They were colorless, the irises it was like they were clear.
“In color.” Decklen asked.
“No as if, I could see through them.”
“Like a metaphor?” Decklen asked me gently.
“No. Like I could see into his head, literally.” I said frustrated by the ridiculousness of it all.
“Alright, what else?”
“His skin was like wax paper. It was clear too. I could see his veins, they were all over his face and mouth. He spoke but his lips, were as colorless as his face. His nose was on the smaller side and pointed. That’s it.” I said.
“Not much to go on.” Decklen said.
“And his voice was like an echo.”
“He spoke to you?” Decklen said sharply.
I nodded. “He scared me. I jumped, he saw me acknowledge him, he knows I can see him. I know I shouldn’t have moved, but I just didn’t believe her.”
“What did he say?” Cherise asked.
“We see you, the wards won’t hold and we will have you.” I recited. “He shook the gate, hard.”
Cherise sank down.
“The wards are weakening.” She sighed defeated.
“How can you be sure?” I asked.
“I think, it’s time you went to the attic.” Cherise said firmly.
The attic was surprisingly clean. To say I had expected dust was an understatement. But I realized that if what my aunt was saying was in fact true; than for the past nineteen years, she had lived a very lonely life with nothing to keep her company except for an enchanting house and a garden that was free of weeds and pristine.
She must have been so lonely.
I pushed down the sympathy I felt rising in me. Lonely though she seemed, my aunt struck me as a seemingly strong if not odd character and something told me she did not want or need my pity.
As I looked around the room, I saw the boxes filled with photo albums, mementos from her life here. As I stood there, curiosity for a look into my parents lives rushed into me and I moved forward.
But the box I needed was against the wall locked by a key I now held tightly in my hand. I turned and decided if I was trapped here after all, then there would be more than enough time to look through it all.
Continuing forward I moved to the box. It was more like a chest. I knelt to it and with only a second’s moments of apprehension, I slid the key and heard the sounds of gears setting into place as I turned.
Fear making me want to run and curiosity keeping me locked in place, I heard the lock slide and I lifted the lid of the chest and looked down.
“Nothing, there’s nothing in the bloody box except a letter and a god damn dagger like the one you’ve got.”
“Nothing. You must be mistaken.” My aunt said from the kitchen table.
She was shelling peas, a simply mundane thing to be doing considering the circumstances.
“I doubt that, I have a letter to me, and one to you.” I said handing her a thick envelope.
With trembling fingers she opened the wax seal of the flap and pulled out a thick wad of paper. She read it, and then when she was done quietly handed me the pile. I took it dubiously and began to read.
'My dearest Rissie,
Please, please forgive my leaving by night. I swear I did not do it to hurt you. I only did it to ensure the safety of Rheya. I know that it is dangerous to leave the grounds, but I cannot bear the thought of Rheya growing up trapped in a life like ours. No matter how beautiful it may appear. A prison will always be what it is no? A trapped life?
Please do not worry, there is a reason I stopped going onto the grounds during my pregnancy. I claimed to be sick, but the truth is I did not want them to know I was with child.
The moment I knew, I planned for Rheya to live a free life. Cleo’s has agreed. She couldn’t live as we have lived, waiting for them to find a way. I do not want that fear for our daughter.
So Cleo’s made arrangements with Clare. Whose daughter Jackie would one day take over. She helped plan our escape.
I cannot say how, but do not worry. You see we will be coming back, because we plan on giving Rheya up. We have gotten in touch with an Orphanage and have supplied them with enough money to ensure a good life until her twentieth birthday. Once the deed is done, we will return.
However, if that is not the case. Then I must assume the worst has happened to Cleo’s and I. You see, Cleo’s and I plan on putting our wards onto Rheya, so we shall be unprotected on our journey back. But we do not care, our hope is that the wards as well as distance from them, will be enough to protect her, at least until she turns twenty. If we do not return and twenty years passes, then I know that you will find her. And when that time comes, I must ask you to pass the letter addressed to her.
And as for the contents of the chest.
I’m sorry but Cleo’s and I have hidden them.
Because they are pressing closer.
I know it.
And so do you.
When the time comes, they will not find what it is they seek.
My love for you always,
Your sister Assandra'
I looked up from her letter and felt the weight of the one addressed to me. I opened it quietly and read.
'Rheya,
I wish I could explain to you the choices for your life. Had I stayed were you undoubtedly are now, we could have had a wonderful life however short. But the hiding was not one I could bear, and so we planned our and ultimately your escape.
I stayed indoors for my pregnancy so as not to let them know but I do not think it worked. To be honest I’m not sure our plan would have ever worked, but we had to try.
I only wanted you to be happy.
We left as most would in the cover of darkness with the help of a trusted friend on the outside. From there we planned to give you away. A decision I fought with from the moment I knew I was carrying you, because it’s not in a mother’s instinct to give away her sole reason for being.
I know if you are reading this letter, then I never returned, and my sister Cherise has done everything she could have to find you. And I’m sure she has succeeded, and that you are now in the very place I never wanted you to be in in the first place.
If that is the case, then understand this Rheya. The wards are failing. If you are reading this, then you are at the age of nineteen or twenty. I had arrangements that you were not to be found until you were at least nineteen years of age. And there is reason for that.
By the start of your twentieth year, the wards for a brief period will fail completely. This will happen more often until finally, they fail and stop working forever.
You and my sister are in danger. My sister does not believe the wards will fail, but they will and when they do, your lives will be in danger. When they fail, they will storm the property seeking one thing. But they will not find it. For I have moved it and not even my sister knows where I’ve hidden the texts. But that won’t mean that they will not kill you both. You must be ready. I know you must realize the futility of what I am saying.
Especially if you have seen them.
But you have more protection than even this house has. The necklace that I left the orphanage to leave you as a gift from us has all the protection you need. It is the most powerful ward in the house and will protect you as long as it is in your possession.
It will protect you.
But only you.
So even though I know how wrong it is to ask this of you. I must ask you for one thing. To find the things I have hidden.
And take them.
Take them far from this place to a location only you know of and hide them there. I know how wrong it is to ask so much of you when you do not even know me. But for the sake of my sister, I must ask.
And now, I must say the hardest part.
I cannot tell you where I have hidden them. I can only say this. Your life, will be a hard one my dear. Protecting amulets and tokens from a forgotten world of nightmares and terrors.
A hard and lonely life.
But you do have another option.
There is a rumor told to me in riddles and puzzles, it is why we have done what we have done for so long.
You see, they are not the only ones who have lost their way. We weren’t created to hunt them, but to protect them. A way to turn them back.
My sister and I never learned of the ability and my sister thinks this is just wishful thinking. It may be. You will have to be the one to decide. Find the texts, read them and decide.
To kill them or to save them.
And then when you know, you’ll have to face your biggest decision yet. To live in fear and hiding, or to leave and find your own way.
I know it seems like too much. But life will give you many choices and only you can decide what route to take.
Because that is the beauty of life my dear Rheya. The choices we make.
There are many options, even though at times it doesn’t seem so, but if given the chance you must choose to make something beautiful.
That is something Cleo’s mother who you were christened after used to say.
I know at this point you may have doubts and so I will say one more thing before I leave you forever.
The seal on the envelope, press it to your amulet. That is why you should believe me. And the clue to where it is hidden, I have already said it in this letter. You just have to figure out where I mean. And I have every faith that you will find it.
And lastly,
Do not show this letter to anyone. Not even my sister. The less anyone knows the better. It will keep you that much safer.
With all my love and your fathers as well.
Please forgive us,
Cleos' & Assandra'
I looked up from the letter to see my aunt and Decklen watching me quietly. I fingered the amulet that protected me all these years.
Because I believed it.
Even though it seemed like my aunt and parents had grown up in a world where they didn’t, it seemed to understand the concept of forgeries and tricks,
I believed it.