Curtain Down

Chapter 41 - Goodbye, Hello

Author's Note: My longest chapter so far! Wow, I'm so happy :) But I just got so carried away writing I couldn't stop, I really enjoyed it. The penultimate chapter... thanks for taking this journey with me :)

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“Hello?” I said, my torch creating a soft glow in the darkness. My eyes strained to see passed the gloom and after a few moments they became accustomed to the light. I could see people, all of them staring curiously at me. Most of them were pale, almost wax like as if they hadn’t seen light for days, their eyes red and raw from crying. “What is this place?” I said although I already knew the answer. Nobody replied so I spoke again “I’m not going to hurt you...I’m trying to help.”

“How did you get here?” Said a voice. I glanced across the room and attached the voice to a man.

“I...I went down into our basement. Long story but...I need a way to stop the Creator. But...I don’t know how. I guess I’ll just have to get you lot out the best I can.”

“You’re going to rescue us?” Said a woman.

“I’m going to try,” my feeble answer was.

“I know how to stop him.” I turned my head to a corner of the room and saw an old man sitting hunched over. “Child, if you do not stop him there is no hope for any of us even if we get out of this dismal place.”

“I can’t kill him.” I said, my voice cracking.

“No need,” said the man “the magic will kill him for you.”

“What do I need to do?”

“He isn’t a true magician, he holds his magic in a bottle of some sort. It’s most likely going to be small grains of rock...his energy source. You need to smash it, make sure it breaks, not just a crack. But the only problem is the unharnessed power...”

“I have a magician to help me...is that any use?” I said, hope rising in my chest.

“Of course,” said the man “he’ll understand once you smash the bottle, don’t waste time talking about it. It may already be too late.” I rushed towards the steps, about to climb them when I turned, remembering I had to thank the man for his help.

But he was gone.

A chill ran down my spine as I continued to make my way back to my uncle. Creeping around the door I saw Alex leaning against a wall, his side bleeding terribly. I felt sick. Not another one. Oh please don’t die. No. I couldn’t have his death on my conscience.

I wouldn’t.

My eyes scanned the room, searching desperately for the bottle the man had mentioned and seeing none my eyes watered. Had I imagined the whole thing? But then a sparkle caught my eye.

A puppets eye. I hurried across the room and pulled the doll off the shelf, my eyes hardly leaving the back of Pavel. I took out the puppets eye and saw a tiny bottle wedged in behind it. The glass had been transparent so one of the eyes had been golden...like magic dust. I hesitated before throwing the bottle to the ground.What would happen? Would the magic inside kill us all? But I had to have faith in Alexandur...it was my only choice.

Thebottle crashed to the floor. It was small and barely made a sound but it definitely crashed. I felt it vibrate beneath my feet, it shook the walls. Pavel turned to me, his eyes widened. “You!” He yelled and threw a knife at me. I never had time to move out of the way, but thankfully the blade sunk into the cupboard near my head, ruining the wood instead of taking my life. My eyes fell on Alex’s motionless body, splayed out on the floor...the dagger sticking out of his chest. His hand twitched ever so slightly but there was no way he’d have survived a wound like that.