The Elementals - The Ice Princess

Chapter 16

The tears won't stop coming which has led to my pillow becoming saturated in them. Anger and pain surge deep inside me as I try to make sense of everything. There are so many things that have changed in the last twenty-four hours. I reach up looking for the comfort of my pendant and realize that for the first time it's not there.

How could my dad not tell me this until now? As if I don't have enough on my mind finding out that things are out to kill me, now I find out that my mother was sacrificed by my dad so that I could live and that she is trapped inside of the very thing that wants me dead.

My stomach begins to feel queasy and my head starts to spin. I feel like I am going to get sick. I get off the bed and frantically look for a place to unload the only thing I've eaten in the last 24 hours. I see the wastebasket set up by my desk and make a run for it. I drop to my knees and begin to dry heave but nothing wants to come up. After a few moments and an unsuccessful attempt to vomit, I feel a little bit better and use the desk to help me back to my feet and then I see it. Laying on the desk is the picture of my mom and I at Glengarry conservation area.

I can feel the tears beginning to stream down my face as I reach out and grab the picture. No matter what, I have to save her. Another thought enters my mind. My dad! What if these things looking for me, find us? He said that he's never seen so many of these Achlys in one place. What if that one place, is here? Panic begins to stir inside of me, the thought of losing both parents becomes crippling. I won't put him in harm's way, the way he did my mom.

I go to the closet and begin throwing things into a small duffle bag. If I am going to survive, I am going to have to travel light. Good thing my dad spent all those early years teaching me to survive. Who would have ever thought that I would be using those skills to get away from him. I hope he understands that I am doing this to protect him.

Going through my room and desk, I find a number of useful items including a lighter and a pocketknife. It's not loaded with tools but it should do the trick. I toss it into the bag with a flashlight and a couple of changes of clothes.

I take a look at the picture one last time and debate whether or not I should take it with me. I decide to, unzipping my bag and putting it into a safe spot. That is the last thing I load up and sling the bag over my back and sneak to the door. I open it slightly to see if anyone is keeping watch or to see if my dad may be coming to check on me. It looks like the coast is clear as a quick look down the both sides of the hallway reveals nothing. I take one last quick look room around the room trying to ensure that I haven't forgotten anything when I notice the pad and paper on the desk. I step away from the door and sit down at the desk and begin writing.

A few minutes later I sneak into the hallway and listen for voices. I faintly hear Alexander and my dad discussing something in the "control room." I figure that my best course of action is to head in the opposite direction and hope that I can find an exit. I am mad at myself for not figuring out sooner how to get out of the place.

Walking down the hallway, there are very few lights. I slowly and carefully try to move along without making noise, walking almost on the tip-toes. The floor seems to be damp which is making my walking even tougher because my shoes want to squeak on the floor.

I pass a number of rooms that appear to be abandoned. They look almost like barracks, where soldiers sleep. They are lined with bunk beds and a small washroom that is at the very end of the room. Even though the rooms are small, it looks like they can fit six to eight grown men comfortably.

After passing the sleeping rooms, I find a storage room on the left which has a number of things in it that look like they belong in the control room. There are electronic gadgets and gizmos just collecting dust on the shelves. There doesn't seem to be much use to these objects so I don't spend a significant amount of time snooping as I walk by.

I keep questioning my decision to leave as I make my way through the hallway, hopefully closer to the exit. The only thing I know is that I am in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and I am leaving with no plan or money. This doesn't seem like a good plan at all. Maybe there is time to sneak back the way I came, duck into my room and no one would be wiser. In fact, I could go back and listen to what Alexander and my dad were talking about and just pretend that this whole thing never happened. But then I think about my mom. She didn't get to make a choice and that makes my decision to leave easier. I continue looking and finally come across a door that says exit written in paint that has faded with time. I take one quick look down the hallway, open the door and then escape into the cold, dark night.