Beginning of the End

Beginning of the End ch 3

You know you've probably gone crazy if:

a)     Everyone is purple and screaming in Russian

b)    You are in a room with padding on the walls

Or, in my case:

c)     There is a small, fluffy thing the size of a squirrel with two stubby horns and a striped tail looking up at you with signs of some intelligence.

Now, most people would have run away or backed up for a safer look. I bent down and picked it up. Bad move. The thing wrapped its little tail around my hand and would not, and I repeat would not, come off. No, I did not shake my hand until I made the thing pass out, or hit it over the head with a rock or stick. (Not that I had either of those.) I petted its head, and it started to relax its tail until I could take it off. Once I did, it scurried away into the darkness of the cave.

                        I was fairly freaked out at that point. I had no idea where I was, no way to get home, and couldn't find Ace. Plus, a mutant squirrel had just wrapped itself around my hand.

            As I considered this, I didn't notice a figure approaching me until it tapped me hesitantly on the shoulder. I whipped around, startled. "What the..." I cut off. "Who are you?"

"I think I'm the one who should be asking that." The figure answered, stepping into the light. It, no she, looked about my age. She was staring at me distrustfully.

"Sorry, I kind of have no idea where I am. I just freefell for about two minutes, so if you could show me a way to get back up there, that'd be great."

"No, I won't. You're coming with me."

"What if I said no?"

"Then you said no. I don't care, you're coming anyway."

I shrugged and strolled away.

"Where are you going?" she called after me.

"Away." I replied casually. I whistled and Ace ran over to me from where he had been sniffing a dark corner.

"There's nowhere to go." She said, almost smugly.

I pretended not to notice and walked on into the darkness. Once I was sure I was out of her sight, I sat down. She was right, whoever the heck she was. I had no idea of where I was, no idea of where I was going, and no idea how I had gotten there.

I reluctantly walked back to where she stood smirking. "Fine. Take me wherever the heck you want to."

She turned on her heel and set off at a brisk pace, leaving me to follow her like a dog. And of course, Ace was up ahead, sniffing the pink fluff like it was the most interesting thing.

            I looked around to make sure the squirrel wasn't on another tackle run toward me. Without turning her head, the girl spoke. "I'm Latira. You've reached Hieu, the place of my birth. You will come with me to my father, and we will see what the Council decides to do with you."

Well, that left a lot of wiggle room. I didn't like the sound of this 'council'. All I could picture when I heard that was some rerun of an old black and white show where a group of old men sat in a circle, mixing powders and exiling people based on the color of the smoke the powder produced.

            "You will be respectful to all whom you see, and will not speak unless spoken to. Understand?" She was enjoying this immensely, I could see. Bossing me around was going to be the highlight of her day. She sounded fairly normal, until she slipped and said something that belonged in 17th century England. Seriously, who even said whom anymore? Or 'place of my birth'? What happened to hometown?

I seriously wasn't looking forward to being stuck with a bunch of old guys, so I inched away from her as she walked. Just as I was about to sprint away she spun around and grabbed my wrist. She dragged me along as I hung my head sheepishly. She marched me down the street until we reached a small building, without windows or any door I could see. She knocked on the wall, and after about a minute it opened. Well, kind of. It went from a bunch of bricks into a dark hallway. It didn't seem to have gone anywhere, just disappeared. I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. I was just tired. I walked into the dark hall before Latira, which obviously didn't please her. She was actually apprehensive enough to let me go, probably because if she yelled at me 'they' would hear.

I squinted down the hall, trying to make out any doors. Suddenly, Latira grabbed my arm and pushed down on the back of my head. I saw her hastily curtsy behind me and I bowed awkwardly. Three men had appeared out of nowhere and were standing in front of me. They didn't look like monks, they were wearing black suits and leather dress shoes. They could have been a group of bankers going out to lunch.