The looming expanse of the doorframe was towering over my cowering body. I could hear the voices drifting from inside, some had a panicked edge while others appeared to be angry.
Struggling against John’s harsh grip, I knew I couldn’t give up so soon. This wasn’t fair; my adventure had only just started. Surely the Gods didn’t want it to be over so soon.
Feeling the need to escape, to keep Comet and Lacey safe, I bit John on the arm. Ducking out of his grip, I searched madly for an escape route.
“You won’t be able to slip out of the door, they will see you,” John whispered to me, still clasping his injured arm.
“If it’s the only way, I’m willing to risk it. You don’t care anyway,” I muttered, backing into the opposite wall.
“Why do you think I stopped you from going that way? We need you to escape and keep River safe, she can’t be in Terran Nova,” John explained. Turning to Melody he spoke slowly, “get her out without being seen. Ok?”
Kissing his daughter on her forehead, John nodded at me and walked into the lounge. The conversation within instantly became louder and angrier.
I was still confused as to why I wasn’t being handed over to the guards. I reasoned the family were too nice to do that; they’d had a child removed from them and didn’t want another family to go through that pain. Also, I could get them Lacey.
“So, we need a way that gets you out without anyone noticing,” Melody told me, skilfully avoiding eye contact, “but how?”
I didn’t know. To me it seemed impossible to creep past the guards to the door.
“Wait a minute,” Melody exclaimed, “that should work?”
I looked at her in confusion, was she agreeing with my creeping past plan? Not truly understanding what we were doing, I obediently allowed her to drag me into a nearby bedroom. I assumed it was the parents.
Watching carefully, Melody moved to the side of the wooden bed and leant against it. She began to push.
It wasn’t doing anything.
“Don’t help then,” Melody scowled as she struggled with the bed.
I jumped in embarrassment, moving to Melody I began to aid her in her attempt to move the bed. It had already travelled a fair distance across the small room. Once it was pressed completely against the far wall, Melody reached under it and lifted up the floor.
It was a trap door.
“Let’s go,” Melody urged me as she began clambering down the ladder.
I glanced one last time towards the voices in the lounge. “Will they be ok?”
Melody nodded, “they’re strong.”
Looking back at the little girl, I noticed the wetness in her eyes but decided not to comment. Instead, I slipped in after Melody and pulled the door closed over our heads.
We were encased in heavy darkness.
The next few minutes were a blur of nothingness, blindly following Melody until finally bursting into sunshine.
“Follow me,” Melody instructed as she grabbed my hand.
I didn’t know where she was taking me but decided not to question it. I hoped I was making the right choice.
We slipped around corners and stopped whenever we heard noises. Keeping to the shadows, Melody seemed extremely jumpy. There was a high chance we would meet some more guards.
Finally, after my feet had begun aching once more, we arrived at a mud hut that looked exactly the same as every other. Melody knocked three times.
The door was thrown open and I got dragged, once more, into the house.
The first thing I noticed inside the hut was not the simplistic furniture, or low sloping ceiling, but the two girls sat on the tattered leather sofa. Comet and Lacey lunged at me in happiness, creating a cocoon of giggles.
The laughter stopped abruptly when I noticed we weren’t alone. Separating myself from Lacey and Comet’s grass, I looked at the boy on the couch.
“Who’s that,” I asked.
“We could ask you the same question,” Comet stated glaring at Melody in distrust.
Melody appeared to be immune to Comet’s fire eyes; she instead hurried to the boy and threw herself into his arms.
I watched in fascination as the boy returned the hug and stroked Melody’s shaking head. I realised he seemed about Melody’s age, around 13 judging by the mass of spots appearing on his face.
After they let go of each other, the boy beckoned me over with a wave of his tiny hands.
Sitting beside Melody, I turned to introduce myself to the boy. “Hi, I’m Ame-.”
“I know who you are, stupid,” the boy interrupted playfully. “Lacey, will you get everyone some water from the kitchen please?”
Although this was phrased as a question, Lacey jumped to it, instantly disappearing out of the door. The boy turned to me, allowing me to finally get a good look at him. He was extremely thin and abnormally pale for a Terran, probably from staying inside all the time; he had wispy blond hair and startling pale blue eyes. He looked as though he had been washed one too many times.
Looking closer at his eyes I noticed he didn’t seem to focus properly. He was blind.
“Well, duh. It is so I can see ‘beyond what is happening’ as they call it. I was born with it so got the job,” he muttered unhappily.
I wondered how he knew what I had thinking about.
“Your friends mentioned you were looking for Bellona,” the boy stated calmly. “Unfortunately, you are too late. She died a while ago, but do not worry. I’m her replacement.”
I was amazed by this boy; I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to become a soothsayer at such a young age. He seemed so small and weak, yet strangely strong at the same time.
“What is your name?” I asked.
The boy looked slightly started, “not many people want to know my name any more, to them I am just the soothsayer.”
I thought I might have said something wrong as the boy seemed about to cry but he quickly shook out his head and looked towards me again.
“I was once known as Peregrine.”
“Do you mind if I call you Perry?”
He smiled at me, “I think I would like that.”
I nodded, “we were told by…”
Trailing off, I realised Perry wasn’t listening to me anymore. Instead he was staring straight at Melody.
“This is very good of you Melly,” Perry whispered to her. “I know how seriously you want to say something but we both know it isn’t the right time.”
Melody sighed and looked towards the floor, “I know, I shouldn’t, but I want to, badly.”
Of course, Lacey was in the other room getting drinks- and taking a long time I might add- and Melody wanted to talk to her; to be close to her sister again, after all this time.
“Stay strong, let her rest before throwing her into the truth.” Perry turned back towards me. “Comet told me the Princess herself sent you to me and I believe I know why.”
Perry gestured to Comet, whose look of confusion turned to understanding as she nodded along to what Perry was saying.
“Would you get that book I mentioned earlier for me please, the one on the top shelf.”
Comet nodded and scurried off.
I looked over at Melody, who seemed more downcast then earlier. Wanting to say something to her, I opened my mouth. Before I had the chance, however, Comet came storming back in.
She was scarily fast when she set her mind to something.
Walking over to us, Comet sat back down and passed something to Perry. It was so small I could only assume it was the book.
Feeling a pressure to my left, I found Lacey sat next to me holding a jug of water and some glasses. Taking a long gulp, I finished the glass quickly.
“Groooooowwwwll.”
Everyone turned and stared at me and my rumbling stomach.
“Sorry,” I shrugged, not knowing what else to say.
I hadn’t had a chance to eat back with Kath and her family so I was seriously starving.
The room erupted into loud bellows of laughter at my expense, mostly from Comet, though Perry seemed to be joining in happily.
“Don’t worry; we’re having breakfast soon,” Lacey whispered into my ear.
“I think we’d better hurry this along,” Perry managed to say through his laughs. “This,” he told them holding a small book, the size of his palm, out towards me, “is a book about life before the King wiped everyone’s memories.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as I took the book from Perry’s weak grasp.
Perry looked sheepish all of a sudden, “oops, I sometimes forget other people didn’t see it happen. Around 15 years ago, the King commanded a selective brain wipe for every citizen. All it removed was information on the Queen.”
“So no one remembers anything about her?” Comet asked scratching her head in confusion.
“Except the royal guard of course, the ones who had to perform the spell, they are still trying to find her. She disappeared, they say, probably dead.”
“Surely it was for our own good then?” Lacey commented, placing her hand nervously over mine. “Maybe it’s best if we don’t remember.”
Perry shook his head sharply, “no, it is the only thing that can help you complete your mission. I promise.”
“I agree that we should,” Comet agreed.
I looked at Lacey and shrugged, she nodded nervously back. We all agreed then.
“Can’t you just tell us yourself though?” Comet asked.
“Maybe, but you need to find it out yourself,” Perry told us using his mysterious voice.
“Really? Why do you have to do this?” Comet was starting to sound like a whining child.
Perry laughed weakly, “for the fun of it.”
Chuckling at his ‘hilarious’ joke, Comet sighed at Perry in annoyance. This got her a stern look from Lacey and I.
“I’m joking,” Perry admitted, leaning forward, he whispered into my ear, “and you need to find out the things even soothsayers don’t know about. Just, don’t tell anyone I said that.”
Melody looked at me hopefully; she obviously wanted to know what Perry had just whispered. I pretended to not see the look.
Moving away, Perry nodded once more at the book. “Go on, open it.”
So I did. I was stunned by what was on the first page; it was gibberish, absolute gibberish. I couldn’t understand anything I was looking at.
“Ha, the look on your face, If only I could have seen it,” Perry laughed, yet again, at my expense.
Glancing up, I saw that Lacey, Comet and Melody were also disappointed by what they witnessed on the page.
“Ummm,” I started, looking down at the scribbles of numbers in front of me, “Perry, what exactly is this book written in?”
“It’s a type of code, duh, only a few know how to read it,” Perry assured happily, as if it were a good thing.
“Are you one of them?” Comet asked uncertainly.
“Of course not, do I look like I can read?” Perry replied dramatically.
“No one in Terran Nova learns how to read or write, it’s not essential to our lives.” Melody whispered sadly.
Perry placed his hand comfortingly over her small fist, “I know someone who should be able to translate it for you though.”
“We’d be extremely pleased if you could tell us any information you have about them,” Lacey looked at Perry imploringly.
“It’s all in the book,” Perry informed us, leaning back lazily in the chair.
“But the book doesn’t make sense!” Comet seethed.
“On a piece of paper inside the book,” Perry sighed at Comet’s stupidity, “now, how about some breakfast and a day of rest before you all head off?”
We all nodded happily before racing off for some food.
After a very satisfying meal, in which my stomach was thoroughly warmed, I settled into a small arm chair with a book. It was so lovely and comfortable that I eventually simply nodded off into a peaceful sleep.
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Phew, Amethyst is reunited with Comet and Lacy. Plus, they've met a new friend! Do you like Perry? Should I bring him back later?
Awsome comments below please :D