The stars gaze down on earth and weep for their loss
The big black truck rammed us for the second time. "Daddy," I screamed from the back seat. My head swung forward and back. The seatbelt cut into my neck when it tightened around me.
"Penny, sweetheart. I just need you to be a brave little explorer for Daddy." His sorrowful blue eyes watched me in the small mirror as he drove.
Tears ran down my cheeks. My knees shook with fear. My head bobbed in reply as I clutched the purple bunny in my arms.
Daddy turned his attention back to the road; he sat up off the back of the seat and gripped the steering wheel. The dirt road dipped and turned. Our small car hugged the road, speeding toward the coordinates on the map in the car's GPS.
The book I found bounced on the passenger seat, the title, Book of Entry, glinted silver in the morning light. The earth gave it to me one week ago when I was playing in my garden. Daddy followed the coordinates on the map found in the pocket of the front cover.
The big truck swerved to cut us off, almost flipping in the process and causing it to stall.
The distance between our vehicles spread. Please-Please, let us get away! I tried not to whimper. Daddy needed me to be brave.
The bad man shot mommy when he came looking for me. Daddy picked me up and ran, but not before I witnessed her drop on the floor. Confusion for why they wanted to take me from my parents muddled my mind. My parents said I was special, but all I did was grow plants.
My heart raced when Daddy stopped the car. A small pond blocked the entrance to the thick woods.
"Okay, Penny, we walk from here," Daddy said as he pulled out the emergency bag we always kept in the trunk. He stuffed the book inside the green bag and entered the coordinates into his phone.
My eyes were sticky and dry and I rubbed them, but the tears had stopped.
Daddy scooped me out of the car and held me in his arms. My head rested on his shoulder as he hurried toward the small bridge.
Chunks of ice floated in the pond, and a thin blanket of snow covered the ground.
I scanned the woods. "Put me down please," I asked.
"We'll move faster if I carry you," Daddy said, sprinting across the rickety bridge. One of the boards fell into the water when his foot lifted.
"Please, Daddy," I said, putting my gloved hand on his face feeling his square jaw clench beneath my fingers. Protectiveness radiated from his body language. "The Earth is calling me to the door." Reluctantly he allowed me to slide out of his arms. I hit the ground running, my cap bounced on top of my head.
The Earth churned beneath my feet giving my flight strength. The subtle pull of the entrance grew stronger as I ran.
Daddy's footsteps fell in a rhythmic pattern behind me.
The earth softened beneath my steps and my breath misted in the cold afternoon air.
We came upon an entangled thicket of vegetation. I stopped and examined the wall of plants and trees.
"What is it Penny?" Daddy said putting his hand on my shoulder.
"It's through there," I said pointing at the tangled thicket.
Daddy frowned and gazed at the mess of trees. "Okay, but how do we get through?"
I turned to him and extended a hand. He took my hand, and I marched right in the middle of the vegetation. The plants were an illusion within a small doorway—a person only needed to sense where to step and I could feel it as sure as I could running water over my hands when I turned on a faucet.
We stepped into a clearing.
Daddy had my hand in a tight grip
Between two large trees stood a door. We both gazed at the door. Small dots of every color in the rainbow outlined the edges in a thick band around the rectangular door, and silver stars covered the scarlet and blue facade. It had a gold band down the middle separating the red and blue. The abundance of color stunned me; as I gawked at the door, I could almost see the stars shifting and moving in random patterns.
I tore my eyes away to look at Daddy, and he peered down at me and gave me a resolute nod. He shuffled through the bag he carried and pulled out the book. It was the key to opening the door, but where could a key the size of a book fit into a door that didn't appear to have a key hole?
"Daddy?" I asked. Now that we had stopped running my knees trembled all over again. The image of Mommy's still form haunted my mind. How would we survive without her? I was only five and Daddy, though capable, was, well, Daddy.
Daddy must have sensed my distress because he dropped to one knee. I'd almost forgotten about the bunny I squeezed under my arm. I rubbed it against my cheek.
"We can do this sweetheart. We're almost to safety." He held my shoulders after placing the book on the green grass. "What do you feel from the earth? Close your eyes."
I shut my eyes and took a deep breath in. The smell of cloves and apples danced on the wind and the earth sent strength and peace through my brown Mary-Jane shoes. The weather in the clearing was oddly warm in the middle of winter and I turned my face up to the sun to bask in its rays.
I opened my eyes. "Better?" Daddy said.
I nodded.
"How can we open it?" I asked as we approached the door.
"I'm not sure." He flipped through the book to a picture of a silver skinned person pressing the book against the center golden strip on the door.
Daddy shrugged. "We have to try something." He shut the book which was only a little larger than his hand and not much thicker than a magazine. But when opened the pages seemed to go on forever.
He extended the book toward the door and they both began to glow with a gold and silver light. The golden center of the entrance spread and indented to the size of the book. Daddy placed the book inside. Colors flashed where the book was inserted. I lifted my hand against the brightness.
A powerful female voice spoke, "Welcome realm travelers. Your coordinates indicate you are going to realm seven." An alien silver face appeared on the back of the book. "Travel well and enjoy your stay."
My breath caught, and I held on tight to Daddy's hand. The woman's eyes were unblinking as she stared at us, but there seemed no real evidence that someone was really there.
"H-how do we get there," Daddy asked, but the face faded away and the door began to open. I hid my head behind Daddy, but I decided I didn't want to miss the moment, so I peeked around his arm.
"Please retrieve your key before you depart," was the last thing the voice said.
The door swung open wide, and I saw before me exactly what I saw behind me. The same clearing with trees and grass and flowers grew beyond the door.
"Wow," Daddy said pulling me toward the opening.
"Wait, the book," I said pointing at the book in the door.
"Oh yeah." He stared at the book as if waiting for a face to appear again and then touched it with a finger and snatched his finger back with suspicion.
I sighed.
After wriggling his fingers and gritting his teeth, he finally took the book out of the alcove and stepped back almost barreling me over.
I rolled my eyes.
How would we make it without mom?
He gazed to where we were headed. "You ready," he asked clutching my right hand and holding the book in the other.
Before I could answer we heard a disturbance behind us, the sound of chopping and men shouting. "They went this way."
The trembling returned to my knees.
Daddy's eyes widened. "Let's go now," he said, and we both plunged through the Entrance. When we passed, the door immediately started to shut.
We turned back and saw a man with wild dark hair and eyes come out of the brambles. Red streaks of blood came from scratches on his uncovered face. It was the man who shot my mother.
He gritted his teeth and growled when he saw us through the quickly closing door. The look in his eyes said he knew he'd never make it to the door in time, so he pulled out his gun and only had a chance to point before the door sealed shut.
Daddy dropped to his knees and held on to me. He squeezed me tight, and I closed my eyes holding on to the moment.
"You're safe now," he said kissing my forehead. "He can't follow us through here."
I nodded and smothered my face into his shoulder.
"Which way is out," he asked lifting me from the ground.
I pointed to the exit, and we set out to find a new home.
Authors Note:
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you liked! Please show your support by voting if you enjoyed. Thanks again!
Sincerely,
A. I. Dukes