Chapter 8: What Kind of Dream is This?

Chapter 8

                Just one more jump, and I'm in the Snarling Hedges.  Why it's named that, I have no clue.  It's funny; the hedges here are flatter and sturdier.  They're still hollow, but it makes me wonder.  They're also shorter, probibly short enough so that I can use the pogo to get back up.  Running on these hedges are easier, so I can travel faster using the map.  Only less than twelve hours ago, I was walking, bracing myself before I jumped.  Now, I'm sprinting.  Leaping across.

                At last, I reach the X.  I see why Colby chose this spot.  I jump down into what's kind of like a pit against a mountain.  There's a piece of hedge sticking out of the mountain, making a place for me to sit.  Also, there's an entrance to underneath the hedges so I can run around in them.     

                First, I unload my bags, separating the food and the items to stay in my camp.  If I have the food close to where I sleep, any animals could, no, would find it and find me as well.  That speaking, I'll need to find a spot away from my camp to store extra food and to eat it.

                I enter the hollow hedges and look around.  I look around the general area for a dead end near the pit.  There's one right beside the pit, and I choose that spot to sleep in.  The only thing there is dirt, so there's no bug or spider threats, thankfully.  As long as I'm safe from those spiders, I'll be fine.

                First I carry my sleeping bag in and set that up.  I prop my pillow up against a side of the hedge in a comfortable position.  Next I carry in my books.  I set them up by my sleeping bag along with my flashlight.  I decide to put everything accept for the food in here so that I don't have to worry about anything finding it or spotting my belongings.  That would stink.

                My horse knife goes beside the bed as well.  I'll keep one weapon beside me, and one on me.  Hopefully I'll be able to snag a few more from some guards and such.

                I put my pens and calendar beside the books, and my extra clothes on the opposite side.

                As soon as I finish, I grab my Sugar Slinger and put it on my belt.  It's almost night, so I better hide my food and get back to camp fast.  I'll be able to change some things around in the morning.

                I grab the bag of trail mix and snacks and climb back onto the hedges.  I decide to just dump them on top of a hedge nearby and take my chances.  I bolt back to camp, afraid of the coming night. 

                Safely tucked in my sleeping back, I prop up against the wall of the hedge and turn on the flashlight.   I reach for the Wolves of the Beyond books and find the first one, Lone Wolf.  The writing is a high level, but it's very interesting.  At last, I close the book and bury myself in the warmth of my sleeping bag and drift into sleep.

                I awake back in the Hedges, everything set up as I'd left it. 

Arroooooooo!

                I glance around.  That noise... it sounded like a wolf!  Gripping my Sugar Slinger, I tip toe out of the hedge, right through a wall.  Never knew I could do that before.  After I exit the bush, I realize it's still dark out.  Suddenly, I stop as I see a giant spider on top of my hedge, looking down at me.   My eyes widen and I freeze.  The spider comes closer and closer, swallowing me after closing in.  I begin to fall down, down deeper into the spider, screaming as I fall.  And just when I can make out the dark land below, I stop falling, frozen in the air.

                A dark shape walks up to me.  It's Awesome!
                "Awesome!" I cry.  "Come help me!"  Awesome just stands there, staring at me with her red eyes.  Wait, her eyes are red?  My confusion is interrupted as I begin to fall again, and when I'm about to go splat! on the ground I continue to fall right through it.  Awesome's face is all I can see, and she whispers, "Don't go near the spider webs, Emedee.  Great dangers lie there..."  her face fades away, and I'm left falling in the darkness. 

                "Someone!" I cry.  "Anyone!  Please help!"  No one answers.  At last, I land, not a scratch on me.  I'm back in the Hedges, where I first started when Colby guided me to my camp.  I sigh, all that hard work just to be starting over.

Aroooooooo! 

                Suddenly, I see a dark outline of... a wolf!  Its yellow eyes stare at me as it creeps closer and closer.  My eyes widen as I see that this wolf if larger than any wolf I've ever seen before.  Oh my gosh!  It must be a snarler!  The large spider darts in front of me, heading for me again.  But the snarler jumps into it, knocking it over, tearing off its eight legs.  The spider shows no sign of pain as the snarler tears it apart, leg by leg, body by head.  Then, the snarler is gone, its gray body no where to be found.

                “Emedee.” A giant guard stands in front of me.

                “It wasn’t me!  It’s not my fault!” I cry.  The guard reaches for me, taking me by the neck.  I cry out in pain as he shakes me like a dog toy.  Then, the snarler reappears out of nowhere.  I scream as the snarler rips off the guard’s leg and I’m falling again, staring into the blackness.  Then, a boy’s face appears before me as Awesome’s did.  He has dark brown hair and matching brown eyes. 

                “Help me!” I scream to him.  Then, I stop falling.  I’m floating in mid-air next to the boy.  He’s about my age.

                “Emedee,” he says.

                “Tyler!” I cry.  How to I know him?  I don’t remember meeting anyone named Tyler before!

                “Help me!” I cry again.

                “With what?  You look fine to me,” Tyler replies.  I glare at him.

                “Well I’m not fine.  Help me!” I shout at him.

                “Come on, we have things to do.  Let’s get going,” he replies.  He grabs me by the hand and we’re running in mid-air toward a light.  Suddenly, we’re on the Coastline on a cliff, looking out into the waves.

                Then we’re still running, and I’m falling again.  The boy keeps running, not noticing me.

                “Wait!  Come back!” I shout.  He just laughs until I can’t see or hear him anymore.  Then another boy is running towards me.  I don’t recognize him, but he looks angry.  A pain fills my chest as he punches it.

                “Stop it!” Tyler shouts.  He’s back suddenly. Tyler kicks the boy over a cliff that just appeared and turns to me.  I just stare at him and we don’t do anything.

                “So, you thought you could get away?” Oh no. It’s Queen Agapanthus!  But she’s not looking at me.  She’s looking at Tyler. 

                She picks him up and I hear a sickening crunch as she crushes him in her hand, and then she turns to me.

                “And you ran from us.  You’re going to pay for this, Harless!” The queen reaches for me, and suddenly I’m next to Tyler.  He looks perfectly fine.

                Now it’s Colby’s turn to appear.

                “Colby!  Help!” I shout.

                “You know that guy?” Tyler asks me, surprised.

                “Yeah!  He’s my friend.  He can help!”  I say, but Tyler narrows his eyes.  Suddenly he jumps from the queen’s hand and runs.

                “Wait!” I shout.  I’m running after him now.

                “No!  I won’t be rescued by him!” Tyler shouts back.

                “What!? Why not?!” I shout back.  We’re running along the Coastline again.

                “Because-“ Ugh.  I’m falling again.  What is with all this falling today?  And just before I hit the ground, my mind goes black.

Chapter 7: A Tough Ride to Death

Chapter 7

                I grip Colby’s arm as the room rotates.  This is the last time we’ll be in Colby’s lab.  We can’t risk getting caught with a secret room or we’ll be dead for sure.

                Colby thinks I’m stupid and trying to sound optimistic when I say we’re going to catch up to Emedee.  I don’t think we will.  I know we will. 

                I follow Colby through the shop and into his house.  Colby lives in the shop, well, above it.  It’s a two story building, okay?  He mixes up some coffee and I make some tea.  We both have to stay awake tonight.  We walk towards the couch and sit down, reading magazines, trying to act normal, like our best friend didn’t just run off to a dangerous place where there’s a nine out of ten chance she’ll be killed.  No, we’re just normal teenagers, lounging around, waiting for one of the Queen’s guards to come take us away.

                “So,” I say.

                “So,” Colby replies.  It seems like hours of this awkward silence before there’s a knock on the door.  Colby calmly walks over and opens it casually.  A tall armed dude stands before us.

                “I’m sorry sir, we’re closed.  You can come back tomorrow,” Colby says.  The guard raises an eyebrow.

                “I’m not here for your shop.  I’m here to question you,” the guard says.  “Why are you closed, anyways?”

                “Come, take a seat,” Colby beckons.

                “Why are you closed?” the guard repeats.

                “Oh, sorry, sir.  Didn’t hear you.  It’s Sunday.  I’d prefer people to go to church and to the Queen’s service then to come here,” Colby says.  I’m surprised by his quick thinking, although the shop actually is closed on Sundays.  The guard so rudely steps inside, followed by three others.

                “You two check the house, upstairs and down.  Leave no spot untouched,” the guard says.

                “Yes sir!” the two guards dash off.  The guard takes a seat on Colby’s couch, leaving hardly any room for us.  We sit on the floor.

                “Now then,” the guard says.  “We’re here to talk to your father.”  I see pain in Colby’s face.  He hates to talk about it.

                “My father died a year ago,” Colby says strongly.  The guard lifts an eyebrow again.

                “Alright, then.  I’ll talk to you then.  And who would this be, exactly?” The guard says, looking at me.

                “I’m Awesome,” I say.  The guard snorts.

                “I have no time for games, missy.  Don’t play with me,” the guard warns.

                “I’m sorry.  Awesome is my name, sir.  I would never play games at a serious time.  Exactly, what’s going on?” I say nervously.  Colby and I rehearsed this, but the guard is seriously freaking me out.  He looks at Colby, who nods.

                “Yes, that’s her name.  Exactly what is going on?” Colby asks.

                “Why is she here?” the guard asks.

                “She’s my friend, Colby replies.  We exchange a glance.  Why does he even care?

                “Alright.  I understand you’re friends with miss Emedee Harless, correct?”

                “Correct,” Colby replies.

                “And your families are too?”

                “Yes, both of ours, until my father died.  My mother died when I was young.  I’ve been taking care of the shop,” Colby replies.   Just then, another guard bursts into Colby’s door.

                “The youngest Twilight girl is gone, sir.  She’s no where to be found.  The parents claimed that she was gone when they woke up!” the guard said.  Not.  Good.

                “What!?  Call the northeast station, right now!  Sent a search out to Briarwood, Sunstone Vale, Lakeshore, Snowhill, and all around there!  They probably sent the girl out with it!” The guard instructs.  The other one runs out.  Colby and I look at each other, our faces shocked, half fake, half natural.

                “Emedee’s gone?” My voice cracks, just like we planned it.  We got her there just in time.

                “That’s it.  You two are coming with me, right now.”  The guard grips our arms and drags us outside.  Emedee’s parents are outside, their arms in handcuffs.  I meet Mrs. Harless’ eyes, and she has that look.  I blink once, and she seems to get the message that her daughter is safe.  The guard throws us onto the ground.

                “Take these two to the station for questioning and make sure to search the boy’s shop.  I have a feeling they have something to do with the girl’s disappearance.”  Two more guards grab each of us.  The one holding me is way too tight, and I feel like I’m being squeezed to death like a lemon.  They throw us onto a truck like you’d throw luggage.  I guess to them we’re nothing more.

                Before the guards came, Colby and I cleared out the secret lab.  The only thing Colby made we have on.  I have a charm bracelet with two letters- A and B, my initials.  They stand for Awesome Blackstar, an awesome name, if you ask me.  We cleared out anything suspicious, and after Emedee got her things, there wasn’t anything.  Those were the only things Colby worked on because he knew that this was coming.  There would be no place to hide it.  So he just worked on the four projects and gave them to Emedee and me.

                The guards throw in more boxes and stuff.  I can’t see Colby at all, and even if I could, it’s not like I can reach him.  They tied my arms together and then my legs, so I can’t move at all. 

                The ride is super bumpy.  I feel like throwing up again, but there’s nothing to throw up anymore.  I hope they feed us.

                A huge bump causes the boxes to shift.  I can see Colby now.  For a while we just start at each other.

                “Well, this stinks,” Colby says.  “What good are suspects when they’re dead?”

                “Do you really think we’ll die?  There are so many things I’ve always wanted to do!” I say.  Colby tries to shrug, but he can’t.

                “Me too, Awesome.  Me too.” Colby sighs, and another giant bump separates us with boxes.  It’s the most boring ride ever, only being able to stare at boxes and think about my future.  I miss Emedee, and I even miss Colby, for we probably won’t be together when we’re questioned.  Not that I’ll miss him that much, though.  Soon, the truck stops.  I realize I’d fallen asleep.  A guard picks my up and drops me on the ground.  Another truck appears behind us.  It must be carrying Emedee’s parents.

                “Abert Twilight had the recipe.  We need to take them to the Queen immediately,” a guard says.  Mr. Twilight is thrown out of the truck and two guards carry him, to where, I don’t know.

                “What should we do with her?” the guard asks another.

                “We’ll take her along with these two for questioning.  Go look for the girl’s parents.  They must be around somewhere if the girl’s in on it,” the guard says.  The other nods, and grabs me by my hand.  I try to walk beside him, but I can’t.  He’s too tall, and I have no choice but to be dragged behind him.  I can see Colby being carried by another guard nearby.

                “You’re going to rot when we prove you guilty,” the guard says with a wicked smile.

                “I don’t know what’s going on!” I say.  Honestly, I don’t even believe myself.  The guard laughs.  He purposely drags me across these pointy rocks that scrape my legs.  I glare up at him.  He just laughs again.  This is too much.  I use all my energy to jump up in the air and kick his leg.  Hard.

                “OW!” the guard yells.  He releases me to hold his leg, jumping up and down.  “You’re going to get it, little brat!” he screams.  He grabs me by the head and shakes my body.  It hurts like crazy.  I feel tears stream from my eyes.  The pain continues as the guard laughs and shakes me.

                “Stop it!”  Colby.  He kicks the guard’s leg.  The guard howls in pain. 

                “You okay, Awesome?” he asks. 

                “I’m fine, I guess.  Thanks,” I reply.  For a moment we just look at each other.  I sigh.

                “It’s too bad we’re stuck here.  Thanks so much, Colby,” I say.  Colby shrugs.

                “Now you’re both going to get it!” The guard yells.  Colby and I stand there, frozen, as the guard grips our arms and squeezes.

                “Stop!” Someone yells.  “Don’t hurt them.  We need them to question.  If you hurt them now they might lose their memory or something,” someone says.  A little boy in a guard’s suit stands facing the chief guard hurting us.

                “You dare address me that way?” The chief asks.

                For what the boy lacks in size, he gains in guts.

                “Yes,” he says.  “I do.”

Chapter 6: A Broken Message

Chapter 6

                I carefully look around the hedges.  The impact wasn’t bad at all, in fact, it didn’t hurt.  The bushes aren’t what I thought they’d be: prickly, sharp, pointy.  But no, they’re soft.  In fact, I wouldn’t mind sleeping in them if I didn’t have a camp already.  So I tap three times on the M charm and pull out the map, after closing the pogo stick and securing it on my bracelet.  I pull out the map and zoom in.

                The purple arrow points to the west end of the hedges.  I see the red X all the way on the east end.

                “Hey, Emedee.  I’m glad you made it all the way to the Hedges safely.  You had quite a close call,” Colby says.  His face appears on the map.  Geez, doesn’t he have anything better to do then watch me 24/7? 

                “Okay, Colby,” I say, “where to?”

                “Well, I’m talking to you live by the way.  The Queen hasn’t arrived yet.  But she’ll be here later today, around six o’clock.”  Colby glanced behind himself and Awesome appeared.

                “Hey, Emedee.  Good to see ya,” Awesome says. I smile.

                “Okay, we better get going if we want to get her to her camp by night.  The hedges aren’t exactly small,” Colby says.  Awesome nods.

                “Something wrong?” I ask Awesome.  She shrugs.

                “Other than we’re about to get killed by her and you’re relaxing on a bunch of bushes, I’m fine,” she says.

                “Awesome, Emedee was almost killed a few minutes ago.  Besides, there’s a snarler on the loose, plus other monsters,” Colby says.

                “Okay, two things,” I say.  “First of all, it wasn’t a close call.  You just installed the wrong video onto the pogo stick!  I had no idea how to control it!” Colby smiles weakly and rubs his hair.  Awesome glances at him.  He shrugs.

                “Second of all, what the heck is a snarler?  Everyone knows but me!” I say.

                “Emedee, calm down.  Please,” Colby says.  “A snarler is a wolf, but bigger and more dangerous.  The snarler is why they closed the hedges in the first place.  It disables its prey by-“

                “By biting off its leg.  I heard that before,” I say. 

                “Yeah,” Colby says.

                “Okay, let’s get going,” Awesome says.  Colby nods.

                “Wait,” I say.  “Did I leave my Sugar Slinger at your place, Colby?”  Colby smiles.

                “You’d think I’d leave Awesome with a giant lollipop?” Colby asks.

                “Hey!” Awesome says.

                “Uh so..?” I begin.

                “Just look in your pack, okay?” Colby instructs.  I take off my bag and set the map down.  I unzip it, and there it is.  The giant purple lollipop.  I hug it, and Colby laughs.

                “Carry that as we tell you how to get there.  Let’s begin.”  I put my bag back on and hold the weapon in one hand, map in the other.

                “First, keep walking straight,” Colby says.  “Now, take a left.”  I end up at a dead end.

                “You need to jump across.  It’s not hard, trust me.  Just get a running start,” Awesome says.  I take a deep breath, and back up.  Then, I run up to the edge of the hedge.  My feet fly into the air, and I know I’ve jumped short.  I release the Candy Slinger and the map so they end up on the other hedge.  I reach out with my hands and grab the shrub.

                “You can do it, Emedee!  Pull yourself up!  You’ll get the hand of it,” Colby and Awesome say.  I breathe in and out, and then pull myself up so that I end up with my chest on the hedge, my feet over the edge.  Colby and Awesome laugh.  I don’t know how the kid does it!  How can he see my every move when they’re no cameras here?

                “Okay, very funny,” I say.  “Where to next?” I put my lollipop in my belt so I can have a free hand and access it easily.

                “Dude.  When you get to cloud, you should so eat it!” Awesome says.  I roll my eyes.

                “You’re welcome to it, Awesome, if you love metal painted purple with a side of old, moldy blood,” I say.  Awesome shudders.

                “You do clean it, right?” she asks.  I laugh, and she frowns.

                “Because the day we met…”  Awesome runs out of the room.  She comes back looking sick with a bucker in her hands.  Colby looks at her, and then back at me and shrugs.

                “Excuse me…” Awesome runs out again.

                “Uh, let’s get on with this,” Colby says.

                “Please,” I reply.  Colby leads me through one more jump, and then another, testing me until I can jump across from one hedge to another with ease.  One hedge by one, we go on until the afternoon.

                “Aww great.  One o’clock.  I have to go, Emedee,” Colby says.

                “Why?” I ask.  Okay, it’s a dumb question.

                “We have to get far away from the lab.  The Queen’s guards will be coming for your house.  I can’t guarantee we’ll ever get to talk like this again.”  I sigh.  I know Colby’s right.

                “Emedee?” It’s Awesome.

                “Yeah?” I reply.

                “Colby added on two more arrows onto your map.  A red for me, orange for Colby.  That way you can see where we are and stuff,” Awesome says.

                “I’ll miss you guys,” I say.

                “And Emedee,” Awesome says, “we’re going to catch up with you.”  Colby looks at Awesome with a sigh.  Awesome looks at him, then at me.

                “I really mean it.  We’re going to find you,” she says.  “When you know the time is right, leave.”  Awesome pulls out a gold chain from under her shirt.  It’s a matching purple mountain charm, just like the one she gave me.  This makes me cry.

                “Bye, Emedee.  We’ll try to contact you when we can.  Good luck.”  Colby leads Awesome out of the room, and the map goes black.  It re-opens back to the map.  I see the red and orange arrows beside each other.  They’re heading out of Colby’s lab.  I zoom out and zoom in on the Hedges.  If I want dinner, I better get to the camp before sunset.  No flashlight can bring light to Briarwood.

                I slowly make my way across the hedges, jumping here and there.  And then, after another jump, a piece of paper falls from the map.

                Dear Emedee,

                                You have just reached your new home.  This isn’t your camp, but your part of the Hedges.  This area is the original Snarling Hedges, where the snarler was first sighted.  Trust me, as long as you have the gifts we gave you and your Sugar Slinger, it’s perfectly safe.  There’s a gate in front of you that marks the entrance.  Once you’re past there, you don’t have to worry about staying on top of the Hedges.  You can run around in the maze, because I know a few spots where you can get back up without your pogo.  You’re welcome to explore the other sections of the Hedges, but I want you to stay on this side until you know your way around.  There are fires on top of areas where you can cook your food, and you’ll follow your map to your camp in a second.  Also, this part is against one of the Briarwood mountain walls, meaning the mountains behind you are your exit points.  Enjoy, and good luck.

                Sincerely,

                Awesome and Colby.

P.S.- Emedee, I added this on last minute.  I didn’t want to type it out incase Colby saw, but I looked on one of his maps when he wasn’t looking and I think-

                I look on the back of the paper, but I can’t find the rest of the message.  Oh, well.  It can’t be too bad, whatever it is.  When I look up again, the sun is beginning to set.  I forget the message and start to follow the map.  Whatever she wanted, it can wait until later.

Chapter 5: Swords and Thorns

Chapter 5

               

                I can’t believe I just left.  I walked out of the door of my life, slamming it in Awesome’s face, Colby’s, and my parents’.  I just left.  I’ve actually dreamed of one day living on the Coastline, but never at the cost of my family and friends.  Rainbow Valley and the Crystal Clouds… I might actually find them.  But alone? 

I don’t need the map for this part of the journey.  I know my way to Briarwood, even at night.  It’s not very far, thank God, but I won’t get there until morning.  Shrouded Glade is the north east corner of the Sanctuary, and the only place higher than it is Snowhill.  I just have to head south and a bit to the east to reach Briarwood and the Hedges.  Plus, you can tell the way there by the trees.  There are so many different kinds in the Sanctuary.  All the inland woods and towns have your average woody trunk trees with branches and green leaves.  Snowhill’s trees always have their leaves lost because it’s always snowing there.  Sunstone Vale is quite different though- their trees have orange trunks that bend this was and that, making them low to the ground and easy to climb.  They also have the green leaves.  But Briarwood trees are my absolute favorite.  They’re hardly trees at all!  Just giant thorns sticking out of the ground, but the size of a tree.  They slightly curve toward the sky, and smaller thorns are like their branches.  They attach themselves just like smaller thorns on a rosebush. 

                I would run all the way there, but my bags are weighing me down.  I actually have before, in a race starting from Snowhill going all the way down to the Deadwood forest, south of Briarwood.  It was a lot of fun, and I came in 67^th out of 1,200.  Not bad, not bad at all.  There were people from the Seaside to Lakeshore, Sunstone to Snowhill.  It was a time when all of the Sanctuary came together- okay, not everyone.  But you get the idea.  It was a lot of fun.

                I am running, running away.  Away from my whole life.  Away from everything and everyone I know.  And as I enter Briarwood, the sky becomes darker, darker than night.  The giant thorns line the paths in, and I walk into the forest.  It would be nice if I had my Sugar Slinger, but I left it at Colby’s.  It really stinks, not being able to have a weapon besides the knife.  But whatever.  I’ll make do.

                So, after the small wood of thorns, I spot a break in the mountains.  The Hedges!  I’m so close, but as I look at the sky, the sun is rising.  I better get past the mountains- and fast.  Briarwood is not far from Shrouded Glade, and it’s a good place for criminals to run to.  I mean, that’s the first place the guards look.  But usually the run aways are too caught up in running that they run into a thorn and die.  I’m not saying that in a funny way, like, at all.  Because there’s a guy right in front of me.

                He’s on a giant thorn, his face and front pressed into the giant thorn.  I think he’s dead.  Well, I guess that’s pretty obvious.  He’s not moving, and he looks like he’s in a running position.  I slowly back away, and then look behind me to make sure I don’t make the same mistake he did. 

                I see something shiny on his belt.  A sword.  But should I take it?  Ugh.  If I can’t handle a dead body, I’ll never survive a week in a maze of bushes!  I step a bit closer, and then take another step.  A horrid smell reaches my nose, and I recognize it as blood.  I use one hand to clog my nose, but the smell is all around me, inside me, running around threatening me.  Taunting me.  I reach out with my free hand and touch him.  My hand makes a hasty retreat, feeling what feels like a moldy banana peel that’s been put in a compost pile.  This guy must’ve died ages ago, and no one bothered to come looking for him.  But I need that sword, and it’s between him and the sword.

                I reach for him again, and retreat again.  I look around for a stick, and then remember this is Briarwood.  No branches means no sticks.  I close my eyes and breathe in and out,  I reach out again and grab his shirt.  Using it as a guide, I tug on it and peel the guy off the thorns.  The sight is horrifying.  Blood covers his body, deep gashes in his shirt.  And there’s the sword.  I want to grab it, but I’m not sure I can.  It’s also covered in blood.

                I keep reminding myself that this is my new life, stealing until I regain my strength.  And my hidden identity.  I grab the sticks sword and pull it from his belt.  I raise it in the air in victory, and then I bolt away.  There is no way I’m going to wait until morning to get to the Hedges.

               

                The mountains aren’t that big; I can climb them with ease.  It’s a steep drop down, and the hedges are right below.  Right below are my dreams.

                I can see the three guards by a building.  There’s no way I can make a jump from here into the Hedges without breaking at least one bone, so I side down the slope and onto the ground.  The guards still haven’t seen me.  I inch toward them, looking for a way up the giant bushes.  Look, if you thought I could just jump up onto them, you’re wrong.  Very wrong.  The things are huge.  Taller than ten of me standing on top of each other.  I’m like, six feet tall or something.  Your average sized girl.

                So the guards still haven’t spotted me.  But they look very, very nervous.  Which gives me an idea.

                The building is built on the slope of a hill.  And, with a bit of encouragement, it looks like I can climb up it.  It leads up right above the Hedges, so I can probably jump down without hurting myself too bad.  And to distract the guards, simple. 

                “Grrr, grrr,” I do my best imitation growl.  The guards freeze.

                “Did you hear that?” One asks another.  He nods.

                “It sounded like a… a growler…” The second says.

                “There’s no way.  That thing can’t be a growler,” the third says.  The other two look at him.  “It sounds like the attack call of a snarler!”  Okay, I have no idea what a growler or a snarler is.  Geez, these guys are seriously really gullable.

                “What would our bosses say if we leave our post?” the first asks.

                “I don’t know.  But snarlers first bite off their prey’s leg and then rip off its limbs, one by one.  I don’t want to get eaten!”  That sells the guards, and then sprint away.  I knew it would be easy, but that was just pathetic.

                I approach the slope and look for a foot hole.  No such luck.  The first spot is just out of my reach.  I’ll need an extra boost if I want to get up.

                The pogo.  Of course!  I tap on the P on the charm bracelet and the charm transforms into a white pogo stick.  I hop on, and look at the controls.  I hear Colby’s words play through my head.  It’s really creepy how he can do this stuff.  Did he wire something into my head?!

                “Hey, Emedee.  Welcome to the settings on your pogo stick.  To start, simply press the small blue button in the left handle.  Your pogo will begin to automatically start,” Colby says.  I do as he instructs, and I begin to gently bounce.

                “Next, use your feet to put pressure on the foot grips.  You can bounce higher.  Just pretend like you’re jumping.”  I put my pressure on my feet, and I jump at least six feet in the air.

                “Hey!  There’s a girl over there!”  Uh, oh.   There’s the three guards.  Not.  Good.

                “Get her!  I’ll get the chief!” Two guards sprint towards me, and the other runs inside.  I try to jump higher, but I still can’t reach the first flat spot.

                “When you press down, press either the green, yellow, or red button on your pogo stick.  Green is jumping low, yellow medium, red high.  The purple button is in the middle section of your pogo.  That is the extreme button.”  Colby’s voice booms in my head.

                “Come back here!”  A giant guy stands beside the guard.  He must be the chief.  Not good.  I press the yellow button as I jump again.  Still not high enough.

                “If you can’t jump high enough, press the next button.  If it’s too high, press two next to each other at the same time.  This mixes the height, so you can make the jump perfectly.”

                “Give it back, Colby!” Awesome’s voice rings in the background.

                “In your dreams!  I’m trying to make the instructions!”  Colby yells back.  “This is a mess up.  Do not install into pogo.”  Great.  So now I don’t know how to work this thing since Colby installed the wrong instructions!  Ugh!  And I’m about to get killed before I even reach the Hedges! 

                The chief runs closer, an evil grin on his face.  I pull out the bloody sword and point it at him

                “Take one step closer,” I growl, “and I’ll slick your hand off!”  The chief looks at the guards, and they start laughing. 

                “Oh, wow, run away girl looks so scary!” A guard mocks.

                “What’s she going to do, put mascara on us?  Shower us with glitter?”  Another teases.  They all burst out laughing.  I frown.  No one will treat me this way, no one at all.  I set my bags down and swing the sword at the chief like I would my Sugar Slinger.  He stares at me in surprise when blood gushes from his arm.

                “You were saying?” I look at each guard, shooting daggers from my eyes.  “Who’s next, and I won’t go so easy on them.”  They all exchange glances.

                “I’ll go grab the tranquilizer darts!” the chief says.

                “I’ll go too!” all the guards say at the same time.  I roll my eyes.  That should buy me a few minutes. 

                I grab my stuff and hop back on the pogo.  This time I press the red and the yellow button, and I make it on the first flat spot.  The next jump is easier; I just need the yellow button.  By the time I reach the top, it’s only been less than a minute.  I look out into the hedges.  Beside me is a giant fire that lights the night sky, and the morning sky, so the guards can see.  There are also a few fires in the hedges as well.  Perfect spots to cook.

                And when the guards come back, I’m gone.  Gone into my new life, off the hill, and into the labyrinth. 

Chapter 4: Saying Goodbye= Torture

Chapter 4

                My name is Emedee Twilight. II’m a glitch and hacker expert.  My father is a scientist, and I have the two best friends in the world.

                I’m about to become wanted.

                That was only yesterday, when we had that discussion.  And later that night I met with Colby and Awesome at the shop.  It was my birthday.  More like a farewell party, though.

                I glance at the clock.  It reads 12:55.  Perfect.  I can get to Colby’s shop by 1:00 if I hurry.  With the bags on my back, I sneak out into the night.

                My parents said it was best if I left when they didn’t know, so if they were questioned, there would be nothing to give away.  I always dreamed of them making a giant discovery, but this big?  I was also given the recipe for the bear, which I have in my pants.  If someone happened to look in my bag, it would be the end of my family for sure.

                As I near the shop, no one has spotted me.  Perfect again.  The Trinkets and Tools building is just a few meters away.  And then, a figure in black steps out from the shadows.  I want to scream, but I know I can’t.  And before I can decide, the figure clamps his hand over my mount and grabs me.

                “Emedee,” he says.  How does the dude know me?  Is he one of the Queen’s guards?

                “Emedee, it’s me.  Colby.  Pretend to be kidnapped, okay?” Colby.  I should’ve known.  But what the heck is the point of it?  I follow behind him, confused.  He leads me behind the shop, and lifts a part of the ground up, revealing a secret entrance.

                “Come on,” he whispers.  He lowers himself in, and I follow.  The lid closes on its own.  Before it finishes, I see strands of black hair.  Awesome.  So she’s in on this stupid thing too.  In fact, she probably came up with it. 

                Colby takes my hand and leads me into the pitch black tunnel.  Clip clop.  The sound of my feet echo throughout the rooms, and off the walls, bouncing back into my ear.  The tunnel must be paved. 

                Finally Colby stops after a while of walking.

                “Awesome should be here any moment,” Colby says.  The tunnel is still pitch black.  And then, I see a light.  It becomes bigger and bigger, and then a girl’s face appears.  Awesome.

                “Alright Emedee,” Awesome says.  “Open up your map.”  I take off the M charm on my bracelet.  I tap it three times, and it opens up.  I hand it to Colby.  He uses his finger and marks a red path.

                “Okay, so.  You’re here, in Shrouded Glade.”  Colby marks a red “X” in the northeast corner of the Sanctuary: Shrouded Glade, home of Colby’s Shop.

                “You’ll be headed to Briarwood and to the Hedges, here.”  He moves his finger south, a bit to the east, where Briarwood is.  He zooms in a bit, not that you can’t see the Hedges without zooming in.  You could probably see them from space, they’re so huge!

                “You’ll approach the west entrance.  There may be a few guards, but you can get past them easily.  I’m sure there is a way to get in the hedges without them noticing.”  When he’s zoomed in enough, I can see the west entrance.  There are three guards, but they look like minors.  Not heavily loaded, nothing special.  They also seem distracted, looking this way and that, expecting a monster to jump out from any corner.

                “Once you’re in the hedges, you should be about… around here.”  Colby marks a few likely spots I’ll end up in.

                “You see, the trick to the hedges is that they’re hollow.  The people that made it went all cheap because they needed the money for other things.  Barriers aren’t cheap, you know.”  He marks a path from one hedge to another, a long way according to the map.  I see a few spots where there’s no hedge underneath the red line.

                “You’ll have to jump from one hedge to another, by the way.”

                “What!?” I look at him like he’s crazy.  “How can I possible do that?”

                “Have you forgotten your gifts?  Geez, Emedee,” Awesome says.

                “No, but won’t someone see me jumping high in the air with a pogo stick?”  I ask.  Colby rolls his eyes.  It’s so obvious I can see it with only a bit of candle light.

                “Not that, your horse.  Didn’t notice how it grew occasionally?”  Now that I think about it, I always wondered why those green eyes were bigger when they were staring at me some mornings.

                “Actually, I did.  But what can the horse do?” I ask. 

                “Facepalm, Emedee,” Awesome says.  I roll my eyes.

                “The horse can stretch.  It can form a bridge, or whatever.  And also, you can just jump is you get a running start.  Dude, it’s not far across,” Colby says.

                “Shut up and continue,” I mutter.

                “Okay.  So you’ll make your way to the Snarling Hedges, the part with the monsters.  There won’t be any guards near there, and plenty to eat.”  Colby continues making a path, then puts another “X” in a spot on the other side of the maze.

                “That spot is the ideal camp for you.”  Colby zooms in more, revealing a square block of hedge against one of the mountains surrounding parts of the hedges.  There’s a small ditch there too.

                “You’ll have complete access to under the hedges, and that square block is a good place to sit or to eat.  It’ll be your home base.”  I have to admit, it looks perfect.

                “You’ll stay in the hedges for about a year or so.  Then, you’re heading to your favorite place in the world: the Coastline.” I smile.  But a year is a long time.  At least I’ll be able to explore.

                                Colby zooms out again so that I can see all of the Sanctuary, and the Coastline.  He marks an exit through the mountains and onto the Coastline.

                                “You’ll use the Coastline to access possible locations to Rainbow Valley.  They may know where Crystal Clouds is, or at least some clues.”  Colby marks three X’s along the Coastline.

                                “And Emedee, you’ll take it from there.  Remember to use your tools and to think outside the shrub, okay?”  I laugh.

                                “Alright, I will,” I promise.

                                “Wait.”  Awesome hands me two books: A copy of Wolves of the Beyond and her Bible.  “I want you to have these.”

                                I look at them.  “Awesome, I can’t.  This must’ve cost a fortune.  I can’t possibly take it,” I say, holding up Wolves of the Beyond. 

                                “It’s been passed down through my family for many, many generations.  There’s one part in the book where whenever the wolf pup killed prey, it would lie in front of the dying animal and say a thank you prayer to it.  It gave the prey a fast death and assured it that its life wouldn’t be forgotten.  You should do that too.”  Awesome really surprises me with that.  She’s never been that sympathetic and kind. 

                                “Well what about your Bible?  You can’t possibly give me that!” I say.

                                “Emedee, relax.  You’re going to need things to do.  You brought a flash light, right?”

                                “Yeah.”

                                “Good.  You’ll be able to read at night.  And I got the other Wolves of the Beyond books for you to read, too.  By the time you get to Rainbow Valley, you should have memorized them.”  I laugh and accept the books.  Colby helps me put them into my backpack.  I sigh.

                                “Well, I guess this is goodbye,” I say.  Colby and Awesome exchange a glance.

                                “We’ll miss you so much, Emedee,” Colby says.  Awesome just hugs me.  Colby joins in, and for the longest time, we’re just standing in a dark hallway hugging each other.  Finally, Awesome lets go.  We’re all crying.

                                “This isn’t the end, Emedee,” Colby says.  “We’ll be caught sooner or later.  Maybe we’ll see each other again.”  I know Colby’s trying to be optimistic, but there’s no possible way.  I’ll be far ahead, and Awesome doesn’t know the Coastline as well as I do.  Neither does Colby.

                                “I’ll never forget you guys.  You’ll be in my prayers,” I say.  It’s the best farewell I can think of without bursting into tears.

                                “It’s two o’clock.  You best be going to get to Briarwood by morning.  It’s basically always night there,” Colby says.  His words crack because of his tears.

                                “I love you guys,” I say as I face them outside.

                                “I love you too Emedee,” Awesome says.  Colby nods.  He’s crying so hard he can hardly talk.  I begin to walk away, but then I face them again.

                                “Awesome, didn’t you want to give your book to your child?” I ask her.  “You said it has been passed down from generation to generation for many years.”

                                “Oh Emedee,” Awesome says, “don’t you get it?”  I look at her, my eyes filled with tears.  “Emedee, you are, and always will be, part of my family.”

Chapter 3: The History of Awesome

Chapter 3

                Geez I get off topic easily.  Might as well tell the history of Awesome. 

                So when I was eight or so, I wanted to join the Kitty’s Army, a little battle training group for kids.  Some people have a job doing that junk, but it’s good for fun.   I was pretty skilled as an archer, but my favorite weapon was this giant lollipop looking thing.  It’s called a Sugar Slinger, a gift from my father.  He made it for me when I wanted to join Kitty’s Army.  I love how the army isn’t soft at all; a kid can get knocked out.  We were trained in archery, with swords, spears, and knives.  They had medics all around the place, always followed by a cleaner.  Occasionally, no, often, the cleaner would be carrying a rag stained in red.

                So the Sugar Slinger is like a bat.  I grip the long white handle and swing, arms extended, as Father taught me, at the enemy.  The force of the candy could make a giant go flying.  All the kids were envious of my cool weapon.  And one day, I was put in a battle with this little girl with black hair.  She had a long pink sword, and when she saw my Candy Slinger, her eyes got huge.

                “Lollipop,” she said with awe.  I got into my slinging position, and when the candy part of my weapon inched near the girl, instead of jumping out of the way or meeting it with her long sword, she opened her mouth.  At first, I found it funny.  That dumb girl’s about to get crushed, I thought. But boy was I wrong. 

                The girl bit down on my Sugar Slinger.  I mean, she bit into it!  At the force I was slinging it!  The worst part was that she wouldn’t let go.

                “What the-“ I said.  I shook the Sugar Slinger, but she still wouldn’t let go, no matter how hard I shook it.  “It’s not even real candy!” I shouted at her.

                “Candy?  Where?” The girl released her grip.  I punched her in the chest with the candy.  She went tumbling to the ground. 

                “Ha!” I yelled in victory.  But the girl got up and growled.  Yeah, she growled!  She even jumped to her feet and extended her sword.  I met the blade with my lollipop.

                “Oh,” I said.  “Girl, it’s on.”

                We fought for like an hour and the judges became inpatient.  We were finally kicked out of the ring, and they called it a tie.  We soon learned that we were both rank 5, the highest rank you can be.  We ate lunch together later.

                “You got spunk, kid,” the girl said.  “That candy looks awefully tasty, by the way.”

                “Thank you.  I love the sword too.  Say, what’s your name?” I asked.

                “Awesome,” she replied.  I blinked.

                “That’s your name?  Awesome?” It was my turn to be surprised this time.  The girl smiled.

                “Yep.  Now what’s yours?” Awesome aksed.

                “Emedee,” I replied.  She nodded.

                “That’s a cool name too.”

                “Thanks.”  After that day, we instantly became best friends after we learned we both lived in Shrouded Glade.  Emedee and Awesome.  Awesome and Emedee.

                So, as I said before, the Barrier can’t stop all people.  Remember I said earlier that Colby’s a scientist too?  Well, after we met, Colby came to my house to see my father.  It was like, boy-someone else’s father bonding time.  They talked for forever and he even invited Colby to the lab.

                “So, you’re a scientist too?” My father asked.

                “Yes sir.  I’m my father’s apprentice, but I’m pretty skilled,” Colby replied.  He tried the hammer trick with a pen.  Same response.

                “And quite the joker too,” My father replied.  “So you can make a few things but you can’t catch a pencil.”  Geez, the apple seriously doesn’t fall far from the tree.  Colby and my father laughed.  See?  Boy to boy bonding time.

                “Maybe you’ll be interested in coming over from time to time,” my father said.  Colby nodded.

                “That would be great, sir,” Colby replied.

                “Please, call be Abert.  It’s my name,” My father insisted.

                “Alright.  I’m Colby.”  Colby held out his hand and shook my father’s.  So, later that day, Father and I walked Colby home.  Father wanted to talk to Colby’s father, and I had nothing better to do.  Trust me, if I went there four years ago, I was very bored.  I mean very bored.

                “Hey, you must be Emedee’s father.  Nice to meet you,” Colby’s father shook my father’s hand.

                “And you must be Emedee.”  I shook his hand as well, but afterwards it was red.  It took a long hand soak to cure that.

                “Nice to meet you,” I wheezed.  My hand was throbbing, but no one seemed to notice.

                “Please, come inside.  There’s a lot we can discuss.”  The rest I didn’t really hear.  I claimed to need to use the restroom and I ran to Awesome’s house.  I didn’t care if she was busy.  All the junk they were talking about was b-o-r-i-n-g with a capital “B”.  So it turned out, Colby’s father was very talented just like my father.  They began to work on many projects together, and Colby learned more and more.  Soon they started to work on their most complicated project: the Barrier Eraser.  They called it the B.E.A.R., since the B.E. part stood for Barrier Eraser, and the rest they just added on to confuse people.  Well, sadly Colby’s father vanished one night.  We still don’t know why.

                But Colby still look lessons from my father.  And he was far more skilled then just being able to catch a pencil.  He learned how to work with satellites and to use what he already knew to invent the undiscovered.  And soon he discovered his father’s secret lab.

                The whole point of these secret labs are so the Queen can’t put a camera there.  That way, rebels can work on inventions or organize meetings to overthrow her.  And Colby invented many, many things, such as my three gifts from him.  One of my favorites was the mechanical stallion he made.  He gave it to me as a gift on my fourteenth birthday.  I’m pretty sure it’s in my bag.  It was one of his first inventions, a toy horse that can pass through detectors and open up into a knife.  It’s a very simple tool, but my absolute favorite.

                So, the point is that I’ve found a way to get past the Barrier.  Not Colby, not my father, not his father, but me.  There’s this thing I discovered called unstable walls.  You see, some of the Barriers the Queen made were not as strong as the ones on heavily traveled paths.  From those places, I’ve found entrances to the fugitive highway: the Coastline.  It’s absolutely beautiful.  There is nothing but sand and water, where the Sanctuary meets the ocean.  And that’s where I’m headed.  But not for while.

                If I go there right after getting out of here, the Queen will think I’m alive.  So that’s why my parents are sending me into the hedges to live until I regain my strength and so that when there’s no sign of my alive, the Queen will let her guard down.  She’ll think the only missing member of the Harless family is dead.

                “Su-an, it’s alright.  Emedee will be okay,” my father says.

                “No, she won’t.  The Queen will find out and she’ll hunt us down.  Your invention will be disposed of, and so will we.  I can’t let her die,” Mother says.  My mother’s persistance surprises me.  She really cares for me.

                “And just in, breaking news.  Queen Agapanthus had discovered a new generation of monsters around the area of the Hedges.  All people living in or near Briarwood can be assured that the monsters will be contained within the Hedges, but all guards have been positioned outside the overgrown shrubs.”  The wall screen flashed on at that very moment.  My mother and father saw that whole segment, all thirty seconds.  It was like an omen, fresh from the projection on the living room wall.

                “We can send her to the hedges.  It’s perfect.  We’ll stay behind here so that there’s no suspicion.  It will be fine,” My father says.

                “But, but you heard the news!  There are dangerous monsters!” Mother whines.

                “She has her Sugar Slinger and that knife Colby gave her.  She’s sixteen for crying out loud.  I’ll give her the bear and she can use it to get away from this place.  You know how she loves her glitches and the Coastline.”  My father’s words send sparks of hope through me.  So much hope that I reveal myself from my hiding place.

                “It’s okay, Mother.  I’ll live in the hedges for a while, and then I’ll go to the Coastline.  I’ve always wanted to explore the area,” I say.  My mother and father look at each other.

                “So you heard it all?” Mother asks.  I nod.

                “Yes,” I reply.

                “Then it is settled.  But on one condition,” Father says.

      “What’s that?” I ask.  Father looks me in the eye.

                “You won’t live on the Coastline.  You can use it to travel and stay for a while, but I don’t want you to be there forever.  I want you to seek out Rainbow Valley and the Crystal Clouds.  I want you to find the Crystal Clouds and bring back the lost civilization.”

                My mother looks shocked.  “But… no one knows where or if the Crystal Clouds exists!”  My mother argues.

                “It exists all right.  And Emedee’s going to find it,” Father says.  I hug him, then Mother.

                “I’ll find the Crystal Clouds.  I promise I will,” I say.

                “But how will we know if she does?  How will we know if Emedee succeeds?” My mother asks.

                “We’ll know.  We will know,” Father replies.  “We’ll have that feeling.”