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.”