|
Freezing. Starving. Tired. The darkness that surrounds me is the one thing scaring me enough to keep me awake. I forced my shivering hand out of my cozy, withdrawn position and banged on the wooden slate above me. This is crazy. They cannot keep me in here.
Suddenly, there was a loud ringing in my ears. I pulled my knees in tighter and pushed my hands against my head.
?Kyle?'
?Ally, don't worry. I heard what they did. I'm coming.' I heard his voice. ?Just stay alive.'
I hate it when that happens. Seven billion people in the world and fate chose to pair me up with him. Probably more like karma, to be honest. We're both fire-born witches. We're both connected telepathically. For some unknown reason, it's only the two of us. And yet, he's always had it easy. Part of me still hates him. Part of me will always hate him.
He was lucky enough to be born to a high family in a coven that accepted him. I was brought up in an anti-magic coven. No one even knew about my power until the day I just woke up with it.
I don't understand what I did. I was quiet. I did everything they told me, even if it hurt me, and now here I am, lying in this ditch, left to die. Jealousy. I know. It's stupid. I hate him because I'm jealous of him. But somehow, I love him for the exact same reason. Telling myself it's strange does me no good. Through all the misery, he's the one that kept me alive.
?Do you see anything? Any red-eyes?' His voice interrupted my thoughts. I had almost forgotten about them.
More frightened than ever, I looked around frantically for any sign of the red-eyed monsters that call these dirt tunnels home. Although I've never seen the beasts, I've heard of terrifying stories of what they do with the magic-borns - and it isn't pretty. ?No. Not yet. They're going to come looking. You know it.'
?Stop! Stay calm. I'll be there before you know it.'
A noise came from a far corner of the tunnel. My head jerked towards the direction of the noise immediately. My heart started pounding. This is it. Footsteps approached. ?Kyle, Hurry please.'
Scratching sounds soon followed, tormenting me. I struggled out of my seated position and onto my knees. I need to be ready to run. Still shivering from the cold, I kept shifting my gaze across all the openings in the tunnel. And then I saw it. A couple of glowing, red dots ahead of me. Frozen in my state, I gasped.
?You have nowhere to run, my love. You won't get very far.?
?I'm almost there.'
?It's no use. I don't know where I am.' A tear escaped my eye. I turned around, backing away against the end of the passage. I took a deep breath. ?They're not going to let you through. And it will be a while before you find me.'
Kyle said, adamantly, ?I will find you' I could almost hear the intensity of his voice. We may only be connected by mind, but I could feel him. ?Whatever it takes.'
?There's no time.'
?Please don't leave me.' Kyle desperately replied. ?I love -'
His voice cut off. My eyes widened as I felt a slight blush settle on my cheeks. It didn't take Einstein to know what he was going to say. At least, I hope he said what I thought he was going to say.
It wasn't long before I was surrounded by demons chasing me. ?Don't worry, little lady. We'll make it quick.? One of them said, leaning over and sniffing in deeply. They got closer and closer. If anyone's going to save me, now's the time.
I felt a cold, slimy touch against my hand. Shuddering, I felt it slide up my arm and near my neck. ?Just relax. Fright doesn't taste as good.? The demon whispered. He was close. I could feel his breath against my face. I don't want to die like this.
?Help.'
?Stop!? A strong voice called out. The demon let me go and they cleared a path. A tall demon walked towards me. ?Do you idiots not know who she is??
?Your Grace. I apologize for them.? He said. ?It's only the elders who waiting for the King and Queen to return to their rightful places. We welcome you, your Grace. Let us take you to throne.?
King and Queen? My throne? Confused as ever, I simply stared with horror. ?Um, I-I-?
He sighed. ?Very well,? He paused for a moment. ?But you must accompany Tantor after.? Every moment I can stall is a victory for me. I just hope Kyle shows up soon.
?I correct that you are a fire-born?? I remained silent. ?Fire-born mages come from hell. Although very few stay.? Hell?! Is he trying to say I'm from hell? I was overcome by panic.
?Ally? Are you still with me?' Kyle's voice instantly brought some relief.
Tantor continued, ?The Elementals destroy the fire-born race. All of them, including our royals - your parents.? I gulped. Is that true? I haven't met many fire-born people, but I don't think the Elementals would have anything to do with it. They're supposed to be just and kind. Getting rid of an entire race of magic. It just doesn't seem like them.
"You and king will bring back light for us and free us from chains. We wait eighteen years for you. You must help us."
?Masters are waiting. They wait for you in hell. We going there now.? He caught my hand, trying to pull me. I met him with an equal force, trying to stay back. I understand I have nowhere to go, but if this is a trap, I -
?Let her go!? Part of the tunnels collapsed, letting the moonlight in. It was Kyle. His eyes enraged, he held out his palms, flames resting against them. He shot out a flame and burned one of the demons alive. With the burning demon's screeching screams echoing in the tunnels, he said, ?You. Step away from her.? He looked in my direction, while Tantor retreated. He pointed his flame at another demon.
I looked at him. ?Stop.? Kyle looked at me, surprised.
?All hail the king!? Tantor yelled. Kyle turned to them and we both stared. Tantor gently gave a bow and the rest followed, some even getting on their knees.
?King?? Kyle questioned. He was ready to get out of here, but we would've never escaped them alive. His power is strong, but I'm not even half as learned as him. With the hundreds of them in our way, there's no way, we'd make it out of here.
Tantor walked to the sidewall and punched hard until a pinkish-red flame sparked, consuming the dirt wall. A portal?
The two of us peered in. A bright flame almost blinded us. But we could now see everything. The skies burned a fiery red and the flames below roared. A brick red castle stood tall in the distance, among a few neighbouring huts. It was like nothing I've ever seen before.
?I have an insane story to tell you.?
Peace Corps 97 Chuma Bolivia. That is when I walked over to the other reality.. Lost? I have been there. I am a lost time traveler to be honest. Don't believe me? Ask my shrink. He will quietly agree with some of what I showed him. However, my most lost event is August 1997.
I had been invited to two separate parties. One at the museum of Lake Titikaka, Bolivia. There I had one of the more memorable drinking contest with a colleague. We drank for a few days. I had been in Bolivia without a vacation for sometime so I had saved up a month of vacation.
The party was with graduate students from an anthropology school from the states. That I sat with one person who had been there for three years and explained to him that his toy tops were stones used to crush spicy sauce was interesting. Why? If he ever went into Bolivia kitchen, he would have seen a Bolivian crushing chili and tomatoes and herbs together to make llajua sauce. A sauce in some areas that can be rather hot.
I went on a wild drive with a friend that just passed away in 2021.
We drank some of the better wine from Chevisive and drove 110 miles to Chuma. The party started and someone there dressed me as a bear. I danced for two weeks. I ate at 50 or more homes. And I danced from 5 am until 3 am drinking Triago and singing. I danced as a bear, a slave, a slaver holder, and miner. It was a blast. Now as a time traveler what has this got to do with my story? People here say that party only last two or three days I remember 14 days. Memories. Most people remember strange little unexpected things in their life. There are several weird stories I could tell. From fairies dancing across a mountain in Caracato, Bolivia. On that day I heard thunder for miles around. Or the lightning storm with faes dancing in the yard on a farm outside of Fallon, Montana. Likewise the time, the strange lights danced for hours on a hill top in Lame Deer, Montana. Or the time the tornado touched down right where I was in Ekalaka, Montana.
I suppose the one that gets me most questionable in my mind is the faes of Chuma, Bolivia. I have told this story several times and people laugh and laugh. In yet, to me it is truthful as the weeks I spent there.
I had gotten to spend a week elsewhere dancing as a bear on the altiplano with the colleague. The party was okay. Nothing awkward. I had met several anthropologists from a local museum. And solved two of their issues which they had been studying for a few years. How? I live.
The first was a guy with several stones that looked like tops. The guy did not understand why they had so many of these stones. I was not really paying attention I said ?oh you are into yakwa.? which is spelled in this reality llajua. It is a spicy sauce that country Bolivians put on everything. He looked at me. The stones are used to pound spices into sauce.
You are not a time traveler.. I smile.. They call it Mandela effect here in this reality. In my reality? Secrets are held more closely than here. I was born on an earth considered being on the outer edge of Sagittarius arm. There the galaxy measurement on the internet was 377,000 light years across. No known black holes within the galaxy. Earth was on the outer edge of the Sagittarius arm. Earth was 6.5 billion years old and the next galaxy to hit was supposed due in 365,000 years.
Am I making this up? I doubt it. My imagination was into other stories. Like? Oh, I once was someone else for a time. Seriously? Yes. But who cares. Who knows me these days? I doubt if that party had me stolen away to a completely different reality and spacetime. I mean how unlikely is a kid from Montana to end up in the country where Sundance and Che were murdered?
Come now. A festival in Chuma and a time traveling Peace Corps member lost in Spacetime. That is the lost ness of this story.
No comments:
Post a Comment