Persephone (The Lily Harper Series Book 4)

  Now, Lily! I yelled silently before coiling my arm back and bringing it down with full force and momentum on the creature’s head. All I managed to hit was the creature’s left horn, which immediately split down the center before the last two inches of it flew off. The creature wailed with agony and stumbled backwards, holding his head in his hands. He fell against the side of the cave wall and drooped down to the ground, cradling his enormous head. Wasting no time, I jumped up onto my feet and ran at him. A strange, black goo dripped from the end of his horn, spilling all over his hands.

  But I couldn’t say I cared. I swiftly took a clean shot, nailing the creature right between the horns with the business end of the femur. His response was a final grunt before he collapsed into a lifeless heap.

  You’ve gotta get out of here, Lily! I wasn’t sure if the creature was dead, or passed out, or just momentarily stunned. But I sure didn’t want to find out. All I wanted to do was get as far away from him as possible.

  Luckily, the cave was fairly narrow and short, so it wasn’t a difficult task to find the entrance. I hurried to escape, still carrying the femur in my right hand. I figured it was a good idea to remain armed, in case I encountered any other unsavory strangers.

  Once I reached the mouth of the cave, I began jog-walking down the narrow slope that led up to it. I hurried down the incline and glanced back up to make sure the creature hadn’t woken up or decided to pursue me. As far as I could tell, though, he wasn’t stirring.

  Now where will I go? I asked myself before worry overtook me. Neither Bill nor Tallis knows where I am! And who knows where they are!?

  Just try to find your way back up to the train tracks, I decided. Maybe they’re both still waiting for you there?

  Doubtful.

  Well, what other choice do you have? I asked redundantly. In truth, I had no idea where to find Bill and Tallis; that meant I was basically lost and alone in the Underground City. My only means for defending myself now was an old, white thighbone from some unfortunate soul.

  Things could be worse! I told myself as it started to rain.

  “Neither his neck he moved, nor bent his side...”

  - Dante’s Inferno

  SIXTEEN

  “Never, never, never give up,” I whispered the words of Winston Churchill to myself as I trudged through the bleak landscape. It looked like the surface of the moon. Well, a moonscape that was now very muddy in the onslaught of the downpour.

  The rain was freezing and the drops so large, each one felt like a tiny punch whenever it made contact with my skin. I wiped the drops from my eyes and hurried my steps, desperately hoping I was headed in the right direction. The land surrounding me was completely flat; but, in the intermittent light of the moon, I thought I could see the incline of a hill in the distance.

  Figuring I had no other alternative, I decided to make for the hill, hoping to find train tracks once I reached the top. As to which direction I should go once I got there, I still had no clue. All I knew was I needed to get the hell out of here lest that horny yak-man wake up and renew his pursuit of me … especially now, since I imagined the creature probably wouldn’t be quite so horny as he would be angry.

  I hurried my steps, feeling somewhat assured, now that I had a solid destination in mind. I also tightened my grip around the femur in my hand as I continued to check my left and then my right sides, just to make sure I wouldn’t be waylaid by some new, hideous creature. On every tenth step or so, I glanced over my shoulder to see if anything was following me; but as far as I could tell, I was indeed alone.

  You’re almost there, I reassured myself as I focused on the horizon again, keeping the view of the hill directly in my line of sight. I estimated about twenty more feet before I reached the base of the incline.

  Keep going, Lily! I cheered myself on, even though it was so dark, it wasn’t easy to recognize much of anything. Next time I see Alaire, I’m going to insist that he invest in some streetlamps, I thought to myself with a frown. On second thought, I hoped there would be no next time as far as seeing Alaire was concerned. You still owe him that favor, I reminded myself, gulping down the acidic taste of remorse as I tried to refocus my thoughts on the task at hand.

  All at once, I heard a sound. A sound that my admittedly fallible ears could have mistaken for a voice. My heart quickened and leapt as I clung to the hope that maybe I’d be found. But by whom? That thought put me on high alert, and I stopped short and stood there for a few seconds, impatiently waiting to hear the sound repeat itself. I ignored the rain that freely fell on my face and clouded my eyes as I tried to attune my ears more keenly. I hoped it wasn’t a simple trick of my mind.

  It’s nothing, I said to myself after another few seconds. Just your mind playing tricks on you … or maybe it was the sound of the wind.

  It’s not windy, I retorted, cocking my head to the side and doing my best to isolate all but the alien sound again; however, it was to no avail. All I could hear was the pitter-patter of raindrops falling over my body and pooling on the dirt ground below me.

  Taking a few steps forward, I stopped walking, turning my head to the other side in the chance that my hearing might have been better in that direction. I had to hold myself still for a few moments, if only to calm my heart since its incessant beating seemed to be drowning out everything else. I breathed in and out for a count of three before listening hard again, as hard as I could, my heartbeat finally slowing down and starting to regulate.

  Then I heard something that sounded like voices whispering. I couldn’t detect which direction the whispering came from. I turned to my right, but when that failed to reveal anyone, I continued turning right until I made a full circle and faced the hill again.

  The whispering continued, sounding almost like the static you hear from a blown speaker. It faded from my left ear to my right, and back again. Turning my head from side-to-side again, I failed to make out any person or anything.

  There’s no one out there, Lily, I concluded in the end. You’re completely alone.

  Then what were those whispers I heard?

  Probably just the rain, I replied as the only plausible explanation. You’re really tired, too, and your mind is, no doubt, wandering. There’s no one out there and you only have yourself to rely on.

  My shoulders dropped with despair. Any hope I harbored fled like a banshee in the night. My disappointment stretched all the way to the tips of my toes; but I adamantly refused to succumb to the unhelpful feelings.

  Starting forward again, I wiped the rain from my eyes and, once again, scolded myself for standing around and hosting a pity party. That wasn’t going to help me … and could actually even have been hazardous to my health. I could only imagine it was simply a matter of time before the yak-man located me. When I glanced up at the hillside again, I resisted the urge to become disheartened since I didn’t seem to be any closer than before.

  “Nerdlet!”

  “Bill!” I yelled out with relief as soon as I recognized his voice. Then I went as still as a statue when I wondered if this might be another instance of my mind playing tricks on me. Had I actually heard Bill’s voice calling out my name … er, nickname?

  I waited a few seconds longer before my rising anger started to overtake me. Once again, all I could hear was the droning of the rain. You’ve got to stop thinking every weird sound you hear is Bill or Tallis! I reprimanded myself. You’re just going to drive yourself crazy! After another few seconds of waiting, and realizing it was for nothing, I shook my head. I wondered what the hell was wrong with me. This is proof that you’re getting overwhelmed! You’re so exhausted, you’re getting confused.

  Confused? I fired back, refusing to accept the excuses I was already feeding myself.

  Yes, confused! You’re imagining Bill’s voice!

  Now fully convinced of that fact, I centered all of my attention onto the hillside in front of me with renewed fervor and determination. I took a few steps, recovering my inner strength, and decid
ed I would not be victimized by the errant wanderings of my mind.

  Holding my head up higher, I quietly assured myself that I could succeed by myself, and ignore or overcome whatever tricks my mind was playing on me. Whatever was necessary, I would do it. Alone, and fearlessly. Yep, just me and my thighbone. Just me and someone else’s lost leg … I started to smile almost deliriously as I thought how completely ridiculous I sounded.

  “Nips!” Bill’s voice called out again, but this time, it was much clearer. I immediately looked to my left and my right, but still couldn’t see any sign of him … or even detect where the voice had come from.

  I know I heard him this time! I confirmed, fully determined to support my mind. That wasn’t just my imagination!

  “I’m over here!” I called out, lifting my chin into the air so that my voice might travel far enough to reach him. “Bill! I’m here! Over here!”

  I squinted again and blinked the raindrops out of my eyes before wiping them with my hand as I stared at the far left side of the hilltop. I couldn’t identify the shadows I was now convinced I could see, and didn’t know if they were really Bill and Tallis. With the clouds completely obscuring the moon every few seconds like they were on fast forward, it was impossible to make out anything. As soon as I had enough light, it was snatched away by the roving clouds.

  “Lily!” Bill called out again.

  Now fully convinced of his existence, I started running toward the hill. I kept my eyes trained on the top of it the entire time and strained to recognize the silhouettes of Bill and Tallis. But the stubborn clouds made that impossible because they insisted on blocking the moonlight.

  “Bill! Tallis!” I yelled out loudly, and a smile of relief broke out across my face. I suddenly felt like crying with happiness.

  I’m going to be okay! I told myself as I ran even faster. Now I was hell-bent on finding my way back to them. That was when I tripped over something and started falling down, face-first. I gasped and dropped the femur, but managed to brace myself for the impact. Stretching my hands out, my palms facing down, I hit the ground so hard, it knocked the wind completely out of me. But, at least I managed to avoid a full face-plant.

  It took me a good few seconds to learn how to inhale again, and the pain in my stomach from where it met the ground was still roiling like an angry cat. I just lay there for a few seconds, trying to shake the dizziness from my head. Each shallow breath I took felt like a match burning me from the inside out.

  “Besom?” Hearing Tallis’s voice, I glanced up to find him standing right in front of me, offering me his hand. Even though I felt like hell warmed over, a smile overtook my face all the same. I accepted his outstretched hand as he pulled me up onto my feet.

  “You found me,” I whispered, still clutching his hand, lest I fall down again. Despite several waves of nausea and unrelieved fatigue, sensations of warmth and joy flooded my entire being.

  “Aye,” he answered. I wasn’t sure if it were just a trick of the light, but it seemed like his face suddenly became blurry. It looked like he was shaking his head, but on extreme fast forward. I had to widen my eyes to make sure I saw what I thought I had. When I looked at him again, he appeared normal, just standing there and looking down at me.

  “Where is Bill?” I asked, the pain in my lungs finally beginning to subside.

  Tallis didn’t respond right away. He just stood there, staring down at me. He appeared as stone-faced as a statue, or a wax figure of himself. I studied him for another few seconds, trying to figure out exactly what seemed so out of place about him. Then he did that weird flickering thing again, and I had to catch my breath as I took a step away from him.

  All at once, he disappeared, just like that! He hadn’t even turned around, or walked away. He was just gone, as if the air swallowed him in a nanosecond. M heart dropped with despair as my worst fear started to wend its way up my spine.

  “Tallis?” I whispered as I shook my head to clear it, while trying to make sense of what had just happened.

  I couldn’t ponder his disappearance for long, however, because moments later, I suffered an indescribably piercing pain right behind my eyes. Dropping my head into my hands, I clenched my eyes shut tightly and tried to ignore the ache. A moment later, all the pain vanished as if it were never there to begin with.

  Shocked and confused, I opened my eyes. No longer in the dark with the rain streaming down my face, now I was …? Now I didn’t know where I was.

  The sun shone so brightly that I had to shield my eyes. When my pupils finally adjusted to the merciless light, I found myself standing in front of a tree. I stayed there for a few seconds, trying to understand what happened and how I arrived at the place where I now was. As to where that was exactly … I had no idea. I turned around, trying to get a better idea of my surroundings … but, soon found myself facing the very same tree again. It seemed as if I hadn’t moved at all! Completely floored by the revelation, I spun around another two times. Eventually, I had to face the fact that no matter which direction I faced, the tree remained directly in front of me.

  That’s impossible, I told myself while shaking my head. You must not have really moved. Try to turn around one more time!

  Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the shuffling of my feet to ensure that I had, indeed, turned a full one hundred eighty degrees. I steadied myself before I opened my eyes … only to discover I was still facing the same tree.

  “I don’t understand,” I whispered desperately, shaking my head in utter disbelief as my heart pounded in my chest wildly.

  I tried to take a step forward, but my feet were rooted in place. Upon glancing down at them, to my complete shock, I realized my feet had become exactly that—roots! My legs were no longer legs at all. Instead of flesh, they were covered with rough bark, solid and thick … as a tree trunk.

  This can’t be happening …

  While frantically trying to convince myself that what I was seeing could not possibly be real, I glimpsed a flash of color from the corners of my eyes. Turning my head to the side, I raised my arms up to eye level before my heart dropped all the way to my former toes. My arms were now branches! Dark green leaves decorated the tips of each branch. I couldn’t see my head or face, but expected they, too, were covered in tree bark.

  “No,” I said, aloud this time. Shaking my head harder, I tried to pull my legs free, but failed. I couldn’t go anywhere. I was stuck. Rooted in place, and in the shape of a tree! I was now the tree and the tree was me.

  “No!” I yelled again, my heart rate increasing as I began trembling in horror. I clenched my eyes shut tightly and promised myself that this couldn’t really be happening. I wasn’t a tree. I was a person. I mean, how could I be a tree when I was still able to form logical thoughts? I could still think! And trees couldn’t think!

  I glanced down again to double-check my arborial likeness, thinking this argument was a cogent one. It was as good an alibi against being a tree as was possible. But when I observed the thick trunk that used to comprise my lower body, not to mention the roots that used to be my feet and toes, I wanted to scream. My mind was nearly breaking with the weight of what I was seeing. My breathing became more hurried and shallow …

  Aha! How could I even be breathing if I were a tree!? I thought to myself, but I had no answers.

  The blood seemed to be rushing away from my head, and I couldn’t see straight. I felt like I was in a fog. I was also a little faint and worried if I succumbed to the cloudiness around me, there was a good chance I wouldn’t ever wake up again. Maybe this was my final demise—maybe my brain was changing—morphing itself into branches and leaves. Pretty soon, I probably wouldn’t be able to think at all …

  I breathed deeply, desperately trying to retain my currently fragile psyche and hold myself together. When I finally opened my eyes again, I was surrounded by darkness and dripping wet. I blinked a few times and glanced down at myself. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t still encapsulated with dark brown bark.
Nope, my legs were my own again. After blinking several more times, just to convince myself that my eyes weren’t deceiving me, I was satisfied.

  You’re back to being yourself again, I decided, despite the horror of my last experience still resonating in the back of my mind.

  “Then what the hell happened?!” I asked out loud as I shook my head and tried to make sense of what I’d just gone through.

  First, Tallis starts blinking in and out of focus before he vanishes into thin air? And then, that incredibly real vision of me becoming a tree?

  My heart was beating uncontrollably fast, and I feared I might faint. I breathed in deeply for a count of three and exhaled just as slowly, but it didn’t seem to do any good. I started to shake and shudder in the cold rain and suddenly felt my temperature plunging. I was freezing. Still shaking, I wasn’t sure if my body were experiencing shock, or if the iciness was the actual temperature of the air.

  Suddenly, the whispering voices started up again, only this time, they sounded like they were right next to my left ear. I turned to face them, but, of course, saw nothing there. I could hear their whispered breaths, though, clearly. It almost seemed as if two tiny pixies were talking to one another on my shoulder. I slammed my hands over my ears and clamped them down tightly, trying to expel the voices from my mind; but it didn’t do any good. They continued to whisper, their breathy voices suddenly infuriating me.

  “Stop it!” I screamed out, surprised to hear how much vehemence was in my tone.

  “Besom?” Upon hearing Tallis’s voice again, I wheeled around and found him standing there. He was studying me in an aloof, indifferent manner. Although the rain still came down quickly and in fairly large drops, it didn’t appear to make any contact with him. He was completely dry.