Chapter 8:

Wake up?

How I wish I could wake up from this horrible nightmare.

I followed the light at the end of the hallway, down the staircase which grew with the smelling scent of sage. I hurried down, skipping steps trying to catch up to Cody. I slipped on the last couple of concrete steps and fumbled forward onto him.

"Are you okay?" He asked with only a slight bit of sincerity before switching his face to a look of disapproval. I nodded my head in response, looking onward to see Cassie and Thomas a few steps ahead of us.

In front of them is a large circle hoop that is propped up large pillars. In the middle is a small raised stone platform, also circular.

"Where do you wish to go?" A female voice called from a distance. She appeared from the dark corner of the room. Her dark colored hair was pulled back into a low ponytail which reached the back of her knees. Like the woman upstairs she was slender and tall. Her eyes were like a snake's, and bright red to match the flowing long dress she wore with silver beading.

"We wish safe passage to Equimar," Cassie replied, taking a seat on her legs in front of the platform. The woman smiled, and looked down at her without moving her head down. She moved to the top of the platform, sitting down with her legs on the side. I could see that her skin shone like red scales as her bare foot extended out.

"What do you have to offer?" The gatekeeper asked, looking at all of us. "Come take a seat," she added. I could feel her gaze as I moved in front of her, the way her eyes slowly blinked every minute to show her slit pupil. In front of the platform I now saw a small statue which held burning incense and some crab apples. Hanging from her neck were several strands of gold necklaces, holding various golden charms and jewels.

"Protection from the Dark King by the council." Cassandra answered. She pushed her frizzy hair behind her ear, the crystal glinting in the warm light.

"I do not need protection. I am a gatekeeper, anyone ridiculous enough to threaten that is a fool, and the Dark King is no fool," she spoke. She leaned back and rolled her neck. I bit my tongue in attempt to stop myself from reacting.

"But he is merciless." Cody added.

"What do you offer," she asked again as she watched the ceiling, her various pieces of jewelry clanking.

"I offer you a favor, as a high witch to excuse your crimes from the council." Cassandra bowed her head.

"Your favors mean nothing to me." The gatekeeper sneered. "What do you offer," she said again with more agitation. The heat around us grew and Thomas fished the flower from his glass, throwing it to the side. He drank the rest of his drink.

"We didn't come here to play games, witch," Thomas glares. She whipped her head down to watch him. I studied his movement, watching him grow tense and stiff the more he looked at her. Cassandra puts her hand on Cody, as if to tell him he shouldn't have said that despite not saying a thing at all.

"I don't open gates without a price. Don't waste my time, what do you offer," she asked once again. She put her hands together and cupped them as if she were holding water in them, trying to catch the raindrops.

There was a ringing in my ears as I waited for someone to respond, the quiet, deafening. I placed my shaking hands under me, to calm my nerves as my body continued to crash.

"What is your price," Cassandra said softly. She took a deep breath and held it. The gatekeeper grinned, her lips extending unnatural deep into her cheeks as clapped her hands together.

"An errand."

Her dark colored hair didn't move as she shifted, the bottom of her dress rolling and waving. The more I observed her the more I could see there was something off about her, just like the people upstairs. Despite their casual appearances I couldn't help but feel uneasy, the same feeling you get when you get closer in line to a roller coast and then you're next.

Thomas threw the glass at the gatekeeper and in an instant jumped to the platform and held his hands around her throat, pushing her back. "I offer you your life, open the portal, or die," He told her, his face almost touching hers. She laughed and grabbed his hands and shoved them off of her, unable to dodge those compared to the cup.

"Thomas!" I yelled. I stood up and moved in front of him. I was shocked. My cheeks turned red and my heart began racing.

"And then what? Your witch council performs blood magic to open the portal herself? You're in a dire situation I see. I will open the portal after you've completed the errand." She cackled. She rocked her body back and forth with her manic laughing.

"We accept," Cassie addressed. Her crystal eyes darted harshly at Thomas.

"No!" Thomas shouted. He shifted his body closer to Cody, tripping me. I fell forward, flinging my arms in front of me and landing on my hands.

"Oh my goddess," Cassie whispered, coming to my aid and pulling me up. The gatekeeper kept her stance on her platform, watching the action unfold in front of her.

"If you don't keep your word witch I will kill you." Thomas seethed with anger, grabbing the gatekeeper's wrist and squeezing it tight in his hand, a drop of blood dripped and Thomas soon let go. "That's an oath." He then looked down at me, the anger from his emerald eyes fading, a familiar softness in them as they flashed.

"What is your errand, I will complete it without rash, please, do not fail us," Cassie pleaded. She flatten her hands out on the platform, palm up. The gatekeeper nodded.

"Dragon's blood from Tisle, I will transport you there," She hissed, moving her body forward. She moved her face close to Cassie's hand. A white snake with beady red eyes appeared from behind her neck and slithered down. It opened its mouth, large fangs dripping with yellow liquid striked her hand. She winced, letting out a shaky breath and falling back into Cody's arms.

The gatekeeper flickered her red eyes across us and her mouth opened wide, skin splitting back and revealing similar fangs to the snake, she touched one of them with her finger, the liquid seeping underneath her long pointed nail.

"You'll be a guide, she has to retrieve it," The gatekeeper said, pointing at me. I felt my heart drop to my stomach.

"No you cannot make her go across." Cody shook his head vigorously. Thomas put an arm in front of me.

"She must be the one to go, she is charmed."

"She knows nothing of the world, take me." Thomas extends his arm.

"You know the customs more than anybody, that it cannot be done that way."

Thomas ground his jaw and turned away.

"I will go," I answered, nodding my head in reluctant agreement. "If that's the only way I will do it." My legs began shaking and I dug my heels deep into the floor. I felt a shooting pain run up and down my body.

The gatekeeper moved to me and grabbed the same wrist I had held my weight on when I fell. Her hand was smooth and cold. Her fingers were long with gold tipped nails extending over an inch to make a sharp point in the middle. She pressed her nail deep into my skin, the liquid that was under her fingernail moving into my bloodstream. I began to panic as she held it there and stared down into my eyes, like she was reading a secret I only knew about myself. She grinned, that wide big grin which made me sick. My wrist began feeling itchy, growing hot and inflamed. I could feel the venom pulse through me, a small ice cube running up my arm and across my chest, to my heart and to my brain. My eyes went heavy and I could barely stand, the strength I had mustered to make it here began fading.

Thomas held me under my arms, and began moving me slowly to the floor. My body began shaking, Cassandra right by my side, only her hands shook.

"Jamie, everything is going to be alright, you are going to be fine, you need to relax, breathe," She gasped and turned back onto her back. I listened to her and began to breath. My eyes could barely stay open past a squint. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, begging me to stop. I didn't want this feeling, I had remembered it all too clearly from before.

Twitching shocks ran down my legs and I couldn't feel that they were a part of my body. I tried wiggling my toes, but I couldn't feel them. I lifted my wrist and examined the black bruise that had appeared. I could see it but I could not feel it.

Thomas began brushing my hair back and I could faintly feel his fingertips on my forehead. He snapped his fingers in front of my eyes. "Lis-" I realized he was talking to me, his voice fading into my mind.

"Listen, Jamie, listen to me." He talked to me and I was underwater, the voice muffled and faint. I couldn't reach above the surface as my lungs filled with water. I didn't want to. He began to call again.

"Jamie!" I can hear being screamed. Familiar arms reach in and pull me out, the smell of vanilla and homemade soap. "Jamie!" She screamed again. Her voice is still muffled as water still fills my ears and body.

"Listen!" I hear Thomas' voice again, the weak grip on my hand. "You need to remember-" I watched him say, his lips pale and cracked, "Stay with Cassie!"

Remember. Remember. Remember.

Water. Darkness.