“Who drives this slow outside of town?” I growl, fighting the urge to lay on Jim’s horn. Every second feels like an eternity.
Finally, the old man ahead of me turns off onto a side street — after coming to a complete stop in front of me. I floor it, and he shakes a fist out his window. Ignoring that, I round the curve, pulling up at the guard shack at the lake park entrance.
Another five, and I’m circling to the east, headed out past the cabins to where the woods begin and civilization ends. A few cars are parked near the small bungalows. I drive as far away from them as possible and park near a large dumpster. Keys in the visor, I charge into the damp forest.
Running, I sweep my eyes over every inch of the terrain. Rolling hills covered in leaves is all I see. I start out at a jog, but as the trees grow thicker together and my path leads further from the creek, I slow my pace and double back. At one point, I come to a complete halt, listening. The faint noise of running water, an occasional bark of a squirrel, a noise like the tapping on wood, which I soon identify as a bird, are the only sounds I hear.
If only I could scent the air. For a moment I entertain the thought of stripping, hiding these clothes in a bush while I scour the area in my panther form. I’m desperate to find her. I have to find that rift.
Dropping to a squat, I rub my face with my hands. Mercy… I’m searching for you. My Mercy — can you hear me? I’m not convinced my thoughts travel through the barrier between our worlds, but I still try. If they do go through, I hope they give her hope.
Waiting, I close my eyes and listen. Water, bird, squirrel. Something new… A squeal of laughter from far away on the lake. Pushing off the ground, I walk slowly back the way I came.
My boots shuffle through the bright yellow leaves covering the ground. Their shushing sound joins the peaceful, earthly noises of the forest. Internally, I’m thinking of a new search in the library — maps of the area around Nightmoon Cabins.
I’m frustrated and angry and almost to the clearing where I left Jim’s truck when I stop. A wave of dread shadowed across my heart. It disappeared as fast as it appeared, but I recognize it. Spinning around, I return to the woods, looking all around frantically. Up, down, everywhere. I strain my eyes, but all I see is nothing.
Everywhere I look is brown trees, yellow leaves, dark green scrub. “Where are you?” I growl, turning again toward the parking lot. I wait several long moments, but I can’t find it. “Dammit!”
Again, my pace is slow, and just as I’m reaching the clearing another sensation of doom passes over me. I freeze in place, looking side to side. The feeling is gone, but this time I don’t run.
I take one backwards step… Nothing.
I take another… Nothing.
One more, and I double over at the waist. The sensation of evil hits me so hard I lose my breath. I stagger back, and it’s gone. My eyes squeeze shut as I instinctively place my hand on my stomach where the pain had been the most intense.
I can’t see it, but I know it’s in front of me. It’s a narrow ribbon of dread like steam rising from an invisible vent in the earth’s surface. Stretching out my hand, I don’t feel it. The air is still, appearing the same as everything around me. I have to step into the blast to find it.
With a deep breath, I move forward, every muscle bracing against the onslaught. A foot forward, and my breath strangles in my throat. My jaw clenches, and I groan against the ripples of pain. My eyes are squeezed shut, but I force them open. Looking to my left, I see it. A thin black line like a rip in the air waits beside me. One breath forward or backward, and it disappears as a line in a tree trunk or the flicker of a shadow in the corner of my eye. Staying carefully in the steaming waves of despair, I move to the break. It’s close.
Two more steps, and I’m plunged into darkness.
The ground under my boots has changed. Leaves are replaced with damp rock. I’m on a path, walking through a tunnel, but ahead I see the faintest glow of light. The sensation of doom has eased, and I decide it must be a defensive barrier, a way to keep intruders out.
Keep going, I think. I have to keep going for Mercy. Fixing my eyes on the glowing grey light I put one foot carefully in front of the other to avoid slipping. Water trickles down the walls, and a strange rushing sound comes from somewhere miles over my head. My arms hang at my sides, fists ready to fight if I’m attacked, but I’m alone here. The cave seems empty, forgotten.
Finally, I reach the end. I’m standing at the opening facing an eerie forest of gnarled, black trees in muted grey light. An unearthly glow illuminates the place, but it isn’t yellow or warm like the sun. It’s like smoke without a fire. It’s black and white, cold and dead.
Mercy shines like a beacon in my memory. I don’t know where I’m going, but I walk on, figuring I’ll encounter something if I just keep moving. A screech to my right, snaps me to attention, but only a slick, black skink crawls quickly away from me.
The path continues on, and I hear the sound of trickling water. Small flowers are scattered among the trees the closer I get to it. They grow tall on green stalks and are shaped like stars. The white petals have pink lines down the center, and I recognize them as asphodel.
The river is in front of me. I’m on the very edge, and the lapping of the currents against small rocks is an enticing sound. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. I’m overwhelmed with thirst. All the running in the forest back and forth, the searching followed by the bursts of pain have my throat aching.
Kneeling down, I scoop a handful of water and bring it to my lips. As soon as it touches my tongue, I exhale a sigh of relief. Another handful, and my mind begins to relax. Images sway around me, and the torment of my mission fades. Sitting on the bank of the river, I lose the reason I came to this gloomy place. It slips from my mind like a ribbon of silk. What am I doing here?
My limbs are heavy, and my eyes start to close. I struggle against the sensations pulling me down, but I don’t remember why I’m struggling. It seems like I lost something. I’m trying to find it. Only, I can’t remember what it is.
A figure appears across the lake. It’s a man dressed in black armor and a long black cape. He’s watching me with a sinister grin, and a chill moves through my insides. His hair shines white down his back like the ghostly light. Then I realize
, he is the light. This seems important, but I don’t know why. I don’t know why this feeling of dread at the sight of him is familiar. I try to find the answer, but I’m so heavy. I’m not afraid of you…
It’s my last thought before I drift into unconsciousness.
* * *
Mercy