Final Quest (16 page)

- 44 -

A LOSS OF INNOCENCE

It feels like it took forever before I reach Michael’s house.

I ring the doorbell.

I pound on the door. The blood from my hands streaks the door.

My lip is bleeding harder now.

My right leg feels like someone attacked it with an axe.

I can barely stand.

I start to pound again with my fist, only to discover that I’m striking the arms of Michael’s mother.

“Emily, what happened?”

“Please, a bathroom,” I gasp. “Please get me to a bathroom.”

In spite of my desperate need for help, I can’t let Michael see me like this.

“This way,” Michael’s mother says, as though she’s accustomed to handling emergencies like this every day.

She gently, but quickly, leads me to a bathroom that is thankfully located a few steps inside their front hallway.

“Who is it?” a man’s voice shouts out.

It’s Michael’s father.

Just before I enter the bathroom, I catch a glimpse of Michael standing further along in the hallway. As he looks at me, his eyes fill with horror.

“Thank you,” I gasp as the bathroom door closes behind us.

A glance in the mirror tells me how  terrible I look. There’s lipstick and blood smeared around my puffy lips. My black and blue cheek looks like it’s going to burst. My eyes are dark and puffy.

I start to cry.

Soon the tears are flowing uncontrollably.

“Drew attacked me,” I sputter. “I don’t even know why I was with him.”

Mrs. Worsley hugs me.

My body heaves.

I want to crawl into a dark corner somewhere and die. What have I done wrong? How did this ever happen?

“Emily, it’s not your fault.”

How can it not be my fault? I went to Drew’s. I even dressed up for him. I wanted something to happen between us. Of course, it’s my fault.

“Emily, you’ve been drugged.”

I almost lurch out of Mrs. Worsley’s arms.

“What do you mean I’ve been drugged?”

“Your eyes are dilated. Your words are slurred. Your face is flushed. You have been given some kind of date rape drug.”

Drew? Could Drew really have done this me?

My mind races through the events of the evening.

Drew was at my house. He used my emerald to take me back to his house. Then I returned back to my house. Michael and Jamie visited me. Then I returned back to Drew’s.

“Drew was at my house earlier in the evening,” I say. “He said he had something important to tell me. I remember him handing me a can of soda. Could he have put something in my drink?”

Mrs. Worsley’s eyes are kind and understanding.

“Afterwards, Michael and Jamie visited me. When they left, I began to feel strange. It was as though something inside me was pushing me to be with Drew. I ended up going to Drew’s house even though I didn’t want to go.”

“Emily, there are various kinds of date rape drugs and they can affect individuals in different ways. They don’t all act instantly. In your case, it sounds like you had a delayed reaction. Once the drug took affect, it clouded your thinking. What happened isn’t your fault.”

I wonder if it was more than a drug. Had the Zelareans taught Drew how to get into my head?

Something has broken inside me. One of my friends has violated my innocence and my trust.

I don’t know if I can ever find the courage to face the world again.

- 45 -

UNDERSTANDING

After Michael’s mother embraces me for the longest time, until I have no more tears, she helps to clean my cuts and bruises.

She places a suture across my lip to stop the bleeding. She tenderly washes my face until I no longer have any traces of makeup or blood remaining.

During the complete time, she never asked any more questions; she never said a word. Her eyes and her touch tell me that she understands what I’m feeling.

There’s no blame.

For this, I want to hug her more.

When I finally look human again, except for a puffy face that is now taking on different hues of purple and blue, Mrs. Worsley says, “I’m going to get you some water. As well, would it be okay for me to call your mother?”

I nod.

Mrs. Worsley leaves the bathroom, but closes the door behind her.

I wonder if Michael is still in the hallway. Has he heard any of our conversation?

What am I going to say to my mother? If I tell her the truth, she’ll kill Drew. I know she doesn’t particularly like him. Will she call the police?

I don’t want to talk about what happened anymore. I want tonight to go away.

When Michael’s mother returns with a drink of water for me, she also brings me a light blue cardigan that I quickly wrap around myself. The cardigan warms me. It makes me feel less naked. It also prevents me from looking at my bloody white top.

All the times that I have wondered if it was Michael’s parents who were watching over us are now confirmed. I can see it in his mother’s eyes. I can feel it in her touch.

Unexpectedly my tears begin to flow again. What has happened to my life? Where has my childhood gone? Why did I ever touch my mother’s emerald?

Suddenly, the doorbell rings.

I know it’s my mother.

I can’t move. My legs feel like they’re paralysed.

“I’ll get it,” Mrs. Worsley says.

I look into the mirror.

I’m a wreck.

The front door opens.

“Where is she?” my mother says.

There are rushed footsteps in the hallway.

My mother’s face pales as she enters the bathroom.

She hugs me like she has never hugged me before.

- 46 -

BREAK-IN

The moment my mother and I arrive back at our house, I know something is wrong. Our front door is wide open.

Completely shocking me, my mother pulls a gun from the glove box of her car.

I follow her to the house. Neither of us speaks a word.

Stepping timidly into our house, it’s immediately apparent that someone has broken in. Every step we take brings a frightening picture of rooms that have been vandalized.

Our couches and chairs are slashed with the stuffing ripped out of them.

“It was Drew,” I say with growing anger.

“What do you mean? What would Drew be looking for?”

The pain of the evening surges through me once again.

“For some strange reason, Drew is suddenly obsessed with my emerald. When I went to his house tonight, I hid my emerald under my dresser.”

“You took your emerald off?” my mother exclaims as she runs to my bedroom, her gun waving in front of her.

If Drew happens to be there, he’s as good as dead.

I hobble after my mother, pain shooting from my leg throughout my body.

My bedroom is a disaster. My mattress is shredded. My clothes are scattered everywhere. My dresser drawers have been ripped apart.

Is it really possible that Drew did this all by himself?

My mother dives to the bottom of my dresser.

“You have to pull it out from the wall,” I say.

As she slides the dresser from the wall, I manage to kneel down and search in the space under it.

My emerald is still there.

“Don’t ever take if off again!” my mother orders.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

My mother looks at me with concern.

“No Emily. This is not your fault.”

We embrace.

We have a security system that is capable of stopping the most professional burglar. How did Drew get into the house? Did I accidently enter the disarming code into the keypad while Drew was watching me at some time in the past?

- 47 -

BACK AT SCHOOL

Sitting in the cafeteria with my friends at lunch is a surreal experience today. I missed school the last two days. I told my friends that I had a bad fall. Michael knows otherwise. I wonder if Jamie suspects that I experienced something much different. The plans for Michael, Jamie and me to return to Drapesia were temporarily put on hold.

A few nights ago, my mother listened carefully to the details of what had transpired during the evening with Drew. I was shocked that she was so concerned and sensitive.

Given that my emerald was involved in various ways during the evening, we decided not to involve the police. During my classes this morning, I wondered over and over again if I would have wanted the police involved if my emerald had played no role in what happened with Drew.

Although my mother told me to stay away from Drew, it’s not that easy.

Directly across the table from me is Drew who is not only acting as though nothing happened several nights ago, but twice he has touched my leg under the table with his foot. If he does it one more time, I think I’ll stab him in the face with my fork.

The first time his foot touched me, I almost jumped off my chair. The second time, I tucked my legs underneath me on my chair.

None of my friends have asked for any details of my accidental fall. This is particularly unusual for Jamie. Several times since we sat down in the cafeteria, I’ve noticed Jamie glancing back and forth between Drew and me.

I haven’t told any of my friends about the break-in at my house. My mother stayed home from work yesterday and ensured that our house was cleaned and new furniture was ordered.

I visited my father for a brief time. He believes that Santtonnice is somehow involved. I hope not. I don’t think I can handle a confrontation with him again.

Jamie is staring at Drew’s hand. There’s a cut and some discoloration on one of his knuckles.

“How did you hurt your hand?” Jamie asks Drew.

I think I’m going to die.

“Working on a car,” Drew laughs.

Jamie looks at me.

He looks at Michael who is looking at the floor.

I’m sure I’m blushing. I know I’m playing with the ends of my hair.

Jasmin’s eyes shift between Drew and me.

She looks suspicious, but says nothing.

Drew puts his arm around Jasmin. She pushes it off.

Does Jasmin suspect that Drew hit me? Does Jasmin know something I don’t know?

“Read any good comics recently?” I ask Michael, hoping to divert attention away from me.

Michael opens his mouth to speak, but no words emerge. Tears begin to stream down his face. He turns away and leaves our table.

“What’s wrong with him?” Drew says coldly.

Jamie looks angry.

Although Drew is much stronger than Jamie, there’s no doubt in my mind that once Jamie sorts out what really happened to me, he will not hesitate to go after Drew.

Jamie stands abruptly and follows Michael.

I suspect that Michael might be too upset to keep my secret.

Instantly I’m on my feet chasing after Michael and Jamie, my injured knee causing me to painfully limp more than I would have liked.

I’ve got to stop Jamie from questioning Michael.

I catch up with them outside the cafeteria doors.

Michael is hunched over in pain.

Jamie puts his arm around him.

“I need to know what happened,” Jamie says.

“No, you don’t,” I say as I arrive. “When the time is right, I will tell you what happened, but until then please don’t ask any more questions.”

“Drew has hurt you,” Jamie says.

I don’t respond.

- 48 -

RETURN TO ELPIS

My mind replays everything that happened at school today.

Although Michael probably didn’t hear all of my conversation with his mother a few nights ago, he didn’t need to. He saw how I looked. He heard Drew’s name mentioned. He put two and two together.

Jamie was too astute not to miss my nervousness with Drew at lunch today.

While I didn’t tell Michael and Jamie what had actually happened with Drew, I didn’t deny Jamie’s accusations that he hurt me. In an attempt to keep the conversation away from what Drew attempted to do to me, I mentioned that Drew had developed an unusual interest in my emerald.

Jamie suspected that something more than torture had occurred during Drew’s capture in Zelares. Michael wondered if the Stapols had done something to Drew to program him to steal my emerald.  We were all convinced that after being tortured that Drew told the Stapols everything he knew about the emerald.

We also agreed that our rescue of Drew had been far too easy. Zelares is a civilization that is more advanced than anything on Earth. How could their sophisticated surveillance system be so easy to penetrate unless they had wanted us to rescue Drew? Perhaps they trained Drew for another purpose, and stealing my emerald might be a part of that plan.             

Although Jamie and Michael want to return to Drapesia with me, I know this is something I have to do on my own. I need to talk to Capurni about Drew, and I don’t want Jamie and Michael to hear everything I have to say.

My mother is now in bed.

It’s time for me to return to Elpis.

“Sandarium, Hall of Mirrors, Elpis, Drapesia.”

The light that greets me is blinding. I had forgotten how spectacular the Hall of Mirrors is.

I gaze at the seven thrones. Their intricate carving of gold punctuated by an array of fabulous jewels is incredible.

This room suggests great power, but I know it’s the Zelareans who hold the real power on this planet. I wonder how the Forgotten People will react when I tell them about the massive weapons the Zelareans have developed. Or, perhaps they already know.

After school today, I asked Michael to send me some of the pictures of the weapons that his nano-drone discovered in the Palace of Peace. I printed some of these pictures and I have them with me now to show Zol.

Almost as if by magic, the leaders appear on their thrones. I hadn’t notice them come into the room, but then again the mirrored walls are so hypnotic that my mind might have been far away and failed to see them enter.

Capurni is with them.

Zol stands, her white robes swaying as she moves.

“Welcome Emily. We have been wondering about your rescue mission to save Drew.”

I catch some concern in the eyes of several leaders.

I’m sure that the leaders are anxious to learn about our mission. They are likely wondering if we have compromised their secret underground location on Elpis.

“We successfully saved Drew,” I announce. “All my friends are now safely back on my planet.”

Nervous smiles greet my words.

“We are pleased that you rescued your friend,” Zol says, “although you don’t look happy.”

“There are some disturbing developments that I need to talk to you about.”

Zol steps towards me.

She smiles for me to continue.

“During the last few days, Drew has shown an unusual interest in my emerald. On one occasion he grabbed it and stated a command for the emerald to take us somewhere else, and surprising to me, the emerald obeyed him.”

Zol’s eyes open wide. The other leaders lean towards me on their thrones.

“A few nights ago, Drew invited me to his house where he attacked me. When he discovered I wasn’t wearing my emerald, he was furious.”

“You weren’t wearing your emerald?” Zol gasps.

“No. I took it off for a few hours and hid it in my house. I know that was a dumb thing for me to do, but I suspected that Drew was attracted to my emerald and I wanted to keep it away from him.”

Zol looks incredulously at me. The fact that I took off my emerald for a short time is obviously shocking to her.

“Emily, please don’t ever take off your emerald again. If it falls into the wrong hands, great destruction will follow.”

I know I messed up. I don’t need to be told to never take my emerald off again.

“Why is Drew suddenly so interested in my emerald? And why did my emerald obey him when he gave it a command?”

Before anyone can respond, Capurni stands and walks towards me. He stops at my side.

Turning to the other leaders, he says, “I think the time has come for you to share your fears with Emily.”

Fears? What fears? What is Capurni talking about?

Zol nods to Capurni.

I touch my emerald in the event I suddenly need to exit.

“No one is going to harm you,” Zol says kindly, perhaps in response to seeing me touch my emerald. “Can I see the pictures you have brought with you?”

“Yes,” I say as I hand the pictures from inside the Palace of Peace to Zol.

Zol takes a brief look at the pictures of the endless air vessels and the three huge structures.

“I think the Zelareans are preparing for a war,” I say.

“Yes, you are correct,” Zol says as though my pictures don’t surprise her.

“Will they attack you?” I ask.

Zol shakes her head.

“I think they have a much bigger target.”