Pagewalker (8 page)

“
Ah, I have many names son, some in Irish,
Gaelic, in languages you wouldn’t know and some you could not
pronounce. Just call me Abe.”

“Abe, ok Abe, well most importantly, Where is
Sarah, Where is my wife? How can I get her back?” I said the tears
starting to emerge. “I don’t know how she even got to Northland?
How could she be a Pagewalker too?” I asked.

“
No, she isn’t a Pagewalker, maybe some of
your magic was in the pages, I’m not sure how she got there too.
Did she write any of the book?”
He paused, looking up, thinking
hard about his next suggestion
“or give you ideas of
anything?”
He enquired.

“No I wrote it and finished long before I met
her, she only read it for the first time last night!” I shouted,
then a thought flickered like a flame re-igniting. “Actually, she
was the one who re-typed the story to get it printed for me, she
said corrected spelling and edited it slightly? Could that have
done anything?”

“
Surely could son, if she changed things
and wrote in that book so full of magic then it definitely rubbed
off on her. A story that strong, written with such love at such a
young age. There is power there that can’t be replicated. That’s
why she was able to page walk.”
Abe clapped his hands and stood
up with excitement. Tessa’s ears perked up and she jumped with the
shock of Abe’s clap.

“
Ooh this is exciting Chrissie boy! We are
going back to Northland!”

“Really? All of us? Even Tessa?” I asked.
Tessa looked at me when she heard her name. The kind of look I got
when I said the word walk.

“
Yes sir! She is coming too. You see the
reason Sarah has not snapped back to our world is because the Story
of Northland is still alive!”
Abe shouted.

“What do you mean? I finished Dertrid’s deed
years ago? How is it not finished?”

“
The story of Dertrid’s deed is finished,
but not the story of Northland. There are so many tales being told
there now that you haven’t even heard. Can you imagine that? The
world you created has taken on a life of its own. In that world
there are storytellers and fables being written! You have to go
there to find out what they are. Find Sarah and finish the
story!”
Abe began to gather up some things, he threw open a
satchel and started to fill it from the larder in the back and with
small bags and little bottles. Tessa was on her feet ready to
go.

“Wait Abe. How will we know where she
is?”

“
We won’t son, not till we get there!”
He said as he continued to pack all sorts of strange objects,
muttering under his breath and talking to himself as he went.

“Abe….Abe” I called but he continued packing,
sorting, looking at book ends then discarding books in his hands
and he continued to pack objects into his ever growing satchel.

“ABE STOP!” I yelled, much louder than I
meant to, losing control for a short moment. He stopped what he was
doing and froze. Dropping what he was holding and the room fell
silent, Tessa cowered between my legs with her tail between her
legs, and her nose pointed up looking at me. There was complete
silence now. Only the sound of our breathing and Tessa’s murmurs
broke the silence.

“Look, we need to find Sarah. Nothing is more
important, it is my fault she is there and I need to fix this. I
cannot live without her Abe, please believe me!” Tears forming
under my eyes. Ready to drop when I blink.

Abe left what he was doing and came over to
where I was standing. I could see the concern on his face. The
pity. He looked at me as a grandfather looks at his grandchild. A
pitying grin on his face his shoulders held high and arms drooped
forward, head tilted to the side and eyes fixed on mine.

“
Listen Christopher, Northland is the most
spectacular place I have ever been. Yes there was war there but
peace reigns now. It is a safe place, and escape. People are not
judged there, no condemnation. One is valued on their heart and not
their wealth of coin, social standing or family birth right. All
those things that you hate about this world never made it to
Northland. All because you didn’t let it. When you created this
place it was to get away from this world, you left the problems of
this world behind. Your love will be grand!”
He patted me on
the top of my back as I slumped back down to my knees.

“I know, Sarah will survive there with ease,
she is the strongest person I know,” I laughed, tears that had
formed had already fallen. I was begging to sob the way you do when
you are feeling hopeful after the depression, the laughter and
smile that comes after the cry.

“
You see, nothing to worry about. All is
well and you will be reunited soon. Before we go however. You need
to understand something very important. When we arrive you must not
let anyone know who you are. We must be as travellers from another
land.
“His voice turning deep and serious now.

“
No one can know you created Northland.
Can you imagine the panic and confusion? Look at what happened to
the God on the cross? He returned and spoke as the son of the
creator, it didn’t end to well for him did it? I’m not sure how the
people of Northland would react to you, a man in his early 30’s,
claiming to be the architect of Northland!”
Abe laughed and
patted me several times on the face as he pulled a chair up beside
me. He was holding a black, folder.
“Shall we?”
he said
gesturing to the folder.

“Late 20’s” I said under my voice.

“
Sorry son?”

“I’m in my late 20’s Abe, not early 30’s.” I
said without meeting his eyes.

“
Well I don’t really think that was the
point Christopher.”
He snapped back.
“Any way. Shall we
go?”

“Wait a minute, I honestly don’t know how
this works! The last time was an absolute accident. I didn’t mean
to go. You said it yourself it was the magic in my blood that sent
me there. Besides I tried at the house. I concentrated so hard and
nothing happened. Even though I knew it could” I said.

“
You see, this is what we said before,
there is a definite difference between wanting to believe something
and knowing something. Belief and hope is where the magic is,
Putting faith in something that you cannot see. There is no magic
in the kettle that you know is over there but the magic is with its
contents because you can believe there is something magic inside.
If you open the lid, you may see tea bags and know what it is, it
may taste like good tea, but still only tea. If I poured it for you
and you drank it believing it was something special then maybe it
could be. Do you understand what I am saying?”

“Yea, yea I think I do. I need to find Sarah
and by entering Northland there is a chance I could. That belief
could take me there?”

“
Exactly!”
Abe grinned from ear to ear
with a smile so radiant it almost lit the small dank room. I could
tell he was relieved that I understood and he was impressed with
his skills of explanation. He opened the folder on the ground. The
old familiar words stared at me. I was immediately nervous, like
standing on the edge of a zip line, ready to jump with no fear but
excitement and exhilaration. I stood up, readied myself and went to
place my foot on the page and just as I was about to lift my second
step Abe said in a flippant way,
“Don’t forget the pup!”
I
reached out and grabbed Tessa by the scruff of the neck, lifted her
up into my arms and stepped forward with my other foot into
blinding white light and the smell of the sea.

The light faded from my eyes. The blinding white had
been replaced with the blinding sunlight as I opened my eyelids
again. I felt a falling sensation, I say sensation, but It was more
like blind, uncontrollable, sudden falling terror. With the only
outcome I believed to be death. At least, that’s what I felt for or
a short moment before my head submerged under water. I kicked my
feet down and as my shoes touched the sand on the bottom, I bent my
knees and pushed. I shot up, piercing the surface, then crashed
down after a large gasp of air to be greeted by a fresh wave from
behind me. My mouth filled with salt water and my nose blocked with
the impact. I flailed around for a moment, coughing and spluttering
the water out of my lungs. My mind was still floating away from me
but beginning to settle. My senses returned and I was standing
shoulder deep in the sea. I heard a bark and my eyes focused to see
Tessa standing on the beach not venturing any farther than a few
inches into the water.

I began to wade my way farther into shore. I
took off my glasses and held them tight. The last few waves that
crashed behind me almost knocked them from my face. My clothes
clung to me. Heavy, cold and dragging. My shoes were filled with
water and slipped off my feet with every step. I had to lift them
and hold them too. By the time I had made it out of the water and
to the sand, Tessa was jumping about me and had already collected
several sticks, of many sizes, for me to throw. I lay back on the
dry and soft sand, exhausted. I felt as though I had been
travelling for days but it was only moments ago that I was sitting
in Abe’s little house, preparing my visit to Northland. Only then
had it dawned on me. Where was Abe? I stood up and removed my coat,
hoodie, socks and rolled my jeans up to just below the knee. I was
wearing a black Soundgarden t-shirt, a bootleg one I bought at a
gig in Dublin for a fiver. It had a ram’s skull on the front and
the band’s logo on the back. I didn’t know how well that would work
in Northland. They may think I’m a travelling necromancer or part
of an evil cult. I needed to blend in, to avoid suspicion. I needed
to find somewhere to change my clothes.

I looked around to see where I was. Behind me
lay the ocean with several visible islands, too far to swim to. In
front of me were cliffs almost as high as I could see. On closer
inspection however I noticed old stone stairs carved into the cliff
face. I knew this place. This is where I had come the last time I
was here! I had created everything I could see, the steps, the
height of the cliffs, the islands and everything I could see. I
made my way up the steps, climbing up and up. I tried to imagine
railings but the power I once had was no longer there. The land had
already been established and grown from when I had left.

Once I arrived at the top of the cliff, I
could see for miles. The world had changed. More than I could have
dreamt. More beautiful and fascinating. Trees had grown tall and
strong. Rivers had burst and formed anew. The wind blew behind me
and I was moved to tears. I felt as though I had finally arrived
home. Despite it being somewhere I had only visited once. Following
the once trodden path, that now resembled an old walkway at an
abandoned country park, I was led to an opening up hill where there
were some standing stones. I walked towards them with Tessa at my
side, she had found a stick far too large to throw but perfect for
walking with. My inner adventurer was coming out. Walking with a
large staff and ragged clothes thrown over my shoulder. The grass
felt soft and comforting under my bare feet. No weeds or thistles
underfoot just thick, healthy emerald grass. I left my things at
the edge of the circle of standing stones and wondered around them.
I felt the cold stone and ran my fingers over the indents carved
into them. Circular designs with a form of writing I did not know.
It looked like a collection of runes. They were beautiful. The
stones felt so ancient. Like the dolmens in Ulster or Newgrange in
County Meath. I lay down with my back to one of the giant stones,
standing almost 10 feet tall. Tessa had come over and curled down
beside me, as I slipped into an exhaustion induced slumber.

“Well, well, well, what have we found here?”
comes the voice of an old man.

He must have been talking to someone beside
him, although I was certain he was alone as my eyes slid open.
“Looks like you two are in a spot of bother! Raggedy wet clothes
like those, covered in sand, smelling and sleeping outside?” he
seemed to reply to his own question. I took longer than usual for
my senses to return to normal. I could not see the man. He was a
black silhouette as he stood with the sun to his back. I put my
glasses back on my face and squinted in the sunlight covering my
forehead with my hand to try to make him out. He continued having a
conversation with himself. The muttering got louder until he seemed
to be arguing with himself making all kind of hand gestures and
pacing back and forward.

“Um, yes sorry. I have just arrived, I had
some trouble with my boat and I seem to have washed up here!” I
said, it was the first thing to come to mind, telling him I stepped
into a book to arrive here was not the best option I thought.
“Where am I?” I continued to ask.