Underworld (Dark Passage) (10 page)

Tom stopped for a moment and I thought tears were
welling up in his eyes. He smiled, almost sadly at
me.

“You don’t owe us anything Ivy. We are here to help
you and I am sorry that we didn’t have more time to
show you around and prepare you for your journey.
We just were not sure you were the one we were
expecting. Not until tonight.”

“The Shining Ones said that we will know the girl
who is coming by the light and she will be riding a
Watcher
. We saw that first with the locket you wear
but when you held the knife in your hands we were
certain. The knife is made for the chosen and will
only display its power when the one whom it was
created for takes it out of the sheath. I should have
gone with my instincts instead of doubting. If the
information were to go to the wrong person- I
shudder to think what could happen.

Tom gave me the strangest look before he answered.
“The
Watchers
are the mounts of the Chosen. They
are the “spirits of heaven” that are sent to Earth to
keep watch on the good and the evil”. Said Tom

“You would be better to say
-
who
are they. They are
the
holy ones
sent from the
Most High
. They are a
type of angel child. I have never seen one and never
believed that I would. They are warrior angels sent to
fight the forces of evil. They are given to the Chosen
ones. They are said to be ridden by the armies of
Heaven. They know where to find the
Tree Of Life
and the
seven scrolls
by way of the
Refiners Fire
”.

Tom had a solemn expression and scratched his beard
in thought. He stepped forward and kneeled before
the large horse not looking the creature in the eye.

A great light was emitted from the animal. The light
had the appearance of a flash of lightening. The
power that surged from the horse was fearful to see
and we had to cover our faces. Something came over
me at the moment the blinding light came. It erupted
and washed through me with fantastic power. It is a
power beyond scientific possibility and truly
terrifying. It courses through me like a monstrous
thing and I plead for it to let go of me. The spirit of
the
Watcher
merges with my soul and helps me pull
the power back into itself. Then it is gone as quickly
as it came.

There is no explanation for what happened. I will
never tell anyone of the terrifying sensation of such
power coursing through my body. I felt so helpless
and so out of control of the raw power that raged
inside me. Then there was the sense of having
another being inside my body. It almost felt like I
was being physically grafted with the spirit of the
Watcher
. How can that even be possible? Never
again will I let myself be invaded by the
Watcher
or
any other spirit for that matter.

When the light had faded away I felt a chill inside of
me. The spirit of the
Watcher
had not been evil. In
fact it was far from evil. Something in it was so pure
that I felt as though I would be killed if it remained
inside me.

For a few seconds I experienced something beyond
what I have ever thought possible. I had never
imagined that something so pure could hold such
terrifying power. Now it is somehow a part of me. I
can feel it inside- if I were to explain I would say it is
something tangible just below my heart. I can feel it
as though it is a living thing with a heartbeat all its
own. It is there waiting to be tapped into should I
ever need to evoke its help. It is something that
terrifies me. I don’t know if I ever want to course
through my body again. The thought of having that
power join with my soul again sends shivers down
my spine.

Tom chatted away but I am too numb to really hear
him speak. The incident was unexpected and now I
feel drained. I wonder if they know I am too shook
up to give even the smallest nod in response to their
conversation? No matter how it looks it is quiet out
of the question to explain what happened to me.
I found myself wondering if they
knew
what
happened to me? Best to not say anything and just go
along with whatever they said. I doubt they can read
my impassive face anyways.

Tom smiled at me with questioning eyes. I sensed
that he wanted me to talk but he didn’t press me. I
think my silence speaks volumes with the way Tom
and Lizzie are eying me.

“Well child, you had better be on you
r way. Lizzie
has packed food for a couple of days and also a
change of clothing”. Toms said with a smile.

At that moment I had the compulsion to reveal
everything about the strange power but had a feeling
that the experience was to be concealed. Lizzie said
nothing but simply nodded her head and gave me a
crooked smile. She tried to hold my gaze but I looked
away.

“Where do I go from here?” I said
in a soft voice.
“Just follow your intuition Ivy. Your horse is a
greater treasure than you will ever know and will take
care of you. The light will lead you.” Said Tom

With that I set off toward the woods at a gallop and
just at the edge of the hedges I stop and waved.
There is a rustle in the woods and out of nowhere a
white buck appears and races ahead of us into the
heart of the forest.

Tom and Lizzie watched as we rode out of site. They
stared at one another in amazement for a moment and
then made their way back to the house. The cloud of
demons we had seen altered their course and now are
headed in the same direction that we have gone.

Though still feeling vulnerable, I had made it back to
the Underworld and the creatures following must
have lost my trail. The pounding of the waves on the
shore can be heard and I make my way cautiously
back through the field. I ride a mile toward the sea
and find a break in the fence. There is as a mist on
the water and white fog rises like steam. The sky is
beginning to lighten in the East and I know that I
should ride as many miles as possible today.

With miles of ocean surrounding me on three sides, I
turn back, and ride in the direction of the new dawn.
The Underworld has several layers to it and my guess
is that Lisa and David will likely be in the dark
region. Tom had said the dark regions can only be
reached by going into the mountains and through
haunted forest. I am afraid to go there as I had nearly
lost my mind in it before. The trees are silent but
threatening and I fear the evil that lurked there.

I began to wonder if they were even worth saving and
to question why I should risk my own life to help
them. As soon as the thought came to my mind I was
ashamed. I fought off a feeling of despair and
focused on the urgency of the situation. Anyone who
died in the Underworld would never leave. I had
been equipped and was the one who was to bring
them back to the other side-like it or not.

For the first 10 miles of riding the scenery is green
and has some vegetation on it. After a few hours the
earth becomes dry and the air scorches my lungs.
There is nothing but miles of barren, desolate sand
that stretches as far as the eye can see. There are no
trees or brush and the water holes are nothing but
stinking pools of alkaline that have a bitter taste. I
have no choice but to stop and water my animal at
these holes as good water is not to be found here. In
this dusty heat we need to keep hydrated and any
water is better than none.

High winds blow all day and I keep my hood up with
a scarf over my face to keep from breathing in the
dusty air. I had likewise put a scarf over Jast’s
muzzle for the same reason. Miles and miles pass
and I start to worry that this could be an endless
desert. We eventually stop at a larger water hole as
dusk begins to fall. It’s a pool of the same stinking
alkaline water but I fill my bottles nonetheless. I
share some bread with my horse and tear off a small
piece of dry meat for myself. I wonder how long we
can hold up in this heat with dwindling supplies and
no grass for my horse.

As night comes it grows very cold. This comes as a
shock to me after the heat of the day. I am glad for
the sleeping bag and warm jacket that Lizzie and Tom
had given to me. I lay back, with my head on the
saddle and look up at the sky. There are no stars but a
blanket of fog has rolled inland and it now covers
everything. I’m glad for the fog as it provides some
cover and will give us some protection from anything
that may be looking for us. I toss and turn during the
night and finally wake up unable to sleep. I decide to
start putting miles behind us before the heat makes
travel unbearable.
I have some bread for breakfast and hold out a slice in
my hand for Jast. His rubbery lips took the offering
gingerly from my outstretched hand. I feel bad that I
don’t have more for him and worry how long he can
last without a proper meal. I look him over carefully
and oddly he has not dropped any weight and looks
no worse for wear. Where I come from a horse would
drop huge amounts of weight in conditions like this in
just a day or two. Maybe we will make it through this
hellish desert after all. I am hopeful but have my
doubts.

The day is hot as before, but not as dusty. As we plod
our weary way across miles of dry sand I can see a
stand of trees and green grass. The glimmer of a
pond just inside the trees is a welcome sight. I am
dying to take a bath and drink some clean water. We
ride on for several miles and heat is rising from the
sand. Noticing the steamy hot sand I get off the horse
and fish around my backpack for something to tie on
Jast’s hooves. I pull out a pair of jeans and cut them
into strips and tie them around his hooves. When I
have finished I look at his feet and doubt crosses my
face. I hope it provides at least a little protection.
Feeling bad for my horse I decide to walk for a while
and pull the reins of his bridle over his head and
begin to walk.

Great beads of sweat roll down my face and burn my
eyes. I am growing so weak I can hardly stand up
straight. I stop and look at Jast carefully and decide
to get back in the saddle and ride because I am too
tired to walk another mile. I look hopefully ahead at
the bank of trees and they seem several more miles
ahead. Oddly enough, they appear even farther away
than they were an hour ago, when I first sighted them.

The heat grows and seems like fire beating down on
my back. The steam rising from the sand is like
fumes from a hot stove. The sky is murky red and we
are no closer to the trees and pond than we were
hours ago. As far as I can see, in every direction, are
miles of steaming sand.
It feels like we are walking aimlessly in the hot sand.
Mile after mile and up and down countless and dunes
and there is nothing in sight. It seems as though there
will be no night to cool us off and I wonder if this is
one of the tortures of this place. I am becoming
delirious and it is difficult to hold myself upright in
the saddle. The horse plods along with his head low
and continues forward.

Jast finally stops unable to go on. If he dies I will die
as well. I am too weak to walk. I get out of the saddle
and sit in the shadow of the horse. I am leaning
against his legs and hear a faint voice. I listen
carefully and try and block out the sound of the
swirling sand. There is an image passing through my
mind. Suddenly I can hear a voice in my mind. A
strange feeling comes over me as there is someone
inside my head. I am too weak to care what is
happening and do not resist the presence.

“Why are you suffering needlessly Ivy? You have it
within you to call the light to help you. Why do you
not ask for help? So much depends on you.”
My heart is heavy and my mind is closing in around
me. The voice is comforting but I doubt what it says.
I am impassive and it seems pointless to engage the
voice. I close my eyes and immediately a mist forms.
Is this what it feels like to die? You just close your
eyes and walk into a dream?

There is a pile of rubbish thrown on a manicured
lawn. I pay no attention at first and then notice that
Tom’s dog is lying in a pool of blood. His head is
lying on his paws and I can see life in his eyes. I try
and call to him, and to my surprise his head turns, and
tail thumps on the bloody ground. I strain to see more
clearly and it is then that I notice Emma’s sightless
eyes staring off into nothingness. Her lifeless body is
lying underneath rubble and her blood is draining
onto the ground where the dog is lying.

It is pointless looking into the vision any longer.
They are dead as sure as if I had put them in the grave
myself. Then I can hear Tom’s voice and see him
running into the woods from the house.
“Call the light Ivy or all will be lost.” I find myself
vividly aware of his voice in my mind. I want them
all to be alive! His words hang in my mind like an
omen and I search the mist to see him again. The ring
of his voice is growing faint and then it’s gone all
together.

Loneliness fills my heart and sickness rises in me that
is more wretched than anything I have known. A tear
streams down my face and unexpected anger is
welling up in me.

I look around for the source of the voice and no one is
there. There is a kindness in the voice and in the
scorching hot sand I crumple on my side and let the
tears fall.