Chapter Eleven-Freedom

         Once again I wasn't able to sleep for a single minute but this time it wasn't because I was worried about having the same nightmare. This time my mind was whirling around in circles wondering what I could do to escape from here. There had to be a way out of this place. My mind kept playing through scenario after scenario trying to come up with a sure fire way to escape. Since my mind was far from being able to be calm I stayed awake all the way till my breakfast came in the morning. I ended up shoving down my breakfast eager to keep my strength up all the more now so that I could escape.

         When another knock came at the door I was surprised when Lucia walked in to the room. What was she doing here? Normally Charlie would come get me himself for my lessons with Lucia. Where was Charlie? My mind instantly stopped when I saw Lucia unsure of what I was supposed to make of this situation.

         "Instead of just sitting there with your mouth hanging open you could get up so we can get this lesson started." she snapped.

         "Y-yes." I said quickly standing up following her out in to the hallway. "Where's Charlie?"

         "He left on business. He should be back within a weeks time." she answered without remotely looking at me.

         I could feel my heart flutter with excitement hearing that news. With Charlie gone it might be quite a while before he learns that I've gone missing. I wasn't sure when I was going to get an opportunity like this. Within this week I had to get out of this place or I might very well be stuck here for who knows how much long. Learning that my parents are safe made the itch to run as far from here as possible all the stronger. If Lucia wasn't directly in front of me I would have bolted on the spot. If she saw me running away from here I wasn't sure what she would do to punish me for that but it couldn't be any worse than what she's all ready put me through. Then again I wasn't sure what I would do to Lucia if given the chance and the fact that the thought crossed my mind scared me. I didn't want to someone like Lucia or Charlie that would willing want to hurt another being no matter how much I hate them.

         Today during my lesson with Lucia I had a pretty hard time concentrating on anything that I was supposed to be doing. All my mind seemed to want to focus on was my escape. As a result though I ended up reopening some of the burns that had been healing. I could feel the warm blood trickling down my back yet I knew better than to whine about it. The first time I moaned or whined about being in pain Lucia only hurt me all the more. Instead I had to keep it to myself and just shake it off when all I wanted to is get in to the fetal position crying. That sadly is the only second thing that Lucia has taught me outside of learning how to use magic. My tolerance for pain was very high now that my eyes didn't tear up any more and I barely registered pain on my face. 

         By the time Lucia said that the lesson was over I could tell that she was pissed off. My level of concentration was far from what she expected from me. I barely made any progress today in learning anything new. Lucia pretty much shoved me out of the room at the end of the lesson not caring in the slightest about the fresh burns on my back. I gritted my teeth in pain as her hand came in to contact with my back. I was barely out the door before she slammed the door shut behind me so hard that it echoed down the hallway. Today was a relatively short lesson because of how frustrated Lucia was with my progress today. So I made my way down to the kitchen to get something to eat as well as knowing that the cooks could help me with the burns on my back.

         As soon as I walked in to the kitchen I was hit with the wall of heat from the many ovens working at full blast to feed all the people that live here. The person in charge of the kitchen was a stout woman that looked like she could fall off a cliff and walk away. Her skin was a leathery tan color that went well with her curly dark brown hair that she held back with a simple bandanna. When I got to the kitchen was busy kneading a rather large piece of dough. As always she was covered in flour along with some other foods that splashed up on to her apron. As I walked in she looked up at me giving me a warm smile. She quickly directed someone to take her place before walking over to me giving me a gentle hug knowing about the burns on my back.

         "I see that you had another tough lesson with Lucia." she commented taking a look at my back.

         "I was having a hard time focusing today." I replied.

         "What was on your mind?" she wondered.

         "The fact that Charlie is gone." I answered.

         "Why would that make you lose focus during your lesson with Lucia?" she inquired as she led me over to a chair.

         "Because all I could thinking about was how I would get out of here." I muttered.

         "So you want escape from here in to a world you know very little about." She pointed out as she began applying a cream to the burns on my back that she uses on her burns.

         "I would much rather be wondering aimlessly then stay here." I stated.

         "I know you dislike it here but there are a great deal of dangers in this world that you've never dealt with let alone heard of." she said.

         "Katherine, I would much rather face down a charging bull than have to stay here any longer than I have to." I said looking her squarely in the eyes.

          "Are you completely sure about that to the point you feel it in your soul?" she asked.

          "Absolutely."

          "Then follow me."

          I got up from my chair to follow Katherine out of the kitchen wondering what it was that she wanted me to see. One of the good things about making friends with someone in the kitchen is that there is so much noise going on that you could have a private conversation. The number of times I've been in the kitchen I've watched them yell at each other to try and get anything across to each other. I was very sure that none of the other cooks overheard anything that Katherine and I talked about. Katherine led me through a set of heavy wooden doors that led in to the pantry where all the vegetables and meats were kept that Katherine cooked with. She led me through some shelves to the very back of the pantry. I watched as she took a firm grip of the a part of the shelf and with a huffed pushed on it. I felt my jaw drop when I saw the shelf swing forward like a door revealing a long passageway behind it. This had been here the whole time and Katherine had waited till now to show it to me. The question was where did this tunnel end at?
         "This is a tunnel that the servants use in case there is an attack on the castle. It goes underneath the whole place and then opens back up at least three miles away from the castle walls." she explained.
         "Is this the only way out of the castle without being seen?" I wondered.
         "That I know of yes." she answered. "At least this way you'll be able to get a good distance between you and this place before any one notices you are gone."
         "I'll need that because the moment I'm discovered missing I'm sure that Lucia will hunt me down." I sighed.
         "I really wish you would reconsider doing this. There are things out in this world that can be more dangerous than Lucia." she pointed out.
         "Tell me this. Are there things out there more dangerous than Charlie?" I asked.
         "No."
         "Then I'm taking this one chance I'll have to get away from here." I declared.
         "Just be careful and don't let any one out there know that you're from another world. I'm sure people won't hesitate to get a reward from Charlie to give you back to them. It's been known for years that Charlie is looking for someone special from your world and that he'll do anything to get his hands on that person." she warned.
         "Thank you."
         I helped her close the door before making my way up to my room. I immediately got to work pulling one of the pillow cases off. I went to the dresser pulling out the pair of trousers that I managed to get a hold of in the time I had spent here. I quickly changed in to them knowing that it would be difficult to run in a dress. I put together some more spare clothes just in case the ones I'm wearing get damaged in my travels. Before leaving my room I peaked my head out the door checking that the hallway is clear. When I was sure that there wasn't any one around I made my way back down to the kitchen. I was extra careful this time to make sure that no one saw me. It was current that someone would get suspicious of me walking around with a pillow case full of clothing. I nearly ran in to several guards but managed to duck out of sight just in time. Just as I was rounding the corner to the kitchen I quickly took several steps back. Peering around the corner I spotted Lucia talking to some of the servants that looked like they were terrified to be near her right now. She was yelling at them about how there were some parts of the castle that had been neglected.
          I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. If she saw me right now I knew that I would most likely end up in a cell locked up so that I couldn't ever get out. I took another look around the corner again holding my breath that she wouldn't spot me. When I saw that Lucia was walking in the opposite direction with the servants following her. I held my breath all the way till I couldn't hear or see her any more. When I finally let my breath out I felt a little light headed for a few seconds. I quickly made my way in to the kitchen where Katherine was waiting for me. She had actually cleared out all the cooks so that none of them witnessed me leaving through the passage. She had even put together food for me to take with me so that I wouldn't starve. I was even surprised when she had a pack for me that I could carry over my shoulder. It would definitely be easier to move with a pack than a pillow case through the woods.
            She led me back through the pantry to the passage way opening it for me once more. She gave me one last tight hug before pushing me through the passage way. Katherine quickly closed the passage behind me before someone walked in on us. Thankfully the passage way was light by fire burning in bronze brackets mounted along the walls. I quickly walked along the passage wanting to make as much progress as possible before I was discovered that I was gone. I knew if I ran I would only just wear myself out before I got very far. At least at a fast walk I'm making progress steadily.
            I lost track of time as I made my way down the passage. I kept moving thinking only of how much distance I could put between me and this place. If they did end chasing after me like I'm sure they will I'll fight tooth and nail to keep from coming back here. As soon as I stepped out of the passage to find myself in the middle of the forest that surrounded the castle it took me a moment to process it all. I was actually out and was free. Now I just had to make sure it stayed that way till I figured out a way to get home where my parents were waiting for me.

Chapter Ten-Bluffing

         If Lucia was pleased that I was finally able to make small objects fly around the room she didn't show it. She went right on to teaching me the next part of her lesson. She started out with having me move around several objects at once giving me targets to hit to see how well my control is. When she seemed satisfied with what I was doing she moved on to something new. It seemed like she wanted to see if I could do all the basics when it comes to magic. Moving items with your mind seemed like such a very basic thing to do when  it comes to magic. Now she was wanting me to create illusions. That proved to be far more tricky than I thought it would be.

         Each time I tried to created a mirror image illusion of Lucia it seemed to be fractured and blurred. It felt like I was trying to look at an image through rippling water. This most definitely didn't please Lucia in the slightest. Sure enough as soon as she realized I wasn't doing things to her standard she activated the circle electrocuting me. If I could make the illusion slap her I would. By the time she finally ended the lesson I was very sure that my hair and clothing was smoking slightly. I managed to make the illusion clearer by the end of the lesson but it was far from perfect.

         I was feeling quite restless when I finally left Lucia's lessons. Instead of going back to my room I wandered down to the kitchen getting some food. Even though I was up all night I didn't feel the slightest bit tired at the moment. Rather then going to my room where I would lie there staring off in to the distance I began wondering around the castle once again. I just kept walking and walking without really picking any certain direction hoping that I might find something useful around here. I soon found myself walking through the lowest part of the castle that was at least a good couple miles underneath the surface. I very rarely come down here since this was where Charlie kept his prisoners. No matter where I was down here I could hear them moaning in pain. I could feel my chest clench every time someone screamed from behind the walls. I didn't want to see let alone imagine what kind of torture these people have gone through. Every time I was down here I was always tempted to help each and everyone of them escape. The problem was I wasn't too sure how to get myself out of here let alone someone else as well.
          I turned around a corner coming to a complete stop when I found myself in a hallway that dead ended only after a few feet. At the end of hallway was a grotesque statue of a skeleton who's broken up armor revealed flesh still hanging on the bone. Held in the skeleton's out stretched hand was a severed head with mouth gaping open and eyes rolled in to the back of its head. Of all the places that I've seen down here I have yet to see any kind of art work down here let alone a statue like this. Why was this one statue down here? There had to be a reason besides it looked good against the decor.
         Walking up to the statue I wanted to get a closer look at this statue. I looked over every inch of the statue in hopes of finding some hidden catch that would reveal some doorway. I spent a good ten to twenty minutes praying that I would find something. It seemed like there wasn't a single flaw in the statue that would hint at a possible hidden door. After another thirty more minutes I still hadn't found anything and I wanted to just burst in to tears on the spot. Rather then crying I ended up balling my fist up and slamming it against the stone wall as hard as possible. I was completely started when I felt the stone give underneath my fist sinking several inches in to the wall. I nearly jumped out of the skin when the skeleton statue along with the wall moved back before moving aside to reveal a spiraling staircase. I was so stunned by what I saw that I nearly didn't register what was happening. I quickly walked forward looking up the stair way that was light by flames dancing in bronze brackets.
         I steadily began climbing the stairs curious as to what was at the top. As I climbed I could hear the grinding of stone on stone as the skeleton statue slid back in to place closing the entrance. I attempted to count the number of steps I had climbed but I ended up losing count after the two hundreds. The stairs seemed to have no end to them and after a while I felt a little dizzy from walking in so many circles. When I got to the top finally I was surprised when I found myself at a dead end. I was hoping that it would have led outside so that when I could escape I had a way of getting out. All there was in the round room was a painting of a woman sitting in a high back chair with a stern look on her face. What was the point of all this?
         I was just about to make my way back down the stairs when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Turning around I got a closer look at the painting hanging on the wall. There seemed to be a fine dust that shimmered ever so slightly in the torch light with in the paint its self. What was the point of putting what looked like either glitter or diamond dust with in the paint? I jumped back when the painting suddenly fluctuated after my fingers ran across the surface. The surface of the painting continued to ripple as if it was made of water the colors blending together till you couldn't tell what the painting had once been. The colors continued to blend till the painting was pitch black before the painting finally stopped moving. With a sudden flash of light that blinded me for a moment the black vanished living the portrait clear. I was surprised when I found myself looking at another room on the other side of the painting. I placed my hand against the painting surprised when I found myself touching what felt like glass.
         The room had a fireplace in it with a roaring fire similar to the one back in my room. In the center of the room was a round table with five high backed chairs. Only three of the seats were taken at the moment. One of which was by my so called instructor Lucia and sitting on her left side was Charlie. I felt my jaw drop when I saw one of the seats was taken by Marcus. When had he gotten back?
         At first I thought about running straight back down stairs not wanting to find out what Charlie would if he saw me standing there. I stopped in my tracks when I saw him look squarely at me and didn't react in the slightest. Was it possible that this was a one way mirror like the police back home used for interrogations? If so this was going to be an opportunity I might never get again. This might me my one and only chance to find out if Charlie is actually bluffing about my parents being watched or not. I might even learn something that could help me escape from here or even something I could tell Will and Liam that they could use against him.
         "What took you so long in returning?" Charlie asked Marcus.
         "Between having to travel here on foot and trying to lose Will and Liam in the process was not easy. I assumed you didn't want the two of them finding there way back here so they can take your precious portal maker." Marcus pointed out.
         "Fair enough. You've yet to tell me what happened to your partner Gordan that I sent with you through the portal." Charlie said lacing his fingers together watching Marcus expectantly. "I assume you had him stay behind to watch the girl's parents like I ordered."
         So he does have my parents under surveillance after all. This only means if I do try to escape or do anything to go against him he'll just have this Gordan person hurt maybe even kill my parents. I was stuck here now whether I liked it or not. The last thing I wanted to do was to get my parents killed because of something I did. I don't know if I could handle knowing that I was the reason why my parents are injured or worse dead.
         "That's just something else you need to add to your lists of reasons why you hate Will. Moments after we walked through the portal Will came barreling after us. During the fight with him Will threw Gordan off a thirty story building. Needless to say Gordan did not survive the fall so no he is not doing as you ordered." Marcus explained.
        "So at this very moment there is no way to guarantee her cooperation." Lucia sighed.
         "I'll worry about that. As far as she knows her parents are in real danger if she goes against me. As long as she believes that she won't be going anywhere." Charlie said without any worry in his voice.
         "How much longer will I have to teach that maggot?" Lucia wondered.
         "Until she learns to open portals. For my plans to work we need her to create the portals between her world and ours. You will continue training her till that time." Charlie ordered.
         "Very well but doesn't mean I have to enjoy it." she groaned.
         "You might have her advance more if she didn't have to spend so much time healing from your methods of teaching." Marcus pointed out.
         "I have been getting very good results using my methods for centuries." Lucia snapped.
         "Like I said just don't kill her." Charlie pointed out standing up. "We'll speak more tomorrow."
         With that last comment both Lucia and Marcus followed Charlie out of the room. I stood there for several minutes my mouth hanging wide open in shock. My parents were perfectly safe this whole time and I allowed Charlie to manipulate me in to believing otherwise. I wanted to wrap my hands around Charlie's neck all the more now. I could feel my entire body shaking from anger my fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles had gone white. Without really thinking I slammed my fist against the stone wall. Pain sheered through my hand upon impact. When I pulled my fist back there was blood running down my fingers from open gashes on my knuckles. Being here seems to be bringing out the worst in me. I needed to get out of here as soon as possible before Charlie corrupts me any further.
          As I slowly began to make my decent down the stairs I began thinking about possible ways to escape here. Now that I knew my parents were safe I had no reason to stay here any longer. The sooner I got out of here the better. The last thing I wanted to do at this point is become like Charlie or even help him. He's the last person on both worlds that I would ever want to help.

Chapter Nine-Eureka

         Weeks went by without any real success in me making that darn ruby hover. I was now in constant pain from the number of times I've been electrocuted. With the number of times that Lucia has hurt me with the lightning there were now burns on my back appearing. When I went to bed I would have to either lay on my side or my stomach because of how painful it was to lie on my back. Each night Charlie would come to my room to put something soothing on the burns on my back. As repulsive as it was to have him touch me the last thing I needed was to get an infection from the burns on my back. At the rate I was going by the time I managed to escape from here I was going to have quite a few scars on my body.

            Even now as I was lying on my stomach in bed listening to the rain hitting the glass on the balcony doors I just wanted to scream. I was so tired of Lucia hurting me just to get me to somehow manage to use magic. I was tired of Charlie pretending to be nice to me as because there was something he wanted from me. As crazy as it sounded I was beginning to miss Will even though he wasn't the most welcoming person. Being here I missed my parents all the more. I thought about them constantly really hoping that they were all right. I kept having nightmares about how I would get home just to find them dead. Each time I had this nightmare I would wake up gasping for air my body covered in a cold sweat. I knew that I needed to get some sleep but I don't want to close my eyes only to have that nightmare again. I usually just end up passing out because I can no longer keep my eyes open. Tonight with the thunder outside it made it pretty hard for me to fall asleep. The storm raging outside at least made sure that I won't be having that nightmare any time soon.

         I kept staring in to the flames that were roaring in the fireplace trying not to thinking about the lesson with Lucia I was going to have to endure tomorrow. I wasn't sure if Charlie's instruction to not getting me killed was going to be followed for much longer. At the rate she was going she was probably getting quite a bit of pleasure from electrocuting me so often. There were times that I was very sure that I saw her smiling as I laid on the ground squirming in pain. I would just walk up to slapping her across the face if I wasn't sure she would most definitely beat me to a pulp for doing so. I didn't need any more injuries than I all ready have right now.
         Knowing that I wouldn't be falling asleep any time soon I slowly rolled out of bed to go sit before the fire. I had several small rocks I had found while sitting underneath the willow. Ever since Lucia had began to use her torture tactics to teach me to use magic I've been trying to do it in my spare time. Maybe when I finally am able to at the very least be able to make a small object hover she'll stop using that damn circle. So on nights that I can't sleep I sit here staring at these little rocks praying that they will just twitch at least.
         Why are Charlie and Lucia so determined to get me to learn how to do this? Lucia said that she was able to see that I was capable of doing this including creating portals between our worlds. Yet before about a month or so ago I thought that magic only happen in stories and the movies. I thought that magic was something you believed in only when you were a child because you thought Santa and the Tooth Fairy existed. How was I supposed to do something that I wasn't even sure was real a short time ago? At the rate I was going I probably won't be able to see my parents for years if even ever again. I was even more sure that Lucia would probably kill me before I saw my parents.
         I was so focused on thinking about my parents and what they might be doing right now to try to find me that I nearly missed something important. It took me a couple of moments to realize that the rock I was trying to get to hover was actually steadily floating just a few inches above the ground. I was so startled that I gasped the rock falling back to the floor. Just as the rock clattered on the ground I felt something in the pit of my stomach clench as if something was closing. What was that? I focused my gaze back on the rock searching for that spot that had just closed in my stomach praying that I had finally figured it out. I wanted to jump with joy when I felt a sense of relief from the pit of my stomach. The rock shakily lifted off the ground to hover steadily once again. I couldn't believe after everything I had finally gotten it. I was actually using magic for the first time ever. Now the question is could I actually do what Charlie believes I can do. If I can create a portal to my world I'm going home the first chance I get. When I get there I can at least protect my parents from whatever Charlie tries to send after me.
         With that moment of discovery I ended up staying up all night lifting and moving around that little rock. I even attempted a to lift a few of the furniture in the room. Turned out the heavier something is that harder it is to lift. I broke a pretty big sweat just trying to lift the rug on the floor. I guess this was like any muscle in your body, you have to work to be able to lift heavier weights. By the time the sun was finally coming up I could make the rock dance around the room with ease. I was still practicing when my breakfast was brought up to me. I hadn't even realized how hungry I had become till I smelled the fresh cooked bacon and my stomach let out a loud growl. I was just finishing up eating when the door to my room opened again and Charlie walked in. Without hesitating I sent the rock flying across the room aiming it straight for between his eyes. The rock was nearly a blur as it moved across the room. I was very much disappointed when Charlie moved fast enough to catch the rock in his hand grinning at me the whole time like a kid in a candy shop.
         "I knew Lucia would be able to teach you how to use magic." he said. "She'll be most definitely pleased to be able to progress your training further."
         "In other words so she can torture me further." I sighed.
         "Her methods may be crude but she in the end did get the results that I was hoping for. Now all you have to do is learn how to open the portals." he smirked.
         "Yet I still don't believe you when you say my parents are being watched. For all I know you're just bluffing in hopes that I will continue believing this charade." I pointed out.
         "You willing to take the chance that I might be bluffing? I am many things my dear and I most definitely someone that plans for every scenario." he said leaning in close to me.
         I could feel my hatred for Charlie coiling around in my stomach and in that moment I lashed out at him for the first time. I sent my hand flying across the air trying to just hurt him any way I possibly could. Sure enough he caught me by my wrist still smiling at me. Holding on to my wrist he yanked me out of my chair so that I was standing up a hairs breath between us. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest wanting still to hurt him. The whole time he just smiled down at me as if he knew something I didn't. Having him this close to me made my stomach turn threatening to throw up everything I had just ate. How could someone grow up to become so twisted of a person?
         "Don't forget this one bit of advise. I'm the last person you would want to offend or to do anything against me. I may be nice now but I won't hesitate to punish you no matter how much I need you." he said his smile so cold that it felt like I had just fallen in to a frozen river.
         "Do you mind letting me go." I snapped.
         When Charlie finally released my wrist it was throbbing from how tightly he had been holding it. I could even see traces of new bruises beginning to form around my wrist. I unwillingly began following Charlie as he took me to another lesson with Lucia. I needed to know for sure whether or not my parents are in danger. The sooner I figured that out the sooner I'll be able to get out of here and run as fast as I possibly could from here. All I wanted now was to be home with my parents more than ever and as far from Charlie as I possibly could.

Chapter Eight-Lessons

         Well it turned out that I didn't have to worry about Lucia's appetite for my blood. Thankfully she always kept a fresh wine bottle of blood with her. The thing I had to worry about with her was her temper. I've been learning from her for about two weeks now and I've come to learn that she didn't take too kindly to when I got any of her questions wrong. She had gotten in to the habit of whacking my hands and arms with the hilt of a dagger. She made sure not to hit so hard that she broke any bones but my arms were littered with black and purple bruises. In some places she actually broke the skin causing me to bleed. To my surprise though each time this happened Charlie made sure to bandage my arm. These momentary acts of kindness made me forget for a split second that he was only doing it cause he wanted to use me.
         Rolling over in my bed I looked out the open balcony to see that the sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon. I haven't been sleeping very much lately. Kind of hard to sleep in a place where you don't feel like you have any friends let alone someone to trust. The closest person I remotely trust right now in this place was the pudgy cook that always slipped me extra desserts every night. It was sweet of them to be so kind to me but along with not being able to sleep well I don't have much of an appetite either. Half the time I just push my food around the plate before I force myself to swallow it. Can't really escape if my body is weak without the proper nutrition. I won't get very far if I don't have the energy to run.
         I sighed rolling out of my bed knowing that I won't be able to fall asleep any time soon. I was better off just getting up and wandering around learning the lay out of the castle like I have been doing. Like every morning when I woke up there was fresh clothing waiting for me on the small table where I would eat my meals. I groaned again when I saw that it was a dress once again. Charlie seemed to refuse to let wear anything other than dresses because he claims that I was far to beautiful to be wearing men's clothing. At the very least I wished that he would give me some shoes without heels on them. My feet always hurt so much at the end of the day from wearing high heels all day long. I don't understand how the business woman that wear the six inch heels every day. You would think after a certain time their feet would be damaged permanently. At this rate that's where I feel like my feet are headed.
         Walking in to the hallway as always this early in the morning everything was so quiet. Most of the guards spent the night time patrolling the grounds or walking the walls. During the night there were only minimal servants cleaning the castle. While walking along the halls I didn't come across any one save for the occasional painting of someone dressed in some fancy clothing. There were suits of armor that seemed to belong in a gothic movie. Each time I walked past one of these suits of armor I always felt like there was someone inside them watching my every move. It made me feel like no matter where I went I was never alone and that was a feeling I did not like when I'm trying to find a possible escape route.
         I went from one hallway to another still thinking that they all seemed the same still. I was slowly learning the lay out of this place and it was a matter of time before I stumbled across some secret passage. I'm sure that this place would have some kind of underground escape route just in case Charlie needed a quick get away. I just needed to find it and I can high tale it out of here. Once I found that escape route I was going to have to find out whether or not Charlie was bluffing or not about my parents. I can't leave if their lives were in danger by doing so. I would have just asked Marcus but I had yet to see him. It seemed like he wasn't going to be here any time soon and I knew I wouldn't be able to ask Charlie without raising suspicion. I had to keep whatever plans I make for escaping to myself. I was probably only going to get one chance at an escape and I couldn't afford to fail.
         I eventually found myself walking across the castle grounds my heels digging slightly in to the soft earth. I was pretty surprised when I came across a small garden on my third day. All there was in this garden was a large willow tree that had small pink sakura flowers littered all over the branches. Growing all around the willow were large hydrangeas with powder blue blossoms. Besides my bedroom this was the only place I felt that I could get any peace here. The area around the garden smelled so sweet from all of the flowers that whenever I found myself here I would sit under the willow till Charlie found me to take me to my lessons. The kids that serve food from the kitchen have learned by now if they couldn't find me in my room then they could find me here. Sure enough after sitting there for only about twenty minutes when a young boy showed up with a tray covered with a silver dome. When I lifted the dome I found eggs, bacon and some toasted bread. This was what breakfast normally is every morning so I wasn't surprised when I saw what was under the dome.
         I sighed heavily when I saw Charlie walking towards me. I knew exactly why he was looking for me. It meant that it was time to go to my lesson with Lucia once again. I stood up wiping dirt off the back of the dress trying not to look at the wounds on my arms. When he got to me he held out his arm like a gentleman would do to escort a lady. I reluctantly wrapped my arm around his elbow wishing I knew how to break it. Thanks to him I pretty much get tortured every day. Thankfully it's not worse than just the bruises and cuts I've got on my arms right now.
         When we got to the room that Lucia always taught me from since there weren't any windows I was surprised when I saw everything had been cleared from the center of the room. Lucia stood with her arms crossed in the center of room the same blank look on her face. She always seemed to bored save for when she was punishing me for giving a wrong answer to any of her questions. Even more I noticed that the circles on the floor that had been there when I first started my lessons were now gone. The only circle was a single one directly in the center of the room but instead of the red that looked like blood this time it was a neon blue. The markings on this circle were far more intricate than any of the other circles that had been painted on the floor before. What did Lucia have planned for today? It definitely didn't seem like I was going to be doing a bunch of studying like I have been doing this whole time. At this point I felt that I at the very least understood the basics of this world.
         "I'll leave you to begin Lucia. Try not to kill her. She's the only one that can create the portals and I need her." Charlie said before leaving.
         "Great that makes me feel completely at ease." I groaned.
         "Stand in the center." Lucia ordered.
         I hesitantly walked over to the center of the circle not very keen on finding out what my lesson for today was going to be. Charlie's little comment about not killing me only made me feel more nervous to the point that my stomach felt like it was doing flips. I was pretty sure that my hands were probably shaking as well. As soon as I stepped in to the circle I could feel a static shock run up my legs to my spine. There was definitely power in the circle but I very much doubted me standing here was a good thing for me.
         "Now today is going to be a very simple and easy day. All you have to do is make this ruby hover in the air a few inches." Lucia instructed pulling out a round ruby the size of a golf ball.
         "How am I supposed to do something like that?" I pointed out. "I've never once in my life used magic to begin with and to top that off I still have a part of me that doubts that magic or any of this is real."
          "Stop you're whining and just do it." Lucia snapped.
         I sighed really wishing that I was back home with my parents. I was even wishing that I was back at school sitting at a desk listening to a teacher drone on. How was I supposed to make that ruby hover in the air without touching it? How was me standing in this circle supposed to help with that? I locked my eyes on the ruby in Lucia's hand not too sure what I was supposed to do to make it hover. I felt quite silly just standing there staring at a ruby resting in Lucia's hand. The whole time Lucia just watched me a bored expression on her face. She clearly wasn't going to be helping me and was most likely expecting me to do it without her help. If I were going to make that ruby hover I wouldn't just have it do that. I would make that ruby launch its self through the air to slam in to Lucia's face. I wanted to just make her feel as miserable as I have been. Worst part was that I felt bad about thinking something like that because I've never really wished any one harm before I came to this world.
         I stood there for near fifteen minutes before Lucia sighed rolling her eyes at me. She was clearly displeased that I wasn't able to do it on my own. I jumped slightly when I saw her eyes sudden change so that her pupils were now slights and every vein in her eyes turned blood red. I was distracted when I noticed the circle on my feet light up. I wanted so badly to run as fast as I could but for some reason my feet couldn't move. It felt like I was standing in a bucket of gorilla glue. I could feel my heart begin to pound harder and faster in my chest the circle became steadily brighter. I fell over in shock when bolts of lightning suddenly arched up in to the air before crashing down on to me. I shouted as my entire body felt like it was being fried from the inside. Every muscle in my body constricted painfully. I wasn't even able to scream in pain because my jaw locked my teeth together. When the pain finally stopped I could smell that my hair was slightly burned and my whole body ached. My spine alone felt like it was now stiff and unable to bend. Why the hell had Lucia done that?
            "For each time you fail to do as I've instructed you'll be punished." she said her voice as calm as if she had just flicked me on the forehead.
            "How am I supposed to do as you've instructed when you're not actually instructing?" I snapped.
            "When it comes to magic you've got to just do it. I can't show you have to use your magic especially since you are from another world. You have to figure that one out on your own. Now let's continue." Lucia said clearly ignoring my attitude toward her.
            If I actually managed to learn how to use magic out of this I was definitely going to be turning on Lucia to teach her a lesson. I don't think before today I've ever hated a person. I've disliked people before but I've never actually truly hated someone. In that moment I was sure that I hate Lucia and I most definitely hate Charlie.
         

Chapter Seven-New Discovery

         "W-what makes y-you think that I would be able or willing to help you with anything?" I wondered.

         "I'm quite sure you'll be able to help me in my plans. You're the only one that's capable of helping me." he stated. "Unfortunately there isn't any one else in this world or yours that can do what you can do."
         "And what do you think it is that I can do?" I questioned.
         "Well open a portal between our worlds of course." he answered.
         "If I could do that I would have gone home the first chance I had." I pointed out rolling my eyes at him. 

         "I wouldn't have brought you here if I wasn't absolutely sure that you were the right person. In your world there is only one blood line that has the ability to create portals on command. Unfortunately your world has come to fear and disbelieve magic so much that the ability has been forgotten." He explained.
         "So if I have this so called ability then how do you plan on having me actually figure out how to use this? Also what makes you think I won't jump through the first portal I can create to go back home?" I inquired.
         "What makes you think Marcus is the only one I sent in to your world?" he countered.
         I could feel my breath catch in my throat as I managed to put two and two together. If what he's saying is true that means there is another person like Marcus in my world. Could they be watching my parents? Did Charlie plant them there in case I do anything against Charlie? The biggest question is how is Charlie communicating with them? My parents were possibly in a great deal of danger all because Charlie believes that I can open portals between our worlds. For the moment till I was sure that my parents were safe I was stuck here.
         "Now shall we get you dressed in something with a little more material?" he said standing aside.
         Looking down at myself I realized that I was still only wearing the night gown that Liam's mother had given me. The pajamas I woken up in needed to be cleaned because of the blood that had soaked through the bandages before Elizabetha healed my leg. The night gown that I was wearing went all the way down to my knees while the wool material was actually pretty thin. My bare feet were covered in dirt from Marcus dragging me through the forest. I was very sure that after everything that happened I very much needed a bath. There was even a thin layer of dirt underneath my nails of my hands. I didn't even want to imagine how wild my hair looked because of the whirl winds.
         "I very much doubt you would want to run around this castle wearing just that." he pointed out.
         "I'm not confined to this room?" I asked surprised.
         "Of course not but my guards have been instructed to make sure you do not leave the grounds." Charlie told me walking toward the doors opposite from the bed. "You coming?"
         I took a few steps forward unsure if I should go with him or not. I eventually followed him out in to the hallway realizing that there wasn't much else I could do. It was better for me if I walked around this castle and learned where everything was. Maybe I could find some hidden passage way that leads outside past the walls. The only real issue I had with this half thought out plan of mine was what Charlie had said about my parents. If I did manage to get out of here what would happen to my parents if he was actually telling the truth? I needed to know for sure whether or not he actually had someone watching them. If I knew for sure that they were truly in danger then I might be able to figure my next step. At this point I was very much stuck here with Charlie.
         I followed Charlie down to the level below us in to a room that had a massive tub built in to the floor. The water had steam rising from it and there were some rose petals floating along the surface. Placed on the edge of the tub was what looked like a bar of soap and some wash clothes. Folded neatly on a bench on the far wall were some towels along with what looked like some fresh clothing. Charlie said that he would leave me to get washed up and he would return in about thirty minutes for me. The moment that Charlie closed the door I heard the click of the lock going in to place. So much for being allowed to wander around freely.
          I sighed as I pulled the night gown over my head letting it lie on the ground beside the tub. I sank to the warm water finding a small perch to sit on all along the edges of the tub. There was a rich rose scent coming up from the water that surrounded me. I could see the dirt lifting off my feet as they soaked in the water. I let myself slide down in to the water till even my head was submerged as well. I could feel my hair float out around me and the pressure in my ears from the water blocking out all sound. As I floated in the darkness my mind strayed back to the looks on Liam and Will's faces as they tried to catch me before the chasm closed. Liam's calm composure he had while fighting Marcus was gone. There had been so much worry on his face that it made my heart tighten thinking about it.. Yet it was Will's face that stood out the clearest in my mind. His face had been so pale that his black hair stood out harshly against his skin. I was pretty sure that he had been shouting my name as I fell but the winds were so loud all I could see were his lips moving. I felt my hear flutter when I remembered seeing tears falling from his eyes.
         As I lifted my head back out of the water I couldn't understand why he was crying. As far as I knew he thought of me as nothing more than a nuisance. Why would he be crying? I can see him being worried about me because like Liam said he's just not one to really show people how he feels. That he keeps them at arms length because of what Charlie would do to them. Still he's only known me a few days. Why would he be crying over me? I very much doubt that I was that important to him.
         When I finally stepped out of the tub I was still just as confused about Will as I was when I had stepped in to the waters. I quickly dried off before getting dressed in the clothing sitting on the bench. I groaned a little when I saw that it was a dress. The first layer was a thin white sleeveless dress that fell down to my ankles. The next piece of the dress was a skirt that was golden tan. The vest that was lying next to the dress had a built in corset and was a light brown in color. I was surprised that the buttons on the front were actually solid gold. As I was getting dressed I noticed that there were some tan colored heels that were only about two inches high. Resting on the shoes were knee high stockings. Just as I was slipping my feet in to the heels I heard the lock in the door turn. Moments later Charlie walked back in.
         "My do you clean up nicely." he commented.
         "What are we going to do now?" I wondered. "Do I get to go back to my room to get some sleep now? It is still the middle of the night."
         "You didn't notice that the sun was all ready coming up. You were in that transfer wind for hours. If you fall asleep now you won't be able to sleep tonight." he stated.
         "Then what are we supposed to do?" I asked.
         "Now we go eat breakfast. You're going to need your energy for the training you're going to be starting today." he declared.
         "Just food alone won't be enough to keep awake all day." I sighed all ready beginning to feel how heavy my eyes were.
         "You'll want to stay awake. You're instructor doesn't take to kindly to those that don't pay attention or falls asleep during his lessons." he warned.
         "What teacher does like that?" I said rolling my eyes at him.
         "Come along" He motioned with his hand.
         I sighed as I began following him out of the room in to the hallway trying real hard not to trip in the heels I was wearing. I've never been a fan of wearing high heels before so I haven't had much practice walking in them before. I kept having to pay attention to where I was stepping rather then where I was going especially since the floors were made of the same stones as the walls. I had to keep watching where I stepped so that I didn't trip on any of the cracks between the stones. The problem with watching your feet though is if you're following someone you aren't watching them completely. So when Charlie suddenly stopped in front of me I ended up running directly in to him.
         I half expected for him to get mad at me bumping in to him. I was quite surprised when he just gave me a small smile over his shoulder. Then again if I wanted someone to do something for me I wouldn't start out by doing something mean to them. Who knows maybe he isn't as bad as everyone says he is? Then again he did just have someone that works for him kidnap me as well as threatened my parents if I tried to leave. I couldn't let him being remotely nice to me cause me to forget that underneath it all he was a snake.
         When Charlie opened the door I found myself walking in to a room that sent chills up my spine. There weren't any windows so the only light came from candles. There were several circles with multiple designs painted on the floor that looked suspiciously like blood. On the wall were shackles that were made of steel with what I was really hoping was rust. There were several shelves with both books and jars that things floating in them that I would rather not know what they are. Sitting in a chair with his feet propped up on a table reading a book was a woman that looked like she could use a good meal or two. She was extremely tall and was so thin that I was sure that she needed treatment for anorexia. Her auburn color hair was pulled back in to a very tight bun pulling the skin around her brown eyes. She had skin that was so pale I wasn't sure if she's ever seen the sunlight in her life. With her pale skin the freckles across her nose stood out as if they had been painted there. This woman was supposed to be teaching me how to open a portal to and from my world like Charlie claims that I can?
         "Good morning Lucia. I've brought you the pupil I promised." Charlie said entering the room.
         "You're late." she snapped.
         "I'm sorry about that my dear. I trust that you'll be able to teach her even though she has no experience." Charlie stated.
         "Have I ever failed you before?" she smirked.
         "Then I leave her in your care." Charlie smiled.
         In that moment I was trying to decide whether or not I should go with Charlie or stay here with Lucia. Either way I knew my decision wouldn't be a good one. Both seemed to radiate evil from their bodies, Lucia just seemed to show it more than Charlie. When the door shut behind me I felt my stomach drop through the floor. Lucia sat in her chair for several minutes watching me. I hated the way she was watching me as if she was able to see right through me. My mom and dad were able to do that especially when I was trying to hide that I was upset. The fact that Lucia was doing that now made me feel quite uncomfortable not just because she's a stranger.
         "Shall we begin." Lucia sighed standing up.
        "I'm not sure if he told you this but I'm pretty sure that I can't create the portal he wants me to." I pointed out.
         "He did tell me that you might be a disbeliever when it comes to anything magic. That just means that I have to make a believer out of you first before we can truly begin. Once you believe then we can truly begin your training." She said standing over me.
        "After what I've seen so far I've all ready began to believe." I said.
        "I can seen that a spark has been light inside of you but it is far from a roaring flame. What Charlie didn't tell you obviously is that I am a vampire. One of my gifts is that I'm able to see a person's inner most depths. Like I can see how much you miss your parents. I can see parts of you that you didn't even know you have including being able to see that you have the ability to create portals." she explained.
         "A vampire?" I said very confused.
         "What you expected that I would be this beautiful but deadly creature? Contrary to what you have come to know vampires are beautiful. Our bodies are dead which is why we feed on blood to keep them working. It is also why my body is so thin. The body can't collect fat or build muscle when I'm not ingesting food like a normal human would." she laughed. "Now enough talking let us begin our lesson."
         I gulped as I watched her move across the room to a shelf grabbing book after book. My instructor is a vampire and I'm being left here alone with her. What if she decided that she needed a snack? What was going to stop her from sinking her teeth in to me? Watching her move I did notice how graceful she was even though her body seemed so brittle. I really hoped that she didn't get hungry during these lessons. G45ASKXXMDRY 

Chapter Six-Danger

         "You should know the moment you scream I'll march right over to little girl sleeping in the room next to yours and slit her throat." He whispered so quietly that I nearly missed what he said.

         I nodded my head to let him know I understood. Was he just going to kill me right here and now? Had he all ready killed Will? I wanted to kick and scream so badly yet his warning rang in my head so loudly. I couldn't get that innocent little girl in the next room in danger because I was scared for my life. She's been nothing but kind to me since I met her. Melinda has every right to be able to live her life like she wanted to. 

         Marcus jerked me out of the bed to my feet shoving me toward the open window. I really should have closed that window before I had laid down. I climbed out the window my bare feet feeling every little rock in the dirt. Marcus was close behind me grabbing me by my upper arm dragging me along with him. Was he trying to make sure to kill me some place where no one would be able to hear me? Would it be easier on him if he left my body where the Cruets could get to it so they could do his clean up? What I couldn't understand is why he was dragging me out of the house instead of just finishing me off right there. What was the point of dragging this out besides possibly making me feel like I was about to have a second panic attack? I would just rather he end it instead of letting me continue wondering what was about to happen.
         "Would you just end it all ready?" I snapped.
         "End what?" he asked.
         "My life."
         "What led you to believe that my goal was to kill you?" he wondered with a raised eyebrow.
         "What do you want with me then?" I questioned feeling the blood drain from my face.
         "I personally want nothing to do with you. I was given an order and I'm following through with it. It's the man I work for that wants you." he explained.
         "And who is the m-man you w-work for?" I stammered.
         "You'll find out soon enough. Now stop talking." he ordered.
         Why would the man Marcus works for want me? I felt my heart stop in my chest when I managed to connect together some important clues. Will had been chasing Marcus in to my world to figure out what he wanted there. Why had Marcus' boss want me? I was far from anything special so why would someone from another world having someone go through so much trouble to get me? I had a very bad feeling about this and the further I went with Marcus the faster my heart began to beat. I really didn't want to find out what his boss wants with me especially since from what I've heard he's far from a good person.
         We went further and further in to the forest darkness around us making it hard to see where we were going. I had to get away from Marcus but I wasn't sure how I would do that. I couldn't fight like Will could so trying to battle him was out of the question. I could barely see two feet in front of my feet so running would be difficult. As much as I hated thinking it right now I really wished that Will was here. I hated the thought even more because I knew it meant that I couldn't really take care of myself. I've always been able to take care of any problem I've had and when I did need help I would go to my parents. I was far from my parents to be able to get their help. I was pretty sure at this point I was too far away from even calling out for help. Marcus' grip on my arms was so tight that my arm was beginning to hurt quite a bit. Slipping his grip would be probably a lucky break if I'm able to do at least that. The only way at this point I would get away from Marcus is if I got extremely lucky.
         I was surprised when out of nowhere Marcus yanked me backwards causing me to trip over my own feet. If Marcus hadn't been holding on to my arm I probably would have fallen on to my butt. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw a large form land where we had just been standing. When the figure stepped forward in to the moon light I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw that it was Will. He had actually came after me. How had he known that Marcus had taken me? Even better was how he had managed to catch up to us so easily in the dark? As much as he irritates me I couldn't have been more happy when I saw Will.
         "Let her go Marcus." Will snarled.
         "Or what?" Marcus smirked.
        "You won't live to find out." Liam said stepping out of the shadows from behind holding a broad sword in both hands
         "Now do you get to walk away with your life tonight or do we get to cut you down?" Will asked.
         "Of all people Will I would think you would know better by now than to come between what he wants." Marcus sneered.
         "What does he want with her?" Will demanded.
         "That's something you won't be finding out today." Marcus laughed.
         Before either Will or Liam were able to say another word Marcus suddenly jerked pulling something out of a pouch on his belt. I wasn't able to see what it was but I saw his hand motion as he threw it on the ground. I felt the ground under my feet shake violent before it split open revealing a chasm at our feet. Looking over the edge all I could see were swirling winds that made my hair whip around my face. I was really hoping that Marcus wasn't planning on jumping in there. I could see that Will's face was twisted in anger as he leaped forward jumping across the width of the chasm. Marcus knocked me back as Will lashed out at him with a pair of long bladed daggers. Marcus managed to dodge each strike Will tried to land expertly in a way that made it seem like he knew what his move was going to be. How was Marcus able to move so easily while still managing to keep a hold on my arm?
         Not really thinking I did the first thing that popped in to my head. I bite down as hard as I possibly could on to Marcus' hand holding on to me. I heard Marcus hiss in pain loosening his grip on me. It was enough though that I managed to slip my hand out of his grip. I stumbled backwards several steps just as Liam dashed forward catching me before I fell in to the chasm. I was so relieved that they had shown up that when Liam caught me I let out a sigh of relief. Maybe I wouldn't find out what Marcus' boss would want with me.
          Will continued going after Marcus his intent to kill Marcus clear on his face. I felt my eyes go wide though when Marcus suddenly knocked one of Will's weapons out of his hand. Marcus then quickly pivoted on his feet swinging his other foot around. Marcus kicked Will straight in the chest knock him backwards. I could hear Will let out as gasp of pain as Marcus' boot connected with his chest. Marcus then instantly turned around to face Liam. Liam quickly pushed me behind him putting himself between Marcus and me. Marcus didn't even wait a minute before lunging forward towards Liam. Liam swung his broad sword in way that it appeared to be as light as a feather. Like with Will Marcus was able to move avoiding the blade of Liam's sword gracefully. Unlike Will as Liam fought Marcus his face remained neutral not letting any emotion escape. Liam seemed far more in control than Will is.
         Marcus then slammed his palm against the flat part of Liam's sword knocking it out of the way. Liam swung with the momentum Marcus created the tip of the blade digging in to the ground slightly. Marcus then grabbed Liam by the collar swinging him over his shoulder. I gasped as I watch Marcus throw Liam as if he weighed nothing more than a cat. My eyes widened when I saw Liam crash in to Will as he was trying to get back in to the fight. Without missing a beat Marcus was in front of me blocking my view of both Liam and Will. I could hear the two of them scrambling to get back to their feet to get me away from Marcus. Marcus then grabbed me around the waist lifting me over his shoulder. I instantly began panicking making my heart pump adrenaline faster through my body. I kicked and slammed my fists against Marcus as hard as I possibly could. No matter how hard I hit him it didn't seem to phase him in the slightest. I might as well be a mosquito biting his skin on a hot summer day.
         "Riley!" I heard Will exclaim.
         The next thing I knew Marcus heaved me over the edge of the chasm. I felt myself lift up a couple inches in to the air before falling straight down in to the swirling winds. I just barely caught a glimpse of both Liam and Will reaching over the edge of the chasm trying to catch me. Seconds after I fell in to the chasm the wind and dirt closed around the top of the chasm blocking out the opening. I could feel myself falling yet at the same time it felt like I was moving through jello. My decent seemed to be slowed even though the winds around me wiped around me making my hair go all over the place. What was going on? How had Marcus created the whirlwind? Was I going to be trapped in here the rest of my life? Like the winds around me questions swirled around my head seeming to collide in to each other.
         I gasped when out of nowhere I felt myself drop like a rock. I was even more startled when I found myself landing on a massive queen sized four poster bed. Looking up the whirl winds I had literally just dropped out of vanished with out a trace that they were ever there. While my heart was still pounding in my chest I looked around the enormous room I was now in. The room had walls with giant grey stones that were smoothed to the point that there wasn't even the slightest crack in them. Along the wall to my right was a fire place that had statues of wolves with bowed heads sitting on either side. In front of the fire was a large rug that was at least two inches thick and was a deep violet color. To the left of the bed along the same wall were two french doors with flowing curtains hanging in front of them. I quickly raced over to those doors opening them to find myself standing on a round balcony. I could feel my heart drop when I realized that I was at least a good thirty stories up in to the air.
         Looking out over the edge of the balcony I saw that I was in what I could only describe as a castle. There were several towers all around me some of which rose up high above my head. I could make out the wall rising up all around the castle grounds where there people walking along it wearing what looked like a suit of armor. There were several flags along the wall that were very narrow with a rose surrounded in thorns  on each in a very deep red and green. Where the hell was I now?
         "Well it's good to see that you've arrived in one piece."
         I whirled around to find a man standing behind me. He looked to be about the same age as Liam and Will maybe a year or two older. He wore some leather boots over some black pants. On his chest he wore a silver chain mail vest over a long sleeved white shirt. Every piece of clothing he wore looked tailor made just to fit him and was probably made with the most expensive material. His neatly combed jet black hair had bangs that hung slightly above his eyes. His eyes were a deep ocean blue that seemed cold even though he was smiling at me. Just being near this man made me want to jump over the balcony to get away from him. He made look as handsome as an angel or a model would look but something told me he was very far from that.
         "W-who are you?" I demanded.
         "I'm sure Marcus told you who I was?" he asked tilting his head to the side watching me very closely.
         "Marcus works for you." I concluded feeling the blood rush from my face.
         "Yes he does and it sounds like he didn't bother to tell you much else." he sighed
         "I've heard plenty from Will."
         "You shouldn't believe everything he says." he smiled. "My name is Charlie Macour and I have been waiting a long time to meet you Riley."
         "Why?"
         "We're going to some great things together of course." he said his smile growing bigger.
         Things were just getting worse and worse the longer I was in this world. Now I was trapped in a castle with a man who I was pretty sure had a few screws loose. I was really hoping that things didn't get any worse than this. Then again I could be very much wrong.

Chapter Five-Realization

         I kept pacing around Elizabetha's living room as I felt panic begin to rise in my gut. If magic was clearly real like I just witness was it possible that I was in another world after all? If that was the case then Liam was right about me getting home was going to be difficult if not impossible. I was pretty sure that I was happening a panic attack. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest while my breathing was so shallow. If Liam is right then there is a very good chance that I won't ever get to see my parents again. They will just spend the rest of their life wondering what happened to me never getting a chance to know what happened to me. In cases where parents have lost their children at least they get closer even when the child is found dead. It's the wondering that leaves the doors to the pain of lose open.

         Seeing that I was panicking Liam stood up grabbing me by my shoulders stopping me from pacing. I looked up at him seeing the soft look of worry in his eyes. Looking up at him it took me a moment to realize that I was crying. I could feel the tears falling from my eyes to my chin where the fell on the shirt I was wearing. It wasn't even till then that I realized I was shaking like a scared chihuahua. It felt as if Liam's hands on my shoulders were the only things holding me together. I felt like there was a crack running down my chest that could cause me to shatter at any given moment. 

         "Liam you might want to take her to the tailor. I doubt she wants to wander around in pajamas all day long. She'll especially need a decent set of boots." Elizabetha said breaking the silence.

         "I'I don't have a-any money." I hiccuped.

         "Don't worry about it." Liam assured me.

         I waved goodbye to Elizabetha as Liam and I left her home. Walking down the street I looked back over my shoulder to see here standing in her door way watching us leave. I did have a strong sense that there was another reason as to why she told Liam to make sure that I got some good boots. I may be in the middle of calming down from a panic attack but at the same time I wasn't completely clueless. There was a bit of suspicion in my mind that was telling me that she knew something. Maybe that something might help me in getting home. I wanted very badly to go back to her home to find out what she knew.
         Walking in to the tailor's shop the walls were lined with a variety of clothing like a clothing store back home. Liam led me over to a very thin woman with long fingers who pulled out a measuring tape. I spent the next ten minutes having this woman run the measuring tape all over my body trying to figure out what size I wore. When she was finally satisfied that she knew what size I was overall she ran around the store grabbing clothing after clothing. Before I had a chance to say anything the woman pulled me over to some curtains shoving me behind them with the massive pile of clothing she had put together. Liam sat down in a small wooden chair giving me a smile as a pulled the curtains closed. Going through the clothes I found quite a few tan breeches that actually to my surprised fit perfectly. The shirts she had grabbed were all white while a few were long sleeved and others were long sleeved. I did have a little issue with some of the corsets that I had found in the pile. I was never very good at tying them myself so it took me a minute or two to get even one tied so that it was on snug but I could still breath. Looking down at myself I felt like I had stepped in to a renaissance fair. It did feel good though to be wearing something that didn't make me stand out so badly.
         Stepping out from behind the curtains Liam lifted his head up to look at me. I was now wearing a pair of dark brown breeches with a short sleeved white shirt underneath a black corset. I felt my cheeks get a little warm when I noticed that he took a quick glance over me before looking me in the eye. Liam stood up and told the woman that had picked out all of the clothing I had tried that he was purchasing them all. I tried to protest that I didn't need all of that but he just smiled and pulled out several gold coins from a pocket inside is vest. The woman told Liam that she would have the clothing delivered to his home. Liam didn't even have to tell her where he lived. The good thing about a small town like this every one knows everyone so doing deliveries was easier than in a city.
         From there Liam led me across the street to another shop that had a single elderly man hunched over a work station. Even as we walked up he was in the process of sewing some leather together making what looks like children's shoes. We stood there for several minutes before the man lifted his head up acknowledging that we were there. Liam quickly told the man what we needed for. The man slowly put down what he was working on motioning for me to follow him. I followed him through a doorway that was covered with some red curtains. Behind the curtains I felt my jaw drop when I saw piles after piles of boots in a variety of sizes. All of the boots had their laces tied together so that each pair was together. I wasn't sure of what kind of system he had but he quickly measured my feet before diving in a couple of piles. He soon reemerged with several pairs of boots dropping them at my feet. He then stood there watching as I tried each on. Out of all of the boots I tried on there were only two pairs that fit me properly. One pair went all the way up to my knees while the second went only half way up my lower leg. I was surprised when I found the inside of the boots were soft and quite comfortable. When I returned to the front of the shop Liam was still there waiting for me pacing around with his hands behind his back.
         "Now what?" I wondered as we left the shop.
         "Now I walk you back to my home. I have to go out to the farms to help out for a little while." he replied.
        "Would it be possible if I could go see Elizabetha? I was hoping to talk to her a little bit more." I wondered.
         "All right. I'm sure she would love that since she does live by herself and she was quite interested when she heard about you." Liam agreed.
         "Do you live alone?" I asked as we walked.
         "No, Will of course lives with me. I also have my mother and younger sister that lives with me. They both work on the farms as well." Liam answered.
         "Where's Will's family?" I wondered.
         "Unfortunately I'm the closest thing to family he's got left. When I met him for the first time as kids he was an orphan." Liam explained.
         "Well that does explain quite a bit."
         "I'm assuming you're referring to his personality. It is part of it but not everything." Liam said.
         Liam walked with all the way back to Elizabetha's house where he left me waving goodbye as he made his way to the farms. I took a deep breath before walking up to her door that was now closed. I only stood on her porch for a couple of seconds before she opened the door. She stood aside letting me walk past her in to her home. She closed the door behind me following me to the couches sitting down with me.
         "I had a feeling you would come back." Elizabetha said.
         "And I have a feeling you might know how I can get back home. Liam said that it might be near impossible for me to get home." I said.
         "He's right. The portals between our two worlds don't open up on command. They are in a way like when lightning strikes. It never strikes in the same place twice. The portal's opening are very rare on top of that. The fact that Will managed to find a portal to your world and back to ours in a matter of two days was luck in its self." Elizabetha explained.
         "Then how am I supposed to find one of these portals? Wander this entire world till one magic pops up in front of me?" I groaned.
         "No. Doing something like that would only get you killed in the long run. You aren't trained in any form of combat I'm assuming let alone any magic. This world is far more dangerous than yours especially since you don't know the first thing about this world." she pointed out.
         "I can take care of myself." I insisted.
         "I'm sure you can but surviving this world is far different than being an independent adult." she said.
         "I can't just sit around twiddling my thumbs praying that a magical portal will open so I can see my family again." I groaned.
         "You won't. There is someone that I knew that might know of a way to get you home. There is only one problem." she stated.
         "What problem?"
         "Well problems actually. First off you would have to actually have to do quite a bit of traveling. The second problem is this person doesn't help people easily. It would take quite a bit of convincing to get this person to even possibly think of helping you but they are the only one that could possibly help you." she explained.
         "I'll do whatever it takes to convince this person. It's better than it being near impossible to get home. With this I have a chance of seeing my parents sooner than several years." I said feeling the excitement rising in my chest.
         "You do realize that making the journey I'm referring to won't be easy and you very much won't be able to do it on your own." she said.
          "I don't care. I'll make the journey on my own if I have to." I declared.
          "Easy there. I'll speak with Liam and Will. I'm sure the two would be willing to help you make the journey." she offered.
         "I can see Liam possibly making the journey with me but not Will. I'm sure that he's more than happy to be done with me." I said.
         "Will isn't as bad as he tries to make everyone think he is." Elizabetha stated.
         "Sure."
         "I will speak to the two of them on their way home from the farms. If all goes well you could leave in the next couple of days. In the mean time I suggest you take the day to relax. Gather your strength because if you do make this journey you'll need all the strength you've got." she advised.
         "I do have one more question."
         "Ask away."
         "Why was Will in my world to begin with?" I wondered.
         "He was following Marcus." she answered.
         "Any idea why Marcus would be coming to my world?" I inquired.
         "Not sure but that was what Will was trying find out. Sounds like from what Will told me Marcus caught on to him following him when you came across them fighting." Elizabetha shrugged.
         She gave me a sweet smile before leading me back to her front door. She assured me once again that she would speak to Liam and Will. I walked out of her house unsure of what I would do for the rest of the day. I didn't know any one besides her, Will and Liam. I wasn't even from around here so I didn't know what was done to pass time beside maybe work on the farms. I've never worked on a farm before so I wouldn't know what to do or if I would be of any help to begin with. It might be better if I just stayed out of everyone's way.
         I wondered around town not really going in any particular direction. As I walked around I watched the people. I did notice that everyone seemed quite happy. It was hard to believe that this world could be more dangerous than my world. With all the weapons of mass destruction around my world I would say everyone lived in constant fear of the next world war. Here everyone seemed happy and content with the simple things in life. Besides some nasty animals in this world like the Cruet it was hard to believe that this world could be worse than mine.
         I eventually found myself walking along a road that had nothing but fields upon fields of fruits as well as vegetables. With how close the forest tree lines were to the very edges of the farms and town this place seemed cut off. I kept walking past the farm land and eventually I came across some men using hoes to dig trenches in the earth. I stopped in my tracks when I saw both Liam and Will working out in the field. Like many of the other men they had taken their shirts off to work in the hot sun. With each swing of the hoes they were using the muscles in their backs seem to ripple with the effort of slamming the hoe in to the earth. I didn't notice that I was staring till I realized that Liam was actually smiling and waving at me. I clumsily waved back at him while Will glanced over his shoulder for a moment frowning when he saw me. He quickly turned his back to me not even acknowledging that I was there. Liam rolled his eyes at Will before flashing me one more smile before returning to his work.
         I kept wondering around town for hours trying not to stress to much about how much I was all ready missing my parents. I found myself back at Liam's home around the time the sun was finally setting. I managed to recognize it from the garden in the front yard. Walking up to the house I wasn't sure as to whether or not I should just let myself in. This was technically not my home so it didn't feel right just letting myself in. The house was two stories which assumed was added on to make sure that their was room for everyone. I stood outside for about ten minutes before the front door open.
         A little girl about ten years old stepped out. It wasn't hard to tell that she was Liam's younger sister. She had the same shade of blond hair that flowed down to her shoulders. She even had the same shade of hazel eyes as him. I even noticed that she had the same little crooked smile as him.
         "You don't have to stand out there all night." she called.
         I quickly made my way in to the house where the young girl closed the door behind me. I followed her to the kitchen where a woman was in the process of chopping up some vegetables. Her strawberry blond hair was pulled back in to a loose bun a few strands falling around her fair face. Her fair skin had several freckles across her nose. When she looked up at me with a slightly crooked smile I saw her hazel eyes and knew instantly that this was Liam's mother.
         "It's good to see you walking around again Riley. I'm Lissa and my daughter here is Melinda. You had us all pretty worried when Liam brought you to the house. You were quite pale." the woman said.
        "Well if it weren't for Liam I might have been a lot worse shape than just an injured leg." I said sitting down at the table with her.
         "My brother does like to be the hero." Melinda chirped.
         "Anything I can do to help?" I wondered looking out across the table that was covered in vegetables.
         Lissa smiled at me handing me another knife. I pulled some of the vegetables toward me remembering how my mom had taught me to chop fruits and vegetables. Sitting at the table with Lissa and Melinda I kept remembering all the times I had helped my own mom with cooking. I could feel my heart tighten when I thought about my mom. Seeing both Lissa and Melinda working together made me miss my own family all the more. I knew it had been only a couple of days since I came across Will but with each day that passed I longing to see them grew. I smiled at the two of them trying so hard not to cry in front of them. I didn't need to make them worry even further about me.
         We were just about finished with dinner when Liam and Will walked in. They were both thankfully fully  clothed but they both had smudges of dirt across their faces. While we finished up dinner for everyone the two of them went to get cleaned up for dinner. When they finally came back there was a large pot of stew and fresh bread ready to be eaten. Will took his food out on to the porch while the rest of use sat around the table together.
         "Did you and Will talk to Elizabetha?" I asked Liam.
         "Yes we did. Will isn't too happy about it but the two of us will be helping you make the journey." Liam answered.
        "Did she tell you who we're going to go see because she didn't tell me." I wondered.
         "The woman we're going to see is quite old to the point that no one is sure as to her true age any more. No one knows how she's managed to stay alive so long either but if anyone would know of a way to get you back to your world she would." Liam explained.
         "Elizabetha said that she doesn't help people easily." I pointed out.
         "No she doesn't but we'll worry about when we get there." he smiled. "We'll leave in the next couple of days. Will and I just have to get together some things."
         "Okay." 
         I never saw Will before I went to the room that Lissa said was mine for as long as I wanted. I was glad that Liam and Will were willing to help me. I wasn't too happy about having to travel with Will again but I will deal with whatever I have to so that I could get back to my parents. Closing the door behind me to my room there was a soft night breeze coming in from the window. Lissa or Melinda might have opened it to keep the house cool during the night. I curled up underneath the quilt feeling quite excited that I would soon be one set closer towards seeing my parents again. I was just about to drift off to sleep when out of nowhere I felt a hand over my mouth. I felt my heart begin to race when my eyes flew open to see a familiar scared face of Marcus. He had finally caught up to us.