Keeper of the Lost Cities Story; The Lost Secret

Chapter 29

Kai tries to stand up three times, but each time it fails. She knows that she doesn't have long before someone checks on her. She needs to get out somehow.

Before she can think of something, Kai hears yells and she scrambles to a corner of the room. Her ankle punishes her the whole time, but her fear is greater than her pain. The voices fade as quickly as they start, it has to be Lady Gisela's distraction.

"Ugh," Kai groans to herself. She tries to hold up the bead, but nothing happens. It has to be Umber or something that is preventing leaping.

Crawling it is, Kai thinks to herself.

She pulls herself to her knees and ignores the pain in her ankle and leg. She begins to crawl to the hallway Lady Gisela pointed her to. She still can't believe that she's following the instructions of Gisela Sencen.

She exits the room but stops when she sees into the next hallway. The door seems so far to Kai and her soft cries begin to fill the room again. Kai isn't sure she can do this. The pain is too much for her.

She's considering just giving up. They could just find her again, Kai is sure of it. But she remembers all the people she has at home. She thinks of how much all of them mean to her. Asher, Zayne, Amaria, Gracelyn, Tam, Linh, and even Keefe and Sophie. She has to keep going, she has to.

Kai grits her teeth and starts to crawl again. She feels the immense pain in her leg, but she works through it. She needs to get to that door.

After what seems like an eternity Kai reaches it. Her breathing is labored now and she feels exhaustion seeping into her bones. It makes her wonder how long she's been sedated.

Her ankle throbs as she uses the doorknob to stand herself up and as the door opens, light from outside blinds Kai. Kai doesn't let it stop her from going on.

The ground feels grainy to Kai, like sand. She also hears waves, she is at the ocean. As her eyes adjust, Kai's suspicions are confirmed. She sees the sparkling blue water lapping against the white beach sand. But she doesn't have time to take in the view, she needs to leave.

Kai tries to wrap her concentration around herself as she holds the bead up, but she isn't sure if her strength is enough. The light takes her away, she doesn't know where, but she knows that it's better than that beach.

Kai fades in and out of consciousness, she doesn't ever get a good enough view of the place she's been left in until now.

She opens her eyes to darkness and her scream pierces the silence. She braces for an attack but nothing comes. There are no shadows to get her.

She sits up against a tree and looks around. It's the Wanderling Woods. Her dad's tree.

Kai first holds up her hands to check that she isn't faded. Thankfully, they seem intact. Next, Kai brings herself to her feet, which sadly doesn't work.

Her ankle shoots sharp pain up into her whole body. Kai looks down at it, which is a horrible idea. Her ankle is bloody and mangled. She isn't sure how she's even putting any weight on it. The longer she stands, the worse it feels so she sits herself right back down.

Kai then reaches in every pocket she has to find any kind of leaping crystal. Of course, they'd taken her home Crystal so she had no way of leaving. And there is no way she is going to find a leap master out here.

Screaming it is, Kai thinks.

Unfortunately, screaming isn't going to work out perfectly. Kai tries to scream, but after a second her voice fizzles out, leaving her throat raw.

"Help," Kai coughs, "Please,"

There is no response. There is no one to help her. Kai knows that she can't just wait until someone shows up. She needs a physician now.

Kai slumps against the tree trunk in defeat. There is nothing left to do, nothing left to help her.

Kai?

She hears a nagging voice in the back of her consciousness, but she is too busy wallowing in worry and pain to notice.

KAI!

This time Kai jumps. The voice is in her head.

'Hello?' Kai thinks.

Kai, you're alive! The voice shouts in her brain making her grimace.

'Sophie?' Kai thinks back. 'Sophie is that you?'

Kai has never been more excited to hear the Moonlark's voice.

Yes! It's me, Sophie transmits. Where are you?

'I'm in the Wanderling Woods,' Kai responds. 'At my dad's tree. I really need help, my foot, it's bad. I can't walk.'

They're already on their way, Sophie transmits. Our connection is breaking, but just stay there Kai. We're going to help you.

Kai feels the connection break, it feels like someone just took the TV static away from the background.

"Kai!" A familiar voice screams.