Search for the Crystal Key (A Continuation of Dark Escape)

Chapter 21

The world was spinning, and she needed it to stop. Her head hurt and her eyes burned. Everything was blurry. What was happening? Dennis. Did she dream he carried her off? It certainly felt real. Make the spinning stop. Everything moved too fast. Her stomach was queasy. She would vomit if the spinning didn't stop!

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Fiona stood over Tara as Brandon laid her on the cowhide covered sofa in the great room of her quaint country cottage. Tara's long, shapely torso stretched from one end to the other. It was as if the sofa was created just for her.

Fiona marveled over every inch of the young woman's body. This was the first she'd seen Tara. The lass was an exact replica of Lucy. If Fiona hadn't known better, she might easily be fooled herself. It was easy to see why Brandon was so crushed when she didn't remember him. Had this girl lived in the same era as Lucy, she would have been considered a doppelganger, but since she was a creation of Fiona's handiwork and harbored the same soul that belonged to Lucy she was nothing short of a marvel. Could she be called a doppelganger? Since doppelganger meant a look alike, then yes... but she was so much more than that. She was, in reality, a product of magic mixed with nature.

"Do you think she'll remember you?" Brandon asked Fiona.

"She never knew me. She knew a future me. Maggie was well beyond the years I am now. I see no reason for her to recognize me," Fiona replied, "which means I'll have to earn her trust."

"Do you remember her?" he whispered.

"Only a little," she sighed. "As time goes on I remember less and less."

"You loved her," he said.

"I guess I did, but now I don't know the lass. She's a stranger that looks like Lucy," Fiona said with a sigh of sadness.

Brandon sighed.

"She not only forgot me, she doesn't trust me, "he reminded the enchantress. "She ran away from me, remember?"

"'Tis good her brother is here," Fiona stated flatly.

Her mind whirled about what possible action she could take to bring the young woman back to life. She gave her a bit of worm wort Luella happened to have in her pocket, but so far there was no sign of life returning to her.

Without warning Tara placed her hand to her forehead. She could hear people talking. Who were they? Did someone say Maggie? Maggie was dead.

She was going to vomit.

The vomit projected quite a distance out of Tara's mouth. It was as if she had a pump in her stomach working hard. Luella wrinkled her nose in disgust while the other three scrambled to make certain Tara didn't choke on it. When the heaving subsided, Fiona handed Dennis a bowl of warm water and a clean cloth and directed him to clean his sister up while she got a bucket of water and a large rag and set to cleaning up the floor. She heaved an enormous sigh relief and gratitude when she realized that her sofa escaped the onslaught with only the minutest amount settling on it.

"Tara, its Dennis. Tara," Dennis cooed as he wiped the vomit from her chin.

"Wi.... Wi...," she whispered.

"Brandon! Quick! Get me that big blue jar off the shelf in the kitchen," Fiona barked, excited by the signs of life from Tara.

"Did you hear her? Brandon, Fiona, did you hear her? I think she knows I'm here," Dennis bellowed with excitement.

"Yes, I did," Fiona replied.

Her mind was already whirling on what to do next. She managed to revive Tara, but not enough. Something more needed to be done. Remembering something she read in the book she stole from the witchdoctor, she ran to it and flipped the pages. If memory served her correctly, the solution to what was happening was within these pages.