The Past Is My New Beginning

Chapter Twenty-Three: A New Plan

I placed Memy’s trembling body onto her bed and lent her Crystal for comfort. “Hold on to her. I promise, she will make you feel safe and this will all be over soon enough.” I needed to get the spell over with before it was too late to change our fate. Determined, I pushed my self off the ground and got onto my feet, wobbling from the pain in my leg I toppled to the floor once again. Luckily for me, Eli had caught me just in time and helped me balance on one leg. Injured. Without my leg the spell is never going to be completed.

A shaky breath left my body and I shuddered at this horrible turnover. I had to at least try. Eli let go of my waist to let me stand on my own, but I couldn’t move without falling all over again. “This is impossible. I have to wait to heal.” I shook my head at the realization.

“Do we even have that much time?” Pamela whimpered. She patted her matted hair down and out of her face. I glanced out the window to find the fight and I knew the answer was quite obvious.

“No, we don’t.” I whispered harshly.

My eyes drifted to the key dangling from Crystal’s neck. The way the sunlight seeping in from the window hit it caused it to glow as if it were a gift from heaven. Something deep within my gut was pulling me towards it, screaming for me to grab it and run. Letting my instincts overtake me, I was pushed forward by an unknown force. I picked up the key and held it in my palm. “Follow me. Memy stay close to my side, we’re going outside.”

“We can’t do that! We’ll be attacked.” Eli interrupted. I gave him a lop-sided grin.

“I have a plan. Just stick to me.”

Carefully opening the front door I peeked out to find that the coast was clear or clear enough. We sneaked out of the protection of the pack house and crept our way into the shadows of the forest. Once we had broken through the trees, I locked my grip around Memy’s wrist and ran straight through the undergrowth only following my heart for directions. The key bounced repeatedly against my chest as I pushed myself over the limit that my wound would allow. I winced at every step and gasped at every plant that touched it. Eli and Pamela didn’t ask questions as they easily followed my tracks, yet I could sense their gazes on me as I ran, full of worry.

Finally, my gut ceased to direct me anywhere else. We had found ourselves in a small opening where a large tree grew in the center, light streaming through its lively leaves. I walked up to its trunk and touched the surface. I circled it, feeling around for anything that felt like an answer. Then my finger felt it. There was a hole carved into the trunk in the shape of a keyhole. Memy, Eli and Pamela watched as I lifted my key and pushed it into the hole. I turned it and a click echoed through the silent woods causing a few nearby birds to fly away.

Mesmerized, I watched as the tree trunk opened, the door having been there all along. Walking in, we found ourselves standing in the center of a secret hospital room. The walls were white, but lined with never ending shelves of one type of medicine. I took one down and found the label read, “Life.” Weird. The top popped off as I pushed my thumb over it. Inside, there was a pink liquid that smelled much like roses.

I tipped it over into my mouth, but a hand quickly shot out and stopped me. “You don’t know what it is.” Pamela said. “What if it’s a trick?” I smiled at her.