Giving Fantasia: The Taking Fantasia Sequel

Chapter 79: The Hardest Ache

Chapter 79: The Hardest Ache

Admiral Triton deferred an explanation. He hadn't one to give. Bypassing Sarah Hawkins with a harsh forewarning and stern hand, he climbed the stairs to Wendy's bedroom.

The journey was unsettling: as he ascended Admiral Triton felt like he was sinking into Hell. Each upward step was colder, heavier. Colors wasted to grey. Light became thin, frail. And as he neared Wendy's bedroom, Admiral Triton lost his mind. Momentarily. His shadow tremored. His memories turned into a sewage of phobias and broken dreams.

Admiral Triton staggered. Then somehow he reached...and doused the lights.

As the hallway dimmed, his shadow faded into the darkness. The memories followed. 

Admiral Triton exhaled. Dousing the lights had been a gamble, but a logical one: After all, a shadow worker cannot work without shadows. So kill the lights. Dilute the shadows. Weaken the shadow worker. Proceed with care.

It worked. Shadow hidden from Wendy's invisible pull, Admiral Triton regained his senses but continued nonetheless cautiously to her bedroom. He paused at her door. The air felt...coarse. Injured. Like someone had shred the atmosphere to strips. It almost hurt to breathe.

Admiral Triton entered, knowing he could never imagine the horrors inside. He was right. The room was a hellhole. It was an empty grave, damp with tears and ugly as sin. His shadow screamed, straining immediately towards the little girl curled by the open window.

Wendy. The shadow hit her and she flinched, recoiling at Admiral Triton's memories. Knotted in a bedsheet she turned, eyes in her knees and arms in her heart. And although she was bent, Wendy remained facing the window – as if she were praying someone would appear.

Again, Admiral Triton removed the lights. Fighting lingering nightmares, he approached, knelt before Wendy –

--then he noticed her bedsheet. The white linen was stained, as if she were crying black ink. There was a thick smear beneath her eyes, and oily trails streaking the fabric. Unable to see Wendy's eyes and fearing the stain was blood, Admiral Triton forced two fingers under her chin. His memories stung, but he pushed them away.

Firmly coaxing Wendy upwards, he studied. Her cheeks were dirty, smudged with black. Her eyes were closed, and she sobbed painfully as he demanded:

"Open."

She did, after a second command. Unable to withhold his disgust, Admiral Triton sat back.

Wendy's eyes were black. Entirely.  They were black, soggy, glistening balls, drenched with inky tears. 

Admiral Triton had observed this metamorphoses before -- Wendy's eyes had turned black at King Arthur's Round Table meeting. But this transmutation was different. Unlike the instance at King Arthur's meeting, when her eyes had burned to black coals, Wendy's eyes were sore. Sore and bleeding black tears, as if her unhappy thoughts were leaking.

Admiral Triton released. As Wendy buried into the bedsheet, he softly spoke.

"You spent the night away. In the company of Mister Pan."

Black tears leaked between her fingers, soiling the linen. Wendy's sadness stirred his foulest memories but Admiral Triton continued.

"You shared a bed?"

She wept, making an indistinct sound. Uncertain whether her response was an affirmation or denial, Admiral Triton asked.

"Do I need to take you to the hospital?"

He waited. She did not answer. Gently, Admiral Triton rest a hand upon her head. Memories of Athena, his dear wife, throbbed but Admiral Triton maintained contact. Pressing Wendy's hair, he repeated.

"Wendy."

She trembled. But finally, wretchedly –

"...n...o."

Admiral Triton sighed.

"Then." he said, relief hardening to solemnity. "Could you explain why Misters Pan and Hawkins are in jail? And why my daughter...has returned to sea?"

She couldn't. But the idea, the monster that their friendship had become, was too terrible to endure.

Admiral Triton felt the urge to run before she gave the warning.

"...i...can't...st...op...them..." The shadows collapsed. Unable to prevent the exorcism, Wendy gasped. "....go!"

Admiral Triton obeyed, locking the bedroom behind him. He emptied the premise, forcing Sarah, Michael, and John from their home, away from Wendy. There was little to be said. There was little to be done. 

The guardians had brought each other heartache; and Admiral Triton knew that was the hardest ache to heal. Fantasia would have to continue: with or without her guardians. 

Sinbad watched the police car leave with his wife. He glanced once at Wendy's window. He watched the shadows molest her. He listened as she cried.

"Hang in there Scrimpy." Dropping from the roof, Sinbad trailed the police car. "Gotta get my baby boy out of jail."

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sultal's note: Speaking of Sinbad, my readers have sent me more songs that remind them of Sinbad than ANY other character, which is kinda cool (without my even asking). Thus far, my favorites have been:

(1) "Bandit" by Blowsight ( sent by sionainn_dancer3) 

(2) "El Dorado" by 2Steps from Hell ( sent by Ladyanne23)

SO -- I've been compiling all these songs for the "Giving Fantasia Soundtrack."  Obvs I will have to pick and choose, but when I post the soundtrack, I will give people credit on the video for recommending the songs I pick. 

So, since I'm a music sponge, keep the recommendations coming! Songs can be for characters, relationships (ie Sinbad/Sarah etc), chapters, whatever! Keep sending songs and I'll consider them for the soundtrack! ty.