The Forbidden Room

Ryan

I lay down on the grass and closed my eyes trying to relax and forget about the sword, forget that we had lost our only chance to save everyone, and most of all forget that we had failed.

"Can I join you?"

I opened my eyes. Courtney was starring down at me with a slight smile on her pretty face. "Sure." I said emotionless. She lay down right next to me, almost a little too close; our arms touched.

"I used to watch the clouds with my Dad. We would see what shapes we could find out of them. Whoever found more won. He always let me win pretending to have not found as many shapes though I knew he did. We did that until my fourteenth birthday when he-" she faded off and didn't finish her sentence.

"When he what?" I asked confused

"When he passed away." She said quickly as if she wanted to get it done as soon as possible.

"I'm so sorry." I suddenly felt bad that I had made her finish her sentence.

"It was the day before my birthday."

"We don't have to talk about this if you don't want too."

She looked at me thoughtfully. "Thank you, but no. I have been holding back these emotions and secrets since I was fourteen and I need to share this with someone. I can't think of anyone better then you to share them with."

"Why? It's not like we've really talked much before."

She laughed a little. "I know but there is something about that just makes you so approachable, something that makes me want to share all me deepest darkest secrets with you, something that just makes me want to be around you."

I didn't know what to say now. I've had plenty of girls show interest in me before but none that I have had feelings for in return. I needed to say something or it might ruin the moment. "All right then please proceed." As soon as I said it I regretted it. There wasn't necessarily anything wrong with what I said but there are dozen things I could have said that would have sounded so much better.

"Okay, but first you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone this."

"Of course not." I was starting to get excited Courtney was about to share one her very personal secrets with me.

"I don't mean its okay to tell a few very close people I mean no one. If to many people find out about this my family including me could be in danger."

"I'm not sure what you are going to tell me but I can tell that it is very important that the information doesn't get spread I promise you that I will not tell a single sole."

"My father was a wanted crook dead or alive in forty eight different territories. When I turned two the first reward for him was sent out as a ten thousand dollars. By the time I was ten my mother started helping him and it went up to thirty-five thousand and about the same time I turned fourteen there was a fifty thousand dollar reward out for him. Hundreds of people were looking for my parents. My Dad said that when I turned fifteen I could start helping them. I couldn't wait though. I wanted to be just like my parents and do everything just like they did. So when they started talking about a trip to theYalk territories bank to do a job I begged and begged them to let me go with but my Dad said I wasn't ready and my mother agreed. I was infuriated so when they left I snuck out too being careful not to let them no I was behind them. Wegot to the bank and that was when I decided to let my parents know I was there.But they were right I wasn't ready. Theband had a silent alarm that I didn't know about. The Yalk soldiers came rightaway. My father told my mother to take me back to the house while he stayedbehind to distract the guards. My mother didn't like leaving my Dad behind butagreed to it to keep me safe. Once she was sure I knew the rest of the way homeshe ran back to help my Dad. Again I couldn't listen to her instructions so Iran back after her without her knowledge. I arrived just in time to see my dadlaying on the ground in a pile of blood and my mother with her hands up crying.I heard one of the guards say I was planning on just bringing you back to prisonbut I think we've all had enough of you and your husband. Then with that hepushed the trigger on his gun and my mother fell down dead." She waspractically yelling now. "Because of me myparents are dead."

I wanted to comfort her and tell her it wasn't her fault but I didn't think words would change her mind, so instead I closed my fingers around hers an squeezed them tightly. I could feel her staring at me but she didn't let go of my hand. I searched my brain trying to find something to say. I remembered her talking about the shapes in the clouds. I looked at the clouds looking for anything that might resemble an object. Finally I saw a cloud that almost resembled an elephant. "It's Dumbo."

Courtney looked at me confused.

"In the clouds." I explained. "There are the feet, and the trunk, and there are his giant ears."

"I see it, but it looks more like an elephant then a Dumbo."

"Do you know who Dumbo is?"

She shook her head.

"He is an elephant."

She laughed a little and gave me a big smile.

Suddenly Sydney came rushing towards me. "Ryan I need to speak with you now."

I looked back at Courtney who had the same worried look I probably did. "I'll be right back." I got up an followed Sydney were it was safe to talk. "Would you tell me what this is all about?"

She burst into tears. She tried to talk but I couldn't understand anything she said. "Hey, it's okay. What's wrong?" I hoped I was sting everything fine. I had never been very good at girls and feelings. It was almost good to see Sydney cry. She always acted strong and tough. I had begin to wonder if she was human. This was the first time she had ever shone any of her feelings to me. "Slow down, what happened."

She took a deep breathe trying to calm herself down. "You remember me talking about the old women in the house and how she said their was a traitor but how I also said she never told me who. Well I.......I lied. She said Isaac did it I didn't want to say anything because of course I didn't believe it but then my mom-"

I cut her off. "This is the second time you've mentioned talking with your mom. How is that possible.

"It's too complicated to explain all the details but my mon showed me a picture of the lost sword. I can do the same with you since we are bonded." I watched her as she closed her eyes and compressed her juicy lips. A picture popped into my head. I recognized the sword but I wasn't sure were from. "I've seen it before."

"As have I and I know where. In Isaac's sword sheath. That is the same sword he has been using resently."
I realized she was right. Isaac took the sword. Isaac was the traitor.
I didn't want to believe it. Isaac had been so kind to me and now I learn that he is a traitor. The wallabim had warned us about a traitor but I couldn't bring myself to actually believe that lie that was becoming more truthful each second.
"I can't believe Isaac is intentionally doing this. He wouldn't do that to me."
I noticed her emphasize on me. Did she think that she was the only one Isaac cared about? Then again the hole thing could have been a lie and he cared about none of us. If that was true then I would have to admit he was a pretty good actor. Getting Sydney to fall in love with him, getting all I ya to trust him to such a great extent. Especially Syd. I had to wonder why he would have targeted Sydney. What made her so special.
I wanted to thin there was some hidden childhood story behind this but I knew that Sydney had never been here before and I also knew a lot more about then she wished. Though she never caught on I always had a crush I her. When we were younger I often found myself going over to Alex's house and wanting to see Sydney more then Alex. Always praying that Sydney would open the door. I tried to give Alex ideas that included her in whatever we did. Whether it was playing a prank in her or attacking her one of the nerf wars we had with the other boys around the neighborhood.
She obviously never had any feelings towards me but I often liked to imagine she did. Since Courtney, Sydney had been the only other girl I had any feelings for.
"I'm going to talk to him about it and I'm sure he will give up the sword for me."
Again she mentioned only herself.
"So that's it?"
She nodded
"And what if he doesn't give it t you or agree to help us?"
"He will."
I wanted to smack her right now. Could she hear herself? She sounded like a complete idiot. I didn't really care right now. I was sick of everything that was happening here. Sydney was right with one thing. We should have left when we first got here.
Sydney walked away.
I did too and sat down next to Courtney again trying to free my mind.
"What was that all about?" Courtney asked me.
"I don't even know, it was all kind of confusing." It really wasn't and I understood everything quite clearly. But I really didn't to talk right now. I was tired of it. "Do you sometimes wish you didn't come on this little escapade?"
"Not right now, because if I didn't I wouldn't have had this chance to get to know you better." She smiled at me again.
I wondered if she realized that she was the one who had done most of the talking.