Finding More Than Magic

Chapter 6

The sun moved in its arc across the sky, and was reaching the end. The clouds floated, morphing gracefully into different shapes. Slowly, Derin noticed the forest he was walking in was changing. He recognised some of the shrubs from some of Marna’s old books, and the bark on some of the trees was similar to the ones at home that they used in some sleep remedies. Soon, the forest grew thinner, the breeze stronger and the trees less dense. They came over a small crest, and were greeted with an old, wooden sign with the words ‘Welcome to Kilgrove!’ laced with peeling paintings of all sorts of shrubs and flowers. Marna sucked in a deep breath and sighed, as if after all these long years, she was finally really returning home. Derin snuck a glance at her, and saw a tear rolling down her cheek. She halted for a moment, then, as if stepping up onto a sage, she took a step forward, and walked down into the town.

 

The old school building was not far into the town, and Marna stopped abruptly in front of it. The hundreds of memories flowed through her mind, as she stood gazing at the old, weatherboard building. The light turquoise paint was flaking off, and the gardens in the front overgrown. Derin had never seen a school before, but he was surprised at the size and state of this one. It was so small, and so deserted! Carved into a piece of wood hung above the doorframe, was a barely legible: ‘Kilgrove Medical School’.

 

‘It doesn’t look like it has been used in years!’ Marna looked at the building in wonder. The sun had almost dipped below the horizon, and they needed to find a place to stay, quickly. Just as Derin thought about this, Marna stepped forward. ‘I guess we might as well sleep here, tonight!’ She said, pushing open the gate, and accidentally breaking it right off. She chuckled, and then walked up the path, and up to the door. This time she didn’t hesitate. She walked right through the door, and walked down the hall as if she were at home. In a way, she was.

 

She and Derin went in, spread some of their luggage out as mattresses, and immediately lay down to sleep. Within minutes, Marna was breathing slowly, smiling contentedly as she slept. It was the first time Derin could remember that she looked absolutely happy. She had finally come home. With this thought, Derin drifted off to sleep.

 

 

 

A rustling outside woke Derin up in the middle of the night. Marna was already standing, creeping down the hallway, to the front door. Derin lay there, not daring to move, as she turned into a room, and headed to the window. She stood still as a stature, and after a moment, she startled Derin by calling out.

 

‘Griffin?’ Her voice was thick with shock, and tears. ‘GRIFFIN!’ She called out again. Derin slid out of his makeshift bed, and hid behind the door, watching and listening. The man in the Garden had turned around, but Derin could not see his face. Slowly, he emerged.

 

‘Marna… I knew it…’ A whispered voice came from somewhere in the shadows. Then the man stepped out, the moon illuminating his face.

 

‘KROB!’ The cry escaped Derin’s lips before he could help it, and in a moment he was at the window beside Marna, staring in disbelief. ‘…Griffin..?’ He asked, unsurely, then, ‘Father?!’ Krob, known now as Griffin, nodded. In a flash, Derin was in the garden, clutching onto Griffin tightly, and Griffin clutched him back.

 

‘Yes, Derin. I’m your father.’ Griffin stroked Derin’s hair, grasped his shoulders, felt his hands. His son was there, in front of him! It was really him! After all these years, his son was grown into a charming young man! They stood there, bathed in the moonlight, crying and hugging for a long time.

 

‘Ok, there’s still tomorrow! Come in and rest. We will talk later.’ Marna suggested, and so that night they all slept on the piles of luggage, and it was the best night sleep any of them had had since they could remember.