World Of Worlds (Arula: One)

Chapter 14

Karma woke up in extreme pain. She clutched the side of her head as it pounded. Scrambling off her cot, she reached inside her satchel and took out her book. Unlocking it, she turned to the page where she had stopped and began to sketch. Karma couldn't help it, not really. The pain wouldn't just go away. As she sketched the fox like creature, Karma couldn't stop the feeling helplessness. A single tear fell down her cheek and onto the drawing. Sniffing, Karma dried it off. Will it ever end? She wondered. Of course not. Only because the Gods hated her. Even worse, she hated herself. How could she live life if the pain won't go away? Or if she could never live her life here because of this? What if she were to become a slave to this cursed book?

The questions never seemed to stop. Every question, every doubt, led to another. And another led to another. Endless. Just endless. Why did she have to enter that tent all those years ago? Why can't her curiosity just for once leave her alone? She could still remember that day....

----

It was a warm summer day in Lake Side and Karma and her family were at the Lake Side Summer Festival. The fun filled day consisted of games, small rides, and very unhealthy foods of cotton candy, soft pretzels, and popcorn. Karma, only being eight during this time, had her pocket filled with cash and change, all the money she had saved from Christmas and birthdays. Today was the day that she was going to spend her money on whatever she chooses. "Okay, ladies," her mother said, pushing the stroller that had her younger brother, Dennis, in it. Only being one at the time, he couldn't do anything besides chew on his hand and sit in the stroller. "Now is the time to go into the tent shops and look around before we head back home. So, stick together and please. Don't leave each other's side." Karma's mother eyed Alice, who was thirteen at this time.

"Don't worry, Ma. I promise we'll stick together." Alice said and just to prove her point, she grabbed her sister's hand. Nodding, their mother shooed them off and walked around the festival with her son and husband. As soon as Alice and Karma were far distances from their parents, Alice dropped her sister's hand with disgust.

"We're supposed to hold hands, Alice." Karma said crossing her arms over her chest.

"Maom never said we had to hold hands," Alice sneered. "We just had to stick close to each other." Karma huffed but said nothing. The market tents were boring for the most part. Nothing seemed to catch Karma's eye. The tents were filled with potteries, painting, kitchen utensils, gardening decorations, etc. As Alice stopped by a tent filled with jewelry, one tent caught Karma's eyes. It was purple tent with pretty golden lines outlining it. Looking back at her sister to make sure that she wasn't looking, Karma walked over to the tent.

It was filled with unique knickknacks such as dragons, fairies, dogs, cats, foxes, wolves and much more. There were collections of beautiful jewelry and books. The books each had their own unique covers. But what had drawn Karma in is the ones that did not have titles. She picked up one certain book that was the color of dark blue with black outlining it. It had a wolf carved lightly in the cover. It also had a lock on the book with the exact same carving. "So, I see you are interested in my books, yes?" Karma jumped at sound of someone talking behind her. Yelping, she turned to an elderly woman with black greying hair and green eyes. The old woman smiled. "Sorry to scare you, but I couldn't help but notice you." Her smile widened.

"I-I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to sound frightened." Karma said and the old lady laughed.

"My dear, it does not matter," then she gazed at the book in Karma's hands. "But I must say that book does not fit you."

"Huh?" Karma asked as the old woman took the book from her hands and placed it back in its spot. Then she grabbed a dark red book with black outlining it and handed to Karma. This time, the book had a dragon craved lightly into it, as did the lock that hung from it.

"Now let me tell you this, my dear. With great power comes great responsibility."

"Why are you quoting Spider-Man?" Karma asked, remembering her favorite Marvel comic book hero. That only made the old woman smile once more and laugh.

"That might be so, but the quote speaks the truth, my dear. Does it not?" 

"I-I guess." Karma felt unsure. She looked at the book in her hand. Turning it around in her hands, she inspected it. Karma even tried to open it. "How do I open it?" Karma gazed at the woman.

"With a key of course." The woman replied. "I'll give it to you if you promise me this one thing." Karma looked at her with interest. "Promise me, that no matter what it tells you, don't let it take control. Don't let it change you." Karma just raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?" Karma never felt more confused in her life.

"You'll understand one day, child." Karma nodded and looked at the book in her hands.

"How much?" Karma asked.

"Well that depends, how much you got?" Asked the woman. Karma reached inside her pocket and pulled out crumbled dollars and lose change. Counting aloud she said,

"Ten dollars and fifty cents." Smiling, the woman nodded.

"Then that's how much it is."

"Really?" The woman nodded. Smiling, Karma gave the woman all the money she had. Taking the money, the old woman walked over to her counter, motioning Karma to follow. She put the money in a container, then pulling out a box, the old lady took out a necklace. It wasn't an ordinary necklace, at the end of the chain was key. And at the top of the key was a dragon, like the one on her book and lock.

"And here is your key to your book," the woman said. "But I must warn you. Do not lose your key or your lock. For these are the only things that are keeping everything together. If one is lost, then so is your world." Putting the chain around Karma's neck, the woman smiled.

Karma walked out of the tent looking at the key necklace she now wore around her neck. What did that woman mean? Confused she kept walking. "Karma!" She heard her sister's voice. "Where in God's name were you? Mom would have killed me if she knew I lost you."

"But I was..."

"Oh, come on, Karma. We were supposed to meet mom and dad by now."

----

Karma still didn't know what that crazy old lady meant, even after all these years. Promise me, that no matter what it tells you, don't let it take control. Don't let it change you. Those words rang in her head repeatedly. Glancing at her book and at her nearly finished creature, something went off in her head. Then it hit her. Figured out that the woman was talking about was the book. Finally, after all this time, Karma had just figured that out. Ever since that day when she started getting those terrible headaches, the book had been controlling her.

I will not let it control me, Karma thought, closing her eyes shut. I will not let it change me. Taking a long deep breath, Karma shut the book and locked it up. The book will just have to wait until she was ready to draw in it, not when it was ready to be drawn in.

Karma slid it back in her satchel that leaned against her cot's side and threw herself on the cot itself. She watched as the moon past through the starless night sky. Only few more hours until dawn. Then, it was time to head to Abaddon. As Karma slipped into her dreams, she the feeling once more of someone or something watching her. The eerie feeling soon changed as she finally fell asleep.