The Wind

Day 4: The book keeper,and the magician.

Nathen felt reality come back, as he left the swirl of dreams he'd just been a part of. He shivered slowly waking up. Nathen opened his eyes breaking a layer of frost that held them shut. Nathen sat up, on the floor of an empty room. The room had absolutely nothing in it. It was a concrete room. About the size of a small home. The air was fresh and cold. Nathen saw his breathe make steam in the air. There was an opening to the room, and a small, sqaure window. Nothing else at all. Nathen rubbed his eyes, and slowly stood up. He walked out of the room, through the opening. Outside, a cold, spring morning awaited him, with dew on the grass and surrounding flowers. In fact, Nathen stood in a feild of beautiful pink and yellow flowers. They blew softly on the cold breeze. Nathen hugged himself, making a shiver at the wind that went through him. Suddenly he began to think about what had happened. "The cougar!" Nathen thought aloud,"And- and the bird saved me." "I must have fallen asleep, while on it's back." Hmm, well where is it?" He thought. Nathen looked around for the bird, nothing besides the never-ending feild of flowers 'till they met the sky. "Hmm" Nathen muttered softly, with question. He began to walk away from the concrete room. The concrete room was, on the outside, a broken down, concrete shed. As Nathen continued through the field of flowers, he began to see something. Suddenly he heard a song! A flute was playing a tune. Or was it a tune?, Nathen thought. It was a sequence of four notes, one higher than the first, the third was the same as the first, and the last was lower than the first. "It sounds like a warning!" Thought Nathen. The song played over and over. About 10 times, each about 3 minutes apart. "What does it mean?" He thought. Nathen was finally seeing the end of the field. A small forest was in the distance. Before Nathen, was a hill. Nathen, began to climb the hill, when he reached the top, the forest was just ahead. Nathen saw smoke coming out of the tops of the trees in the forest. "Is the forest, on fire?" Nathen asked himself. He sighed, and entered the forest. The fire was not yet visable. He continued on, passing boulders, ponds, and beautifully large old growth trees. Then, Nathen came upon a cottage. He saw smoke coming from the cottage's chimney. "Oh, that was what smoke was about. " He said, answering his question. Nathen aprouched the cottage closer, and looked up. It was a cozy little place that you would want to go to if you were stressed. There were two windows from the front, and the wood was dark brown. It looked like very fine lumber, that was probably expensive. Through the window, a chandelier of candles, lit the dining room. Nathen didn't see anyone in the living room. He advanced to the door and knocked twice. He waited. He heard footsteps getting louder, closer, then the door knob turn, and the door wisked open with a gust of wind. The bird opened the door with a jolly smile on it's face, atleast Nathen thought it was a smile. It's beak seemed to grin somehow. "Welcome, Nathen!" The bird exclaimed. Nathen stepped into the cottage. An old, tall, wise looking,man stepped into the dining room. "Is this the one you told me about?" The man said, pointed to Nathen. "Yes, this is it",the bird answered, prouldly. "Ahh, good to meet boy, my name is Wallice Andrew, but people just call me Mr. Andrew". The man welcomed, sticking out his hand form a handshake. Nathen returned the gesture. The man firmly shook Nathen's hand. "This is, the way your people exchange greeting is it no?" The man asked, withdrawing his hand. "Um, what do you mean,"my people" ". Nathen asked the Andrew with confusion. "You are of human desent,correct? ". "Yes?" Nathen answered, as if obvious. "Excuse my manners", the man said, sorry(fix said,sorry with better synonym). This is my friend,Buntheow. You know him,he saved you I think." "Yes" Buntheow, said, prouldy, in a deep, gravelly voice. "It's nice to meet-". The ground began to vibrate. The sugar bowl, and tea mugs began to shake. "Oh!!!, it's time!!!" Mr. Andrews exclaimed, interupting Nathen. "Come on both of you!!" He urged them both. The ground began to shake now! It got more and more intense! Nathen,and Buntheow followed Mr. Andrews, down the hallway, into a small room, with a bed and pictures in frames and a dresser. The pictures moved on the walls violently, they began to fall off. Nathen jumped out of the way, to miss one. Then Bintheow, dodged the dresser, wich fell directly where he had been standing!!! "Ahh!!" Nathen screamed. "What is happening!!". "Earthquake? Nathen yelled, Arms to his side, and wobbling to keep his balance. "Get down here!! Quickly!!" Mr. Andrews, beamed. He ran to the end of the room and reached for something on the ground. With struggle, from the crashing of the ground, he opened a hatch door in the ground. The two of them, ran to him and watched him, climb down a ladder into a concrete safe-room. The two of them followed the man into the safe-room. No throw was the last down the ladder, and he shut the hatch door behind him, and turned a lock from the inside to keep it shut. He reached the floor, and walked to Nathen and Mr. Andrews. The grou f didn't seem to shake much. It softly vibrated the floor beneath them. "This room is magic!" Mr Andrews began."it has magic to keep us safe in this room. That is why the food beside Buntheow is not falling off the shelves. The effect is minimized." He explained. "So earthquakes are common here?" Nathen asked. "Not earthquakes kid." Buntheow answered. "Beams". "What is a beam?", Nathen asked. "A beam is when the season changes" wallice explained. A few minutes past, maybe 15,then the shaking stopped. Everything was still. " Nathen looked at Buntheow, as if asking if it was over. Buntheow nodded, picking up on the question. They came back into the house and sat down at the table. "What?" Nathen exclaimed. Everything was back to the way it had been before the Beam. The dresser was back upright in place, and all the pictures back on the walls, there had been glass shattered from the picture frames, whereas now there was none. "The Beam creates a loop in time when it shakes the ground, a beam of light that blinds you for an instant. Everything that happens during the loop, is undone. I mean EVERYTHING!" Andrews explained. "Except, this." Buntheow said, urging Nathen to the door with an outstretched atm towards it. Nathen slowly walked to the door and opened it with wonder in his soul. He saw a layer of white, powdery, fluffy snow covering the dirt and twigs of the forest floor. Snowflakes fell. The trees had a coat of silver diamonds and ice cycles, and the pond was frozen over. He stepped outside, and began to smile. Watching the footprints he created. He stepped back inside. "The Beam skipped two seasons as it often does". "Sorry I left you last night. I knew you were safe there. That room is a safe place with a border of magic surrounding it. Only those of good hearts, can enter and, leave. It is invisable to any evil hearted creatures. Also, I had to make sure you weren't seen here, the forest is watched. "Buntheow explained. "Yes, by evil creatures of the South. Now we must get you out of here!!" Mr. Andrews said. He grabbed Nathen's hand and pulled him into the hallway. "What are you doing?" Nathen asked. Mr. Andrews waved his hand upward slowly. The wall dissapeared, revealing a hidden doorway, he and Nathen walked through, Buntheow followed. Then the doorway dissapeared again. They were in. As trange room, full of doors. The walls were covered with green wallpaper and black tile was the flooring. The lighting was like that of a golden afternoon. The three of them approached a door, and opened it. A bright, light shown from the doorway and poured into the room. All you could see was the white light. Mr. Andrews grabbed a book that was titled "Earth and humans, -1800-1920" "Buntheow! Go with Nathen and protect him" "I know the South monsters are already in the house!!" "Now go!!" He demanded. Andrews opened the book to the 1920's section, and held it in the doorway. He let go of it, and it just floated in the light. Buntheow nodded at Nathen, grabbed his hand and said,"don't worry, we will find our way back to your time." "Wait!" Nathen said. "Who are you?" Mr. Andrews turned to him and said, "I am the Book Keeper, and The Magician" He said with a smile to Nathen. Hugging him and By throw, he said goodbye. The two of them walked up to the doorway, feeling it's wind blow them softly. "Put your hand on your heart boy" Buntheow commanded. Nathen did as he was told. The slight breeze from the portal, grew stronger, and the two of them walked into the light. The rest of the world and everything was gone. Swept away by the gust of wind. Only light surrounded them.