Life and other Disasters

14. The door

"I hoped there would be an entrance in the river. That's why I jumped in the water," David said.

"And you never saw the creepy ghost zombies that wanted to kill you?" Ava asked, looking at the water in the pool, that had become the image of calm and peace again.

David didn't answer, he just stared at the tower that seemed to appear out of nowhere. "We have reached it now, we can turn around and go back to Saul's rest," he said with a sigh.

Ava chuckled. "No, I don't think so. I want to know what's inside. I'm not going back without knowing what's in there."

A shadow of doubt glided over David's face. "I'm not sure..."

He never finished his sentence. Ava hated it when people left her guessing, but there was something in his stance that stopped her from asking. David's mouth was a hard line, his eyes smouldering coals, his hands were clenched into tight fists, and Ava realised he was afraid of what was in that tower.

"What happened to you?" she asked, trying to change the subject. "How did you survive the night?"

"I can ask you the same," he countered.

"O no, mister, that trick is not going to work. I asked you first," Ava said, shaking her head, determined not to get distracted this time.

"I...I spent the night in an abandoned cabin," David said. He didn't look at her, he avoided her gaze at all cost and Ava knew he was not telling her everything. 

"Who," Eggy cooed, more at ease now that they found David.

"What's that?" David said, his voice a silent whisper.

"What?" Ava looked at the owl. "Oh, that's Eggy. He's pretty okay for an owl."

David looked at the giant bird as if he didn't trust the bird at all. "If you say so."

Ava ignored his worries and told him about her night, how the mist had surrounded her and how Es had saved her, how she had spent her night in an abandoned old cabin. 

"This place must be crowded with abandoned old cabins," Ava said.

"Let's stay here. It's too late to return anyway. We never make it back to Saul's rest before the mist comes rolling in," Ava said, looking at the mysterious tower. There must be an entrance somewhere.

David shrugged, sat down in the grass, almost disappearing in the long green blades. 

"I recognize that look in your eyes." He lay down, stretching himself as if he wanted to take a nap. "Suit yourself. I've looked everywhere, there is no entrance."

So Ava walked up to the place where she expected the foot of the tower. Slowly she stuck out her arm, waiting for her hand to touch a wall, feel resistance, feel anything at all.

There was nothing, not an invisible wall, not an electric shock, not even a slight tingly feeling that something, anything might be there.

Ava walked into the space where the tower should be. Slowly, deliberately, watching her step with every move she made. She thought she heard something, monks chanting, a soft whisper, but it was just the wind, playing with the leaves in the few trees that enveloped the meadow where she was walking around.

"How long do you need, Ava?" David asked. He was still lying in the grass as if he tried to catch the last rays of sunshine.

"I need a little more time," Ava said, trying to hide the frustration that lacerated her voice. "Just a little more time."

"I don't think we have any time left," David said. "It's getting dark. We need to find a place for tonight."

Ava ignored him. She had scoured the area, searched every inch of space.