Eternity

The Search

Towards the end, I heard some children of my age talking. They spoke of the Children of the Night.

“To be honest with you, I think these two would be better off in the forest with the Children of the Night. They might fit in there.”

His companion chuckled.

“Yeah. Down there with the misfits!”

They both burst into laughter.

I ignored them at the time. They just made me more irritated with my situation.

When we were finally freed it was dark. Our father was long gone – we had to make our own way home. I was angry, I was humiliated. But somehow, I forced myself to walk home with Tutis. I was still obedient.

The mugger ambushed us when we were halfway home. He leapt out of a dark alleyway, knocking Tutis and I unconscious with one quick punch each.

When I woke, I was stiff and cold. Tutis was coming around beside me. I felt tears of fury welling up in my eyes. But they didn’t spill over. I knew what I had to do.

The boys were right. The Children of the Night was the place for my brother and me.

But first, I had a plan.

As I walked home, I worked to keep calm. My father mustn’t know what I planned. I was glad when he sent us straight to bed. I was also glad that my winter clothes were in my room.

Instead of getting ready for bed, I dressed in my winter clothes. Then I wrote a note to Tutis, in code, explaining my plan. We had devised this shortly after our mother died, when we realised that our father had succumbed to the madness that takes many widowers. We met soon after, in my room.

“Packed everything you want?” I asked.

“Yes,” he whispered back, “Not that that’s much.”

I opened the window, and climbed onto the ledge.

“Tutis,” I whispered, ”I’m going to hang from the ledge by my fingers then let go. I want you to do the same, when I say. I’ll catch you.”

He nodded in understanding.

It was much easier to drop than I expected. It was merely a half-second of exhilaration, then a dull thud as I hit the grass. Tutis followed soon after.

Then we were running, fleeing our previous life like it was just a bad dream. We ran until the dark shroud of the forest covered our maltreated bodies.

Only once we were deep in the forest, did I think of the problems with my plan. Where did the Children of the Night hide? It must be a good hiding place for no-one to have found them by now.

As it ended up, Silensunus solved our problem for us.

“Come on Tutis,” I called back.

“I…can’t,” he replied in a strangled voice.

Slowly, I turned around.

There stood a tall, slim girl whose age I couldn’t guess at. She had long black hair hanging down to her waist, shimmering in the moonlight. She wore black clothes which covered her entire body, apart from her hands, feet and face. Her eyes seemed black, but as I watched they seemed to glow red. Then it faded back to black. Her feet were bare, and her hands were restraining Tutis; one held him and the other held a knife at his throat.

“Who are you?”

She had a strange voice; musical, but with traces of a foreign accent. Perhaps her parents were foreign.

“Who are you?” she repeated.

“We are Tutis and Presul. We come in search of the Children of the Night.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of the Children. Presumably, that was where she was from. I continued quickly, fearing that her hand might slip.

“We have been tortured by our father. It became too much. We had to leave. Look! I have proof!”

I lowered my hood. Tutis’ gasp was hard to bear; I just wanted to run to him.

“What of your mother?” the girl continued, still suspicious.

“She is dead.”

“I’m sorry,” she seemed deep in thought for a second. “Orator will want to see you. I’ll take you to him.”

“Who is Orator?”

“He is leader of the Children of the Night.”

She lowered her knife from Tutis’ throat. I nearly sagged in relief. We had found them.