Forlot - Books 1-3 {Completed}

Chapter Forty-Three

"No!" I protested.

I gently pushed Maxine, making darn sure that she was far from the king, and then bent down and grabbed the box of matches. Without giving much thought to the idea, I quickly opened the box, got a match, and scraped the round end of the match against the red part of the box. Fire instantly ignited on the match, and I held the match out.

"Leave us alone! Or else!" I warned. "You will end up nice and crispy like your daughter!"

The king's red eyes widened, and his shadowy body shook a little. "How...how did you get ahold of that box?" he questioned.

I shrugged. "It was on the ground when I first came here. All by itself." I began walking towards him. "I may hate fire, but if it is the solution to get you to free me, my friends, and the shadow people, then so be it."

"No...no!" Oberious raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

Upon his command, red eyes flashed from the darkness. The eyes stared intently at me, Maxine, and Karla as if they desired to eat our souls. Karla and Maxine hurried to me and hugged me tightly.

"What you see are my people, the Nerians," Oberious commented. "Letting you and the others go just will not do, so I propose a compromise."

"Compromise?" I repeated.

The shadow nodded. "If you put out the bits of flames that you have on that match, then I will change your friend and Karla back to their original selves. Their human selves."

I raised an eyebrow. "And...?"

"You, Nigel, will take their places. You will willingly let me turn you into a shadow and stay in Nerquina as my slave. Forever."

My hands quivered at the sound of that.

Giving up my life for Karla's and Maxine's? Was it worth it?

"No!" Maxine cried as she hugged me ever so tightly.

"What...what about the shadow people?" I asked.

"I will let them leave also," Oberious replied. "Your friends and the shadow people will be humans and free to go back to the world that they once lived in." He chuckled darkly. "In exchange for your life."

"Do not do it!" Karla warned, shaking me furiously. "Do not accept the deal! It is a trap!"

"Karla!" I wanted to tell her to stop shaking me. I was afraid that the match would slip from my grasp.

But it was too late.

The match slipped from my fingers and fell.

Fell to the ground.

"Noooooooo!" Oberious exclaimed.

I tried grabbing the match without getting myself burnt...

...but...

...it went through my hand!

I let out a yelp and looked at the match. It stopped falling.

It stopped in mid-air!

Shocked, I looked at my hand. No burns from the fire.

"That is...odd," I said to myself.

"Is it?"

I jumped. "Maxine? Karla?"

"It is me."

I turned - and saw Nora the Wise standing in front of me.

"Ah!" I yelled.

"I am sorry," Nora spoke. "Did I jump scare you?"

"Y-yeah." I breathed heavily. "D-do not do that!"

"My sincere apologies."

She walked over to Karla and Maxine and examined them. She grabbed onto her hood and yanked it even further down. I do not know why though. It is not like that she could see anything. Crub, I could not see a part of her face!

Perhaps she does not like showing her face.

"I assume that these are your friends, Maxine and Karla," Nora stated.

"How did you know their names?" I asked. I suddenly remembered. "Oh, yeah. You know lots of things."

"Correct. I am proud that you are catching on to what I said earlier."

"What?"

"My message. The message that I gave you before I went on my way."

I frowned.
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"Day and night. Night and day. It does not matter. The darkness is everywhere. Light will shine upon the blackness of the world, but will that be enough? No. It takes more than that to stop the darkness that covers the nations. People. Loads of people. However, they think - and believe - that they can overcome the darkness. This is not true. No one can defeat the darkness alone. They must gain help. For if they do not, then they will be lost in darkness."
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"Your message did no good!" I shot at her.

"It must have," she shot back. "Even now, you are showing your bravery."

"Ugh!" I pointed at the blackness. "Get out of my sight! You are not helping the situation in any way!"

She patted my shoulder. "You may think that now, but wait and see. The lights of the path shall come to life and lead you on your way."

"Just go!"

She took a step back. "I have frozen time, so no one hears our conversation but us. So may I say one last detail? If you do, I will leave you be."

I sighed. "Fine, but make it quick."

Nora the Wise tilted her head to the match. "Whatever you do, let the match fall. Let the fire touch the blackness and burn all that is bad here. Then run. Get their attentions and run. Because fire itself has no shadow." She then disappeared into darkness. However, I could still hear her. Her voice got fainter and fainter though.

"Lights are not of the norm,
Dreams will become real,
And reality shall die,
Listen to the signs,
For they will be of a great surprise,
For you,
And the others,
Walk down the correct path,
Do not be deceived by what people say,
But listen to your own heart,
It will give you the peace that you need,
And the answers that you are seeking for,
Why you are fictional..."