The Lost Son | Ferry's Tale # 2

Tangled threads

"It's not your concern to get into people's business," Thyme said in a husky tone after Ferry had told him, in between catching his breath, about the mansion's room, about Andrew and Mrs. Jones.

Ferry couldn't believe his ears. In Lavender's garden, at that late hour in the night, it suddenly turned cold. Colder than the cold of the early winter. The branches were coated with a thin layer of ice, and with each icy blow of the north wind, they were touching each other, a crystal-like melody emerging with each blow.

"Not my concern? Don't you see, Thyme? Everything that happens in this town, all the secrets, all the whispers at the corners, they all have something to do with the fairies. With us ..." he added, softening his voice. "How could I pretend they didn't exist? Sometimes, I get the impression that nobody around is who they seem to be. Even you, my friends, my family... As if something is stopping you from telling me everything. Like you're hiding something from me."

Thyme couldn't look him in the eyes. He turned his back to him, pretending to carve an arrow for the wooden bow.

"It seems that you care about anything else but the things you should really care about. I shouldn't tell you this, but there are many changes in Akna, and the enemy is getting closer to taking over the entire land. The time for you to leave may come sooner. And then, all these gossips that keep popping up in this town, where nobody has anything better to do, will just be dust in the wind. What is happening in this town pales in front of the dangers that hang over Akna. And you have to be prepared."

"But I'm not ready to leave yet," Ferry said. "And you know it."

"No, you are not. And that's because you're distracted by the insignificant things that occupy your mind and drain you of the energy you should put into something else. I know strange things are happening in this town. But people don't always do what they should. What's going on between your dad and Mrs. Jones is wrong. What's going on between Mrs. Jones and Andrew is wrong. But you can't change that," he said softly. "You cannot change the nature of people. They are weak and always fall prey to temptations."

Ferry shook his head, "Andrew and Mrs. Jones are up to something, I know that. They were looking for something. They ransacked the house and the garden in search of it."

"Maybe they were looking for your father's hidden money, his life savings. Maybe that was the plan from the beginning. I know your dad is saving money to open a workshop. It must be a nice amount."

"That's not it, Ferry shook his head. "I'm sure it's something else. Something darker ..."

"Would you put an end to this?" Thyme shouted. Then, as if regretting he had yelled at Ferry, he added, "You must try to find peace, Garrett. And strength. The storm is coming."

*

Ferry agreed on one thing Thyme had said— the storm was coming. He could feel it in the air. He felt that all the mysteries, all the secrets that surrounded the town were somehow connected even if their roots were long, old and tangled.

But he knew he had to be prepared for whatever was to be revealed to him. He also knew he could rely on two people, more than anyone else — Matilda and Ben. He could tell them anything.