Cevic

Chapter 10

Rush, rush, rush

 

I didn’t tell Rezia what had happened. Not only was I apologetic for having her to drive me back and forth, but also ashamed and embarrassed to admit my weakness. I was seventeen, and Isha was utterly unfazed. I had come running out like a kid. She didn’t press me for the reason, and only dropped me off.

“I have some stuff to deal with, and I’m going to a nearby place within walking distance. I’ll be back at least in an hour. Stay home and you can look through the books again. Don’t open the door for strangers, okay?”

 Rezia was actually three years my senior, but at times like this, she seemed old and wise enough to be my mother.

  I nodded many times, cupping my hands over my ears. “Okay, mom.”

After she left, the house seemed a lot bigger. I retired back to my room and removed my boots and muffler. The stack of books from the library was still in a pile on my desk. I have spent nearly two hours going through the books crazily, and it had amassed to nothing.

 What I needed wasn’t to look through books sitting at one place while treacherous ministers eagerly yearning for his sickness to deepen surrounded King Decus. It was to take action.

  During my two hours in the library I had also searched on the Internet. If the lungs of Earth really meant the woods, then there was an uncountable area of forest that Rezia and I, just the two of us had to go through. If the lungs of Earth really, really meant the woods, we were more than just unfortunate.

  There was little hope.

But a queasy sensation tugged at my belly. Legendary songs and riddles usually meant more than just dictionary meanings. Maybe it was just the devastation at the millions, gazillions of acres of forests that held the possibility of the cure.

  Deep within the lungs of Earth

 Where no Earthling seeks

 But for gold

Oblivious to the treasures held

And a cure to a Cevic illness

Ready to be taken under the full moon of the twenty-first hour

In exchange for a gift that means life or death

  I’d learnt from James that recent cell phones were smart phones because they had access to nearly everything, even the Internet. There was no computer in this house, nor was my cell phone an up-to-date one. It could not even take photos. I had to get to the library. I-

  A groan split through my lips, as a blistering, raging hotness engulfed my pendant necklace. Its light was fading, flickering.

  Feeling as if I were kicked in the chest, not caring about the pain of it against my skin, I sank down to my knees, clutching the pendant in my hands, praying hard. No. Give me some more time.

 “No.” A grievous, raw moan ripped through and out of me, as I stared down at the pendant, cupped in my hands, flickering in and out of its light.

  Then, suddenly, as if nothing had happened at all, the light went glowing back.

Unable to believe my eyes, I stared at the pendant, looked at it from every angle, and cupped it in my hands. It was still glowing emerald.

 King Decus had been on the brink of death just a few moments ago, and I had no time to lose.

  Taking the bus was impossible. I didn’t know the route to the library via bus.

Walking was not an option. It was too far away.

I looked around, getting to my feet. Rezia’s car keys were on the glass dining table, set next to a glass of water. Rezia might throw a fit if she knew I’d driven it, but if she could, why couldn’t I? Both of us didn’t have a license.

  Besides, after the pendant lost its light for a few moments, I could not bear to lose any more time. He could- he could pass away any moment.

As I reached out for the keys, my hands tingled. I looked down, grimacing. Where the pendant had touched was a bright red shade. My skin had been nearly scalded. My neck was in the same state.  

  Wishing I had a way to communicate, to see if King Decus was all right, I took the car keys, the house keys in the wooden cabinet of the kitchen, and after taking a sip of the water, got out of the house.

  There had to be many interpretations of the riddle.

“Don’t take everything literally, my prince.”

  I had taken the forest literally, and just because it somehow matched all other lines, I had merely assumed it to be true.

 I needed to make haste.

I fumbled into the driver’s seat, and started the ignition like how I’d seen Rezia do a couple of times, and made sure my cell phone was with me, before I started to drive out of the garage, my hands shaky on the steering wheel.

  This was no big deal. I could control an alive abele. Why not a piece of metal? I gritted my teeth, and my foot hit the pedal. Too hard.

The car zoomed out about three meters away from the garage. I looked down left. Rezia had used it to stop. It was called a word in breakfast. Break? Brake, yes, brake. And the steering wheel was for the direction. Hopefully.

  I took a deep breath, and slowly, my hands clammy on the steering wheel I hit the pedal, this time gentler.

  The car lurched forward, nearly exactly like how I wanted it to.

When it came to a left turn, I gently turned the steering wheel to the left, and hit the pedal. When the car started to drive left and straight as I’d wanted it to, a relieved smile touched my lips. It was easy- maybe not.

  Something was terribly amiss.

I inhaled, and coughed. The black, long part that looked like a handle- called gear- was smoking. Wisps of grey smoke snaked out of the area, slowly filling the car. It didn’t smell so bad, but it didn’t look too good.

 When Rezia drove her car, it didn’t smoke.

I had to stop and check. I looked down impatiently at the still-glowing pendant, just to check, and released my hands.

 And yes, I forgot to let go of the pedal.

My hands were completely off the handle, and the pedal had been forgotten, or rather, pressed too hard by my foot.

  The food in my stomach seemed to churn, when the vehicle lurched forward with a screeching noise, heading straight to an enormous oak tree.

  By the time I had started to wonder which pedal was the brake, I saw fireworks of explosion before my eyes, and then saw and heard no more.