The Lost Knight (Volume I)

Chapter 20: Uncle

"Ponies! Ponies!" I scream. The stalactites dematerialize. I smash into a pony because the cave is once again packed.

I can't even do one stupid thing like control a random thought. This part of the journey should've been easy and fun, but I'm messing it up. Dathid is right. I'm too stupid to do this.

I'm diving deep into my self-loathing when I'm loudly interrupted by a deafening thud that knocks an involuntary yelp from me. It sounds as if something huge is moving toward us.

The ponies disappear and my blood chills, sending shivers down my arms. I don't know what's heading our way because I don't know what I thought of. Whatever it is, it's big. I'm so frightened I can't concentrate enough to make the ponies come back.

When the exceptionally large and malicious Dathid appears, the shock on the real Dathid's face is almost comical until the giant Dathid swings his sword at him. The real Dathid draws his sword too and deftly blocks the hit, but the gigantic Dathid is undeterred, striking again and slamming the real Dathid to the ground. He rolls over, slices the ankle of the giant and jumps to his feet.

I'm so overcome with embarrassment that I can't stop gaping and make the ponies come back. I can't believe I thought of a giant Dathid. "I'm going to die," I say aloud. It's an expression, die of embarrassment. I don't mean it literally, but without warning, my air stops. I can't breathe. I'm choking. I wildly slap at Jonah, who is engrossed in the fight between the two Dathids.

He forcibly grabs my arms and shouts at me. My panic is making his words incomprehensible. I'm going to die in this strange world, in this strange cave, with these strange people.

"Agatha!" Jonah screams, his voice wavering with terror. "You are alive! You are alive! Ponies. Bring the damn ponies back! You are alive!"

My knees buckle and Jonah holds me up by my shoulders and shakes me. My vision tunnels and dims as Jonah's voice warbles.

"You are alive! You can breathe!"

I'm alive? It's a question, but my air comes back in a rush.

"I can breathe." I gasp and cough. After a few more breaths, I push away from Jonah and announce, "I can breathe and I can bring the ponies back!"

The multitude of ponies returns. Giant Dathid looks around, baffled, and sheathes his sword. The real Dathid wordlessly folds over and collapses against a green pony. He lies there motionless until, finally, he stands and rubs a hand down his ashen face. He slowly sheathes his sword and shakes himself off. A lavender sky appears above us, and the cave gets brighter. I didn't think of that, so it must be Dathid's thoughts.

I jump when a door slams.

I know that noise. Uncle's home. I'm in trouble.

The cartoonish ponies explode into mounds of paper, broken furniture, and clothing. Ugh, that smell.

The trash pushes me into a corner. I'm struggling to swim to the top but I'm being buried alive. Jonah reaches out to me, but the wall to my bedroom closes him off. I fall to the garbage-strewn floor. Am I shaking from fear or the rumble of tons of trash piling up throughout the cave?

I've trapped myself in a small cell. Auntie's television is the only noise when the rumbling stops.

"Hello," Uncle calls out.

"She's in her room, pouting," Auntie yells back.

"Stay calm. They're not really here," I whisper as I sit on the floor next to my bed. "This is not my room."

On the wall that blocked out Jonah are drawings, depictions of my experiences in Ashra that resemble my paintings. It's done exactly in my style, all jumbled together and random. But I didn't paint them.