Beyond the Lamppost

XVII. Companion

Chapter Seventeen:

X

Companion

"When did you all came here?" I asked curiously. Dried tears were evident in her eyes as I wiped her wounds clean. Mr. Sebastian Hester and Mr. Fred are also here in another cell next to ours. They handed me a bag of medicine and is instructing me on what to do.

"Five Moor days." Mr. Sebastian Hester answered.

"Moor?" It's a new word I've heard.

"This dimension is called Moor, the other side. Apply the hypericum perforatum oil, the one in the bottle on the left compartment." That was Mr. Fred, her nephew and the one I met after the accident. I did as he told me. I applied the oil around the fresh wound and Miss Hoggins grunt in pain. I also applied some in her bruises in her arms.

"But the portal is blocked," I said while wrapping a clean cloth around her leg where the wound is.

"It was unblocked recently. I've been keeping watch outside." Mr. Hester said. "I can feel anything connected to the ground in any dimension but within a limitation." He explains and I gasped in shock.

"I remembered something from the day we met!" I said and I heard a laugh from behind the wall.

"Sorry to startle you at that time." A long silence followed that while I gently secured the last loop of the dressing.

"The guards are coming," Mave warned us. The bell light suddenly goes off leaving us in darkness again. I shoved the bag to the darkest corner of the cell while Miss Hoggins covered her leg with her dress.

"Food for the princess." The guard said then drop a metal platter on the solid concrete making a clunking noise. He retreated again.

"What about your foods?" I asked.

"We've never been given even an ounce of water." That's cruel. "But we have our own," Mave explained.

The bell light lit again and I saw bread and porridge in it. A small serving. I take it near Miss Hoggins and started feeding her. She can barely move but what about the others?

"Are your wounds fine?" I asked them. They seemed quite before finally answering.

"It was taken care of. But we can't help Miss Hoggins for she was separated from us. Mave, have a broken bone but I already gave him a bone mender potion." Mr. Fred explains and I felt relief.

"How did you acquire these wounds?" I asked but I already have a hunch.

"Guards were patrolling around the portal. We've fought some inside the cave but we didn't expect there were many more outside. We were overpowered." Mave explained just as I expected. But I didn't know they stayed there on the island for weeks now. Those guards.

"What about you? How did you come up here?" And I explained to them what happened. But the last thing I remembered left me blurry series of events.

"So you already met the Queen. Your mother." Miss Hoggins softly asked me as I nodded. Eyes brimming with tears again from the story I retell. She smiled.

"Maybe they're planning to infiltrate here," Mave said and my heart leaped in joy.

"But that would be too impossible than infiltrating the Waplis." Mr. Hester said and my hope shattered. I remember the gang. I'm sure they've been badly hurt too. Guards were everywhere. Maybe they are still hiding as we speak.

I remembered my mother and her frail image. Hot liquid flows from my eyes as I tried to remember the warmth of her embrace before we parted.

"Hush, you need to eat too." Miss Hoggins patted my back with her free hand. I wiped the tears off as I munched the bland bread. With every swallow, I feel pain from my throat and my heart.

The guards went down again and the bell light went off. He retrieved the empty platter and retreated.

It was a long day full of bad news and worse surprises. As I stared at the pitch-black ceiling I recalled the night full of stars on the island of Bryn.

Albrecht, where are you? Is my mother safe?

Natalie?

I sat up. Who was that?

Nat, it's Mave.

"Mave?" I tried calling him but he didn't respond. Not verbally.

Let's talk here. The king's adviser had been listening to our conversation right now.

What is happening?

I lay back on the cold concrete once again confused.

I'm talking through the inner voice. I'm sorry I startled you.

How did you do that?

It's my talent. Intelligence talent.

I glanced towards his dark cell but I don't hear any movements.

Does Mr. Fred and Miss Hoggins have talents too?

No, they're normal Earth people while my father and I were Moor people who lived on the other side. But Mr. Fred studied our medicinal techniques, father had been teaching him years ago.

I nodded as if he saw me. Things never fail to surprise the hell out of me.

How are you? He asked.

Tired. I said with all honesty. How about you?

I'm glad you are alive. You don't know how frightened I am when you ran away from me. I haven't slept for days.

I'm sorry. I felt too guilty. If we were having a conversation face to face, I think I'll never have the courage to look at him right now. I felt bad for having troubled so many people.

I remembered the whole gang and their happy faces the moment we escaped the island of Waplis. Madam Norie and Hobi's faces. And them. They've saved me in various ways and here I am stuck in this place waiting for a wedding before my life sentence.

Hey, you will not die. I forgot that he is reading my mind. I wiped my tears off as I tried to empty my mind of unusual thoughts.

Do you have a plan to escape? I think I badly need one.

We are still working on it. But the castle is too impossible to escape from. We didn't know its turns and alleys.

Have you infiltrated someone's mind from afar?

I have but only with familiar faces. I didn't use my talent much.

Can you try someone random? I asked, maybe he can. The talents I've seen so far knows no boundaries and limitations. Just like Cassius and Gundrick. He went silent of a while.

I found one! He shouted from inside and my lips curled up into a smile.

What have you heard?

A girl. She keeps on ranting about broken cups, crumpled or torn papers, and piled up laundry. She must be a castle maid. I sigh. And she's crying. Maybe I should stop now.

Sometimes life can be so hard that I wanted to give up. Maybe she feels that too. I kept on questioning myself if I'm worthy to stay here. I have no talent, well maybe there is one, escaping. But right now, I'm gripped tightly and I can't move. Can you untie these chains of mishaps and pain? Can you, Mave?

I can't. I remained silently sobbing. But you can, yourself. Break free.

My heart pounded fast. Freedom is such an overwhelming word but it feels so nice to imagine oneself free from something.

I will. But I need all the help I can get. I don't want be to chain to a monster anyway.