Chapter Two: Timeless by Rosaline Saul
Jayden climbs over the backrest from behind me and I move
aside so that I am sitting between Jayden and Kieran. I lift my dress to make
space for him and I notice the hem is mud-soaked and heavy.
I ask again, apprehensively, “What is going on here?”
Jayden starts, “There is this, um.”
Kieran interrupts him, “Not now, Jayden. I will explain
everything to you as soon as we get you home.” His eyes do not look away from
the road.
The moon is shining brightly, illuminating the tall trees
and bushes crowding in onto the two ruts in the road. I see the dark gloom,
which is recently always with me, filtering through the bushes on either side
of us. I have never really been afraid of these shadows because once I got used
to them, they seemed harmless and not dangerous at all. The shadows I saw
earlier mirrored on the cliff were menacing though. They looked like long
claw-like fingers reaching out toward me. Also, I do not know if it is because
of Jayden and Kieran’s sudden panic and strange behaviour, but I now feel
terrified of these shadows.
I yell involuntarily when I see a figure standing on the
grass median between the two muddy grooves that the wheels of many, many wagons
have made when they travel this busy road.
I hear Kieran gasp loudly.
Jayden reaches his arms around my shoulders and pulls me
into him. He puts his palm over my ear as he pulls my face tightly into his
chest. I feel smothered and then when he stiffens against my cheek, I hear a
faint, far-away yell of frustration.
The figure in the middle of the road, in front of the wagon,
floats above the ground. The tips of its black smoky skirt are skimming the
tall grass. As the wagon approaches, it waits, it waits and when the wagon
reaches it, it lunges up and swoops down onto the girl. It opens its hideous
mouth and screeches sharply.
The boy driving the wagon crashes the whip down onto the
apparition. The other boy, whom she should have chosen, holds the girl tightly.
The ghoul reaches the girl and then with an ominous cackle
it sweeps through the girl and takes her soul with it.
Jayden feels the moment she dies. She slumps against his chest,
and he feels his heart break. How long has he loved her? How long has it really
been?
Kieran interrupts his moment of self-pity, by asking—his
voice desperate, “Is she okay?”
Jayden shakes his head in denial, as he says, “No. She is
dead.” His voice in his own ears sounds callous and uncaring.
“NO!”
Kieran yells up into the sky. He pulls at the reins to slow the horse down.
“Keep
going, Kieran. We need to get her home quickly before the moon reaches its
apex.” Jayden urges impatiently.
Kieran asks sadly, “Do you really want to do this again? Get
her body indoors before the moon reaches its highest point in the sky, so we
can re-play all of this again?”
Jayden’s eyes tighten briefly while he looks across her dead
body at his brother. “To be loved by her, even briefly because she keeps
choosing you, I will do it again and again, forever.”
Kieran sighs deeply as they turn a corner in the road
sharply and barely miss the trunk of a giant oak tree. Ahead they see the
thatch-roofed cottage just off the edge of the road. The white smoke from the
fireplace drifts lazily up into the sky. The yellow candlelight glares through
the perfectly square windows.
If only they had reached it earlier. If they could have
reached the safe haven of her home, the shadows would not have been able to
take her once she stepped over the threshold.
If Kieran knew she would be revealing her decision on this
moonlit night, he would not have suggested they go so far away from her
cottage.
Earlier that afternoon, Kieran and
Heather took the horse and cart, then drove out toward the cliffs. They stopped
the cart where the road ends and then they climbed up to the top slowly,
following the goat trails. They reached the top of the cliff, moments before
the sun started to melt into the horizon. This was one of her favourite places.
They could spend hours here, sitting quietly next to each other, because she
loved to watch the sunset and afterwards, she could be very lyrical about the
many wonderful colours painted across the sky in broad pastel brush strokes.
Kieran did not expect to find Jayden there, staring out
toward the horizon. Jayden looked sad and lonely, and Kieran felt brief sorrow
for him.
When Jayden heard them, he turned and smiled up at her. His
eyes always focused on her first. His dark, brooding eyes were always imploring
her silently to realize how much he loved her.
She dropped down next to him innocently and laughed
exuberantly, causing the corners of Jayden’s mouth to lift. She pulled her
knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them as her eyes fixed on the
setting sun. Jayden followed her gaze.
Kieran sat down next to her. Without looking, she reached
for his hand and twined her fingers through his.
Later, after the sunset, Kieran was leaning against a tree trunk, and she was standing flirtatiously close to him. He was filled with immediate joy and dread when she proclaimed her choice. The first thought that rushed through his mind though was the distance back to her home. He should have let his morals and principles fly away on the wind. He should have taken her into his arms there and then, and he should have kissed her without the restraints of proper conduct. He should have told her how much he loved her. He should have known they could never outrun the shadows.
Kieran stops the horse and cart when they reach the cottage.
