Immortals Of Byolla Bay

Darkness, who knew it was so cold? I keep hearing a chattering sound. It’s familiar, but I can’t place it. What’s going on? Am I dead? Aren’t I supposed to see a light or something?

After a while I heard muted voices. Where’s that coming from? This is annoying. Man I wish I could see!

The voices are getting clearer. It sounds like Dr. Gohlan and a woman. Am I at the doctor’s office? No that can’t be right..I was just at... Where was I?

I tried to remember, but it’s like my brain was wading in its own murky swamp and just fell in over its head. I stopped trying to do anything else and just focused on the voices. “She’s freezing! Are you sure she’s not going to die from hypothermia? Her teeth are chattering pretty bad!”

The woman’s voice sounded on the edge of hysteria. That voice. I know it, but I can’t think of her name. At least she answered something for me, the chattering sound is my teeth, which means I’m way more cold than I first imagined.

I heard another voice, but this one gave me a feeling of hope and pure joy. It was music to my ears, “Is she going to be alright? She’s shaking and has not woken up yet. Is there not anything else I can do?”

I know the name to that voice. He’s the reason I wake up in the morning, the only meaning I have to my life and the man I need more than air. Rikki. I try to say his name, but I can’t get anything to work. I’m just too cold.

The woman spoke, “Oh Rikki, if you hadn’t been there..” then she broke into a heart wrenching sob. Mom? Yeah, it’s my mom! She’s crying! But mom I’m okay, I am here. I think.

“No, Erin. If I wouldn’t have let her out of my sight she wouldn’t have accidentally fallen off that cliff. This is as much my fault as the wolves. I don’t deserve to be here.” What? No! Rikki don’t leave me!

“Nonsense boy! You were protecting her. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Theodore Winnigrove called his cousin, who is the sheriff in Zephyr’s Landing. They came over to survey the scene and are getting a team together to hunt for those wolves. They said Kinsley would have never fallen in if the cliff hadn’t give way. She just stepped on a patch that was ready to crumble is all. No Rikki. If you hadn’t have jumped in and saved her, she would be..” Mom started crying again.

I fell off a cliff? Now why would I do something silly like that? Wolves? What? I just wish my brain would resurface from the muck and help me remember...

Then there was heat. Excitement filled me when I felt the familiar fire spread through my veins, warming me from the inside out. Rikki. The darkness was fading and I was no longer cold. My brain was slowly pulling itself out of the swamp.

“Come on, Kinsley. Please come back to me, my love.” His pleading for me did it. “Ri.. Rikki?” I heard myself say. I felt Rikki’s arms around me, “Kinsley! Oh thank the stars! We were worried sick!”

I felt him help me up and finally I felt like I could open my eyes. The first thing I seen was tacky floral wallpaper.

Yep. Dr. Gohlan’s office.

Next was my mom, who hugged me with tears streaming down her face, “Oh my baby! You are alright! How do you feel?” I hugged my mom back, “I think I’m alright. What happened?”

Mom looked at Rikki, who I turned to look at as well. His wet hair was glistening in the florescent lights from the office. If his hair is still wet then I couldn’t have been out of the water for too long. How long have I been comatose?

“You’ve only been out about 20 minutes, love, thanks to the doctor. He put heat packs and electric blankets around you as well as had you in an oxygen mask until you were breathing normally on your own. Everything is going to be okay.”

That’s when it all came back to me, the party, the wolves..“Oh no! I remember! Rikki did anyone get hurt?”

He held a hand up, which I was thankful for because I probably would have said way more than I needed to, “Miraculously, besides some minor injuries and probably a few cases of post traumatic stress, everyone at the party is fine. The wolves didn’t kill anyone and Judge Winnigrove’s cousin from Zephyr’s Landing is here investigating and collecting a team to hunt these vermin to extinction.”

I hugged him tightly. When his ear was by my mouth I whispered, “It’s not over, is it?” He pulled away, slightly shaking his head, answering me and making my heart plummet.

After a few minutes walking around and showing them I could function just fine, we left the doctor’s office in mom’s car. Pulling up at my house, I seen Keri’s car parked beside the sidewalk. A worried looking Keri and Maggie were standing outside it.

When I got out of the car Maggie gave me a big hug with tears running down her face, “We thought we lost you! Oh I’m so glad you are okay!” I heard car doors shut and I looked up to see Ty and Gene hurrying over, “Thank the stars you are alive! How are you feeling?”

Ty placed a hand on my shoulder. I nodded,” I think I’m okay. I feel like I have an elephant on my chest, but I think I’ll be fine. It’s starting to not hurt as bad when I take a breath.”

Keri turned to my mom, “Hello there, I’m Rikki’s mother, Keri. This is my husband, Ty and my other son, Gene. I’m sorry to have to meet you like this.” My mom exchanged hellos and turned to me, “How about we come inside. I’m afraid it will be a little cramped, but I’ll make us all coffee.”

It is a good thing I have a decent sized bed because Maggie is at the foot sitting up cross legged and Rikki beside me with his hand cradling my face. If I had a twin bed we would be just a tad bit cramped. Keri, Gene and Ty were in the living room discussing the wolves with my mom. They were also talking about the team dispatched to hunt them.

It’s not going to do any good, but we can’t tell them or my mom that. They are not going to find anything, but tracks and kids who are scarred for life. No one would believe that these wolves are actually not what they seem at all, but evil creatures from another realm that are more human than beast. I’m not afraid as long as Rikki is here, even though I can tell he is slightly unnerved.

I looked up to him to see he and Maggie having a silent conversation. I stayed quiet because I’ve learned that they do this when they are unsure how to ask me something. Finally Maggie sighed, “Kinsley, darling I know this is the worst time to ask you anything, but this is very important, okay?” I nodded for her to continue.

She reached over and grabbed my hand, “What do you know about your biological father?” I gasped, “What? Why?” Why would they possibly want to know now of all times?

Suddenly an image popped into my mind that chilled me to the core. It was something I wished I blame on the alcohol, but I can’t. It was the drowlgord that had eyes the exact color of mine.

Jumping up, I threw open the window, gasping for breath. I felt like I was choking and I needed fresh air right then. Rikki was rubbing my back, “Baby, what’s wrong? I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”

Maggie quietly walked beside me and knelt down to my level, “You seen it’s eyes didn’t you?” I nodded, “Yeah. But that’s impossible. He’s..”

I trailed off as Maggie turned her head sideways to give me a knowing look. I said impossible, didn’t I? That word didn’t fit in my world anymore. Everything around me is supposed to be impossible, but it’s not.

Time travel is supposed to be impossible, as well as immortality and magic, but it’s not. So how far of a stretch would it be if my father just happened to be one of these impossible things? Not long at all. “I need to talk to my mom.”