Read Between the Lines
We flew over to Tyrannia two days later, as soon
as we could get a flight out of there. I hadn't told Omni what had happened
that night, only that I wanted to get out of there. She didn't even know I was
gone.
Arriving in Tyrannia, I tried to make the best
out of it, even though I was feeling a bit down in the dumps. Omni surprised
me with M*YNCI tickets, so that cheered me up a bit, but I still wasn't that
excited.
The concert was fun, I got a M*YNCI CD for
free, and that was great. It got out late, so when we got to our hotel, I shut
my eyes and fell into a restless sleep.
In the morning, I woke, still tired, to an
empty stomach and an empty room. I grabbed the banana Omni had left on the table
for me, munching angrily, feeling like glaring at someone.
I stormed out of the room, and eventually I
was out in the bright sunlight of Tyrannia. I squinted my eyes, and looked down
toward the ground.
Suddenly, someone bumped into my and I fell
stumbling, to the ground.
The pet stopped-a green Shoyru-with fear in
her eyes, but took the time to apologise. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "I
was trying to get away from the Lair of the Beast...it was horrifying. Truly
scary."
I grinned weakly as I dusted myself off. "It's
all right," I told her. "I should have looked where I was going."
After the Shoyru scampered off, I decided that,
for something to do, I would go into the Lair of the Beast. There really shouldn't
have been anything to be afraid of-all it was was a cave, right? I'd heard there
was something living in there, but I truly doubted that.
After asking directions, I started on my path
toward the cave. I kicked along a pebble as I went, and as the cave neared,
I could see why so many people were afraid of it. It was quite frightening,
even from the outside. But I had my mind set on going in there, so I stomped
confidently up the path, and took my first step inside.
It was a lot like one of those creepy horror
movies, where every once and a while a droplet of water drops, and it echoes
eerily throughout the cave.
Did I say a lot like? I meant exactly like.
Each footstep I make echoed, and I stumbled
along nervously. I almost tripped on a pebble, but caught myself as I went on,
getting more frightened with each step. It took me a while to realise that I
was holding my breath.
I was just about to turn back-I couldn't stand
it anymore!-when a few yards up ahead, I noticed a folded piece of paper. Expecting
something like, "Beware the Beast" or "HELP!" just to scare you, I bounded forward
and unfolded it.
The ink was smudged and runny, but I could
make out a few of the words. They alternate lines, the writing, and I could
only make out the last line: Read between the lines.
I pondered it for a moment, then bounded out
of there, holding the paper, into the sunlight. This time I didn't squint, but
was thankful for the light.
Back at the hotel, I waited impatiently for
Omni to come home, while I wrote in my journal and sketched a few pictures of
myself. I had calmed down a lot now, and I sat down with a book to read, but
pondered over the note. Had it been meant for me? Was I destined to receive
it? Or had it gotten there by chance?
I suppose that if I ever wanted to answer those
questions, I'd have to read between the lines...
But some questions, I suppose, are better left
unanswered.
Anything For Family
We spent a few more days in Tyrannia, just
for fun, and we went to a few more concerts. It was fun, and there were no more
people telling me to keep on looking.
Our next, and last, stop was Meridell, my favourite
land by far. Illusen was my favourite faerie, too, and the prospect of meeting
her was exciting. When our train chugged to a stop, I bounded off the train
and into Meridell, eager to get going.
After we dropped our bags off at the hotel,
we zoomed over to Illusen's Glade and I shyly presented myself to her. She smiled
at me and asked for an Apple, so I plucked one out of my bag and handed it to
her. She rewarded me with some shampoo, and I laughed as she joked about my
quickness. I danced down to where Omni and Tika stood, waiting, and laughing
at me.
I playfully punched Omni in the arm as she
scooped me up and held me like a baby. I called Ev again later in the day, and
was able to get onto a computer to chat with some of my other friends, too.
All in all, it was a great day, and it ended with a smile on my face.
The next day, Omni and I played a few rounds
of Round Table Poker, and lost terribly every time. We had fun at Meri Acres,
piling turnips, gazing at huge marrows, picked some berries, and counted potatoes.
We played with some of the petpets at the petpet shop, cooing at how cute they
until Tika became obviously annoyed and we left. I poked Omni into playing a
few rounds of Kiss the Mortog, and we actually ended up getting about 5 thousand
Neopoints, even though we had to head back to hotel and help Omni clean out
her mouth afterwards. The Shapeshifter Ixi stumped us at level 6, so we decided
to practice our archery skills with ultimate Bullseye and failed horribly.
I had a great time, as we did all that over
the next two days, and Omni told me that after I'd fall asleep, I was still
smiling. I'd really needed this pick-me-up-I'd been pretty depressed before,
but now I was back on my feet, laughing and smiling again. I had even written
the beginnings to a few stories, which was good, since throughout the whole
previous of our trip I hadn't scribbled down a single word.
We rented a movie that night which we watched
in our hotel room, laughed over and I fell asleep in Omni's bed, snuggled in
with Tika, with Omni's arms around me. We woke up the next day, late morning,
excited, well rested, and ready for another fun day.
Omni mentioned something about going to see
about Cheeseroller, but that Tika and me could go off and do something else.
Eventually, I thought of something.
"Hey, Tika, you want to go see the Turmaculus?"
I cried, scooping her up in my arms and walking towards the mythical Turmaculus,
whistling a tune as I went. It never even crossed my mind what would happen
next...
I pushed Tika towards him, and she went up
reluctantly. She, very weakly, picked up the bucket of water and dumped it on
him, and then he stirred...
Then awoke with a roar.
Poor Tika whimpered, shivering under the Turmaculus'
shadow, and it took me a while to realise what was about to happen.
"NO!" I shouted, leaping towards Tika and shielding
her with my arms. "Don't take Tika! Take me if you have to!" I paused. "I'll
do anything for family!"
Just before old Turmac closed in on me, the
full impact of my last words really hit me. It wasn't as much as a realisation,
how much I loved my family, but the fact that I'd finally spread my wings, let
one grain of sand fall to make the rest clearer, reached the light at the end
of the tunnel, even when my lantern burned out. I'd opened my eyes and braced
myself, and read between the lines, I'd discovered that roots go deep.
And just before everything went black, I knew
where my place was.
Everything Comes to an End
I woke up in the hospital, surrounded by
whiteness. Before anyone had a chance to say anything about my waking up, I
sat up sharply and exclaimed, "Where am I?"
Omni's face lit up as she rushed over to my
side, and gave me a hug. "We're in the Neopia Central Hospital...do you know
what happened to you?"
I sank back into my pillow with a content sigh.
"Yeah, the Turmaculus tried to eat me, didn't he..." I grinned. "And how's Tika?"
"She's fine. I supposed you saved her from
the Turmaculus?"
"Yep!" I answered with a giggle.
Only a few days later, I was let out of the
hospital. When I arrived home, Ev was waiting, and I rushed toward her, into
her open arms.
"Po! I was so worried! What happened?"
I glanced from Omni, to Nova, and back to Ev.
"Well, I guess it's about time I told the whole story, isn't it."
Omni nodded.
"All right then. But let me tell you, it may
take awhile..."
So we went inside the house, mid-afternoon,
and I started from the beginning, telling in detail the whole tale, from start
to finish, everything I remembered. And I don't even remembered what happened
at the end, except for the fact that there was a lot of comforting and hugging.
"But I'm here," I tried to say. "I'm home...I've
found my place..."
After Nova and Ev got up to leave-to give you
an idea of how long the story took, it was now late evening, and the stars were
shining bright-Ev pulled me aside as Omni and Nova said their goodbyes.
"It was good of you to tell us the story, Po,"
she said, her eyes still twinkling. She'd always loved a good tale.
"It needed to come out someday," I agreed.
"And I think I know just where your place is..."
"Me too."
She hugged me again, and said, "I just want
you to know something, Po."
"And what is that?"
"You're my best friend, and you always will
be. And sometimes we might get into fights, and I don't want that to change
what you think about your place. Because where you are is where you should be..."
she paused.
"Go on," I coaxed.
"And...that you're like a sister to me. And
I don't ever want you to go away for that long again," she stopped, considering.
"Unless you take me with you," she added.
I grinned. "Don't worry, Ev, I won't. I won't
have any need to. Unless, of course, you don't agree with me on everything..."
She smiled and lightly punched me in the arm.
"Ah, maybe not." She took my hand, and cupped it in her two. "But true friends
last forever."
***
Later that night, I sat on the balcony again.
But this time I wasn't crying.
Omni was by my side, arm around me and Tika
was snuggled in my lap, sound asleep.
The stars twinkled above me, and this time
when I saw one fall and glide across the sky, I didn't wish on it, but merely
acknowledge the beauty of it. Because this time I didn't have to wish for my
place in Neopia-I didn't have to wish for anything. Because I'd found it, I
was there.
I was home.
So, Ev was wrong--it wasn't a neverending
story. Because, of course, everything eventually comes to an end. Is there really
such a thing as forever? Is there really such a thing as neverending? That's
what I'd like to know. Maybe there isn't such a thing as forever, but I know
that my story--the story of my dreams, hopes, and life-will last just as long
as anyone else's, and longer. But that's another story, to be told at another
time.
The End |