Everville: The First Pillar Read online

  He stumbled and fell to the floor. He looked drained. Every last bit of strength seemed to drain from his body as all he had ever known and loved had been taken from him.

  The Keeper immediately felt Toe’s loss across the vast expanse. He gazed through his portal wall and saw what one of Them had done to Toe’s family.

  The Keeper yanked Toe from Them and brought him into his workshop. Them did not care. They all felt a sense of delight in his pain. The member of Them that tricked Toe grinned with a sense of pleasure and satisfaction in his achievement, and I could sense a blackness, a void with a shapeless pair of eyes staring back at me.

  I thought to myself about what Them had tricked Toe into doing that enabled Them to send his family to The Other In Between. Why was Toe even talking to Them in the first place?

  The Keeper took my hand off the learner device. I understood the sorrow and pain of Toe. I also felt the sadness and despair that engulfed the wasteland of The Other In Between.

  “Them are very cunning and deceitful,” said The Keeper.

  “Them will find ways of controlling those in your world that are susceptible to their ideas. You cannot allow yourself to be influenced by Them. You must be very careful.”

  The burden of this knowledge seemed too much for me to bear. The Keeper sensed my emotion.

  “You are stronger than you think. You have a strength that stretches between there and here and now and then. All of Everville is behind you and the number of allies in your world is more than you know.”

  Those words gave me some solace. Still, my heart felt heavy and I was gravely concerned about my possible success. I still was not even clear on what I needed to do or why I was so important. What did I have to offer to defend Everville or the world as I knew it? I felt completely overwhelmed.

  Instantly, I was back with Anika and Dante. Like each of my other trips to Everville, no time had passed while I was gone.

  EVERVILLE CHAPTER 6

  BATTLE LINES.

  Battle lines were drawn. The forces of both sides rushed together with an overwhelming howl. The galloping of the horses made the ground tremble with the force of a thousand earthquakes. The deafening roar of the stampede grew louder and louder as the distance between both sides grew smaller and smaller. The menacing sky grimaced as the inevitable clash approached. The generals of both sides rushed ahead of their massive armies. They eagerly drew their swords in anticipation of the fight. As the swords were lifted, the battle cry of the meeting armies drowned out even the sound of the stampeding horses.

  Anika spoke and drew my attention away from the movie being played on the storefront window television.

  For a moment, I imagined being in the middle of the fictitious battle. Perhaps this was what awaited me at the conclusion of this journey I now found myself on. I found solace in the notion that it might be possible to fight a battle without actually fighting, or at least I hoped that was the case. If Everville is somewhere else in the unknown time and space, maybe there could be a way to mitigate the damage being done by Them by making use of that knowledge.

  I continued to walk as Anika and Dante carried on a conversation to which I was completely oblivious. I shifted my thoughts to the handcrafted streets that surrounded us. With each step I took, I gazed at the brick-like appearance of the sidewalk. I noticed the chiseled features of each grey stone. Each stone was clearly meticulously carved and placed carefully in the ground. The stones seemed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding buildings.

  Slowly, we came upon the grouping of buildings that housed the Art Club. Artwork gleamed out of nearly every window from galleries located in the first and second floors of the building. Every type of artwork imaginable seemed to be shouting at me. Before my senses could finish processing the eclectic mix of art that surrounded us, a figure standing in a doorway captured my attention.

  “Are you here for the Art Club meeting?”

  “Yes,” said Anika.

  “Please, come on in. I’m Drusilla and this is Zee.”

  “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Anika, and this is Dante and Owen.”

  Drusilla leaned against the doorway. She wore an elegant dark purple dress that complemented her perfect figure. It was sexy but subtle. She clearly had a fashion sense that equaled Anika’s and the body to boot.

  I had to turn my eyes before she noticed I was staring. Dante didn’t bother; he had a childish grin on his face that gave him away. Drusilla was clearly enjoying the attention. Strangely, Zee seemed to enjoy it even more.

  “Come on in. We have tons of food and drinks,” said Zee.

  We sat down in the back next to the refreshments, or rather, Dante sat down in the back and we sat next to him. After a few seconds, I started to collect myself. I looked around the room and was rather impressed with the artwork hanging on the walls. This gallery seemed a bit different than most of the others close by. The paintings were all portraits. They looked as if they were from all different time periods. They were so exact in their representations that it was hard to distinguish the paintings from photographs.

  “Thanks for noticing,” Zee said as he saw me looking around the gallery focused on each painting.

  “These portraits are of all of the past Art Club presidents. I’m sure you recognize that one over there.”

  I glanced over in the direction he was pointing and looked at the painting. It was the spitting image of Zee. It was exact in every detail. Whoever painted it was clearly gifted and meticulous in his approach.

  “Who painted these?”

  “Professor Samil, or Professor S. as I like to call him, painted the most recent ones. His father and grandfather painted the others when they were professors here. Professor S. is the professor of art history. His class is wonderful; you should take it if you have the chance. He’s standing over there next to your friend Dante.”

  I recognized Professor Samil from the campus café. I couldn’t help but feel a little spooked by his appearance. His clothes were rather worn and seemed outdated by over a century. He had facial hair growing in varying lengths and a grey beard that reached his stomach.

  Dante, fixating on the assortment of cheeses and dips, was oblivious to everyone around him.

  “Oh my god, these dips are the best I’ve ever tasted in my life!”

  They certainly did look appetizing. I dipped a celery stick into one of the dark colored dips and took a bite.

  “Wow!” was all I could say after I took a sample of the dip.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Same here. I think I saw you at the campus cafe.”

  “Yes. I believe so. Can’t keep me away from my morning Joe.”

  His voice sounded even older than he looked. It was low and scratchy; it sounded as if it had been sitting on a shelf for decades then dusted off just to speak to me. There was something about him that intrigued me, but I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. He had a foreboding presence, though that could just be his poor fashion sense. Zee approached the front of the room.

  “Thanks again for coming everyone. I think you will all find that the benefits of the Art Club are second to none. We are one of the oldest and most prestigious clubs on campus and boast an alumni list that has more politicians and Fortune 500 CEO’s than any other. There is certainly more to do here than just learn about art. I think you will find the connections at this club can be a stepping-stone to fame, fortune, and power to all of you that desire it.”

  That certainly caught my attention! Anika glanced over, appearing to read my mind. Even Dante managed to look up at me after having his face firmly focused on the food table since we arrived.

  The room erupted.

  “YEAH!” was the collective scream across the room. Clearly everyone else had a better understanding of this club than any of us.

  “We will be holding our annual Roundabout on the first of the month. For those of you who are new, you would be advised to meet with one of our other members to get
more details. The annual Roundabout is a cherished tradition and is very competitive! The winners and two guests will get to spend a weekend at the Hamptons courtesy of Professor S. We will talk more about the specifics at the first official meeting to all members next week.”

  “Holy crap!” I thought to myself. I definitely want to know more about this Roundabout.

  “After this week, the battle lines will be drawn. Choose your teams carefully.”

  EVERVILLE CHAPTER 7

  REVELATIONS

  I wasn’t sure what to make of what just happened. I felt honored and excited about the opportunity. Of course, I had no idea what the Roundabout was, but regardless of whether or not we could even win, the Art Club exceeded my expectations!

  Anika looked at me and said, “That was odd.”

  “Really? In what way?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, but I just got kind of a funny feeling from that place.”

  “Yeah. Me too, but it seems like a great opportunity. What do you think, Dante?”

  “I think it’s awesome and I can’t believe how good the food was!”

  “The food was unbelievable. It had a magic all its own.”

  “So I’ve been meaning to talk to you guys about something.”

  “Yeah? What about?”

  “Well, you know. It’s about my experience and I keep having these dreams.”

  Anika looked at me pensively and asked me, “Are you okay?”

  I told them everything I knew. After listening to me ramble for about 20 minutes Anika looked at me and said, “Oh my god!”

  Then, Dante started telling me about how he knew someone that I could talk to.

  “I have this uncle. He kind of knows a lot about weird things. He used to talk all the time about ghosts, magic, aliens, and stuff. Listen, just talk to him for ten minutes. Tell him what you told us. Maybe he’ll have some answers. If not, you just wasted ten minutes. He lives close by, so I can give him a call, and you can talk to him about it tonight.”

  “Sure. Why not? I suppose it’s as good a place to start as any.”

  “Great!”

  An hour later, we were at Dante’s Uncle Jack’s home sitting on the couch.

  “So tell me about this experience of yours.”

  Half an hour passed before I finished. I had now told the whole story twice in the same day. I certainly hoped I had done the right thing. I mean, I didn’t want everyone I’d ever known thinking I was a total nut job.

  “Well, Owen, I want to tell you about something I heard quite some time ago. When I was about your age, I heard some rumors about something similar. Some classmates of mine in high school were talking about how one of their friends was having these visions and dreams. I didn’t get all the details, but I did hear about how certain people, places, and things were conduits for good or bad from the other side or from worlds outside our own. Some people knew about these people, places, and things. They were able to take advantage of this and even visit these other worlds.

  “I can tell you this; not everything is as simple as it seems. Even science can only tell you so much. Thousands of years ago, people would call what we have today magic. Maybe certain things have unknown properties that somehow allow energy or thoughts to travel from one place to the next.

  “Ok. This is what we’re going to do. Don’t tell anyone else about this the next time you have one of those visions until you’ve got this thing sorted out. In the meantime, I’m going to see if I can contact those old classmates I was telling you about.”

  Anika looked at me and said, “You know this is really cool!”

  “Yeah! This is fantastic! Maybe you’re some kind of superhero or something!”

  “I don’t know about that,” I said to Dante.

  “The Keeper didn’t say anything about superpowers and it seems like we’re in some kind of trouble that needs to be fixed.”

  “Well, Anika and I will be your sidekicks! Just let us know when we can help!”

  “Thanks Dante. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this.”

  EVERVILLE CHAPTER 8

  THE KEEPER

  The Keeper slouched over his desk. His thoughts visibly weighed him down. Alone in his office, his body spoke the real worry he was reluctant to show in the company of others. Intense dread and uncertainty clouded his emotions. He could hardly focus on finding a solution to the problem that vexed Everville.

  He frantically searched his shelves in the hopes of a solution. For now, it continued to evade him. His only hope was to try what had worked in the past, but the problem had never been this bad and victory was by no means certain. Them have never gained this much power and there had never been so many lost souls in The Other In Between.

  The Keeper, like all other Keepers, had once been a Fron. A Fron with a pure heart and patience could sometimes manage to glimpse a small piece of truth that eluded most everyone else. The universe’s secrets are so vast that even a small amount of true understanding transforms forever the soul of the Fron that possesses it. This is what had happened to the Keeper.

  It’s very unusual for someone to posses both the strength and pureness of heart to comprehend one of the seven pillars of truth contained in the universe. These are the pillars that lay the foundation for understanding how time, space, and free will work.

  The Keeper was happy when he lived as a young Fron. His spirit was infectious. Whenever other Fron were around him, they would always end up feeling happy and content. If they were especially sad or upset, The Keeper could always change their mood for the better. It was this happy optimism that would one day provide the perseverance needed to help lead him to the revelation about one of the seven pillars of truth and his transformation into The Keeper.

  The Fron, like other species in Everville, did not experience time as those of Earth did. They were able to live outside time and experienced a seemingly infinite existence. They did not age after middle age and they didn’t die under normal circumstances. They did sometimes, however, move on to other types of existence.

  Bitterness, jealousy, hatred, and many other negative emotions existed, but were not very common with the Fron. For the most part, they were a happy species. Their focus was on family and friendship.

  Unlike the Fron, The Keepers bore great responsibility. They were entrusted with maintaining balance in the universe and preventing Them from destroying the natural order of things.

  The Keeper had now lived longer as a Keeper than as a Fron. His understanding of the universe was great, but he only knew two of the seven pillars. Most Keepers only knew one. It was rumored that one Keeper might know three, but no one was certain. The Keeper did not try to learn all seven pillars. He instead, tried to understand why and how Them behave the way they do. If he understood this, he thought he would make a better Keeper.

  Them had tried many times to gain control of Everville through various methods. Each time was different. Whatever method they were employing this time seemed to be working. Even The Keeper was noticeably rattled, and this vexed him greatly.

  The Keeper thought back to his days as a Fron when he was called Carwyn. He could see his childhood home in his mind like it was yesterday. The inside walls cast shadows longer than what seemed possible. He loved that about his house. The cedar beams ran through the center of the roof and accentuated the medium brown matte finish that had slowly melted away throughout the years. The dining room was a massive space that was very common in the homes of most Fron. This was where they would host large celebrations. The Fron celebrated nearly every occasion and made very good use of the dining facilities.

  The Keeper could still smell the aroma escaping from the earthen stove that was built into the partially underground wall. That was the secret to the flavor of the Fron’s baked goods. Every kind of food imaginable and unimaginable was cooked in that stove. He could smell the oak, hints of butter, and subtle sweetness that permeated every ounce of food he had eaten while growing up in that home.
r />   The land of the Fron was typically in perfect balance. Nature, the sky, the ground, the plants, and all inhabitants were usually free of pain, worry, and stress. Sometimes, however, cracks would appear when Everville was out of balance. Darkness from The Other In Between would slip through causing temporary imbalances that would result in a sudden gust of wind, a brief rainstorm, a rockslide, a downed tree, or a minor injury to one of its inhabitants. Usually, the cracks were small and temporary. They provided a reminder to the Fron to remain vigilant and appreciate the life that was available to them.

  The Keeper thought back further to the first memory of his pet marmook Dagda, a small furry creature that was a common household pet of the Fron. Dagda scurried into Carwyn’s arms. He picked up the creature gently and ran his small hands through the soft wispy auburn fur. Dagda purred and licked Carwyn’s face.

  He had rescued Dagda when he was strolling in the woods. Dagda had an injured leg from a fallen branch. The creature still felt a nagging pain from the injury even after it had fully healed. Carwyn could sense the pain. He felt sorry for the marmook and wished badly that he could give his new pet some relief. The young Fron’s parents were happy to see him take an interest in the injured animal. Kindness and empathy were traits held in high regard among the Fron. They were happy to see their son exhibit such virtues.

  He thought back further to the moment he saw the injured marmook. There had been a piercing howl that quickly spread through the Deep Woods. It was a sound The Keeper would never forget. The chilling air made his hairless arms uncomfortably cold. Daylight seemed to vanish and Carwyn began to sense that something was wrong. Sounds started coming from the ground beginning as a slow deep rumble and gradually getting louder and louder until the sound was almost deafening.