With much relief we stumbled into the cave of the beginning and I’m pretty sure I heard our jaws drop to the floor. This cave- not even cave- cathedral might be a better word, was incredible. Along the wall weren’t stick drawings like the ones in India but realistic masterpieces, carved into the wall and painted over with- I don’t know what- glittery blue? And the crevices sparkled and crackled with magic. And they moved. Did I mention they move? There was a Lady with long hair writing unfamiliar words on a paper that folded in itself, disappeared and reappeared fresh. Alters and tables dotted the sprawling space, some made of gold, platinum, reed, and diamonds. DIMANDS! This was turning out to be a very beautiful day. Hayley ran ahead, tracing the moving figures, and Ryan and I followed.
I traced my finger tips along the wall, etching every crevice and every foreign image into my memory. I touched the shimmering blue, and stepped back in surprise when I realized some of it was on my fingers. I rubbed it between my thumb and forefinger, disbelieving that it was really there. It was cool, not wet, but- I don’t know- rubbery?
“ Riley look up.” Ryan said sounding somewhat awe-struck. The ceiling of the cave was decorated with hundreds of crystals glowing a blushes light. The light of the beginning. My breath caught as I spun on my heels surveying the football field sized room. Every breath you took was so much cleaner than in the world outside, it renewed you. It was as if the essence of magic was being inhaled into your core. We looked around for at least fifteen minutes taking in the grandeur, and for a moment I could forget the need for urgency In finding the stone; That I was some mutant star child and just everything. It was just nice to relax, I could feel my shoulders slump down and the tenseness of days float away.
“ This. Is. amazing!” I gasped. “ Hayley-“ I stopped short. And looked over my shoulder. Where did she go? There was no sign of her in the immense open space. I swiveled my head franticly, my blood pressure spiraling.
“ Ryan where did Hayley go?!” I exclaimed. He looked at me confused and slowly panic began to rule his features.
“ Oh no, not again! Hayley!”
“ Hayley, where are you!?”
“ She couldn’t have gone far, I mean where could she have gone?” I cried. We began to search under the altars, checkered across the floor. But there was no sign of her.
“ Man this doesn’t make any sense, how could she disappear?!” Ryan was right, the only place for cover would be under the altars, other than that you’d have to go out the Troelly gate but that was blocked. I looked at him desperately and he shrugged pacing the floor.
I ran my fingers through my hair feeling tears of panic threaten to fill my eyes.
“ No, no, no! Hayley, where are you!!?” I screamed.
“ Right here.” Her voice was quiet but I could defiantly hear it. I whipped around scanning the room for any sign of a six year old blonde.
“ Where, I can’t see you...” I faltered. I glanced at Ryan who stared at me like I told him I was really Demi Lovato in disguise and that I had to jet because I had a birthday party to run to in the Swiss alps.
“ What are you doing?” He cried. Now it was my turn to look at him strangely.
“ Um, were you not just right here? Have we not been looking for Hayley? She called out, you were standing here…” I trailed off for he was still giving me that look.
“ No one has said anything.” I stared at him and he stared at me back. Awkwardly.
And then I knew. I closed my eyes and slowly breathed in the magic, letting it sink into my core and focused on her freckles and brown eyes. Hayley, where are you?
I’m in the wall. Her voice sounded sad and resigned, too much emotion for one so young.
“ You’re in the wall?” I said out loud. Ryan looked at me like I was crazy, and I probably am. I’m still not 100% convinced about this magic/ carpet/ blinds/ lamp thing.
“ Wait- are you talking to her?” He asked. Wow, he’s catching on real quick.
“ Uh yah and you’re interrupting.” Hail, um why- no. How are you in the wall? And where exactly?
I put my hand where the dryad was and I stepped through, she thought.
“ They dryad.” I told Ryan, “ We need to find the Dryad.” He nodded and we quickly scanned the room.
“ There.” He pointed triumphantly. She was wearing a flowy dress with flowers braided in her long tresses and she held her palm out, as if waiting for someone to give her a five. But the weirdest thing was that she didn’t move. That’s never a good sign, I thought, let us go towards the only suspicious thing in the room.
We raced over there and I tried to walk into the woman, I mean the girl said she was in the wall. Ha, ya, it didn’t work. I kind of felt like Harry Potter after the barrior didn’t work: stunned and kind of foolish.
“ Hayley can you hear me?” I asked pressing my face against the cold wall.
Well of course I can hear you.
Jamir chuckled as with a dramtic flourish of the hand the only entrance (and exit!) began to crumble into a pile of ruble.
The Water around us began to rise, tugging at my ankles and I looked at Idris franticly.
“ Can’t you do something?” I shrieked over the roar of the water. But he looked just as uncomfortable as I did, or as uncomfortable as one can look with shades on.
“ I can make the water boil if that’ll make you feel any better.” He retorted.
“ Really? I’m going to drown? With him? After everything?” I yelled at the ceiling.
“ Calm down.” He ordered. He took of his glasses and zeroed in on the door with his fiery eyes but nothing happened. He shrugged.
“ Oh well, I warned you djinn. Looks like we just wait here until the water rises and you drown.” He said casually. Gee, these people make really great friends.
“ You know what? Your lame powers are lame. But mine are probably less lame so maybe I can do something. ” I declared, glowering at him. And Ryan says I’m not determined, well ha! Idris scratched his head.
“ That won’t work Riley, your magic will just rebound.” I glared at him more severely.
“ Well then you better start ducking.”
“ Still waiting to see who brought the good weather with them.” Steve said with a false smile. I sank deeper into my seat to avoid his searching gaze.
“ I told you not to do that. Do you know what will happen if he catches us?”
I sighed annoyed. “ I have an imagination. And besides he can’t really hurt us, for a bad guy to be a real bad guy he’d have to have a cool name. Like Jameer or Chandra. Steve is a stupid name.”
Max rolled his eyes. “ I should have never rubbed the lamp.”
Here are some excerpts from the story ( I feel like I'm six when I say that, but i think novel is too generous a term) I'm writing called the house of blinds. It's about a girl named Riley and her brother Ryan and the awakening of there awesome Djinn powers and the quest to stop the newly awakened demon Jameer and the house of blinds from stealing the stone of life.
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