Page 8 of Unshaken
Awooden planked pathway stretches out before me. The worn weathered wood looks ancient. Each individual piece floats down the middle of a massive swamp that seems to have no end. On either side of me are tall willow and birch trees growing up out of the murky water. Fallen tree trunks bob gently, like giant alligators lying in wait for me to get close enough to jump out and drag me down below to feast on my flesh.Damn, Micah, morbid much,I think to myself as I take a tentative step to the next wooden plank. The path feels solid, so they aren’t floating like I thought, which puts me at ease, even if there isn’t anything for me to hold onto. I take care, making sure I don’t step on the slippery green algae and swamp slime coating each piece of wood. I would rather not take a dip in the nasty green sludge.
Long tendrils of Spanish moss hang from the trees above me, their long sprigs scratch at my face, snagging on my braids to my dismay. My eyes are constantly searching left and right for danger. The hardest part is how silent it is. This is swamp land, I expect bugs and therefore bug noises, creatures in the underbrush, general movement. Even the water is still except for the occasional rocking from a fallen tree branch. I’ll take anything to let me know there’s any sign of life other than the trees looming above me like disgruntled sentries.
I take step after step until my luggage gets jammed between two planks, making me almost lose my balance. By the time I get it unstuck, sweat is pouring down my back and I am well and truly over this place. So, instead of rolling my luggage, I have to lift it with every step I take. I huff. This is going to be a long-ass trek, there is nothing in my line of sight that gives me any indication of where I need to go, and that only frustrates me further.
Is this a test of patience? Because if it is I have zero at the moment. Maybe it’s some form of sensory deprivation because this does feel a lot like torture. I continue down the path, the further I walk the denser the trees become; darkness closes in around me even though I know it’s still early morning. I thought by now I would see some runes or some kind of glowing orb allowing me entry. I know this isn’t it, right? I’m hungry, drenched in sweat, and exhausted. Only after what feels like hours do I even think about the key around my neck. Without it touching my skin I completely forgot it was there. Pulling it from in between my tank and my t-shirt I let the key fall against my skin. It instantly warms up against my chest.
“Rook?” I say his name out loud. There is no one around, and after hours of quiet, I don’t care if it looks like I am talking to myself. I am desperate for conversation.
“Micah. Thank you for letting me join you,”he says with a bit of sarcasm that makes me side eye the key around my neck.“How can I be of service?”
“I completely forgot you were around my neck. I should have spoken to you sooner, maybe I wouldn’t be so confused about what I am supposed to be doing.” I don’t know why I feel the need to explain myself, or even explain why I haven’t spoken to him, but he seems put out.Why do I even care?
“Thank you for explaining. I was starting to worry you would never seek my guidance,”he replies, and now I really feel bad because if I’ve been walking for hours for no reason, I am going to be thoroughly pissed at myself.
“So where am I right now? What am I looking for? This place is disorienting, and I’ve been walking forever.”
“This place is a test, Micah. A sort of in-between before you reach the gates. You’ve been walking forever because this is a continuous loop.”I guess I deserve his admonishment considering I’ve ignored him until now. Who am I kidding? This is a key. I am being considerate of a key? This is my life now?
“You mean to tell me I have been walking on a slippery-ass conveyor belt? Fucking unbelievable,” I groan. I can’t believe I hadn’t paid attention enough to notice.
“Welcome to HellNight Academy.”Rook chuckles.
“What do I do? How do I break out of the loop?” I ask, stopping in the middle of the path, searching for some unseen door, but everything is exactly as it has been.
“Do what you fear most in this situation? If you can’t do that. You aren’t worthy,”he says matter-of-factly. Well, damn.“Every student is tested differently; they walk a different path. Not everyone sees a swampland like you do. You’d be surprised how many students actually get lost in this situation.”
Well, I already feel lost. Fuck. I just arrived and I am already failing. I really hope no one is watching.“How do I do this? What am I not seeing? Come on, Rook, give a woman something,” I plead. I am so ready to move forward I am not above begging.
“I’ve told you what to do, Micah. Not every student has a talking key remember, you are already at an advantage,”he says with a sigh. Why is my key sighing? This is madness.
“So . . . do what I fear most?” I ask.
“Yes,”he replies. Do I hear a little boredom in his tone? We’ve only been talking for a few minutes, and already I am irritated with Rook. I can almost feel his anger, which is weird in itself. He is not a person, well, not anymore. I shouldn’t feel his emotions like that, right? There is so much I need to learn about Anchor keys.
Each coven chooses its own way to boost their magic or have something that guides them throughout their magical lives. Some covens use wands or familiars, the Light Guardians have weapons blessed by the Angels. Anchor keys are rare, and that is the extent of my knowledge, besides what Rook has already told me. Taking a breath, I turn in a circle, thinking of what I would fear most. A wild animal? No, I have already discovered that there is nothing here.
I put my index finger on my lips, lost in thought for a moment. Then it hits me. The water. It is the unknown. I have no idea what lies beneath it, let alone how deep it is. Thinking about falling in it fills me with dread. Getting my hair wet is not something I look forward to. I just got it done. I don’t discuss it with Rook because I don’t' think he will tell me if I am correct. There is only one thing for me to do. Step into the water. If I wasn’t right and had to climb out of this filth, I can already envision the creative profanities that will fall from my lips like a waterfall.
“OK, Micah. It’s now or never.” I grab my luggage and pull my straps tighter on my backpack, making sure everything is secure, in case I end up having to fish my things out of the swamp. I don’t give myself a chance to think about what I am about to do. I try to visualize stepping on solid ground as I step off the plank.
“Look at you, figuring it out all by yourself. Congratulations, Micah. That only took you five hours,”Rook taunts, and my anger flares. If I didn’t need this key, I would toss his ass in the trash the first chance I got.
“I get it. I will ask you sooner in the future. Can you give me a break now?”
“Anything for you, Micah Jones.”If he had a face, I am sure he would be giving me a smirky smile. Asshole.
I look over my shoulder and the swamp has vanished. I am now surrounded by the same pine trees that I saw along the access road, or I think they are the same. The sun shines down through the trees, the heat even more stifling than it was before, and I deflate at how much time it took me to get here. Thank goodness Marcus offered to get me here quicker, I wouldn’t have made it in time if I had driven all that way only to get lost for hours in my own personal hell.
A cobbled path winds its way through the trees, and I sigh in relief when I catch sight of a house in the distance. Finally, I have somewhere to go.
“Now, here comes the hard part,”Rook announces as I start to walk toward what looks like a rundown cabin.
“I thought I already went through the hard part?” I ask, exhaustion has me sounding whiney, and I detest a whiner, but I am so over all of this. I need a shower, food, and a bed. Exactly in that order.
“Now, we get to see what you are made of,”he replies. If he had a face, I am sure he would be smiling.
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