Young Writers Society

Chapter 10

~1,500 words

As they wove their way through the crowded streets busy with the morning rush, the group heard a shout. Jay turned around and saw Shep hurtling toward them, a huge grin on his face, his shepherd’s robes billowing out behind him almost comically. When he had caught up to them, he leaned over, gasping for breath.

“We’ve been looking for you everywhere,” he wheezed. “I’m so glad you’re safe.” Shep led the way back to the inn, refusing the offer of assistance walking. “I really shouldn’t be having this much trouble,” he glanced at Jay and winked. “I’m both younger and older than I look. Try to figure that little riddle out.” He laughed, but quickly stopped, clutching his side.

Before Jay could even begin to come up with an answer for Shep’s riddle, they had arrived at the inn. They feasted on tropical fruit salad and fruitwashes that reminded Jay of passion fruit. Fleta relayed the story of what had happened with Cabot.

Shep sighed. “I knew this would happen one day. It appears we have gained an enemy. A powerful one too, it looks like. Enemies are good for keeping us on our toes, but not for much else. We’d better stay moving.”

“And… there’s something else, Ato,” Fleta said. Jay’s teeth crunched on the tasty bottom of his fruitwash.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Cabot said that we are more of a hindrance to you than a help to you. He said that we were likely to spout secrets near spies. I’m thinking about leaving, Ato, I don’t want to get in the way of your mission, and I haven’t been very helpful anyway. So I’ll just leave, I mean, it’s been fun and all…” Fleta’s eyes were rimmed with red, and a tear was already carving down her face.

“Hah! Cabot’s dead wrong. You’re a thousand times more helpful than you are not. I’m sure I’ll prove it to you one day, or rather, you’ll prove it to me.” Shep slapped a hand on Fleta’s back, “you’re not leaving whatever Cabot thinks. And now we know he has spies, we can feed him some false information.”

Fleta didn’t look convinced, but she nodded. “So when and where are we going?”

“Not too far, just around to the other side of the island. I heard some local chatter that there’s something magical that lives there.” Shep turned to Jay, “All the sheep are guarded by some sort of magic guardian, puzzle, or cage. It’s easiest just to follow rumors.”

In several hours—the island was rather small, but the forest was dense and the easiest way was around the perimeter—they had reached the other side of the gorgeous island, where it was clear something magical abided. The ground was covered with scorch marks, lines burnt in the ground in intricate patterns. In the center of this vast and mystical landscape was a small structure, rather like a gazebo, but with closed walls.

The sheep started bleating, all facing the building in the center. One started forward, but as soon as its hoof touched the charred line, it fell asleep. Another sheep tried jumping the lines, but they were too close together, the sheep too clumsily, and the sheep stepped on a line. There was a loud pop, and the sheep’s wool seemed to double in size. It stood there in very literal shock for a moment before limping back to the flock.

Shep surveyed the scene. “These lines are embedded with magical properties that can have various effects on the body. That line there,” She pointed to the line the first sheep had touched, “makes the trespasser go to sleep. The other line shocks them. I would assume that the closer you come to the center, the worse the side effects are. The closest line to the center probably induces death.”

“How do you know this?” Jay asked, incredulous.

“I don’t, I’m just guessing.” Shep grinned. “Whoever goes across is going to have to jump between these lines,” shep said.

“Kind of like hop-scotch,” Jay mused.

“Hop… scotch?”

“It’s a game where you have to jump from one square to the next, and… oh never mind.”

“And you were good at this game, yes?” Shep asked, hope in his eyes.

Jay laughed, “I’m about the least talented jumper I know. I have the grace of a two-legged stool.”

Shep looked at Fleta apologetically. “I’m afraid I’m too out of shape for all this jumping around. Fleta, you’re the only one who seems fit for this task, and as I recall, you’re quite nimble when you need to be.”

Fleta grimaced. “Do I really have to? I don’t want to end up dead. How do I even get across this?” The scorch patters were laid out like interlocking circles, each circle getting smaller and smaller until at the end there wasn’t even enough space to rest half a foot.

“With skill and luck,” Shep said seriously. “Take your time, but if it helps you to stay on your feet, go quickly.”

Fleta sat down. “I need some time to plan this, to think about this! I could die here! I feel like we’re rushing this. Maybe we’re not seeing it all the way through!”

Gilfred looked at Godfrey. “Well,” Gilfrey started, “I could try to go first…”

“No!” Fleta shouted. “No, you mustn’t. I’ll go. I just need a minute.” Fleta faced the building in the center, and took a deep breath that puffed out her cheeks. In that very moment she looked like a warrior facing certain death. Then, she leaped into the first ring.

Godfrey let out a nervous laugh. “That wasn’t so bad, right?”

Fleta looked grim, “there’s still a lot left.” And she jumped again. The way she caught herself when she landed reminded Jay of a cat. She made hardly any noise at all. “I think there are nine layers of these circles, all interlocking,” she said, jumping again. “But it’s hard to tell.” She jumped between a few more circles.

Jay watched, not realizing he was holding his breath until it all came out at once when Fleta slipped. It was only a little slip, hardly noticeable except for her hand shooting out to hold her balance, and a small thud when she landed, squatting. Jay saw Fleta exhale a little bit as well. She looked to be a little more than halfway through. She went to stand up, but her hand brushed a scorch mark on the ground.

Before Jay realized what was happening, Fleta was screaming. Some blood hit the ground. Shep started forward automatically, but he held himself back. “Keep going!” he shouted, “you’re almost there!” Fleta turned her head to face them, tears streaming down her face, but she nodded. Jay could make out a large gash where her hand had touched the line. It looked ugly. That line was only a little more than half the way across. Jay shuddered to think what the other ones would do.

Fleta continued jumping circle to circle. There were a few tense moments when Jay was certain she was a goner, but she caught herself with grace. Jay could hardly believe his eyes when she jumped onto the narrow ledge that surrounded the gazebo-structure in the center. She twisted back to grin at the group.

“What do I do now?” She shouted back to them.

“Look for any abnormal carvings or something on the wall,” Shep answered back.

Fleta edged around the gazebo, her good hand brushing up and down the side. “Aha!” she shouted, out of sight. Jay, Shep, and the trolls ran around the circle of scorch marks to see Fleta standing next to a door-shaped hole in the wall. She grinned and poked her head in. “It’s dark in here,” came her voice, echoing from the hole. Fleta stepped all the way into the hole. She was gone for a minute, and then came out holding a curious box.

Fleta started unfolding segments from the box, all connected. Soon, it formed a narrow walkway that reminded Jay of a balance beam. “Alright! Now you can cross!” called Fleta.

Jay looked at the wooden plank in disbelief. “There’s no way I can cross this!” he shouted back.

“Oh,” Fleta said, almost as if she didn’t realize not everyone could cross such a narrow beam. “I think there’s another one in here.”

One unfolded box later, Shep, Jay, and the trolls were carefully making their way across the two boards. Shep stopped when he reached the entrance. Jay said, “keep moving,” but when Shep moved out of the way, Jay’s mouth fell open. The center of the building was missing its floor, or rather, its floor was nowhere to be seen. In it’s place was a hole that seemed to reach down hundreds of feet.

“If there is a sheep here, and I’m fairly certain there is one, it will be that way,” Shep said, pointing to the hole.

Jay gulped.

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A/N: This was kind of what I was trying do talk about with the circles, but I feel like I did a bad job with describing it. If you can think of some way I could be clearer, please tell me.