lost chapter 4

4

“Get up! This isn’t no hotel!” Yelled a short man with an ugly face, he stood with the door to the wagon open and was begging to become impatient.

Joy moaned. When she sat up all of the blood, and pain rushed straight to her head. Her brother came over and helped her up. He didn’t say anything, he just helped her out of the wagon and into the field where five other wagons sat, there they she could see the mountains. And one thing Joy knew, was you were never supposed to see the other sides of the mountains. “This isn’t good.” Joy whispered to her self.

“What’s that Princess?” Asked the short ugly man as he lead them over to a fire pit where a handsome boy who looked vaguely familiar sat on an old fallen over tree.

“Julian? Oh! Thank goodness you’re here! Will you explain to this man that he’s got it all wrong?” Joy asked. It took her a minuet to understand the situation that was unfolding in front of her eyes. Nick touched her shoulder. She pulled away. “Julian?” She asked once again, she could feel the tears filling her eyes.

“I’m sorry sweet stuff, but this get’s much better pay than escorting you up and down stairs.” He said while he walked away from her giving her a quick wink before he kissed her on the cheek and left. Joy could feel the panic dwelling in her body, just waiting for one more anything to happen before the beast of panic pounced on her mind… and soul.

Joy didn’t say anything else. She let Nick do the rest of the talking. “What do you plan to do with us?” He asked.

“Do you think I’m stupid or something? I’m not goanna tell you anything.” Said the short man, when a man twice his size came over.

“Hey Phil what do you want us to do with the gold?” Phil looked up at the guy a mean glare in his eyes.

“What do ya think I want you to do with the gold? Stash it!” He said to the other man.

“Gold? What are you going to do with the Gold? Build a castle, take over a kingdom, and kidnap more people.”

Phil laughed in Nicks face. “Are you stupid or something? Of course were going to take over a kingdom, your kingdom.” The man said looking proud of himself before realizing the fatal mistake he had just made.

“Phil!” Yelled a strong, ruff, grimy sounding voice that came up behind Phil the voice still hiding in the shadows. “What do you think your doing?”

Fear struck Phil’s face. He knew he had just signed his death certificate. “Um… I…. I was just saying….” He mumbled.

“We can’t treat our guest like this.”

“What?” Phil asked as Minus came into veiw of both Nick and Joy’s faces.

“Minus! I should have known!” Nick shouted. “Why’d you do it?”

“Well, it was clear you were ruining Brigal one stone at a time so I figured I’d take over for a little bit.” Minus said his wicked smile piercing through Nick like a sword. “So I’m just going to get rid of the problem, that’s you guys, and I will take over for the tragic los of the king and princess.”

The panic had morphed into anger. “You will regret it! We’ll get you! You will never get away with it!” Joy yelled struggling against the men holding her back.

“Will see about that,” He said looking at Joy his cold, gray, stone like eye’s looking right through her eyes and into the depths of her mind. “Kill them.” He said with a flick of his wrist. And there was the panic once again, pouncing on her mind and body. Joy screamed at the top of her lungs and fought. She kicked, and she bit one of the men in which he dropped her and she ran. She was almost away when she was jerked back hard and she fell on her back. Julian stood over her. “I’ll take care of her.”

“Nick!” She yelled at a desperate attempt to make contact with her brother one last time. In the back of her head she was hoping he some how got away.

Julian dragged her out to the middle of the woods and pushed her up against a tree her back to him. “Please don’t hurt me; you don’t know what you’re thinking. You’re being corrupted by Minus.”

He didn’t say anything. He just stood there. “I’m not goanna kill you. I’m going to give you one chance to get away. But if you try coming back I won’t hesitate to kill you.” Joy felt relief wash over her body.

“Thank you.” She said as he untied her bonds.

“Go.”

“What about Nick?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” And then he walked away. He just left her in the middle of the woods with no food, supplies, map, or any senses of direction. So she started walking. She walked and walked until she couldn’t walk anymore. She sat down on a log to think of her day, when the thought of Nick came into her mind. She hadn’t thought about him all day for some reason. She had to go back. She couldn’t just leave him there to die. But the sun was starting to go down. Joy knew it was dangerous to travel in the woods by your self at night. But she didn’t care; she began to run in the direction she came. She ran and ran until her feet bled. When she finally did get to the camp a knife of disappointment stabbed her in the heart. They were gone, all gone, and no sign of Nick. “Nick! Nick! Where are you?” No answer.

She sat down in the middle of field feeling very alone in the world, and began to cry. She cried for her brother, for herself, for her kingdom, for the people she wished she knew better. For the courage she never had, and for her dear aunt and uncle. When she was done crying she laid down and looked up at the dark blue starry night. “I wish I could be a star.” She said aloud to herself. “It looks so much safer up there.” And then she began to cry again wondering what fate her brother had received.

***

Nick sat in the water of the rushing river, the cold water piercing his body like needles, but withdrawing the pain from what hurt. After they had took Joy they hit him hard on the head and then dumped him by the river side and he had some how managed to roll into the river to sooth his burning body. Nick sat in the water trying to exam his arms with what little light the moon provided. “They burned me.” He mumbled to himself.

“Oh no, Joy.” ‘What will she do with out me? How can I protect her when I don’t even know if she’s alive?’ He thought to himself.

Nick stood up every muscle in his body seething with pain, and walked over to a tree near by and sat under it. The rough bark hurt his back as he sat against the tree dozing on and off.

***

“Is he dead?”

“No, he doesn’t look dead.”

“Poke him”

“Eww no! You poke him.” Nick opened one eye to see two little boys standing in front of him. One had a stick in his hand.

“Just so you know I’m not dead. So neither of you have to poke me.” He tried to get up but his body wouldn’t let him, and he collapsed back against the tree. “Do you two boys live around here?” They shook there heads in agreement. “Okay good, go get a doctor. I need help okay?” The boys agreed and ran off to get help. A few minuets later the two boys came back with a tall, thin man he was starting to loose his hair and he was dressed in a night gown.

“Oh dear” The man gasped. He turned back to the boys. “Go get two of our strongest men and bring them back here and get Brontan. He’s going to want to know about this.” The two boys ran off once again and the man turned back to Nick.

“Who are you?” Nick asked with the little strength he had.

“I’m Hakim I’m the doctor at our camp. We’ll take you back and get you better and then we can talk. But for now you just need to trust me.” The two boys came back with Brontan and a few other men with a hastily made stretcher. They picked Nick up, his body burning with every move. He could feel his skin starting to peel off of his body. He began to think that he wasn’t going to be able to ever see his sister again. He was going to die. “Have you found a girl?”

“What?” asked Hakim

“A girl, she has long wavy hair shes not to tall but not very short. She would have a cut on her head.”

“No we haven’t found a girl. Why do you ask?”

“Because she’s my twin sister and…” Nick stopped. He felt his heart jump up to his throat and making his throat swell like a balloon.

“We’ll send out men to search for her.” Nick smiled, and then the thought that Joy may have more of a chance than he did came to mind and comforted Nick.