by Gréta Tóth

Everything was red and hot like in Hell. The flames were as high as skyscrapers. Everything was burning. The glass in my wardrobe ran out of its frame, the bulbs popped. And the door was closed. It was made of something fireproof, I wasn’t able to escape. I ran to the window, but it was a dead end, I was ten floors high, I couldn’t run away. I was screaming and crying – I’m going to die! – The flames came closer and closer in every second, another agonizing scream, and...

            I woke up sweaty with tears on my face and grabbing my medal. I like this medal, it helps me calming down. I had got it from my Granny. She died some months ago.

             It was just another nightmare. I hate lonely nights, I hardly fall asleep, and then I see nightmares all the time. I went to the bathroom, and washed my face - It was just a bad dream, it won’t be true – I reposed myself. I went back in my room, and opened the window to calm down. And a strong dark person stood in front of my window in the street. And he was staring at me, and I felt something very inexplicable. I couldn’t see his eyes but I felt his look on me, and it was terrific. But he suddenly ran away. And the most interesting was that he ran away without a sound, like a ghost. Ok, I started to go insane – I thought and went to bed.

            I woke up at 7, got dressed, had breakfast and started my walk to school. I live quite far from the school so I had enough time to think. That boy, he didn’t let my mind alone. Maybe just a part of my nightmare...but I felt the chilly wind as I looked out of the window, and we usually don’t feel physical things during our dreams. I was bushed, but I arrived to school so I had to concentrate to Maths, Physics, P.E. and so on. As I was going upstairs to the Maths-class I saw the boy again. He had black not-too-short, not-too-long hair, dark eyes and dark clothes. He was scary but at the same time he was magnetic, he drew my look in his big black eyes again. And like in the night, he disappeared. I was standing in the middle of the stairs thinking about my insanity.

            I hate Maths and time didn’t want to pass as if it would just want to torture me with a double-lasting lesson. Finally the bell rang like an anthem for my ears. But hey, I’ve got five more lessons - I reminded myself.

            In the great-break a girl came to me, I’ve never seen her in the school. She invited me to a party in that night.

-- Well, Ok, I must go out sometimes... - I said. Yes, I’ve got to go somewhere to forget that boy. The girl nodded and left me. I went to Physics.

            At half past two I recognized that I survived all the lessons. I started home happily - tomorrow’s Saturday! During my walk I was thinking of what I’m going to wear on the party. And - slowly I won’t be surprised - suddenly I saw him again. But - am I dreaming awake?! - he was standing in the middle of the river I’d just went through! I felt the wind on my face again, so it couldn’t be a dream. I started to run to the river, shouting:

-- Who are you and why are you following me all the time?! Answer to me! - and I was running and running nearer and nearer to him. Then I stopped because I was already knee-deep in the muddy water - Please! - I begged. And I was looking in his sad eyes again. And finally he said in a low voice:

-- You aren’t the person who you think you are - and I started to be angry. I said:

-- You are chasing me, I see you everywhere and you just say that you know me better as me myself! How... Why...?!

-- You’ll know. Soon - and he disappeared again and I was standing in the river still angry because how he dares to say such things and how he can disappear so suddenly and... I was tired of being me in that moment. An old man cycled in the street and stared me as if I were a fool. And I felt like a fool.

            When I arrived home I was wet and restless but I didn’t want anything but to go on that party. I chose my clothes, washed my hair and ate something not to be hungry. Finally it was 8 p.m. so I got a bus and went to the party. When I arrived to the place where the party was  I just stared. I had thought of a smaller weekend-house or something like that but it was much more elite, it was great with big windows and columns and well-cut hedge. But who makes a party in a villa like this? - I asked myself. I went to the front door and knocked. I didn’t hear loud music.

            A strange man opened the door. He was tall and he had a small moustache. Maybe he was the flunkey. He drove me in the hall and said to sit down. I didn’t sit down. The hall was bigger than any halls I’ve seen. It would have been light, if it hasn’t been night. Nice warm fire burnt in a baroque fireplace. Great paintings and pictures on the walls, and a nice staircase was in the middle of the room. Somebody walked down on the stairs.

            It was the boy. And behind him the girl who invited me. They were stepping without any sounds. I felt that I don’t understand anything - thirdly on that day. They stopped in front of me. The flunkey had gone. And the boy started to speak:

-- I said you don’t know anything about yourself. Do you want to hear your story? Do you want me to tell the truth? - I didn’t know how he could know more about me, but I was curious, so I said:

-- I’d be grateful.

-- Do you want a tea before? We have fantastic teas. - said the girl, but I was too curious.

-- No, thanks. Just start it.

-- Well, once there was a woman. She was pregnant, but her bridegroom left her alone. She was miserable and she wanted to revenge on her man. She started to be furious, who lived just to take revenge. And finally she found him, he was on the run, he knew that the woman’s going to seek him. The woman - her name’s Mathilda - killed the father of her children. Yes, children, - said him as he saw my surprised face - she gave birth for three children: a boy and two girls. She called them ’the children of misery’, and she did everything for them, she loved them so much. But this time was the time of witch-hunts, and once Mathilda had been suspected. She became one of the victims of the ignorance of the Middle-ages. Her children survived, they were escaped by a woman called Melinda. She loved them as they were her own children, and on their eighteenth birthday she told them everything about their mother and father and their deaths. The boy and the two girls decided to break the force and the pressure of the Church. They fought against the witch-hunts to the bitter end. But before this they wanted to protect their descendants. They learnt lots of useful things from Melinda, lots of mysterious things. They made three medals, and they gave the medals a protective power and something inexplicable, something that is elder than us and elder than everybody. The medals have been handed down from father to son and mother to daughter, and they have been lost in the stormy centuries. I heard this story from my father. And before he died, he gave me this - and he showed me a beautiful necklace having a rest on his opened palm.

            I had became more and more curious while he was telling the story, he can hypnotize with his calm voice. And in the end, I just stared at the medal - and grabbed mine. It was the same with a little difference: the gem was blue in his, but red in mine. I couldn’t say a word. Then the girl showed another medal with a green gem. I was shocked; I thought it can be just a joke. But it wasn’t.

-- I got it from my father, and Grace, - he pointed at the girl - she got it from her mother. And you? - asked the boy.

-- My grandmother. She gave it for me before she died - a drop of tear flowed down on my cheek. I loved her, I spent all summers with her, and I couldn’t work off her death.

-- You are a descendant of the ’children of misery’ as we. And we all have some...some talents. Haven’t you discovered something interesting about yourself? - said the boy and started to do something with his glass of water what I couldn’t explain. The water became a globe and lifted up from the glass. I didn’t know what to say or do. It was fantastic and creepy in the same time.

-- At first I was surprised, too. But I got used to it easily.

I still couldn’t speak. Grace was looking at me as if she could read my mind. Oh, my God, I wouldn’t be surprised, after this day - I thought.

-- What’s your name? - it’s a stupid question, I know, but it’s strange not to know his name after he told our „family’s story”.

-- Oh, sorry, I’m so impolite. My name’s Jared.

-- But what’s this? I mean you told a story, made a trick and you are waiting for what? - I was angry. Again.

-- Sorry, I know that you need time to think. You are talented in a different way as others. I must know what you’re going to do. Do you come with us? Or leave you alone?

I hate decisions. I can sit on an important decision for days. And it wasn’t an ordinary decision.

-- What if I won’t come with you? - I asked finally.

-- Well...I didn’t want to tell yet, but you’re in danger if you just go away. Somebody hunts us. Somebody, who wants this talent and protection, somehow found out where we are, and now, I think we are in trouble. That is why we were searching for you, to do something - answered Jared, and I wished I wouldn’t have asked. And, of course he said this as if it was just a movie’s summary. I asked:

-- And what are we going to do now? And if this place is known by them, how can you sit here doing nothing?!

-- This place is protected for a while, we just wanted to tell you everything, and find out something: run away or fight.

-- Fight? What do you mean as fight? I can’t…

-- It won’t be an ordinary fight, I’m sure. Not with swords, not with revolvers, nor with human weapons. I think you know what I mean.

I knew. But fighting with these protective medals, I don’t know. I hadn’t discovered any signs of the medal’s extraordinary qualities yet and I wasn’t sure I wanted to battle.

            But I didn’t have more time to think because suddenly a huge explosion shook the walls. I didn’t know what it was but Jared and Grace immediately stood up and shouted to put on my necklace. I did so. The house was now silent. Too silent. Jared and Grace waited. My heart wanted to jump out of its place and I took breath as fast as these intakes of breath would be the last. And we were waiting and waiting, and for long seconds – I felt them ages – nothing happened. Finally there was another explosion. It crashed the wall of the hall. I feared me. When the dust settled, we finally saw them.

            We saw five men. They stood near the place where the front door was. Jared grabbed his medal. Nothing happened for a while. The men were staring at us. Then we heard a strange noise and in the next second a lot of water flowed from upstairs down on the great staircase. The hall was now like a shallow pool. Jared didn’t wait more, he squeezed the medal, his eyes became narrow, he raised his hand, and the water rose too. It was fantastic: millions of drops around us. But the men didn’t sit out; they got out something from under their long jackets. Every man had one: a sword-like weapon, which seemed to repulse Jared’s attack, he swung his raised hand and the water drops flew straight to the men. They became angrier but they were uninjured. Jared seemed to become exhausted, I’m sure that he has never tried to move such lot water.

            Grace came to bat to take action; she did the same as Jared: took her medal and raised her hand too, she clenched her fists. The hedge, which we could see through the great hole of the hall, started to grow. It grew faster than cheese stretches on pizza. The growing branches snaked on the legs of our attackers. They were surprised at first because it had happened in a second’s time. But they were fast. They cut the hedge’s arms. Grace was more powerful than Jared or it was easier to move a plant, because the hedge started to grow and snake to the men again. As they were fighting with the shrouds and Grace was fighting with tiredness I realized a fact: I must do something. The only problem was just that I didn’t know how to use the medal’s power. I couldn’t help them. I couldn’t help myself. We lost.

            We were in an enormous trouble because of me. Grace hardly could lead the plant and she shouted:

-- Do something! I can’t carry on forever!

I tried to do the same as Jared and Grace and when I touched the medal, I felt a power that I had never felt before. It was like as I put my finger in the current outlet or as lightning strikes in the earth during a storm. I knew what to do. I felt fire and I was the mistress of fire, I was the fire. My eyes flamed as my hit dived on the enemy. They were at a loss, because in that moment Jared joined us with the remaining water. As the two ancient elements slapped together they became hot steam, the men weren’t able to escape: the hedge squeezed them and finally they were begging for their lives.

            We stopped because we didn’t want to kill them. They threw their swords, I caught them. We saw five exhausted and begging men, it seemed that they didn’t do it because of themselves; they were working for somebody who didn’t want to dirty his hands. Grace was tired, so Jared took a rope and we trussed our enemies.

            Grace sat on the sofa and Jared brought a bowl of water. He said to bring a candle too. What does he want? – I asked myself but I realized in the same second. He wanted to disassemble answers from the corded men. I didn’t know how he wanted to ask them yet but I was sure that I will know it soon. I took a candle and lit it. Jared walked there slowly and at first he asked them normally:

-- Who sent you here? – they didn’t answer. He asked again. Nothing happened. He became angry and asked them stressing every word. Nothing. He took the bowl and waved to go there. Grace was still exhausted, she didn’t come. Jared grabbed the medal, me too. The attackers seemed to become frightened. He blew the water’s surface and I blew the flame of the candle. There was steam again. Very hot steam. Straight into their faces. It hardly reached them when one man cried:

-- No, please no! I tell everything you want, just stop the steam! – the others lightened. I’m sure that it was just a matter of time that one of them start to speak, and they were blessed that they weren’t that. Jared stopped and waited. The man started:

-- I really didn’t want it, believe me please! I was forced, we all were. I don’t know why your medals are so precious, we weren’t told, just to take them at whatever cost. Believe me, we didn’t… - Jared cut in:

-- Who? Who sent you here? – he was strict.

-- We aren’t paid, we were overhung that if we don’t do it, our family will be executed.

-- I asked who sent you! Answer or you’ll get something worse than steam! – I didn’t know what he means, maybe just boast.

--Okay, please, leave me alone! His name’s Theodor Shift. I haven’t met him yet, he gave the instructions on phone.

-- The…Theodor Shift? Are you sure?

-- Yes, Sir, it’s as sure as I stand here! – Jared was surprised, I didn’t know why, maybe he knows that guy. I waved Jared to speak. Grace was now ok, so she went to guard the small group.

-- Who’s that Theodor I-don’t-know-who? Do you know him?

-- I’m sad to say but yes, I know him for ages. You saw him, our flunkey. He is Theodor Shift. He’s worked for us from before my birth. I confided in him.

-- Calm down, and think through! Where is he? I mean if he’s in the house… - I tried to say something comforting, but he said:

-- I trusted in him! I’ve never thought, I would never think that he is the liar – he was miserable. I understood that he said everything for Theodor, and now Jared blamed himself.

-- You aren’t wrong, believe me, you couldn’t knew. I say to search for him, he might be still in the house.

-- Okay, let’s go! – he said low. Grace said some hedge-arms on the five men. And we started upstairs. Everything was destroyed or empty, Theodor had gone.

-- Maybe he escaped when he saw we caught his men – said Grace.

-- No, I don’t think so. There’s a panic room on the second floor, he could be there and monitor everything. But if it’s true, he now knows that we know. And I don’t think he closed himself without any weapons, so it’ll be difficult.

-- Well, I was pleased to meet you, let’s go! – I said and we started. We went through a narrow corridor, we turned left and there was a thick steel or iron door. It looked horribly heavy.

-- Hey, maybe I don’t know everything, but how the hell are we going to remove this awfully big door? – I asked nervously. I thought that we stuck. But Jared already had an answer.

-- Grace, start it please! – he said politely.

            Grace took some seeds out of her pocket. I didn’t know which plant’s seeds were these, but Grace put them down, touched with her fingers, and the seeds started to grow. They dug their roots into the floor and their branches cuddled round the door. Soon the arms became ankle-thick and the door was moving. And the wild plant crunched the steel door! I was amazed. And inside there were huge monitors on the walls and we could watch every room, every parts of the house. And in the middle of the room there was sitting Theodor, the flunkey. And he was laughing. I don’t know what, but it was terrible, it was like as he knew something we don’t. And he didn’t stop, it was like a nightmare. And finally he said:

-- You won the battle but I’ll win the war!

-- Never! You’ll die, NOW! – Jared shouted and there was an enormous wave of energy, an enormous slash of water. The walls weren’t able to hold on for a long time. At first I suffocated then I found myself on the floor – the water went out of the places where the walls were before. But Theodor was standing and laughing again in front of the wheezy Jared. I felt like an alien in this scene. Theodor shouted:

 -- You’ll never catch me! – he waved with his hand and he became just black mist, and nothing told that he was there sometime.

-- NO! Come back you coward, come back and face me! – Jared cried and sank on his knees. He was miserable. I went to him and hugged.

-- He will never get these… these damned medals – he was furious. He stood up and ran downstairs. Grace let go the corded men and they were running as fast as they had never in their lives. Jared took the sword-like weapons, which we took from the attackers; he gave one for Grace and one for me. He grabbed one, too. And he said again:

-- He will never get these. If we destroy them, he won’t be able to get them. Never. But there’s one thing. If we override them, we will forget everything from after we knew what the medals are. What do you say?

-- I… okay, we can’t take care of them forever. Let’s do it. – I said. Grace just nodded.

-- Then good bye. And thanks for everything. Really. I don’t say, I’ll miss you, but…you know. – he said.

-- It was good to… khm… fight on the same side. Bye. – I said. Grace hugged the two of us. And it lasted for some minutes but I felt just seconds. Then Jared grabbed his sword, and we grabbed ours too.

-- For three! One… two…THREE! - and he afflicted for the medal. And Grace too. And me too. And I felt the power again, but I knew that for the last time. I saw Jared and Grace, and then everything went black.

            Everything was red and hot like in Hell. The flames were as high as skyscrapers. Everything was burning. The glass in my wardrobe ran out of its frame, the bulbs popped. And the door was closed. It was made of something fireproof, I wasn’t able to escape. I ran to the window, but it was a dead end, I was ten floors high, I couldn’t run away. I was screaming and crying – I’m going to die! – The flames came closer and closer in every second, another agonizing scream, and...

            I woke up sweaty with tears on my face and grabbing my medal. I like this medal, it helps me calming down. It had a deep crack in the middle of the gem. I was surprised. I didn’t remember it had been injured. Maybe I just haven’t noticed yet. – I thought.

            I went to the window to open it. And I felt something like déjà vu. I felt that it had happened with me sometime. And I looked through the window to the empty street. And, strange to say, I waited for something or somebody standing on the street.