I posted the first bit of this waaay back in February 2008, so read that before you carry on, or else it won't make much sense. Not that I'm promising it'll make sense anyway, but you stand a better chance reading it from the beginning.
Between the Ways (Part 2):
My name is Dillon, and I am six and one half years old in two days time. My big sister said Mama and Papa are coming home today, but they’re not here yet. The only person who is here is an old man, Katterli called him grandpapa, but I don’t think he is our grandpapa because he looks very grumpy. Katterli is talking to him, and told us not to listen, but Devin and Darcy went to listen anyway. They said I was very noisy, so they made me stay here, and when they came back they said they had been found out and told to go away. Devin says Katterli looked like she was crying, but I think he’s wrong because Katterli doesn’t cry. I hope the grumpy man who is not our grandpapa is not being mean to her. If he is, Mama and Papa will tell him off when they get back.
~*~
This is Darcy, and it’s the night of the northward equinox. Mama and Papa should have returned this afternoon, but the only person who came through was an old man that Katterli says is our grandpapa. He said he had something important to say, and Katterli took him away so they could talk privately. I tried to overhear what they were saying, but Devin made too much noise, and Katterli noticed us. She shouted and told us to get back to the living tree. I think she had been crying, because her eyes were red and she was in a bad mood. Grandpapa looked in a bad mood too, but he looked that way when he arrived.
I don’t think Mama and Papa are coming back. They always use the equinoxes or solstices to come home, because they say it’s easier to get through. And if Katterli has been crying then grandpapa must have told her something bad, because Katterli never cries.
They came back to the living tree a while ago, but Katterli said it was about time someone made dinner, and went straight off to the kitchen. Grandpapa tried to make conversation for a while – he says he remembers when I was just a baby, before Devin and Dillon were born, and that I look like Papa when he was my age. Anyway, he scared Dillon, and Devin asked him too many questions, so he left. He said he used to have a room here, a long time ago, and he was going to see what had become of it.
I noticed Devin and Dillon have been messing around with the log. I’ll have to tell Katterli, when she’s in a better mood, and she can erase their entries. This is supposed to be for keeping a record of what’s going on, not for giving an audio tour of the Ways.
~*~
This is Katterli, on the night of the vernal equinox. I have sent the boys to bed, and will be moving the log to stop them playing with it again. And to stop them listening to this entry before I have a chance to talk to them properly.
Mama and Papa should have returned home today, but Grandpapa has come in their place. He says that Papa has been taken, and Mama is staying on his trail so she doesn’t lose him. She asked him to return here to let me know, and to help look after the boys. It has been a long time since I’ve seen him, but I know him well enough to see how worried he is. He thinks Mama will be safe for now, but only if she doesn’t attempt a rescue. Papa is still alive, but he won’t tell me more than that. He probably doesn’t need to. I’ve never seen the things that break through into the Way, but we wouldn’t be trying to keep them out unless they meant us harm. I’m scared about what they’ll do to Papa, and I wish Grandpapa would let me help.
I haven’t told the boys yet, although from the way he is acting, Darcy already knows something bad has happened. Dillon is still laughing, though, and Devin hasn’t stopped pestering Grandpapa with questions, so they are clearly not worried. I think I will ask Grandpapa to stay here with Devin and Dillon, to look after them. I want to look for Mama, and I think Darcy is old enough to help, but the other two need to stay here. I know Mama won’t thank me for leaving them, or for taking Darcy into the Way, but I can’t leave her to look for Papa alone.
Tomorrow, I will talk to the boys, and try to persuade Grandpapa to let Darcy and I go. If we leave in the morning, the effect of the equinox on the Way won’t have faded completely, and it’ll be easier to get in. For now, I’m going to get some sleep, and hope that this is all a bad dream.
Between the Ways (Part 2):
My name is Dillon, and I am six and one half years old in two days time. My big sister said Mama and Papa are coming home today, but they’re not here yet. The only person who is here is an old man, Katterli called him grandpapa, but I don’t think he is our grandpapa because he looks very grumpy. Katterli is talking to him, and told us not to listen, but Devin and Darcy went to listen anyway. They said I was very noisy, so they made me stay here, and when they came back they said they had been found out and told to go away. Devin says Katterli looked like she was crying, but I think he’s wrong because Katterli doesn’t cry. I hope the grumpy man who is not our grandpapa is not being mean to her. If he is, Mama and Papa will tell him off when they get back.
~*~
This is Darcy, and it’s the night of the northward equinox. Mama and Papa should have returned this afternoon, but the only person who came through was an old man that Katterli says is our grandpapa. He said he had something important to say, and Katterli took him away so they could talk privately. I tried to overhear what they were saying, but Devin made too much noise, and Katterli noticed us. She shouted and told us to get back to the living tree. I think she had been crying, because her eyes were red and she was in a bad mood. Grandpapa looked in a bad mood too, but he looked that way when he arrived.
I don’t think Mama and Papa are coming back. They always use the equinoxes or solstices to come home, because they say it’s easier to get through. And if Katterli has been crying then grandpapa must have told her something bad, because Katterli never cries.
They came back to the living tree a while ago, but Katterli said it was about time someone made dinner, and went straight off to the kitchen. Grandpapa tried to make conversation for a while – he says he remembers when I was just a baby, before Devin and Dillon were born, and that I look like Papa when he was my age. Anyway, he scared Dillon, and Devin asked him too many questions, so he left. He said he used to have a room here, a long time ago, and he was going to see what had become of it.
I noticed Devin and Dillon have been messing around with the log. I’ll have to tell Katterli, when she’s in a better mood, and she can erase their entries. This is supposed to be for keeping a record of what’s going on, not for giving an audio tour of the Ways.
~*~
This is Katterli, on the night of the vernal equinox. I have sent the boys to bed, and will be moving the log to stop them playing with it again. And to stop them listening to this entry before I have a chance to talk to them properly.
Mama and Papa should have returned home today, but Grandpapa has come in their place. He says that Papa has been taken, and Mama is staying on his trail so she doesn’t lose him. She asked him to return here to let me know, and to help look after the boys. It has been a long time since I’ve seen him, but I know him well enough to see how worried he is. He thinks Mama will be safe for now, but only if she doesn’t attempt a rescue. Papa is still alive, but he won’t tell me more than that. He probably doesn’t need to. I’ve never seen the things that break through into the Way, but we wouldn’t be trying to keep them out unless they meant us harm. I’m scared about what they’ll do to Papa, and I wish Grandpapa would let me help.
I haven’t told the boys yet, although from the way he is acting, Darcy already knows something bad has happened. Dillon is still laughing, though, and Devin hasn’t stopped pestering Grandpapa with questions, so they are clearly not worried. I think I will ask Grandpapa to stay here with Devin and Dillon, to look after them. I want to look for Mama, and I think Darcy is old enough to help, but the other two need to stay here. I know Mama won’t thank me for leaving them, or for taking Darcy into the Way, but I can’t leave her to look for Papa alone.
Tomorrow, I will talk to the boys, and try to persuade Grandpapa to let Darcy and I go. If we leave in the morning, the effect of the equinox on the Way won’t have faded completely, and it’ll be easier to get in. For now, I’m going to get some sleep, and hope that this is all a bad dream.
Comments