Otherworld

Fairy Ring

I went to bed that night, fully dressed. The idea was to leave while everyone was asleep. That meant that I needed to be as quiet as I possibly could manage. My bag was already packed, and my shoes were resting under my bed. All I needed to do now was wait.

The sound of my brother fumbling up the stairs came first. Derrik sure made an awful lot of noise. He must have gotten himself into trouble because I could hear him talk to himself about how something was entirely unfair. I shook my head as he slammed the door to his bedroom, stirring a few of the photos I had on my dresser. Such a moody kid he was being.

Mom and dad came up together shortly after that. They were not quite as loud as Derrik had been, but my father was chuckling in that vibrant way of his. Deep and rich. It almost made me want to join along, though I hadn’t heard any of the jokes he probably told. My mother never seemed to find them all that funny though I imagined the smile she must have cracked at his silliness.

Either way, I waited until all the noise died down before I slowly swung my feet over the side of my bed, patting the floor with them so that I could find my shoes. It was such a hot night that I almost opted for sandals. But then again, I had no clue where we were going. I assumed it would be out in the woods somewhere, surrounded by burrs and pricker bushes. It was just smarter to fully cover myself. I laced up and fixed the straight-legged jeans I wore so that they sat evenly over them.

Cracking my door open, I peered out into the hall and listened. When I was satisfied with that, I crept back across my room and slung the backpack waiting near the window over my shoulders. “You can do this, Gwen. You must. It’s for Melody and Shawn.” I told myself. I was still conflicted with how I felt about Shawn, that little weasel, since we knew each other for such a long time. Alright. Croix was probably already waiting for me.

My bedroom faced the front of the house, which had a decently sized covered porch. I could get on to the roof of it from the window closest to my bed if I was careful enough. All I really had to do was pop the old screen out, a task I was already accustomed to doing. It’s not that I snuck out a lot. During the warmer months, sitting up there and stargazing over the fields was something I enjoyed. It was like my own little paradise.

Shimmying down the side of the porch was not ideal, but it was the best way to get down to the barn without alarming my parents. I stored the screen under my bed and carefully shuffled across the roof. Little by little, my feet found holds in the decorative latticework closest to the side of the house. I thought that if I lost my balance, I would be able to catch myself that way.

Somehow, I managed to get down without breaking my neck. The path to the barn was short, but it was reasonably dark. It was a moonless night, after all, so the only light to be had was from the stars above. Using my flashlight was a thought, but I pushed it back. If either of my parents were awake, the bright beam would have been too easy to see.

Once I slipped into the barn, I turned the flashlight on. “Croix?”

“Up here.” He called. He was sitting on the edge of the loft, legs swung over the sides. “You ready to go?”

“I think so. I didn’t really know what we were gonna need, so I packed a little bit of everything.”

“Is your bag waterproof?”

That was a good question, but it made me wonder why it was relevant. It was supposed to be dry for the next few days. “Uh. I think it’s rated for hiking, so it probably is. You know, as long as it doesn’t get too wet. Why?”

“It’s gonna get soaked. If you got anything in there that could get destroyed, you should leave it.”

A pout set on my lips. I was determined to be stubborn. “I am pretty sure we can use everything. Where are we going, anyway?”

“One of the entrances to the Otherworld. Hope you got swimmies in there. The closest one is in the lake. You can swim, right?”

Of course, I could. Who grew up on the Great Lakes and didn’t learn how to swim? That was just part of life. Summers were full of lake oriented activities like jet skiing or leisurely boat rides. You didn’t do those unless you could swim, right? I nodded my head, clearly not all that thrilled to have to go jump in the lake. Lake Huron’s waters were colder than usual since we had a late winter. “If I really have to…”

“Unless you think we have the time to head to the Straights of Mackinac… I assumed we were in a hurry.”

Damn it. I knew Croix was right. “Fine. Let’s just get this over with.” Another thought came over me then. I don’t know why I had not asked yet, but I had to know. “What’s the Otherworld like?”

Croix chuckled to himself. “You’ll find out in a little while. Don’t worry. You’ll like it.”

We exited the door at the back of the barn and started to head down into the drainage ditch. Croix was kind enough to hold his hand out to me to help me down; its sides were quite steep. As I neared the bottom, Croix stared at the space above us, his eyes narrowing. My gaze followed his line of sight, watching the plants above rustle around. It could have been anything. Deer. Wolves. My father.

Croix put a finger to his lips. “Shhh.” He motioned for me to crouch down as he pressed up against the side of the ditch, waiting. The movement of whatever followed us grew close though it stopped just short of where we were. Croix sprung up, grabbing the figure in the grain and flinging it into the mud.

There was an all too familiar scream that came after. Croix pounced on him like a wildcat readying to bury its claws in its prey.

 “Gwenny… Call him off.” It was none other than Derrik.

Because, of course, it was. I scowled. “Have you lost your mind? Why are you following me? Go home, Derrik.” I crossed my arms, looking down at him as he got himself out of the muck.

“But I wanna come too, Gwen. I can help. And I can swim.” That little eavesdropper. “Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?” He begged.

I rubbed my face, groaning. We didn’t have time for this. “What all did you hear?” I demanded. He had to have been aware of everything; otherwise, he wouldn’t have known to skulk about the barn. “Come on. Spit it out.”

“All of it…” He admitted. “Well, most of it. I heard what you were talking about outside tonight. I just thought you could use another hand. I’m old enough. I’m almost twelve. I promise I won’t get in the way.” He tugged on my clothes.

My eyes found Croix’s, and I sighed. He didn’t seem against it. Plus, I knew if I didn’t say yes, he would have gone to our parents about it. “What do you think?” I asked.

“It’s your call.”

Gee. Thanks. “As long as you behave and don’t do anything stupid, then you can come.”

                                                                                      *

The three of us stood on a rocky beach as gentle waves lapped against the shoreline somewhere between Forester and Whiterock. There were a few acres of dense forestry at our backs and no houses or access roads to disturb us either. It was undoubtedly an excellent place to disappear.

The only sign that anyone had been down here before was an old, small wooden rowboat tucked against some overgrowth to my left. Croix started to drag it towards the lake. “Grab the oars, will you?” He asked, pursing his lips some. I should have offered to help first, but my eyes were glued to the state of the little dingy.

Yup. We were gonna die.

I stooped low to snatch two short oars out of the weeds. That boat looked rickety. I knew we were gonna have to get in the water eventually, but I would rather not get in that thing. It had to be from, like, the eighteen hundreds. Okay, so maybe that was a bit of a stretch. The point was, the wood looked nearly rotted, and the rust-colored paint was peeling. The whole craft smelled like mold.

Croix seemed to think it was safe enough. “Get in.” He smiled as we watched Derrik literally jump on one of the planks that served as a seat. I climbed in, clinging to the oars for dear life. As soon as my butt hit the wood, Croix pushed us off the shore, walking us out into the shallows to make sure we would clear any rocks.

Skillfully, Croix sprung up out of the water and pulled himself aboard. “Hey, Derrik.” He said as he settled. “Wanna give rowing a try?”

Derrik’s eyes lit up like he had just gotten himself a new toy. He looked at me expectantly, and I handed over the oars. His face said it all.

“Knock yourself out,” I said, cracking a half-smile.

My brother beamed as Croix helped him thread the oars through metal loops on either side of the boat. He showed him the way to make smooth, even strokes with them. “Alright. Do you see the top of the boulder that’s sticking out of the water there?” Croix pointed across the water, maybe 800 yards out. In the night, the stone just looked like a black mass in the low light. “That’s where we are headed.” He gave Derrik a swift pat in the back.

Derrik struggled at first, his arms were a little too short to row well. I shook my head, scooting on over to take one of the oars. “Let me do this one, okay?” I smiled.

“Fine. Can I at least count for us?” Smart kid. My father often did just that if he needed to keep rhythm with anything on the farm.

“Sure. Following your lead, Captain.” I knew he’d like that.

“At the count of three, then. One, two, three.” He and I drove our oars into the lake’s surface. Mine was a little longer than his, turning us just a bit. I corrected it with the next count. Doing this, we were over the spot in no time. Derrik did very well. I ruffled his hair playfully. “Gweeeeen!”” He groaned back, fixing it promptly after.

Croix snorted at us. “Here comes the fun part.” With just that as a warning, he tossed himself into the water and waited for us to join him as he wiped his long black hair out of his face. “Well?”

Derrik stuck his hand in the water to test in. “I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore…” He grumbled. No doubt it was too cold for his liking. He was one of those kids that were rather fond of scaldingly hot showers.

I hesitated, but only for a moment before I flopped unceremoniously into the small waves. The initial shock didn’t last long. My frame adjusted to the water’s temperature quickly, and I was alright so long as I didn’t come out of the water too much. “Come on, squirt. You wanted to come along. I’m not leaving you on a boat in the middle of the lake alone. Dad always said that the weather could change in an instant.”

Croix swam up to the side of the dingy. “I know it’s a little scary, but you can trust me. I promise you won’t drown.” He held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.” He wasn’t a boy scout, he must have learned that from my brother who did that a lot. Either way, those words seemed to ease Derrik a bit. “I can paddle you back to the shore if you wanna wait there.”

“Nah. I’m coming.” He said after some thought. Derrik took a deep breath and plunged face-first into the water.

Actually, it wasn’t even all that deep. It was only nine feet or so by the looks of it. Croix met my eyes, grinned, and disappeared into the lake. I knew he wanted us to follow.

Making sure Derrik was ready, I too dove down into the dark. I couldn’t see much of anything at all. At that thought, the spiral hanging from my neck flickered and came alight. I would have gasped had I not been holding my breath. With the lakebed illuminated around me, I could see a few old pillars on the floor with similar swirls carved into them. Honestly, it was like looking at a smaller under-water version of Stonehenge. The stonework was thinner and a little less primitive, though. Everything was as symmetrical as you could get as far as placement went. And in between the columns rested a puncture in which the water churned. Croix swam into the whirlpool without pausing. I found my brother’s hand and followed in after him.

I was expecting to be buffeted around by a torrent of water. That didn’t happen. Seconds after, we surfaced from a peculiar pool, gasping for breath.

The sight before me was nothing short of spectacular. Many white birch trees with fantastic golden-orange leaves surrounded the pool. There were also lots of wildflowers. I’d never seen these kinds before. We were on the edge of a vast meadow beneath rolling hills and a string of glorious purple mountains. Michigan didn’t have these.

Croix leaned up against the nearest of the trees, smugly watching Derrik and I stumble over one another. He pushed off, jerking his head to the left like he wanted us to hurry it up. I glanced over towards him, and my face twisted in confusion. He was absolutely dry. But how? I couldn’t fathom it.

As quickly as I could manage it, I hoisted myself out of the pool and turned to swing my little brother onto the land by his shirt. That was also dry. Which lead me to pat down my own clothes. I  knew for an absolute fact I’d been soaked to the bone moments ago. Even my hair was dried, be it quite frizzy. I sought Croix for an explanation though he only shrugged his shoulders at me.

The air around us was pleasant and sweet, like mulberries. It was warm, too. This reminded me of what my uncle said the American South felt like. Not to mention the fact that it was brighter than it should have been, too.

Time didn’t seem to touch places like this. Neither did day or night. I didn’t see the sun. The sky above, painted in cloud-muddled pastels, was reminiscent of just before sunset. Beautiful.

Croix stood before me, gaining my attention. “Come on. The Lake Mother is waiting for you. She can help us.” He assured, snagging my sleeve as he turned and tugged me along. Derrik was not far behind. Croix made sure we were always in sight.

As we walked under the eaves of the massive trees, the woods thickened like a protective wall. It was so disorienting that I couldn’t tell which way was which. Croix weaved us through with ease. It was like he could read the very soil beneath our feet, and it spilled out all of its secrets for him alone. He was amazing. I suppose he would have to be since he was from such a place.

I’m not sure how long we walked for, but eventually, we came to a clearing in the middle of nowhere. I half expected there to be a village or wigwams before us. There were none to be had. There was only an enormous willow tree on top of a rounded hill. Its sallows were ever long, reaching out like life-giving tendrils. I couldn’t even see where they ended.

Underneath the willow sat a figure that I recognized. She was tall and gentle, with a smile like a sliver of the moon. Her eyes sparkled like a beam of light upon an open sea. The Lake Mother had wavy hair that seemed to cascade like the Niagra Falls down around her frame, cresting like waves when they found the ground. She held out a chestnut-colored palm towards me as she spoke. “Welcome, Grandchildren of Nathaniel.” Her voice was a low and soft rumble like the lakeshore.

Croix nudged me with his elbow. It was a good thing he did, or I would have stared at her forever. “Hello.” I managed. “You are the woman I saw in the water…” I gaped stupidly, stating the obvious.

The Lake Mother chuckled. “I am. And you are my chosen daughter. Come and let me tell you a story.”

“We don’t have the time. My friends are in danger and…” She cut me off by raising her hand.

“I am already aware of why you came. And I know that it is urgent. Have patience, child. I promise no harm will befall them. Now come.” She encouraged, motioning to a spot near her. “The rest of you too.”

I glanced over my shoulder at Derrik, who was clinging to my arm and flashed him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. If Croix trusts her, then we can.” He nodded at me but wouldn’t dare let go. We approached her together, and she was nothing but gracious.

“Fear not. If I wished to harm either of you, I would not have allowed my own son to bring you to me.” She motioned for Croix to come now. He sat directly opposite me, though he leaned close to the Lake Mother as she fixed his hair. “You want answers, don’t you, Gwendolyn?”

Taking a deep breath, I nodded and relaxed. Croix wouldn’t lead me astray. That much I knew deep down in my heart. Though I was still nervous, this place was peaceful.

“Many years ago,” She began her tale. “All of the spirits of the earth lived in peace without the influences of human hands. We were emotionless and benevolent, tending to all living creatures as wished by the Maker. Some of us were given individual tasks or places. For instance, I have always been the Lake Mother of what you now call Lake Huron.

 Then came the first people, which we also nurtured. From them, we learned how to feel and gained a sense of humanity. At first, it was beneficial. My kind thrived with new knowledge, and we became fast friends to the ancient tribes. This was not something that just happened here. This was a worldwide phenomenon, spreading as you humans did. Soon, though, we also learned of the darkness that lingered in the corrupt.

Such poison spread like ravenous wolves. Some of my people liked this new feeling and adopted it. We now call them The Dark Ones, for they whisper evil deeds into existence. They k****e and exploit thoughts of misdeeds, attempting to wipe out the light.

Over time, the Dark Ones began to collect the souls of humans and other creatures. Scarring the land at any chance they were given. They’re responsible for a great deal of what your kind calls hauntings and omens.” She had to pause, picking up a small earthenware cup that I hadn’t noticed before, and drank from it.

I took this time to ask a few questions. “I’m curious. If you were always a part of the land, then why are you down here? You know, instead of in the woods near the lake? What is this place?”

The Lake Mother glanced into her cup. “It is an extraordinary world of my people’s creation that gives sanctuary for the spirits that remain here. We are under the lake, but also in a void. Only creatures with my blessing may enter this village under the waves, though.

Also, as much as I wish to go back to the woods above the surface, industrialization has pushed us here. It is not that we no longer walk the grounds given to us anymore. This world is too small. Where once vast forests covered the entire Thumb, it has given way to farming and other prospects. Who are we to stop it?”

Hearing that made my heartache. The Thumb was not even that developed compared to places like Detroit or Flint. Those of us who lived here were actually quite apt to keeping as much of the natural beauty of Michigan intact. Granted, there were always exceptions. I didn’t know many wasteful people in Huron county. We recycled, and many of us burned our trash if we could. Maybe this was my own reasoning. Perhaps I was just naïve, and this wasn’t really how things were. You know what they say when people make assumptions.

“Do not fret, Gwendolyn.” The Lake Mother said, offering me the little cup. “This may not have been our choice, but we have survived. That’s really all that matters in the end.”

“Wouldn’t you rather have us gone?” Derrik asked quietly, fidgeting uncomfortably.

“I wish these lands had not been overrun with outsiders, yes. But what’s done is done. I do not want to see the death of so many innocent people. We can share this land the best we can. Too much blood has been spilled already.

Anyway, I knew your grandfather well. He was the first human I had taken a liking to since we had taken refuge here.”

“How did you meet? My father told us about how my Grandpa used to talk about seeing you. People said he was a pillow short of a rocking chair.” I leaned forward on the palms of my hands, listening intently.

“He would come and fish the shoal on calm days, and always with a song on his lips. He always seemed to sing the entire time he was out on my waters. I loved it, so, just like you, I revealed myself to him. He was a good man.” She paused as if she was lost on a distant memory.

“Once, he fell into the shallows. He’d flipped his boat and dumped all of his tackle into the water with him. He laughed about it and asked if I could help him fetch his pole. I suspect that was the day our friendship truly started.”

Croix got to his feet. “Lake Mother, time is running short.” He told her. I was sure he was trying to remind her that there were other matters we needed to attend to and that she should get to the point.

“Ah. Forgive this old soul’s rambling. Where was I? Oh yes… The Dark Ones. They are becoming more challenging to contain. If this trend continues, we will be swallowed in the darkness. Croix told me that you had an encounter with one of them. What did it say to you?”

I scratched my chin with a frown. That entire ordeal still gave me the heebee jeebees. “Well, she said she wants what you have. Your power. She wanted me to make a deal with her, but I didn’t do it. I couldn’t believe her. This protected me.” I took the stone hanging from my neck and held it out for her. She wouldn’t take it.

“I am relieved to hear that. This stone was meant for you, please keep it. It’s a piece of my own soul, and as long as I still thrive, it will keep you safe. Now, for this task at hand. I figured this would happen, as it did when your grandfather was still alive. Though, we destroyed the dark one responsible at that time. My task for you will save your friends, my sweet child.” She clasped my hand, the one holding the stone, tightly between hers. “You must destroy the Dark One.”

                                                                                      *

With my hands twisted into my locks, I paced in thought. Sure, I was in a bit of a hurry. But the Lake Mother told me that time worked differently here. She said each minute was like a second in the human world. I could take a little bit to mull over the task at hand. What was I going to do? How could someone like me take out such a dark force? What’s more, would I really put Derrik and myself in that sort of danger?

Indeed, saving Melody and Shawn and this quest were one and the same. But I still had no clue where they were or how I could even begin to defeat the Dark One. How do you kill a spirit? Dunk them in holy water and hope for the best? Sure, I was raised Catholic, but it’s not like I carried the stuff around with me like some exorcist.

The beautiful twilight sky above dazzled with stars, reminding me of crystals embedded on the surface of a cavern’s ceiling. The more I mulled it over and let my eyes travel across the space around me,  a broad smile rushed over my lips. I had an idea.

“Hey, Croix? You do know where Melody and Shawn are being held, right?” I asked, hoping that we wouldn’t have to search blindly.

He shook his head. “I don’t. But I bet that the Lake Mother could lead us there. She knows about most of the places the Dark Ones dwell in this realm.”

Shock flooded over me. They were here? “I thought this was just where the good… Uh… Whatever you call yourselves are…”

“Not at all, they just can’t come anywhere near the willow. There are quite a few tribes of what you might consider elves or spirits that live in this realm. We are often called Dryads, but we don’t have an actual name. We just are. The Lake Mother refers to us as “those that walk the forests.” He neared me and swung an arm over my shoulder. “So. You have a plan rolling around up there?” He must have been able to see it in my face.

“I think so. Not sure if it’s going to work, but it’s worth a try.”