The Forest

Chapter Seven

` So, why don`t you tell us how you fit into this picture.` said Mrs. Caddie.

They helped her get up in the chair. Mr. Cross brought her a glass of water and stood right behind Mrs. Caddie who was sitting across from Tilia, with her legs neatly tucked behind the chair`s leg.

That pointy little heel stood out as a threat. A whisk of gray hair fell right across her almost non existing eyebrow. Mr. Cross was tall and looked like a statue. He didn`t move muscle, it looked like he didn`t even breathe. How is it possible that these two came together and why are they just hanging out in her apartment?

` What? I don`t know what you`re talking about. Get out of my apartment.` said Tilia.

` No, no, no, honey. That`s not how this is going to work.` she said. ` You are going to tell us everything.`

` And why would I do that?` Tilia asked.

` Ooh, this one is feisty. Maybe you are more like Magda than we thought. ` she said. ` But we are not here to look at old pictures, we`re here to talk about why you killed the mayor. So you`re either going to tell us everything or we`ll kill you. `

` You are not going to kill me. The Bear will find out and he`ll…` said Tilia.

` Vinnie will do nothing. We`re in charge.` said Mrs. Cross. `

Vinnie? He`s Vinnie? ` she asked. ` He`s in on this too? `

` No, but… ` Mr. Cross tried to say.

` No, but not because he doesn`t know about this. He just couldn`t `said Mrs. Caddie and looked at him like he just killed her favorite cat.

` Well if he knew he would have told you that he thinks that I am not a killer. ` Tilia said.

` He`s a bit soft. But he`ll come around when you confess.` said Mrs. Caddie.

` I didn`t kill him. ` Tilia said.

` We don`t believe you. When did you meet the Sandman? ` Cross asked.

` Who is Sandman? ` she asked. They gave each other a look and then looked back at her.

` You are lying. Why else would you kill Grimm?`

` I`m telling you, I didn`t. `

` Look, we know you know something. And now we`re going to figure out what. `

` I don`t. Please, just let me go.` she said.

` Let`s see. ` Caddie said. ` He came in that night just before closing and went to search for a book. `

` Yes.` Tilia said.

` And you heard a noise? `

She nodded.

` Then you saw him dead. `she said. Tilia tried to nod and look at her but images of Mr. Grimm were flashing through her head and she bowed her head looking at her nails.

` Oh, so that`s where the secret is. Come on, speak up. `

` There`s nothing to tell. He was alive for a moment longer and then he died. ` Tilia tried to explain.

` Just like that? ` Cross asked. She bowed her head again.

` Oh, you are such a bad liar. Spill it out. ` said Mrs. Caddie

` Well he told me something… he told me to find a book.` she said.

` A book? ` asked Mrs. Caddie. She looked lost in her thoughts.

Tilia looked at them both and she couldn`t understand what was going on. Maybe this was important. Maybe it wasn`t just a clue as to who killed him.

` Cross, what if the meant… The Book? ` Mr. Cross nodded.

` What else could it be? `

` And that was it? ` asked Mrs. Caddie. `

Yeah, yeah that was it. ` she said and bowed her head again. She was a bad liar. So bad even a kid could see through her lies.

` No, you are lying, again. ` said Mr. Cross.

` Okay. He gave me a key. ` said Tilia.

` So you have the key?` asked Mrs. Caddie.

` Yes. `

` Where is it?` she asked.

`My friend has it.` Tilia said.

` Is it safe? ` she asked, her eyes widening in terror as she was leaning closer to Tilia.

` Yes… yes, I think so. ` Tilia said thinking about the red bag and how often Maria changed her bags.

` Who else knows about this? `Mr. Cross asked as Mrs. Caddie was too shook to talk.

` Just her… and a police officer. But he`s a friend. ` she said and somewhere in her mind something smiled at the very thought of a very nice police officer named Philip.

` Good. ` she said. ` So he gave you the key… Funny. And he told you to find The Book? `

` Yes, but that`s all, I promise. ` she said looking straight at her.

` But why would he want you to find a book? You have absolutely no idea where to start or what you are searching for. ` Cross said looking in the distance. In his mind he pictured a beautiful book with a lock so ornate it could only fit that one particular key.

` I don`t want to do it either. I just want everything to be back to normal. ` Tilia said. And that was the truth. Her life went somewhere she ever wanted it to go. Now she has to devise careful plans and meet up with people secretly, and get kidnapped and talk to her neighbors. It was awful. All she wanted was her peace back, her bed and her books. Adventure wasn`t something she would have chosen if she had a choice.

` Trust me, I don`t want some young i***t running around, ruining everything. ` said Caddie looking at her as if she saw something ugly that smelled bad right under her nose.

` I`m not an i***t` she said. ` Now, would you tell me what is going on? What is this book? Why is it so important?` It was time for Tilia to get some answers to all of those questions she had wile she was pretending to be asleep. Her head was still pulsing and she wasn`t sure that they won`t hurt her but what they did was just enough.

` You don`t know? ` Cross asked.

` No, tell me. ` Tilia said. They both took a deep breath and Caddie started her story.

` This town was built for one reason - to protect the rest of the world. In the beginning only a select few families lived here but over time, more people moved in. ` said Caddie, staring at the same distance Cross stared at. Tilia found it funny and wondered what was it that distance.

` Protect? Protect from what?`Tilia asked, confused.

` There is an ancient race of creatures, dangerous creatures. They put people in a coma, filling their head with their greatest desires, fulfilling their biggest dreams. All along they feed on them, their life, their energy, their days, until eventually they kill them. In ancient time, wise, powerful people put them in a forest in order to keep them away. Ever since then, there was always a Council, a group of descendants of original families who were in charge of guarding the forest and saving people if those little buggers manage to somehow get out. `

These creatures didn`t sound that bad. She couldn`t decide was it a merciful death or the worst kind f dying.

` Are you in the Council?` she asked.

` Yes, so is Gabe and Vinnie, the mayor was with us too, and your grandparents. ` she said.

` My grandparents? `

` Yes. They both had their special talents, gifts if I may say. So do we. Gabe here has incredible hearing, I am good at collecting information and Vinnie, as funny as it may sound, is excellent at sneaking around. The mayor was an empath - he could feel what you feel. But your grandmother was the most powerful of us all. She was an enchantress. ` she said.

` What? No, that`s impossible. ` Tilia said. Those are just fairy tales. Enchantresses do not exist. Magic isn`t possible. And her own grandmother? Would that mean that she is an enchantress?

` Is it? Magda did incredible things. No one could stand up to her. ` She sounded like she knew what she was doing. It seemed that Caddie was scared of her a bit. And hated her much more than that. ` And then she f****d us all up when she died and didn`t tell us where she left the book. `said Mrs. Caddie.

She said that with such disgust. Swearing sounded funny coming from her. She looked through the curtains to her window. Tilia thought about her constant nosy behavior and realized that she could have been just collecting information. Could that information be useful against those creatures? Maybe. But a book. Her grandmother had the book that Grimm was talking about. Why was that book so important to everyone.

` What book? ` she asked.

` The book in which you can find everything you need to know about The Creatures. Even how to let them out. ` Cross said.

So that`s why. Why would anyone write down how they can let creatures out? That`s stupid. As stupid as a big red self-destruct button in the cartoons is.

` But who would want that? ` she asked. ` Your grandfather. You see, when your grandmother died his heart broke. All he wanted was to get her back - so he went into the forest and let The Creatures attach to him so he can at least dream about her.` said Caddie.

` That`s romantic. ` Tilia thought. He must have loved her so much. That kind of love is hard to find, even in books.

` No, that`s stupid.` said Cross with disgust on his face. Caddie nodded. Cross walked over and looked through the window down on the dimly lit street. There was no sound coming from the outside world and he loved it.

` But all of this, it`s impossible. And what is the key for? ` Tilia asked.

` That`s for unlocking the book, of course. ` Cross said.

` Of course, because all books unlock. ` Tilia said waving her head. That`s the first time she ever heard of a book unlocking.

` Look girl, don`t get all smart with me. This is important. You need to give us that key so we can move on with our lives and you can continue to hide in your little library. ` said Caddie, standing up from her chair. She was still not taller than Tilia sitting down, even though she tried to be.

` So whoever killed the mayor, wanted the key? ` Tilia asked.

` Yes, I suppose so. ` said Caddie.

` Well who would want it? ` asked Tilia.

` The Sandman, of course. ` said Cross, looking away from the window and straight into her eyes.

` The Sandman? Who in the world is that?` asked Tilia, thinking about the story she heard. Apparently, Sandman`s can`t be nice. They`re all just evil. Bad, bad, Sandman`s.

` We don`t know. But he seems to be the leader. We`ve encountered him on several occasions and he wants the book too. Only he wants to free the creatures and let them roam free. His belief is that people are better off dreaming than living. ` said Caddie. She thought about it all and the more they talked the dumber it seemed. Magic, Sandman, books, Council, keys… everything seemed like a well thought out story planted there just to play with her mind.

Those things don`t happen.

Linden is the most normal town in the world and there`s nothing extraordinary happening there. All she wanted was her life back, without all the crazy s**t, without this knowledge- if it really was a knowledge. These things happen only in books and movies and bad movies based on the books. Not to her. Her grandmother wasn`t a witch or sorcerer or whatever weird thing she was, and the creatures who lull you into a nice, perfect dream and then kill you do not exist. She dug her face into the palms of her hands.

` This is impossible. ` she said.

` Oh my darling, but it isn`t. `