Columbia - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I feel raindrops touching my frozen cheeks. The sky starts to become dark and all the white clouds seem to have been replaced with dark miserable ones. I look around me and see people rush to pack up their belongings and get out of the rain. I look down into my hand and see the crumbled up £5 note. I walk into the market and pick up as much as I can. I can only afford a few things as the prices here are ridiculous. Bread, milk, thin cut ham are all I have enough for. It’s not much but it’s something. I return home from the village. The cottage has warmth that I feel as soon as I open the front door. I bring the shopping to the kitchen and pack everything away. “Mum” I call. All I can hear is the dripping of the leaking tap and the dense silence of the cottage. I turn the knob on the handle and the dripping stops. Where is she? I walk up stairs and look into her bedroom. I couldn’t help but to smile as I see her curled up on the bed. I unfold a light blanket and place it on her. I didn’t want to wake her. Slowly I walk away trying not to make a sound. I close my mother’s bedroom door behind me. I feel the impact of the day finally catching up with me. My body feels weak and drained. I climb into bed and pull the cold quilt over me. The rain hits my bedroom window with a fierce force that echo’s in my room. Stephan... could he be out in this storm? I close my eyes trying to forget everything and fall into a deep slumber. I feel my eye lids becoming heavier. I was finally drifting off. “Alaska....”, “Alaska Camebridge...” I felt my body returning to the reality. I could hear someone calling my name. When my eyes finally open I sit up on my bed and look around. It takes awhile for my eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. The storm seems to have calmed down outside. The sky is filled with tiny white glittering stars. My attention is suddenly drawn to my closet. Strange noises seem to be coming from there. I drag myself out of bed and place my feet on the cold wooden floor. Every step I take closer to the closet the more nervous I would become. I’m standing in front of the closet when the doors swing open knocking me over as a bright ball of light flies out. I jump to my feet in shock. The light moves back and forth from one end of my room to the other, before it stops and hovers over the wooden object sitting on my bedside cabinet. My eyes move from the ball of light and to the wooden object that I had found in the woods. I take a step closer to the light. “What are you?” My voice sounds like an eco. It sounded like I was speaking into a fan. The ball of light comes close up into my face as if it was inspecting me. It then hovers over the wooden object one last time before floating out of my room. It doesn’t take me too long to realise what this thing is trying to tell me. I look through my bed side cabinet draws and find my torch. I grab a hold of the wooden object and run out of my room. Once I reach the bottom of the stairs I wrap my rain coat over me and follow the light out into the woods. The moon fades away behind the tall rigid trees. I turn the torch on. It only fills a small surface with light. It’s dark and creepy out here but when I look into the ball of light I feel safe. Where could this thing be taking me? The ball of light suddenly takes a turn down a path I have never been into before. All the trees surrounding us are arched over each other. I continue to follow the light down the path. I look behind me and see that the path is being closed up so that nothing can get in or out. When I make it to the end of the path, there is a river running through the woods. I walk over the bridge that stretches across the river. The ball of light comes to a stop in an area that is surrounded by trees that form a circle. I walk to the centre of the circle and stare at the wooden object. “Flute!..it’s a flute!” I scream with amazement. I look at the ball of light for a response but receive nothing. I turn back to the flute. I know what I have to do. I bring the flute up to my mouth. I wrap my lips around it, close my eyes and start to blow. The sound that the wooden old flute makes is soft and smooth. The feeling that I get in my stomach feels strange and new to me. It felt like butterflys but then again no it didn’t. There were no words to describe what I was experiencing. I slowly open my eyes. I see sun rays cutting through the trees. Where did the moon go? I take a step back and try and figure things out. “Welcome Alaska” I turn around and see the ball of light floating behind me. The light starts to get brighter and stronger until I can no longer stare into it. I cover my eyes with my hands to try and block out the light. When the light finally dims down I can barely see a thing. I rub my eyes a few times, trying to mend my blurry vision. I can see a figure of a girl. My eyes start to adjust and I can finally see clearly. Standing in front of me is a brown haired girl with white skin that glows. “My names Shallot” explains the girl. I stare at her for a while trying to get my head around what has just happened. “You’re the ball of light!” I say trying to be calm. Shallot stares at me and smiles. “I have been watching over you, waiting for the right moment to introduce myself.” says Shallot. I look at her in confusion. “When you played that flute you entered our world... Columbia” says Shallot. I look around at my surrounding and relies that everything around me is different. We never had apple trees where I lived, only oak trees. “Alaska, you have been chosen” says Shallot. “Chosen for what?” I ask. Shallot pauses for a moment before changing her calm sweet voice into a more serious voice. “You have been chosen by the voice of life to save Columbia”. I stare at her for a while waiting for the part where she tells me she is joking. A couple of minutes pass and I begin to think that this strange girl is being serious. It’s ridiculous. How can a regular person like me save a kingdom I have never even heard of before? “I’m sorry I think you might have the wrong person?” I say trying to be realistic about this whole crazy thing. “No, you are defiantly the one the voice of life selected. Alaska Camebridge.” says Shallot. Why does she keep mentioning the voice of life? What is that? “What’s the voice of life?” I ask. Shallot smiles and walks towards me. “The voice of life is a spiritual god that rules over Columbia. He hears the cries of all beings that are in need of help. However this time I’m afraid it’s different, but I can’t go into too much detail. He wishes to see you Alaska.” I feel knocked back with everything she has just told me. I can’t help them. I can’t promise people something I can’t deliver. “Sorry, I can’t help. I have my own problems to deal with” I say trying to be kind about the matter. I turn around and bring the flute to my mouth ready to play it. “There will be a reward” shouts shallot as I am about to play the flute. I turn my head towards her. “I know your family have been struggling for money lately. The voice of life is willing to give you a financial award in return for the safety of Columbia.” Shallot is right. That would be the answer to all our problems back home. I wouldn’t have to see me and my mother struggle for food or to keep a roof over our heads anymore. “Please” pleas Shallot. I look at her and see how bad this is affecting her. “Okay” I whisper. I have no idea what I am getting myself into but I need the money. “Excellent, I knew you would come around eventually” giggles Shallot. “So, what next” I ask. Shallot looks north from where we are standing then turns back to me. “I want you to meet me here tomorrow afternoon. Be prepared for a long travel so you should pack a light bag. The voice of life requests that you bring that ruby you found with you.” Says Shallot. I start to relies things I couldn’t understand before, this could be the reason why I couldn’t sell that ruby. No one knew what it was or what to do with it. I give shallot a quick nod with my head before I start to play the flute. When I close my eyes and hear the sounds around me fading. I manage to hear the last thing Shallot shouts before I disappear from Columbia. “Oh and Alaska, be prepared to say your good byes!!”