The Legend of the Firewalker, Book #1

Chapter 19.3

Author Note:

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the Legend of the Firewalker on Wattpad! Thank you so much for your support and for voting! 

More information is available at www.legendofthefirewalker.com or through Facebook at facebook.com/stevebevilwriting.

————————————-

Chapter 19.3

There was a loud moan, and the boys turned around to find Dr. Helmsley's eyes fluttering; she was waking up.

"We should get her back to campus," said Jonathan.

Nathan nodded. "So," he said, pausing for a moment, "the black dog in the forest. The first night at camp —"

Jonathan had kneeled down to check Dr. Helmsley's vital signs. "Yes," he interrupted with a smile. "But it's more like a black fox, not a dog."

"Don't you think you're a little too big to be a fox?"

Jonathan frowned, and his blue eyes glared over his glasses. 

Nathan thought he had just received the look of death. "All right," Nathan said, raising his hands as if surrendering. "Whatever you say, black fox."

Jonathan pushed his glasses back on his nose and a smile crept back onto his face. "Could you give me a hand?" he asked.

Nathan reached down and together they slowly helped Dr. Helmsley to her feet.

"I just want to say thank you," said Nathan. "You saved us that day. I don't know how, but I just knew you wanted us to turn down that road."

Jonathan continued to smile, but suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"How did you know where to find us?" Nathan asked. "And why are you a dog — I mean, a fox?"

Jonathan took a deep breath and looked at the wall outside of the secret chamber. "He will be known by those around him," he said.

"What?" Nathan was confused, but followed Jonathan's gaze over to the wall.

"The first night at camp," continued Jonathan, "we discovered the Firewalker symbol on the wall along with other symbols. We had planned to wait until morning to try and decipher them, but I was so excited I just couldn't wait."

Nathan squinted. He could see the Firewalker symbol on the wall outside the chamber along with some other symbols.

"I figured since there were a few more hours before nightfall, I would come back and start deciphering the symbols," Jonathan said. He pointed with his free hand. "When I touched that one, the Cahokia symbol for teacher, that's when I became the black fox."

Nathan looked to see where Jonathan was pointing. Around the Firewalker symbol were several smaller symbols.

"So how did you end up on the road?" Nathan asked.

"I'm not sure. I have a hunch, but it's just a theory at this point." He paused for a moment, as if he was about to say something, but then looked away. "But I do know for certain that I was drawn there. Before I knew it, I was in that place I was talking about the night of the first bonfire."

"Oh," responded Nathan. "You mean the Space In Between or the Spirit Realm."

Jonathan looked surprised. "How did you —"

"You know," said Nathan, with a nervous chuckle, "I've been doing my research."

Jonathan looked at him skeptically for a moment, but then nodded. "Well, since that night," he said, "I've been doing my own research. I've been trying to figure out what happened to me and what it has to do with the Firewalker symbol and the Order. That's when I discovered the other strange occurrences happening in town and that there were others probably like me."

Nathan looked confused. "I'm not sure I'm following you."

Dr. Helmsley moaned; she was out of it, but surprisingly was still standing. Jonathan looked like he was getting weary of allowing her body weight to rest upon his shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said, after repositioning himself. "See, I found this article in the IUCF newspaper about a student who claimed to be attacked by several small creatures."

"Leah," said Nathan.

"Yes, you are correct," said Jonathan, looking surprised. "Based on her account of what happened to her, it sounded like she had been in the Space In Between."

"And that's why you had a copy of the IUCF yearbook," responded Nathan confidently. 

"Yes," said Jonathan. "At Lafonda's party, I heard about a girl named Leah who was attacked on campus. After I got her last name from Alan, I looked her up, and that's when I discovered that she lived in Lawrence Hall, in the same room where —"

"Jonas is staying in for the summer," finished Nathan.

"Yes," responded Jonathan, still surprised. "And that's when I learned something even more interesting but equally disturbing. I discovered that Leah's roommate was found dead not too far from where they found the body of Bartholomew Riley."

"Jonas's father," muttered Nathan.

Jonathan nodded. "They found both their bodies out on Route 7," he continued, "which is right outside of —"

"Grimm Cemetery," said Nathan.

"Yes," said Jonathan. "And I believe they are all connected. After reading in the newspaper about what Leah said happened to her, I am certain whatever happened to her occurred in the Space In Between. And if Leah was there, then it's highly plausible that she has a power as well. I suspect that whatever was after Leah, was probably after her roommate and maybe even —"

"Jonas's father," said Nathan.

"Now if it turned out that Jonas had an ability," said Jonathan, "then we would definitely know we were on to something. But for now, I am almost certain that after we decipher the rest of the Legend of the Firewalker, we'll be closer to discovering how everything is connected: our powers, the symbols, the Order and the strange occurrences."

"We have to go," said Nathan, there was a hint of panic in his voice. "Like right now!"

Jonathan was confused by the sudden urgency but nodded, and they slowly started helping Dr. Helmsley out of the cave. "Nathan," he said, "when did you find out you had an ability?"

Nathan chuckled. "It's a long story," he said. "But it wasn't as magical as touching a symbol on the wall."

Jonathan smiled.

"Let's just say I sort of had a premonition about it and then was forced to use it," he said. "It didn't turn out how I expected, but it pretty much was either eat or be eaten." 

Jonathan's eyebrows frowned inward beneath his glasses. He looked confused again. "How long ago was this? And how did you know how to use it?" His pupils were dilated and he suddenly looked really inquisitive. "And what brought you to the caves tonight?"

"It really is a long story," said Nathan, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "I just happened to be on the trail tonight when I saw you transform into a fox. After that, I pretty much decided to follow you."

"I usually don't do that so out in the open," said Jonathan, with a chuckle. "I'm usually a little more discreet."

Nathan grinned and then nodded. "I promise to explain more later."

"Well, now you know why I kept asking you to come out here. After the car incident, I just knew you were connected, somehow."

———————————————————

Thanks again for reading! 

And I would definitely appreciate your vote! :)