Sticky Shattered Glass Pieces

Chapter 56: The Goddess of Goblin

I went back to the island without Rachel. I need to find the flower and bring Suga back to this world. This flower brings bad luck to the people and I know by coming back to the island and seeking forgiveness to the flower would reduce the bad luck. 

The last time I came to this island was with Rachel. We had to go back to the island again to return the diary Rachel took accidently from the shore. Since then, series of bad luck occurred to us in the cabin till that morning. My bad luck continued with Rachel misunderstanding me about the flower. 

So, when I reached the island with the help of some kind strangers on the way, they told me to keep heading to towards the beach shore till I reach the end. They told me that I would be able to see a cave at the end of the shore but I cannot enter the cave unless I accepted by the goblin goddess, Maglubiyet. 

True to their words, there was a sign at the cave entrance that said, "Do Not Enter" and the whole territory was named "The Goddess of Goblin, Maglubiyet's World. I assumed that this goblin is a female and thought she would be a nice goblin to forgive whatever I did to cause her curse upon me. 

No one was around when I reached the cave entrance. I could hear the sea breeze lightly blowing from the sea towards the land. The air was chill and piercing through my cheeks making my mouth dry. My nose was clogged by the cold mist and I had to breath through my mouth. 

Suddenly, a whisper through the wind could be heard, "Follow me."

My visions were compromised and I couldn't see what was in front of me. I panicked but immediately felt relaxed when I felt a warm pair of hands held my arm. I was dragged by the hand and I assumed I was heading into the cave. Surprisingly, my rate was normal and I was not feeling anxious that a stranger had their hand on my arm and was dragging me into the cave. 

"This must be Maglubiyet," I thought to myself silently as I followed her into the cave.  

I felt her hand let go of my arm and we stopped suddenly. My visions were still compromised but I could get a pleasant fragrance. A familiar fragrance. What is this fragrance? I quickly brushed off my thoughts and tried to feel what was around me by putting my hands on them. 

My visions came back and I looked around excitedly. I was alone.  

What is a cabin doing in the cave? Did I enter the goblin's world already? What if I don't get out of the goblin's world?

The goblin that brought me in was no where to be seen. My heart beat started rising suddenly. I felt nervous and anxious seeing I was alone in that cabin in the cave. I consumed my fear in me and slowly gathered my courage to move around the cabin looking for any clue to find the flower and ask for forgiveness.  

I had a hard time believing I was alone because the boards were really creaky and the evidence of occupation were so recent. I half expected to discover someone who had been left behind and was still trying to cram more people than the box could handle. It took very little convincing to assume someone was holding the handle on the inside and that when it opened, I should encounter a pair of human eyes because the door to one chamber was rigid and initially refused to open.

Even though the room was quite little, the bed was big and had the finest mattress ever. It was placed right over the sitting room where I was supposed to spend my time living and "reading," and the little window faced the rising sun. The island was heavily covered with maples, hemlocks, and cedars, with the exception of a little road that connected the front entrance and porch to the boat landing. The trees surrounded the cottage so tightly that even a moderate breeze caused the branches to tap the wooden walls and scratch the roof.

After nightfall, the darkness was impenetrable; ten yards beyond the four lamps that shone through the sitting room windows, you could not see an inch in front of your nose and could not move without bumping into a tree.When I landed once more, the island felt so deserted! 

Twilight is unheard of in these northern regions, and the sun has set. The blackness suddenly appears. I wiggled my way up the tiny, steep staircase to the verandah. The six lamps quickly began to blaze happily in the front room, but in the kitchen, where I "dined," the shadows were so dark and the lamplight was so insufficient that the stars could be seen peeking through the gaps between the lamps.

The night was pleasant and still outside. The seas were still, the trees were immobile, and heavy clouds hung over the heavens like an oppressive veil. Not a breath of air was moving. There was not even the slightest hint of colour left to indicate where the sun had set as the darkness seemed to descend with remarkable speed. The threatening and oppressive calm that frequently precedes the most catastrophic storms was in the air.

The silence grew more intense as the night went on. Then I realised that as my thoughts started to stray, it was getting harder and harder to recall what I had been thinking. Momentarily, it was getting harder to focus. This was getting critical. 

What was the unsettling factor? 

Physical tiredness is not a possibility. Then I found the same diary that Rachel found at the shore a few days back. 

What is this diary got to do with the flower? Does this diary belong to the goblin? Why did I find the diary instead of the flower?