THE JOURNEY HOME

PORTALS (CONTINUED)

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The water surface rushed up and Ophelia held her breath and shut her eyes. She expected a splash but instead, she slipped through the water's surface and emerged on the other side completely dry, still standing. She let go of the breath in her lungs. Pearl's hand was completely recognizable to her now.

'Where's the journal you had?', Pearl asked suddenly. Ophelia who was still processing the events that had just transpired stood transfixed, unable to utter a word. She tried to get her bearings. Pearl walked past her and looked out through what seemed to be a full-length glass window that showed the bank of the river.

'How did I get here?', Ophelia was finally able to manage.

'I brought you', While Pearl's curt answer did not suffice to satisfy Ophelia's question, it did suffice to annoy her but she held her tongue and kept her cool. She ventured to gain cognizance of her surroundings. It seemed like a pale blue hall with glass windows arranged in a kaleidoscope all around her, some at odd angles, each looking out to a different view.

'Where are we?', Ophelia surmised that this couldn't be the glorious country that so many had given all to obtain.

'This is the portal hall', Pearl replied, turning to face Ophelia. 'This is where I have to come to meet you'. She pointed down the hall to the right. 'Down there is a portal leading to our bedroom'.

'The mirror', Ophelia replied, 'That was you'.

'I saw when Amber walked in, and I saw her tail you. That's why I need to know where you put the book, the journal I mean', Pearl said impatiently.

'I threw it. I couldn't risk it getting soaked', Ophelia returned quickly and harshly.

'Alright then, you have to get it and come back here.'

'It's too late for that', Ophelia replied. The glass above her showed Amber reading a book, the very book in question. Pearl glanced at Ophelia and her eyes flashed with anger.

'You were careless', she replied.

'What do we do now?', Ophelia asked, suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation. It wouldn't take long for Amber to get to the pages that held actual information, and she would understand everything. But, Ophelia thought, was that really so bad? It would be an immense relief to stop trying to hide everything and to have Amber as an ally rather than whatever the relationship they currently possessed could be called. Pearl wouldn't understand how hard it was to hide all this from her sister, but the weight of the secret was crushing Ophelia. No one had more right to know than Amber, right?

'I'll take you to the library', Pearl replied. Ophelia agreed although she couldn't see the value of this suggestion. It didn't stop Amber from reading the journal. In fact, now Ophelia might have to explain the disappearance of two books instead of one, in the space of a single day, to the librarian. The only book left was Pearl's.

Pearl looped her arms underneath Ophelia's and carried her up to a silver window that showed the library on the other side. When she came out, she found herself in the very room where she had breakfast just the day before, and for the first time, she noticed a dusty mirror to the side. She lay hold of Pearl's book, still waiting for her where she left it, and tried to call Pearl through the mirror to take her back when to her dismay, the door to the room opened and there stood old Mrs. Harry, the librarian. Ophelia's reaction to the librarian's arrival must have been comical because it earned her a smile on the weathered face. Mrs. Harry's quizzical smile seemed to ask, 'Shouldn't I, not you, be in shock?'. Ophelia had gotten in by no orthodox means yet the librarian was composed when she saw her meanwhile Ophelia was shocked to see the librarian in the library.

'I'm sorry if I startled you', Mrs. Harry's smile remained.

'Not at all', Ophelia struggled not to look directly at the elderly woman.

'Do you have any questions concerning the books you took?', Mrs Harry asked, a knowing look on her face. Just then the realization that the old librarian was Ann, Guilever's wife hit Ophelia and she dared to ask.

'Do you know where Mr. Harry went?', This question saddened the librarian. She shook her head no.

'But I'm sure you know someone who does', she added. 'Well, if that's all you wanted to ask, I'll take my leave', and with that, she excused herself from the room.

Pearl's hand came through the dusty mirror as soon as the door closed, holding onto her hand, Ophelia stepped through this portal back to the glass room. Pearl held one of her hands as they both glided down, Ophelia clasping onto Pearl's book in her other hand. They landed on the blue glassy ground beneath.

'Ophelia, next, you have to go back to the bank of the river. We don't have much time, due to the time difference, Amber would have finished the book by now', Pearl stopped and looked at her own diary in Ophelia's hand. She reached for it.

'You have to give it to me. Amber would recognize it', she explained. Ophelia agreed and handed Pearl her journal but not before considering that all three of the journals she was given had been taken by members of Pearl's family.

'What this means is, that you can only read this when it is most secure. I will keep it when you're not using it. There can be no mistakes', Ophelia said nothing. The idea that Pearl would go to such lengths to keep things from her sister didn't sit right with Ophelia.

'Alright, I'll take you back now, you have to get the blue journal back', without another word, Pearl pushed Ophelia back to the riverbank. Ophelia caught sight of Amber, a few paces away, leaning on a tree, a small puddle at her feet which they had looked through in the portal hall to see her. Amber sat reading the book and Ophelia walked up to her quickly. She was too late, as Pearl had predicted, Amber was done, she was looking at the family portrait at the back of the book.

'Amber', Ophelia called out to her. Amber looked up at Ophelia and her stomach turned, she was afraid of the emotions she might find in Amber's eyes, disgust? Anger? Hatred? But instead, Amber wore a smile and there was a calm about her. She got up, dusted herself, and handed Ophelia back her book.  Ophelia was too afraid to ask Amber any questions. Confronting Amber about her stalking Ophelia might lead to other matters that were better left unsaid.

Ophelia was non-confrontational by nature, but her silence was also birthed by the opinion she nursed deep within her, that Amber, of all people, had a right to know, perhaps even more of a right than herself. They walked home together in silence but later that day, Ophelia saw Amber leave the house again and knew with certainty that she was headed to the library.