Journey to Psitharis

Chapter 43

Forty-three

We looked around cautiously. "I don't trust this." Roland breathed. That thought had occurred to me as well. If they had any thoughts to us being in the tunnel, why wasn't there a welcome committee here to run us through? Or did they think we would take the shorter route and make a dash for the front of the castle? Maybe they thought we were just that stupid. Or perhaps there was something bigger happening now. Even if she were amassing an army to attack Dream Land, she'd still have more than enough soldiers to cover the tunnels. What was she doing?

Suddenly the many times I thought the Terrible Threesome had backed off when in fact they were plotting my demise came to my mind. She didn't want us caught; she wanted us to walk through that front door. That way when the two of us, on an obvious fool's errand, wound up in her palace, she would have the pleasure of destroying us personally. It was something right out of Jennifer Langston's playbook, and the evil twin of my little sister would know that maneuver all too well. "I know this sounds crazy, but do you get the feeling we're being forced toward the castle? Like that bitch in there is making sure we show up on her doorstep in one piece so she can tear us apart herself?"

Roland thought for a moment. "You know, I think you're right. It would make sense. She knows we can't fight an entire army, and she's so sure of herself it would be in her very nature to doubt your strength and abilities. We should keep moving. No matter what, we have to make it to the palace. So in a way we're both seeking out the same end."

"Well, until that conclusion happens, do you think you can make yourself invisible? I've come to the end of this part of the journey, I fear." I knew I was waking up, and it sent me into a panic. I was unintentionally abandoning Roland in a desperate situation. There was no way to stop it.

"Have no fear." He replied. "My training has well prepared me for such a situation. You will find me here when you return. Only, be careful upon your return. If she changes her mind and decides to deploy her army, you could find yourself in a death trap."

"Don't worry. I won't let her take me down that easily." The upbeat tone of my voice was very fake, and he knew it. But we left my doubts hanging in the air as if we did not recognize their existence.

"I have a feeling when next you come here the end will become known to all of us." Roland responded. "For good or bad, we will come to the end of our travels. And our fates will be open to us." Before I could even lean forward to kiss him, I found myself staring at my ceiling. It was already well past noon. It was Friday. Two letters were being delivered to two different mailboxes today. For better or worse the problems I had in this world were about to be settled. Both my destinies were lining up to collide in the same space of time. Perhaps it was always going to happen this way. Fate is a funny thing.

I spent my weekend avoiding my mother. She had been reprimanded at work for her behavior regarding the underhanded tactics she had taken with Robert. She had been so nasty with her attacks he and his wife had been forced to take out a restraining order against her. He left the company, citing all the harassment she had put him through as his reason for leaving. And losing a brilliant accountant due to the misdeeds of the boss's secretary was unacceptable to say the least. She was informed that one more complaint and she would be fired. She tried to claim sexual harassment, but they already had a long list of the male co-workers she had hit on recklessly. On the bright side, filing for the restraining order together brought Robert and his wife as close as they had been in ten years.

When Mom got home it took thirty seconds of shrill screeching in my direction of how, once again, I had ruined her life to send me running for the door and toward the park. I spent hours walking around, wishing I could go to Psitharis, but failing to do so. I found myself most days longing to stay in Psitharis for good. So far real life had been a total bust, and even with the imminent danger I faced there it was still a better existence than my day to day. And with the possible destruction of that world looming over my head, the urgency to return was ever present. And hell, the thrill of living the adventure of a lifetime was such an attractive motivator to get back as soon as possible, just to see how the story ended.