Everville: The City of Worms (5 page)

Chapter 7:

Dinner

Back at Cleophas’s home, Anika said, “Let me help you with that,” as she picked up one of the larger trays of food from Cleophas’s hands.

“Thanks, Anika.”

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Owen went to open the door.

“That must be Avery and Jack,” Cleophas said as he took off his apron and rushed towards the door.

“Owen. It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too, Jack,” Owen declared as he reached to shake Jack’s extended hand.

“Avery, it’s good to see you as well.”

“Likewise,” Avery said as he walked in behind Jack.

“Hey, old man. It’s good to see you up an about,” Jack quipped as Cleophas embraced him.

“Who ya callin’ an old man, Jack? My family members always live well into their hundreds, so I’ve got at least another twenty good years left.”

“And you, my friend,” Cleophas said as he embraced Avery equally as hard.

“I brought this for you,” Avery said to Cleophas, holding a large clear dish covered with aluminum foil.

“I hope that’s your famous cheddar corn casserole that I love so much.”

“Absolutely.”

“Well, just set it down there on the table. I’m starving. Why don’t we all just dig in,” Cleophas bellowed.

Owen and Anika set the table while everyone else took their place.

Once the table was set, Cleophas reached over and grabbed the dish of cheddar corn casserole and scooped out a heaping portion onto his plate.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” he said in a burly tone after savoring the first bite of food of the evening.

For the next few minutes, the only noise that could be heard was the clanking of utensils on the plates and the lifting of the dishes as each person took their turn getting a portion of food. Jack broke the silence.

“This is some really good food. Thanks for inviting us, Cleophas.”

“Think nothing of it, Jack. I consider all of you family, and with all that’s been happening recently, it’s nice to have family around.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Avery said.

The silence settled over the table once again as everyone’s focus turned to finishing their meals. By the expressions on their faces and the occasional muted moan, they were all equally enjoying it.

After most of the plates were empty and before the silence became too awkward, Cleophas asked, “So who’s ready for dessert?”

“I think I saved a little room for dessert,” Jack chimed in.

“Yeah, I could go for some dessert too, but just a little bit,” Owen declared.

Cleophas went into the kitchen to retrieve what had been chilling in the refrigerator and returned with two dishes.

“Well, we have my family’s secret recipe of Hungarian shortbread and Anika’s chocolate truffle cake, which looks equally as delicious.”

“I’ll try both,” Avery said.

The dishes were beautifully displayed. The chocolate truffle cake was composed of subtle shades of brown that hinted at just the right composition of moisture. The Hungarian shortbread had two layers of crumpled tans and yellows, and sandwiched in the middle was a deep maroon layer of the raspberry jam, which was the main ingredient.

Everyone else proceeded to get small portions of both as well, and they took their time to enjoy it.

“Anika, this cake is fantastic,” Owen praised.

“I’m glad you like it. It’s also a secret family recipe.”

After everyone had finished their dessert, Jack said, “Well Cleophas, it’s been great seeing you again, but I really gotta get goin. I’ve got a lot of clean up to do in my yard, and I promised my neighbors that I’d help them as well. I really enjoyed dinner and seeing everyone again.”

“Think nothing of it, Jack. Our thoughts are with you and Dante,” Cleophas said.

“That means a lot, Cleophas. Thank you,” Jack replied.

“Well, Jack’s my ride,” said Avery, “so I have to get going, too. Thank you again for the lovely evening.”

“It was my pleasure,” Cleophas insisted.

“Bye, Jack. See you later, Avery,” Anika and Owen both said.

Cleophas closed the door behind them and went to the table to start clearing the dishes.

“Let me help you with that,” Owen said as he grabbed his share of plates.

A short time later, after the dishes had been cleaned and the leftovers had been put away, Cleophas sat down on his living room couch. Anika and Owen sat down on the small couch next to him.

Just then, The Keeper transported Owen back to his workshop in Everville.

“I’ve just been informed by Toe that someone’s been diverting a source of power in Brackenbone behind the walls of Vermogen. They’ve been using a collector to gather its energy. They’re trying now to find the source of the diversion, but I can see that the collector is in the possession of Oldrik, who at the present moment is in the middle of a standoff between the Giants and the Fwaylan. With Oldrik in possession of the collector, there’s no way that we can destroy it.

“What needs to be done now is to find out how the source is being diverted. If we can stop the source of the diversion, we might be able to take the collector from Oldrik and return it to Everville, where it can be properly destroyed. Collectors made from the hearts of the impure have terrible consequences. I suspect that the collector is responsible for much of the happenings in Everville and the earthly realm. If it can be destroyed, I think your friend Dante can be returned to his former state.”

“Really. That’s fantastic news! So how do we go about finding the source of the diversion?”

“Well, therein lies the problem. The source of the diversion has to be either behind the walls of Vermogen, where I cannot see, or somewhere in the earthly realm, which also presents some limitations to my abilities. We will have to rely on what we know, and on the findings of the Fron and Ubaloo behind the walls of Vermogen. Talk to Cleophas. He will be able to help you the most in the earthly realm.”

Owen was immediately transported back to his seat in Cleophas’s living room, and as was generally the case, no time had passed in the earthly realm. As soon as he had returned, Cleophas noticed a change in expression on Owen’s face.

“It happened again, didn’t it? What did The Keeper say?” Cleophas asked excitedly.

“He said that power is being diverted behind the walls of Vermogen in Brackenbone. Oldrik has a collector that is being used to hold the diverted power. It must be taken back to Everville and be destroyed, but before we can do that, we have to find the source of the diversion in order to weaken the collector so it can be taken. The Ubaloo and the Fron are behind the walls finding out what they can, but The Keeper also said the source may be in the earthly realm, and suggested you might be able to point me in the direction of where it might be.”

“All right, Owen. After I drop you and Anika off tonight, I’ll see what I can dig up.”

“Did he say anything about Dante?” Anika inquired.

“Yeah. He said that the collector is probably what has been causing all of the strange events here and in Everville. He thinks that if we can find the source of the diversion and take the collector back to Everville to be destroyed, Dante might very well come out of his coma.”

“That’s great news, Owen!” Anika said, joy and excitement elevating her voice.

“Absolutely. Now we just need to figure out how to find the cause of this diversion,” Owen declared.

“I believe in you, Owen. I know you can find it,” Anika said.

“I hope so, Anika, but I’m gonna need all the help I can get. I’m really not sure where to start. Hopefully you can give me something to go on,” Owen said as he turned his eyes to Cleophas.

“We’ll figure this out together, Owen.”

Chapter 8:

Discovery

After failing to find any new information about the objects or the documents in the boxes, Drusilla had returned home and Zee had fallen asleep. They had both agreed to start reading the notebook about Everville the next day.

Zee woke up around ten in the morning, and after grabbing a cup of coffee and a cream cheese bagel, he decided to start reading the notebook left by his father.

Entry Number #2

Today I found out from a Fron that power is stored in these special glass jars from Everville. I’ve convinced one of the Fron to let me have one. The liquid in the containers has shown me the story behind the objects that I touch. I think this will aid the skills I’ve already acquired.

“No way. This can’t be real,” Zee said out loud.

“What can’t be real?” Drusilla asked as she walked in the door.

“Come here. Check this out.”

Drusilla took the notebook and read the second entry.

“Really? I’m not sure if I believe this, but I guess there’s only one way to find out,” she said, as she put down the notebook.

“Maybe it’s just a prop. If this notebook is just a manuscript for a book, it could just be some kind of gimmick,” Zee said.

“Maybe, but maybe not. Didn’t you say you saw your dad talking to a painting and that you thought it moved? Well, he was your father, Zee, so I think you should do it first.”

“Do what first?”

“Well, you should taste a couple drops while you hold the map in your hand and see what happens.”

“I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea, Drusilla. For all we know, this liquid could have been what killed him. There could be poison in this, or maybe it’s some kind of drug.”

“I really doubt that, Zee. What if you try just one drop? If you don’t want to try it, then I’ll do it.”

“No. I don’t want anything to happen to you. If anyone’s going to try it, it’ll be me. Like you said, he was my father, but we should think about this first.”

“Zee, I’m not sure that thinking about this is going to change anything. Yeah, maybe there’s a little risk, but don’t you want to know what happened to your dad? I mean, I don’t want anything to happen to you either, but if this is what killed your father, I think they would’ve found it near him or something. Not to mention the fact that they didn’t say anything about poison being in his system when he died. If there’s a chance this can tell you what happened to your dad, don’t you want to know?”

“I’ll tell you what, Drusilla, let’s read the rest of this notebook and look over these documents again, then I’ll make a decision about whether I’ll taste one of the drops or not. We’ll take turns. I’ll read through the manuscript, and then I’ll look over the other objects and documents to see if they make more sense. While I’m reading the notes, you can look over the documents and objects again, and then we’ll switch.”

“Fair enough, Zee,” Drusilla said as she reached for the scroll containing the map to Everville and The Other In Between.

Zee read each page with meticulous care, making sure not to miss anything, and Drusilla looked at every inch of the map, hoping to find a clue.

Entry by entry, page by page, Zee was drawn deeper into the world of Everville through the words that were written down by his father. He learned of the Fron, and The Keeper, as well as other races and lands that were described in great detail. He read about Them and The Other In Between, and how when races in Everville occasionally colluded with Them, it created breaches that allowed evil to filter through to Everville. After a few hours of reading, Zee came to the final page.

Entry Number 29:

I’ve lost the ability to transport myself to Everville, but I still have some control through the objects I have retrieved and the element in the jars. Some objects, any object in fact, can be used to see with enough practice and concentration, but I have used a few drops of the element on some of the paintings to allow me not only to see, but also to influence and change what is happening on the other side.

“Drusilla, I think I found something.”

She read the passage and said, “Wow. We need to get those paintings. If all of this is true, maybe we can use one of the paintings to see through to the other side, but I think I found something, too. The symbols on each of the lands of Everville and The Other In Between on the map match the symbols on the bo staves. I think we should take a look at the bo staves. Why don’t I go back to the Art Club and get all of the ones we have so that we can compare their markings to those on the map?”

“I think that’s a good idea. I’ll go get the paintings while you’re doing that. Let’s go see what we can find out,” Zee said enthusiastically.

About an hour later, Drusilla had managed to get eight bo staves, and Zee had brought in a couple of paintings from the gallery.

“Look, Zee. Let’s see what happens if we have each of the bo staves touch in the same order as they appear in the map based on the surrounding lands of Everville.”

Drusilla lined up the bo staves in a large circle on the floor. When the last bo had been put in place, they stood back and hoped it would reveal something. After waiting a minute Zee said, “Well that was pretty useless, but I think maybe we’re missing the point. Someone carved these symbols and we should find out who it was and try and talk with them to see if they can tell us anything.”

“That’s a good idea, but that’s going to take some time, and we’ll probably have to wait until next week when the university is back in session. Let’s take a look at the paintings. I’ll look at this one. Why don’t you take that one over there, the big one?”

Zee stared at the painting and inspected every inch of the canvas. He looked at it up close and from a distance. He turned the painting sideways and upside down. Each time, he stared deep into the painting, but nothing happened. He even tried holding each of the bo staves and staring at the painting at the same time, but still nothing. Then he decided to hold each of the objects, the map, the miniature painting, and finally the container. Zee shook his head in frustration.

“Okay, I’m done with this crap. I’m going to try tasting one of the drops of liquid while touching the objects, the bo staves, and then while looking into the paintings.”

“Are you sure, Zee?”

“No, but there’s obviously something here. I mean, if this were some kind of hoax, it just seems too elaborate. No one is that good. I’m not exactly sure how much of this is true, but there’s got to be at least some truth to what’s written in these notes.”

“Okay, then. I’ll be here for you just in case something happens.”

Zee put his hands around the container and felt the top, twisting it a little to see if it would open. With a little more effort, the top portion of the container started to turn. It was light, but made a sound like thick glass containers clicking against each other. Grooves were built into the glass to allow the top to come off, and Zee was able to unscrew the lid. It revealed a small opening at the tip, just enough for a single drop.

Zee held the scroll tightly in his hand and tilted the container halfway over his tongue.

“Here goes nothin’.”

Zee tilted the glass jar a little more and one drop escaped and dripped onto his tongue. Drusilla took the container from his hand and screwed the top back on just to make sure Zee didn’t spill more than the one drop.

Zee’s mind was sucked into a whirlwind. Flashes, explosions, and brief images of faces passed before him. The images repeated over and over again, too fast for Zee to make any sense of what they were. His body looked like it was about to go into convulsions. His hand had a powerful grip on the scroll, so much so that Drusilla was worried he might rip it. He teetered backwards and forwards while he sat down, and for a moment at least it appeared he was going to fall over.

Drusilla reached over and grabbed Zee’s now empty hand which had previously held the glass jar. She hoped the contact would ground him and calm his body. After a few seconds, Zee’s body stopped rocking and the images started to play back over and over again, but slower each time. The images flashed before him once more. This time, Zee was still unable to make a complete narrative of the images, but he did manage to snag a few very specific memories.

He saw his father in front of the large painting. The brilliant, multi-colored brushstrokes on the painting had begun to move. Little by little, the color and the contours of the paint melted away and were transformed into a moving landscape, and then Zee saw the great battle.

The battle of the Fron had just begun. He could see the mass of the mountain dwellers approaching the river that fed into The Valley of Darkness, and he could hear the haunting sounds of their voices as they charged the Fron’s defensive position. The first volley of fireballs was released, and almost immediately he could smell the stench of death as the flesh of the creatures torched upon impact.

Zee’s mind shifted to Oldrik and his Fron followers that were in Everville. He could see Oldrik using a portal to transfer energy to Them and the other races of The Other In Between.

Zee’s mind went blank, and for a second there was nothing. Without warning, Zee could see the mind of his father. He could feel the transfer of energy that his father was giving to Them. He could see Owen! He could see that Anika and Dante’s eyes were aiding Owen. Anika, Dante,
and
his father were using the paintings to transfer energy across the vast dimensions of time and space.

There was something else. Zee saw flashes of another world, The Other In Between and the stolen souls that were held hostage there. He could also sense a kind of darkness, an evil, and then images of Oldrik, his father, and Jacob flashed in his mind. There was more, but the images began to fade. The torrent of pictures and places slowed to a trickle, and then vanished altogether.

“Zee! What happened? What did you see?”

“Everything is true, Drusilla. Everything, all of it, but there’s more. We need to talk to Anika and Owen, like right now.”

“Why? What else was there?”

“They didn’t know about my father, but they knew about everything else. That’s not all. It’s not over. Dante’s mind is stuck, and there’s more.”

“What is it, Zee?”

“It was my father. He was fighting against Owen and The Keeper. His mind was sending energy to fight Owen and the Fron. Owen was in Everville. My father’s mind couldn’t take it, and neither could Dante’s. Dante and Anika were using a different painting to send energy to Owen, and my father was using his painting to send energy to those creatures fighting against the Fron. Dante’s been in a coma all this time.”

“This is crazy,” Drusilla said. “I hope Dante’s going to be okay.”

“Yeah, me too, but it is what it is. I thought I was starting to come to terms with my father’s death, not very well mind you, but at least I was dealing with it in my own way. I just don’t know what to think now. Was my dad evil or are Anika and Owen on the wrong side of things? Maybe they don’t even know. I didn’t quite get everything in the end of the experience. I think I’m still missing something. I’m just so confused right now, but we need to speak to them as soon possible.”

“You’re right. I’ll give them a call right now,” Drusilla said as she reached in her pocket for her phone.