The Incredible Journey of Pete McGee (16 page)

Well whaddaya know? He did it! I'm shocked. I had twenty bucks at good odds on them all dying a horrible, gruesome, bloody, gut-spilling, brain-chewing, vomitous death at the hands of Dazene. Oh well, you win some you lose some. Anyhoo, there's still bad news for Pete McGee to face when he gets home, so let's keep moving and see how he copes with his mother's death.

shlyn sat in the McGee's house feeling the solitude, the quietness. Although she had only known them for a short time, Pete and his mum had supported and taken her in when she needed it. For that she would always be grateful. Now though, Mrs McGee was dead, and Ashlyn had no idea what had happened to Pete. It seemed as though he had been gone forever. And no news of Pete meant no news of Marloynne. Mrs McGee had already been buried. A short service was conducted by the town priest, with Ashlyn the only mourner present.

Ashlyn had tidied everything in the two days since Mrs McGee's death, as there was nothing else to do apart from wait. The little house sparkled. While Pete had always tried to help his mum, cleaning certainly hadn't been his strong point. There was a brightness about the house now, despite the sadness in the air. The doors were closed but the windows had been flung open. Ashlyn felt as though to let in the sunshine would be to let in hope, and it made her feel so much better having warmth in the house. As she'd cleaned each of the rooms she had looked at the pictures of Pete and Mrs McGee. They were everywhere, concrete evidence of the bond that existed between mother and son. It was sad looking at the pictures though. Mrs McGee had looked so fit and happy before the illness took over, before Ashlyn had even met her.

The kitchen table was set for three, for Ashlyn had not given up hope of Marloynne and Pete's return. She looked out the window and wished she could find out what was happening. She knew that all she could do now was wait.

Pete and Marloynne walked around the Plains of Obon on their return. They also avoided going to Bandragon, as Pete knew that would not be a quick visit. He told Marloynne all about the town though. The way he had been healed there, the way the people respected and lived with nature instead of destroying it, and the new friends he had made. He left out certain details, naturally, like his monster crush on Tahnee. As they walked Pete also pointed out some of the adventures he had experienced on his quest. He showed Marloynne where he had met Santora. The hole in the road had not been fixed, still a hazard for Santora and his fellow little people.

Marloynne listened to Pete talk on and on. He laughed at Pete's enthusiasm, at how he seemed grown up in many ways but still a child in others. Although he was interested in what Pete talked about, in many ways his mind was already looking ahead to his reunion with Ashlyn. It had been so long. The image of Ashlyn stabbing herself hadn't left him. He knew it never would. He decided he would give his heart to Ashlyn for good, he would never leave her, never betray her. He had learnt much about himself on the journey. Marloynne knew that Dazene had been right about certain things: although brainwashed, the personality conjured had been his own, laying deep inside, dormant, waiting to be called to the surface. The real Ashlyn had never seen that side, and he must never let her.

Pete had also seen two sides to Marloynne, and he sure liked this one better. As they walked and talked, Pete began to realise what Ashlyn actually saw in Marloynne. He was a loyal man, and funny, and while he carried himself with dignity and integrity he wasn't afraid to play. There was an honesty about him too. He was someone Pete would like to have as a friend, and he hoped that it would be so.

Time passed.

Pete had food in his pack, but his supplies were running low. After the last of the food was eaten, there was still half a day's walk left. Pete's stomach began to grumble loudly, and he wished he had some of Santora's miracle food to keep him going. They walked past the street trader who had given Pete his first experience of a burger. Pete longed for another, but he had no money, and Marloynne had never had any money. Pete vowed to Marloynne he would one day taste a burger again. The stomach growls got louder and louder as the walk continued. Marloynne laughed and pretended there was a monster growling, coming after them. It was only when his stomach growled even louder than Pete's that he stopped teasing and blushed a deep red. Pete laughed and slapped Marloynne on the back. They walked on, before Pete suddenly stopped short as his house came into view.

‘There it is. There it is!' he cried. ‘Come on, let's go.'

They broke into a run, playfully pulling each other back as they went, both wanting to be the first to arrive. Marloynne got there first, after tripping Pete over in what was surely an illegal move, but there was no umpire to call him on it. He raced up to the door and called out Ashlyn's name. Pete wasn't too far behind and he burst through the door blindly, crashing into Marloynne, who had stopped and was staring at Ashlyn. She stood in the kitchen behind the table and laughed in spite of herself, as Pete and Marloynne went crashing to the ground in a tumble of arms and legs. They both got up sheepishly, blaming each other for the fall.

‘Oh, just shut up, both of you.' Ashlyn started to cry, she couldn't help it. She ran to Marloynne and buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

‘I … never … thought I'd … see you again.'

Pete started to head into his mother's bedroom. Ashlyn noticed too late. She cried out for him to stop but Pete had already gone in. He stood and stared at the empty, neatly made bed. His mother not being in bed could only mean one thing, and Pete knew it wasn't that she'd made a miraculous recovery. Ashlyn came up behind him and put her arms around him.

‘I'm so sorry, Pete. She died almost two weeks ago now. She was so proud of you though, she really was. She died talking about you, and she died with a smile on her face. She said to tell you she was proud of you for getting the flower. Did you? Did you get it?'

Pete nodded, unable to speak. Marloynne unwrapped the flower and showed it to Ashlyn, who stared at it.

‘Would it have worked? Is the magic real?'

Pete nodded again, while Marloynne told Ashlyn what had happened to King Cyril the Dearly-Departed. The Wilderene Flower was real, although what use it had now was beyond Pete. He figured he couldn't use the pollen to cure his mum's sickness. He was pretty sure death didn't count as a sickness. Maybe his mum was meant to die. Maybe there was a reason for it, a natural order. He took the Wilderene Flower from Marloynne and told his two friends he needed some time to think. They watched him walk out of the room, desperate to help, but before long their attention turned back to each other and the love that had been reborn.

Pete sat out in the yard with the Green Book on his lap, as it had been so long ago. He opened it up, and waited.

‘Well, Pete McGee, you have returned victorious. Congratulations.'

Pete said nothing, waiting for the book to continue. The tone became mocking.

‘And now you have come to me for advice, hey? Well, I have to say it's about time.'

Pete smiled despite his sadness. He knew that he had been right not to take the book with him on the journey, but he also had the suspicion that the book would not let him see out this quest without some contribution.

‘I do need your help. I failed, and now I don't know what to do. I mean, I brought back the flower, but Mum's dead. I was too late. I can't believe that I went through all of that for nothing. I may as well have stayed and, I don't know, maybe Dazene was right. Maybe I shouldn't have left Mum and tried to be a hero.'

The book's pages rustled.

‘No, young McGee. It may feel like that now, but you haven't failed. You have succeeded in so many ways. You have retrieved the Wilderene Flower, a feat that evaded so many others. You have reunited two people who love each other, a wonderful achievement. You have found strength within yourself that you may never have discovered otherwise. And you are forgetting one thing, Pete McGee. You are forgetting that the flower also has the power to grant a wish. This flower, as you have witnessed, contains extremely powerful magic. If it can kill the King, what do you think the wish may be able to do for your mother?'

Pete caught his breath, the tears welling in his eyes. He spoke in a voice so quiet it could barely be heard.

‘The wish could bring my mum back to me.'

‘That's right, Pete. It has the power to do that,' whispered the book. It paused for a second before continuing. ‘Although, there's also the little issue of your missing arm. The choice is yours.'

Pete closed the book fast, needing it to be quiet. Jeez, why did it have to say that? It was probably still cut about being left behind. The thought of wishing himself a second arm hadn't even crossed his mind. All he had wanted to do was bring his mum back. But maybe she
was
meant to die. Maybe this quest was for
his
destiny to change. The right thing might be to do something totally for himself, just for once. Pete closed his eyes and imagined having two arms. He imagined the extra strength he would have, the extra balance. He imagined how the stares and whispers would stop. He imagined all the extra things he would be able to do, all the added bonuses of two arms, and not one of them came even close to having his mum back alive and healthy.

Pete smiled to himself. He was ready now. The last test of this journey had been passed. He held the Wilderene Flower in front of his face, visions of his mother flashing through his mind. Raising the flower to his nose Pete McGee breathed in deeply, silently wishing at the same time for the return of his mother, alive and healthy.

He waited, eyes still closed, waiting for something. A noise, anything. He opened his eyes. He had thought maybe there would be a flash of light, fireworks and his mother would appear. But there was nothing. He sat alone, in a yard, with a magic book on his lap and a weed in his hand. The wish hadn't worked. He tried again, breathing in deep, saying the words out loud. Nothing. He sang the words. He said abracadabra. Nothing. Maybe it wasn't meant to be. That wasn't good enough for Pete though, whose guard finally came down. Suddenly, he lost all the strength he had shown on his journey. He felt like a little boy who had lost his mother and just wanted her back. He hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye. He cried then. He fell to the ground and he cried until he had no energy left. Marloynne and Ashlyn, who had heard his anguish, ran to his side. They led him gently to his room. Pete McGee slumped onto his bed, exhausted, fully clothed, and fell into a deep sleep.