The Reuels and their Places (Chapter 2)

A long mountain range broke the horizon of the new landscape in this peculiar place. Two suns brightened the morning sky paralleling each other on opposite sides of clouds, one in the west and other in the east. A weird line ran down a division of the mountain range to exact spot that the four newcomers had just appeared. Green pastures and wild flowers coloured the western side and barren wasteland covered the eastern borders. With a division of land so precise it was clear that it was two different lands, the West and the East.

A forest lined the base of the mountains, but with the division the western forest flourished while the eastern was dying. Following the forest further west a city rose and reached as far west as the eye could see, and as tall as the mountains. A bright reflection beamed across the city almost making it heavenly.

On the eastern end of the forest a small village sat secluded from the rest of the land, death surrounded the fenced region with the mountain’s shadow covering it completely, and barely receiving any light from their eastern sun because it was almost covered by the abundance of dark rain clouds.

“What is this place? It’s incredible,” Helen broken the astonished silence, “but something about it is weird.”

“Look,” Naomi shouts turning and pointing towards the way they just came, the barrier was still there but no longer liquefied, “maybe we can go back.”

Cyrus stretched out his arm and hit the barrier. It was rock solid, like an indestructible glass wall.

“Now what are we supposed to do?” Helen asked then stopped instantly listening intently. “Do you hear something?” Uncle Alvis was having a nervous break-down; he was kneeling on the ground banging on the glass wall.

“UNCLE, come on we need your help here,” Helen shouted.

“NO no no no…I can’t be here. We need to go back. NOW!” Alvis was so shaking and hitting the wall violently.

A large rumbling got louder and louder. In the distance on the western side a small group of horsemen were approaching them.

“Oh no, not again. Children come on we must run.” Uncle Alvis grabbed Cyrus by the arm tugged him towards the forest.

“Wait, Alvis,” Naomi grabbed onto Uncle Alvis’s sleeve, “maybe they can help us get back, or at least tell us where we are now.”

“No, they can’t help us at all. Trust me, now run.” Alvis freed himself from Naomi’s grasp and continued toward the forest. Naomi followed, grabbed Helen’s arm on the way.

The horsemen pursued them to the edge of the western forest. Helen, breathing heavily, slowed down and pulled Naomi with her. The horses, quickly gaining, caught up to Helen. She ran again this time free of Naomi’s hold; she was able to run more efficiently now. Uncle Alvis and Cyrus were way ahead of them that it was impossible to see them through all the brush in the forest.

Helen felt tired again and hid behind a wide tree to catch her breath. She peered around the tree to see if she could find Naomi and noticed that Naomi had done just the same as her and hid behind another tree close by. Knowing where Naomi was, she looked around for any of the horsemen. She spotted one a few paces from her position and quickly lay flat on the ground to avoid being see. When saw the horsemen pass by she got to her feet and walked backward slowly avoid being seen. She quickly turned when though she was far enough and immediately blacked out.


She woke up in a small, dark and musty cave-like room. The dungeon chamber was covered in stone and steel chains hanging off the walls. She rolled over and felt throbbing pain on her head. Helen passed her hand on her forehead and felt a small bump.

“Oooo, that hurt,” she wined. “Where am I?” she crawled to the chamber door because her legs ached from running. She pulled herself up on the steel bars and searched for anyone outside the chamber. There was a steel-clad suited man patrolling the dungeon halls.

“Excuse me, excuse me,” the man turned to her, “can you help me? I’m looking for some people, a young woman named Naomi, my Uncle Alvis, and my brother Cyrus. Do you know where they are?”

“His Majesty, Sir Alvis Reuel of Edinburgh, you mean?” the knight replied, “I’m sorry young lass, but his was never found. He was lost during the war against the Meksins in the eastern lands. Why has such a young dainty as yourself been locked up?”

“I don’t know sir; I was hit in the head while running in the forest.”

“You mean his Majesty’s western garden near the mountains?”

I believe so sir. Can you help me?” Helen had an idea now, knowing the circumstances of their arrival and Uncle Alvis’s urgency to leave, she could now use it to help her find the rest of her family.

“And why should I help you, young child?”

“Your Majesty, Sir Alvis, has returned.”

“Oh and why should I believe you? You’re a little girl.”

“Aha, but I’m his niece, Helen Reuel of Middlesborough.”