Chapter 2, Horrors and Revelations

Norbert waited for a moment before calling again. He had no doubt her anger would drive her deep into the woods. What if she got lost? Well, she could spent the night in the woods, then. But then, it began to rain. Norbert stepped under a tree, where only a few dripping leaves showered his head. He grinned. Lenny would be driven back by the rain and forced to admit that she had failed. Norbert shouted again. It was just a matter of time before she came back shamefaced and admitted defeat. Proving that girls weren't meant to be adventurers. But just after one more shout, he heard a scream rip through the air. It was cut off abruptly. Chills ran through Norbert's bones. Had that been Lenny? Of course, it was her voice. But...was she in trouble? No, she was a girl. She was probably overreacting to something. Like a dead rat. Norbert's grin returned, but shakier now. His lips trembled; his hands shook. What if something terrible had happened? What if Lenny was hurt? Norbert tore through the woods without another thought, cupping his hands to his mouth and shouting as he went, "Lenny? Lenny, where are you?"

No answer. Fear ripped through Norbert's mind. He shouldn't have sent her in here. What if Andy was right? Or, at least, right about something dangerous being in here? What if she had been mauled by a bear, or killed by a wolf, or...Norbert sped his pace, screaming Lenny's name now. Branches whipped and scraped Norbert's arms and legs as he ran. But he didn't slow. At last, there was a response. But it wasn't Lenny.

"Are you in need of assistance as well, young man?"

Norbert whipped around and stared at the tall, dirty, blond-haired, blue-eyed, fur-clothed man. Norbert would have grinned at his shaggy appearance. It was something an adventurer like himself would admire. But he only stared dumbly. At last, he found his voice, "H-have you seen my friend? Lenny?"

The man's eyes flashed, and a tear slipped down his face.

"Follow me," was all he said. The man turned around and plunged into the darkness again. Norbert rushed to catch up. They reached a tree, which the man began to climb. Then he stopped and glanced down at Norbert.

"Careful," the man said. "No matter what, don't let go. Don't fall."

He seemed to want to say more, but he just continued climbing. Norbert hesitantly began to climb, and he reached the top safely in a minute or two. Concealed in the branches and leaves, Norbert saw the tree house that he probably should have seen before. The man led him inside, and by the time Norbert got in a torch had been lit. There was something on the table, but a thin white cloth was covering it. Norbert stepped forward slowly. The man did not stop him. Norbert closed his eyes and yanked the cloth off of the table, dreading what he may see when he opened his eyes. He snapped his eyes opened and screamed. He spun around and stared at the man, who's face was almost as pale as Lenny's. Tears were streaming down the man's face. His eyes were closed.

"W-what happened?" Norbert stammered. The man opened his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath.

"She fell," he admitted. "I found her lost in the woods, calling for help. She was drenched from head to toe and shivering against a tree. I tried to take her up here, to give her shelter for the night. But...but there was an accident, and she fell. Lenny died just a few minutes ago."

Norbert felt tears spring to his eyes.

"I knew I shouldn't have sent her in here!" he raged. He was angry at himself and he was angry at the tree and he was just angry.

"You sent her in the woods?"

"I...yes. I did. I was trying to test her, to see if she was brave enough...and it's all my fault that she's dead."

"You'd better leave now, boy," the man growled, clenching his fists and looking away. Norbert felt a sudden flash of fear. He backed away from the table and almost fell out the door. He gripped the doorway and with wide eyes swung down, climbing as fast as he could without falling. His feet hit the ground and he ran for home.


The door slammed shut, and Norbert locked it behind him. His mother, who always stayed up late watching shows and playing board games with no one in particular, lifted her head.

"Norbert?" she said, eyes wide. "I've been worried. I couldn't find you anywhere."

Tears were streaming down Norbert's face. She got up and embraced him.

"What is the matter, dear boy?" she whispered in his ear.

"I...I sent Lenny in the woods. Alone."

"Why? Norbert, why in all the earth would you do such a thing? Hasn't she come out yet?"

"No," Norbert wiped his tears from his face and sniffled. "And she never will. She's dead."

Mother gasped and put a hand over her mouth. She put a hand on Norbert's shoulder and they stood together like that for awhile. They began to sob.

"We'll have to alert the authorities," she finally said. He nodded. That was the best thing to do.

"When?"

"Tomorrow. You must be exhausted, poor boy. Tomorrow I will visit the station and file a report in person."

Norbert nodded and trudged to his room to sleep.


Amid dreams of screaming and tree houses and big, scary men threatening to kill him, Norbert heard a real-world sound. A scraping. He was awake immediately, clutching his blankets to his chest, eyes wide and terrified. He heard it again. It was coming from the window. He went over and peered out. Saw nothing. Norbert opened the window and breathed deep of the fresh air. The cool winds whipped his boyish hair around and cooled his sweating face. He sighed and closed his eyes. Then he felt a fist grab the front of his shirt and pull him out. Norbert yelped as he fell, but a hand covered his mouth before he could scream. Norbert struggled. A fist hit his head and his head lolled to the side.


Norbert awoke tied to a crude wooden chair. He felt disoriented. He looked around. All was dark. He tried to speak, to groan, to scream, to make any sound. But a gag in his mouth refused him anything but mumbles. A torch was lit, and familiar surroundings lurched out at his eyes. Norbert immediately began to struggle.

"Calm down," a voice said. The voice of the man. He was there, too. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Norbert struggled harder. He had to get away from here.

"Look, kid, listen to me for a moment," the man said. He put his hand on Norbert's shoulder, and the touch sent chills through Norbert's body. The man sighed, "C'mon, kid, will ya just stop struggling and listen to me? This isn't getting us anywhere."

Norbert noted the words and stopped struggling, breathing hard. The man bent down to Norbert's eye level, his own filled with a mix of sympathy and sorrow.

"I know what you must be thinking. I'm sorry I kidnapped you. But it was the only option I deemed sensible enough to take. The authorities have been wanting an excuse for tearing down these woods to build new city buildings. News of Lenny's death will give them that excuse. I can't have that. If they tear this forest down, I loose my home, my food, my life. And the rest of you do, too."

Norbert simply stared at the man, bewilderment shadowing him. How could this man's death cause the death of the rest of them?

"I see you are confused," the man said. "Let me clarify. My name is Jamison Larr, and I am the Defender of City Four, the last of the four cities of our island. If I am killed, or this forest before me, then the Enemies will destroy the Barrier and kill all of you."

Norbert blurted out a question, but the gag muffled it. Jamison pulled the gag from Norbert's mouth, and Norbert snapped out, "I don't know what you're talking about. There is no barrier or enemies outside of the city. And there's more than four."

"You know that, huh?" Jamison said, a grim smile playing on his lips. "Would you like me to prove that what I say is true? No, it would not do to offer an innocent child to the Enemies. Kid, you gotta trust me. Why else would I drag you back here after demanding that you leave?"

"You're a lunatic!" Norbert shouted at him. Jamison chuckled.

"I suppose you could use that argument. But really, I think I may be the most sane--or, at least, capable--person in this city."

Norbert struggled against the ropes holding him to his chair.

"Please don't, kid. Look, if you'll calm down and follow me, I'll show you the Barrier. Would that convince you?"

"Maybe," Norbert grunted.

"Well then, let's go." He untied Norbert and hoisted him onto his shoulders.

"Hey!" Norbert shouted. "Put me down!"

"Can't trust you yet. Sorry, kid."

Somehow, Jamison made it down the tree. He ran deeper and deeper into the woods.

This guy's nuts, Norbert thought. There's no such thing as The Fourth Forest or whatever else he was talking about.

But eventually, after much running, Norbert saw it. A large wall of stone that was glowing red. It was short, but too tall to jump.

"That's the Barrier?" Norbert snorted. "It looks more like a baby gate."'

"Trust me, it is very dangerous. If you touch the red wall, the part that touches it will turn to ashes immediately."

"Then how are you supposed to repair it when it gets damaged? And how does it get damaged?"

"Good questions. The Enemies have begun to accumulate a stock of a certain powder that renders the Barrier useless. They slather it on their hands and legs and such. I must fight them off and repair the Barrier using the juice of a special fruit I call Akairo Succus."

Norbert shook his head in amazement.

"So," Jamison said. "Gonna help save us all?"

"How?"

"By not reporting Lenny's death to the authorities."

"But...but I have to tell someone!"

"Believe me, if you utter a word about this to anyone, I will never again let you leave this forest," Jamison growled, a grim look in his eyes. Norbert trembled in fear.

"I already have," he whispered. "My mother said she'd contact the authorities in the morning."

Alarm flashed through Jamison's eyes. Without a moment to lose, the man bolted straight through the woods, toward the city. After a stunned hesitation, Norbert followed. He heard Jamison crashing through the woods and followed the noise. He found Jamison crouching by a strange glowing orange cylinder flower. He plucked one petal off and continued his sprint through the woods. When they reached the edge of the forest, Jamison hesitated. Norbert bent over, hands on his knees, and gasped for breath.

"What are you doing?" Norbert wheezed.

"Fixing your mistake."

"Which includes doing what?"

"Erasing your mother's memory of the day."

"What?" Norbert exclaimed, eyes wide. "No way! You're not messing with my mom's mind!"

"Don't worry, it won't hurt her. It's for the good of you all. And, technically, I could erase your memory, too."

Norbert's jaw dropped.

"You wouldn't...would you?"

"I would, if you cause me too much trouble. I'm not going to hurt you, but I will keep you out of my way."

Jamison looked back at the city and took a deep breath. He took the first step out of the forest and clenched his teeth. By what Norbert could see, it looked like it actually hurt Jamison to go out of the woods. Norbert followed the man's painful steps slowly. Bit by bit as they walked through the city, Jamison's steps sped and he showed less and less pain as he strode through the city. At last, they reached Norbert's house, where the boy saw through his mother's bedroom window that she was sleeping peacefully. Jamison made his way to Norbert's bedroom window--the same one he'd grabbed Norbert out of--and climbed inside. Norbert followed him inside. Neither of them made a sound as they crept into his mother's room. Jamison held the hand with the flower petal in it over her head. Norbert wasn't sure what happened exactly. She just saw that his mother was there one second and gone the next. Then she was standing by her bed, eyes wide and 9-millimeter in hand. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Jamison, who stared at the gun curiously. She hadn't seen Norbert. Her hands were trembling.

"Get out of my house," she growled. "Out!"

Jamison blinked once, not understanding.

Man, it's almost like this guy lives under a rock! Norbert thought. He stepped forward and said out loud, "Don't shoot him, mom."

She turned her gaze on Norbert instantly. Her jaw dropped.

"Norbert?" she gasped. She rushed forward and put her hands on his shoulders. "Why are you up? Go back to bed--"

"Mom, this is Jamison. He's trying to save us, but it requires doing some really weird stuff."

"Baby, what are you talking about? He broke into our house."

"No, he didn't break anything. He just came in through an open window."

"If you'll excuse me, ma'am, I'm just trying to do my job. So if you'll just get back in your bed--"

"You will get out of my house immediately, or I will shoot."

"What do you mean?"

"Jamison," Norbert said warningly. "I don't know how long you've lived in the woods, but you obviously have no idea about modern technology. That's a gun. It shoots bullets and can penetrate flesh and muscle in less than a second. Used in a particular way, it can kill you. You might want to back down."

"I can't," Jamison objected, shaking his head. "If I do, news will get out and the woods will be torn down."

"And if you don't, you could die and it'll all be for nothing."

"You're so convinced all of a sudden?"

That stopped him for a moment. Why was he arguing that this random guy who probably killed Lenny despite his claims and kidnapped Norbert should surrender and leave this home unscathed?

"Norbert?" mom stammered. "Norbert...w-what are you saying? Why are you defending him? He's a criminal!"

"He's..." Norbert swallowed. Was he right to trust Jamison? "Yeah, mom. I guess your right."

With those words, Jamison lurched forward and crushed the flower over mom's head. Dust flitted down and she dropped to the ground. The gun went off, and Jamison gasped, clutching his stomach. He knelt over and groaned. Mom was asleep on the floor. Jamison looked up at Norbert and cringed.

"You are the last one," he whispered. "You must...protect the city."

Jamison took a bound leather book from a fold in his animal skin clothes--probably some sort of pocket--and placed it in Norbert's hands.

"Take this," Jamison grunted. "It will...help you. Clean up here. Then go to the tree house. You will live there in my place. You will be the next Defender of City Four."

Jamison looked like he wanted to say more, but his head lolled back and he dropped fully to the ground. His breathing ceased. Norbert checked his pulse. The man was dead. Norbert backed away. He flipped open the book to the first page, and read the neat handwriting.

Hello! You are the next Defender! Of which city, I cannot say, but they all act the same in defending. This book will teach you what you must know to be a Defender, though your mentor, the previous Defender, should be able to do most of the survival stuff.

Norbert glanced at Jamison. Nope. Not happening. Then the realization hit Norbert. The city was in danger. He was the only one who could save it, now that Jamison was dead. He didn't know the first thing about the trade, and this book was supposedly supposed to teach him. Everything Jamison had told Norbert was true. Norbert immediately put the book on a dresser and got to work cleaning the crime scene. He placed his mother in her bed and covered her with her blankets. He cleaned the flower dust from her face and hair, then mopped the blood from the floor. He hauled Jamison's body outside and into the woods. Then he went home. He had to hurry. The sun would be up soon. In the woods, he would perform his own little funeral for Jamison and Lenny, then get to work. He just hoped there wasn't an attack on the wall before he was ready.