were going to get killed by flying suitcases before we ever got to find out where on earth, or universe, we were.
“We’re helping you!” I shouted over the wind, which was now whipping sheets of sand against the plane. The guy briefly stuck his head out of the plane. Because he was somewhat shielded from the sand, his eyes were wide open this time. Blue. Sky blue. But he quickly narrowed his gaze at me.
“We need to hurry or we’ll be dead in another minute or two!” he said.
Jacob muttered something, but I couldn’t hear over the howling wind, then he turned, kicking up sand as he attempted to catch up with the others who were snaking their way through the sandstorm towards the castle.
“Wait!”
Despite being fairly strong and fit, my breath came short from the exertion of lugging two elephant-size backpacks and my small but tightly packed and thus heavy suitcase.
“These backpacks have to be Bella’s or Claire’s,” I shouted when I reached Jacob’s side. I spat out the sand that had blown into my mouth, not expecting an answer from Jacob. But he shouted a “Yeah!” before frowning with determination and pressing forward.
“Do you think this is real?” I shouted, not sure why I was suddenly spitting out all my thoughts in the middle of a sandstorm. “That we can bring our loved ones back?”
Jacob trudged ahead for a long time before he answered.
“Until I stepped out of that plane, I thought no, that it was just something Bruce had planned—like a gimmick or something to promote his drinks.” He glanced up and flicked his head towards the gleaming tower of glass and gold in front of us before snapping his eyes shut as an onslaught of sand flicked right into his face. “Shit!”
He stopped and rubbed the sand away. It was stuck in his eyelashes and brows too. “But when I saw that castle and these people…I don’t know. I’m starting to think we are some place strange. Somewhere far from home.”
The wind picked up behind us and started to swirl the sand around us like a tornado.
“The Change !” shouted the last guard. “The Change is upon us!”
The guards ahead rushed forward and seized hold of a large metal gate and began to slide it open. It took all six men and I noticed for the first time that although they seemed old and grey, they were strong, their muscles bulging like gladiators.
Then Prince Ollie turned around and laughed at something behind us. And I turned to see the guy who was bringing the luggage, weighed down with two backpacks on his back and two suitcases in each arm.
“Don’t stand there and laugh, son, either help him out or lead the others inside the gates,” the king shouted. “The Change is coming, you fool!”
One of the guards came at us from behind and pushed us all forward. One gave me a particularly hard shove at the base of my spine. I was sure I’d end up with knuckle-shaped bruises the next morning.
Jacob and I, weighed down with the bags, moved the slowest.
“Drop them! They don’t matter!” Jacob shouted, and grabbed me, dragging the backpacks off my shoulders and shoving me towards the gate.
The wind turned vicious. When I looked back, I could just make out the blond guy, loaded with bags, the sand all but devouring him.
“He’s not going to make it, Jacob. We have to help him!”
Jacob swore, shielded his eyes from the whipping sand, and ran back towards the guy.
I followed.
By the time we reached him he was face down, drowning in luggage and sand. He was partially buried already and we had to drag the bags off as carefully as we could so as not to break any of his limbs and brought him to his feet. He wobbled at first then pulled away from us almost violently.
Suddenly I couldn’t see him anymore. Or Jacob. I shut my burning eyes. There was too much sand.
“I can’t see!” I screamed, reaching out for Jacob, but feeling only the violent sting of the sand against my palm. “I can’t see the
“We’re helping you!” I shouted over the wind, which was now whipping sheets of sand against the plane. The guy briefly stuck his head out of the plane. Because he was somewhat shielded from the sand, his eyes were wide open this time. Blue. Sky blue. But he quickly narrowed his gaze at me.
“We need to hurry or we’ll be dead in another minute or two!” he said.
Jacob muttered something, but I couldn’t hear over the howling wind, then he turned, kicking up sand as he attempted to catch up with the others who were snaking their way through the sandstorm towards the castle.
“Wait!”
Despite being fairly strong and fit, my breath came short from the exertion of lugging two elephant-size backpacks and my small but tightly packed and thus heavy suitcase.
“These backpacks have to be Bella’s or Claire’s,” I shouted when I reached Jacob’s side. I spat out the sand that had blown into my mouth, not expecting an answer from Jacob. But he shouted a “Yeah!” before frowning with determination and pressing forward.
“Do you think this is real?” I shouted, not sure why I was suddenly spitting out all my thoughts in the middle of a sandstorm. “That we can bring our loved ones back?”
Jacob trudged ahead for a long time before he answered.
“Until I stepped out of that plane, I thought no, that it was just something Bruce had planned—like a gimmick or something to promote his drinks.” He glanced up and flicked his head towards the gleaming tower of glass and gold in front of us before snapping his eyes shut as an onslaught of sand flicked right into his face. “Shit!”
He stopped and rubbed the sand away. It was stuck in his eyelashes and brows too. “But when I saw that castle and these people…I don’t know. I’m starting to think we are some place strange. Somewhere far from home.”
The wind picked up behind us and started to swirl the sand around us like a tornado.
“The Change !” shouted the last guard. “The Change is upon us!”
The guards ahead rushed forward and seized hold of a large metal gate and began to slide it open. It took all six men and I noticed for the first time that although they seemed old and grey, they were strong, their muscles bulging like gladiators.
Then Prince Ollie turned around and laughed at something behind us. And I turned to see the guy who was bringing the luggage, weighed down with two backpacks on his back and two suitcases in each arm.
“Don’t stand there and laugh, son, either help him out or lead the others inside the gates,” the king shouted. “The Change is coming, you fool!”
One of the guards came at us from behind and pushed us all forward. One gave me a particularly hard shove at the base of my spine. I was sure I’d end up with knuckle-shaped bruises the next morning.
Jacob and I, weighed down with the bags, moved the slowest.
“Drop them! They don’t matter!” Jacob shouted, and grabbed me, dragging the backpacks off my shoulders and shoving me towards the gate.
The wind turned vicious. When I looked back, I could just make out the blond guy, loaded with bags, the sand all but devouring him.
“He’s not going to make it, Jacob. We have to help him!”
Jacob swore, shielded his eyes from the whipping sand, and ran back towards the guy.
I followed.
By the time we reached him he was face down, drowning in luggage and sand. He was partially buried already and we had to drag the bags off as carefully as we could so as not to break any of his limbs and brought him to his feet. He wobbled at first then pulled away from us almost violently.
Suddenly I couldn’t see him anymore. Or Jacob. I shut my burning eyes. There was too much sand.
“I can’t see!” I screamed, reaching out for Jacob, but feeling only the violent sting of the sand against my palm. “I can’t see the
Similar Books
