Woman King by Evette Davis Page B

arrived, carrying in a
wicked fog bank that was rolling across the park at a furious
speed. I should have been cold, but instead my skin burned as the
crisp air enveloped me. On fire, I quickly shrugged out of my
fleece and flung it to the ground. Again, I lost track of time, and
when I refocused, I found that we were standing in the main
concourse of Golden Gate Park, where the de Young Museum and
Academy of Sciences are located. I swallowed hard, my tongue
feeling too large for my mouth.
    The park was bursting with noise. Every
living being, it seemed, made some kind of sound as it moved. The
night was awash in color. I absorbed all of this information and
felt it take root as a young tree establishes itself in new ground.
I laughed again, feeling an uncanny sense of new knowledge. I was
ruminating on the meaning of the sounds I was hearing when my
attention was abruptly drawn to a fountain in the center of the
concourse.
    The bowl of the fountain was illuminated by
lights below it, and in the center of its pedestal stood an
enormous stone saber-toothed tiger. Trapped between its massive
claws was a serpent that was partially coiled around the cat’s
body. Locked in a fierce battle, the massive, muscled arms of the
cat, which looked more human than feline, seemed to be moving,
wrestling with the snake.
    I sat down on a wooden bench nearby, unable
to tear my gaze away from the fountain.
    “It’s Elsa!” I yelled aloud, surprised at the
sound of my voice. “It’s Elsa taking on the devil.”
    Now Elsa laughed. “What do you hear,
Olivia?”
    Responding to her question, I strained to
listen. At first I could not detect any sound coming from the
fountain. But as I focused, I began to feel a vibration moving
through my body and I stood up, unable to sit still.
    “Up,” I said. “It’s saying, ‘Get up and come
in.’ ”
    Elsa preened like a proud mother. “Very good.
That’s exactly what it’s saying. One day soon we will go inside,
but for now we have to say goodbye to The Guardian.”
    “The Guardian,” I whispered to myself. As I
murmured the name, I caught sight of a light coming from a large
tower in front of us. I also could feel the intense light.
“Bright!” I screamed as the light expanded behind my eyes,
momentarily blinding me. I pressed my hands to my eye sockets and
bent my head in pain.
    “What light, Olivia?” Lily asked. “Where is
the light coming from?”
    I pointed up toward the tower, which belonged
to the de Young Museum.
    Elsa turned me so that my back was away from
the source of the light. “You must breathe deeply and try to push
the light out of your mind, Olivia. Focus on the light and push it
away.”
    The pain from the light roiled my already
sensitive stomach. Taking a deep breath, eventually I was able to
do what Elsa asked. I inhaled and exhaled, slowly bringing my
attention to the center of my forehead where the pain was the
strongest.
    Meanwhile, Elsa had begun shouting at no one
in particular in a language I didn’t understand. While Lily stood
nearby looking grim, Elsa walked briskly to the fountain, touched
the edge of the cement and disappeared.
    Hand outstretched, I screamed for her. Lily
was at my side immediately, pulling me away. Quickly we grabbed our
things and began to run, setting a brisk pace through the wet foggy
night. As we passed through the damp, muddy trails of the park’s
forests, I removed more clothing, dropping items along the way. My
body temperature continued to climb, despite the fact that I was
now wearing nothing but a running bra and bike shorts.
    “I need water, Lily,” I said, my throat raw
from running in the cold night air.
    She opened a backpack and handed me a
bottle.
    “Drink,” she said. “The effects of the tea
will start to wear off in a few hours.”
    “Is Elsa coming back?”
    “I’m not sure,” Lily said. “She had to go see
someone.”
    “She disappeared,” I said, distracted by the
buzzing in my ears.
    Lily nodded.